Are you a fellow serial project-doer? Most of us, we don't necessarily have an entire YouTube channel about it, but I'm willing to bet that description probably applies to more than a few regular RideApart readers. Please note that I did not say "project completer," because that's a completely different thing, and I wouldn't want to make any unfounded assumptions.
I mean, I'm hardly one to talk. And the trouble that I personally have is, I find a great many different things interesting enough that I try to learn how to do them myself. So, in my case, it's not a stack of unfinished projects in a single easily-defined genre that I leave stacked in my corner of shame. Instead, it's many. Thank goodness I don't have any storage units; the horror!
That's entirely unlike Craig of the Bearded Mechanic fame, who has shown at least a couple of different storage units in his videos over time. This particular one featured in this video, he refers to as being akin to an island of misfit toys. It's packed with cool stuff, but it's stuff that's been allowed to sit for years, for any number of reasons. We're talking about some big workshop tools, like a band saw, at least a couple of dirt bikes that are just waiting for their chance on the workbench, and one bright yellow Ski-Doo snowmobile sitting in the back corner.
In a way, this is a video in the "will it run?" genre, where you see a workshop-based YouTube channel pull a neglected vehicle from someplace and try to get it running again. Except, it's also different, because what if you're the person who neglected the vehicle in question for years and years, and you're the one who's trying to fix whatever problems have developed in the meantime?
That's right: It's a basic question of what you do when you're the one who maybe caused the problem in the first place, and you're getting around to finding the time and motivation to come back and try to make things right.
In a way, this might be a set of problems that's both easier and more difficult to address. Ego might play a part in it; I mean, who enjoys the feeling of knowing they were wrong about something? But at the same time, if you're the one who worked on the thing last, then it stands to reason that you might also be the person in the best position to know what you did (or didn't do), so you at least have some idea of where to start when you're trying to diagnose the problem. And the quicker you diagnose the problem, the quicker you can be on your way to fixing it.
Maybe it'll be relatively easy and you'll already have the tools and parts on hand that you need, and you can get the thing up and running so you can go out and enjoy it. Or maybe it won't, and instead you'll be stuck waiting by your mailbox for something or other that you need to wing its way to you from the place you had to order it from.
If you're medium-lucky, you might need a part or two but be able to find it at That One Local Shop, but that's becoming more of a fantasy situation in more places now, unfortunately. Still, it's not totally out of the realm of possibility, and it certainly beats having to wait a week to take the next step on your project.
The beauty and pain of being a serial project-doer, as well, is that things don't always work perfectly the first time you get them together. Sometimes, adjustments and fine-tuning are needed to dial it in just the way you want. But that's all part of the process, right? And importantly, it's something that no amount of theory in the world can prepare you for. You have to get in there, get your hands dirty, and do the thing yourself in order to learn, and do it better next time.
The important thing is that you're doing it in the first place. And when things inevitably go a little sideways, you're not afraid to pull over, check the spark plugs, replace them if necessary, and then go back to ripping with your friends.
Obstacles exist, but they're not insurmountable if you put your mind and your hands to them. Especially with friends. In troubleshooting any problem, you have to isolate it, determine your options for fixing it, and then choose which path you're going to take. If your first choice doesn't pan out, don't be afraid to back up, think it through again, and try something new. Your persistence matters, and you'll be zooming in no time if you don't let temporary obstacles stop you.
