<VV> most cars begin life as a ..."

[Gary Swiatowy]

I'm a long time shade tree mechanic.
Only my shade tree is a garage with lift and darn near all the accessories I
need to be a full time shop.
Unfortunately, there are some things that I cannot tackle myself.
Body work is one.
My 67 Corvair needs floor pans.
I purchased the re-pro's all 4 of them.
Last winter I got as far as pulling off the scuff plate and kick panel on
the car.
Also had the gas tank out.(just in case)
The winter went by and I put it back together in the spring.
Too cold, other more pertinent projects, not enough time.
Just got a quote from an old time body man for $450 to do the job.
I'm thinking, well worth the price!
He quoted me another $300 to fix the dent I put in the quarter panel and the
3 inch rust hole in same quarter!
That's a no brainer!
Do it!
Right now he has my 66 T-Bird(project car)
That my wife and grandson drove the golf cart into, to straighten the door
they dented(badly).

As for the floor pans in the 67.
I got out my mig to do something else, and found it was not striking an arc
anymore.
It's an old Linde model, that pretty much is obsolete.
So I can park that next to the Miller Mig that strikes an arc, but does not
feed!

Gary Swiatowy


From: "Charles Lee" <Chaz at ProperProper.com>
Subject: Re: <VV> Quote  : "most cars begin life as a ..."

Maybe Corvairs are, to some degree, but OBD has put an end to the shade-tree

mechanic, for the most part. although it's still cheaper to screw it up 
yourself, instead of paying someone else to screw it up.

And what do you learn paying someone else, except to be more and more 
dependent on them, because you haven't learned anything !
The Flat-Rate Manual is the best fiction I ever read !

My favorite "restoration" article was by a guy (CORSA member in CQ) who was 
restoring a Corvair, and it was full of "find a good upholstery shop for the

interior" and "find a good engine rebuilder" and "find a good body shop" and

he did nothing himself !!!!

It's always easier to buy this or that, but fixing it yourself just plain 
feels better, never mind putting another $100 dollar bill in your wallet for

each hour you don't pay someone else !

Sure, there are some things we can't do but I'm sure there are some guys 
(and gals) here who would disagree even with that ?

Charlie