What is your long time projects / labor of love

About twelve or thirteen years ago I worked with a young guy that owned a solid but ratty 64 Impala. He had big plans, like we all do. It was in grey primer, had a ratty interior and was barely running. He found me on Facebook a couple weeks ago and the other day posted this picture. That's the same car. Just got the hydraulics installed. He's been slowly but steadily building it to the vision he had all those years ago.

I'm in awe of his ability to stick to his vision and the ability to see it through even though I'm sure it has taken him a lot longer than he wanted it to.

My auto ADD is too strong for me to stick it out. I get distracted by a different sparkly thing or get discouraged by lack of progress and give up. I'd love to be able to find "the one" and stick with it for the long haul, I'm just not so sure I have it in me to do so.

I wonder how many here have a long term project? I suspect most of you are like me and have a hard time keeping a long term project.

My 82 Camaro that I bought new is still in process. My 56 Chev that bought in 1977 has parts sitting around the garage. My 67 Camaro that I bought in 2002 is actually able to start now.

I'm just too pig headed to know when to give up.

Ive had my zephyr wagon for 5 years now and its the longest term project. i keep changing my mind on what i want to do and hesitate too tear it apart for that reason. A good friend of mine has had his 75 camaro for 11 years, its finally getting the big block he originally wanted.

I have a horrible addiction to vintage Italian motorcycles.

There's two bevel drive Ducatis that are sucking my bank account dry with a long, slow restoration.

I have a '70 BMW 2002 which was my DSP, then FSP autocrosser for years. It's been sitting, waiting for new everything for several years now while I let other projects cut in line after the M10 I built for it went all smokescreen.

It will, at some point, be home to a bunch of re-engineering I've been dreaming up for years.

I figure once I get my act together and get it to the front of the line, having a more-than-barista income and an actual garage should see faster progress than when I built it from two donors and an unexpected engine rebuild into a street prepared car...

I will always treasure the moment I first fired that car up through open headers. I hope I'm half as stoked the next time it wakes from slumber.

In '87, my Mom bought me this car:

It was supposed to be my show car, because it's 1 of 54 302/4-speed 2-door sedans that Ford thinks they built in '79.

Right now, it's this:

Someday, it will be back to its old self.

This:

I have been volunteering at Rallies for 17 years. Now it is time to be on the stage, not helping with the stage.

Not really a project (at the moment) but I'd have to say my 1125CR. I fell in love with the things when they first came out but couldn't afford one, but then Buell closed up shop for the third time or so and they finally fell into my price range. It has 45k miles now, and parts are getting harder to come by- I even traded some other vehicles for an Aprilia Tuono Factory last year thinking that it might make a good replacement for the Buell, but the Tuono got sold and I still ride the 1125 to work every day that it doesn't rain (and sometimes when it does). I think I'll probably have it forever.

My 240z and 280zx. The ZX is getting a full suspension swap as well as boost and the 240 will become my vision of a Japanese street racer from the 70's.

I owned it for almost three years (purchased in 2012) before I finally got a title and then put a brand new engine in it almost 2 years ago...and It still doesn't have 100 miles on it. Same with the brand new wheels and tires. Because now I'm rebuilding the front suspension and brakes. It's going to be a long-haul project for sure...but I'll make sure I'm happy with it ;)

Kind of similar to the first post in this thread. My buddy Mike was restoring his late father's 69 truck. For 15 years he kept pecking away at it. He would periodically bring me parts to powdercoat. In the end I wound up pitching in here and there throughout the whole truck. But, he stalled out about ten years ago and really slowed progress for about 8 years. Finally he admitted to me that the truck being a longbed just didn't appeal to him and that's why his heart wasn't invested in maintaining momentum. So, he cut it down to shortbed length and his progress ramped up. About that time he got a bit secretive and the text pictures quit coming. Then at a swap meet last month he pulled up in this.

Don't let the humble exterior appearance fool you. This truck is sanitary and extremely well thought out front to back. It took me a long time to take in all of the little stuff he did to it. And underneath is a fully refreshed chassis and drivetrain with a lot of powdercoat and fussing over the tiniest of details.

The takeaway is that he kept at it for 15 years and never quit. At that swapmeet his truck was swamped by people all over it and laying underneath it and looking at every detail. Craftsmanship shines through, even with a multi color exterior.

In reply to Cousin_Eddie: I spy a well executed tucked front bumper...excellent!!!!

Does my 1973 MGB-GT (with an awaiting Olds 215) I've owned since 1975 count ?

The MGB GT has been 40 years so far, The Bugeye was ten years to complete and now the Molvo is into year 4 of what is looking like a five year effort.

Both my Toyota and Samurai are long term projects. Over the past 11 years I've managed to take the Toyota from almost bone-stock beater to a solid Chumpcar-grade track car.

Over the past 9 years I've managed to take the Samurai from a near-stock street vehicle to a lightly modded offroader.

I seriously don't know how you guys do it. The longest I've owned a vehicle has been about three years and that was the Sportster. The yamahammer may stick around longer. I have no desire to modify it at all and no desire to replace it. I like it just how it is. But I haven't owned it a year yet.

My Miata. This is the fourth summer of driving it and modifying it.

I bought it as a near-stock, poorly-maintained beater (Don't worry, those wheels were the first thing to go):

It is now a heavily-modified fun street car and semi-competent autocross car that doesn't embarrass itself at a show.

It still has a way to go before it meets my final image I have in my head, which involves big fender flares and wide meats and a gnarly turbo BP. The BP is on the way for this fall though

I have several long term projects. This one is probably the one that would be best used as inspiration for building a car on a budget over a long time period. I spent about 1/2 a yearly challenge budget on it each year over about 20 years between the before and after pics. It's currently completely torn down for bare metal restoration and upgrades and still on the same budget.

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^ wow!!!!!!!!!!!!

My wife is my long term project. It's taken me 30+ years to get her where I want her to be........

Datsun310Guy wrote: My wife is my long term project. It's taken me 30+ years to get her where I want her to be........

She probably says the same thing about you.

01-19-2007. Purchased a 2007 mazdaspeed 3 with 13 miles on it. 8xxxx miles, thousands of dollars and one blown turbo later (plus the time the motor fell out) and I still have it.

I maintain that those who keep a car for 2-3 years never, truely love them.

Murdercycle. A 1980 Honda TwinStar. Slowly cafeing it out. Slow. Don't care. I can never get rid of it.

My 1987 Porsche 911 carreira. Was DD, then lowered track rat now slowly being raised to rally ride height so I can get my stroke addled arse in and out of it.

A 19 year love affair...it's outlasted one wife and numerous paramours.