Agreed, Trooper.. 8^] I just feel like after 7 years of owning this car, I should be alot further along.. Then again, I know someone who owns a '59 Corvette that they bought driveable in 1969, and it hasn't seen the road again since 1971.
Thanks again for the feedback, Jim --- Trooper <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 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 > === message truncated === __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools
