Good character traits/behaviours to have if you're going to take on one of these kits

[narly1]

As follow-on to Frank's post about being able to read (as in reading the manual, LOL), I thought this topic might make for an equally fun and informative thread.

As you all add your input I'll edit this initial post to include them.

I'll start:

- positivity, sense of humor, resilience
- organized, focused, decisiveness
- resourcefulness
- patience
- creativity
- courageousness (to try new things), self-confidence
- self awareness (of one's own abilities)
- humility (the ability to ask for help when needed)
- inquisitiveness, curiosity
- hands on (built not bought mentality)
- problem solver/troubleshooter
- resolve, tenaciousness, perseverance, strong-willed, results-oriented
- being pragmatic, sensible, reasonable (these cars are not perfect, especially in the bodywork department)
- self assuredness; some capacity to disregard (unconstructive) criticism or differing opinion (i.e. the understanding that you're building to suit yourself and nobody else)
- careful, safety-conscious

Earl

[JohnK]

A big one for me was a willingness to fail and learn from that failure. There were so many aspects of this build that I'd never done before and found myself momentarily paralyzed out of fear of failure. Finding a way to practice skills or mock things up first, accept that I'm not going to get things right the first time, and see this whole endeavor as one giant learning opportunity has kept me sane.

[CaptB]

Ask for help when you need it. 99% of the folks here are positive and encouraging. There are no dumb questions because I've already asked them.

Capt. B

[narly1]

A big one for me was a willingness to fail, and learn from that failure

I've heard that described elsewhere as "courage". Adding.

Earl

[narly1]

Ask for help when you need it.

Can we call this self awareness (of ones own abilities) and humility? Adding.

Earl

[egchewy79]

I think most of us have an inquisitive nature. I bet most of us like the challenge of tackling projects. For me, it started with home projects once I bought my first house years ago (new deck, tiling kitchen floors and backsplash, bathroom Reno) and my current house (built mud room bench, wet bar in basement, 2 full bathroom renos, kitchen Reno). I learned all these using YouTube and HGTV. The car build was something new and challenging that I had been contemplating for several yrs before I pulled the trigger. I even rebuilt my engine in the middle of my build. At least for me, I seem to gravitate towards more complicated projects (currently rehabbing a 79 F150). I think my tendency is to want to start another project once the previous one’s done, so if I constantly have something to work on, I’m less likely to start something new.

So to answer your question:
-inquisitive
-hands on (built not bought mentality)
-problem solvers/troubleshooter

[narly1]

-inquisitive
-hands on (built not bought mentality)
-problem solvers/troubleshooter

-inquisitive: To me this means the willingness to research and understand, which also kinda ties in with patience. Maybe perseverance?

- hands-on: an appreciation for craftsmanship and effort put forth...also ties in with patience and perseverance

- problem solvers/troubleshooter: to be a problem solver means already having many of the above attributes. I usually work from the standpoint of "well, it's already broken so I can't make it any worse" and more recently "Anything is figureoutable" (google it, great video).

And no arguing that to be a good troubleshooter you need to be organized.

Added!

Earl

[Dgc333]

The mechanical and electrical aspects of this build has been straight forward and relatively easy for me. It's the body work and panel fitting that is going to test my patience and resolve.

I think another trait that will serve you well is knowing when to say it's good enough. I am building a driver so I am not much concerned with things that won't be seen when finished.

[RoadRacer]

Be pragmatic and positive!

Occasionally someone posts that this or that is crap, wtf are they thinking, not acceptable etc, etc.

Take a chill pill, realize that the challenge is part of the fun, this is not an Airfix model. :)

[narly1]

patience and resolve.

Patience we already covered. I'll add resolve & tenacity.


I think another trait that will serve you well is knowing when to say it's good enough.

I think we'll call this being pragmatic, sensible, reasonable. :)

Earl

[narly1]

Be positive

That above all else! Added!

Earl

[Pat Landymore]

Don’t be afraid to ditch the manual, follow your instincts…and build what the heck you want to build.

After all…your the person paying the bills…right?

Case in point…my personal version of the 35 pickup, complete with a big block Chevy, home made turbo system and a two speed Powerglide trans. Rather ‘out of the box’.

But despite my highly personal approach, never a negative comment…ever.

And that’s what I so like about this online community… for making me feel welcome and for all of their support.

My 25 cents….because 2 cents doesn’t buy much anymore.

[Fman]

Most importantly have fun and enjoy the experience, lots of challenges along the way but those challenges are what I really enjoyed solving when building my car. Best advice I got when I was about two months into my build was build the car how you want it from there on out I realized each car is not the same and everyone has a different vision. This forum also adds so many resources to the build which in the end lets everyone finish with a better built car.

[narly1]

Pat Landymore, Fman: So maybe a capacity to disregard (unconstructive) criticism or differing opinion? Not that you see a lot of that on this forum.....

Added!

Earl

[RJD]

I'll cast votes for focus, tenacity and resilience.

Focus for doing quality work on each task at hand, so that you can drive it with confidence later.

Tenacity for keeping at it until little by little, after all the "life gets in the way" delays, you're done.

Resilience for overcoming challenges, bouncing back from setbacks, and reworking the problem until it's done correctly.

[mgk172]

All excellent qualities and descriptions so far. I’ll add another one - decisive.

There are so many ways to build these cars that are equally correct and appropriate. It is very easy to get overwhelmed and bogged down trying to find the “best” way - when many ways are equally the “best” way. For each system or step, figure out what exactly you want (and don’t want), make a plan, & execute.

[narly1]

All excellent qualities and descriptions so far. I’ll add another one - decisive.

Best thing about the www?: All that information.

Worst thing about the www? All that information! (LOL)

I'll submit that maybe the indecisiveness stems from building to please others, not yourself. Mixed in there somewhere is also the element of self-confidence. If one can be confident in how they want their build to be, the decisions are easier.

Added!

Earl

[lance corsi]

Don’t be a quitter!

[Glen Davis]

As Winston Churchill said – NEVER GIVE UP!

[Alan_C]

How about respect in that you are building a car that can kill you. These cars need to be built right and driven with the mindset that they can and will bite those that do not respect them.

[narly1]

How about respect...

I'll admit that I was only thinking of the building phase and not the owning & driving phase that eventually comes.

But you bring up a good point. Being appropriately cautious (safe, careful) around these cars is a good attitude to have.

They can kill or maim just as easily on roadways or jackstands.

Be safe! Added!

Earl

[UpNorth]

Thread of the month!

[Ron J]

Voltaire said it best; "No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking".

[Fixit]

Don't let perfection get in the way of progress

[narly1]

Thread of the month!

Thanks for the compliment. This thread came from the idea that we sometimes "jump into" something without thinking about what's involved or coming ahead.

These are expensive and complicated projects. Anybody with basic skills and knowledge can do it, but I submit that there's also this third component needed that I'll call "strength of character".

Barring health and other life crisis maybe this missing component explains why kits go unfinished.

Earl

[narly1]

But despite my highly personal approach, never a negative comment…ever.

And that’s what I so like about this online community… for making me feel welcome and for all of their support.

My 25 cents….because 2 cents doesn’t buy much anymore.

I wanted to circle back around to this post and make the comment that anybody who has ever built, or is in the process of building one of these kits understands the myriad of choices and the process and thus has nothing but respect for what you're going through.

It's when you get out in the real car world that the unformulated comments come up.

Build one for yourself and then get back to me LOL.

Earl

[steno]

Flexible!!

[toadster]

patience
enjoy buying new tools
finding new friends
realize that life gets busy, building doesn't have to be a sprint

did I mention patience? :)

[narly1]

Flexible!!

Interesting...please expand on what you mean maybe with some examples. :)

Earl

[Nigel Allen]

Strong willed. In Australia, there are many barriers, extra expenses and beauracracy in place to make it difficult to build your own car. Essentially the same for our Canadian and European friends.

[Al_C]

I suspect this may be implied in many of the traits, but I'll lay it out there: results-oriented. Process is important, but you have to focus on the result. Otherwise, you never get to drive it.

[narly1]

Strong willed.

Added!

Earl

[narly1]

I suspect this may be implied in many of the traits, but I'll lay it out there: results-oriented. Process is important, but you have to focus on the result. Otherwise, you never get to drive it.

It's certainly interesting to note the overlap and interrelation between many of these characteristics!

Added!

Earl

[CaptB]

Interesting...please expand on what you mean maybe with some examples. :)

Earl

From my perspective flexibility means that you have the option to do things many ways and be open to be flexible that there's different ways to go. From a safety standpoint I decided on seperate systems for front and rear brakes. That to me in an example of being flexible. Some people fit all the aluminum together disassemble, treat, reassemble, etc. some don't and some really go crazy! One good thing is that these cars can be built about every which way you would want to. I'm surprised that someone hasn't put wings on one yet.

[KippRacing]

This is a good thread. I'm slated to get my kit in August. I can see myself getting discouraged by the sheer amount of parts and tasks. I figure if I break it down step by step and and look at it that way instead of a whole then it will be less daunting. Looking forward to reading more posts as I go. It's nice knowing that there's a resource like this forum with tons of members willing to help. Drive and tenacity is definitely a big one.

[Papa]

Great thread! I know for me, I had to convince myself that I had the skills to do this. That's tough when you have never attempted something to this scale before. I got my hands on a manual and studied it from cover to cover asking myself if there was anything I simply felt I wasn't confident in doing. The electrical was the only area that I felt a bit overwhelmed with, as I think many others have as well. That said, I saw all the support that was being provided on the forum and felt that I could get help when I needed it and pulled the trigger on a MK4 kit.

Once that decision was made, I think the next critical thing that a builder needs is a vision of what they want their completed car to be. The vision is what will drive you to continue on when frustration is bearing down on you, and it is what will help drive decisions along the way on what to include, add, delete from the basic recipe of building one of these cars. Most of us have an idea of what our budget is when we start a build, but to be successful, that needs to be realistic! It's very unlikely that you will build one of these the way you want it for $25k anymore. I think a realistic budget is between $40-$50k. If you don't have that, that's okay. It just means you need to be realistic about your timeline and are prepared to stretch your build out while to buy the parts you need to complete your vision.

Being an engineer, I work with requirements, design concepts, plans, schedules, and budgets every day. Thinking about how your build will progress from start to finish before you get the first parts delivered will help you be successful. You don't need a super detailed plan, but you do need a plan. There are plenty of experienced builders here that will help review YOUR plan as you contemplate taking on a project like this. Use them, but be ready to have a lot of guys help you spend your money!

[narly1]

This is a good thread. It's nice knowing that there's a resource like this forum with tons of members willing to help.

Thanks for the compliment!

For myself knowing that there is a huge online community of people out there willing to help was a huge factor in my decision to go with a FFR kit.


Earl

[narly1]

Great thread! I know for me, I had to convince myself that I had the skills to do this. There are plenty of experienced builders here that will help review YOUR plan as you contemplate taking on a project like this. Use them, but be ready to have a lot of guys help you spend your money!

Thanks for the compliment!

On the subject of convincing myself/aqquiring the skills needed, for me it was just time.

Meaning that all my life I've liked the idea of owning a hot rod, but wasn't quite sure how to get there. I didn't just wake up one day and say "I'm gonna build a hot rod" LOL.

Rather it's been a process, a life journey for me if you will.

I consider my build to be the culminating project or magnum opus of a lifetime of fixing and making things.

So how did I get here?

Well first I guess I was brave enough (or, more likely cheap enough, LOL) to try fixing things for myself. Every fix along the way has been a baby step + a stretch so to speak.

Let's take my engine build for example:

I started off with model airplane engines, then graduated to lawnmowers. The next big jump for me was when I had to rebuild my son's seized KTM 85SX dirt bike. I had already done a top end on it but splitting the cases and installing a new crankshaft, bearings, etc. was a whole new challenge. But I did it and it worked and it gave me enough confidence to eventually take on building the 302 for my hot rod.

So always pushing myself to be better/to take on bigger challenges as well as learning/investing in the process of how to look at a problem/task, size it up, draw on past experiences, formulate a plan of attack, and then execute is how I roll.

On the subject of time and budget, I'm doing this build for me so if it takes longer and/or costs more so be it.

Earl

[GoDadGo]

Thread of the month!

Definitely Da-Best!

[Jeff Kleiner]

I don't know exactly what this says but some of the best built cars that I've had come through here have been done by Doctors. I suspect it's because they have a methodical and well thought out approach and great attention to detail.

Jeff

[Papa]

I don't know exactly what this says but some of the best built cars that I've had come through here have been done by Doctors. I suspect it's because they have a methodical and well thought out approach and great attention to detail.

Jeff

Interesting! I'll wager you can probably make the following generalizations:

Doctors - Appearance... the more beautiful the better
Pilots - Performance... the more power the better
Engineers - Functionality... the more complex the better

[Chainsaw]

I'm not a great engineer (much better at operations), but I sure seem to be making this more far more complex than it needed to be.

[flyboyjy]

Interesting! I'll wager you can probably make the following generalizations:

Doctors - Appearance... the more beautiful the better
Pilots - Performance... the more power the better
Engineers - Functionality... the more complex the better


Pilots perspective: Appearance- yeah it's shiny with a few scratches
Functionality- what do you mean it takes 4 switches flipped on in sequence just to turn a light on?
Performance- You say it will do 0-60 in the sub 4 second range? YES Let's go try it, and even if it doesn't by the time we get done telling the story at the bar at the end of the day everyone will believe we
went that fast.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Interesting! I'll wager you can probably make the following generalizations:

Doctors - Appearance... the more beautiful the better Yes,but with functionality. Both form and function
Pilots - Performance... the more power the better Absolutely! For proof let me introduce you to my good friend Erik Treves!
Engineers - Functionality... the more complex the better Only half right on this one. I'll let you guess which half (Here's a hint---I've cussed more on engineer's cars than any others) ;) Thankfully Dave your car didn't fall into that trap! :)

Cheers,
Jeff

[rthomas98]

I would like to add committed. Having focus, drive, patience etc is great when you are working on the project. But committing time to do it in the first place amongst a busy life can be just as much of a challenge for people on these kits as the other attributes.

Another one is ensuring you adhere to the KISS (Keep it simple Stupid/student) method. If you find your self fabricating some crazy bracket system for a simple problem that a bolt will fix. Step back for a minute and reassess what you are doing. Remind yourself if that crazy complex bracket fails your the one that has to fix it (usually on the side of the road).

Other then that, like others said this is great thread.

[Papa]

Cheers,
Jeff

I'll guess that Engineers use bolts to make everything removable instead of just using rivets.

[egchewy79]

I don't know exactly what this says but some of the best built cars that I've had come through here have been done by Doctors. I suspect it's because they have a methodical and well thought out approach and great attention to detail.

Jeff

and the worst...? :)

[Jeff Kleiner]

I'll guess that Engineers use bolts to make everything removable instead of just using rivets.

True story about one that came to me from an engineer...one splash panel had rivnuts and machine screws, another had the self tapping TEK screws that FFR temporarily attaches panels with, the third splash panel had 1/8" rivets and the last had 3/16" rivets. Maybe it was a science experiment to determine which he liked best??? :rolleyes:

Jeff

[Jeff Kleiner]

and the worst...? :)

I.T.

Jeff

[Blitzboy54]

I don't know exactly what this says but some of the best built cars that I've had come through here have been done by Doctors. I suspect it's because they have a methodical and well thought out approach and great attention to detail.

Jeff

Interestingly enough, my dads oldest friend is a doctor and built over a half dozen airplanes over his life. He is very meticulous, the attention to detail was spectacular. Flew every one of them.

Fun story when I was 10 he had his first plane operational (a front/back 2 seater open air bi plane), he took me up and after a little while let me "steer". It was just the best day

[Skuzzy]

True story about one that came to me from an engineer...one splash panel had rivnuts and machine screws, another had the self tapping TEK screws that FFR temporarily attaches panels with, the third splash panel had 1/8" rivets and the last had 3/16" rivets. Maybe it was a science experiment to determine which he liked best??? :rolleyes:

Jeff

Well, there are all kinds of engineers. I am guessing he was not a structural or mechanical engineer. Maybe he was a civil engineer? :)


I.T.

Jeff

I could see that, but we in the engineering community do not consider I.T. people to be engineers. As a network/electrical engineer it really irritated me when people would comment, "Oh, you work in I.T.".

[progmgr1]

My guess (as a degreed engineer) is that it was a "frugal" Mechanical Engineer, using whatever was on hand to avoid ANOTHER McMaster-Carr order.:rolleyes: Also, was it possible that the builder was trying to make some of the panels removeable for maintenance / repair access (not familiar with roadsters / coupes myself)?

IMHO a Civil Engineer would have installed the panels with a concrete footing and welded rebar, or at least 1/2" lag bolts into lead anchors.

Keith HR #894

[DIBaledo]

An unlimited budget or at least the ability to spend more than you anticipated when you first planned your dream. Perhaps this falls under flexibility but everyone, especially those of us who are first time builders, undertaking one of these builds should understand that the claims of a sub $30k build are unrealistic unless you're using a cheap donor car and donor parts. Adding everything in for cars like those built and displayed by many on this forum and you're well north of $50k. If you want to buy tools that make the job actually easier, the actual money invested can be double or even more - ask me how I know (my wife keeps a detailed spreadsheet of every penny spent). Every time i read a build thread from some of the incredible builders on this forum, my mind starts spinning and looking for a fix of Summit, Amazon, Ford Performance, Breeze, Forte, Levy and many other suppliers of FFR candy. In the end, it's not what you spend, it's the fun, enjoyment and satisfaction of successfully accomplishing a challenge never thought possible. Priceless!!

David....

[egchewy79]

I.T.

Jeff

I can see that. Most of my friends in IT just buy their "toys".

"bought, not built" ;)

[narly1]

An unlimited budget

I'm not sure if being wealthy is a character trait, more likely a character flaw, LOL.

No matter one's financial situation I think the appropriate character trait that applies is pragmaticism and being realistic about what you can afford and how long its going to take you to afford it.

Earl

[RBachman]

As a character trait, I'll add to "Know what you don't know." Basically, accept that you don't know everything and then get "educated" on things. Read, research, ask questions, learn, etc..

[narly1]

As a character trait, I'll add to "Know what you don't know." Basically, accept that you don't know everything and then get "educated" on things. Read, research, ask questions, learn, etc..

Agreed! Covered in the first post under self-awareness & humiity...

Earl

[GoDadGo]

Perseverance!