The Projects We’re Working on This Winter
The team that works on the media side of the Hagerty website lives all over the country and has a variety of project cars and daily drivers. For some of us, winter is when projects hibernate out of the elements and away from the salt. For others, it’s a break from the summer heat. Either way, the cooler months are a great time of year to be productive, even if the tasks are small.
Here are our to-do lists—think of them as a head start on our New Year’s resolutions. Maybe sharing them here will inspire us to make them happen and give you some ideas of your own.
Eddy’s Barn of Wayward Toys
It’s a decently large list this winter. I will try to eat this elephant one bite at a time. Making a list helps me figure out what bite-sized things I can tackle in an evening after work or on the weekends. — Eddy Eckart
Eddy looks like he has his work cut out for him, and it seems he’s prioritized the list with the bits in red. There’s a deadline on the tractor, and everything else that’s going to be done in the garage is going to be a lot more enjoyable if there’s enough light to see, some music to keep the right mood, and then the right climate to get things done without shivering.
Stefan, Driving Professor
This winter I’m teaching my kid to drive; a mix of safe, secure Odyssey lessons with a healthy dose of bronc busting in the stick-shift Xterra. Keeping us both alive is my project. — Stefan Lombard
We have a feeling the Xterra is going to be the favorite. Nothing against minivans, of course, but bronc-busting sounds a lot more fun.
Sajeev Slogs Onward
Come hell or high water, I am going to use the not-hot Houston winter to get back to Project Valentino, as I’ve promised several times in the past. But first I need to assemble the Thunderbird mentioned in the last installment and probably like three other small projects to get other less complicated restorations out the door and on the road.
It. Never. Ends.
— Sajeev Mehta
Thanks, Sajeev! You reminded us that it’s time to think about visiting the local salvage yard now that working outside in California doesn’t sound like cruel and unusual punishment.
Eric and His Amazon
Eric Weiner has a tidy to-do list for his peppy Volvo Amazon:
- Swap over original hardware and install new seat belts
- Remove A/C belt
- Minilite-style wheels and tires
- Flush and replace manual transmission fluid
- Inspect and probably replace the rear drum brakes
Nate Plots Montero Maintenance
The Montero is due for some durability love this winter. While the frame is still rock-solid, there is a little bit of surface rust forming in places. Because the car was so spotless when I got it, that really bothers me. I picked up some rust encapsulator paint that I’m going to use to try to stop the spread and to make it look a little nicer under there.
On a more practical note, I need to replace the transmission fluid and the filter. The fluid in there now looks alright, but the last time that I was working on that item, I didn’t replace the filter because we were constrained for time. I’ve since figured out how to do the filter swap efficiently, which will require new fluid as well. Never hurts!
Finally, I’ve got these awesome LED backup lights that I need to install. One of my reverse lights went out recently, and the other one is very weak as it is. In the winter, having decent lighting out back can be a huge plus. I’ll need to bend the bumper back into shape a little bit (one of the corners is a tad folded,) and then cut away some of the material to make larger openings for the new housings. Then, it’s just snip the wires, splice them, and toss on some heat shrink. I’m really looking forward to that project. — Nate Petroelje
Kyle’s Busy Shop Stays Busy
What is a good garage worth if you don’t have three projects running concurrently? The 1985 Corvette will be going under the knife for a heart transplant, while the 1988 Honda XR600R will hopefully be getting its heart back very soon. In both projects, I hope to learn and utilize a few new skills including at-home ceramic coating. Also, I have a Honda XR250R engine to wrap up the final assembly and break in for a friend. — Kyle Smith
The Garage Is the Project
Kyle makes a good point and also reinforces the fact that I don’t have a good garage. Rather than adding a bunch of new projects, I think that I should probably focus on reclaiming my garage, which has been a mess since we moved into the house last year, so that later I can add projects.
Insulation is paramount, as it’s too hot out there three months out of the year and there’s not a shred of rock wool or fiberglass insulation on the exterior wall or between the rafters. After that, then perhaps a small A/C unit. First, however, is getting rid of the sprawl, which means selling junk and adding storage. Some 240V outlets would also be nice. — Brandan Gillogly
Whether it’s in the garage or on the garage, let us know about the projects you’ve got in the pipeline.
I’m currently working on the house and sorting photographs, but the next item on my list is to drain the old gas out of my van and throw some fresh in. Then I’ll figure out why the horn was disconnected, make a throttle adjustment bracket, lubricate everything (I did the oil change already), and see if I can get at the gas gauge sending unit without dropping the tank.
I’m making it all about my shop this winter. I want to see if I can find the floor again.
Just finished my ’74 TVR 2500M, near finishing a ’59 Berkeley – 3 race car, and starting on a ’54 Sunbeam Talbot Alpine MK I.
Sure nice to see you are still at it, old friend. These projects keep us young.
Too many projects . . . way, way too many. I’m seriously thinking of adding a tiny house (Air BnB style) and offering it to people who want to visit the Daytona Beach area – weekly rent will be a couple of days wrenching on stuff in a WELL equipped 50 by 90 foot steel building which is just too darn full of things to work on. Paint wings and fuselage, reassemble airplane, carb rebuilds on two antique BMW motorcycles (not a big deal, I’ve just been putting it off and putting it off), fix John Deere Gator, recondition rotary tiller (for tractor), go under Dear Bride’s Subaru and find out what is clunking after her off-road “excursion” attempting to (unsuccessfully) imitate Evel Knievel, climb TALL ladder and change some LED security spotlights and while you’re up there, add two steel braces between the building and the 35 foot internet tower, clear and level 50 by 200 foot area for future deck and dome (she-shed), clear 35 acres for future development, three minor fixes on Mercedes, accumulate parts for new-style transmission pan and filter (plus pump to put the ATF in), replace CD player on beater Honda, complete restoration on 1968 Munch Mammoth TT 1000, re-cap several antique hi-fi components (Dynaco), upgrade some University Tri-Axial speakers, clean up and re-assemble some teak furniture (Scan-Design), add some shelves along the sides of the building, finish work stand for belt sander, clean steel roof on house, unclog dryer vent (same), redo well pump plumbing before next storm, and, and, and, and I’m sure there’s more. What do they say, my in-box is never empty? My hangar isn’t either.
hey exhausted, here’s a deal for you. i’ll also et a tiny house built by my shop and we’ll move to each other’s places. we can then complete each other’s projects. we’ll both get more done since “it’s easier to manage the business on the other side of the wall”. see my partial list further down.
Thought it was going to be an easy, minimal project winter. But, a young driver decided to take an unexpected left turn in front of me while i was out for a nice Summer’s drive in the 65 GTO. While not known for quick maneuvering, I got the GTO to avoid T boning the other car, but it took the hit hard in the front fender. She was accelerating when she hit it. The GTO actually took the hit pretty well, but it’s now my winter project. Parts all in hand, body/paint work mostly done. Now installation while the snow flies and back on the road in Spring. I restored this car 20 years ago and in a weird way, it feels good to give it some more love. Good news and key take aways are: no one got injured, it could have been worse and in over 50 years of restoring and enjoying old cars this is the first mishap. Thanks Hagerty for good coverage and help getting me back on the road.
Well, shop cleaning first. Then pulling the “rubber dash” out of the 68 Datsun Roadster and fitting the earlier “flat dash” and redoing the wiring whilst the dash is out. I swapped a KA24de and 5 speed into the car years back and am hoping to utilize the fuse/relay block from the donor 240sx. Figuring/hoping that it’ll be a hell of a lot easier sitting in the seat rather than on laying on my back!!! Just got done putting a LSD and higher final ratio diff in it.
Car 1: 1991 Mustang GT Convertible, highly modified, supercharged – Replace the 2 chamber mufflers (MAC) and with 3 chamber mufflers (FlowMaster). WAY too loud when under boost – embarrassingly so…
Car 2: 1969 Mustang Fastback, mostly stock with some go-fast parts – Replace twice resurfaced flywheel and clutch disc (and maybe release fork?) in hopes of finally solving longstanding clutch chatter issue. 18 year old son wants to drive it – but the chatter would make it a difficult drive for a newly trained ‘3rd pedal’ user…
Sajeev, the Lincoln was such an unusual car. The brown color is perfect for the era.
It really is! I am glad to see I am not the only person that feels this way!
This winter is mostly non car projects. It would be nice to track down the missing interior trim and finalize the radio install on the F150 but the big nut is tires and that requires an outside shop. Other than that the motorcycles need a seeing to and a lot of bicycle work. I need to do the third bar tape of the year and frankenstein a new 3×9 front derailleur on my utility bike. These are rare now so I need to use the top clamp in the parts box and then space out the bottle cage
My winter project is a 1969 Ford Ranchero GT 351W
I will start by rewiring the lights on my little 4×8 utility trailer, Then finish cutting the body off the 04 explorer. I need to fab new body mounts for the 52 F1 to fit it onto the 04 explorer chassis. I hope to have the body sitting on the chassis by early spring.
Wow. Where do I start. I have a 1965 GT-40 replica that I am working on. A 1965 Daytona FFR replica and a couple of other things. 1983 Mercedes 380 SL that I am installing an LS in. Daily driver? Of course, winter brings more hours in the shop and less driving. “Northern Indianna” Winter kind of sucks! Too many projects and not enough time. I will plug away at all and stay tuned to everything online. Stayed tunned for progress at petesplaceautoassembly.com Not much for social media.
It’s Still T time for me. Ground up restoration of a 26 model T. Goal is to be finished and on the road by 2026. It will be close.
winter projects? in no particular order:
* replace 10 sodium type (?) lighting with 10-15 8k lumens ‘garage’ led lights
* fix parasitic draw on SLK, detail, then sell next spring
* start on powertrain swap on ’63 sedan de ville
* finish repairing/priming/painting exterior man doors (at house)
* reinstall drain plug, rpl filter, add oil to challenger
* sort/categorize more picapart finds
* assemble more shelving
* continue installing radiant barrier insulation
* landscape clean-up – whole perimeter of house
i’ll be fortunate to finish 3 (ok, 2) of the above. in other words, i get to it (and sooo much more) when i get to it. already swapped the challenger for the soob, so off to a riproaring start!
sanjeev, i hope you have access to picaparts other than LKQ. they’re ok, but definitely more expensive. $5 for entry? yikes!
Upstate New York sucks for any outdoor activity and it’s too expensive to heat the garage the salamander is too stinky so we wait until about April to do anything and hope for the best