[Gator67]

If you’re interested in tackling a project like this for the fun of it and the challenge/learning, and you don’t mind the time it will take before it’s on the road again, then give it a go. If you’re more interested in bombing around in it, I’d just get it running well and safe. I wouldn’t spend any significant money or time on the body or trunk unless I was sure the car was solid and could be saved at some point by you or someone else.

[carcrazy]

I've been down this road more than a few times (slow learner). When you start stripping it you will find that there will be far more rust than you are currently aware of. If you are looking to build a really nice driver it will take a LOT of time....and more money than the car will be worth in the end! I'd probably take Barts approach...make it safe, structurally sound and drive it.

[Entropy11]

Really great info posted so far. I’m kind of in the same mindset as Sirrotica. First thing I’d do is start stripping the body down to bare metal. You’ll have a better idea what you’re going to have to tackle down the road and the car will be better off with the rust stripped away and covered in temporary primer until you jump into any problem areas. Having a clean slate right away is helpful because you can keep an eye out for deals on any parts/panels you might need before you’re even ready for them.

It sounds like you have several advantages already. The Handler 140 is a very capable welder for this work. Check out Fitzee’s Fabrications on YouTube if you haven’t seen him already. He’s a very thorough “teacher” for all the body work you’ll encounter and he’s strictly a MIG guy so all his videos will be relevant to you.

Having one (or more) classics that are drivable already is a huge help too. You can treat this as a side job without rushing things because you already have a functional car to keep those driving urges at bay.

And lastly, it already sounds like you have the desire to get into this type of project and learn new things. I’d say go for it.

[bbnotop]

I don't know if I can give any sage advice, but I can tell you my experience. I had some past very modest welding experience and 20 years ago did a frame off on my '50 Chev truck. Had to do some patching, did some lap welds, where correct would have been butt welding. Did amateur job, but it turned out okay. One advantage when it came to welding was that truck had heavier gauge sheet metal. I did the paint and it took me over 3 years to finish. I enjoyed the work and was glad I did it. I do chuckle now as at the time I thought I was an idiot for spending $15,000 on that truck, thinking it would never be worth that. That has certainly has changed regarding the current value of these trucks.

Over 10 years ago, I decided to do a minor restro-mod of my '64 Lemans Convert. Ended up doing another frame off. I thought it would take me a couple of years to do. It is still not done, but close. The hold up is body and paint at this point. Changing a lot of stuff from stock takes a lot more time and money than a stock rebuild. Every system was redone. Body was stripped to bare metal and put in epoxy primer as all the mechanical was done. Stripping found more rust and damage that was overwise evident. I did the trunk floor and spun cage nuts, not perfect, but as folks have said, will not be seen. So then I started on some of the exterior panels. I really messed up one fender where there was a hole in a complex curved area around the headlight. I ended up taking that fender to resto shop to fix. Man, they did an amazing job, cost me $800 for that one fender. I have pin holes in the hood and trunk lid and I am worried about causing more problems. I am considering taking them to the same shop, but I know that the cost will be likely more than the value of those parts if purchased. I did try that with a hood that looked good, but when stripped had issues as well. (Note, that there is not a lot of replacement body parts for the '64. You can get a repop GTO hood for the '64 for about $900, but I really want this to look like a stock Lemans.) I also have to deal with a swiss cheese area in a rear quarter.

So at some point I decided, I would just have a restoration shop to do the body work and paint. And the search to find a place started. I can only speak to the Portland Or. area, but this has been a real hassle. Body shops only want quick repairs with insurance companies cutting checks. There are a few good restoration shops, but they generally are doing show cars. Estimates were $25,000 to $35,000 and wait lists of at least a year, most two years. I get this kind of work is expensive, but I want to drive mine and not want to cry when the first door ding occurs.

So the current plan is to have a shop do the hood and trunk lid, and I will repair the quarter panel. I am toying with the idea of lap welding the patch, because I worry about my welding skills. It always seems like just when you are finishing a pretty good butt, there goes the blow out and now you have a hole to deal with. sorry you try to just fill the small hole, and you end up with a bigger hole, all the time worrying about heat distortion. Assuming I get all this done, I am then thinking Maaco can paint it. I will know that all the prep will have been done right and all body hardware is off, so I do not think that they will mess too much stuff up.

So I don't know if my experience helps make any decisions. At some level, I wish I would have just driven this car and not started down this road. I could have been driving a decent car over the last ten years and having a bit more coin in my pocket. I want to believe that my attitude will change when I get this "finished". Hopefully, by next summer I will be driving a completely new '64 Lemans Convert, with a lot of modern upgrades. Pictures are truck and car before, and car currently.

[bbnotop]

Here is picture of current state of car.

[Tempest]

sorry to hi-jack thread, but bbnotop, I see you have great taste in vehicles

Here are the only pics I can find of mine together, 64 Lemans convert and a 1951 Chev pick up.

thought that was funny

[bbnotop]

Thanks, you too.

[Skidmark]

"This required hundreds and hundreds of hours of reading & watching videos to get a grasp on how to do things, and even then I made a TON of very costly mistakes and spent $$$ to get to this point. Which is all to say, a hobbiest can pull this off with the right tools, time, money, and mindset" mrennie

This is what I've been doing. Reading archived post, watching hours and hours of you tube paint / body work / paint guns / maintenance of painting equipment videos etc. Fritz's, paint society and many others. I take notes and save valuable post in a sperate folder for future reference.
i.e. how to fix runs, how it fix orange peel, how to cut and butt metal etc.

As some here might remember I got an estimate for a paint job early last year for 25 + k (very minimal rust)
So I built a 24 x 24 heated and cooled detached garage (just finished) and with encouragement I received here, I will paint my car at home.

While I tend agree with drive it as is and enjoy asap, I still want to paint it. I think this is partly because as silly as it sounds, I've have always held auto body guys in highest regards (except MUSLCAH lol just kidding). It's always been the part of classic car repair I never thought I could do because it's a huge undertaking and constant opportunity for making a ton of money costing mistakes plus it does take skill.

So grivera I say go for it. From reading your post on this site, I know you'll do your homework and be prepared. Good luck.

[JUDGE3]

huge, huge key here. you have pontiac drivers already.

many times while restoring/building mine I thought to myself "wish I had one to drive while doing this".

its all an enjoyable process. having not had a driver during mine I never thought I would miss the process but I do. and I just finished mine. drove it today. looking for another car already. and looking forward to driving mine during the process!

love my shop time during winter. heater on, football game on......ahhhhhh

[MUSLCAH]

Skidmark....if you need any guidance on paintwork...or blending 3 stage pearls...heat shrinking panels, what to do and not to do ,after your last coat of clear. The list is long....just shoot me a PM. I don’t know it all....but I’ve had my hands in it every day of every year for the last 48 years....and have amassed a special set of skills....( Liam Neeson ).....

[MUSLCAH]

Skidmark....if you need any guidance on paintwork...or blending 3 stage pearls...heat shrinking panels, what to do and not to do ,after your last coat of clear. The list is long....just shoot me a PM. I don’t know it all....but I’ve had my hands in it every day of every year for the last 48 years....and have amassed a special set of skills....( Liam Neeson ).....

[turbo69bird]

When I was young I’d have done that car , today NO WAY not rare enough. Needs wayyyyy too much work . The value of the work needed Vs the value of the car isn’t worth it unless it has great sentimental value . If it runs and drives drive it as it is , maybe spot weld in some patches , or even mar glass or kitty hair up any holes as you drive it and enjoy the car til it’s junk .
I wouldn’t be dropping any NOS panels on that car .

If it was a RAIV GTO judge I’d do the body right otherwise I wouldn’t even think about it. Patch it up cheap as you can and run it through maaco and drive it.m
Purse this comes from a guy who mini tubbed and butt welded 1/4s on a 6 popper to make it into my turbo car. But now I know how much work that was, but back then it was fun and a labor of love .

I look back at the videos of it all cut up and welding it back together and think man I was nuts. This was in the days you had to section and make your own mini tubs and notch the frame rails yourself and everything too . Today I’d rather spend time w my kids or be out on the water w my boat.

[grivera]

Thanks all- I’m retiring 12/16 so schedule to work on it should open up a bit until I pick up another job

[grivera]

Thanks all- I’m retiring 12/16 so schedule to work on it should open up a bit until I pick up another job

[TAKerry]

2017-11-09_12-05-10 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr

My ta was in much worse condition than what your car looks like. I dabbled very little in the car world before I started this resto. Mainly I did it just because. My buy in price wasnt that great and I figured if I failed I could afford to lose what I had in it. I am a carpenter by trade, have been working with my hands for 45 years. I also have a great attention to detail which helped. I am not a mechanic and still know only enough about motors to be dangerous. I did everything on this car including paint, exception being the motor rebuild. I had almost 5 years in this. I am 5 years in on a second restoration of a 79 ta, should be done soon.

In my case I could not afford the car I have by any means. Putting it together myself and paying for parts as I could afford with spare money is one of the reasons it took so long. When the car was finished I had zero debt. It is easily worth 5x my build cost at this point.

You need to do a deep inner look/soul search and decide for yourself what to do with your car. All of the previous post have their own merits. I know people that would say what you have is a parts car at best, others I know have built complete beautiful cars out of a whole lot less. Personally I think this car looks fine for a resto. If I ever get my 79 ta done I too was 'given' a car that is next on my list. Its so bad that I dont think it could even be considered a parts car!! But I have another car to drive and I enjoy working on them as a hobby.

[HWYSTR455]

Having another classic to drive is a great point, and you won't as easily suffer from wanting to drive and hopelessness/loss of patience.

I too say have it stripped and make a full assessment. You can make a chassis roller and even rotisserie, both will help tons.

Being a convertible, you will need to weld in braces to hold the structure together and roughly aligned while it gets worked on.

Do some homework, AND, find someone that can stop by and help or at least give pointers. Having someone to physically look at it is key to helpful/accurate advice.

You should be able to find someone who can do work on the side, since you have a proper workspace. Pick an area you want repaired and watch it being done. That will also give you a better understanding of the general process and more accurate expectation. The money spent will be well worth it, and you may be able to reduce some costs by doing certain tedious work.

Full frame cars are easy to do a chassis refurb, and later the body can be transferred to the frame.

You also have to take into account the tools & supplies costs, and how much of a mess it makes. The costs and cleanup labor are a factor of the entire project, and you need to be aware of it. Having the right tools makes the difference between a Picasso and a Rembrandt. Some you might be able to rent or borrow, but it's not very likely.

When you calculate the time, times it by 5. That will be a more likely scenario.

Body & paint really isn't that difficult, but it is time consuming, requires patience, and persistence. If you decide to go for it, commit, and don't give up. There may be gaps of time where there's no progress, be prepared for that, as well as potential re-do of unacceptable work.


.

[grivera]

Originally Posted by TAKerry

2017-11-09_12-05-10 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr

My ta was in much worse condition than what your car looks like. I dabbled very little in the car world before I started this resto. Mainly I did it just because. My buy in price wasnt that great and I figured if I failed I could afford to lose what I had in it. I am a carpenter by trade, have been working with my hands for 45 years. I also have a great attention to detail which helped. I am not a mechanic and still know only enough about motors to be dangerous. I did everything on this car including paint, exception being the motor rebuild. I had almost 5 years in this. I am 5 years in on a second restoration of a 79 ta, should be done soon.

In my case I could not afford the car I have by any means. Putting it together myself and paying for parts as I could afford with spare money is one of the reasons it took so long. When the car was finished I had zero debt. It is easily worth 5x my build cost at this point.

You need to do a deep inner look/soul search and decide for yourself what to do with your car. All of the previous post have their own merits. I know people that would say what you have is a parts car at best, others I know have built complete beautiful cars out of a whole lot less. Personally I think this car looks fine for a resto. If I ever get my 79 ta done I too was 'given' a car that is next on my list. It’s so bad that I dont think it could even be considered a parts car!! But I have another car to drive and I enjoy working on them as a hobby.

The T/A looks fantastic- excellent work and quite inspiring. Great advice too

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

Having another classic to drive is a great point, and you won't as easily suffer from wanting to drive and hopelessness/loss of patience.

I too say have it stripped and make a full assessment. You can make a chassis roller and even rotisserie, both will help tons.

Being a convertible, you will need to weld in braces to hold the structure together and roughly aligned while it gets worked on.

Do some homework, AND, find someone that can stop by and help or at least give pointers. Having someone to physically look at it is key to helpful/accurate advice.

You should be able to find someone who can do work on the side, since you have a proper workspace. Pick an area you want repaired and watch it being done. That will also give you a better understanding of the general process and more accurate expectation. The money spent will be well worth it, and you may be able to reduce some costs by doing certain tedious work.

Full frame cars are easy to do a chassis refurb, and later the body can be transferred to the frame.

You also have to take into account the tools & supplies costs, and how much of a mess it makes. The costs and cleanup labor are a factor of the entire project, and you need to be aware of it. Having the right tools makes the difference between a Picasso and a Rembrandt. Some you might be able to rent or borrow, but it's not very likely.

When you calculate the time, times it by 5. That will be a more likely scenario.

Body & paint really isn't that difficult, but it is time consuming, requires patience, and persistence. If you decide to go for it, commit, and don't give up. There may be gaps of time where there's no progress, be prepared for that, as well as potential re-do of unacceptable work.

.

Great advice- thanks Mike

[roger1]

Originally Posted by MUSLCAH

I’d look for another body ....why waste your time ,with something that someone already stuffed with filler.
Like noted above....get something from Colorado, Idaho, Texas, California if need be. But look them over good. Just because they are in that state ,doesn’t mean it’s always been there..
I bet on a quiet day....you can hear that car rust.
Run Forrest Run

Muslcar, I am in total agreement with you on this.
I do not think this is the car for a beginner that just retried. I also believe that no one could restore this car to high standards and not be totally underwater with it. I'm not sure if would make sense for anyone to take on restoring the car.

Even just getting it to a structurally sound and safe to drive condition is going to take a lot of time and be a considerable expense. And afterwards you've still got a car with a lot of rust issues that show. Even with getting the car for free, you are still underwater.

grivera,
Check out the detailed build for the '69 convertible that I am just completing. The link is in my signature. I went west to get a better car to start with. It still had a few rust issues that I had to deal with.

[grivera]

Love the thread, Roger - amazing work