The TV Shows Are Lying To You:
It's All About Patience
Credit to I.B.F. HotRods
https://ibfhotrods.com/blog/f/the-tv-shows-are-lying-to-you-its-all-about-patience
I've been around enough builds and restorations to know that the most important thing to remember about any project is if you don't have any patience then this job isn't for you. If you are a "Builder From Your Couch", Trust me when I say this, it is going to take time and lots of it. 1 hour just isn't going to touch it. In this blog I'll help you get a grasp of what exactly I'm talking about and try to put some things into perspective when it comes to restoring and customizing cars.
Restoration and Customization is all fine and dandy, but it is extremely time consuming. This era we live in now has really put a burden on the entire thought process when it comes to building cars. Thanks to the 30 minute and 1 hour shows on TV they fail to mention that this build started in 2021 and ended in 2023. There is only about one show I can think of that has anything to do with a time frame and it has a day count calendar at the bottom of the screen. Even then you still aren't seeing the details and only the highlights. So many people have no idea what type of time and effort building cars will and actually do take.
For example, you fail to see that the machine shop that is working on the engine block is backed up for 6 months and won't even be done with your engine until 6 months after that. You fail to see the extreme back-order log of the custom gauges that you just have to have. They are on a 16-week back order. I don't know why but I guess seeing someone with a piece of sandpaper in their hand for 10 hours straight just isn't good television because let's not forget that the process of cutting and buffing a vehicle is going to take well over 40 plus hours just to be safe. And these are the foreseeable issues. And these are issues that you have a guarantee they will be this long.
Now let's look at something as simple as noticeable body work. Yeah, you finally got the car you have been after. You know that it has some noticeable body work that needs done. You have a bubble or two here and there and a chip over there. No big deal, right? Wrong. You tear the car down to bear metal and now see that someone was a cake decorator that "Fixed" the issue years ago. Now you have dents and rust holes and oh look at that, Bondo is over a half an inch thick in this spot. Hey, look at that, in order to replace that panel, you have to now dig into the inner structure because it is rusted out too. Thank God it is only a patch, right? Should be done in an hour??!! A quick 30 second monologue of some sparks flying, and some English wheel work and Boom metal work is done, right? Right.?! Rust repair is literally one of the most time-consuming parts of any build. You have to cut out, prep, weld, metal shape, convert, prep again, seal, Bondo, fiberglass, lead, primer, and etc. or whatever process you want to go about it to just fix that area. Oh, and did I mention weld?? That is time consuming in and of itself especially if you don't want anything warped in the end with little filler afterwards.
Next let's put into consideration what type of vehicle you have. Can you buy every part out of a catalog? Is this a Tri-Five, Mustang or a Camaro?? The beauty of these cars is that you can literally get aftermarket pops that somewhat fit. Even though that part says it is for your specific vehicle, you have to remember that it isn't a manufacture made specific piece or OEM. Almost every aftermarket body panel I have ever been around just doesn't fit the way it should. I have worked side by side with owners of very successful shops that don't fit these pieces. They just remove and replace. This keeps money in their pocket but screws the end result and inevitably the client. When asked by the client why something isn't fitting correctly, they are told "well those are aftermarket and that's what happens". That being said you can see if you are looking for perfect gaps and perfect fits why this isn't as easy and as simple as an "on and off" swap. This doesn't even dive into the situation of a vehicle that is rare, and no aftermarket parts exist. At this point we are talking about rebuilding AC units, radios, wiper engines, power windows, electric over hydraulic seats and the list goes on and on. Let's not forget about the hours and hours of metal shaping any panels, patches, tearing apart areas to rebuild structure or anything else you could imagine in a nut and bolt restoration. Not even a mention of any of that in your 1 hour 8 o'clock primetime TV spot. And that's right, if you don't know how to do it then it's the waiting game of how long I have to wait for the specialist to possibly do it for me.
Just to keep this article somewhat short, I could go on and on about this topic but there is no need to beat a dead horse here, let's look at the number one thing that is never shown on a television program, WIRING. The brains of any operation. Even something as simple as a Model T has wiring. If you never had the pleasure of rewiring an entire car, I suggest you try it sometime. You'll understand what a headache truly is. How about we make a quick list of a "Simple" custom vehicle wiring build. Let's incorporate a newer model LS for all the haters out there, throw on a 6 speed automatic, an overhead console with lights, heated and power seats, 6 speakers, subs, new touchscreen, let's make the rear taillight power actuated that swings open to hide your filler neck for the fuel, let's rebuild the taillights into LEDs, let's hide the battery in the trunk but make it somewhat accessible for trickle charging, throw in some new gauges, new AC system and let's finish it with some air ride while we are at it. Now let's not show anything like that on a build series just because what is glamorous about weeks' worth of work just to see someone laying under a dash, in the trunk and tucked up under the car playing with wires with their ass crack hanging out. Oh, and I have to mention that after everything is wired up, they forgot to show that the power windows aren't working and, on that test drive, the cruise control wasn't working.
As you can see, I hope this article put some things into a new perspective when it comes to the restoration and customization process. As mentioned before, I could go on and on about this topic and damn near write a book about it. Unlike the TV, this restoration game is no quick hitter. Instant gratification isn't right around the corner. If anything, it isn't even in the next zip code and is definitely not an hour away. If you are really serious about building and restoring any type of vehicle just know what you are getting yourself into. You are going to run into roadblocks, and you are going to have setbacks. The one thing that I can guarantee is that it is all going to be worth it. Have patience and keep at it. One piece at a time my friends.
https://ibfhotrods.com/blog/f/the-tv-shows-are-lying-to-you-its-all-about-patience
I've been around enough builds and restorations to know that the most important thing to remember about any project is if you don't have any patience then this job isn't for you. If you are a "Builder From Your Couch", Trust me when I say this, it is going to take time and lots of it. 1 hour just isn't going to touch it. In this blog I'll help you get a grasp of what exactly I'm talking about and try to put some things into perspective when it comes to restoring and customizing cars.
Restoration and Customization is all fine and dandy, but it is extremely time consuming. This era we live in now has really put a burden on the entire thought process when it comes to building cars. Thanks to the 30 minute and 1 hour shows on TV they fail to mention that this build started in 2021 and ended in 2023. There is only about one show I can think of that has anything to do with a time frame and it has a day count calendar at the bottom of the screen. Even then you still aren't seeing the details and only the highlights. So many people have no idea what type of time and effort building cars will and actually do take.
For example, you fail to see that the machine shop that is working on the engine block is backed up for 6 months and won't even be done with your engine until 6 months after that. You fail to see the extreme back-order log of the custom gauges that you just have to have. They are on a 16-week back order. I don't know why but I guess seeing someone with a piece of sandpaper in their hand for 10 hours straight just isn't good television because let's not forget that the process of cutting and buffing a vehicle is going to take well over 40 plus hours just to be safe. And these are the foreseeable issues. And these are issues that you have a guarantee they will be this long.
Now let's look at something as simple as noticeable body work. Yeah, you finally got the car you have been after. You know that it has some noticeable body work that needs done. You have a bubble or two here and there and a chip over there. No big deal, right? Wrong. You tear the car down to bear metal and now see that someone was a cake decorator that "Fixed" the issue years ago. Now you have dents and rust holes and oh look at that, Bondo is over a half an inch thick in this spot. Hey, look at that, in order to replace that panel, you have to now dig into the inner structure because it is rusted out too. Thank God it is only a patch, right? Should be done in an hour??!! A quick 30 second monologue of some sparks flying, and some English wheel work and Boom metal work is done, right? Right.?! Rust repair is literally one of the most time-consuming parts of any build. You have to cut out, prep, weld, metal shape, convert, prep again, seal, Bondo, fiberglass, lead, primer, and etc. or whatever process you want to go about it to just fix that area. Oh, and did I mention weld?? That is time consuming in and of itself especially if you don't want anything warped in the end with little filler afterwards.
Next let's put into consideration what type of vehicle you have. Can you buy every part out of a catalog? Is this a Tri-Five, Mustang or a Camaro?? The beauty of these cars is that you can literally get aftermarket pops that somewhat fit. Even though that part says it is for your specific vehicle, you have to remember that it isn't a manufacture made specific piece or OEM. Almost every aftermarket body panel I have ever been around just doesn't fit the way it should. I have worked side by side with owners of very successful shops that don't fit these pieces. They just remove and replace. This keeps money in their pocket but screws the end result and inevitably the client. When asked by the client why something isn't fitting correctly, they are told "well those are aftermarket and that's what happens". That being said you can see if you are looking for perfect gaps and perfect fits why this isn't as easy and as simple as an "on and off" swap. This doesn't even dive into the situation of a vehicle that is rare, and no aftermarket parts exist. At this point we are talking about rebuilding AC units, radios, wiper engines, power windows, electric over hydraulic seats and the list goes on and on. Let's not forget about the hours and hours of metal shaping any panels, patches, tearing apart areas to rebuild structure or anything else you could imagine in a nut and bolt restoration. Not even a mention of any of that in your 1 hour 8 o'clock primetime TV spot. And that's right, if you don't know how to do it then it's the waiting game of how long I have to wait for the specialist to possibly do it for me.
Just to keep this article somewhat short, I could go on and on about this topic but there is no need to beat a dead horse here, let's look at the number one thing that is never shown on a television program, WIRING. The brains of any operation. Even something as simple as a Model T has wiring. If you never had the pleasure of rewiring an entire car, I suggest you try it sometime. You'll understand what a headache truly is. How about we make a quick list of a "Simple" custom vehicle wiring build. Let's incorporate a newer model LS for all the haters out there, throw on a 6 speed automatic, an overhead console with lights, heated and power seats, 6 speakers, subs, new touchscreen, let's make the rear taillight power actuated that swings open to hide your filler neck for the fuel, let's rebuild the taillights into LEDs, let's hide the battery in the trunk but make it somewhat accessible for trickle charging, throw in some new gauges, new AC system and let's finish it with some air ride while we are at it. Now let's not show anything like that on a build series just because what is glamorous about weeks' worth of work just to see someone laying under a dash, in the trunk and tucked up under the car playing with wires with their ass crack hanging out. Oh, and I have to mention that after everything is wired up, they forgot to show that the power windows aren't working and, on that test drive, the cruise control wasn't working.
As you can see, I hope this article put some things into a new perspective when it comes to the restoration and customization process. As mentioned before, I could go on and on about this topic and damn near write a book about it. Unlike the TV, this restoration game is no quick hitter. Instant gratification isn't right around the corner. If anything, it isn't even in the next zip code and is definitely not an hour away. If you are really serious about building and restoring any type of vehicle just know what you are getting yourself into. You are going to run into roadblocks, and you are going to have setbacks. The one thing that I can guarantee is that it is all going to be worth it. Have patience and keep at it. One piece at a time my friends.
