Stamina

MattY-64 Seriously Crusin Dubber

189 posts · joined Oct 2004 · 8 Jan 2007, 12:38 pm

#562858

Hi all,

Just thought I would see if I could gather some inspiration. I am now into the 5th year of my beetle project and it is still not finished :-(

Just wondering how everyone keeps up the motivation and excitment of it all. I have completely forgotten how it felt to even drive the old bug. I am putting my fingers cross that this year will be the year! Well at least to get it to the stage where it can move itself instead of me pushing it around!

Cheers,

Matt.

Dasdubber DAS Resto Haus

5,746 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 8 Jan 2007, 1:07 pm

#562861

Alright Matt, here is my take on keeping the "motivation" up to finish the project. Although my ragtop only took 2 1/2 years...there were many times I second guessed what I was doing.

Because each individual's personality is different, the types of motivation they will respond to will differ as well - you just have to find the right factors which motivate you best (or which combination of)....

Extrinsic motivational factors:
eg. Tangible rewards: trophies from vw shows (not really relevant just yet since it isn't finished)
eg. Intangible rewards: praise or public commendation (this is something I found kept me going - a lot of positive comments regarding the resto progress made me look forward to posting the pics of the next stage of progress)

Intrinsic motivational factors:
(evident when people engage in an activity (a hobby in your case) for its own sake, without some obvious external incentive present).
eg. bolt on some big parts like the new wheels, or shiny bits every now and then to keep you going - all the little hidden bits that take forever can eat away at you and you'll walk away after 8hrs work and it looks the same as when you started!
eg. being motivated towards mastering a skill, or completing a task for the satisfaction it gives you.
This is not something someone can provide for you - I found that once I start something, I find it very hard to leave it unfinished - this is another factor that kept me going to complete the ragtop.

Anyway, there is my advice plus a bit of learning for ya (and I didn't think I'd remember any of those Psychology 101 lectures) - looks like beer hasn't killed all the brain cells just yet.

Good luck with the project, post some more pics 🙂
Alan

www.dasrestoparts.com.au

amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 · 8 Jan 2007, 1:39 pm

#562870

go to as many VW shows as you can.

not that I am one to talk, my oval has been in my garage for 15 years and apart from collecting parts, it hasnt gone past the concept stage.

56astro Custom Title Time!

1,772 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 8 Jan 2007, 1:42 pm

#562871

Matt, you must first of all have a goal. What do you intend to have achieved when the project is finished.

My resto took a lot longer than I had planned, but there were delays at the panel shop and electricians.

I also found my project was easy to work with cause there is a "family history" with it (check out my web pages). It wasn't a project that I was ever going to get fed up with and sell off as an unfinished project.

Do you have a project timetable of any sort?

VW car, VW engine ...... keepin it "real"
35MPG on 101.3kPa

Baja Wes V6 Baja Pioneer

3,119 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 8 Jan 2007, 1:46 pm

#562872

My tip is to not pull the car apart in the first place 😀

I find lots of incremental modifications whilst trying to keep the car driveable is the best approach. Heaps of people take their cars off the road for a full rebuild, and then lose motivation and sell it off as parts or a project.

But a body off the pan respray is always going to take a while. This is what kept my car off the road for the longest - 7 months. And that was only because I tried to get a friend to do the panel beating, and he stuffed me around. Then I organised another guy and he stuffed me around too!!!

I agree with Alan on this one;

eg. Intangible rewards: praise or public commendation (this is something I found kept me going - a lot of positive comments regarding the resto progress made me look forward to posting the pics of the next stage of progress)

By keeping a diary of my Baja rebuild (http://www.offroadvw.net/bajawes/linktodiary.htm), I found it motivated me to try to do something so I had something new to post on my website. If I didn't then friends and fans would ask me what's going on 🙂

Wes - www.offroadvw.net - 200HP Quad Cam V6 in a VW Baja - with climate control... 🙂
www.taylorcycles.com.au - My DH MTB racing brothers shop.

MattY-64 Seriously Crusin Dubber

189 posts · joined Oct 2004 · 8 Jan 2007, 2:54 pm

#562881

Thanks guys,

I am not sure if my main goal is for shows and trophies etc, but I understand were you are coming from Das.

All I have left to complete is engine and seating/seat belts and a few very small bits and pieces, so it should be an achievable task.

I think that the worst thing is the not driving it I suppose. I would definately agree with Baja Wes about keeping it on the road and doing it bit by bit along the way.

I thought about joining a club to keep me moving along at a rapid pace, however I don't want to turn up in my 4x4 hehe.

I think that the online posting and this website has really helped my out both in motivation and in technical areas, and I should be able to get some more pics up soon.

I will just have to keep the Volks porn levels up in the blood to keep me motivated. There are some seriously sweet machines out there...

Cheers again,

Matt.

penguin ackkkkkk thhhhhpt!

3,383 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 8 Jan 2007, 6:04 pm

#562925

MattY,
trust me, as the owner of a ratty Type 3 square and a primer grey oval (body at Wavell Hts, pan at Thagoona), you are way way further down the path of roadworthiness than most of us. Turn up at a VW club in whatever you want, most people know that we have two or three cars, especially if one is a project in progress.

'Ah, whatever................'