Model A job

[416Ford]

Whats the collective RRT solution? I believe the job right now is just inspect and advise.

Not sure who it was but one of the Rod shop shows took the ranch wagon doors and extended them and slanted the B-piller to match  rear side glass (the indentation behind the door in this case).
Similar to what I have in mind for my handyman wagon.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

I can not tell for sure.  Is the model A job gettin outta hand , gettin away  from  you at this point?

[idrivejunk]

Whats the collective RRT solution? I believe the job right now is just inspect and advise.

Not sure who it was but one of the Rod shop shows took the ranch wagon doors and extended them and slanted the B-piller to match  rear side glass (the indentation behind the door in this case).
Similar to what I have in mind for my handyman wagon.

One forum guy said extend the character line on the quarter forward onto the door. I don't think any showy body modifications will make it onto this one but its just a hunch.

[idrivejunk]

I can not tell for sure.  Is the model A job gettin outta hand , gettin away  from  you at this point?

In what way?

[idrivejunk]

Only maybe an hour on the A this morning. The 67 Datsun body was ready to mate with chassis and hang panels so we did that and I adjusted doors-







While I was back there-







Got this corner like I want and made a piece to finish the inside of that area-







This afternoon I used the edge of the old rocker with a new bent and stepped flange to complete a flat around the perimeter of the door opening, for a weatherstrip. In progress... starting to screw it in place.

[idrivejunk]

Left rocker jamb-



Right rocker jamb-



Upper inner door jamb with weatherstrip extension



Got a piece cut for the section under the right drip rail, stopped there. Half day. I'll be fixing that Cobra after one more week to get this ready to blast.

[idrivejunk]

Perfectly good old tractor pic, no extra charge.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

I can not tell for sure.  Is the model A job gettin outta hand , gettin away  from  you at this point?

In what way?

The whole job...  Seems like a large amount of alignment happened.  Fitting , trimming. Roof work ,  Then that slowed to nothing with so many extra jobs appear in the shop.

[idrivejunk]

I can not tell for sure.  Is the model A job gettin outta hand , gettin away  from  you at this point?

In what way?

The whole job...  Seems like a large amount of alignment happened.  Fitting , trimming. Roof work ,  Then that slowed to nothing with so many extra jobs appear in the shop.

I can answer you from my point of view, or speculate on the vehicle owner or boss's view. But before developing any thoughts to write, I have to ask what precedent your progress evaluation is based on, please. In other words... compared to what? I'll need an example.

I am trying to determine whether defense or explanation is in order here, but not feeling inclined to invest much energy in either. If this question is to be a kind admonishment, say no more and I'll know what to do. Thanks, Tony.

[idrivejunk]

To answer your question, Crosley: No. The car and I are fine, and have been all along. I realized early on that this job would make me look bad no matter what. It is like every job, collision or resto, in that the person wanting the work and the person selling the work agree to do business based on hopeful assumptions. Reality varies when the work begins, and fault is then the new assumption. I feel certain that you know this. Yet you are asking me to accept or place fault for what you percieve as "out of hand". You'll need to prove to me somehow that you are in a position to judge such and provide a suitable to me comparison of not just hours but also dollars before your statement is quantifiable. And you'll need to include in that the order and time of arrival of needed parts. Knowing that this is out of the question because on our end the information is private, that leaves only this:

When you see me work on other jobs, it is because they have reached a point where I come in as part of the team. I think the question you have is for my boss, and contact info for him is public.

[enjenjo]

I don't think this car has made you look bad at all. On the contrary you have taken a basically junk Model A body and brought it back to life. I look at the diversions of late as more of a palate cleanser that reduce the possibility of burn out. I know what a grind a job like this can be, I just went through one. And I am sure Tony does too. You are on your forth or fifth one in a row. Your boss is lucky to have you.

[idrivejunk]

I think the passage of time is whats in question =$. Maybe also a lack of understanding of order of operations, which may be tough to gather based on my wording. I consider myself lucky to have my employer. The big boy jobs are difficult for everyone but also rewarding. Frank, you make a good point with the words "in a row". I will walk a mile to see to it that people who need something from me get every inch of it, but theres a limit to how far I will go in depriving myself of my own needs. A decade thus far, of life lived in emergency mode has aged me twice that. Heck, I thought my career ended January 26, 2015. Here I am, me now. When I am alone with a job vehicle, everything is almost as it should be. When I go a year without taking a week or two off... or working on my purple car...

...you guys know what that does because those are also back-to-back. Ever wonder what I would be like if I did? Me, too. I have put the time in for it at several places, it just is never allowed for bachelors.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

I did not mean to infer your work was bad on the model A...  there is no defense needed from you.  It is an observation of shop enviorment events.  Perhaps a better wording would be you are being taken away from the model A ?

my point was the car was getting away from you with so many jobs rolling in the shop.  You had a path on the A  , that seems interupted too often .  On the biz side, I get that. I have been self employed , owned my first auto repair  shop in 1980.  Customers change their minds. Budgets change on a project.

my work with transmissions can become boring. Over n over :  same work.  The last 1.5 yrs, I have built a huge volume of C4 , torqflight stuff.. I am the go to guy for them. The cores we receive are very ruff shape now.  Corrosion , rust , etc...  It can often take parts from 3  for me to build a proper performance trans from the cores. I am suppose to chit gold from junk... sound familiar?

I am quite familar with the shop enviorment slowing things down too.  Recent decisions at my work place has burdened us with time wasting tasks.. We have a GM that wants us behind the benches at all times:  working.  I can site many examples that take us away from the bench because of the system changes in recent months.  Cause of this:  there a couple guys close to walking out the door. Too much stress. Then those guys beachin and moaning adds to my stress.  Good thing I retire in 1.4 yrs , if I live through this.  LOL

I expereinced the pulling from 2 directions in 2017 very heavily... Rush glide race trans job.  GM is telling me one thing.  Owner is telling me different. GM is telling me : Listen to me not the owner.  Yet: the owner's name is on the building and everything else, like my paycheck

We have R&D projects at work that are on fire.... next day, stuff is shelved.  I was put on a problem child  powerglide billet aluminum  valve body project 4 yrs ago.  I made some unpopular suggestions to fix the problems and get the project finished.. poof, up on the shelf it went.  From time  to time I get to hear:  We have 16k  $$ invested in a valve body that does not work

[idrivejunk]

Aw, OK. Reeling in the defense grid. What you're probably picking up on is what inevitably follows a surge of jobs wanting in. A push to complete cycles and get rid of everything shiny. So that next year can be even bigger, and more people's dreams can come true. My involvement in other jobs may serve as "a break" in the minds of others. But the burnout ship has sailed, I have had long term burnout going for five years straight and it is destroying me... the person. No amount of recognition or compensation washes it away. I have long ago given up making anyone understand, but in the last year or so I feel like perceptions of me have changed more than I have. To the positive side.

Most important thing I have realized recently is that to think... to imagine then create and refine... I require peace and at some times quiet. We all know its best to not pull off the big job. But its also best if the guy who set the gaps repeat that after paint, and thats really all you've seen. Rescue operations like the Cat roof interlude and latch coaching are part of developing the other guys and believe me, everyone hates asking Matt but they know I'll back them up readily. Thats the only priority comparable to current task, is being there to guide and / or set an example. The bulk of my job is still focusing on one giant and hardly feasible task and as one younger guy put it: "Every day up here is like Saturday night to you.". He is right, I enjoy just doing.

[jaybee]

Matt, it sounds like you're in a good work environment and a good place in your career. That's a great thing and I'm happy for you.