3.2 body rebuild

[jim2807]

hi.

 

I am not going to go into all the details but basically sent a 1985 car away for sill rust bubbles to be replaced, supplied all parts and two years later the car is in need of serious body work. I had it up for sale but am relocating next week and looks like car is not selling so I taking it with me. As I am owed over $20k for what I have already spent plus another ‌$20k of additional damage (won the court case but still trying to get the money), it looks like a DIY is my only option.

 

I have owned the car about 6 years and it was my daily driver, it was a fantastic car and I have just rebuilt the engine (not myself I had a specialist do that one.... another $25k). I am fairly handy at mechanical having rebuilt a Lotus and a Focus XR5 myself recently. However I have zero experience at body work. How hard is it really?

 

I am thinking a matter of cutting right back to establish the extent of rust (appears to be sills, kidney bowls, plus associated areas) Floor pans are clean on top and battery tray is solid as is all around the windscreen. The car was relatively rust free prior to this incident .I have virtually all the replacement panels but no experience of welding. There is no rush to complete the car so I am happy to plod along and learn but is it doable for a DIY mechanic?

[LeeM]

  Gday mate, and welcome to the forum

 Ofcourse it's doable as a DIY. Just depends how handy you are,  and how much you WANT to do it all. Make Youtube your friend, as there are many instructional videos on how to weld and do bodywork.

  If you take shortcuts, you'll end up with a crap job, so take your time investigating how to do things, and learn as you go. I've never had the need to weld, so I haven't learned how to (got a mate to do mine), yet I've seen it done and doesn't look that hard. Either that, or get some quotes with a shop that doesn't charge the Porsche tax. $100 an hour tops, or you're getting stiffed. I don't care what panel shop it is, they're ripping you off if its more than that. Porsche specialist shops are a rip off, so be warned.

 Sills are a pretty easy thing to do from what I've seen, yet when you get into floor pans etc, it's a bit harder, so you're in front already. 

 Buy your panels from Autohaus Hamilton (James in spare parts), as he is about the same price as you'd pay for US supplied panels, yet do your homework with suppliers, as buying locally can sometimes be twice or 3 times the price as US suppliers

 If you're going that far with it, bare metal the car and do it right, as paint can hide some pretty crap bodywork from experience.

 Above all, persevere, and enjoy what you're doing, as when it becomes a chore, you'll end up hating the car and want to sell it. Stick with it, and see how good you'll feel the end of the build. Good luck, and keep us posted with a build thread

[SimonN]

Sorry to hear about your troubles.

Anything is doable for the DIYer. You only have to look at some of the thread on here (check out "Home Built Hot Rod" thread and the videos on there). The issue comes down to whether you can weld. It's not a lot of fun if you cannot or aren't prepared to learn. IMO, at very least, you need a decent mig wleder (with gas). It's not too hard if you folow YouTube tutorials. So long as you are welding new metal to good, clean stuff with no rust, you will be OK. 

I wouldn't take it on unless it is something that you get reasonably excited by, otherwise you will end up with a long project and an unloved finished product! But if you know you have the patience and time, plus will get some pleasure out of it, go for it. One other note of caution - it always takes twice as long as you think it will. If you aim to do it in a year, it will take 2. If you allow 2, it will take..........you get the picture!

Good luck.

[jim2807]

I like to think I am realistic , I have always finished close to the estimated time but with this one there really isn't a rush its just cost (young family).

 

I had the car in at Autohaus and their prices I found astronomical. I sourced the same parts myself (same brand) for a fraction of the cost, I get all my parts from Europe and have done for years. I already have all sills and kidney bowls/ slam panels ready to go. I sourced them for the garage that were supposed to be doing the work.

Autohaus stated 70- 100 hours bodywork but that was doing the floor pans and other areas that 'might need doing'. I think they might be very salvageable due to lack of topside rust but until I get the deadener off I simply won't know how far it has gone. If I do get into it the first thing I will be purchasing is a commercial style car lift - I am 6'5 and crawling on the floor does not appeal to me.

I also sent the car to an indy and they checked it over and have informed me it only needs localised spraying as the rest is good (I used to wash it wearing sunglasses as too bright, I believe it had a full respray in 2007/ 2008) , they stated it is white which is also the easiest colour to match and therefore most cost effective. I will be using the car as a daily so I don't want a garage queen so it now seems viable to be doing myself. I am relocating to QLD so it will have to wait until we get settled.

a pic of before the incident and as she currently is

 

 

[Stew F]

Lee is spot on with the don't take shortcuts thing. The key to a great job, apart from the ability to do it, is preparation.  And don't practice on the car. Buy yourself some new clean 0.9mm CA3 sheet steel - more than you need. Cut some bits, watch YouTube, then have a crack. And as Simon said, a decent MIG welder and use gas.  And a set of hammers and dollies. Maybe a forum member in your area that can weld would be willing to get you started. 

While you're at it, check out the area where the fender attaches to the body along the hood flange. I pulled my fender off recently and there was a lot of rust hiding in there.

Keep asking questions as well.

[jim2807]

So the individual has now voluntarily declared himself bankrupt and it transpires that I am not the only one that he owes money to.

I am in the process of now reporting the fraud but still have the loans used to pay for the work to clear before I can even start working on the car.

so wrong that someone can effectively steal money and not only do I lose use of the car, I also have to continue paying for his theft for the next 3 years and he gets away with it (unless I can prove it was intentional ... I know it was but proving is a different matter)

Sorry just had to vent somewhere

[OBRUT]

Shitty situation, but sometimes it pays to just cut your losses.  Price the car realistically, sell and move on.  

Just a thought.  

[MFX]

If you are willing to learn, I have always to be one to say go for it. If you stuff it up then you have to take it to someone anyway, if you don't you save some money but more importantly you learn some new skills. I want to keep learning new skills until the day I die. 

I taught myself all of the body work on my car. I practiced as mentioned, until I was comfortable welding on scrap, and then I tackled the car. I truly believe anyone can do whatever they want, as long as they have the patience to learn.

On the flip side, if you start, you need to follow through to the end. If you think you may get bogged down and put it off, it could end up like 95% of peoples phome project cars, that sit there in pieces for 10 plus years until you can't look at it anymore and you just sell it in bits. If that is the case, save yourself the time as your car, as it is, with its issues, is worth more and a lot more saleable in one piece, than it is in boxes.

Have a look at my videos if you need some motivation, as my car was a basket case when I started, although I have been spending at least 2 full days a week on it for around 15 months now and I am still several months from the end  

[Mike D'Silva]

 

On the flip side, if you start, you need to follow through to the end. If you think you may get bogged down and put it off, it could end up like 95% of peoples phome project cars, that sit there in pieces for 10 plus years until you can't look at it anymore and you just sell it in bits. If that is the case, save yourself the time as your car, as it is, with its issues, is worth more and a lot more saleable in one piece, than it is in boxes.

 

This is good advice.. I think I would fall into that category with regard to bodywork.