Loosing heart

[Lucky Luke!]

So there i am working on my car, doing the essentials that need doing and i realised that i have totally lost heart and enthusiasm for doing it. I know that eventually it will be done but i am just getting sick of doing it, ever time i do one job i find another that needs doing!

Just wondered if anyone else gets this "postnatal depression" on there car?

[stv-b16a]

keep up the good work!!!

you know it will be worth it in the end.

get her ready and go out and wipe the smile of some saxo drivin chavs face lol.
dont forget IT WILL BE WORTH IT!!!
STV

[Stuart]

yep im there lol.

lost intrest a while ago due to the desire to work on cars at the weekend being sapped from me by a) french cars and b ) my job lol. Now ive got the new car i dont feel that i can be ****d to build a slower car for the track lol.

everyone will tell you to get it done. but if youve truely lost intrest then bail.

[RJM25R]

^^^^^

I agree with Stu (I knew it would happen one day!! :-@)

If you're no longer enthusiastic, you'll do a half-****d job and it's a waste of time, effort and money.

[Stuart]

muhaaaaa haa ha ha ha youve slipped now ;)

[RJM25R]

"and I shall call him------Mini Me!!!

Mu-ha! Mu-ha! Muu-ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!"

[dannyb]

If you haven't already, leave the car alone for a couple of months. Its hard to justify working on a project when it just isn't fun anymore and as RJM25R says, you are more likely to make a half job as you just want to get it done and out the way. My Dad and I found this with his 30s machine that we restored, especially when we would get ready to work and other factors slowed us down (weather/sh!tty old rusty metal/my girlfriend/his wife) By the time we'd got round to doing the jobs, we'd lost the drive to do them.
We found the best way would be to leave it until we felt enthusiastic enough to do some work. Obviously if it gets to 6 months and you can't be bothered to work in the Nova still, I guess its time you bought something else! Try driving a Volvo 340, once the novelty of RWD and torquey 1.7 Renault lumps wears you'll wish you had a car that handled like a Nova!

[Jack]

I got kinda fed up with my hatch, it was getting to the point where it needed big time and money spending on it to keep it going, so sold up. It was a fun car, but I'd be lying if I said I preferred it to the Celica.

I do sometimes wish I'd kept the saloon - it would have been handy as a second car, and a good base to practise welding on lol. Problem was I just didn't want to drive it when the Celica was sat on the drive (hmm, a '90 55bhp FWD 1.2 or a '95 240bhp 4WD 2.0 turbo with all the mod cons?!); and for the money to insure/mod/tax/run it, I could buy some goodies for the Celica :D

If I knew now what I knew then, I'd have taken the saloon off the road and fitted an XE or tuned 1.6 just to give it a bit more power so it didn't feel like quite such a tank against the GT4. Should have spent money on that rather than driving to Cheltenham every weekend! lol

Point is - if you're going to give up and cut your losses, either make sure its definately what you want to do, and/or have a decent reason for doing it (i.e. something better to move on to) - or you'll end up regretting the decision and wanting your Nova back!

/Razorjack is now kicking himself for selling a Mexico Red 1.2 2dr H reg saloon with Mk2 interior... lol

[stuartp]

I agree with all the lads. Ive been doining mine on and off for over 1half years!! Ive had this week off to do some on the shell but last week i felt like giving in to it and selling it!! Its your call like razorjack says you might end up kicking yourself!!

[SRlew]

im glad a few people have this problem! i get it all the time! i got it at the minute! its only going to get worse with all the work i NEED to do. its a joke. im looking for another car for the time being so then im not with the nova all the time so hopefully i'll want to do work onit. that or it'll make me worse and it'll just sit in the garden.

just stick with it if you can! actually thats why i got this car! my brother just couldnt be botherd and i got a bargain.

[kevo16v]

I'd be a bare faced lair if i said i've never felt like giving up on the car! A few months ago i contemplated(sp) giving up as it was going nowhere, like yourself i had set back after set back the car sat untouched for weeks & it felt like it was never going to be finished.
But thats what makes it worth it in the end, if it was straight forward to build a car to your own spec then it would be no fun! well thats what i think anyways.
Stick at it & things will eventually get there:thumb:

[meritlover]

i gave up for the last time on my Charade 4 times in the one weekend after wrecking 2 bottom ends in 2 days.

but u forget after a while when the jobs finnished. and its all worth while.

stick at it

[Adam]

yep im there lol.

lost intrest a while ago due to the desire to work on cars at the weekend being sapped from me by a) french cars and b ) my job lol. Now ive got the new car i dont feel that i can be ****d to build a slower car for the track lol.

everyone will tell you to get it done. but if youve truely lost intrest then bail.
Oooo, are we expecting a "breaking mad 1200 engine" thread soon then? Lol

[Lee]

Agreed, if your hearts not in it, it becomes a chore and not a hobby.

Leave it a while and see if you feel the need to get stuck back in again, if not, sell up and buy one thats finished from someone else whos bored lol

[craig green]

Its all too easy to fall into that trap, esp if you are being a perfectionist & find 3 new jobs for every 1 job you try to tackle.

If you know any fellow Nova nuts nearby or maybe on here that could come round & boost your 'faith' that might do the trick. If its jobs that are too tricky or funds that are getting you down, have a re-think.

But most of all focus on what you want to achieve & do it. Do a WIP style thread on here with pics, most people post nothing but encouragement which can only help.

Youre not alone!

[Lucky Luke!]

Cheers guys! Its like i just wanna be able to drive it, but i gotta finish the welding then do the brakes, then tackle the bodywork, then the interior, list goes on and on, but thats cause i work with expensive cars all the time so perfection is my weakness!

I used to have a 205 and that was busting driveshafts every 2 weeks, but you do it cause when it is okay man does it make you smile!

I'm gonna carry on i think and then should be doing a deal with ste porter, looks like a good car but the stuff i dont wanna do is already done so i can carry on with that instead!

However if anyone does wanna help me maybe welding new arches on and smoothing them in, or spraying the car i can offer my services in audio installation in return, custom stuff is what i live for!

[craig green]

Thats the spirit. Just plod on.

Heres my list;

Remove & re-fit dash for*...
Install Corsa servo & new brake lines*
Buy & install braided hoses.*
Buy & fit spigot rings for 288's
Buy fr AVO coilovers*
strip & spray the engine bay*
Install engine & gearbox*
wire the engine*
strip & spray the interior*
Finish installing the interior
buy some new wheels*
buy some new tyres*

* denotes stuff I'm not looking forward to.

[Lee]

Im not going to write my list, as im sure theres a 5000 word limit lol

[Lucky Luke!]

Just good to know i'm not the only one!

Out of interest is there anyone on here that wants to do some custom install stuff to there interior?

[Stuart]

Oooo, are we expecting a "breaking mad 1200 engine" thread soon then? Lol

who knows

[Mike]

if your hearts not in it, it becomes a chore and not a hobby.


Thats about where i am, im just going to finish the nova and sell it for an evo to be honest

[nov4801]

I know that eventually it will be done but i am just getting sick of doing it, ever time i do one job i find another that needs doing!

Just wondered if anyone else gets this "postnatal depression" on there car?


i feel the same mate every time i fix mine (enigne problems clutch problems) something else goes wrong and i have to spend more money on the engine side of things when i wanna finish the outside off.

but its a nova and u expect things like this lol

[Nick]

Ah pathetic drop-outs lol. no commitment !

I doubt i could have had as much fun and spent so little as i have on my nova. Fair enough, i've upgraded nearly everything ha. but it's not cost me anything in Repairs or breakdowns, or maintenance really !

So for that reason, i probably owe it more than it owes me. So i'l just keep it somewhere for the rest of it's days

[ade]

I've been working on my nova for over 3 years now - on and off. I lost interest at one point simply because I couldnt get done what I wanted done (welding - I cant do this - yet), so I left it, carried on gathering parts that I knew Id need eventually and messed about on other projetcs...

however I always went back to it.

If youre getting fed up I find making a full list of what needs to be done and setting timescales helps. Be realistic and plan everything. Then set short term goals.

I also find putting a thread together on here of your progress and the support you get from other NL'ers for the work you do really helps keeping you going.

Check out my thread in styling for an example. My plans are HUGE - total redesign of a Nova with different lights, bumpers, interior etc. I;ve had several surprises (hidden rust etc) but they just add to the challenge.

Planning and Organising - thats what you need...

Ade

[Rick Draper]

yep im there lol.

lost intrest a while ago due to the desire to work on cars at the weekend being sapped from me by a) french cars and b ) my job lol. Now ive got the new car i dont feel that i can be ****d to build a slower car for the track lol.

everyone will tell you to get it done. but if youve truely lost intrest then bail.
Well i have a lawn mower here waiting for your cars engine, its about all it will be good for, even then it might get bogged down in a tuff thicket of grass.

[Stuart]

i think you need to reword that as youve got a lawnmower that needs an engine from my car ;)

[cheshiresport]

Ive just got through this cant be ****d stage with my rebuild and now after 2 months out of the garage im ready to get back in there and get it finished, keep it up mate

[Mike]

Ah pathetic drop-outs lol. no commitment !

I doubt i could have had as much fun and spent so little as i have on my nova. Fair enough, i've upgraded nearly everything ha. but it's not cost me anything in Repairs or breakdowns, or maintenance really !

So for that reason, i probably owe it more than it owes me. So i'l just keep it somewhere for the rest of it's days

pathetic drop-outs ehh, this is the second nova ive resurrected in 2years, now i just want an evo!

I shall be building yet another nova within the next few months, but the one ive got planned is a minimum of ?2.5k to insure with HIC! Not telling what engine yet (and its not a common or garden XE either :thumb: ) but it will be very VERY fast! ;)

[Matt2107]

I find that if I work on one thing for too long then I end up getting so frustrated in the search for perfection that I start ****ing it up... hence the reason why I've started quite a few things and not finished them yet.

It's good to occupy yourself with the smaller easier jobs if your struggling with the larger ones as it actually looks like your getting somewhere.

[draper]

when i begin losing heart i find it useful to read other peoples WIP (joff-nova-turbos, ades etc) or to look at the old skool pictures/features

[craig green]

when i begin losing heart i find it useful to read other peoples WIP (joff-nova-turbos, ades etc) or to look at the old skool pictures/features

I prefer CLUB or MENSWORLD lol

[draper]

lol but then i end up w@nking and not spannering !

[craig green]

I prefer to stroke!
My cars already vvanked enough for the both of us!

[Matt2107]

pmsl