Building a hotrod alone while having adhd and depression is hard.

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BaconIndustry97@reddit

One of the first posts I can truly relate to. I’m there with ya, buddy- if not in body, then spirit. My C10 has been sitting for a year or so now with a gutless engine bay. I have other things I need to do to it, as well, but lack of funds for the engine depresses me and then I think, “why bother” with all the other pieces of the puzzle. I was able to get some tubular control arms and finally started fixing up the front suspension, but I hit a dead end after completing the driver side about two months ago. It’s tough

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PhilosopherGlum3025@reddit

Same here- my square body has had the engine out for almost two years now and I LOVE that truck. Depression, health problems, bad weather, etc…

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BaconIndustry97@reddit

Depression is a big one. Some days I’m fine, other days I just crash. But, I quit smoking about two months ago and I’ve been way better since. That was a huge distraction and money-suck. Now the truck fund is starting to accumulate money and my mood swings are less frequent. It really does just start with baby steps though. Like, for my suspension, I just need to go jack the truck up and take the tire off. Maybe I’ll keep disassembling, or maybe I’ll just take it off and go back inside. Either way, something’s getting done. As far as the engine goes, I’m at a complete loss on that. Never built an engine before, so the anxiety of putting it together only to have it self-detonate minutes later is a huge hang up. Besides the cash to fund the engine build, of course. Lol

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LeatherZealousideal3@reddit

If an hr a day is too much. Just fifteen mins. Don't overdue it. Watch marketplace for a deal on a LS. I've seen engines for 150 bucks.

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These-Raspberry59@reddit

I have to keep the phone out of the shop , so the only thing to do is listen to music and tinker in the shop. When the phone comes out I get lost .

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daylan_c@reddit

See what you do is add event deadlines to your project. In my experience you still don't get anything done most days but now you feel extra guilty about it.

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badburb@reddit

This is what I did January 1st when I ordered a car show entry for September. I really haven’t done shit but order parts and get it off the ground.

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daylan_c@reddit

Yeah I'm helping prep a DSM for a track weekend in July...the transmission is still sitting next to it. Suspension coilovers have been ordered but haven't shipped yet. I think I have all the driveline stuff to make it at least move again...

I'm promising nothing but still making an attempt.

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FalseRelease4@reddit

Make a todo list

Break everything down to small managable tasks

The list contains 300 entries

Get even more depressed

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concussedhummingbird@reddit

Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.

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doradus1994@reddit

Anything worth doing is worth doing tomorrow 🤣

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Asron87@reddit

I bought a receiver hitch for my van. Just needed to install it. I’m proud to say I was able to install it on Monday. But I bought it 10 years ago.

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appQQ@reddit

The best time to install a hitch is 10 years ago, the next best time is this week (old Chinese proverb)

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ePeeM@reddit

But you did install it!

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jedigreg1984@reddit

Panic and get half of it done in a day; injure self

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RuddyOpposition@reddit

Hell, if I don't draw blood, then it isn't going to work and I'll have to pull it out and do it over. I always have to make a blood sacrifice to the automotive gods. The bigger the job, the more blood required.

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RBuilds916@reddit

Maybe that's what when wrong with my last repair. I didn't offer the correct sacrifice.

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pr0b0ner@reddit

Haha right!? So let me get this straight, I'm specifically bad at getting myself to DO things, so your solution is to give myself way more things to do? How is this a solution? That is torture.

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daylan_c@reddit

I like lists. I apparently also like forgetting the list exists. I got halfway into putting the new transmission in the DSM before noticing the list on the board still had "take transmission to transmission builder" from like a year ago on it.

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who_even_cares35@reddit

Man, crank up the anxiety to 11 and sign me up!!!

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doradus1994@reddit

Try ADHD, depression, and being broke😂

😭

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adam_woodhaus@reddit

Projects for me are either full time all day for months with full commitment…or 4 hours at week at most spread across the whole week over years

There is no right way to do your own project

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Dinglebutterball@reddit

Cars are one of my weird hyper fixations… problem I have is that I’ll start on something and by the time I’ve gotten distracted by 3 other things and finally finished the first thing I started it’s 2AM, I haven’t eaten, I need to throw away the white shirt I forgot I was wearing, and I have work the next day.

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Equivalent_Doctor197@reddit

Brother I hear you. I’m the exact same. I can’t even start saving for my upgrades yet because I keep dumping money into the fucking AC system because I live in Florida and otherwise I can’t take the family anywhere in my soon to be project until it becomes a reliable daily driver. I should have ripped out the bad AC compressor today but my brain said no and to do it in the morning when it’s colder.

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pw76360@reddit

Most my stuff is built 10-60 minutes at a time. More important than these long 12hor sessions every few weeks is, touch the project every day it you can, even if it's only 10-15 min. This really helps focus me because you don't have time to ADHD your way into some insane thing.

Also, get diagnosed and medicated. It's life changing.

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SummerDelSol@reddit

I struggled with my kit build for the longest time, but finally decided to eat the elephant a bite at a time. I compartmentalized the steps it would take to get it to come together, and created small tasks within those categories to make it feel less intimidating. That and blind stubbornness, paired with pretend audacity to think I could do something like that, and I’m finally done after years of weekends tinkering. (It’s at my moms house since I didn’t have a garage at my place when I started it)

Granted a caved and paid a friend to wrap up wiring the lights and tidying up the wiring and exhaust set-up, but honestly that was a lesson learned in asking for help sooner than agonizing over something that just might not be your area of expertise. It takes a village sometimes, and that’s ok!!

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TheArgentine@reddit

One bolt a day. My wife asked me to install or remove one bolt per day. I was driving that first project within 6 months from complete tear down.

So that’s how I approach all my car projects now, also working alone with ADHD and depression. One bolt a day. I rarely ever stop there - but it’s as routine as feeding the dogs now. Even if I forget and am about to go to bed, I go install one thing on some part of my project. Today I installed some larger sun visor bolts on my daily (classic) Jeep.

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joemike@reddit

With chores and whatnot I like to set 20 minute timers, so I have a bit of a structured time to be focused on any particular task. When the timer goes off I can either finish it up or move on to another task. With projects it’s a little better to have 2 or 3 things to do at a time so I can kind of bounce between them.

Is it a corvair van? You gotta post a pic those are cool as hell!

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TheArgentine@reddit

L

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RotaryRich@reddit

I’m terrified about the sloped driveway. With no context it’s hard to judge, but my driveway is a murder hill. Second, take your time and enjoy your build. ADHD is an asset if you have Hyperfocus as an installed package. This is hopeful project, not a daily driver. Enjoy the build. It shouldn’t feel like a job.

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joezupp@reddit

I’ve had what is now called adhd, we were called hyper active kids, since 1 year old. I don’t suffer depression but i have the attention span of an adhd gnat. Do small intense projects to keep you focused, when you get frustrated walk away for a bit. Just do one step at a time. Normal is a state of mind, I’ve learned to run mine like it wants to be run. I’m a lead diesel mechanic, I’ve built over 35 cars in my life. I sleep maybe 4 hours a night. Don’t take any of the car stuff too serious, it can get depressing.

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Good_With_Tools@reddit

I dont know if you want advice or just to commiserate. I do feel your pain. I don't have ADHD, but I do have depression and anxiety. I completed an LS swap in about 5 months by myself. The key was not being budget constricted. Basically, I'd work on it on Saturday. On Sunday, I'd maybe work on it a little bit, but really, I would just make a list of parts that I needed for next Saturday. And, I would order parts. Parts would come in, and my goal would be to empty that box. The 2 big steps were getting the old engine/trans out, and getting the new one in. My wife helped those 2 Saturdays.

Once I got somewhat close to the finish line, I started cutting the job up. I worked on the fuel system for a few weeks straight. Once it was done, I did the cooling system. Of course, I did the wiring last. Everyone hates wiring, and I'm no exception.

When it came time to try to start it, my family came out to the garage for 15 minutes. I turned the key. It turned over but didn't start. I remembered that I wired a kill switch into the fuel pump. I turned it on and tried again. It fired right up. I let it run for a few minutes and turned it off. They told me good job and went back to whatever they were doing.

I sat in the garage for an hour, just sitting on my stool and staring at it. I cried a little. I was proud to have completed it. I was proud that it came out so well. I was VERY depressed that no one seemed to care. My wife and kid did as much as a can expect. It's not their hobby. It's a smelly old truck to them. But, I didn't have a single friend to share it with. I still don't.

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Other-Sir4707@reddit (OP)

When I say by myself, I really mean it. Wife will not lift a finger to help. Son has no interest in cars or what I do. And I have no friends. We moved away from family and friends to "get our kids a better education" but its turned into the hardest things ive ever done. No help with anything and im pretty much the one who does everything now. From all the housework, to meals, to picking up the kids from school every day. I have no energy to drive myself to do things for myself anymore. I fight sleep driving to my daughter's school after I get off work and im usually on my feet 12hrs or more a day cause of my adhd and having to do so much.

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a_smart_user@reddit

What city, state you in?

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Other-Sir4707@reddit (OP)

Denver

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Animal0307@reddit

Are any of your old friends/family into cars? My wife's cousin had been working on a Cougar for like 3 years and wasn't getting much done until I bought my Jeep and started sending him pictures of my progress. Next thing I know it's a "race" to see who can get running first. Within a year we had both pulled motors/trans, done rust repair, and were able to drive around the block.

As David Freiburger says, "Don't get it right, get it running." Once you can drive it the little stuff that bugs you can be finished along the way.

If possible, see if there are any car groups in your area. Sometimes there are just cool people on the intern waiting/willing to help out people they don't know. You can definitely make some friends or at the very least some connections that way.

I have no relatable advice for the family friction other than to talk it out and express your feelings before they fester and that it's alright to not have every hobby or interest in common. If your son has hobbies, show interest in those and he may come around to wanting to help you on the cars. You never know, maybe his hobbies will be more interesting to you.

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Eagle-Enthusiast@reddit

I feel all of that. It was a huge, gigantic deal for me when someone I knew cared enough to bring home a can of paint they thought would match, after hearing I needed to go pick one out at some point. It matched perfectly and I still think about how nice it was they thought about me

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donzi420@reddit

Music and coffee or beer

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who_even_cares35@reddit

Podcasts and weed

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EEpromChip@reddit

audiobooks and heroin

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isthatsuperman@reddit

A wind up FM radio and crack cocaine

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nesto92@reddit

A record player and opium

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who_even_cares35@reddit

A man of culture

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Fancy_Chip_5620@reddit

Sloped driveways ficking suck, it's easier to leave the engine/trans in place and with a vehicle with working brakes behind it roll the car out from under them supported by an engine hoist

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Other-Sir4707@reddit (OP)

This won't work like that. The engine has to go in through the side doors.

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Brainfewd@reddit

Sometimes it’s not about spending a huge amount of time on the project, when I have a huge one I try and just chip away with an hour or two here and there. Sometimes it’s easier than spending 8-10 hours on it in one day where I start to get distracted by six side quests.

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pr0b0ner@reddit

For me hyperfocus is the only way to get anything done. Anytime I do a project it's either not at all or in 10 hour shifts over the weekend until it's done.

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timmyd_ns@reddit

This! I'll find if I start to spend too long out working on the car progress gets real slow. Instead I'll setup the things that I don't have time to work on now for later. Get the parts together for task A, put them by the vice. Layout the stuff for task B by the rear axle, etc. Then when I come out next time I jump right into things and bang out those tasks.

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Brainfewd@reddit

Or just spend an hour cleaning up the garage, putting tools away, rolling up cords, quick sweep. Much easier to work when you know where everything is.

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sexinsuburbia@reddit

Fellow ADHD & Depression sufferer here. Maybe some of this resonates.

Today I journaled about how paralyzed I was with everything I needed to do in life. Like I had a million balls floating above my head, each representing something I needed to do. Every time I grabbed one and tried to work on something, I wouldn't be able to focus on it for long. I'd be too painfully aware of everything else I needed to do. And as soon as I was frustrated with a task, I'd avoid it and move on to something else. Grabbing another floating ball, only to get equally dismayed. Eventually, I'd soothe my soul procrastinating. Just sort of passing time while nothing got done. And feeling even shittier about not making progress. Lost in the abyss.

There's no easy way out of it. I've found that meditation helps. Lay in bed, don't move a muscle. Spend 30 minutes not thinking about anything. After you wake from your meditative trance, focus on doing something small. It's about accomplishing one thing while not thinking about everything else that needs to be done. Start out with something simple you can complete in half an hour. Get an easy win.

Then, if you feel like you want to keep on working, great. Keep going. If you find that your mind starts to wander or you are feeling overwhelmed, walk away and focus on something else in your life. Create a positive association working on your van.

Avoid just sitting there in garage, staring at it telling yourself everything that needs to be done and how you feel so overwhelmed and can't do it. All the while you are just wasting time increasing your stress and anxiety load.

Make a healthy practice out of it. Turn it into a routine. Every day you are accomplishing something positive. And your capacity doing more work will increase. But you have to build up the good, positive vibes first. Put yourself in a position to succeed instead of dreading what needs to be done. Otherwise you're just going to want to avoid what's painful.

Sorry you're struggling. Keep at it.

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pr0b0ner@reddit

My favorite is the number of parts I buy because I NEED them, but then never get around to installing them.

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BarnBuiltBeaters@reddit

This hits home... I think I'll get so much done and then at the end of the day im like "Thats all I did? Where did the time go?" I get my projects done but its going out in the shop numerous times a week for a couple hours when I get the chance

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velowa@reddit

Hey bud, I totally get it. I’m in a similar boat. Also, this is good practice for functioning as a neurodivergent in the rest of life. I always have to remind myself that this is for fun. Even then there are multiple times throughout a project that I have to deal with anxiety, hyper focus and even depression. It’s ok if you don’t make progress and good on you when you do! Good luck!

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2SpinningTriangles@reddit

It also has its perks though. My RX7 was torn completely apart. Every Nut and Bolt was removed. Parts were refinished or sourced from out of the country or somewhere in the United states. After 7 years it was time to start reassembling things and I put it together by memory. I would label sandwich bags with bolts and put them in order in a shoe box from how they were removed. Pictures were taken, wires labeled. The garage might have been a disaster but I knew where each and everything was in that pile of parts.

I have ADHD, autistic, I'm a little OCD and I battle depression so I understand

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hilldog4lyfe@reddit

amphetamine exists

although typically it’s used for disassembly

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BrentRussel@reddit

Yeah, I get it. No ADHD here, but anxiety and depression have been a constant companion. For my day job, I work from home, so alone. When my day job is done for the day, I eat dinner with the wife (no kids), then we go our separate ways for the evening, and I go wrench by myself. I don't have any friends nearby. My dad lives a couple miles away, the man taught me everything I know about working on cars. He's in his 70's now and doesn't do much after mid afternoon. So dad's not going to come work till dark. What motivates me is that I am so under-qualified for the job I do that I'm constantly afraid that work will make a policy that states only college degreed people can do the job I do, and I'll be out of work, and I'll never replace the salary I make. So I burn the candle at both ends, trying to outrun failure, knowing any minute I could be out of work and not able to do a thing.

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Practical_Prole@reddit

That’s a mood, man.

I know evaluation is a bitch, but it is worth it to get on medication. It really fucking helps. Most GPs can do antidepressants now, last I checked. It can be touch and go at first. Different meds work for different people. You may have to try a couple different meds, and the titrating off one and onto the next is less than fun at times, and it may take a few months to feel effects, but I promise you it’s worth it. I’m honestly at a loss for words on how to communicate how immense of a positive impact being on the right antidepressant for you is. Talk therapy definitely can work for some folks, didn’t for me, but your mileage may vary.

You will have to do the eval if you want to go the route of ADHD meds, it’s a bit of hoop-jumping, but much like antidepressants, it’s absolutely life changing. Brain goes quiet, calm, and you just, like… feel like a “normal” person, and all of a sudden you have some level of executive function.

I know you mentioned not having friends, there’s bound to be some car enthusiast groups in your area. Shared interest groups are generally where I’ve landed most of mine, or folks in their extended circles. I’m sure you’ve got a few hobbies, in addition to cars, it’s worth a shot to try to connect with like minded folk.

Just my two discontinued currency pieces.

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Other-Sir4707@reddit (OP)

With insurance , an evaluation will cost between $700 and $1300 out of pocket. I am salaried and cant work extra for extra money. The parts I get for my van are bought using money from things ive sold and im running out of things I can sell.

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Roadkill215@reddit

Try grow therapy. It’s all online. It didn’t cost that much paying all out of pocket

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Pkock@reddit

Been in your boat, ADHD and Depression, and plenty of projects. If you let the car overwhelm you it can become a point of shame but you gotta learn tricks to keep it in front of you. For me it becomes my therapy where I'm working for myself.

Mileage may vary but here's what I do. 1. Write every step that needs to be done until the car is on the road on the windshield. EVERY STEP, with the sub items. Cross it off when done, on your lowest day inspecting the spark plug might be all you get done. But you kept your word to cross something off every other day. This is actually more about depression than ADHD. The simple steps and habits are what keep us going when we have nothing left.
2. Notice I said on the road, not done. As the great David Freiberger said, get it running then get it right. They don't bring as much joy on cinder blocks, but they bring joy with no paint and 1 seat driving through your neighborhood the first time 😂.
3. Set FUN deadlines, but make them real. Studies have shown pressure and time crunch is where ADHD individuals lock in. Use it to your advantage. My friends even know this about me and ask "so when are you gonna declare a "Lose the Shop" date for that car. They know it's what I need to do to really finish something.
4. Buy some wheel chocks and plenty of safety back up plans working on that driveway, you'll be more depressed of it rolls into your neighbors pool. Don't ask me how I know.

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birdmandaddy@reddit

My mantra has been “progress is progress” don’t beat yourself up

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Estef74@reddit

Don't look at as one big project, but a series of small projects. ADHD or not, doing a complete build can be overwhelming. Create a list of projects and prioritize them before starting. Start with small projects and work till each one is done. Picking a small task and working it to completion will give you a sense of accomplishment when you can scratch it off the list.

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haz87@reddit

It’s all about the little wins. No need for deadlines etc, just chip away. Inspected the spark plugs today, cool - don’t need to revisit that. Move on to the next job when YOU want to. Some days you’ll walk away overjoyed that you ticked off cuz, other days you’ll have a plan and you’ll be stuck on the first task all day, that’s just car ownership, not even build work

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Ninjapls@reddit

Momentum goes a long way, but is hard to start.

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Practical_Prole@reddit

A thousand times this. I didn’t even want to look at my husband’s Jeep for a few months, as in Jeep fashion, it needs everything.

Got myself a kick in the pants by the spouse, decided to start with the easiest thing first — front shocks. Took maybe 1hr, and thats including finding misplaced sockets and lifting the car. The small win felt good, and I kept on. Ignition issues, diagnosed and fixed. Floor pan rust, evaluated and poked. Made a plan of attack for the other myriad of issues, then called it a day.

Momentum and small victories are huge in getting this sort of stuff done imo.

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who_even_cares35@reddit

What I do is keep buying other cars and working on them while neglecting one. I find it's a pretty good method.

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Millpress@reddit

Yup. I just have an anxiety-inducing number of projects so I can skip around. Stuff gets done as the hyper-fixation changes but I have one motorcycle in particular that I work on 5-6hrs a year, it'll get there... Eventually.

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who_even_cares35@reddit

Hahahah that's my 280z. Been working on it for eight years and it gets attention when it gets attention. I've bought and made 7 cars and 2 bikes road worthy since I got it.

The wife thinks it quite funny

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Foreverwite@reddit

I saw someone post a while ago their goal of one bolt a day. They said they end up doing more than that once they start getting in to it. I personally don't like doing 8 hour sessions because I start getting tired and make mistakes.

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easterracing@reddit

1000%

One thing I’ll say from a similar perspective: there’s a lot of helpful advice on here about setting goals and deadlines, so on and so forth and that’s great.

But, in my real world at least, that doesn’t work, and isn’t the problem at all.

If you’re having a bad time, feeling grumpy about things, headed toward the throwing wrenches phase…. Stop. Do something else. Could be something else related to the project, could be something entirely different. The one thing I know for certain is you’ll burn yourself out on it QUICKLY if you keep doing it whether you like it or not. Hobbies are supposed to be enjoyable. Make sure you’re enjoying it before you paint your brain into the corner of hating it forever.

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radXR650R@reddit

Finally had my garage put up recently so I could actually work on my stuff and not be outside where it's either 100+ or raining anytime I need to work on my projects...

The blue car needs a clutch, the gold car behind it needs front brakes and the jeep needs everything.

I went into the garage yesterday, looked at everything, then said to myself "not today".

I feel like I was getting more done when I didn't have them in the garage...

As long as you work on something a little bit, it will get done eventually, better than not doing anything at all.

Got any pictures of your project?

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Chronicwheeler@reddit

All of us xj guys get it lol

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radXR650R@reddit

Very nice, ahh the things I would do for those fold out rear windows.

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Chronicwheeler@reddit

I’m kinda bummed my second set is just straight glass but what ever hopefully I don’t ever pop these ones lol!

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blitzermf54@reddit

As a fellow XJ owner, I agree, jeeps need everything 😄

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radXR650R@reddit

Don't get me started, I might have a problem buying shit boxes.

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Kortok2012@reddit

I don’t even remember disassembling half of my crx but I sure remember not being able to put it back together again. ADHD and project cars can suck sometimes

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var-undefined@reddit

Relatable. Checking the sparkplugs is already a nice step. There sure are some other people with more experience who can give some tip. Give us some details about what you would like to do next, and we will make a plan together. Do you have a couple of hours this weekend? I can check in here later to discuss the progress and give some more directions together with my fellow redditors. Your post is highly relatable, and just making a list of things to do doesn't work. but making the list together and getting some tips could be the right encouragement to get you excited.

I am planning to clean out my wheel wells this weekend to put on lowering springs and dampers later. Seems like a small task...

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lunaticmagnet@reddit

i have difficulty with this myself. combined with buying a LOT of projects and not having much free time to start with, it's easy to be overwhelmed and the depression kicks my ass too. the best way i've found to motivate myself is to find some dudes at work that want to learn how to build stuff. we get together one night a week and accomplish something. sometimes we don't feel like doing anything. sometimes i'm the one doing something and they're hanging out discussing work stuff. but i found that having that dedicated night/time to accomplish things has done wonders to not only get things done, but also make me feel like i'm accomplishing things even if i'm not. and i'm more likely to do stuff the rest of the week too because when the guys come by i can point and say "see i did something when you weren't here"

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ignatzami@reddit

God I love the well meaning neurotypical advice…

ADHD, Depression, and a 9 year old. I feel your pain. I so, so, so understand where you’re at. Most of the advice here is well meaning, and would work for most anyone other than you and I.

So let’s talk neuro-spicy to neuro-spicy.

Find a friend who is willing to check on your progress regularly. Someone you wouldn’t want to disappoint and who can provide some external pressure.

Set a series of achievable deadlines and have your friend keep you honest. Report back to them when things work, and when they don’t. Be honest.

And… as much as I hate to say it. Keep a list of what needs done on a big sheet of paper tacked to the wall. When you accomplish something, however small, cross it off the list. If it’s not on the list add it, then cross it off. Dopamine is a thing.

It’s really easy to not see the progress. Do you need your track it, have deadlines that mean something, and someone to keep you on track.

You can do it. Let me know if I can help.

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Animal0307@reddit

I'll second the accountabilibuddy advice.

My wife's cousin has a car he had been working on for like 3 years before I was in a place to get my own projects. He blew it apart in his garage and then let the excuse of "life getting in the way" (he had 2 younger kids and 2 jobs at the time, totally valid reasons) stop him from wanting to work on it.

When I got my Jeep, I started texting him my progress pictures and the next thing I know he has started sending back his. The "race" was on. With in a year we had both pulled/replaced drivellines, a bunch of rust repairs and where driving our half complete projects around the block.

Your accountabilibuddy doesn't have to be someone you know in real life. Anyone that is interested in keeping up with your progress should be welcomed.

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nedovolnoe_sopenie@reddit

you did do something though, so that's some progress

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Winky-Wonky-Donkey@reddit

Add a divorce into the mix and it makes it even harder.

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sgt_Berbatov@reddit

I have been working on restomodding my Lada 2101 since 2019. I am not anywhere near finished. I even set a deadline of painting by mid-september this year but I'm only a third of the way done with the welding.

We have to just keep on keeping on. On days you physically don't feel like doing it, just walk out to it and do something. Even if it's just tidying up the tools, cleaning/hoovering it, just something tactile. It'll bring you out of it man.

Big love to you x

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iroll20s@reddit

I always feel like if I give myself an entire day I spend half of it looking for where I put down a tool and the other half staring at walls or something. I always seem to get a lot more done when I only give myself a couple hours so I have to focus.

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Dawkinsisgod@reddit

Hey man, as a guy with a similar brain and driveway:

The project car is my escape where I get to hyper focus on stuff without the demands of the world interfering. If I want to just stare at the sparkplugs for an hour that's fine...it calms me. I feel good doing it. Sure, I could be further along in my project if I assigned myself timelines, set up a Kanban board, made SMART goals, etc., but that's not what this is about. I do that type of shit at work to help my brain complete complex projects on deadlines for other people. The hot rod is about doing things at my own pace, in my own way and anyone else's idea of what that should look like and when it should be done can fuck right off.

Have fun staring at sparkplugs my dude, sounds like a great time to me.

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purplegoldcat@reddit

As a fellow ADHD project car person, I feel the overwhelm and the “so much” and all the additional complications from my brain. It is doable, even if hard. I know believing that can be the hardest thing of all.

Do you do well with a big whiteboard and list of tasks to cross off? Or trying to do one little thing, even if little, when you work on it? I had so much to do on my car that it felt overwhelming, but I realized I could play with the wiring and when bored or frustrated, go change vacuum lines or something else. Or even clean the garage. I let my brain’s novelty-seeking bounce between tasks, which made it less overwhelming.

You said you don’t have anyone in your life who’s interested in your project. As a random internet stranger, I think it’s great that you have a project car! Cheering you on!

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Civil-Zombie6749@reddit

Yep, I've got like 4 project cars right now.

I find a great deal on something for around $1k. I do a bunch of research and order some parts to fix/repair them. Maybe I even put a couple of parts on before hitting a problem that I don't know how to fix. I get distracted by something else in the meantime, and the project sits for years...

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liarliarplants4hire@reddit

Add kids to the mix and you got my life.

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SuperTrashPanda@reddit

Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance. It’s not about finishing it’s about doing and enjoying.

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Data_shade@reddit

Idk how old you are or what your situation is, but-

A psychiatrist or a therapist can help you talk out what’s going on, and explore medications to help even you out. Things like a mild seizure medication, with a cool side effect of mood stabilizing. Never hurts to explore your options, and might help with the motivation issues due to feeling down all the time.

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slingshotroadster@reddit

Just be fortunate that you have the time and money to even attempt doing this. Mang don’t

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Imaginary_Train_8977@reddit

I’m starting my project car journey too. Take it one day at a time. Break things down into small tasks.

I don’t have a garage. Just a slightly sloped driveway like you do which is also 8ft lower than the rest of the property.

So I have to lug all my tools up and down lol.

But the journey of learning and working on your car is going to be worth. I can’t wait to get it running and driving.

You got this. Remember why you got a project car in the first place.

Use this subreddit as motivation!

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BubbRubbsSecretSanta@reddit

Just get out there and work for a few minutes. You’ll realize it’s easy and rewarding and you’ll get a lot more done than you planned. I’m the same way with a project boat.

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Yami350@reddit

I put on podcasts that I’m 60% interested in. So it sounds like other people there, I find it pleasant, and it’s not so interesting that it distracts me.

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MDTashley@reddit

Do you have a friend / can you find someone to body double with you? I'm good at powering through projects, and I'm organised. My mate has had a car in his shed for 10 years, and this year I said I would help him get it done. We spent 7 hours taking it apart, and he said it's the most that's ever been done to it, and he would've given up at the first stuck bolt (there was a lot of them). It's helped get him motivated to do bits on it himself.

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ohwhatthehell2@reddit

Sometimes days just go like that! Don’t beat yourself up about it. Setting goals like others have mentioned is a great idea- I’m in PA, if you are local- I’d be happy to help and hang out. Good luck man. Stay positive

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adam574@reddit

a to do list helps me but its super broken down. for example.

weld in drip rail is something i need to do.

but that one task is really. broken down in 20 different steps. if i dont do that i tend to just wonder around the garage picking up and putting things down without getting anything done.

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Chronicwheeler@reddit

It’s tough. Having a wipe board or some painters tape on a window helps. Just tinker slowly and give your self some grace. Even if you just put 10-15 minutes a day in to your project you will see progress. I learned just even walking out and touching what I’m working on keeps me In line.

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FreakingChimp@reddit

You can do it! .. i know what you feeling. ANYTHING is hard while you are depressed, even brush your teeth. I got my project dart 66 rusting for 15 years, no money when i got time, my two true gearhead friends are dead, now slowly i returning to it. Thank god my kid is growing and he become a muscle car lover so i got the best motivation and a car buddy. I hope that you project is coming soon

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punchy-peaches@reddit

I have a 1940’s Harley in my garage I just can’t seem to do anything with. I feel ya.