I thought this might be an interesting, and possibly helpful, discussion.

Many (most?) of us have (or have had) project cars, some fairly extensive, and I can't help but think there are some valuable experiences to be shared. Obviously we talk about various individual repairs we've plunged into, and discuss those failures and victories, but I'm thinking more about the overall strategy of a project.

Do you wish you had spent more (or less) time (or money) on a particular aspect of your project?

Are you half way done and wish you had taken an entirely different approach to the project? Maybe you should've started out with a different car?

What would you have done differently?

Or, for that matter, did your project go particularly well? If so, why?


I'll begin.

My project V12 conversion project is virtually complete and I'm happy with the results. I was really trying to keeps costs down and my main operating philosophy was to spend money (and time) where it would do the most good. I avoided over-repairing and was extremely selective about "While I'm at it...." parts replacements. Time will tell if some of my decisions were wise but, at present, I think it was a good approach.

My biggest regret, in terms of strategy, hasn't quite materialized but I'm nearly certain it will. I wish I had selected a car with stronger cosmetics.....advice I often give but failed to follow. Oh, sure, the car looks great overall....nothing to be ashamed of.....but there are 1001 small cosmetic flaws that will begin to eat away at me. This is were serious money can be spent. I should've found something a bit nicer begin with.

Anyone else?

Cheers
DD

 

Hey Doug,
My regrets on my many projects have mostly been that I take someone's word about condition before I take the plunge. I know ALL older cars are gonna need mechanicals fixed.... I get that. I even enjoy getting my hands dirty. But cosmetics are where I need to (mostly) engage outside help and therefore spend the most money. And after seeing Gregory's cars, I feel like I have such a high bar to meet. Sigh.

 

Gregory has an especially high level of commitment


Cheers
DD

 

I wish I would have installed a big block Chevy instead of small block Chevy. I need way more power and torque.

 

I bought my XJS first. However I bought my XJ6 later, already as a driver. I also had to do some work to my '96 Mustang which I've had for five or six years. I just replaced the transmission in my XJS. I've never really driven it enough to have bonded with it. I'm getting the feeling that I might let it go soon, I just don't feel attachment to it. I probably should have made it more of a priority. Now I've got my eye on another car, and I don't want to let go of my X300.

 

Well, I would have at first looked for a car without any oil leaks But heck, that is too late.

Looking back on all my jobs, I would have started to work more systemmatically earlier. Instead of starting 10 jobs, just do one at a time. Buy parts as you need them and then all the parts you will need or want.

It is stupid if you for example start to overhaul the injector system and then jump into the tranny, do the rear axle, do some interior jobs and then go to the engine again. Start and finish...

 

If I had known how wonderful the cars were, I would have scrimped for one many years earlier!

 

me too !


Cheers
DD

 

Ah yes. Organizing and planning your sub-projects is important. I'm pretty good about organizing the bigger segments of a project and sticking to the plan. Random jumping about is not wise, as you say.

But.....and I'll contradict myself a bit here.....

I always had sub-sub projects in mind. If a bigger aspect of the project was delayed for some reason (sometimes frustration level!) I could jump to something small and easy ....even if it only painting a bracket or repairing some wires. This is simply making good use of available time, IMO. And, besides, sometimes I need the satisfaction of actually *completing* a task. I'm a 'check list' type of person.

A lot of my project was done 30 minutes at a time, as opportunity permitted. I always worry about a project stalling out...I've seen it happen too many times....and a ready supply of small tasks helps me keep things rolling towards eventual completion.

Cheers
DD

 

My regrets are often around cheaping out and ending up having to spend more money in the end. Like buying a $100 tool when I need a $400 tool and ending up spending $500 because the first tool didn't work and I had to buy the $400 one anyway. On a smaller scale, cheap sandpaper is a waste. Cheap paint is a waste. Cheap Bondo is a waste, hard to sand, gummy in your cheap paper. Etc

 

Same here. Little 'fill in jobs' are handy for when you are preparing things. Like my CC. All disassembled but waiting for more parts to galvanize. The alternator is in pieces. The AC compressor next. I then get those parts in as I want to. No real rush... But if I do say the cam covers and cylinder heads, I focus only on that. And most important thing: don't get carried away!

 

I work like this, do many small projects at once. Allows me to dismantle one system determine what parts are needed and order them. Then I catalog all the parts and put these bits in a box with all bolts/nuts etc in sealed bags, label everything for assembly later.

This allows me to do many jobs in parallel saving time, as long as you are methodical and keep every part of each system separate and labeled, for me this works.

I have made loads of mistakes and had to re-do things as I was not happy with the final result. When I painted the car I stripped it to bare metal for the re-spray, I was not happy with the job I did so sanded the car and re-painted it, I should have taken it back to almost bare metal again as the paint is now a little too thick. Makes the paint look very good but it chips a little too easily.

 

I have A,D,D, and A,D,H,D,. I had them long before they knew what to call them, I'm 59 years old and still can't sit still. The only thing when starting a project. I know what to look for, but I get wound up, and don't look hard enough, thus I miss a lot of things, and even though I know I should take my time, sometimes my wife helps me with this. Otherwise I end up overwhelmed, and things have a tendency to never get done, cause I can't concentrate long enough to see the end of the tunnel, let alone get there! It's been that way all my life, and even though I hide it fairly well, it frustrates me to no end. 89 Jacobra

 

Oh, me so much to do, so little tine and energy. The years have taken their toll. I am just having trouble recognizing my "growing" limitations.


But, I have figured out planning and lay out.


1. Decades ago, I embarked on overhauling/rebuilding the engine in my 63 Corvair Monza coupe. Very advanced tech for me. I placed a 4 x 8 piece of plywood on saw horses in front of the car. I placed the engine parts on it as I took it apart. In a semblance of the order they enjoyed as assembled. A guide to me as to how the parts were to be put back together. It worked.


2. A bit simpler for smaller tasks on car away from the bench. I use an oil drain pan. I put the necessary tools and parts in it. On disassembly, the fasteners and part go there as well. Area to search for needs, much smaller.


3. In the car's console for window switch service and the like. Two smaller pans. In the car for two screw drivers and fasteners. A similar pan on the bench to work on the switches. Bitsy parts, captured there.


4. Grant Francis offered the best preventive I've ever read of. Work on Jaguar ignition switches in a plastic bag!!


5. Way back as a young 'un a pal worked with an automotive "near genius". My pal drove the race car and assisted in it's maintenance. The "near genius" was a tutor and crew chief. His comment to pal, "you are a more than decent mechanic, but you use more than one set of tools" . Organize....


Carl

eitches

 

my mistake was buying a house that needs everything doing to it, thereby relegating the jag to the garage. especially today now that the sun is shining. aaaaaaaaaagh

 

Never had a project car.

All my cars, Jags, have been daily drivers. Soooo, getting sorted what was needed was quite specific in the time I had.

No spare car, the one I drove was IT.

Later in life, wife #2, and still current, she looks at the cosmetics, and I look at the mechanical, and it works well. We have walked (sometimes ran like hell) from something that appeared "good" and was not so.

The XJS was different. We knew what we had, and we knew it needed a full refresh at some stage. So, I gathered the required bits over many years, and then I scored a company car, whoopee, and the mighty beast got stripped, and I mean stripped. All the required was rebuilt, engine, trans, front and rear cradles, steer system, cooling system, rewired, a/c comp, and so on. Lots of upgrades, Efans, alternator, exhaust, to list a few.

6 months later, all done. The paint was fine, as was the trim, so "The minister for everything" chose well.

Differently, as Doug asked, not sure. Maybe better wiring finesse.

The S Types, all OK, and since arthritis is really giving me/us the heebie jeebies, I am rather happy.

 

and to think a 1985 XJ was fitted with a 454 cu. 7.4L 400 trans , for $1500. USD, and took a year to sell!

located in Daytona FL. around 15 years back, my how times change!

 

spot on. I bought a place with a big barn so I could paint cars and all I've been painting for two years is the barn.

 

my Jag just never seems completely finished, always some small thing to take care of!

OH it runs and drives great, silly sh$t.

had it out yesterday, i changed oil and filter, and run the hell out of it, GAD i love the sound of that V12 screamin at 6500+, and gettin sidways in the turns!

Yeah i know i'm gettin to old for such shenanegans!!! LOL.

 

Way to go drive the heii out of it! A few select cars need to be "Museum Pieces" the rest need to be Driven like Ya Stole em!!! Enjoy! 89 Jacobra

PS. You're never to old, You're occasionally limited as to what you can still do. But your Never to OLD!