Hi all. I'm fairly new to this forum, but I have been wrenching on classic cars (and airplanes) for 20 years, as well as most everyone else here. I just want to pass along some friendly advice for anyone who seems to be overwhelmed by challenges in front of them with their classic Mustang.

Fear nothing. Whether it be tools, skill, or mental, remember that 90% of anything is not being afraid to try it. You can add metal, you can find time (for me it's after the kids are in bed ), just rip it.

Not sure if this is the right time or place for this post, but I think a little encouragement is appropriate.

Thanks!

 

that is right fear will limit the things you do in life ..........never be afraid to do anything .......you might miss your moment in life that will define you

 

+1

 

Yes, but you also have to know your limits. We all have limits, and a wise person recognizes those limits. For instance.....I could repair the crease in my quarter panel, but I know it will not look as good as a professional job when it's finished. Sure, I could do it, but I know my limits. If my car was a rust bucket, I would not hesitate to bang away at repairing it. But, when it comes to the finishing touches, I know my limits.

 

Also there is a huge difference between "No fear" and "No brains". Dont do something stupid even if you arent afraid of it..

When it comes to workin on cars, by all means push your limits, but be safe in doing so. Dropping an engine on you can put an end to the car work real fast. Missing fingers make it tough to hold wrenches and start nus on bolts. Back in 2000 when I went back to the USAF, they asked if I had any scars. I counted 50 scars on each hand, all from working on cars.

Another way to not be stupid is if you dont have the room, the time, or the money to do a major job, wait untill you have what you need. Tearing something apart in the driveway and not getting it back together for months/years/decades/lifetimes isnt what you want to be doing..

If you are stumped, ask someone who knows. I have guys I ask if I dont know, and its more often than you might think. Dont be afraid to ask, sometimes its the only way to find out the important or trivial stuff...

 

Thumbs up to that! When I read the heading of this post I initially thought it was going to be someone immature and inexperienced hailing about a street race that nearly killed him (and possibly others) but he won, so he would say he had "No Fear" despite being stupid (where is my mind today???). That's what I think of whenever I see those darn "No Fear" stickers on anything. [:'(]

I was happy that wasn't the case and was pleasantly surprised to see the post's real point.

 

I agree with Soaring and Thumpin's posts. Don't be afraid to try something as long as there's not a high potential that it will kill or severely maim you. I can't remember the site, but I was looking at a site with instructions for performing maintenance and repairs on cars. It would rate the repairs in terms of difficulty and risk, e.g. replacing brake pads low difficulty, high risk. When trying something new, you need to be able to recognize your limitations especially if a screw up could cause great bodily harm. When restoring a classic, I think that it is improtant to realize it will probably take a lot longer than you think to get it road worthy and even longer before you are done (if you ever are, it seems there's always just one more thing). With this in mind set reasonable short term goals and mark your progress in small increments e.g. November-rebuild front suspension, December-Fix floor pan and have car aligned, etc. It helps me anyway to have boxes that I can check off showing progress. The nice thing about having a classic to play with is mistakes won't leave you without a car to get to work; so, don't sweat it if you aren't done "on time."

 

Lumbergh -

You're signature quote says it all. And I think the essence of Bronco1's point.

I once had a foreman tell me that quote when I was working a construction job in high school. Unfortunately it was in reference to moving a large pile of bricks without mechanical means...

 

Whether you think you can or you can't, you are usually right. - Henry Ford


AMEN.

 

2nd that