how long has it been ?

[MikeRenz]

Re: how long has it been ?

Just takes a little dedication

or 45hrs in a day.

Look at it from my perspective for a second. Today..for example...lets pretend i was able to wrench right now....

I worked from 9 till 6 at my day job. Came home, unwind from a very busy day, sent an email or two, talked to the g/f for a lil, drink some water, eat an apple. Its now about 6:40, i go for an hour jog, log my data, compare the info to previous runs....its now 8pm. Take a seat and eat some dinner. And now it's 8:30pm. I live in a quiet community, my small townhouse is connected to other people. I can't go out in my garage and bang around on my truck, drop wrenches, pickle fork my ball joints out...and not feel guilty about my neighbors trying to relax, or go to sleep. Besides that, i'm exhausted anyway.

Everyone has their reasons/excuses/priorities. Personally i'd rather get some exercise and be outside in the nice weather, than cramped up in my tiny garage getting filthy and making little progress right now. I typically would wrench on the weekends, assuming i wasn't broken, but have been spending time getting to know a new g/f, playing soccer, making parts for other people, running, travelling (i've been to GA twice, NY, DC, Philly twice, and around the state of PA many times this year so far...and have many more trips along the east coast, oh yea and detroit, planned/upcoming).

My point is...just becuase you make it your highest priority to keep your truck running (which i applaud) shouldn't blind you to the fact that other people have plenty going on in their lives that either doesn't make it feasible for them to do the same amount of wrenching, doesn't allow them the $ required to keep the truck together, can't afford the gas to drive the 10mpg hog, have other things they need to do first, etc..etc..etc...

I know my truck isn't going anywhere if i don't touch it. The same can't be said for other things happening in my life that i'd rather not miss out on.

So theres my late night rant before i start my friday cycle of not working on my truck...but rather working, running, having a good bye dinner/party at my house for one of my friends who is leaving town, and hanging out w/ my g/f. My truck won't miss me...work/friends/g/f and my running shoes will.

 

[ty0056]

Re: how long has it been ?

as far5 as my saleen goes its just been money and deciding. do i wanna keep it close to stock like it is or go all out. ive been fighting myself like i have an angel and devil on my shoulder for a long time.

 

[TurboTony]

Re: how long has it been ?

I guess I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in this situation.

My truck is pretty much ready to drive with no notice, go to the track and run some numbers. Just have absolutley no desire to drive it anymore. The poor neglected thing hasn't seen a total of 1000 miles in the last 4 years or so.

Between building houses, lack of space to keep it at home, other projects, oval and funnycar racing, landscaping, decks, fences, etc I just don't have time for it.

I have gathered a pile of parts for it, and would really like to update a few things before I start racing it again, but for now it is in one piece and functional. It's going to stay that way until life slows down and I feel like wrenching on it again or someone shows up with a bag of money and takes it away, lol.

I guess I should at least go get it out of storage and make some room in the garage for it at home. But then again I love driving my crew cab everyday with leather guts and XM radio, the sy just feels old these days.

Tony

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: how long has it been ?

Interesting perspective. I do a lot of what you do and still do it. I am in no way saying everyone should be like me, I am just saying, the time is always there. I spend tons of time with my daughter, my wife and my whole family lives here, my parents, brother and two sisters. Every now and then I feel kind like I am getting ready to collapse from exhaustion but for the most part it all keeps me pretty active. I usually start my day at around 6:30 am and don't usually get done working form about 4:30-7:00 depending on what I am doing that day. Since I run my own business and it is very much my full time job, I get a little crazy with the phone CONSTANTLY ringing. We're talking about people calling after 8pm asking retarded questions. For some reason, my TY brings me back to sanity? Nothing beats running down to the garage and making something better. Even if I stay up past midnight on a work night. The part that really drags me down is waiting for parts I am sure that the TY being my "family" vehicle contributes a lot to keeping it running as well. We have a 94 GMC 3500 standard cab with utility bed, a 97 Eagle Talon and a 92 Typhoon. Which would you rather spend most of your time in? :lol:

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: how long has it been ?

I see about the date night. I actually already do quite a bit of that stuff already. I don't have a set day/night though. I always try and spend as much time as I can and do as many cool things as possible. Yesterday, I took her to the Air Force Academy's graduation ceremony. We didn't actually go on base but went to a field to watch the air show. T-Birds flew over us a few times but the cloud cover was so bad they didn't end up doing the show. On our way back to her moms house, all the roads were blocked because Bush was here and his motorcade was heading back to Shriever AFB and we actually saw him. It was a fun time. I'll take her to watch the planes land at the end of the runway, carnival, park, car shows, that kind of thing. So yeah, I know what you're saying.

 

[ShuggsRR]

Re: how long has it been ?

I drove mine home from the shop yesterday and parked it back in the garage! It runs great for the 1st time since I bought it 1 1/2 years ago. I have put about 1000 miles on it in 1 1/2 years. ack...

 

[loubotzz77]

Re: how long has it been ?

been a year since i even touched mine between work and havin a life i have no time but i really need to start workin on it getting tired of all the ricers talkin smack

 

[canadian]

Re: how long has it been ?

No idea how long it's been... somewhere around 8 years. It sits, or should I say languishes in the garage as a storage unit for junk in the back. I have parts on the shelf for it but nothing that would be free to install. I have tinkered with it off and on over those 8 years, but honestly it's just a lack of motivation to do anything with it.

Since it initially broke I have moved twice. Once across town, the other time across the state. I've gotten married, had a son, started a new job, became part owner of a business that doesn't take my time to run it but does take my time to watch my son on weekends while my wife works.

For me, having a relationship and family has taken priority over the truck. I will admit that I do sometimes feel guilty when I would rather spend time working on the truck than being with the family. I'm not really waiting on parts or anything to get it running right, I'm just lazy and lack any sort of drive to get it running and what better time to try and find that motivation when 87 octane is $4.00 a gallon. I haven't put 93 in anything in the past 8 years so I don't even bother paying attention to how much it costs.

One thing that really started to bother me over the years is how much of a pain in the ass it is to do anything on these trucks. I used to not care that you got bloody knuckles changing spark plugs or that a fuel pump replacement required dropping the tank or removing the bed. Then I started thinking "man, what a pain in the ass this is for something so small". That's where I am with the current fuel problem.

I thought it might be a bad regulator so I replaced it since it was the easiest to do. Still have issues. Now it's either injectors or the pump. In order to check the pump, I have to get into the tank. I have been thinking about it lately so who knows, I might even try it soon.

Really, the only time I work on the truck is when there is *nothing* else to do. Some say that since I don't have the motivation I should sell it. Maybe I should, but I'm just not motivated to do that either.

 

[dgoodhue]

Re: how long has it been ?

My truck is approaching 2 years since I last drove it . My problem is when I have time I don't have money and when I have money I don't have time.

 

[RMcCourt]

Re: how long has it been ?

When I bought mine in February, it hadn't moved or been uncovered since fall of '98. Now I am driving it a little bit... I put ~100 miles on it before the guilt meter started reading a little high and it is now covered up until Homecoming.

 

[turbodig]

Re: how long has it been ?

Near as I can piece together, the last time my Sy ran was in 2004. It's kinda bad when you can't even remember for sure.

Got married, had child ... who will be 4 next month. Not to mention numerous remodeling projects, graduations, etc, etc.

Having the motor to the point now where it's only a couple solid days away from ready to drop in, feels good. It'd be done by now, if I'd quit polishing things. It's getting kinda bad when you're polishing stock tranny lines.

 

[Mtn Z]

Re: how long has it been ?

I was starting to feel like I was the only one with not enough time or money. Thank God for this thread. I haven't driven mine in over a year because I started taking it apart to do coilovers. Lo and behold, I started going to school again a week after I took it apart. It had been three years since I stopped going to school and figured if I didn't start back again, I never would. I tore the truck completely apart and then basically eliminated all free time with school and a full-time job. That and other hobbies leave me with little time. I'm almost done with the damn thing, but it's always the little odds and ends that become a pain in the ass on the final stretch. Oh well, should be back on the road soon. I miss driving it.

 

[BigBadSmoosh]

Re: how long has it been ?

my ty is in running shape, I take it out of the shed every once in awhile.. not nearly often enough..

my sy on the other hand is in a thousand pieces and to be honest probably won't be done in anywhere near the time frame I originally laid out for it to be done in. I just don't have the motivation and the time, way to many other things going on.. my new job requires me to pass tests which requires alot of study time, my gf and our dogs deserve alot of time as well

unfortunately I've done more work on the other 4 cars/trucks in my driveway than I have on my sy/ty since last year. I really need to start putting my sy back together but I just don't have enough time in the day.

 

[NOJIMMY]

Re: how long has it been ?

...Hot Rod Magazine, several years ago wrote an article where they found that most car builders
generally "enjoyed the process of creating and building a vehicle" but seldom kept or drove
their finished works after completion. It was the "Quest" and not the "Completion" that thrilled them.
The creative process so to speak. The challenges.

If you surveyed most ordinary vehicle buyers, limiting ones purchasing power to only a V6,
Black in color, No Towing, 2-seats (for a Syclone), limited options, a relatively high MSRP,
and dealerships that couldn't maintain them (and thus requiring the owners to become
knowledgeable) would be suicidal. Plus adding year after year ($$$-wise, parts
shortage-wise, breakage-wise, ease of maintenance-wise, cladding replacement-wise,
mpg-wise, practicality/daily driver-wise) issues drains even the most devoted/well intended.

So my theory is "as you grow older" you prioritize and find yourself unwilling to short-change one's
family, children, relatives, hobbies/interests, time, energy and bank account for lifes instant gratifications.
Kinda like sex, "launching (a syty) is great", but the other hours and minutes of the day can be
painful to maintain at peak performance without a lot of effort or disappointment/discomfort.
Doing it alone isn't tremendously rewarding, not using preventive measures dangerous, and getting
older has its drawbacks. Sex and SyTy ownership have very similar characteristic....grin

-Larry

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: how long has it been ?

If you surveyed most ordinary vehicle buyers, limiting ones purchasing power to only a V6,
Black in color, No Towing, 2-seats (for a Syclone), limited options, a relatively high MSRP,
and dealerships that couldn't maintain them (and thus requiring the owners to become
knowledgeable) would be suicidal. Plus adding year after year ($$$-wise, parts
shortage-wise, breakage-wise, ease of maintenance-wise, cladding replacement-wise,
mpg-wise, practicality/daily driver-wise) issues drains even the most devoted/well intended.


-Larry

So whats this make me? :lol:

 

[tyndago]

Re: how long has it been ?

My truck is approaching 2 years since I last drove it . My problem is when I have time I don't have money and when I have money I don't have time.

The Typhoon has been down since 1999. The last time it ran it did 11.85, got kicked out of the track. Tore the engine down, and it sat since then. Bought a Syclone, built an engine for that, broke the tranny and that sits.

Lots has happened in that time. I always have other cars that I can drive. I occasionally get in a Ty for a quick blast around.

 

[JSM]

Re: how long has it been ?

11.85 wouldn't get you kicked out anymore.

 

[NecroWolf]

Re: how long has it been ?

it's kinda sad if i went out and bought oil and a filter i could probably fire mine up and start tuning. well that and finding a lower radiator hose. those are the only parts i'm missing. mine's been down for two years and i've already changed my build plan once, and i'm making plans to change it again but i think i'll actually drive it this time before i pull the motor out and give myself time to collect parts for it's next incarnation.

 

[canadian]

Re: how long has it been ?

damn you. the wife and kid went out of town for 2 days, too bad it wasn't the weekend or i could have gotten a lot more done. old battery was completely dead. wouldn't even take a charge. gas tank was empty. put in 3 gallons of 87 just to fire it up. took it for a spin up the street. smells like it's leaking oil somewhere and my guess is the turbo. ugh. maybe i'll ignore it and it'll go away. probably should give it an oil change.

 

[The Devils Own Chariot]

Re: how long has it been ?

I think this thread is proof of why the kills section this year seems lacking. TYTILIDIE is to only one on here that is off the hook on his one.