how do you guys do it??
work all day and have time to mod your cars and fart around.
i run my own shop and can't do it...
what's the secret?? more bran maybe??or do you guys have a 36 hour day vs 24

Obsessive compulsive disorder.

Well...my day usually starts about 8 and I'm usually home by 4. A short nap before dinner and I have the whole evening to play. For me it's not the time, it's the motivation. Once I'm in the garage I'm fine. It's getting to the garage that's the hard part sometimes. Of course, -30 has a lot to do with that too. Deadlines are a motivating factor too...

+1....diagnosed and verified.

Hence why i'm trying to cut down my fleet. so I can actually DRIVE some of my vehicles instead of either working on them, or neglecting them to the point of giving up.

+1000
Like Dale, my day starts early, albeit much earlier than most. I am usually home before 4:00 pm, that is when I play right up to dinner and then if I am not exhausted keep working into the early evening. The trick is the motivation and desire, you have to want to work on the damn thing, otherwise it would be just too easy to find an excuse to sit in the easy chair and watch the idiot box.

I bought a "good" vehicle so I don't have to monkey around with it, hopefully keeping my energy up to play with my toys. If anyone will ever let me, that is...

Seriously, Paul - when I was a mechanic (albiet at a golf course) the LAST thing I wanted to do was to play with my own cars after work. That's why I refuse to ever do it for a living.

I think it also has something to do with having your hobby and career seperate.

True. Doesn't matter how much you love what you do...at the end of the day you're going to want a break from it.

(one of ten reasons I never pursued photography as a career...that and the fact that I'm no ansel adams!)

Man, I always thought doing something that you loved made it alot easier. But I guess as an artist I can make my own hours

Ive always considered painting cars as a day job... I just dont know how much I would like sanding / prepping and painting 8 hours a day...

Actually in all my year in career counseling I have found that it is not "the doing something you love" as the problem. It is all the associated tasks that accompany that activity. When you have your own business all these "other" demands start to take control and make the experience unpleasant. A great example may be you Paul, I am guessing you love cars and are great at repairing them, but in running B&J your time is occupied with Finance, leases, permits, accounting, customer hassles, employees, equipment, parts, ... and the list goes on. By the end of the day you are exhausted because your passion for cars has really become anything but cars.
Sorry for the reality check, but I have been there

Yeah. Im young and still in school. I have lots of time to hate my job still.

Not all of us can do it, hence why my truck has been on jackstands for almost 3 years.

I do have a pretty physical job though, i'm pretty damn tired after a day of moving 300 pound chunks of metal around.

I'm with the other guys though, if I can make it to the garage i'm fine, it's just getting off the couch!

I hate going to work on other peoples car for 8 hours, then go work on my own car after that.

I towed my GT to work on Saturday, my day started at 830 and I didn't leave the shop til 6 that night. I am not even close to being done what I want to do, But I'm already worn out. 6 days a week is a bit much. Then add on top of a hard 8 hour day another hour or two, its a real drag. If I were working in a desk, I think I'd enjoy working on my car more.

But I love working on cars. Can I see myself doing it in 5-6 years? Not really. But for the time being I enjoy it, and the majority of days I love going to work. (We got out first XC60 on Saturday and it is sweet).

Just gotta get the motivation to do it. Set goals. The first autox here is may 2nd and 3rd. I want to have my car assembled for it, but it probably won't be running since I have learned to hate MS.

Jordan