Looking for a body guy.

[Feral]

I feel a little goofy for trying, but here it goes.

The situation is that I do not have the skill to perform any sheet metal work or welding, and I'm simply not going to cut into my 1971 Super Bee for practice, a car like this is just too rare for me to attempt to do something I'm not proficient at. On top of that I don't have the tools or equipment to do good body work.

I've went to a number of shops and I could find only one that was even willing to look at my car. But the problem here is that it would take me years to save up for labor costs on top of parts.

I want to try to find someone who restores cars, and can work with my low income. Someone I can pay $300 - $400 a month to work on it at their leisure until it's done. If I can find someone locally, or within a couple hundred miles that would be fantastic.

I'm from Boone County, West Virginia.

 

[Cornpatch MO]

I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, but I doubt anyone would want to store your car that long when $ 3-400 would buy you about 1/2 a day labor. I would suggest you first find someone that enjoys that kind of work and has several good recommendations. There are horror storys about how some shops treat their customers. Save up $1-2000. and have the shop work on it till the money is used up , and then take it home till more money is available. That way you can see if the work is worth the money. Have them tell you ahead of time what you can expect when the $ runs out. Save money by doing some of the work yourself--like stripping paint or getting it media blasted and in epoxy primer. Good Luck!.............MO

 

[Dennis H]

71 Super Bee. Beautiful car. Make sure the shop you end up with is a Mopar shop or one that is at least familiar with our Brand. I used a Chevy guy - scum sucking Shelly's Auto Body in Danielsville, Pennsylvania. Mistake. Good luck.

 

[kb67mopar]

Just suck it up and dig in. Its the best way to learn. I haven't seen any pictures of your car or how much work is required but I can tell you its not that hard to do a good job if you take your time and invest in the right tools. the guys on this site can help guide you and pulling it apart will make it easy to know how it goes back together.

If you have limited income and think you can take it to a body shop to get it done, you are going to be sadly disappointed. I bought a $700 Eastwood Mig welder, some $30 Harbor freight body hammers, a couple pairs of vice grips and got started. 2 years later its at a family friends for filler and paint work.

Steel work isn't a big mystery really, what is rusted you cut out and replace. I just butt welded joints together, use spot welds and move around the panels as you weld; line up the metal to the best of your ability and adjust as necessary with the body hammers and dollies. the best part is if you don't like how the seam turned out you can grind it down or cut it and move it again and start over.

If your rust is more severe and requires a full quarter panel, then your job got even easier...drill out about 400 spot welds and replace the whole panel..just get it lined up and then spot weld it like the factory did but instead by drilling holes and then filling them with weld.

In the end you will have the car you want, be able to say you did it, and have just taken a crash course in body repair you will be able to use for the rest of your life.

:steps off soap box:

 

[Feral]

Just suck it up and dig in. Its the best way to learn. I haven't seen any pictures of your car or how much work is required but I can tell you its not that hard to do a good job if you take your time and invest in the right tools. the guys on this site can help guide you and pulling it apart will make it easy to know how it goes back together.

If you have limited income and think you can take it to a body shop to get it done, you are going to be sadly disappointed. I bought a $700 Eastwood Mig welder, some $30 Harbor freight body hammers, a couple pairs of vice grips and got started. 2 years later its at a family friends for filler and paint work.

Steel work isn't a big mystery really, what is rusted you cut out and replace. I just butt welded joints together, use spot welds and move around the panels as you weld; line up the metal to the best of your ability and adjust as necessary with the body hammers and dollies. the best part is if you don't like how the seam turned out you can grind it down or cut it and move it again and start over.

If your rust is more severe and requires a full quarter panel, then your job got even easier...drill out about 400 spot welds and replace the whole panel..just get it lined up and then spot weld it like the factory did but instead by drilling holes and then filling them with weld.

In the end you will have the car you want, be able to say you did it, and have just taken a crash course in body repair you will be able to use for the rest of your life.

:steps off soap box:

You guys make it sound easy to learn, but I know better. I had taken welding class in high school and failed miserably, and I am dead set against doing the metal work myself on this car simply for the fact it's a hard to find car and I'm certain I'll screw up on such a grand scale somehow. If it were something more common like a 1980 Camaro, then sure, I'd probably take a whack at it...

And after this project, I doubt I'll take on another, at least not a project that's degraded to this degree. I'm not rebuilding the car to be resold, I'm rebuilding it for me to keep and hopefully pass down one day.

 

[Dennis H]

I've got a friend who can build a car in his garage. I can't. If I EVER buy another Mopar, it will be finished.

 

[MoparBill]

What skills do you have? Maybe you can trade your labor for some bodywork.

 

[Feral]

What skills do you have? Maybe you can trade your labor for some bodywork.

In truth, I don't have any real marketable skills. When it comes to cars I can do almost any wrench work, I can do basic stereo installation that doesn't require any real fabrication.

 

[kb67mopar]

You guys make it sound easy to learn, but I know better. I had taken welding class in high school and failed miserably, and I am dead set against doing the metal work myself on this car simply for the fact it's a hard to find car and I'm certain I'll screw up on such a grand scale somehow. If it were something more common like a 1980 Camaro, then sure, I'd probably take a whack at it...

And after this project, I doubt I'll take on another, at least not a project that's degraded to this degree. I'm not rebuilding the car to be resold, I'm rebuilding it for me to keep and hopefully pass down one day.

Hey I had to try. I was in the same boat as you monetarily and it forced me to do it myself even though I had no clue where to start. 2 years of crash course education later it runs and is getting painted this winter.

Post some pics of your car if possible, i'd like to see the starting point

 

[Feral]

Hey I had to try. I was in the same boat as you monetarily and it forced me to do it myself even though I had no clue where to start. 2 years of crash course education later it runs and is getting painted this winter.

Post some pics of your car if possible, i'd like to see the starting point

These pictures were taken by the previous owner, I haven't got nearly as good pictures taken myself. But there is a brand new dent in the passenger side fender just behind the bumper courtesy of my father's empty head. :<

http://s279.photobucket.com/user/3440matt/library/1971 Super Bee?sort=3&page=1

 

[Hemi Rebel]

You didn't fail welding class. Your teacher failed. I look back on my beginnings in working on cars and without a mentor it would have been almost impossible. You can read all the material on the subject you want, but that will only take you so far. You have to actually place your hands on a car to learn.
Now you said you don't have any marketable skills. Its not my business, but i think you need to rectify that situation before you try and restore a dodge charger. If you think fixing cars is what you want to do, try and get an apprenticeship at a body shop. That way you can learn a skill that will pay the bills and get the charger fixed at the same time.

 

[Feral]

You didn't fail welding class. Your teacher failed. I look back on my beginnings in working on cars and without a mentor it would have been almost impossible. You can read all the material on the subject you want, but that will only take you so far. You have to actually place your hands on a car to learn.
Now you said you don't have any marketable skills. Its not my business, but i think you need to rectify that situation before you try and restore a dodge charger. If you think fixing cars is what you want to do, try and get an apprenticeship at a body shop. That way you can learn a skill that will pay the bills and get the charger fixed at the same time.

I just don't know what kind of career I want, I had it in my head as a teenager to become a mechanic like my dad, but I've watched him bust his *** working on cars and barely scrape by. And I have thought about taking classes or whatever, learning how to work with metal and do fabrication to eventually open my own shop. But... I have my reservations about that...

Even if I did have the skill, then there would be the issue of finances, tools and equipment, the shop it's self, employees. Just don't ever see something like that happening.

 

[Hemi Rebel]

Its a tough way to make a living for sure, but you are sounding defeated before you even start. That attitude will get you nowhere in any endeavor. Including the restoration of the car. The question is how bad do you want it? You want that car bad enough you should be willing to do whatever you have to do.

 

[HYRDGOON]

I just don't know what kind of career I want, I had it in my head as a teenager to become a mechanic like my dad, but I've watched him bust his *** working on cars and barely scrape by. And I have thought about taking classes or whatever, learning how to work with metal and do fabrication to eventually open my own shop. But... I have my reservations about that...

Even if I did have the skill, then there would be the issue of finances, tools and equipment, the shop it's self, employees. Just don't ever see something like that happening.

Is there possibly the option of taking less expensive night classes to get a feel for the metal work skill and see if it's something you do end up having a knack for or even enjoying?? If you did wind up getting in a classroom setting there's even a possibility the instructor would let you bring in your car as an educational project and yourself and peers could get the work done on the car under the watchful eye of a trained professional.... My buddy did something similar to this with a 1980 Chev 4X4 he was restoring and it not only turned out great but he found his calling as a very talented bodyman

 

[roadrunnerman]

That's what I did 25 years ago with my RR. Went to trade school. The school let us bring our cars in the last 2 weeks to work on them. Talk to some of the older guys in your area and see who they know. Let the person know your plans and limitations and expectations. I think a couple members here have even exchanged work on there car and doing work in the shop. Your car is not that bad shape. There is a few area's where welding is needed, but for most of the rest of it, just a lot of sanding down to bare metal. If you're young, I can understand your need to want to get it nice and drive it. It took me 20 years to get back and redo my car after the kids grew up. Don't think of the things you can't do, try thinking of the things you want to do for your goals with this car.

 

[kb67mopar]

I can tell you as a kid I wanted to be a mechanic or restorer and I didn't do it. I went to college and became a mechanical engineer....I find myself still wishing I had gone the other route because I am never really happy behind a desk. Go get a job at a local shop or to to wyotech or something and learn how to do it the right way. These skills will be more valuable than a desk jockey job going forward since people are getting lazier and don't do anything anymore.

Right now I am in the process of changing jobs to one that I get more hands on time and hope sometime in the next few years to open up my own little shop for weekend projects and the like.

You have to be willing to fail to ever be successful at anything! Do you think the first time I welded two body panels together it went well? HELL no...but steel is easy to work with...you cut it back out and try again..

But just saying, well it looks too hard for me and I am worthless....well now that just ain't right... We all started no-where but you have to try to get somewhere.

I think from what we are all saying, dig in and give it a shot...I mean how much worse can you make it? if they have to cut out the same quarter panel you tried to patch it really won't be any worse.

I'd advise looking for cheap parts cars to get started, take the pieces you need apart on that car first to get a feel for it and practice welding things in the mean time.

 

[dsd1967]

It's the only way to learn.....the experts weren't born experts....they also went through the school of hard knocks and learned from their mistakes. The money you are willing to pay others to do the work will go a long way in outfitting you with tools that will last you a lifetime. You will ultimately trust the work you do, because it is to your standards. You will be proud and be able to say you did it yourself.

Start the welding work in places that will never be seen again and learn there. As KB67 says, if you aren't happy, cut it out and do it again, but that is how you learn and get better.

Similar to KB67...my first major panel replacement didn't go so well and body lines and door gaps looked like crap. I walked away from it over Christmas holiday, came back, cut it out and made it look right. It took me about half the time the second go around and looked 100% better. Your up front learning will be exponential.

 

[Feral]

Is there possibly the option of taking less expensive night classes to get a feel for the metal work skill and see if it's something you do end up having a knack for or even enjoying?? If you did wind up getting in a classroom setting there's even a possibility the instructor would let you bring in your car as an educational project and yourself and peers could get the work done on the car under the watchful eye of a trained professional.... My buddy did something similar to this with a 1980 Chev 4X4 he was restoring and it not only turned out great but he found his calling as a very talented bodyman

There are adult welding classes at a local vocational school, I've considered looking into it.

 

[HYRDGOON]

There are adult welding classes at a local vocational school, I've considered looking into it.

It can't hurt right? See if there's a way you can talk to the instructor first and explain any apprehension you might have... maybe there's a way for you to sit in on a class or 2 before registering or forking over any money... also I'm sure there's a small window where you can get money back if you immediately find you don't like it.

If I can ask how old are you?

 

[Mr.SpeedFreak]

Look man, if it's your dream to work on cars or do restorations (which I'm trying to get into as well) it's all up to you to make it happen, and I'm a firm believer in the fact that motivation is the best tool in anyone's garage. Like has been mentioned, a great way to get into it is to find someone who's already in the profession and express how much you'd like to learn, and metalworking classes would also be a good thing to look into.

A year and a half ago when I bought my car I was just about where you're at; I was 20 years old with zero mig welding experience, and a basketcase dream car with some rust issues. I was really nervous about the metalwork that needed to be done, but didn't let it overwhelm me and started by joining this forum (a lot of incredibly skilled, helpful, and nice people on here) and talked to a couple older guys I'm friends with that both have a lot of experience either restoring cars professionally or just their own project. With all these resources on hand, I got myself some sheet metal and a spotweld cutter, borrowed a friend's mig and started practicing spot welding and butt welding stuff together. I know it seems like a really daunting thing to take on, but once you really open yourself up to learning as much as possibly and dive into it, it becomes a lot more simple and pretty damn fun imo. In fact a big reason I bought my first car was for the adventure of learning all this stuff, if you just jump in I think you'll be surprised what you're capable of.
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