The Imperfections of an Ongoing Project

Happy Sunday people, I hope you’re all having a killer weekend. Today’s blog post is pretty obvious by the title, I know. However other than the obvious, there might be a lesson learnt or two learnt.

So let’s address it first, the imperfections of an ongoing project or build. Now in some cases this may not be a problem or a thought as your project might be tucked away in a garage out of general eyesight. But for what I’d say is the majority, the build is a daily driver that we see everyday and other people see too. This brings with it some setbacks that a lot of people fall victim to. So let’s get into all that stuff.

I think the first trap we all fall into is the obvious one, just thinking our car has to be perfect at all times. By this, I mean spotlessly clean inside and out, running without missing a beat, as well as everything we plan it to be. Now it’s not something that we can always achieve but somehow I find myself falling into that trap and I’m pretty sure other people do too. So the hopes of this post is to break that cycle and hopefully make you enjoy the imperfections and the journey of the build a bit more.

So first things first, let’s talk about looks. Now this is probably the first imperfection we see, especially when you know all the little bits and bobs you’d perfect if you had the time or money. For me there’s scuffs, scratches, some rust bubbles and a damaged bumper that I would sort. Now on paper that’s a couple of small jobs, however in my head I see a full respray as the only resolution to these “problems”. It’s definitely overkill I know, however I constantly want to make the car perfect even when I’m not planning to get it into a show or even build it for looks. And that’s where the trap lies, me and plenty of other enthusiasts see these imperfections as something to fix, what we don’t see is the character they add and the stories they hold. In reality the only thing I should be wanting to fix is the rust bubbles in the interest of not letting my car fall to bits.

Next up is the issue of having your car run perfectly at all times. Now this is a pretty tough task for someone who has a temperamental car, whether it be electrics, the engine, brakes and whatever else may be the problem. Obviously some things need to be resolved sooner rather than later, and it’s important to not let anything get to a point of no return but even if your chasing an intermittent running issue, you can still go and enjoy your car. The important thing here is to ensure your car is still safe and will get from A to B and back without breaking down.

Then there’s the last thing. The rush of the build, wanting to get all your ideas done and fitted and having that vision come to life. Now I’ve spoke about this before and how it’s something I’ve fell for and I know plenty of other people out there that also fall for it. The instant gratification of a complete build sounds good in our heads however it’s the blood, sweat and tears along with the late nights finding and fixing problems all make for a much better experience. The knowledge you learn along the way, the experience of finding a problem and of course the fix too. None of this happens if it was all just instantaneous. So enjoy it, be patient and be driven to make the vision a reality. It will all fall into place.

So if any of this is even partially relatable, just know you’re not the only one. Everyone who has a project underway suffers setbacks and occasionally falls into the trap of the perfect build that came together so easy with no issues in a short space of time. The truth is a build like that doesn’t exist, if you speak to the owner of any build, I’m positive they themselves will be able to point out things they aren’t happy about or what they want to fix or do next. To me, the S3 will never be finished, there’s always gonna be “one more thing” and I’m happy it’s that way, I see longevity, not something I will get bored of in a couple of years.

So, with that said, enjoy the build, enjoy the problems that come with it and most importantly, enjoy the ride.

E.