Progress Thread Fire Hazard GT build: On the road

rdharper02

like kicking myself in the junk
10 Year Member
May 8, 2006
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I started a major rebuild on the stang last year. Between work and knee reconstruction, I havent had time to work on her. Now I have the gauges to wire, MSD 6-al2, finish the on/off switch, remote the battery, line lock, vacuum lines, drive shaft, switches, exhaust and the overall re-check on turbo plumbing. I did the extension on the oil pressure sensor, trimmed the lower radiator hose, fitted the serpantine belt and "adjusted" the radiator hold-down last night. I dont know why, but I just have not been motivated to continue. Part of me really wants to get it started over the holidays, but its the quieter side. I'm sure most of you have been there, so any motivation will help.
 
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I went 3 1/2 years without touching my 67 project. Some was life getting in the way, some was just lack of motivation due to the overwhelming size of the project ahead of me. My advice: pick an easy job that you can do start to finish in a couple of hours, and commit to that.

Once you're done, you'll either be reinvigorated, or you're suffering from burnout. If it's the latter, let the car sit. Give yourself some goof off time, where you don't have to do anything. It took me about a month of that before my batteries were recharged enough to get back in the garage. Now I'm back at it, and enjoying it. These things are supposed to be fun, not additional chores.
 
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Yup, he is correct. Do a small project at a time. Make it your goal to finish, not the build. I'm currently in a slump due to life and cold weather. I have heat in the garage so maybe Santa will bring something to jump start me.
 
I know exactly how you feel. Due to an accident, I was unable to work on my car for 2 years due to shoulder and knee surgery and then lack of finances. I watched it sit in the garage and collect dust, very discouraging. I am just now getting back to working on it and hope to have the project finished sometime in the next year. Keep your chin up and keep plugging away.
 
My project took almost 4 years to complete, not that its really even complete, it still needs paint. I had a lot of time that I spent NOT working on it. To get back in the swing.of things I just spent an hour or two out in the garage every other night or so and before I realized it was done and running.
 
Same here... My fox took four years to complete... I almost sold it when it was a shell. But I've owned this car since it was taken off the delivery truck so I just couldn't let her die..
Now I've got a 73 fugly coupe that I'm having a hard time with. But I have no connection to the car so its harder to complete
 
It's good to hear I'm not the only one out there. On top of it all, I'm down to 90 psi on a cylinder in my truck. Peaks and valleys I guess. So I got back on the Mustang today. The goal was to run the wideband cable, boost gauge line, mount the gauge pod and wire the Tach/Boost/AF gauges. Removed my drivers seat, got the cable run for the AF gauge, wired the gauges and started to mount the dash pod. The cold is not doing me any favors here. The plastic boost line kinked/collapsed, then snapped at the fitting and the doggone 3M tape I use to place the gauge pod brackets wont hold in the cold. So no joy on screwing the brackets to the dash. I decided it was time to take a break before I lost the Christmas spirit and propelled something valuable across the garage. I did eventually stop hitting my head against the roll cage, but only because the dog was looking at me funny. I guess its a bit further along then when I started and the wife's buying me some black Pony R's for my Christmas gift. Hopefully you guys had a good Christmas.

On another note, you guys made me realize that alot of us get side tracked. I've been thinking about starting a thread for us titled "The part timer's latest". I'm thinking it would be great (as it has been here) to hear about the latest thing we tried or finished in our lack of time. A switch, line, gasket, basically an update to help motivate each other to work on the small stuff in an attempt to finish the overall project. If nothing else it might be worth the humor.
 
LOL..I did a partial wire tuck, just to lay my own wiring mess for the fan controller and MSD. It's still a mess, but I'm leaving it alone. I tucked the wiring on the turbo side and am hoping like hell I got the pin-out right on the two relays....lol.
 
If it's any encouragement at all, I've been at this 67 for a total of 9 years. It was practically a junkyard case when I got it.

As I said above, I've just in the past week gotten started again. Nothing big... got the new injectors installed. Re-loomed the fuel injector harness. Ordered all the stuff to put my fuel system in. Hoping to plumb the brakes this week while I'm off. Oh, and dropping the oil pan to reinstall the oil pump shaft, since the washer either fell off in the pan, or was never installed to begin with. But, I see progress, and I'm enjoying the process. Have fun with it!
 
I guess its good that I can only afford to do one project at time. If I were doing a restoration, it would take my whole life span. You definitely arent alone when it comes to losing motivation. I had a couple buddies over to help me install my lowering springs, and we had a great time bull :poo:ting while we worked. Maybe try that if you have buddies that enjoy it, and you trust helping you.
 
We'll, I think a 67 would deserve some time. Mine started out as a simple "add the turbo" project. Like BlueStallion said, normally it was only one project at a time. I decided to do a whole lot more after selling my blue GT. Its going thanks to you guys. Finished my radio/switch plate bracket today and found out what the random, unlabeled wiring was (tach input from MSD). Couldn't find a graphite rod I use to push wires through the firewall, so I cleaned the garage up some. I can actually find the top of my bench. not bad for a couple of hours. I also decided I need to do my drop-down liscense plate bracket over again.
 
i have been at it for 5 years and always have something else project wise to sidetrack me i just finished my kitchen and then i started work on my man cave garage.the garage came out awesome and now with alittle time off from work i started working on the car.i have no heat in the garage so it definately is hard to get motivated but what i find gets me motivated is all the episodes of overhaulin' and anything else my dvr records from the speed channel and velocity.
 
I'm finding now that I'm spending a lot of time working on other peoples cars so that i can afford to continue to work on mine. It great that side projects pay the bills and all but they take up all the time I would have normally spent working on my stuff. I currently have 2 roll cage jobs lined up and a guy with a 32 studebaker that wants a custom trans crossmember made for his new c-4.
 
I know exactly how you feel. My big issue is no garage. I finally have a decent job now so I can't complain about working 6 days a week anymore. I am hoping once the weather gets good to get going again.

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garages with no heater? I forgot what it's like to live in the lower 48. That would definitely put a crimp in my project...

I did have to spend day one of my rejuvenated project cleaning up my garage to where I could get to my tools...
 
I've been sidetracked awhile on everything else. There’s things in life I don't consider sidetracks and are ultimately more important like family and the place where you live. We moved to Southern Cali from Va and I've been working about 3 hours away from home. It gives me the weekends to spend with the wife and kids, but no time for anything I should work on. I've worked on everyone else’s stuff and still really need to get my truck back to 100%. I like to keep it up since it pulls the trailer I haul the Mustang on. Looks like I will be driving the jeep for awhile as I just found that I volunteered to do the axles on my Father -in-law's car. (The wife let me know I volunteered...lol) The man cave would definitely take priority for me. I have an empty beer fridge in the garage and that’s about as far as I've gone...lol. I found that more than one cold one and working on the car leads to me being in a hurry an unable to read the "- and +" symbols on a battery. The good part, and I have to thank MRICCI for reminding me, is that it’s a bit warmer here and I have a garage to work out of. Think my bloods gotten thin because the desert air is still doggone cold and causing difficulties.
 
You're ahead of me!

I have a question: I'm running the same valve covers as you--what did you do on the PS for the hole for the PCV valve? I'm assuming you're running your PCV in the back of the intake?

I got to spend my entire garage time yesterday getting my butt kicked by an oil pan. Had to drop the pan to put a new pump shaft in, since the old one didn't have a retainer ring, and I pulled it out with the dizzy. No problem on a 67, just drop the crossmember, pull a couple of steering linkages loose, drop the pan, remove the pump, had everything set up ready to reinstall yesterday.

Sticking that heavy one-piece gasket to the bottom of the block was a real PITA (wanted to ensure I had it in the rear main journals properly, so I put it on the block instead of on the pan). Then, horsing a 7 quart aluminum pan into place, getting the bolts started to hold it, taking it back down three times because the gasket got jacked up,...

4 hours to do an oil pan install. Glad I wasn't paying shop rate. :) Yesterday I was the bug. Today I'm going to be the windshield!
 
I've had those boxed up for years, but love them. I currently have it from the PCV location to the back of the manifold, until the boost pressure starts popping it out on me. Never tried to do the pan gasket upside down...lol. Thank God its not one of the old multi-piece gaskets. Good to hear your getting something done though. I would love to see some pics of the car. I'm honestly keeping my eye out for some old sheet metal to work on after the mustang is moving (notice I didn't say done....it never is. I had my boost gauge line heating in front of a space heater and about had it bendable before calling it quits. Oh well, I have a plan. I'm digging the bug and windshield piece. Sorry, but I have to steal that one:nice:. Tomorrow looks like a fix the jeep day and then hopefully work some more wiring. In other words, I'll work what I have to then beat my head against the wall trying to finish the things I want to. It keeps the dog entertained...lol.