The Perils of Project Creep

I’ve made it no secret that one of my current projects is a 2001 Daimler 4.0 V8. It’s been off the road since 2016, but prior to that it was adored, maintained and cared for without any regard for expense. The MOT history shows no advisories. It’s a good one. And that’s why I decided it needed saving. Firstly, this meant fitting a new fuel pump so it would run. A hateful job that I never want to do again. Then it meant sending it away for some bodywork and some welding. It is an X308 after all. However, this is when it happened. Project creep.

If you’re not familiar with the term, project creep is what happens when you keep saying yes. This can be to yourself, as you keep buying more parts and so on for your classic that originally only needed a lightbulb. Or it can, as per my case, be to your friend and his body shop. I was convinced the Daimler only needed front wing repairs, a couple of dents pulling, a thimble of paint and some metal underneath to cover a hole. But as you can see, it’s not turned out that simple. I’m now looking at a five grand bill on a car that cost me £700. Je suis moron.

In this case, I don’t mind. I have the money, and when the car is done it should be worth something around that figure. Plus, it’ll be the nicest car I have ever owned by some measure. And I have had some nice cars. Project creep hasn’t crippled me here, but it so easily could have. And the same could happen to you. So, speaking from ongoing experience, here are my three top tips to avoid project creep.

Set a budget

I didn’t do this, and that was my first mistake. I said what I wanted, but I didn’t say how much I could spend. It’s no fault of the wonderful team at the body shop that things have crept. I wasn’t specific enough. You need to be. If you’re having a third party do the work, or even if you’re doing it yourself at home, set a budget and stick to it. This will prevent 99% of project creep because if you can’t afford it, you can’t do it.

Create a Checklist

Your mind is not your friend. Your mind is a cheeky scamp that, if given the opportunity, will let you get away with murder. Figuratively. Please don’t murder anyone. Do, however, make a list. A list of what you’re trying to achieve will keep you on the straight and narrow, it will keep you focused and it will help stop any project creep. If you have a list of work to, you’re stopping any creep in its tracks. I should have done this. I did not.

Set a Deadline

Finally, set a chuffing deadline. This is where I went wrong in a big way. I don’t need the Daimler. I have other cars. So I just told the body shop to get it done whenever, and that of course gave them more time to look at the car, and consequently, more time to find things wrong. Again, I’m not complaining, because the car is going to be magnificent when it’s done and I’m happy to pay for the work. However, if you don’t have the money, this can be a crippling form of project creep. And the same rule applies if you’re doing a job at home. Set a date of estimated completion, otherwise you’ll end up with a situation like that of my Beetle, which has been sat in the garage for months, in bits.