The SNOWBALL effect: Hmmm, since I'm doing THIS, I should also do THAT...

[Kern Dog]

I'm usually pretty good about sticking to the plan. Set a goal, make a plan then get it done.
With old cars, these intentions are sometimes pointless because something pops up to set you back.

All I wanted to do was to install an oil pressure guage in my 75 Power Wagon.
These trucks actually had a nice guage layout. Some GM and Ford trucks had idiot lights while Dodge gave us real dial guages.
When I got the truck, everything worked. A couple years later, the temp and oil pressure guages conked out. I swapped in a different cluster and that one had a dead gas guage but the oil pressure guage worked. I tried swapping all the known good guages to the same cluster and it all worked well for awhile. For the last year, I lost the oil pressure and temp guage again. Screw it...I'm going to put in some mechanical aftermarket guages.
Hey, while I have the dash open, I'll wire in a radio.
Oh, I should probably eliminate the ammeter. I should also redo the wiring that has the alternator wire run through the bulkhead like they show on that MAD Electrical website. OH, now I guess I'll need an Voltmeter.

We have all been there, right? That wheel cylinder replacement that turned into a disc brake swap, the carpet replacement that also included new seats....

 

[flypaper]

from snowball to avalanche is my story .. lol

 

[65-440]

hahahahaha .... exactly how things work ! That's how EVERYTHING on my car has been, my first list of things turned into 2 pages of "while this is out, might as well do this" .. good part about doing things that way is when the tasks are complete you wont have to go back into that area again! I hate having to take something apart that I just put in just to get to something behind it, hence the " while its out might as well do this" ..

 

[747mopar]

I don't ever stick to a plan on anything, it's become so bad I usually don't waste much time on planning just because I know it's going to change. My current garage project started off as a simple 32X34 with a 24X24 parking garage attached..... now it's 2 stories tall! Never fails.

Guage???

 

[JimKueneman]

My "simple cleanup and paint" turned into a completely gutted shell and rebuilding and painting of every component on the car....

 

[YY1]

Freeze plugs leaking at back of block.

$8 for a set of new brass deep plugs.

While engine is out, probably should clean and paint it.

If I'm doing that I might was well blast and paint the engine compartment.

2 years later.....

 

[Derwud]

Mine started out as a little Rod Knock 30 yrs ago...

 

[Glenwood]

I'm usually pretty good about sticking to the plan. Set a goal, make a plan then get it done.
With old cars, these intentions are sometimes pointless because something pops up to set you back.

All I wanted to do was to install an oil pressure guage in my 75 Power Wagon.
These trucks actually had a nice guage layout. Some GM and Ford trucks had idiot lights while Dodge gave us real dial guages.
When I got the truck, everything worked. A couple years later, the temp and oil pressure guages conked out. I swapped in a different cluster and that one had a dead gas guage but the oil pressure guage worked. I tried swapping all the known good guages to the same cluster and it all worked well for awhile. For the last year, I lost the oil pressure and temp guage again. Screw it...I'm going to put in some mechanical aftermarket guages.
Hey, while I have the dash open, I'll wire in a radio.
Oh, I should probably eliminate the ammeter. I should also redo the wiring that has the alternator wire run through the bulkhead like they show on that MAD Electrical website. OH, now I guess I'll need an Voltmeter.

We have all been there, right? That wheel cylinder replacement that turned into a disc brake swap, the carpet replacement that also included new seats....

in the middle of it now. Turned into a rust eradication party.
Just wanted to swap to a BB....

 

[super-bee_ski]

Typical...
I FELL into that trap Kern!

 

[Moparsmitty]

I used to be surprised when an easy little job would go all sideways and cost more time and money than I had anticipated. Now I expect it so it doesn't bother me so much anymore. When you're working on old cars one thing always seems to lead to ten others. It's part of being a perfectionist. You could always just slap **** together and ignore the other stuff that you find that needs fixing but that's not the way most of us are wired. That's why I could never work in a production repair shop.

 

[moparwacko]

Yepper, simple re- gasket and paint of the #s matching 383 turned into hmmmm.....
Guess it would be easier if I pulled it out.
We'll while it's out.......paint the compartment,.......ya know it was using a little oil........I want to have some fun......old school build 383 goes in, after re- gasket and paint pretty up of course....wow this thing is pretty rowdy......buyer for the freshly installed hot 383........ brings $$$$.........hmmmm.....
Temporarily engine less . ......
Back to #s 383, but wait I have a 400 sitting here and an old 440 steel crank.......and I do have those ported 452's just sitting there.....
I think it's never gonna be really done.

 

[mmissile]

After 4+ decades of this stuff, I know better. Now I just bring something home, take it completely apart...and a few years later, I've got tons of time and money into it. Lately I've heard these old cars referred to as....time/money toilets. I can't argue with that logic.

 

[Budnicks]

Seems to be perfectly normal, "rational to me"...

 

[Glenwood]

After 4+ decades of this stuff, I know better. Now I just bring something home, take it completely apart...and a few years later, I've got tons of time and money into it. Lately I've heard these old cars referred to as....time/money toilets. I can't argue with that logic.

But damn it's fun...(most of the time)

 

[ws23jrt]

When I was a teen I got a job that involved making stuff for the boating crowd.
The stories I heard about -floating- money was a big eye opener. Their is no end to how much money water can float.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Same can be said for kids play sets. 950 for set, 350 for dirt work, 350 for edging to hold 950 in mulch to make kid safe. Add another 500 for assembly labor. 3100 later possibly a play set that will be used ??? years.
Dad gave us a old tire and some hay rope so we could hang it in a tree. That old tire and rope survived all 5 of us kids.

 

[eldubb440]

you will have the cab off the frame in no time