Steve, You should be an inspirational speaker :) You made me feel guilty that I'm sitting here at the computer and not out in the garage sanding on my Chevelle :)
Trooper ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cecil "Steve" Martin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "The Chevelle Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2004 9:21 PM Subject: [Chevelle-list] bodywork.. bodywork.. bodywork.. > > I hadn't ever needed to do much body work over the years. Never had any boy > work training either. I had done a lot of maintenance and figured out how to > do things on my own, or at times as the Beatles said "I get by with a little > help from my friends". > > This project car was a combination of having to do with a lesser quality car > to get started due to low finances, and as something to do as part of a > midlife crises project that I could take into retirement as one of the > things to do to enjoy the finer things in life. > > Well it turns out it sure would have been a whole lot cheaper buying a much > better shape car. I don't know where you live, but buying a mid-west car > that must have been an every day driver for most of it's life, this thing > had more rust hiding in places than I ever could have guessed when I bought > it. What I thought was just a simple patch in part of one of the floor pans, > has turned into most of the bottom of the car being replaced. Very little > original sheet metal and bracing will be left after I am done. I am working > on replacing the trunk pan and braces now. After cleaning, I found the rear > seat pan needs replacing and that's next. > > Still, I learned how to weld, how to work a little with sheet metal, how to > do things I never thought I could do, and now know a lot about what to look > for when buying my next project. That's something the best automotive > schools can't teach as well in my opinion. Sometimes the school of hard > knocks and experience is the best school. > > I still have a long ways to go, including quarter panels, inner fender wells > and either fix or replace the front fenders. Right now I am getting more > confident and I am seriously thinking about fixing something most guys would > throw away and buy new. If I screw them up, then I was going to replace them > anyway. > > I'm still a little ways away from being where you are due to more sheet > metal replacement. I actually look forward to when I can look at the car and > finally start to see some improvement in looks. Right now you can't tell the > many man hours I have put into the car. > > Some of the man hours and work are well hidden behind braces where rust > holes were hidden as big as my fist. So while someone looking in from the > garage sees an old project that doesn't look touched, I know that what I > have done is very satisfying in the long run. I can rest knowing I did the > right thing, and did not take short cuts just to get it on the road sooner. > > Besides, it's kept me out of trouble and been a whole lot more fun than some > other things I could have been doing. Not to mention a whole lot better than > sitting on my butt in front of the TV watching worthless trash. Now that's > reward enough for today. When I start that baby up and drive it for the > first time, the pride in doing it right, and doing it myself will mean a > whole lot more than what I would have felt buying one done by someone else. > > Chin up man. Very few guys are brave enough to do what we have done. > Although a lot of those who do hang out here. They are a special breed, and > I look up to them and what they have done. They rodders from the 30's, 40's > and 50's lead the way and we just follow and carry on something that's > special. A car guy's quest for the car of his dreams. You get to do it YOUR > way this way :) > > Steve > > > > Well gang, > > Tonite I thought I'd gripe about the bodywork I'm > > absolutely [EMAIL PROTECTED](@$@([EMAIL PROTECTED])!)@!-ing sick of doing.. I > > have owned my '66 for 7 years, and I'm close to the > > finish line on the bodywork, so I guess that's why > > it's getting to me so much. > > In the time I've owned the car, I started w/bodywork > > b/c I didn't have the money for the engine work just > > yet, so I did as much bodywork as I could handle- > > then, I got a motor and put it in the car from a parts > > car, only to have it die about 6 mos after I installed > > it, so I then took a 1-yr hiatus. From there, I > > finally pulled enough funds together to get a 327 and > > rebuild it for the car, and she now sounds great and > > runs great- And now, I'm down to the final stretch of > > stripping the last of the original > > nauseating-puke-colored turquoise paint off of the > > car, in hopes of having the bodywork completed and > > ready for paint by April. Only thing is, I'm now > > working on the roof, which appears to have gone > > seriously neglected for about the first 10 years of > > the car's life- And then, to make matters worse, the > > next buyer simply shot another coat of paint right > > over it for that "new car" look. I've been doing the > > entire car with an orbital DA, and my God do I wish > > I'd had the money to simply have the entire body > > bead-blasted.. It's alot of work and I know it will > > be worth it once I'm done and looking back, and I know > > that had I not gotten the car in this condition, I > > probably wouldn't have had one at all, so I really > > need to clam up and just finish it.. But man, it's > > been a rough road.. Anyone else had as much "fun" > > with the bodywork on their classic?? > > Jim > > > >
