I've found the windows - especially quarter glass - to be a PITA.
Another is the '68-'69 dash switch panel & troubleshooting/replacing those switches.

Been through the re-work hassles, too.

If it was all easy, I'd be fine with that; but the satisfaction of getting things corrected might not be as good.
What's intriguing to me is how some cars are easy, and some fight all the way through.

I don't think I could handle 80% of a restoration. The stupid ways most factories did many things just doesn't make much sense. I'd be going crazy in a few months.

I kept telling myself that this is a hobby and I am supposed to ENJOY it !! . . .lol . . . that being said, more than once I had to just put the tools down, walk away from the garage and come back to it another day. Amazing what a fresh perspective can do for you . . . think someone else said, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it !! . . .

Not sure how those that hand their car and keys over to a shop to restore the car, can do that . . . I handled everything myself,except for bodywork & paint, seats and vinyl top although I was prepared to try my hand at any of it - glad I didn't though ! LOL . . . got car back from bodyshop, figured, this will be easy, 6mths tops, to get it back together . . . . 2 YEARS !! . . .heh heh heh . . .

Restoring my car myself, was a validation of fact I do know what I am doing (for most part), and that I can do it !! . . . and that was only way I would be able to afford the car ! . . . a couple thousand $$ spend each year, over 12-15 years, way easier to handle than cutting one HUGE check . . .

Anyhow, always great to hear others experiences . . . .

M

Dealing with crappy restoration parts. Some don't fit worth a lick, others are just poor quality.

You are going to think I am stupid but tire rotations and oil changes are the worst.

I cut my teeth on drum brakes. In fact I worked on cars for years before I ever changed disk brakes.

Bad wiring was the norm in the old days so I got used to wiring too.

I can work for hours when I get in the zone doing bodywork, or anything else.

BUT

I can never get into oil changes or tires. I just hate it with a purple passion.

Go figure.

The very first thing that came to mind was rear main seals. Finding the right brand and style, and finding a good quality one, and figuring out the best way to get it to seal!!!

Second is just the poor overall quality of available parts!!!

Oh those 68-69 switch panels are a real mfer. I tried to forget those for sure. Deeply rewarding to get everything going, probably why every car seems to have stuff not working.

Tearing another car apart while another or two are still apart. I swore I wouldn't take the GTS apart until the Barracuda was done...Barracuda still isn't done (started in late 2007) and tore the GTS apart in 2018. It's not so much having multiple cars to do, but it's about having limited space to store them. Then you add the parts I have here for my son's Dart and you have a mess...

Whats the worst thing to do when restoring a car? Deciding to restore a car. On your own. With your money and time. Using your wife's side of the garage.

Funny. I never minded drum brakes. Maybe because that's pretty much all there was when I started working on cars. All you need are about three proper brake tools and they don't cost much. I've had mine for decades.

I hate dealing with window regulators and anything else inside the doors or quarters. Never liked standing on my head to work under the dash either.

I’ve had to pass on 2 projects where the “dissassembler” did not bag and tag…this was after doing one…and only one, that was in boxes when I got it, never again. I suppose the most annoying thing I can think of is cleaning nuts and bolts, I’m a stickler for reusing original bolts and nuts whenever possible, hardware store grade 8 bolts stick out like a sore thumb

Redoing others crap work

But installing door and quarter window glass ranks right up there on my hate to do list

Amen to the windows, brother!!!

Joe

Dealing with car owners who have Alligator arms and can't reach their wallets.

Do it once, and do it right

In 50 years of doing car work, I've done just about everything at least once. Except mud work and paint. Will not do any of that outside of a minimal amount of work on a repair. Windshields and back glass are left to glass guys.

Degree of difficulty depends on how bad the car is and who has worked on it previously. And the availability, or lack of, proper tools and equipment.

We had guys pull Camaros out of fields and drop them off at the shop with snakes and mice crawling out of them, and not much good original metal left. Paid good money for it since they watched TV and "know what it's worth". And they thought they had something that shouldn't take much work, until I started walking around it poking holes in it with a pocket screwdriver.

Know when to delegate. Upholstery, windshields and rear glass, mud work and paint, etc, someone else can do that. Someone who does it for a living and could do a better job than me with less headaches.

The worst...stuff that some one else has butchered up before I get it. We had a '67 Chevy II dropped off once. Running, driving, looked okay from 50' Guy want a mild restomod done. Had been wrecked and had rust repair done multiple times. Had 3 partial or full quarters done on one side and two on the other. None were done well. Not much left once the trash and mud was cut off.

Owners who don't know what they are doing, but think they do. Owners who think they should get $120K worth of work for $20K, tops. Owners who think their car, that's not much more than a brown spot on the floor, can be "patched up" and most of it reused. Owners who want to use China trash off Amazon. Owners who watch TV shows and think it takes a week and a half to build a car.

Guys who say "No one will ever see it".

If you can stay in your shop and do nothing but your own stuff, you're fortunate. If you can just do work for people who know what it takes, wants it done right, won't nickel and dime, and drop money off when you ask for it, you're fortunate. If you have to take in everything that comes along and work for clowns who want first class for crap money, and want you to patch and halfa$$, it sucks.

Buddy of mine has a shop. He's right up front. We do it my way, which is the right way with good parts and materials I spec, we don't cut corners, and we do it for this much money. Not negotiable. He sends plenty of people up the street. He's also booked out a year and a half with people who want to pay him, and wants me to come work for him.

The worst thing?
Believe that when you go to sell it that it will be worth at least what you put into it...

Never. Race cars, muscle, classics, always cheaper to buy one done and running.

Not necessarily true. I never buy to flip. Most of the time it seems I hang on to vehicles. However, I have only lost money on one vehicle my entire life. My first truck, which was a 79 Ramcharger S.E. we four wheeled the hell out of that thing, so it more than paid for itself in fun.

Mine are all worth more ran the money I spent. Do your own work. Buy parts wisely. Turned down 50k for this one, 10k total build with the car cost.
Doug