I used to like projects, bikes/cars you get cheap that one day you will do up and have the vehicle of your dreams. My list of projects that never made it to that stage is long.... It started in 1984. 1966 21 window VW bus. 1959 23 window VW bus 1967 Beetle 1931 BSA 500 Sloper 1930 Norton Model 18 1951 Triumph Thunderbird 1972 BSA Lightning 1971 VW Beetle 1951 Triumph Thunderbird. The last one on the list got sold on TM last night. Lesson learned is that I don't appear to learn from them. Do I miss any of of them.....nope. So clear that shed and cast of the shackles of " The Project" I watch those programs where people have a Stately Home thats falling into disrepair and its like a life sentence.
Sort of like owning a house and a boat. Constant expense and not enough lifetimes. My only projects now are doing bits on the house and organising the rebuild of Te Kauri Lodge so we can all use it more often. Both my bikes go and neither need restoration.
We all need projects...............actually, life is full of them. I've got an ex Wickle GS850 project that has a BB beasty ready for implant. Pity that the bike is still 12 months away from complete restoration!
I'll be having the clearout this weekend. Getting rid of the old frames, couple of crankcases, Thundercat engine is going. I was going to put that in project Yamauki but the GS is going back on the road instead. I'm hanging onto the TS250 motor as I still want to build the trials bike. Soon as I get the Thundercat motor sold I'll have a look round for a saloon car for the speedway racecar.
If we lived a normal life and traded our bike in every year for the facelift model with the digital dash and electronic clutch, then we wouldn't have projects - fiddling around with old stuff means we have to have projects. It's just that sometimes we have too many. They have always overwhelmed me, burdened with guilt for having so much stuff that I never get around to finishing. But over the years I must've got through a fair old number - there is only one that's been around for any length of time, I've had it for 35 years, but it's only been a project for the last 20. Apart from ongoing modifications to my 2 running bikes, I only have 2 projects that will never be finished, one that will never get started... A friend has just made my current situation clear to me - he has moved back to the Nth Is, finally got the shed of his dreams....and can't be bothered going out there. That's me now too, a big shed with everything I always wanted in there, and I hardly spend any time in it. A couple of hours on sat and sun....sometimes I do a lot in that time, sometimes just shift shit around. It's sad - I used to build bikes on a dirt floor under my mother's house, now I practically have an engineering shop I can't be bothered playing in.
sometimes I do a lot in that time, sometimes just shift shit around. yeah, what is this, I have it too. And so much of it is shit, but you pick it up, look at it and put it back. Thunderbird is ready to be collected, I had plans for that, lots of happy hours on the lathe I never use making up small whitworth bits...... I enjoyed hunting down the bits at swapmeets, studying old parts books....haggling....now its too easy, just type in a part, up it pops and you buy it. Had a young guy come over to pick up some VW bits, he had such enthusiasm.....now if only that was a mouse click away... Maybe I need a Harley
now now volty, no need to swear
A lot of random events occur in the shed these days - I got the TLR200 going last sunday, and got it ready for a trial on saturday, but woke up sunday morning feeling man flu coming on...and figured going out and riding in the rain and grovelling in mud with no wet weather gear (trials riders ride no matter what the weather, and don't have fancy gear) was not a good idea. So on sunday the bike table was cleared of all sorts of junk, the TLR200 was put up and now it's all apart - footpegs cut off, camgear out for redrilling, carb off, exhaust off...all are in for serious work. I wish I had a plan, but it's all just random.
I have those random events occuring in my shed too motu, my only motorcycle related "project" at the mo'(the G5) started as a see if i can get you running, to a - i'll break you into as many pieces as i can and try not to lose any bits. Now i walk in there an go "jeez i got a lotta shit in here i need to have a clean out" oh i can't till i put that f@#%kin bike back together!! the other day i wandered out with grants in hand looked at the bits on my bench, heaved a sigh, turned around to the reloading press and started loading some ammo for the other hobby...
Currently at home and being worked on 1985 Ducati MHR 1955 BSA A10 1984 Yamaha IT200 1976 BMW R100RS 1982 GSNR157R plus theres an XJ550 and a bit in the back shed Dropped the last bit off to the Ducati guy today so that "should" be going in a couple of weeks, I have all the bits for the A10 so that just needs some machine shop work and assembly, GSNR is a runner, IT should be a runner in another 4-6 weeks, BMW fuck knows when, XJ sometime in the next decade
I've got a Triumph I bought as a basket case, rebuilt it in 18 months, rode it for a couple of years on and off, it 'nipped up' in 1997 and has been in boxes since then. When I first got it it had been off the road for at least 15 years and I wondered what sort of bloke could do such a thing to a 50's Triumph. I now know. Oh and my Subaru was stolen last night....... had a full tank of gas too.
My question is , at what point does a pile of bits count as a 'project'. And, at what point does a 'project' degrade into a pile of bits ? I've either got lots of projects, or lots of piles of bits, I'm not sure which.
at least you will be moving out of that riff raff area soon voltaire
That is bad luck John, and the full tank really rubs the salt in.
That sucks. Not because the car is irreplaceable; they are a dime a dozen. More for the hassle of dealing with the insurance claim, getting the run-around from a pimple-faced kid in an ivory tower somewhere who will determine that your well presented, well maintained vehicle is worth diddly as far as the insurance company is concerned. And then you have the joy of playing the TradeMe lottery again to find a replacement car that is reliable. Car and bike thieves should be treated the same way that horse thieves were treated 150 years ago . . . . .
