As one of those Florida company dupees, I, too, thought that this would be a six-month project. That would be perfect, too, as my doctor suggested at the time that I get a hobby to help me forget the stress at work for a while.
As it turns out, it became an on and off project (mostly on, but very part-time) for the next nine years. Along the way, I learned how to weld, apply fiberglass properly, avoid the use of bondo and how to custom-fabricate all kinds of things including custom tools. I also did a whole lot of research on what I wanted this car to become, which parts to use (and NOT use) and where to get them. I resurrected my long-dormant VW engine building skills from the long-lost Dune Buggy days of the '60's and '70's - some of it still applied, some of it didn't, as the parts technology of these engines has evolved whilst I didn't (it took a BIG leap of faith to set my valve lash at .002!)
In the end, the biggest thing I learned was patience, since EVERYTHING seemed to become a custom build and here in New England there are hardly any places left that get involved with "affordable" customs, let alone air-cooled engines (Many that did have gone the Harley Davidson route or abandoned it all together).
The best thing about it all? I could go into the shop and totally forget about my day job while I was working on the car - for years and years on end. That was the best!
And in the end, I built a really cool car that's the envy of all those I used to work with who caused me that stress - PRICELESS!
