I believe restorations or lack thereof may be an economic driven endeavour today. I look at these Gen Xers and they have to work longer if not harder hours than we did as Baby Boomers to keep up with the cost of living. Longer hours for less pay than I earned if you base it on the cost of living today, in Ontario at least. It seems everyone is on Salary today, like my wife, to avert paying overtime which is illegal here, unless in a Unionized environment the squeaky wheel gets the pink slip. When I retired we were hiring, post secondary education need to apply only for the same job 30 years earlier a High School education was a plus. How these kids can come up with $200,000.00 and carry a $300,000.00 mortgage around here in Southern Ontario is beyond me? Then there are 2 student loans to deal with. We are not talking about Mc Mansions these are 3 bedroom 1 and 1/2 bath working family homes maybe with a single car garage, maybe for 500K. Then they need 2 cars on the road because both need to work to carry the expenses then there is child care to boot. At 30 something years old raising a family with that burden is a Herculean task. Hobbies that cost money is the last thing in their budget. Boating is a luxury today here and most everywhere, restoration of cars and boats are the last thing on the needs list when you have a home that needs tender loving care nor do they have "spare time." I was born at the right time in the past century in the mid 50's as I believe many here are too and I sure wouldn't want to be 30 in todays economy trying to raise a family. I did restorations after work and days off in between night school at the local College, but it was the home, and old furniture where there was a return on investment. My toys were a set of used Golf clubs and power tools. The average house price in Toronto Ontario today is $895,000.00, Vancouver B.C. the average home today is 1.44 million dollars. Not a typo, $1,440,000.00. Our niece has a condo in downtown Toronto, 500ftsq 1 bedroom 1 bath, appraised last month for $900,000.00. Her mortgage is $500,000.00. She works 3 jobs to keep to keep the Wolves at bay. She has a nice bicycle that I bought her. Restorations?
Health wise of course I would kill to be 30 again but not financially. That's my take.
I take on board a lot of what you say, but disagree somewhat on some points. I don't think there is a lack of restoration projects being undertaken "nowadays", but quite the opposite. Thanks to all the encouragement and information available on line through forums such as this, many people are encouraged to have a go. They feel armed in advance, with a ton of information and a catalogue of others' successes.
Back in the day, much of the repair and restoration "projects" undertaken, were done so out of necessity. Financial constraints meant that things had to last longer and simply replacing something wasn't always an option. Like yourself, I am of an age where I would like to be 30 years younger, but I wouldn't wish to be 30 again, at the present time. My reason for embarking on restorations is varied. I like to keep things alive and useful. I like to save things from extinction. And I really like to give myself a challenge and the pleasure of having something to look forward to. Like waiting on Christmas morning as a child, it's important to have something that keeps your heart beating and your blood pumping.
The central point to my original post was that often, people seem to embark upon their projects a little naively, taking on too much too soon. It's often not too long before they become overwhelmed by the enormity of what they've started. At this point it's useful to remember the old adage, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time"
I always feel a sense of loss, when, as previously mentioned, I come across an introductory youtube video, showing the sad remains of a neglected boat, with a commentary, outlining the plans to bring this wreck back to its' former glory. Sometimes you see little warning signs, when the commentator suggests that the crumbling, flaking woodwork can be "resurrected" with "a lick of paint" But for the most part, these would be restorers, are fully armed with enthusiasm and idealism and often not a lot more. Depending upon your own personal disposition, this can often be enough to see you through the bad times, those times when you think "What have I taken on here?" But more often than not it seems, the weight of what you've embarked upon overcomes you and your project is resigned to the "Disappeared" file.
That's when you should walk away, for the moment. Take stock and prepare a proper, ordered, "to do" list. Break the enormity of the task down into a lot of little individual jobs. One by one, they are worked through, enjoying the gradual process. Enjoy the journey and don't allow yourself to be rushed to the finish line. Ask yourself, "Why did I take on this project boat?" Was it primarily to go fishing? You can do that any time without all the hassle! Or was it to do something useful and worthwhile, to use your hands, your brain, to give you something to do, for you! To have some activity in your life that you were engaged in because you wanted to be. Life is filled with things we must do, but often lacks the things we'd like to do.
Having said that, it's not for everybody. But if you decide to go ahead, make plans, take small steps, ask questions, develop a hard skin to deal with anybody of the "High horse brigade" and pat yourself on the back for each little success. Share your experiences and you'll get lots of encouragement on board, which helps to keep you going. I look forward to seeing your project, from the first day, when it's dragged into your yard, right through to the big splash. It will put a smile on my face and no doubt, teach me something new.