It's the Under Construction issue again and of course it's my job to give my opinion on the subject, but I'm finding it harder to express my feelings about it than I had originally anticipated.
I'm personally far more interested in under construction vehicles at a show, cruise night, or any other car gathering than most of the finished ones and I'm not exactly sure why. To me, an under construction vehicle is not simply a truck that doesn't have paint on it yet, but more of an unfinished symphony that is only missing a few notes. There is just something magical about an under construction vehicle that is tough to put into words. The best way to describe it would be that while primer may not be all that shiny or desirable, the possibilities of how the finished product may look or where the build can go are endless. As a fabricator, the building and fabrication phase of a project is by far my favorite. I'm rarely as happy to see a vehicle done as I am with specific parts or pieces along the way. Although I'd be lying if I said that it wouldn't be nice to have a few of my own projects actually see paint or upholstery some day, let alone be able to take one to a car show or get one shot for a feature. Being that I build projects for other people it's hard, because every project that I work on I learn new tricks and try new things. When working on a project for myself, I want to try every single trick that I know and push myself, but it just seems impossible to do that on a vehicle for myself. I have started so many new builds only to have most of them sold or parked before they are even 10% completed. The only vehicles that ever seem to get finished are the ones I put together for the wife. She isn't nearly as concerned about the finished product as I am, nor does she care if the fabrication is perfect and ground breaking. A few minor mods and some paint and she's pretty happy-as long as it has air conditioning of course
Here's an interesting one to think about: Have you ever finished a build only to look back at the construction photos and realize that you liked it better when it was in primer or raw metal? Of course it's always nice to see a project completed with the paint buffed out and the interior all dialed in, but the spark just isn't there like it was in the middle of the build. I've done that a few times and I'm still not exactly sure how to explain the phenomenon. I guess that's part of why the patina look is so popular, you never have to commit and say that it's finished.
You wanna know something really depressing? I have only had one vehicle that I personally own, ever get featured in a magazine, and it was under construction. It's my custom motorcycle that I have been building for over 6 years now. And what's even worse is that it only needs about three weeks worth of work to get it running. But it's been sitting that way for almost two years now. I just don't have the time or motivation to finish it. Don't ask why because I honestly don't know. It doesn't make much sense either; I'd love to see it done. Hell, I'd even take it to a few shows if I could actually finish it. I guess I'm just like everyone else that writes for a magazine (hint, hint MIKE!) it must be something you catch from the keyboard-or maybe it's just pure and simple vehicular ADD.