The Backyard – The Projects That Never Happened

Happy Friday and welcome to The Backyard!

Before we get into today’s topic, I should probably confess something. I own enough unbuilt static model kits to keep me occupied well into retirement. Tamiya kits. AMT kits. Military vehicles, aircraft, ships, semi trucks, race cars—you name it, I’ve probably got one sitting on a shelf somewhere.

Now, I don’t necessarily consider those projects that never happened. Those are simply projects waiting their turn. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.

What I want to talk about today are the projects that I was absolutely convinced I was going to build… and then somehow never did. You know the ones. The ideas that seemed brilliant at the time, the projects you talked about endlessly, and the ones where you may have even gathered parts or started making plans. Then life happened. Or another project happened. Or you got distracted by something shiny.

We’ve all been there.

I do have one project that falls into a category all its own—a project that is technically still active, despite moving at a pace that would make a glacier impatient. That would be my Sutton Motorsports JAWS Evolution modified 4×4 pulling truck.

The funny thing is that I’m not missing anything for it. I’ve got the chassis assembled. I have the body. I have the drivetrain components. I even have the 3D printed engine. Everything needed to finish the project is sitting in my workshop right now.

What’s stopping me?

Paint.

Ah yes, the ultimate project delay mechanism. A paint job can turn a build that’s 95 percent complete into a build that’s 95 percent complete for two years. On the flip side, I’ve found that having a finished body sitting on the bench can be one of the greatest motivators imaginable. Suddenly, the finish line is visible and you want to get the whole thing done.

Then there are the projects that never even got that far. One of the longest-running ideas on my hobby bucket list is a proper mud or sand dragster. And no, I’m not talking about a Mega Truck. I’ve built Mega Trucks (see the pic at the top of the page for an example of one!) That’s a completely different animal.

I’m talking about a long rail chassis, four-wheel drive, giant paddle tires out back, and an unreasonable amount of horsepower. For years I’ve thought, “Man, that would be cool.” And for years, that’s exactly where the project has remained. Maybe one day.

Keeping with the long and fast theme, another permanent resident of the “someday” list is a nitro-powered dragster. This one goes way back. Like, late-1990s back. At various points over the years, I’ve convinced myself I was finally going to build one, only for something else to inevitably grab my attention. Yet somehow the idea survives. Every few years it pops back into my head and I start planning it all over again.

I suppose that’s the sign of a truly good project idea—or at least a stubborn one.

Then there’s one that I genuinely hope becomes easier someday. I’ve long wanted to build a truly scale working farm tractor. Not just any tractor, either. I want a classic piece of American iron. Give me a John Deere. Give me an International Harvester. Give me something that looks like it belongs working a field instead of sitting in a museum.

And if we’re dreaming, I want working implements too. Some companies have started flirting with the tractor market, which gives me hope. If somebody releases the right platform, I will absolutely be involved.

Finally, we arrive at the most ridiculous project on the list. The one that probably lives the deepest in the realm of hobby fantasy.

A battleship.

Not just any battleship, either. I’m talking about one of those combat warships with working BB cannons and bilge pumps, where groups of enthusiasts gather around a pond and proceed to reenact naval warfare. I remember discovering that this existed years ago and immediately thinking it was one of the coolest things I’d ever seen.

I still think that.

Will I ever actually build one? Probably not. But that’s not really the point.

Because I think every hobbyist has projects like these. Ideas that have followed them for years. Builds that exist primarily in their imagination. Projects that are always one day, one paycheck, or one burst of motivation away from finally becoming reality.

Some eventually happen. Some don’t. And that’s okay.

Part of the fun of this hobby isn’t just building things. It’s dreaming about what you might build next.

Ok, that’s it for me this week. Until next time, keep it on all four’s!