Building a GT40

[Ron Earp]

Okay.

Being a scientist I've tried to approach the building of a car the way I've approached other scientific problems I've encountered throughout my career.

I research the task first, in order to find out what people have done in the past.

I study current work, to find out how people are presently adapting to problems encountered previously, and what innovations they have to add.

Then, I sit down with all of this knowledge, collate it, process it, and determine the path I will choose in order minimize problems previously encountered and to maximize gains realized by colleagues.

However, I've a problem - I have a seven week old that interjects all types of random noise into this process - namely feedings, changing, fussyness, and "the world just ain't right" noises.

How do I plan for these in the building of a car?

You know, I really like children, especially my own, but I really should have valued my time before children a lot more intently! People said, "Ron, you need to spend every working hour on the car before your baby, else you'll regret it." I said, "Naw, everything is good, I have plenty of time to take care of things. You don't know what you're talking about". So much for that.

I write this at as I'm trying to feed a baby, change some dipers, and get at least a few hours of sleep for the day before I need to be in the office early. I should have listened...;-), but it is all good, I will finish the the car and I'll be happy, as will Sydney. It won't be easy though, damn I wish I could have done this when I was in the early 30s! So, maybe a little older won't be so bad...

Ron

[ October 08, 2001: Message edited by: Ron Earp ]

[ October 08, 2001: Message edited by: Ron Earp ]

 

Ron,
I hear you. I haven't gotten my car yet but just the prep work,research,etc. is a strain. I have a 15 month old little girl, and boy is she a handful. Thank god I have an understanding wife. At least thus far. The car should be here by December and then we get to see what we are really made of. As far as doing it earlier, I'm 28 and no it's not better being younger. Older and wiser right?! Why build a car now? I can't explain it either but I quess the shock of a baby did it to me. Hang in there, together we'll make it though this.

 

[Gordon Levy]

i don't have any children but I can understand the interruptions. These days the only time I get to work on my own cars is at night when everyone goes home and it is peiceful and quiet in the shop. I sometimes wonder how you guys with families find the time to work on your cars without it being in the middle of the knight.

 

[Guest]

Ron, I am afraid it doesn't get any better. I have two girls and a boy. The boy isn't much of a problem as he likes to help. The girls are full of interuptions. I am constantly driving them back and forth to dance, school and their friend's house. And god help me if I need to use the phone to get some building advice. Just ask Hershel what happens when I try to use my own phone! My wife works on the weekends and when the kids are gone I am able to get some work done. Like Gordon I also find that late in the evening works pretty well too.

 

[Hershal Byrd]

Been there and done that. It doesn't get any easier. Some how though you find a way. It's really something how things happen when you want it bad enough. Even though I work on the car during the day I still prefer the late hours as they are the quietest. I guess that's something left over from when the kids were little. As soon as they were asleep I was in the garage doing what ever I could. It is nice now to have the time but I lack the energy I had when I was younger. Believe me you really have to muster the energy to stay at it. Them days of burning the candle at both ends has taken it's toll. The mind is willing but the old body says "hey Mac, its time for a nap". You know, for us older guys the definition of consiousness is that annoying time between naps.

Speaking of which, I think it's time for one now.

Hersh

 

[Ian K]

Well, I have yet to start the process, but
one of the things I am waiting for is a
schedule change.

I have a 2.5 hr commute to work each way,
and am on call 24x7 (I can't tell you how
fun it is to be on the phone from 11PM to
2:30 AM Sun night - Mon morning, only to
go to bed and wake up at 4 AM to get to
work

) Even at the tender age of 31,
there are some days my body and mind feel
much much older. And, now my wife really
wants kids. I'm trying to put her off for
another year, when the prospect of transferring
closer to home (about 20 min instead) is
more of a reality.
So, yeah, I can see where you all are coming
from.

Ian

 

[Bill D]

Ron

A possible solution would be to hire a babysitter for a few hours a week to watch, feed, and change the baby. If you can afford it, it would make your life easier.

My kids are older (8 and 11), and both enjoy helping for short periods of time before they lose interest and go their own way.

Good luck!

Bill D
Los Angeles, CA

 

[Guest]

Ron,

Being at the other end of the experience, kids out of college and having their own ... exercise patience with the car; do what you can when you can; enjoy the all of the days of your family's life. The kids will grown up and away faster than you can possibly imagine. Savor (it's hard to enjoy diapers!) the time that is now. The car will get done on its own good time ... and be a joy as the little one(s) integrate it into their understanding of the family.

These things are never truly done anyway ... you just have helpers doing the things you really wanted to get perfect over time.

Best,

 

[Hershal Byrd]

I agree with Mike 100%. I find it so hard to believe that my kids are 31yrs and 28 yrs old.
Time truly rushes by so enjoy and savor those precious moments.

 

[Guest]

RON

I to have a new born 5 weeks old and yes all the thing you are going through I am now

At 38 this is my first and have found that I'm doing all those oggie woogie things that only mad parents do.

I am yet to make a final decision on the choice of what to do but when I do I want my new born to be part of the building experiance. If she is five before it hits the road so be it I am going to engoy them both

 

[Guest]

Hi Ron,

I agree with mike as well. You have to find your time but don't do it at the expense of family time. The kids grow up too fast and you will regret it because you can't get the time back. They are only little for a few short years. Put them to bed at 8:00 and you work on the car till 11 or 12.

 

[Guest]

I think that Mike is right on the mark. Life happens, sometimes even in spite of the things that are happening in the world. I have no kids but I have nephews, and they were all a part of the build of my Cobra and they all tell their friends about the car (especially when there friends take notice of the car).

 

[Ron Earp]

I appreciate all the input I've received on this topic, it has been helpful. I don't regret using the time for Sydney, not at all. I'm just trying to figure out how to juggle them all so they all work well.

Work will not suffer, and neither will children and family as far as time budgeting goes. Both of these get highest priority. I'm just learning how to make them all work together, and I think I've got a plan, sort of.

Julie will allow me to set aside an hour and maybe a little more per night when I can work. As Ed says, this is probably going to be in the 10pm range. Tis okay,is better than none at all.

And, Sydney has already started sleeping through the night, lately from about 11pm until 6-630am. Not too bad for a 6 week old. At the beach this weekend she went 8 hours once. Children change quickly!

So, things are coming together, Ron

 

[Geoff Deakin]

My 14 year old daughter, Kerrie, who I am trying to indoctrinate into the fabulous world of GT40s has just reluctantly agreed to help build my kit (RF40?) when the time comes. However, she promptly knocked the plug out of the wall and turned off the computer!!!.

She has now read this and I think I may have lost my helper!!
Seriously though, she is a great girl, even if she is a Buffy fan

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Here's a kids-and-cars story y'all may enjoy...back in my Corvette days, mid 80s, we were working on my '59 at my friends shop, changing the intake and carbs. I had my fiancee's little boy, Keith, who was 3, with me, and he puttered around for a while and then fell asleep in the front seat of the Vette playing with his little Sesame
Street figurines. We kept working, and kidding around with each other the way guys do. Finished the car, fired it up and I took him home to his grandmother's, he walked in the door, and grinned and said "Hi, Grandma, you're a hosebag...", turned out he wasn't asleep the whole time after all, fortunately she didn't get excited about much and his mother had a sense of humor, but, still...
So remember, little pitchers have big ears and replay everything they hear...
Very interesting to watch this thread, I wish all you gentlemen well with both your cars and your families.

 

[Guest]

Ron, you know how I feel about the kids from the emails before and just after Sydney arrived. Keep in perspective, and my wife freely helps with this, that it is a hobby after all. My 10 year old has an extremely active social schedule and my wife does most of the running, so it leaves me a fair amount of evening alone time. But now we are about to deal with the other sided. My mother, 76, just had a fairly major accident; totalling her Edie Bauer Explorer 4X4, you have to know my mother! I am about to fly out to Calif. to get her so that we can care for her here in Raleigh. Some how, you just do what you know is right when it has to be done and, somewhere down the line, the car will finally get done.
The one thing that I can always say to any of my family: If you need me, you know exactly where to find me and it won't be in the pool hall drinking beer! The flip side of this is how guilty I feel when so much carries the caveat "Well, when the car is done ......" This is one of the things the annoys me the worst when vendors take such a cavalier attitude about promising parts, etc and then blowing you off and giving excuses why they haven't been true to their word. Their undependability is causing me to put so much of my life and, especially, my families life on hold. Lucky for you, with RF, you will not have that problem since you already have all your parts. Believe me, this will make your build and the rest of your life that it is a part of SOOOOOOO much more enjoyable: it can easily remain a hobby since you don't have to worry how in the hell you are going to get those last 4 or 5 parts that you already paid for so that you can finish.

 

[Bill Bayard]

Ron,

Just take the baby swing into the garage,

put on soft music and go to work on the car.

Remember not to swear too much, as these are

the formative years.

For the first year, you'll boil the

pacifier when it falls to the floor. A year

from now, you'll just blow the dust off!

You'll be surprised to learn that there is

life after childbirth, albeit modified.

Have fun Dad! You'll get the hang of it!

Best of luck!

Bill

 

[Guest]

As a car-nut and father of three (11,14,16)
I can recall a lot of the same emotions I've read in this thread.

It may be a cliche, but it's a good one...
kids grow up fast! And it's an exponential
growth. The first couple years do seem like
years. Then you turn your back and they are
in high school!

As far as getting the car(or any project) done, my advice is set aside a certain
amount of time per week and stick to it so
you can see steady progress. Kinda like a diet. If you try to do to much too fast, it's
easy to get burnout. And if you let it drag on too long, it becomes a burden.
I've done both. Neither are fun.

And fun is what it's all about.
A happy Dad is a better Dad.

MikeD

 

[Ron Earp]

Well,

six months later I'm getting in a routine. Sydney is asleep at 8pm so I've got about 2 hours each night that I can use for building. Usually don't get the full 2 hours, but at least it is progress.

Lynn, sorry to hear about the accident, I hope that everything is okay and that a full recovery will be made. I do hope that your prediciton is true on the build, that having the bits does make it easier. I know that you've had some difficult times and these folks that will not supply their parts when they say they will just make it a hell of a lot harder.

Ron

 

[Guest]

Ron,

You are a few months ahead of me! Now, having only just read this lot above, it seems I have been naive about what happens next! However I have to console myself that I only got married two and a bit years ago but before then I had free rein, a cobra replica at 19, swapped it for a Rolls Royce at 24, got my 40 at 25 and have had that now 12 years, 10 on the road. We got the Lotus 51c last year to compliment the 40 and I just managed to fully kit out the workshop big time before conception.

Now, with both Wendy and a baby to enhance life, things look to be excellent.

Time it seems is going to be the difficult thing. As well as sleep, I hear.

However until May 23 I intend to pretend life is not going to change more than any man can imagine, which clearly is not enough imagination!

Malcolm

PS Of course with old Frank becoming a grandfather soon, he is rubbing it in to me, by saying and doing all the right things but when his grandchild gets messy, noisy etc he can hand it back!