Thread: Tell us how you managed to "finish" your project

Tweet

Ok, here it goes. Around 20 yrs ago I got my 53 3100 from a friend of my brother and started tearing it apart. I told my wife that it would be done in 5 yrs ( hence 53 chevy 5 ). In that time I was a novice body guy and moderate fabricator and experienced mechanic. I got all the rust repaired and got soo frustrated with the door gaps that I quit working on it for over a year. Most of the drivetrain was completed in that time also, 348 rebuilt, boxed frame, Mustang II IFS. I think at this point I'm already up to the 7 yr mark on the build and then came the body work. I messed with that for about 3 yrs on and off and then we got kids. At the 10 yr mark my wife and I adopted 3 boys ages 3,5 and 7 and not only that but our dream acreage was offered to us for sale within a month of that. So we moved to a place without a shop while the 53 stayed in town at our old house that my brother bought from me. Now I'm into fixing up the neglected house and acreage and when that was finished I needed a shop. We moved a building on and converted that into a decent little shop over the next few years and soon after that my brother asked me to take the 53 to my house instead of storing it at his. Over the next 5 or so yrs I was able to get much more done on the 53 but very slowly and I wasn't enjoying it at all anymore. One day I came into the house and told my wife " I don't care how much it costs, the 53 is going to the body shop " I honestly didn't care. So last fall it went to a body shop and they finished the body up for me and I was throwing money at it like it was going out of style cause I just wanted it done. When we got everything all buttoned up it took about 500 miles to hate my 348 engine choice and I drove it in the shop and we did a 5.3 swap in about a 2-3 week time period. That was 3 thousand miles ago and the list for this winter is installing a rear sway bar, tinting the rear and side windows and maybe cruise control if I got time. I'm sure I forgot things and left things out, but that's the short version of it. These builds aren't as simple as they sound when you envision them in your mind. I guess I never really gave up on it, but I did have to walk away for periods of time. This is going to be a fun thread, thanks. ps. I'm still a novice body guy, moderate fabricator and a experienced mechanic