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I had this crisis a few years back, and had a similar post on here. While it might not work for everybody, my solution was different to that suggested by most to me. Everyone came up with I had too many cars and was stretched too thin, not enjoying it, and should clear them all out and just have one. I sold a few but it wasn't doing it for me. So what I then decided, which has worked, has rekindled my fire and love of old cars, and kept me ok with it all, is "invest" in an interesting modern-retro that I can actually use, and remove all pressure, all deadlines, all budgets from every other car I have. I can then do bits of work on them WHEN I WANT, when it suits me, when I have the energy and impetus... and I never 'have to' do anything. If they take 16 years, that's fine. If I never do them, that's fine. I enjoy just 'owning' as much as 'using'. Realistically it doesn't matter as (rather fatalistically) they're all going to get burned up in the apocalypse anyway, but I continue on with mine as and when as it gives me a certain happiness working on them and satisfaction completing a job, but there's no pressure. I keep it all well within my means so there is no financial strain of having them (ie no paid storage, they're all at work or my house which I'd be paying for anyway whether one car or 12) ... and then I'm free to go build sand castles on the beach or spend some time with a lonely older person without feeling guilty for not having done any work on the car(s) for 5 weeks. Having that usable semi retro also means I can drive something old and cool, at least to me, and not be stuck in a boring, or have no car, or be pining after something cool. One other problem with trying to find "mojo" again is that mojo is a word associated with voodoo and derived from an old African witchcraft term, and whilst it is used now to describe having energy, it was always about a energy-power from black magic. If "mojo" is a bag of magic that you can literally lose, as per it's origins, then perhaps it isn't the right thing to seek. A love or a passion for anything should come from your own soul stirrings and not be something external that can be gained or lost or appear or disappear magically. Take control of your own passions, decide what you want to put energy into and look at it differently - not as an external magic that can come and go but as your own mind and interests that might change, or might not, or you might not have energy for right now but that can be rejuvenated if you take time out to refresh and recharge. As ever, that is, if you want to...
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Apr 29, 2019 23:21:58 GMT
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I wasn't actually aware of the origins of "mojo". Inexcusable ignorance I know! My Mum taught me (the hard way) to not use words I didn't know the meaning of at the age of 8 when I came home with a certain 4 letter word beginning with F! But to me at least, "mojo" is not an external force or any connection to "magic". To me it is tied up with self belief and my ability to do something I set out to do. This can, of course, take a knock, when things don't go to plan (as they inevitably do with old cars) Being in the motor trade as I am, i'm fairly well acquainted with Mr Murphy and his law, you'd think i'd be also aware that "sh1t happens" and be relatively immune to the effects from long exposure (49 years and counting) But there are still times, when everything I touch turns to poo and I end a day further behind than I started it and even I wonder why I bother! By an odd coincidence, MY wife reversed into the Carledo, putting a big dent in the front valance and shaking out large chunks of filler, not long after I got it on the road and on the way out to it's first show, which did not exactly please me either! I swallowed it - and the caustic comments I never made - in the name of continued domestic harmony! But it put me off for a while! In the end I realized that I was going to have to address the issue anyway (I knew about the filler) it just moved it up the priorities list. And eventually I got my smile back for real. I've lost count of the number of times paint reaction has stopped me in my tracks. But trust me when I say, I know exactly how you feel mate!
And the only thing I can think of to do on days like that is walk away, whether for an hour, a week, or a year, whatever it takes. Throwing a hammer through the screen is only a momentary pleasure and ultimately counter productive, you have then to find a new screen as well!
Steve
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Last Edit: Apr 29, 2019 23:29:21 GMT by carledo
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andyborris
Posted a lot
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
Posts: 2,158
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Apr 30, 2019 16:36:20 GMT
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Perhaps the final word(s)?
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Last Edit: Apr 30, 2019 16:37:45 GMT by andyborris
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Sounds like your have several things going on that has caused burn-out. I've been there myself or possibly going through it myself with some things and not others.
You aren't alone. Some people flit from one interest to another and never get things finished.They get itchy feet, move house, redecorate. Its all a form of the same.
You need ways to re-kindle your interests. I bought a modern daily a couple of years ago and one of the first things I did was make a list of all the things I really really liked about it and made me buy it. I saved the list as I knew in a couple of years if I got bored of it, I could refer back and remind myself why I liked it. That has proven invaluable recently and has stopped me making rash decisions.
Similar to a marriage or relationship. The tart around the corner might seem a good idea at the time and more exciting but remind yourself what you have got and what you might lose. Put a little effort in and re-energise your current relationship. In this case with your cars.
If I get sick of a project I look forward to a change or revert my mind to something different. When I built my garage I got sick of digging and looked forward to bricking. Then I got sick of bricking and looked forward to woodwork on the roof, then guess what...yep! But you got to give yourself targets. I work intensely on my Scirocco then sometimes walk away and fiddle with my bike or garden. Sometimes fiddling is more enjoyable than grafting.
Look at videos and come on here for ideas - but not too much. I find too much watching others work can have the opposite affect and put you off getting off the sofa.
Make 2 lists for each car that you have. First list is what you like and why you bought it. Second list is a to-do list. If the first list out-weighs the second and the second list doesn't overwhelm you then keep the project. If the first list is small and the second very extensive, turn the list into a "what do i have to do to make it sellable?" list.
Then look for ways to re-kindle your enthusiasm.
Clean the Beetle and the garage and tidy-up. See what you got to work with. Wash the Mazda. Yes really. Then reassess the damage. Paint one small patch of the bus and see if it reacts. Don't try doing the whole thing at once.
If driving is hard work, change it. Try seeing how good a fuel economy you can get. Go for a picnic drive, only driving along B-roads not A-roads and dual carriage ways. Go on a mystery trip and see where you end up. Its not all about speed and getting frustrated.
The more you sit down in the dumps looking for a big change, the more life hits you down again. Unfortunately you got to put some effort in and a bit of graft then the enthusiasm will hopefully follow. That's why i suggested you wash a car or clean the garage. Tiny mundane things but hopefully something that wont go wrong and knock you down even further.
Little steps as many have said.
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^ one thing that gets me through downes is picking a stupidly little insignificant thing and doing that. Sometimes it gets as small as sticking a new sticker on my roof lining, or I might just put the grease gun on something. Ten minutes and I feel I've achieved something in spite of my overwhelming lack of motivation.
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^ one thing that gets me through downes is picking a stupidly little insignificant thing and doing that. Sometimes it gets as small as sticking a new sticker on my roof lining, or I might just put the grease gun on something. Ten minutes and I feel I've achieved something in spite of my overwhelming lack of motivation. Totally agree!
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Complete mojo failureaccord83
@accord83
Club Retro Rides Member 51
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My Mojo is a yo-yo at the moment, my treatment makes me knackered at random moments and they tell me the radiotherapy I've got coming is going to make that worse. Something as simple as tidying my bench and sweeping it gives a gratifying feeling. But as Quartermass states, just doing something, no matter how small, helps. (Maybe having a latent bad attitude helps too )
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74 Mk1 Escort 1360, 1971 Vauxhall Victor SL2000 Estate.
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luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
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Complete mojo failureluckyseven
@luckyseven
Club Retro Rides Member 45
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Thanks once again to everyone who posted musings and wisdom; some of the replies on here must have taken some investment of time and thought which speaks volumes about the outstanding community spirit that RR engenders. People are willing to spend their time trying to help a total stranger (to most) and that's a beautiful thing. However out of all the stuff in this thread that resonate really strongly and put my self-pitying whining into perspective it's this My Mojo is a yo-yo at the moment, my treatment makes me knackered at random moments and they tell me the radiotherapy I've got coming is going to make that worse. Something as simple as tidying my bench and sweeping it gives a gratifying feeling. But as Quartermass states, just doing something, no matter how small, helps. (Maybe having a latent bad attitude helps too ) I have no words really, but I'll try to stop being such a baby
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luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
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Complete mojo failureluckyseven
@luckyseven
Club Retro Rides Member 45
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In other news, I actually thought I was making progress... the paint failed to react on the bus after the third try, having pretty much sanded back to bare metal and started again. But... and it's a big but the size of Kim Kardashian's... a cautionary tale. Should you accidentally snap off the plastic union on a washer jet on a T25 camper, the rubber hose that supplies screenwash to it then drops down inside the scuttle area. And the only way to get it back and re-attach it? Remove the dash. All of it. Go on, ask me how I know
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Complete mojo failureaccord83
@accord83
Club Retro Rides Member 51
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Two steps forward, one and a half back. Remember the half step forward.
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74 Mk1 Escort 1360, 1971 Vauxhall Victor SL2000 Estate.
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mylittletony
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,340
Club RR Member Number: 84
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Complete mojo failuremylittletony
@mylittletony
Club Retro Rides Member 84
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I read this and didn't have anything to add, but then I thought I would remind you of the RR:SE pub meet luckyseven. You could come along and shoot the breeze this coming Wed (8th) in the new venue of the Black Rabbit, Arundel. Many of the regulars have gone through waves of mojo peaks and troughs and sometimes a beverage of your choosing and chat with like-minded folk might change your perspective. Invitation open to all!
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Here's another to throw into the mix.
When we first became "permanent" in Manila and I started looking for a motor, I was really enjoying the work I was doing.
Bought the '38 and would come home full of vim and vigour, getting stuck into what was basically a recommissioning job. All good.
My next two projects were also fun. Let's do stuff to the '38.
Current project is absolute purgatory and lost interest in doing any work on the car. It drives and I love using it, but the idea of coming home and getting the spanners out? No.
Thinking back, when we first lived in Kuala Lumpur, I bought an old Volvo 244, just to have some wheels, but really enjoyed it and, strangely, the work I was doing was interesting. Then I became involved in a nightmare job and lost all drive. Bought a new Isuzu D-Max and just used it. No love.
Mojo, or lack thereof, can come from different places. Not necessarily car related at all.
Get off this job and who knows?
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Here's another to throw into the mix. When we first became "permanent" in Manila and I started looking for a motor, I was really enjoying the work I was doing. Bought the '38 and would come home full of vim and vigour, getting stuck into what was basically a recommissioning job. All good. My next two projects were also fun. Let's do stuff to the '38. Current project is absolute purgatory and lost interest in doing any work on the car. It drives and I love using it, but the idea of coming home and getting the spanners out? No. Thinking back, when we first lived in Kuala Lumpur, I bought an old Volvo 244, just to have some wheels, but really enjoyed it and, strangely, the work I was doing was interesting. Then I became involved in a nightmare job and lost all drive. Bought a new Isuzu D-Max and just used it. No love. Mojo, or lack thereof, can come from different places. Not necessarily car related at all. Get off this job and who knows? That's a very good point, when I was a single parent, I had loads of enthusiasm but no money, now I'm working and have been for a while, theres more money but absolutely no enthusiasm to go tinker after an 11 hour shift, and days off are wanting to spend time with the kids rather than lie under the car. It's taken what you said George to make me realise why I don't play cars any more. I need a new job
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As mentioned a lot previously, most people go through this phase now and again. But it is a phase and things will change. Maybe slightly, maybe hugely, but change they will. Not the OPs problem, but work woes have also been mentioned. Best way to deal with them is change your job. Not easy for most, but you spend most of you life at work, so try a do something you enjoy. I am fortunate in that I do not have the pressure of kids, home ownership etc. So can have a pretty stress free existence, but I-cant afford flash cars or holidays. Car/ project wise I personally need more than one at a time. Get bored or frustrated with one, go and play with another fora bit. Hopefully some of the comments from the other contributors give you the spark to continue. If not, take up something completely different for a while. Above all else do something that makes you happy.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,192
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Complete mojo failureChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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This has been a pretty deep thread, even by RR standards, but enlightening too. LIke a few, I've refrained from commenting, partially from feeling drained, but also to not repeat what others have said. While things have been repeated, there has been a different angle on them, and thus a perspective on things, a perspective all of us can reflect on. So here's my take. I do full get what you mean. Like many, I used to buy a cheap project, spend more than I should have done on it, and then look to the next project, and so the circle would repeat. Even when I was 21, I had a daily driver of a '70 Beetle 1200, a horribly bodged '75 MG Midget, in addition to the '79 MGB Sebring Replica, which I got messed around on alot! I hated working on them then, and in reality it was way too much work, and money required for when I wasn't really earning! What didn't help was getting the curse word taken out of me by many people for having a 'B that took almost 10 years to get done ; In short, a bodyshop semi-ruined that car and took both me and my dad for a ride. I've never felt so close to crushing a car, but the state it came back in from what it was made it seem like the car would never be the same again. Naturally, that got worse. While I went down to owning 2 cars, I always had an interesting car, but as the wages grew, so did the bills and the propensity for buying more stuff! It seemed like it was a sickness! But throughout this timeline, I've learned new skills, helped others, had others help me, and generally formed some good friends through the network who see on my level, and have helped out, more than just cars, but also life, perspective and all of those good things. That has worked both ways. Working on the family cars (4 of them) has overwhelmed me at times. Why is why I decided 3 years ago I'd get a modern-retro as @surprisiingskoda said. The M3. When it was my only car, I liked it when it worked but I couldn't really gell with it. However, I realised why ; if it did go wrong (which it would), I've have no means of getting to places. Then of course I tried not to spend more than what it was worth ; a stupid thing as well ; I never used to earn much. That improved when it didn't become my daily. Yes, people mock me with the whole 'it's not a retro, it's got the 'wrong box, and it's not the best spec blah blah blah." I used to buy it, but then I decided to do with the car what I wanted ; I've been on road trips, track days, shows and more with that car. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm surprised I've decided to keep that ; it's very out of charactor for me. Sure I could look at other stuff ; selling the M3 could probably allow me to own a nice(ish) Capri 2.8i, a Scimitar, part of the cash to buy an MGC, but like surprisingskoda, it hits the balance right! Yes, I know it owes me more now than I'll ever get back for it. But it's a car I've used for so many things, yet it has that character to make the 'bad feelings' go away. So, what's changed with all of my non-sensical stuff above? Basically, it's not about getting the car right, it's about getting it so you can enjoy the things you want to do. In my case, it's travelling, track days, and simply going for a long drive, and not looking at how the grass is greener. The latter is probably why I wrote the above. I spent a long time thinking I didn't really have it great and last year I went through some troubling times personally, with job changes, more stress and self-reflection along the way. But, it's about looking at what really matters and how lucky many of us on here are with friends, family, knowledge and life in general. Anyway, that's me .
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ZXRob
Europe
Posts: 1,193
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I too have been following this thread and can't comment much more than others.
I have been into playing with cars for nearly 20 years, had some good ones that I really was into and some that I should have been but just couldn't get into. I have also had it so often were I take a total break from car ownership and do something else. It always ends up that I get back to owning a car that I find cool. Maybe the Beetle just isn't your thing. I remember following the thread for your red RX-7 and loved each update and even when things went the shape of the pear could still feel your enthusiasm in your work. My advice would be well up, put the cash to the side until you know what you want. I think, from reading your show threads, US car ownership is something you might like. Get a 90s one and you can use them too!
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luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
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Complete mojo failureluckyseven
@luckyseven
Club Retro Rides Member 45
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I think the RX-7 was the where problem started. I owned it eleven years, and somehow retained enthusiasm even after crashes, multiple engine blow-ups etc etc. Then I spent about six months of my life renewing everything from the doors forward and it was a show-quality thing (although I say so myself, lol). then three months after being back on the road it broke the water seal groove in the housing and I sold it at a massive loss because I simply could not stand to even look at the thing any more.
It was like a switch went in my head... over a decade I was just "fix it fix it fix it" and then suddenly the final straw just snapped me in half. The blue FB RX-7s the same; I've put so much into it and it still just lets me down all the time. Perhaps that was why I was/am so bummed about the Beetle breaking itself essentially sitting still doing nothing (it ran fine before I parked it to do the interior; afterwards it's so broken it'll barely start let alone run. Weird but true). I think subconsciously my mind's going behind the scenes "oh no, not again". Is it worth spending huge amounts of time and money on another car if it's only going to be breaking down all the time no matter how much love I give it?
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Not running them regularly is a killer. I'm a bit concerned about mine in that respect. I drive it at least 3x a week but lately I've not had chance and recently I started changing the exhausts but had to stop. So it cant be driven until I get that finished, and I reckon by then it's going to be very crabby and uncooperative.
This is why I personally get a bit intense when doing stuff to my car. I have these things primarily to keep on the on the road as near as dammit to a daily driver. If it's out of action for two weeks for any reason, I tend to get very anxious about it and sacrifice everything (including work sometimes) to get it back in action ASAP.
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Last Edit: May 5, 2019 14:28:41 GMT by Deleted
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I bet a single Saturday of fiddling would get your Beetle fired up again. It's probably just got some damp where damp shouldn't be.
Why not dedicate one single day to giving it all you've got. I know my reputation on here doesn't make this offer seem very enticing but I'd be happy to bomb over one Saturday to provide moral support and have one of my rare moments of nailing the problem and rectifying it... which always blows more capable and experienced people's minds, much to my endless amusement.
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The last couple of comments have made me think of something else as well. I mentioned to someone yesterday something relevant. You talk about having a car that's just going to break down sooner or later. I've had (and have) friends that run a retro car problem to problem - that is, they fix what is broken, then use it, then it breaks something else. Maybe that's your car. I did that once with a Skoda Estelle I had. It had issues all the time, mostly due to some previous owners bodges and incomplete work. There was one month during summer (2005 I think?) when I had the engine out of it three times - and fiddled with and back in ready to use the next day, as my sole daily! Running issues caused by other works and a hefty bill from a garage that couldn't fit a carb on the right way round... I did as best I could but it was problem-to-problem. Then I did something sensibel for once. daverapid came over to mine, and spent several days working on the car, going through it, replacing whatever needed (most of which I had "in stock", setting things to the right tolerances, fitting new parts I wasn't experiences/confident enough to tackle back then... and I used that car for three years afterwards, problem free, almost maintenance free aside from doing the fluids... and my subsequent advice, would just be to absolutely blitz the car - something we often can't afford to do, or have time to do, but it's so worth it - you get the car SORTED, it becomes reliable and usable, you can go for a drive, your motivation returns, and the money you couldn't afford at the time is soon forgotten and everyone, ever-y-one, sees the difference in you, in your attitude and demeanour and see that spark, that joy, back in your eyes and the enthusiasm in your voice when you talk about your totally cool old car.
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