Build Threads- Do They Help?

Despite having had a fairly large number of projects, I have never made a build thread. I typically get the car roughly to where I want it, and then one of a few things happen: I lose interest and sell it, it breaks a few times and I decide I hate it and sell it, or I decide I need the money for the next stupid thing and (surprise) sell it.

Meanwhile, I read the "Build Threads" section, and see many constantly evolving, multi-year projects. Does the thread itself help you stay focused, interested, committed? I'm rapidly losing interest in the project I spent all winter on, will this help me? I'm worried that the time I put into a build thread might push me over the edge, and make the effort/reward ratio go upside down. What does GRM think?

They don't always help for me. I have stalled on quite a few projects that I have had build threads for. Sometimes they do get me motivated though. You should definitely make a build thread for anything rallycross related.

I think it helps a little bit. "My build thread's getting stale" is another reason to work on the project and you get some encouragement from "spectators."

I think rereading your own thread can help bring back the memories of your prior excitement.

For me, doing a build thread on my projects doesn't keep me into the project anymore or less than I would anyway. But I do enjoy reading someone elses build thread and that might have an influence on my builds. Albeit small.

I think it does help if you're the type to lose focus and change your mind or alter the scope of the project, plus it is fun to share with your fellow nuts what you're doing since you can get encouragement and perhaps some ideas or solutions to what you're working with.

Look at Tuna's or the 308 GTS4 thread for an idea on the twists and turns a build thread can take as well as what the community can do when they provide help and support, even if it is just a a bit of an "atta boy"

I like build threads.

I enjoy fabricating stuff.

I am inspired by others who have gone before me and I like to think that I might inspire others to get over their hesitation to fabricate stuff.

I also get some motivation from the thread. If the project has a fan base of any kind so much the better; we all like some attention! Even more fun if there is some controversy to the thread like "Don't cut up a classic" or "No way that diesel will fit in an Elise"

I'm not sure about my own build thread helping me stay focused, but some other build threads (Tuna55's comes to mind) have been quite useful or inspiring for my own projects.

That angry, confused, redneck brawler absolutely needs a build thread

Most of the build threads ive ever started tend to go dark for about a year at a time as i jump around between my 10+ "projects". I don't think i have many long-term 'fans' because of the tease aspect of my threads. It's so interesting and then... nothing. For months. Years?

I think for me, the purpose of putting up a build thread is to encourage others to do whatever THEY want to do. For better or worse, we are setting the example for people who are considering starting their own projects. The more fun it looks like you're having, the better the build thread. Personally, i wouldnt really feel comfortable starting a build thread if i had more questions than answers or had nothing to show yet. I think that's just me starting the kind of threads i like to read. I like to have the beginning of the thread show a lot of progress so i never start threads saying "i just got this thing and i havent done anything interesting BUT I WILL TRUST ME!".

Obviously i am not a pro at following through, but i have started ONE build thread that got to somewhere between 50 and 100 pages and concluded with a bunch of pics/vids from GRM Challenge. That was cool. There was major community support and good vibes helping me stay excited. But i also had teammates helping me generate content at a breakneck pace. When i work by myself.. people tend to lose interest because the pace is boring.

So i guess my main factor for whether a build thread is a good idea is, is it going to move fast enough to be interesting? If not, i'll wait until the content has piled up enough that i can start the thread with a bang.

I've never had a build thread. I don't think anything I've done is cool enough to merit one.

The community here is what makes it a great place. Instead of toiling silently and alone in our garages, we open them to outsider to watch. I watch Tuna build his truck, he watches me build my garage, we all watch Irish rallycross. While it's nice being an observer, the act of opening your own garage is even more fun. For me anyway.

Reading other's build threads motivate me to keep working on my project while also being educational and giving me ideas.
I only have one project at a time though. I need to see progress. If I had ten heaps, er I mean projects , I would never make enough progress to be happy and they would languish. In the end it is 'work' but it is done for 'enjoyment'. I could just as easily spend my time doing work where I'd get paid so I try to invest my time carefully.

GameboyRMH wrote: I think it helps a little bit. "My build thread's getting stale" is another reason to work on the project and you get some encouragement from "spectators."

This. Sometimes I'll do something on one of the projects specifically because I haven't updated the thread in a while, and I don't want to disappoint the 2-3 people who may actually be subscribed

Also I like reading other build threads to get ideas, so I like to show any interesting ideas or techniques I have to others as well. If you go onto the Maxima boards, there are actually a few car mods that are still referred to as the "Irish44j Mod" lol.

Another thing its good for is to pick up sponsors. It's not like I'm a NASCAR team or anything, but I do have a few partial sponsors who give me good deals and/or free stuff for the car(s), good advice, swag, whatever. Sponsors like to see their name on the side of your car in internet threads that get a lot of views (I think my build on Revlimited has something like 85,000 views on it) and have a lot of photos. I enjoy doing it anyways, so its a win-win situation there. At least 2 of my sponsors contacted me first (after seeing my build threads here or elsewhere) asking if I'd like to run some stickers/vinyl in exchange for a hook-up on parts or whatnot. Other times, when I want a part I'll maybe ask about a quid pro quo and reference the visibility my cars get in internet threads and whatnot. Sometimes they'll do it, sometimes not. Can't hurt to ask, and have something to show as what you can "give back" to them. And I'm always up for saving some money on project cars if all it means is I have to put some stickers on the car and a link to the sponsor in my forum signature or something.

Hell, for the rally-x Mustang it might be a big plus. There aren't very many mustangs seriously rallycrossing, but there is a HUGE aftermarket for Mustangs. I'm sure there are some parts makers or distributors out there that would like "something different" representing their brand/website/etc in photos of a car firing out roostertails of gravel. It's not like there aren't a million drag-race or trackday Mustangs out there already, so they aren't all that unique. Then again, you'd have to maybe do some cosmetic improvement on that beast, lol.

Funny you should ask this though, Chris. Nick and I were just discussing the other day why you never do build threads, since you have several projects. Also I think build threads are good for your rally-x competitors, so we can see how you're upping your game and make sure to keep working on our cars to follow suit. Nick has a pretty good build thread for his e28 as well.

I just like to document stuff.

Woody wrote: I just like to document stuff.

Also a great point there. I can't think of how many times I've gone back in my build threads to remind myself "how the hell did I install this" or "why did I put extra-long bolts here??" or "what is that part number, again?" Or even to see what my impressions were of a mod I did a year ago to decide if I want to go back to how it was before that mod or not. Yesterday I had to find an old picture of some spring spacers (with the part number on the package) for Eric H. for his e30. Having it in the thread made it a lot easier to find than digging through a million files on my computer.

Plus having a thread opens your build up to critical thinking by others. There have been a number of things I've done and then posted about and someone who knows e30s or Triumphs better than I do (which is a not insignificant number!) says "hey, it's easier to do it this way..." or "I know a guy who has one of those parts sitting around that he'll give you for nothing" or "here's a link to a thread that someone did telling you the measurements for that bracket you want to fabricate, so that it will fit perfectly..."

irish44j wrote: Nick has a pretty good build thread for his e28 as well.

Link?

er....it's in the build section on R3vlimited. Should be on the first 2 pages since he just updated it recently. Cliffs: He's scared of you getting rally tires

Help? Not particularly. This is my first time making one, and it only makes me want to keep modding it to continue to make updates. Someday I'll have money for cool mods on a cool car instead of this little piddly crap on a family car.

no, and i quit posting in mine because nobody gives any feedback. better off spending time in the garage and showing a finished product than wasting time online showing my latest welding project.

Mine helped me sell my Jeep without trying!

I have a build thread because I had trouble finding explanations and documentation of the "easy" or routine jobs for my car. If I can help someone else out, then mission accomplished.

I like them for documenting stuff, even if they go dark for long times in between me tweaking things. Plus, I find the feedback I get from other members on here very helpful, too.

If I had ten heaps, er I mean projects , I would never make enough progress to be happy and they would languish.

The nice thing about living where i do is if my cars languish for years, they actually still exist in 90% as good of shape as when they started, whereas people up north would see them rot out from under them even if they were DD'ing them.

As for time, i moved away from working on cars for a living partially because i like doing it for myself so much. Now i have two jobs working around cars (one as an automotive instructor at a vocational school) and work 55 hours a week so the struggle is not wanting to work on cars, just scheduling it. Today is my only full day off and i've spent about 7 hours of it on cars.Some working on a 3.4 swap for a friend's 85 Jimmy. And i traded an 87 dakota for 2 f2t cars and explored a junkyard i've never been to before. Having less time definitely forces me to be more efficient with it!!

I do a lot of build threads to share what I do, and how i do it. Additionally, when I get feedback ot makes me feel like someone else actually cares about what I put so much time and energy into.

Unfortunately I don't seem to get too much feedback on my current projects. It does kill motivation for me to share.

Perhaps i need to be the change i want to see for my own threads. I follow along on almost every build on this site, though hardly ever post on them. Usually because I have nothing relevant to add other than enjoying the build and that it looks good.