I do, but I do have a license - haven't done a complete one of my own for some time. For an amatuer to attempt and complete I toast them-thats what I call "restoring my car".
I do all my own work. The SD I just finished is the first car I haven't painted myself in over 25 years. I hear by 2010 it will be very difficult if not impossible for the "guy off the street" to buy paint.
Well that is great, I so far have done every thing on mine except weld the quarter skins on my 72 LeMans. I learned to weld after that but would today weld skins or any panel on. The only real problem I had with my resto was spraying the clear coat. I had never sprayed base/clear and had no idea on the method but did it anyways. I got plenty of orange peel and have tried to cut it a few times now but burnt out my grinder and got frustraited so just left it.
For a novice, I'm not too bad at it. Having the right tools makes all the difference. I don't know if I'd trust myself to do a full body resto on a rare car though...
I do all my own work. The SD I just finished is the first car I haven't painted myself in over 25 years. I hear by 2010 it will be very difficult if not impossible for the "guy off the street" to buy paint.
When I was in body shop school in the early 1990's we were told we would one day have to have a license to buy body shop supplies-guess the day has come
I have heard that waterborn paint will not be #'s required but chemical based paints will be. This is simaler to the R12-R22-R any number and 134A vrs the outside the industry (freon type ) mixes. Unsafe cooling chemicals are ok cause they don't hurt the atmosphere as quick or as bad but you need a licence to dispense the safer to the people ones. This means at this point the base will be ok to purchase but the clear will not not be. I know Toyota in Ontario is attempting to spray instant dry base and quick dry clear soon to be instant dry clear but have not heard if it is chemical or water based clear.
I sold my 64 GTO clone convert project 2 years ago because the bodywork overwhelmed me. It was a nice solid car, but I tried VERY hard to get it straight and could not do it. I had always said (owned that car 17 years) that I was going to do it from start to finish. I had done virtually all the other work on the car myself (other than fake68's help with the Muncie) and I finally admitted defeat when a reasonable offer for the car came along.
I get a bit sad when I have to admit defeat on a project, but no matter how I look at it, I do NOT have the knack for making exterior panels straight.
Otherwise, I have done almost all my own work over the years with the exception of body work and of course machine work on blocks.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
I suck at bodywork and paint. Just to align the fenders and doors makes me pull my hair out. I'm great with a spray can, but just can't do it with the gun So I leave that to the pro's. I might give it a try on my door of the Yellow one. Any tips
I restored my 72 Camaro from junk yard condition. I am not an experienced body person but am willing to try anything. Trial and error and lots of reading.
I did all the welding, all the bodywork and painted it in my garage. It was six years in the making so it does take time.
I have a friend, who has worked at the same body shop, for 35 years..He just takes my stuff over and works on it, when he has time (nights,weekends) I just pay for materials
I plan on attacking my project body myself, in a Costco tent no less! With all the information available to us today, some money for quality tools and materials and a little tenacity, I think it's possible to actually do this. The Carquest paint store guy I get some of my materials from, says not to worry till at least 2012 till tighter regulations shut out the "walk in" hobbiest. I plan on getting the body to at least 75% ready for paint myself. I have a friend who is a bodyman and a great painter, with his help we'll bring it closer to 90% then it'll go in to the shop for a final tweaking and paint. Hopefully next summer. We'll see, it's a very big car!
Your Camaro looks Awsome 69 Acadian, it must be satisfying to say you even painted it yourself!
-- Edited by cdnpont at 13:45, 2008-10-24
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
I'm with the Guru. EVERYTHING! Except Automatic Transmissions and Sewing Upholstery. 4 Speeds all the way. I do full metal work, body work, and paint right in the driveway/garage. I don't think the neighbours liked their Monaco Blue smokies a couple of weeks ago.
I do everything except automatic transmissions. I paint some and my local shop does some, depending on how long I have to wait.I did the seats in my 1928 roadster, that was a first. I guess if I win the lottery I'll farm everything out.
HI i have been a auto painter for 30 years i have a auto body licence the average person should get the welding and sheet metal lined up and he or she gould do the block sanding to paint a car takes a lot of time and experiance and the COST OF MATERIAL LET THE RIGHT PERSON DO THIER .... JOB
I took Auto body when I was in High School and got my ticket a few years later. We had our own Body shop out in Cache Creek,BC. I got tired of breathing dust and fumes so we moved back to Alberta and bought a farm. Well now the whole family wants to build cars ,my eldest son paints for a shop in Athabasca. Son#2 is the smart one he's in Slave Lake apprenticing to be an electrician. My youngest son worked in the body shop this summer,he graduates this year and is determined to work with his brother in shop. Well long story short we're building a shop on the farm so we can build our toys....everyone is welcome to bring thier projects.
So I leave that to the pro's.
