Regretted Projects

[Dan693 510]

My friend and I were talking the other day about nightmare projects we have gotten into that we wish we could take back.

 

Feel free to come clean if you dare.......just two from me but there have been a few more.

 

Project.....a 26' cabin cruiser that was a total POS that I thought I could turn into a nice weekend boat for my young family.

Effort....2 years and who knows how much wasted money on a fail.

Result.....scrapped it for the value of the trailer.

 

Project....payed 400 for a 70 Raider 10 from some pig farmer in Bainbridge and got totally taken...my bad.

Effort.....countless hours and 1100 bucks and the POS never ran right. My first WH and it hurt.

Result.....sold it for a 200 just to make the pain go away.

 

The good news is that I am much smarter now.......

 

 

 

 

Edited March 8, 2018 by Dan693
correct text

[Digger 66 3,478]

These pages ain't big enough to list all the stuff I messed up over the years .

I won't even try but I will say I learned from each one .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 8, 2018 by Digger 66

[JoeM 7,871]

I have several but what sticks out are the ones my wife reminds me of! Like the 70 something Power Wagon that I told her I got a good deal on, and I worked on it all..... the...... time. Now when I say I am going to look at something to buy, she says, "remember the good deal truck?" yeah

 

[stevasaurus 22,713]

Dan...what an excellent thread.  This should go for about 69 pages.    I'm going to give this some thought before I show how stupid I can be...or how much I have learned the hard way.   

[WHNJ701 4,165]

one hobby that sticks out was when I was into rc planes, It was fun at the time but I am glad I got out before I got in to d$$p.

[jellyghost 378]

I bought an 1860s steinway square grand.  The piano was $500, $300 moving, and $300 tools.  I studied, read, and met restorers.  It has been in the basement for four years, and it is in too many pieces to pass along.  I don't have the time or talent to put it back together.  It may become a table.

[wallfish 16,994]

49 minutes ago, jabelman said:

one hobby that sticks out was when I was into rc planes, It was fun at the time but I am glad I got out before I got in to d$$p.

Haa, me too! Might've had about a total of 15 - 20 minutes flying time (if you can call it that) before smashing them into something! The fun part was building them anyway but still...

[SylvanLakeWH 25,524]

24 minutes ago, jellyghost said:

I bought an 1860s steinway square grand.  The piano was $500, $300 moving, and $300 tools.  I studied, read, and met restorers.  It has been in the basement for four years, and it is in too many pieces to pass along.  I don't have the time or talent to put it back together.  It may become a table.

 

Reminds me of Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther - "But that was a priceless Steinway...Not anymore..."

 

 

[Cvans 1,009]

1961Chevrolet Corvair. A hoot to drive but what an engineering disaster and money pit. 

 

 

[r356c 375]

My 1977 Avion class C RV.

Money pit extraordinaire.

 

t

 

 

I will always remember the feeling of punching the throttle of the Dodge 440 hemi, hearing the 4 barrel Holly carb take a breath and feeling like...

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,390]

10 hours ago, Digger 66 said:

These pages ain't big enough to list all the stuff I messed up over the years .

I won't even try but I will say I learned from each one .

 

 

Same here.

But i didn't learn as much as I should have on most of ' em so I've repeated some high quality dumbnessessess.......

This could be a very interesting thread !

 

[cpete1 332]

RC Helicopter.... I kept all the receipts while learning to fly it... I could hover "nose in" at eye level about 5' away from my face.... You would not Believe how much it cost me to learn how to do that. I stopped when I started riding motorcycle, (smart move eh ?) But I loved flying the helicopter plus it changes the way you "think" about things...Even did a "Waltz" with the local Electrical lines (Big ones...) once, but I digress.....

[19richie66 17,500]

Ex wife 

[cpete1 332]

4 minutes ago, 19richie66 said:

Ex wife 

Ouch Richie.... that one actually hurt to read...

[953 nut 55,155]

I would have to put my dream car, a 1946 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet at the top of the list. I always considered it to be a styling masterpiece and the ultimate Street Rod Kool Kruiser.

I managed to obtain one (a project) in 2004. Had another guy's project in the shop that needed to be finished first so it sat for a year. I began grafting late model suspension and drive components to it and was making good progress. 

We decided to move to North Carolina so everything was put on hold while I built a shop at the new house. Following the move there was a lot of settling in and other priorities that kept me from making any meaningful progress on the Continental.

Then we decided it was time to build our new house which kept me occupied for over a year (no regrets, love the new house).

About the time we completed the house our church began a major renovation project which I agreed to supervise, once again, no regrets.

When the church reno. was completed I began work on the Lincoln, along with some Horse  Play. Things went well until my back gave out. Following spinal fusion surgery and rehab I was no longer able to do the twisting and lifting required for a project of this nature. For a couple of years I held onto hope that I would be able to get it built but about a year ago I sold my pride and joy at a substantial loss. 

I had realized my dream of owning one, I just never got to drive it! It went down the road to a new owner, hope he will have the pleasure of completing it.

 

[19richie66 17,500]

42 minutes ago, cpete1 said:

Ouch Richie.... that one actually hurt to read...

It hurt to live it. While I have two wonderful kids from her and did have some good times, I questioned a lot of our marraige. I think a lot of what I went through in the first prepared me to appreciate more of what I have now.I believe God uses our trials to help grow us. I now have a wonderful woman in my life and have a smile on my face (except when remodeling)

That said, PAINTBALL was my major money taker followed by RC boats, woodworking, and mountain bikes. 

All Fun for sure but I built my guns and bikes more than I got to use them. But oh man what a rush. 

Edited March 9, 2018 by 19richie66

[Cvans 1,009]

4 hours ago, cpete1 said:

RC Helicopter.

Told my friend who had one of those that they should come with their own credit card. 

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,390]

6 hours ago, 19richie66 said:

Ex wife 

:-). I was going to refrain from bringing that up until you did. Right there with your brother!

5 hours ago, 19richie66 said:

All Fun for sure but I built my ...... bikes more than I got to use them.

 Back in the mid-80s I was one of those irritating little jerk kids that rode around town on one of several BMX bikes - making traffic..... ummm.... not particularly happy. :-).

In 1988 I got my first road bike. A 12-speed Detel.

Spring of 1989 I got my first mountain bike. A Shogun. I still own it and ride it occasionally to this day.

I now have something like 11 bikes in my shed. I'm pretty sure. All except one is up and running and rideable.

I've learned over the years that, for me, most often the building of a hobby and the anticipation of being able to use it is better than - using it.

Edited March 9, 2018 by ebinmaine

[953 nut 55,155]

4 hours ago, 19richie66 said:

I believe God uses our trials to help grow us.

              The biggest problem for most of us is that we don't give Got the credit for our successes.

[WHX?? 48,813]

7 hours ago, 19richie66 said:

Ex wife 

.....Ditto

 

Well this thread is in bumps and bruises and since that's all she ever gave me .....

Edited March 9, 2018 by WHX14

[cpete1 332]

On ‎3‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 11:19 PM, Cvans said:

1961Chevrolet Corvair. A hoot to drive but what an engineering disaster and money pit. 

I had a 64, I'm going to ask you a question that ONLY a Corvair owner would know how to answer.... Did you ever switch the Front tires back to the rear WITHOUT checking and adjusting the air pressure and if so how did it go????

 

Edited March 10, 2018 by cpete1

[edgro 677]

1 hour ago, cpete1 said:

I had a 64, I'm going to ask you a question that ONLY a Corvair owner would know how to answer.... Did you ever switch the Front tires back to the rear WITHOUT checking and adjusting the air pressure and if so how did it go????

 

As an ex VW owner, I think l know the answer to that one.

my projects were a sand rail (3 cylinder), dune buggy, Baja bug, old rusty beater. Enjoyed the fun, but not the fixing constantly. Finally got rid of all them for good

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,297]

7 hours ago, 19richie66 said:

Ex wife 

 Same here. Never marry a wack job or as our British members say "a nutter" . 

[Cvans 1,009]

4 hours ago, cpete1 said:

I had a 64, I'm going to ask you a question that ONLY a Corvair owner would know how to answer.... Did you ever switch the Front tires back to the rear WITHOUT checking and adjusting the air pressure and if so how did it go????

  That would have been 50 years ago so I can't say one way or the other. I do remember carrying a spare fan belt under the front seat on someones advice and never needing it. To be fair the later versions of the Corvair were a much better car but Nader had already signed it's death notice. The suspension had been improved to the point that it was competitive with a Porsche in design. I had the transmission on mine lock up on the interstate which just about put me in the guard rail. Later the girl who bought it from me had the same thing happen and her Dad paid me an ugly visit at work. Don't remember how I talked myself out of that one. 

[cpete1 332]

Factory called for something like 15 lbs in the front tires and 35 lbs in the back. If you switched them and didn't adjust the pressure it was an absolute nightmare to control the car. I did it once and  almost went entirely off the road within 25' of leaving the dirt road on our farm and getting on the blacktop road. Scared the bejesus out of me, I never forgot the experience. Shortly after that my brother started teasing me about the car being "unsafe at any speed" (title of Ralph Nader's book). I took the book out of the school library and read it cover to cover. The first chapter was about the Corvair's tendency to roll over if the rear swing arms went too low and typically would cut the drivers arm off during the event.  Plus the car had a leak that destroyed the floor and I could never find the cause. I ended up buying a brand new 73 Vega GT, (that's another story.......) Which also fits into this thread, (You picked a winner Dan!!!!)  One thing I'll say that hasn't been a bad investment is becoming a supporter to this forum,  This is like buying extended family without all the hassle of an extended family. There is a tremendous bunch of really decent people on this site. (Please don't repeat that, I have an image to maintain...)

Chris