Am I alone????

[Rblackadar]

Is it me or is anyone else out there that hasn't got their car on the road after owning it for 4 years??? I just realized this when I was at my mechanics the other day with my fiances car and he asked if I had gotten the thing roadworthy. I told him we just got engaged this year, bought a house, and my commute is about 3-4 hours a day with the insane traffic here. The car is in storage at my folks house an hour away and all I have been able to do is get components rebuilt, painted and prepped in my basement to be ready for installation if and when that time comes. My mechanic said get the thing done before I get married and enjoy it because when I do tie the knot, she will suck what little time out of me I have that I won't be able to drive it anymore.......Ugh! I don't care I'm keeping the damn thing![xx(][V][:(][:(!][B)]

[grndsm]

Bob,

Not only are you not alone (I have been working on my TR7 since 2001), I am just a few miles away! We should form a New England non-running TR7 support group. [;)]

As for getting married, I have just celebrated my 12th year anniversary, I have 3 young children and I have a HUGE house project on my hands. And I can assure you that it CAN WORK!!!

The trick is to have an established hobby and continue to partake in it. If you let it go for too long or want to pick-up a new extracurricular activity, that can be extremely difficult. But old things get grandfathered (with-in reason, of course). [:D]


Leon
'94 Eagle Talon AWD Turbo 613whp <powered by Mitsu 4G63T
'80 TR7 Spyder GS-T <undergoing Mitsu 4G63T transplant
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2472999

[Mowog73]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">My mechanic said get the thing done before I get married and enjoy it because when I do tie the knot, she will suck what little time out of me I have that I won't be able to drive it anymore!<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I feel for you Bob.

Personally my wife has been very supportive of my addiction, in fact she was all for our son getting a project TR7 for his first car for the two of us to work on, and this is right after I had finished restoring a Spitfire this past winter. Of course this works well for me as well, another one to play with.

Mark

1973 MGBGT, 1976 TR7, 1980 Spitfire 1500

[Hasbeen]

I found it goes in stages.

First she likes weekend drives in the car, & car club outings.

Then she gets jealous of the car, & resents any time, or money you
spend on it. Using it as a daily driver, & buying her a new car
helps, but not totally. If only they could make moderns loveable, so
she could love hers, most of our problems would be solved.

Next, she can no longer see your car. When she looks at it, all she
can see is a new loungs suite, new carpet, or fridge. This is the
longest stage. If you sell your true love, [your 7], & get a near
new [but not new] modern, she will not be able to see your car at
all, but of course, neither will you.

Finally she sees it as a useful way of getting you out of the way,
avoiding competition for the TV, vidio, or sound system. She now
likes you to go on long drives, the longer the better. Of course,
this depends on your real love, [the car] having survived the lounge
suite stage,

I am told there can be a later stage, which goes back to the
beginning, where she likes the drives, & the club socialising, but
this one depends on there being no grand kids, living nearby to
visit, as it appears, this beats cars & socialising, hands down.

Having been there [twice for gods sake], I don't know why we men
don't wise up, & go straight from one to four, without all the
hassel along the way.

I find it interesting that when I go on a Triumph club run, [big
city club] quite a few cars are one up, & many are crewed by 2
men . When I go on a Beaudesert Restored Auto club run, [small 6,000
people town club] most of the cars have family groups. There is
something about small towns that's good for relationships.

Hasbeen

[laskaboots]

My, My. This could be a whole new topic. Been thru this with my current Wedge, my last Spitfire and my MGB. As long as Big changes occur to the project; paint, doors rehung, engine installed.., spouse tollerates my hobby. It's the thousands of little things that don't show, but take up most of the time that always make her say, "You have to get that finished so you can sell it!".
I really do enjoy my time in the garage, and the satisfaction of knowing "I did that myself", can't be beat. Almost everyone I know who has never attempted a full restoration can't understand why it takes so long. "Can't you get that done in a weekend?".
I can't say that it is only women who are like that.
One more thing that I like about a project is that it gives me an excuse to avoid some of the weddings, graduations, and visits with the inlaws. "Sorry, Honey, I'm busy that weekend".

[tr7inc]

Ive had my DHC, for about a year and a half, and i work on mine about 5 hours a week, & learning more as i go along, with great help and advice on here which has been invaulable, im finding im not at the nitty gritty part of it, but now winter is almost apon us, the nights drawning in here in the UK i shouldnt think ill get much more done, and besides will need to put some pennies aside for my good ladies christmas pressie, fair is fair, she never complains when i spend some time on my 7, but i do try and devide my time equally with family life too, i will drive my TR7 one day with pride knowing the hard work & sore hands have all been worth it, i wont give up even if it takes me another 2 years.






Steve

[mb4tim]

I took my MGB apart in 1998... it's still on a spit.

Other than being media blasted,all the major sheet metal sorted out, and primed, it still looks a lot like this (http://www.tgnagy.com/mgb/progressPages/199912.CFM#)

-Tim
http://www.morSpeedPerformance.com

[FI Spyder]

Boy are we all in the same boat or what? Hasbeen is eloquent, as ever, and has it down pat. I've had my TR7 for 2.5 years and starting at a high level I still spent the last two winters going over it component by component, disassembling, cleaning, reconditioning, painting. The wife is glad to get me off the TVs/Computers and out of her way or complaining about how much time I spend on it. (Better I spend it on the house). While she has accompanied me on a few car shows, she is happier window shopping or picking blackberries rather than spending time at the car shows. (she's done both at the two car shows she was at this year.)
As far as having a project on the go I've had my Spitfires (both road going at the time) for 5 years still waiting restoration with only the bumpers off one.

Many people don't have the patience for total restoration with the result of giving up part way through. You have to admire those who see it completed. The journey should be as much fun as the destination.

TR7 Spider - 1978 Spifire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra

[Debpazvin]

Bob, I really think you need to get that car sorted as a priority! If she really loves you she'll understand (I hope)[:)]
There was a 7 down the road from me some years ago that literally rotted while it was waiting for some attention (after several years of sitting in the front garden). I kept on to my hubby about letting me rescue it and almost crying everytime I walked past. In the end it just disappered and I'm pretty sure it wasn't spontaneous combustion. I'm lucky that mine (bought in July)was already fully on the road-good job really as my hubby bought himself a new shed so he has an excuse not to get involved with the car! (This works both ways guys!) Deb x

1980 Premium TR7-1 of 400 made
.

[jclay (RIP 2018)]

WOW! Looking back I guess I have owned about 8 TR7s! And only one was a really good car. My wife went out to the back yard one day and found three TR7s back there. She said that it was them or her. It was a hard decision, but I really had more money invested in her than the cars.

When I found my present Green 7, I gave the yellow 7 away.

Then someone gave me a red 7 with a small dent in the side, totally cratered rear panel and door. That is the car that she says has to go, BUT! She let me buy two more 7s since then. "I want you to be happy in your retirement!" Funny, I didn't know I was retired! So, when my foot gets well enough for me to work on the cars again, I will restore the Spider and have plans for the other car too.

Even though the green 7 was the best one I have had, it too sat for 4 years before I got it back on the road. All it took was a little motivation, niece said, "That car will never run again!" and a year of everyday work.

Was it worth all the work? Well, I know a lot more about 7s now, and have taken 4 First Places and one Third Place in shows. I can get in my car, with the top down, start it right up, turn on the tunes and cruise down the road!

Yep! Worth every Penney!

[Debpazvin]

well done, jclay (if I had my way I'd fill my back yard with 7's but
my hubby'll probably fill it with sheds 1st just out of spite)[:D]

1980 Premium TR7-1 of 400 made
.

[birminghamtr7]

same here just over 4 years, moving business , starting businesses, liquidating business restarting have all lead to start stop of rebuild, other 7's have come and gone just to get a fix.

but now i have a target to have running and all painting complete for xmax 2008, on road for my 40th in january,

if you factor in the earth's rotation, we are all speeding

[PeterTR7V8]

I tell my wife, "its either cars or other women" & she replies, "you should stick to what you're good at so the car can stay."

I can't get my head around lengthy restorations. If I leave something dismantled for more than 2 weeks I can't remember how to put it back together.

************************************************************************
To do list:
Upholstery/Motor/Gearbox/Suspension/Brakes/Carb/Paint/tyres/cam./engine
Done......./done./done....../done......../done../done/next./soon/soon/a tedious inevitability

[tr7inc]

Excellent Peter, i think my wife would have said exactly the same thing, what i find the most challenging is find 30 year old nuts and bolts seized on and in the most awkward place to get at them, i keep tellin myself one day i know its all gonna be worth it !





Steve

[EntonoX]

yup, you are not alone! [:I]

I have bought my project TR7 in 2003 and i hope i'll finish it this winter. Everything is restored, even got a new body!

But i'm waiting for a good painter to come by. It is hard to find a painter who is not asking sky-high prices.

TR7, ACG 2700L