[64Bird]

Centerline you are right on. This is coming from a person who didn't plan his first project and eight years later got rid of it. I'm about three years into my current project (that was very well planned) and should be completed in the Spring 2010.

[Carlos Murphy]

I've been working on a 50 Stude pickup I bought a few months back, maintenance and upgrades have kept it on jack stands for 2 months.
I've always been organized, BMW tech for 33 years, owned a Cherokee 180 for 10 and when working on the plane ALL fasteners went into labeled zip-lock bags that were taped to the areas from which they came.
Every tool has its place and is in it when not in use. I'm very uncomfortable working on a dirty floor and keep it clean and that goes for my equipment too.

I'm not anal, just find it to be easier that way and I'm all for easy.

[freebird101]

nice post!

[funnypicture1]

Great post
Thanks for the info
_________________
car shipping

[deadbodyman]

[bobjob]

just a quick question; how do i get organized,,,in & out of hospital,,no garage, my tool box sits by my front door,, car sits in backyard getting blasted by Arizona's 110 deg. heat..i have 2 small storage sheds,,over stuffed,,, and been out of work for 2 years now...trying to keep a list of "to do" in my head... just started taking pics with my 35 mm and getting them put on disk..i'd be a total basket without this site...you probably seen pics. before,.,but look at background .......
sorry,,,, posted 1 pic twice,, and don't know how to fix...
also new to computer..........as you can see.......

[Carlos Murphy]

Do like some boat builders do...

Build the car in your living room and when its finished just knock down a wall and drive er out.

[bobjob]

don't think wife would agree.. living room is not big enough.. nice try.. oh well.....

[Carlos Murphy]

Send the wife to "carpenter " school sos she can build ya a garage..... fer yer birthday.

[deadbodyman]

Bob,one thing at a time,and first things first. You got to have shelter first. At least a roof over to keep that sun of you,Hows your carpentry skills? getting wood and materials can get expensive but can also be gotten for free. I'd start by building a budget shop...wood floor.Tin roof.I can help with that if you'd like....I built a 20 x 30 for my parts and stuff for free well almost free nails & screws.etc.. Its not hard at all...Mike O. P.S. Of coarse I have gotten rid of a wife......That worked real well ...but the one I got now I'm gonna keep.so rebuilding engines is strickly outside work for me now..

[cheifwaylocahones]

Originally Posted by bentwings

I thought I could add a few cents worth of experience.

I use MS Excel to make spread sheets. For most of the younger guys I would think you got the basics in school. The older guys well just take a night class and you can do the basic stuff really easy.

Why???

Well most of the budget stuff there is a lot more time than $$$ so use it.

I make endless spreadsheets. I keep adding things summing things and completing items or deleting items. Quite often I simply start over as the sheet had taken a turn that is not easily recoverable. But do remember that the data is still useful.

I have very detailed spread sheets for the construction. I add notes as needed. I have suppliers and costs and alternate suppliers and costs. I fill in what I really paid. One thing I now do is hide the final cost. haha My project Willys is so far overbudget that I'm going to retire just to finish it off.

One thing that has saved me a number of times is the good old "Barter trade" I now have the interior paid for by trading labor. I had quotes from $2k to $5k to do the interior. I have traded a lot of welding for parts, built a couple motors for parts. The list goes on. I even have a place on the spread sheets for this. Time will come to call in favors. haha.

Anyway the spreadsheet allows you to really look at the overall project. You can break it down into "do this first" items or in my case "cost to complete". Which has evolved into "cost to complete..must have" haha

Typically I look at an item such as the rear end. I itemize every last part required. You can always add items. I usually organize into my labor items and purchased items. I add columns for estimated labor time and actual time spent. I add columns for $$$ required and $$$ actually spent. I sum these but hide the result so prying eyes can't see them . haha There is some medical complex for this aversion. Anxiety something or other.

You would be surprised at how many things you forget about or had not considered. When you add a $$$ and time to it, they can count up fast. You can even plan your evening or weekend work schedule around the spreadsheet. It helps to keep you focused too.

I keep track of tools required and those I need to purchase. I hate buying one time use tools but sometimes you can be stalled without the right tool. If you put the tools in the right spaces you won't get caught without them in the middle of the project.

There has been many nights when I simply didn't have $$$ to do what I wanted. I looked at the spreadsheet and began searching for alternatives. Other suppliers, maybe make something instead of purchasing, trade something, maybe sell something I don't need. The end result usuall saves me time and $$$.

good luck.

This is good advise! which will also help you stay focused, or shall I say interested in your project. As noted, there will be many nights you will spend time in the garage staring at your project without the funds needed to stay busy, This is WHERE ALOT OF GUYS BECOME DISCOURAGED, Lose interest, and give up. This is the time to organize your thoughts on individual areas of the project such as bentwings mentions, tools needed, materials, vendors to purchase, I do this myself not only to stay focused with what needs to be done, more importantly it keeps me interested in the project at hand, so not to get discouraged at times of low budget garage nights thinking nothing is, or ever will get completed...Spreadsheets are a good way to document each step along the way too It really helps!

[bentwings]

Thanks for dredging this up.!!

Right now I'm reviewing the various spreadsheets and looking at what it really cost to build this project. It was staggering.....had I realized this at the start I may have gone a different direction. At one point in my life driving a $20,000 car was a heady dream....today paying the insurance for a streetrod valued at 3 times this seems common. I'm one of the few I cruize with that has only one rod. haha

The cost of a "plastic car" is very hard to imagin. The simplicity of purchasing a nearly complete body package and a matching frame masks the much more difficult projects. Sure it is nice not to have to deal with massive rebuilding and restoration time and costs but the additional fabrication of special items that simply do not exist can be overpowering to guys that have a more limited skill range. Designing items needed without some fab skill can get you into a corner very quickly. Sometimes the corner becomes a circle with not exit.

Don't forget the title issue of your project. This needs planning right up front.
I didn't realize the cost and efforts required to get a state title untill I was nearly done with the project. Fortunately I received enough heads up to budget a very health amount for this or it would have been real "sticker shock". This is a cost item normally built into the purchase of a new or used vehicle determined by your state. It normally is in financing and you probably don't really see it. Just adds a little to the payment. If you are not carefull you can get hit with a huge sales tax bill the day you apply for plates. There are work arounds depending on your state so visit the DMV and get details early on in your project.

Good luck and plan ahead.