My other hobby

[hambone]

Shoot870p asked for more info on my military jeep, if this isn't allowed, please delete. I have been in the MV hobby for about 20 years, bought my first one thinking I would just use it on the farm and deer hunting. Well, that idea has turned into about 10 MV's, but my favorite is the Vietnam military ambulance(M718A1). This style jeep was deemed unsafe for road use after demilled from military, being it had independent suspension, they said it was a rollover hazard(like all jeeps not driven correctly), most were cut in half or in quarters before leaving the military. I was lucky to find this one uncut and rust free, took me 10 years to collect all the correct parts before I started the restoration and then another 2 years on the restoration. The jeep had been stripped of all the ambulance goodies and was being used as a runabout jeep on a military base, it is estimated that only about 200 are still around and most in museums.

 

[hambone]

More pics.

 

[hambone]

My next project, 4 wheel steer Coot.

 

[BaldRider]

That's pretty awesome. It is the sort of thing I imagine doing someday. However, I know myself well enough to understand I would just have a ton of half-finished (or started) projects.

 

[hambone]

That's pretty awesome. It is the sort of thing I imagine doing someday. However, I know myself well enough to understand I would just have a ton of half-finished (or started) projects.

It takes a lot of dedication, but I need something to due other than honey do's since I have retired, getting off the creeper is getting harder everyday.

 

[Shoot870p]

Very nice indeed! You do have some great pictures . Congrats on the rebuild.

 

[SneakyDingo]

Bit of a weird question for you @hambone - how do you maintain the enthusiasm and dedication to complete these long duration projects?

 

[hambone]

Bit of a weird question for you @hambone - how do you maintain the enthusiasm and dedication to complete these long duration projects?

That's not a weird question, that's a good question, I think about it from time to time, then I look at some of my friends and see their only hobby is mowing the grass on Saturday and never accomplish much other than their daily jobs during the week. I just like working with my hands and having a shop to work in makes all the difference, before I built my shop, I was working in my basement, that was within shouting distance of my wife, I knew that wasn't working. Just kidding about the wife, she is a good lady, as long as I cover my honey do's, she lets me have free range and doesn't fuss much when I spend money on my projects, she knows it keeps me out of trouble and I have something to show for it in the end. If I'm not hunting, fishing or playing with my toys, I'm usually working in the shop, my 2 boys live within a couple hours, so they visit often and get involved in the projects, that's another motivator, having the kids involved. I told them they would have to build a big shop one day to store all the goodies, they love the bikes more than I do, I don't think they will let my hobbies die. I've rebuilt 3 lil Honda's in the last 2 years and have many more to go, I just hope my health holds out so I can continue my dream, not ready for the recliner yet.

 

[Kev250R]

Very cool! There is a guy who comes to the weekly Cars & Coffee I attend who has a collection of military Jeeps from the '70's which he brings on a regular basis, complete with many of the accessories from that era. Really neat to look at, though I'll freely admit that I know next to nothing about military equipment, which is embarrasing since I spend a day or two a week working at a large military base here in So.Cal. Recently I showed some pictures of a large plane I'd seen land on the base to a friend who is knowledgeable about such things. He couldn't believe I'd been within 100' of a Globemaster or that I didn't realize that it was a Globemaster and not 'just a really big plane which made a lot of noise'

 

[SneakyDingo]

That's not a weird question, that's a good question, I think about it from time to time, then I look at some of my friends and see their only hobby is mowing the grass on Satu...

I keep reading this response and reflecting on it and my life recently with work. All I can think of is how lucky your boys are to have a role model like you in your life, that looks like a good work-life balance and that there's some work and life ethics there that I need to adopt in my own life. Thanks for the reply!

 

[hambone]

I keep reading this response and reflecting on it and my life recently with work. All I can think of is how lucky your boys are to have a role model like you in your life, that looks like a good work-life balance and that there's some work and life ethics there that I need to adopt in my own life. Thanks for the reply!

Thanks, SD, one thing I never let happen was to put work in front of my family, it's happened a few times over the years, but I've always made up for it at some point. My kids are grown now and so glad they didn't come up with a cell phone in their hand, the wife and I were out eating the other night, there was a family of 4 eating at the next table, all 4 had a cell phone in their hand, I'm not sure they even spoke to each other during the meal. Communications and vacations was always a priority on my list, there was nothing my kids couldn't talk to me about, no matter what it was, it would be a lonely and sad life without the family.

 

[CTExplorer]

That's not a weird question, that's a good question, I think about it from time to time, then I look at some of my friends and see their only hobby is mowing the grass on Saturday and never accomplish much other than their daily jobs during the week. I just like working with my hands and having a shop to work in makes all the difference, before I built my shop, I was working in my basement, that was within shouting distance of my wife, I knew that wasn't working. Just kidding about the wife, she is a good lady, as long as I cover my honey do's, she lets me have free range and doesn't fuss much when I spend money on my projects, she knows it keeps me out of trouble and I have something to show for it in the end. If I'm not hunting, fishing or playing with my toys, I'm usually working in the shop, my 2 boys live within a couple hours, so they visit often and get involved in the projects, that's another motivator, having the kids involved. I told them they would have to build a big shop one day to store all the goodies, they love the bikes more than I do, I don't think they will let my hobbies die. I've rebuilt 3 lil Honda's in the last 2 years and have many more to go, I just hope my health holds out so I can continue my dream, not ready for the recliner yet.

 

[hambone]

CTExplorer.
I like it, can't say I ever heard of Shane Smith & the Saints, but what a cool song, going to check out some of their music.