Reality and Theory

BP, that would make a GREAT sig line...

 

I'm with Rusty. Give it a shot. What have you got to lose? Some sheet metal. Big deal. You don't know what you can do until you do it. So do it.

 

I gotta' say... I'm with these guys. Just do it! The worst that can happen is you'll blow a few bucks and screw up a panel or two. If you're not screwing things up you're not learning. Basically just screw up as much as your wallet and time line will allow and you'll learn a ton. Welding is just practice. Get yourself a machine or ask a friend to help you learn on their machine until it's time for your own. You can weld anything with an Oxy/Acetylene setup and learning to TIG would be of great benefit for working with sheet metal as well. I personally use MIG more than anything because it's what I'm best at, but prefer TIG and I'm only a newbie at it. I LOVE TIG welding! I find it fun and relaxing and feel that I'm in more control of what I'm welding. Oxy/A is something I have but have no experience with and greatly regret it and plan to learn as much as I can as soon as I can.

You have options! Just dive in and do it! But DON'T do it right the first time...

 

How do you not learn to weld in a year of bodywork cl***?

 

Just do it.

The first thing I ever welded was my Chopped International. I read some book about chopping tops, you know, one of those paperback ones. I figured if I wrecked it that would be that, got to break a few eggs.....yadda yadda.

Wish I had painted the cab myself after all that work, I mean, who sprays white primer under black paint? WTF!



Mig welders are pretty easy to weld with, making the pieces fit right doesn't have as much to do with welding as patience and planning, and I think metal is fairly forgiving, you can often cut and reweld. Not that you want to. But you can.

I take that back, the first thing I welded was filling holes in the firewall of a 70 impala fastback. The electricity was screwed up, but I didn't realize it till I took the welder home to chop the top, thought I had died and gone to heaven.

 

pm sent

 

We were suposed to get onto it the next year but fate had other plans. Instead I learned how to spray flake, pearl, pinstriping by taping, and a couple of other things. I am quite good at those. Had a half a year just spent on those.

I was thinking the same thing.

Your first answer actually highlights abunch of the design. The design didn't have doors before. There is only the top curve and the rear (which boat tails I guess)

I thought about fibergl*** but I don't know. I plan on running it for half the year and I don't plan on taking it easy. I plan on railing this thing, beating it and putting it up wet. Can fibergl*** take that and not require repairs? Plus I dont plan on using any kind of paneling, so the inside of the fibergl*** could fray and stab me and I hate it when that happens.

 

Totally understanding the principles of Reality VS. Theory.

 

Jalopy journalist,

You have certainly recieved some good advice and some bad advice on this thread. Hell even the bad advice could be cl***ed as good advice in the proper light.

I have had an at***ude for as long as I can remember and it is pretty simple, no one ever had experience at doing anything prior to doing it the first time.

If you are serious about building a scracth built rod then what you need to do is do it. You can waste an entire life hopeing to have the skills to do it and never ever get it done. You will no doubt make some mistakes and trash some metal, maybe it won't be as refined as something that came out of the Carrol Shelby garage in the '60s but it will be a starting place and with time you will add to your skill set.

Better to give it a whirl then to get to be old and say Damn I wish I had tried this when I was young.

 

I say jump in and get after it. You will learn a lot no matter the out-come. Personally, I think you have confused "theory" with "fantasy", but honestly, best of luck. It will be an adventure you can have and not have to leave the shop. Post some concept drawings - you could get lots of free and very good feasibilty and reality checks from some great fabricators.

 

Scootermcrad - thanks for the comment on my DVD. I am glad you like it.

Like others have said have a go at shaping some of the body and see how you get on, Its not like you have to go out and spend a fortune just buy a sheet of 19g CR steel and start. You have nothing to lose. Its a good idea to have some basic knowledge of what is possible and what tools to use. It is possible to make just about anything with just hand tools. Its good to start young I started metalwork when I was 16. There is a thread on here from young guy who built a couple of bodies and did a dam good job of it - Here is the link ...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5508683#post5508683

David

 

One path that worked for me at your age, was to get a hold of an oxy/acet torch and some 20 gauge sheet steel. Hammer and dolly set and some steel welding rod, the fine diameter stuff. You'll have a technique that serves thruout your life in builds to come and repairs. Porkn****** gets it right.

 

Here's the perfect (and incredible) example of what can be created with very few tools, some basic donor parts, and some sheet stock (aluminum in this case)...

The Eddie Miller Lakester... Built in a driveway, for the most part.

 

That is a neat car, they even built their own quick change for it. If I had to own an exotic it would need to be one along those lines.

If I recall from the article they were not any one special either, just a couple of bobos with the desire to go fast and look good doing it.

 

This whole topic needs to be treated like a RR crossing. Stop. Look. Listen.

Now that we planted that idea, you'd be best served to help someone do something similar, BUT ONLY IF YOU ARE SINCERE AND DISCIPLINED ENOUGH TO FOLLOW THROUGH. The world is full of "coulda-woulda-shoulda" types, some by their own lack of for***ude, some by bad luck. Get in and get dirty. All of it, ALL OF IT, that you involve yourself in from shaping the metal to sweeping up the shop will matter more than you're currently thinking. If I sound like a teacher/shop boss, yeah I am. I've created monsters and I've created some really talented people over the years. I won't spend my time on posers or wannbes, and not too many like me will either. Get dirty, get scratched, get burned, enjoy success and learn from failure. All of that permanently implanted in your head, come back and show us what you built or ask us what you need to do next.

 

I agree Given Time, Patiance, and Perservirance a man could piss through a flat rock

 

Have a look at this build, The Shedster. It might spur you along. Guy called Odgie built it in the UK. He made alot of stuff for this modified, including the bodywork and used only really, really basic tools to do the work. Maybe not your thing but posssibly an idea.
Funny thing is i've though about doing a similar thing with an Anglia. Junk the body and use the ch***is and running gear for some sort of modified. Be a cheap little fun project.

https://picasaweb.google.com/odgie633/ShedsterBuildUp#

Regards Dan

 

hey austin is a big town there has to be a vocational school there that has beginner cl*** in welding probably fairly cheap.

 

I'll steer clear of the debate about the advisability of a "first timer" tackling a scratch built body. But for those who might consider doing this, here is one of the many threads on this forum showing how others have approached their hand fabricated builds. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=615827&highlight=hand+built+body

The thread covers the fabrication of these two bodies. Although they are not the boat tail style single seater you prefer, the basic building techniques will apply.










You might also want to take a look through this book to get some ideas on how you might tackle your project. http://www.hotrodders.com/scratch-built/Cover

And as others have said, stay away from stainless...at least until you've finished a few bodies in steel.

 

I started with a rusty 29 roadster cowl and built my own roadster pickup body. The only specialty tools I had was a cheap shrinker/stretcher. I was suprized at how quickly my skills improved throughout the project...now I find myself improving and changing my original work.

If you want something really bad, all you have to do is apply yourself. One thing I learned is its very difficult to start with nothing...its way easier and less frustrating to find a rough body that has the same shape your after, and modify that. Even if you end up replacing 90% of it at least you will have a reference of some kind.
Also remember that it doesnt matter how many drawings you make, or how much thinking you do, something will always interfere with another component. If you start with a pile of rough parts at least you can fit them together and get a general idea of how things work.

After spending so much time on the body, the smartest thing I did was order a brand new frame from Brookville. Seriously, if you have never welded before you may want to reconsider building your own ch***is.