I saw this on another board. Feels sad to say but it is totally insane and really makes me feel bad! One thing makes me feel even worse is that people outside US think this is the way everything is done there, and that´s definitely a wrong impulse. I´m sure nobody does this on Hamb, right!!?? It´s also weird that the builder seems to be proud of his work and doesn´t see anything wrong in the way he fixed the car. I know, Hamb is not the place to judge other´s work but hey, this sucks big time! Moderators can close this thread or just let it be as an example of... well... of something. Any thoughts? Here´s the link, the story is getting worse in the half way... http://oldcarandtruckpictures.com/EricGordonsKaiserConvertible/index-a.html
when he built the car originally, his workmanship was on par with most of the custom builders of the time. the hobby has evolved, we hold each other to a higher standard now, or try to at least. this guy doesn't claim to be Foose, he's just an old fart reliving his dream. good for him. his skills may be crude by our standards, but i ain't gonna be the one to call his car a piece of shit. i call him a ruler.
I hope this guy just built his car for own use, and for sure, it will probably work out nice for sunday-driving if stored in a garage..at least for the next few years! But for those who "restore" cars this way just for making a looker and sell overseas, Burn!
Truley it is "to each his own" it is his car. But, he posted it on the net for all to see so,,,, WOW!!!! He likes bondo alot! is that x-o-rust primer, the part I can't get is the copper sheet on one side and the sheet metal on the other that looks like old ducting, big ol' hammer and rivets like I did at 16. I won't give an opinion on the door panels. Dave
Seems Ti Me That (according To The Story) It Has Lasted 20 Years And Doesnt Look That Bad So ............................a For Effort
WOW That blokes a fuckin artist! Unfourtunatly I know a few Aussie's that have been burned big time importing cars just like this from the US. Obviously they didn't get anyone they could trust to look at it.
I'd like to have the taillights & bumper guard. That's why Texas has "Lemon-Laws." That guy is probably a retired cobbler.
The prig build of the car was decent. since he farmed out a bunch of the important work. but god damn did he fuck up those wheel wells. ive never had my bondo dry in 3 to 5 min. i think he needs to chill out on the hardner a bit
The up-side is that the car is not sitting out in the open rusting away. 20 years from now it will be a real treasure for someone to restore or customize. Let he who has never opened a can of Bondo cast the first stone.
Well, the upside of this is that when there is a new owner, they will know exactly what they are getting. The messand its many locations are very well documented.
WOW.... just ... err... WOW!! I better NEVER see a tech post on here showing how to do a fender well like that! What an ASS for showing us all "how he did it"... "Put down the tools and step away from the vehicle sir!"
I don't think there will be a new owner for this one. This guy customized the Kaiser 20-30years ago and then sold it. Went looking for it in modern times, found it in a junk yard, bought it back and now wants to get it on the road again. Besides the rear fenders (WOW - is there no local welder available) the floors were skim coated in a way he thought would be best. At least he's doing it himself, for himself! He drove the first custom for years and years so I'm sure this will be a driver also. Good luck to him. but yea, screws and a sledge hammer are not my first choices for automotive body work. Jon
Yes, the fenderwell patches suck, but the caddy top is damn slick. did anyone else notice how well the header bow matches up to the windshield? as far as grafting the buick door inners to the kaiser doors is concerned, it could have been done a bit nicer, but the concept is good (I mean, c'mon! how the heck else are you gonna make Kaiser glass fit a g.m. convertible top?) I am standing some where between horror and pride on the metal/bondo work. anyone else ever seen the insides of some of the barris cars? chicken wire,newspaper and bondo. I can see the point of it all (see, bending steel is difficult and costly...where's that gallon of bondo?)I see this guy as a kid going to a car show and catching some other guy with the trunk open...and he had an epiphany. victory through modern chemical compounds,my boys!
I have seen restorations similar to this over the years. While many of us are more knowledgeable or skilled we all started with a first project. Dont overlook the most important part of the story. He went back and found the car that inspired him 20 years ago and took the effort to put it back in running order to the best of his knowledge and ability. He was proud enough to want the world to know of his accomplishment and HE HAD FUN !!!! What more could you ask for. As far as the car goes I like the concept and the look. Its a shame Kaiser didnt make a convertible . It may have become one of those legends of automotive history. Larry
Boy,what a tough crowd.The teenage kid built the car originally workin in the driveway in the elements with elemental tools Ie a hammer a chisel and a screwdriver a hacksaw and a pair of pliers. Gotta give 'im props for sticktoitiveness and imagination. Would that everyone who ever started a project with such crude shit could see it through to completeion. Give 'im a break,I mean "Wadya want for nuthin'?A rubber bizkit"?
Since Kaiser never made a convertible, I'd say it's bad ASS. His current workmanship leaves a lot to be desired. So if you don't like it, why don't you email the guy and offer to lend a hand and some advice?
This one will be at Goodguys next year for sure! I agree with the comment about putting the tools down and stepping away from the car. Too bad he hasn't improved his skills over the years...just picked up where he left off 20-30 years ago.
Not gonna knock the car, but I love this quote: "BONDO-ING makes anyone wonder how Michelangelo worked in marble stone.. "
If he knew anything about RAT RODDING he would have just cut the tops out of those wheelwells and left it open. I guess this guy didn't have a welder. I haven't particularly got a problem with patching stuff together....and I don't care how patched together it looks.....as long as its strong. The floorboards and the wheelwells don't seem very strong to me on this build. Here's my quote: Bondo doesn't erase problems, it just covers them up. (I just made that one up)
So,this guys fab skills are a bit crude....but... his documentation of the project is outstanding...Damn, theres a pic & text for every few seconds of progress...and too, ya gotta give him props for enthusiasm & dedication. Making a convert out of a sedan is a real test of anyones skill.....Nuther $0.02
It is a cool story! Yea, maybe he is not doing some shit the "right" way, but hell, at least he is jumping in there and doing it. And he is proud as hell too. He is probably having a blast!
OK, here's my take: How many times have we seen a project started like this and then abandoned and relegated to "parts car" status? More than I care to remember. Crude - yes Misguided at times - yes Did he finish it, drive it, and love it? - yes He was very young and working with VERY limited resources, but he never gave up. It's easy to sit at our computers, DECADES later and belittle the guy for sloppy workmanship but he finished it the way he wanted it and had something that he was proud of. Seeing the job through was surely a tough task given what he was up against and the can of worms he opened up. (That can may be buried in bondo on a rear quarter.) I give the guy credit for sticking it out and then having the gumption to use it as his daily driver! He obviously loved the car and that's a little more important than making it a show piece in my book. Hate me if you want to...
Decades from now, he will probably die happy with that car. So good for him. The door panels scare me much more than the tin and bondo!
I vote Tech-O-Matic! Seriously though, I agree with most others on here that they guy's love and enthusiasm seem to outweigh his bondo-lovin' ways. It's really good to see an honest to goodness survivor custom. Just think... for every perfectly done car by a craftsman, there are dozens or more hack jobs done by people that don't know any better.
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