Kadett Chronicles 10: One of these things is not like the other

All this talk about Opels has me thinking about my first car. The Gearhead has had many Opels since the one that started it all, but not me. Nothing puts me back in the day more than thinking about my first ride. I practically lived in that thing through high school.

So, my first car story begins as a sixteenth birthday present. My father had his ideas about the kind of car that his daughter should have. Basically, it needed to run. And be reliable enough for him to trust it with precious cargo on the back roads of rural South Dakota. That's it.

So a quick trip down to the used car lot and he sets his sights on my new ride. It was a great condition 1978 black Chevy Nova with red interior. The car was owned by a little old lady who was on the verge of losing her license when she originally got the car and hadn't driven it since for years. She decided to sell and basically took it in with clear instructions to the dealer: "no one is gonna buy a piece of crap car from me, so make sure everything works". I love tenacious elderly folk. New plugs, new wires, new tubes, new tires....freshly detailed and the for sale sign was out on the dash.

Along comes my dad and before I knew it, I had keys in hand to my first car. He had even hung a pair of red fuzzy dice from the rearview mirror for fun.

And I loved that car. My friends dubbed it the "Mighty Nova" because we basically put it through hell. Miles of back roads, ditches, cornfields, mud, snow, you name it. And it never let us down. It always got us home. Pile in a couple of crazy teenagers with nothing better to do on a summer Friday night but roll down the windows, turn up some tunes and drive. Looking back now, it really didn't get much better than that.

Once I got to college, the Mighty Nova was handed down to my little sister whose friends changed its name to the "Super Nova". And they were even harder on that poor car. Sadly, the Nova's life ended on a stock car racetrack many years ago...and on its maiden run no less.

Since then I’ve been pining for another Nova just like the one I used to have back in high school. Then along comes The Gearhead and fulfills my dream. In October 2009, he found one online and it was perfect! Sigh. I just love it when the stars align.

Kadett Chronicles 9: From crap to cool – a process

It’s all about the project management. The strategery if you will. This is where I can be exceedingly helpful to this project since that’s basically what I do for a living. I like to get things done. I think it’s important to explore this part of the process because, let’s face it, if we lollygag around for the next few weeks, we’re not going anywhere. I also think that this might be the post where you sit up and pay a little more attention since it’s stuff you can apply to your very own “crap to cool” project of passion.

Here we go…

Make a list. Make several lists if you have to. Lists will save you!! Well, they help you prioritize the project anyway. And work backwards. I call this “Blue Skying”…in a perfect world, if you could complete everything that can possibly be done for this project, what would that look like? Write it all down in one giant to-do list. This allows you to figure out your priorities since you can see all the things that should be done laid out before you in one place. Then pare back and organize from there as necessary to meet your deadline and still be happy with the end result with your sanity intact.

In our case, we have 5 lists that I shared in an earlier post: things we need to buy; things we need to get out of storage that we’ve been saving for a rainy day or a project like this; things we need to pilfer off of other Opels that The Gearhead owns; things we need to make (like door panels); and finally, things we need to install to put the Kadett back together again once and for all.

Plus, lists also give you the added bonus of being able to cross things off the list as you complete them which is all kinds of satisfying. But that comes later.

Set your expectations. Talk through your project idea and your priorities to understand and be completely content with what you want to get out of it when you’re done. After all, why go through all the work to be angry in the end because you committed to too much in the beginning? No one wants that.

To alleviate that, I tend to work in phases…Phase 1 is the essentials. In our case here, our focus is that the engine runs and maybe some seats and windows are installed since that would be nice on a drive to halfway across the country. Does the car HAVE to be painted? No (chagrin!). Do we NEED door panels and headliners and radios? Those aren’t really all that integral to the trip. The criteria for Phase 1 is simple: if we don’t do it, we don’t go anywhere. Then it’s just a matter of prioritizing what comes next for Phase 2 and beyond. For The Gearhead, it might be installing the under-dash; for me, it might be installing cup holders. Go ahead and negotiate as necessary on what is important to you and any partner you have with you on this journey.

Decide on a timeframe. You need a deadline. Not that the deadline couldn’t be flexible (in our case it’s not, but you may have more time on your hands), but you need to be accountable for showing progress or the project will never get done. This is especially important if you are taking on this project by yourself. There’s no one there to prod you if you’re lagging so a deadline is a nice reminder that can help keep you going. The priorities you end up with from your lists will help to inform your timeline (and budget too).

Plan, plan, plan. Did I mention that I’m a planner? This is extremely helpful. You need to be able to look into the future to see how this project gels with other commitments you have for yourself. Then you can adjust your timeframe to accommodate your busy schedule. Or you can adjust your busy schedule to fit your timeframe. Either way, something may have to give and you need to know what that has to be.

But don’t forget to be flexible!! This is the trap that most of us get ourselves into when we plan big projects or trips. We get so married to the plan that we can’t adapt. And frankly, we just get cranky with ourselves, each other and the situation. Where’s the fun in that? That’s where the phased approach comes in so handy. In the end, as long as the car runs, we’re on the road, remember? Baby steps. Small victories. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Insert any other quote or adage that makes your heart stop pounding and makes you enjoy life a little more. It’s too short for getting too worked up about something that’s supposed to be fun for you!

Evaluate. Choose certain intervals of the timeline to stop and check out your progress. Are you on track? Do you need to change things up a bit? Do you need to re-prioritize anything? The key to successful projects is being able to recognize progress and lack thereof – and be willing to make necessary adaptations to keep the project going. Plus this gives you a chance to take your own temperature as it relates to the project. Are you still into it? Do you need a break? Are you getting frustrated with your progress? Are you overwhelmed? Are you cranking things out and can step up the pace? How do you feel? In the end, that’s a great gauge for staying sane along the way too.

Enjoy the end game. Don’t forget to revel! You did it! Remember that your journey doesn’t end with the completed project. We get to drive a snappy new vehicle around long after the car show blows outta town. And every time we do, we can relive the process it took us to get there in all its glory. Booyah!

Anybody have any other project management tips to share?

Kadett Chronicles 8: Progress report (4/26-28)

We finished stripping the car and it’s off for paint, baby! I’m extremely excited about this because I think it’s one of the few things that will make a huge difference in the transformation of the car. Most people I say that to responds with a resounding “duh” but to those that aren’t into restoring old cars, the transformation is actually mostly in the details rather than in big blanket changes.

Sidebar – I’m not sure that I qualify to fit into the “into restoring old cars” category, but the fact that I’m calling out transformation details, gives me carte blanche to go with it. That and it’s my blog and I can do what I want. So there.

For example, the weather-stripping around the windows of cars gets really rigid and brittle and cracked over time. It also fades some so it’s more like a charcoal grey than black. Replacing just that rubber around the windows makes a big difference in the overall look of the car. It’s really quite amazing.

The other subtle thing that creates huge impact is changing the rims. We went from standard and blah wheels to vintage and cool simply by putting on new tires white-walls out (for the vintage) and slot mag rims (for the cool). You can cause a sensation to sweep the nation with polished slot mags. It’s true. You can look it up.

So all that said, I’m still looking forward to getting paint on the car. It almost has that “it’s really real” feeling. Wait. The biggest portion of our budget is being spent on this. So that feeling might be the early onset of nausea as I’ve subconsciously realized that a large sum of money will no longer be in our possession come this time next week. Gasp. Sigh. Hmm. Meh. Oh well. I’m over it. Onward!

The Gearhead went to about a 42 body shops in the area, hauling around the car on a trailer so that the guys could all have a look-see and bid on the paint project. We finally decided on a local place to do the job. All the bids were pretty close to each other, but this place is right in our town and about a hop, skip and a jump away from our house so it’s convenient and they could get it done in the next week. On top of that, the painters are super excited to do it.

You know that feeling you get when you just click with someone who has the same interests that you do? The painters were gushing over the car, looking past all the surface rust and door dings and envisioning the car as it could be. They’d step in to examine some detail, then step back to ooh and ahh. One of them even started running his hand over the lines of the car, following it all around the Kadett as he gave it the once-over. The Gearhead ate it up. And for good reason really. It’s so nice to have someone you’ve brought into a project be as excited about it as you are. Not only do they get on board with your vision, but they put a little extra care into the job they are doing for you. They want to see the car look as good as you do and they are ecstatic to have a hand in getting something gorgeous out on the road again.

The paint we have chosen is actually the same blue that is already on the car. We’re really stepping out of our comfort zone on this one. But the thing is that I really like the baby blue. The lines on this car are smooth and curvy. The shape and style of the body almost remind me of an Austin Powers mobile. No gadgets or hidden bells and whistles though. More like the car he would have taken out on weekends to unwind.

There’s a perfect line that lends itself to a two-tone color combination, so we’re gonna class it up even more by adding white to the hood, roof and trunk top. So the top 1/3 of the car will be white and the bottom 2/3rds will be baby blue. The hood has two inset panels on it with a raised section in the middle that’s about a foot across. Following the line of the car means that we’re going to bring the baby blue color up and onto that raised section on the hood. So we’ll have a bit of a racing stripe effect. Beyond that, I think that the baby blue and white is so bright and fresh looking. It makes you smile to see it. Add in the black interior and now we’ve amped up the retro factor a bit too. Kool and the Gang.

Kadett Chronicles 7: Of lists and men

I’m not sure what it is with guys and making lists. They just don’t do it. Or, to be fair, the men in my life sure don’t. And it’s not even that they dislike said lists…they do appreciate them if the lists happen to be around. They just don’t create them. Or, more accurately, the men in my life don’t write them down. They just like leave the lists up there in their noodles to marinate around in there for a bit I guess.

Since that just sounds like a casserole that I wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole, I usually take it upon myself to jot down the list for them. Plus I love lists. I put lists right up there with babies and strawberry shortcake and skies of blue and all that is right with this wonderful world. That’s normal, right?

So here is our list for this project. You’ll see there’s lots to do and some of it is already done, but I wanted you to get the full effect of what is involved in this manic race. Enjoy the insanity!

The Shopping List (I have mentioned the fiscal ramifications of this project to you before, yes?):
Buy window rubber
Buy door rubber
Buy seatbelts
Buy new taillights
Buy sound deadening material
Buy center caps for wheels
Buy new fuse box
Buy new washer pump
Buy new shocks
Buy carpet
Buy fabric/vinyl
Buy door panel materials
Buy touch-up paint
Buy new cigarette lighter

The Storage List (this is all the stuff we have that we need to find):
Find windshield gasket in storage
Find headlights in storage
Find gauges in storage

The Pilfer List (other Opels will be a bit more naked soon):
Get heater
Get door handles/openers
Get shift knob
Get steering wheel adaptor
Get visors
Get steering column/ ignition switch
Get front spindles/brakes
Get door window

The Make List (yep, this projects crafty too!):
Make new door panels/side panels
Make headliner
Make rear shelf cover
Give the seats a good cleaning

The To-Do List (once we have all the above, we need to do all the below):
Take windshield out
Take engine/transmission out
Take doors apart and get windows out
Get the car painted
Paint bumper brackets
Replace ignition switch
Install new cigarette lighter
Install new fuse box
Install sound deadening material
Install carpet, door panels, rear shelf cover and headliner
Install seats and seatbelts
Install dash and under-dash
Install gauges
Install window rubber
Install door rubber
Install new washer pump
Install windshield, rear window, and door windows
Install headlights and taillights
Install door handles and window handles
Install center caps for wheels
Install new front spring
Install sway bars/suspension bushings
Install new shocks
Get new engine running
Make tow bar brackets
Check wheel bearings
Inspect/fix brakes
Basically put Humpty back together again
Register for the show
Book our hotel
Decide on my outfits for the show

Kadett Chronicles 6: Progress report (4/24-25)

So we were back in SD again this past weekend to gather up Opel spare parts while we can. There’s lots going in on the coming month and we weren’t sure if we’d be able to get back again before show time, so we’re covering our bases.

It was actually a great exercise because it forced us to look ahead to future projects and make some early decisions on what’s high on our priority list to restore the next time around. I didn’t want to pilfer something off a car that we were going to restore in the next year or two, especially if it was in great shape and referred to as “my baby” by The Gearhead. That last thing I’ll need in two years is him being disappointed that he can’t find the exact part he needs to restore his favorite car. The Kadett does not hold this honor; it was just in the best shape to be able to start this project and finish in time for the show so it won the right to be the first car done. I’d rather get creative and put slightly used or not quite original parts on this one so The Gearhead will be happy now and later when we finally get around to restoring his real prize. That’s just the kinda gal I am.

So we pilfered a new driver’s side window, locks, visors, suspension parts, brakes, and various door handles.

It’s all about the options, baby. And incidentally, I’m amazed and slightly disturbed at the amount of options we had to choose from out there on the farm. Between The Gearhead’s collection of cars and my father-in-law’s stash, I’m not sure if I should be worried about how we’ll be able to move it all someday or thankful that it was all free. Probably a bit of both.

Oh and btw? Again, by “we”, I mean The Gearhead. I was busy this weekend in our hometown throwing a baby shower for a dear old high school friend who is having twins. She is having one boy and one girl so it was a “Two Peas in a Pod” theme. I know you find that adorably super cute and hope to high Heaven that I’ll post pictures of that instead of the car. Heh.

Kadett Chronicles 5: A brief jaunt through time

So I figure that in order to know where this little Kadett is going, it would be nice to know where it came from. Toward that end, I give you a small chunk of Opel history. There will not be a test later, but I could get some questions probing into my knowledge of this car at the show, so this was a great excuse for a little R&D for my world. Although just for the record, I am not above simply telling people that I have no idea and offering to discuss the intricacies of our paint job and matching door panel fabric instead. Have I mentioned that I’m just along for the ride here, people?

Did you know that Opels originated in Germany at the turn of the century? This is significant to me since half my ancestors hailed from Deutschland. Hmm. It could be possible that my great-great-great grandfather worked in an Opel factory.

Did you know that the founder, Adam Opel, actually started out making sewing machines? Soon after his business boomed, he got into making bicycles. His sons all joined the business and they started dabbling in automobiles in 1899. Fifteen years later, they were the largest German manufacturer of motor vehicles.

By the late 1920s, Opel had become part of GM and received a cool $33 million for the transaction. Not too shabby for the Depression era. Incidentally, 33 is my favorite number and I feel compelled to share that with you at this juncture in our relationship.

By the 1940s, Opel had tried their hand at airplane engines. World War II really threw the Opel company for a loop and they never did fully recover. Between the strains of being associated with GM at that time and their factories being targeted for bombings due to their aero technologies, it was just too much to handle. I can relate to that kind of stress.

So they took a few years to let the chips fall, get their courage back and make some plans. By 1959, Opel rolled out their new Kadett model (among others over the coming years) and the rest is history as they say.

As a sidebar, another interesting thing to note is that in the 1980s, Opel came out with a couple of cars that were low exhaust emission gasoline and diesel engines. It’s kind of cool that these green strategic pioneers were way ahead of their time.

You can still buy Opels…they are just different models than the one we are restoring. So after this travel back in time, I think our project has taken on some higher meaning. Allow me to wax nostalgic for a moment...our little Kadett is a part of a legacy that has endured for over 100 years. To restore this car to its former glory elevates the idea that we are in awe of all the twists and turns of fate that had to take place to get it into our hands and hearts. I think I can appreciate the appeal even more now.

Kadett Chronicles 4: Progress report (4/19-23)

In the week that we’ve had the car in the garage, we’ve done the following…taken everything off the car, right down to the Opel logo on the hood. The car is almost completely stripped down to its chilly steel frame. The Gearhead has started on taking the engine out and that's near done too. We'll have it all complete by Monday so don't lose any sleep over it.

Beyond that, we made an exhaustive list of all the things we need to do in order to roll into the car show in style. It took a while too and I’m not naïve enough to think that we got everything on that list either. So when we remember what we forgot, we’ll augment the list and carry on.

Also….what’s the adage? Any project you estimate will end up costing double? Yeah, something like that. I for one was ill-prepared for the fiscal ramifications of this project. I mean, I knew it would cost some coin, but auto body shops are apparently not feeling the effects of this economy since paint jobs are not to be found on the cheap. But we shall forge ahead! Anything for The Gearhead. Given extensive budget calculations, we should be able to get a good return on our investment if we ever sell the car. Not that we’re selling it. I just need to know that the possibility is out there in order to better justify my spending. My accountant would be proud.

Oh and btw? As a general rule, by “we”, I almost always mean The Gearhead. Just so we're clear. I'm into full disclosure.

Kadett Chronicles 3: And so it begins (4/17-18)

So we picked up the car while visiting my in-laws for the weekend. It was living a peaceful, idyllic life there until we yanked it from the dirt behind the old barn (might have been a grainery, but I digress). Actually I think that if it could, the car would probably thank us profusely. A car needs to be on the open road, right!?! Up on the trailer and latched onto The Gearhead’s S10 and we were ready to go up north to our home (henceforth known as The Shop) to begin the transformation. The adventure. The journey….[tap tap]….this thing on?

The object of our motorin’ affection for the next month is this 1967 Opel Kadett. Baby blue, 2-door. That’s really all I can tell you since it’s basically just a shell right now. Anything else, like engine specs that I might happen to retain while watching it go in will depend on what engine The Gearhead decides to put in it. And let me tell you, I have no input on this matter. Paint color though…now that’s something I’m keen to take a whack at (name that movie).

Kadett Chronicles 2: From crap to cool – a perspective

Let me first announce that I say “crap” lovingly. It’s all in the eye of the beholder, after all, and every time The Gearhead looks at his Opels, he just doesn’t see the crap. The surface rust, the dirt, the torn vinyl seats with stuffing pouring out of them, the hardened window rubber, the cracked windows, the broken headlights, etc, etc, etc. Nope. He just sees the possibilities. What the car once was and could be again. You know, the cool. Actually, I admire that about him.

Then there’s me. Not a car junkie myself, but I am cut from the same cloth that appreciates a passion. I can understand the appeal in the idea that something exists in an new, altered, and/or better state all because of you. So while I see the crap, I can also see the cool. I’m perfectly willing to throw myself into any project that my loved ones have cookin’. Why? Because it’s important to them. If they have a passion and a project, I’ll gladly jump on that bandwagon.

So when The Gearhead decided to polish up the Kadett to make the car show circuit, I was all in. But I’ll let you in on a little secret….I am, after all, a girl and therefore would like to roll into the car show in a gorgeous car. No rust. No dirt. New paint. You see where I’m going with this. Hmmm. I wonder if this means that I’m actually responsible for this whirlwind month. I’ll have to cogitate on that while watching The Gearhead replace the ignition switch later.

And while we’re on the subject, I hope you don’t expect to see lots of technical details and instructional type information on this here blog. I’m writing it and know none of these things. All I can report on is what I observe or learn on this job. So alas, you’re gonna get my spin. I do hope you stick around though, if not just for the pictures.

Kadett Chronicles 1: Setting the stage

The Gearhead.
My husband is a gearhead, an Opel gearhead, specifically. He loves everything about these cars. He belongs to Opel forums online, goes to Opel car shows, has Opel friends. Even the cat is named Opel. Not to mention that he owns about 10 of these cars. Most have seen better days, but all are beauties in his eyes for one reason or another.

The Geargirl.
That’s me. I could also be called The Support. The Help. The Photographer. The Blogger. The Kitchen Sink. Basically I’m in this to make The Gearhead happy so I’ll try my hand and anything that needs doing. Need a ¾ inch socket? I’m here to serve. Need a cool beverage? I’ll gladly provide. Need a dash pulled out? I’m your girl. But mostly I stick around because he looks super-fantastic-great all greased up in dirty jeans and old ripped t-shirts. And I love photography so this gives me yet another thing to shoot and practice on.

The Challenge.
Restore a 1967 Opel Kadett in one month. There's a car show coming up and we’re going. Come hell or high water, we’re going in an Opel. A pretty one.