Good enough or perfection

[WeaverK15]

Hello all,

I am fairly new to the site but I am at a bit of a crossroads. I bought my 78 k15 sierra last September and haven’t had her in the road much. Every time I take one step forward I seem to find something else that causes me to take three step backwards. I seem to constantly take something out and decide well while I’m in here I should do xyz. I’m new to this and feel overwhelmed by the project. My question is: is it better to make everything “perfect” or just get it back on the road and enjoy driving it.

 

[Ricko1966]

Hello all,

I am fairly new to the site but I am at a bit of a crossroads. I bought my 78 k15 sierra last September and haven’t had her in the road much. Every time I take one step forward I seem to find something else that causes me to take three step backwards. I seem to constantly take something out and decide well while I’m in here I should do xyz. I’m new to this and feel overwhelmed by the project. My question is: is it better to make everything “perfect” or just get it back on the road and enjoy driving it.

I can show you picture and tell you stories of cars that ended up too nice to be fun. 100% restorations down to the under hood stickers and tar top batteries. But when they are that nice you can't drive them anywhere,you might get a chip,a ding. Idiots in parking lots wanting to look inside or under hood if you leave them unattended. Best situation IMHO is build it to be a decent driver,but not so nice as to be un usable. Both of these were my Dads we spent countless hours on them,they were drivers when purchased,but done they were Imaculate,notice 1957 Elorado Biarritz and 1957 Eldorado Seville. Biarritz were convertible, Sevilles hardtops. These lived in the garage except when they were at shows. Not 100 miles a year. Dad got rid if them got 2 Chrysler Crossfires 1 hardtop 1 convertible,and likes them because he can use them.

 

[xm20k]

I can show you picture and tell you stories of cars that ended up too nice to be fun. 100% restorations down to the under hood stickers and tar top batteries. But when they are that nice you can't drive them anywhere,you might get a chip,a ding. Idiots in parking lots wanting to look inside or underwood if you leave unattended. Best situation IMHO is build it to be a decent driver,but not so nice as to be un usable.

This I've done a ton of work to mine engine, driveline, suspension, brakes but it's not a resto it isn't even close to stock underneath and most was to make it fun to drive and it only looks good from about 20 feet away and single stage paint is not that hard to touch up so it makes it easier to keep looking decent. Fix the things that may become a reliability/safety issue and make it fun for you to drive these are mass produced work vehicles not 1 of 500 special edition collector cars.

My 78 C10 street strip Pile, the front fenders are roached and will eventually need replaced there's some dents, dings and scratches but as long as I keep the cab shell and chassis good the rest is replaceable is how I look at it.

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[Jawzjeep]

Enjoy driving it. Everything that I've attempted to make perfect I don't want to actually use.

In the end whatever leaves you with the biggest smile. Smiles per mile is how I measure.

 

[fast 99]

Guess in the end how do you want to use it. I have several collector vehicles ranging from driver quality to ground up restoration.

Bought one knowing it would never be restored by me, I am too old. Few door dings, thin paint in some areas, ect. After 10 years still fixing mechanical items a little at a time. This one gets driven.

The other ones sit because don't want to take a chance on damage or worse stolen. Old cars are very easy to steal. One I have owned for over 20 years and only put 1000 miles on it.

Now the SB trucks are another story. Decent cosmetic/mechanical restorations, underneath original dirt. SB trucks in my mind will never be rare, enjoy them, drive them.

Another thing, crazy nice square bodies selling for 200k will end some day. Have seen it on other types of vehicles. Generations die, tastes change.

Bottom line, it's your vehicle do whatever makes the most sense to you.

​

 

[Dejure]

Similarly to what Rick posted, there is the looks versus drivability. When I had my 57 and 69 step sides, my first order of business was dependability and handling. After that, it was comfort. Last was appearance. Even on that, while I didn't want dents and dings, I didn't mortgage the house for paint.

In the end, the trucks were, both, pleasures to drive. More so as I became more capable in tending the above matters, earned more money, and had better equipment.

I could, back then, afford a new truck, but they had nothing to offer me over my rig. In fact, mine started better in the sub zeros of Winthrop, Washington, were far more comfortable to drive, and turned heads (the paint was just average, but all the windows were glass etched, the interior had a lot of custom woodwork, all for the cost of labor and very little for materials).

Within a week or so of getting the truck in my avatar photo home, the back got filled with yard debris (trimmings from the shrubs, etc.) for the community yard waste landfill. After that, there were the 2x's for a project (guess I should look at something to protect the top of the gate).

We are believers in having a working truck, since we are DIY'r home owners. Too, it's nice to have a rig for those times one is down.

I shouldn't have a lot of trouble tying things down. I didn't pay close enough attention to the size of these. When they got here, I just said, "[w]hat the hell" and went for it. The reverse sides have matching plates to spread the stress of loads accross as much of the bed metal as reasonably possible.

 

[Trucksareforwork]

Heh. My problem is the same. I start out doing a brake job that ought to take half a day and 2 months later I’m rebuilding the motor.

Build it to drive it. I have “restored” several cars but never to the point that it has to be trailered and always where I don’t mind parking it in town.

That threshold is different for everybody.

 

[Rustisbest]

Finish and enjoy driving it while you're above ground. I've known of several that have kicked the bucket chasing perfection and collecting "numbers matching" parts. Their parts and high dollar tools wound up being scrapped or sold for little of nothing by the remaining family.

 

[WeaverK15]

Thank you for the replies. I just finish painting the frame from the cab back so I can build my wood farm style bed. I’m a carpenter by trade so that should be pretty easy. Waiting for my dash components to come in, when they do I should be able to install and start driving the truck. My plan is to get it running through the winter and in the spring tackle the exterior body work and paint. I think for me, doing it in stages makes more sense. That way I enjoy the truck and do resto stuff as I go.

 

[Scottgenex]

On board with what others have said. I spent years restoring my '76 doing exactly what you said; "while I'm in here...might as well". I have other vintage collector cars that I'm too scared to drive. Don't want anything to happen to them. I went down the rabbit hole of fixing everything on my truck within reason. One thing after another. Labor of love and lots of money.

Now I'm too worried it'll get wet and rust out again. So I won't drive it in winter or rain. Afraid someone will steal something, damage it, or lord help me it get tboned. It may not be a show car but I put a lot of time and effort into making it great, maybe not perfect, but still great for my skill level. For a working class man that took a lot from me. Financial and mentally.

Not tying to get philosophical here but now instead of restoring my childhood Scout 2 I'm just going to get it going and enjoy it in all its farm quality petina so that I wont be scared to use it. Maybe fix the holes in the floor and a few things, but I want to off road it. Same with my Square, but I'm so afraid of body damage its taking me time to work up to it.

I've recently got out of that mindset a bit and started to enjoy driving it around more. Pick whatever route you want. Perfection, or ease of mind that a rock chip won't ruin your day. Good enough might get you on the road sooner giving you more drive to make it better as you go.

 

[WeaverK15]

This isn’t a show truck, it will see most of its use cruising around town running errands, back and forth to boat yard and occasionally running trails in the pine barrens.

 

[Grit dog]

Far too vague and broad scoped of a question to even begin to answer.
You can list all the reasons why you’d go one way or the other with repairs or resto. Then list all the things in order of importance and cost. And decide for yourself.
You may be talking about things that add to reliability or longevity or things that add to appearance or comfort only.
None of us can decide for you or what you want, are capable of, or have the budget for.

 

[Shorty81]

I put this truck together out a pile of parts. It looks decent but will never win a car show. Not a daily but use for my sideline sawmill duties. This was my plan all along.

 

[Rustisbest]

and occasionally running trails in the pine barrens.

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[ThreeLRanch]

Hello all,

I am fairly new to the site but I am at a bit of a crossroads. I bought my 78 k15 sierra last September and haven’t had her in the road much. Every time I take one step forward I seem to find something else that causes me to take three step backwards. I seem to constantly take something out and decide well while I’m in here I should do xyz. I’m new to this and feel overwhelmed by the project. My question is: is it better to make everything “perfect” or just get it back on the road and enjoy driving it.

I feel your pain. I just got mine so that I could drive it and be I have oil in the gas so it seems like every time I fix one thing it’s another but that’s just part of a project truck. Don’t get put off by it just embrace it because it’s going to happen with these older truck. Now if you have a 20-30 k to drop into one then it would be pretty much done and not have many issues……. Maybe.