Let's talk fuselage body shells

I say we send Nick to Germany and get that shell all finished up.
Jeezes, Vodka, you've done all the prep work.
Can't throw all that sweat away. :(
 
Little help here Big John.

How do you eat a elephant?

Same as doing the work. The floors and cowl and other hidden areas are good places to learn metal work and even mediocre results can be smoothed to not be noticed. Why pay $$$k for someone else to do the grunt work in hidden areas. Most of those hidden areas are fairly simple to fabricate in small pieces. You have a good mind for details, figure out how many pieces of flatter sections the area can be broken into, make them, assemble them and attach the complete fabbed piece.
Chin up get to work, and get that bill down to manageable size for finish work on outside body by a pro.
 
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Little help here Big John.

How do you eat a elephant?

One bite at a time.

Project cars are tough. I always advise to try to do something every day, even if it just something small.

I agree with the point @70bigblockdodge is making. There is so much stuff on that car that you can do yourself... A cheap MIG welder and some practice... A cheap spray gun will paint almost as good as an expensive one and it will look great in the trunk and under the hood. It's not that hard. You've done the hard work.

Last summer, I had to do a lot of paintwork on some interior panels for my Barracuda. I painted a couple cars years ago, but all the materials are different now. I haven't done anything that had to look nice in a long time. I decided I could prep and paint the panels myself. I used spray cans to prime it and a cheap Harbor Freight spray gun to spray it. It took me a couple times, but I got it so it looks as good as any professional job.

The point I'm trying to make is that you can do whatever you set your mind to do.

I think that going forward with what you have makes more sense than buying another body and using it in your project. It isn't like you can buy an Imperial "body in white", so any body you buy is going to have its own set of issues.

If you really want to buy a body, think about just buying another, better condition (read no rust) complete car... Or maybe one that had already given up its drivetrain and using your restored parts to make it whole. Don't tear it apart, just fix what you need to, followed by fix what you want to. Use the parts that you've restored, sell what you take off or don't need and go have some fun.
 
Don't tear it apart, just fix what you need to, followed by fix what you want to. Use the parts that you've restored, sell what you take off or don't need and go have some fun
I will never tear another car apart again. Rolling restos for this guy. If it does not move it is easy to forget about. If it does not even look like a car it will turn on you and become a overwhelming task with no beginning and no end.
That why I mention the one bite at a time. Pick a spot like floor or a small piece of cowl and dissect and reproduce that bad spot.
 
I will never tear another car apart again. Rolling restos for this guy.

Me too. I got deeper in the last couple cars than I wanted to, but they never got too far away from being drivable. Project cars are great, but so many end up languishing in the garage when interest gets lost. My last project car ('53 Chrysler) sat there for a couple years without me touching it. I just wasn't up for the challenge anymore, so I sold it to a good home.

The last car I bought, I made two promises to myself... One that it would be "turn key" with only some tweaks and that I wouldn't get upside down in cost. I did more work than I anticipated and some of that is because I'm a little anal about things. I'm about break even on what I could sell it for. I wouldn't be if I had farmed out the work (although I did have the headliner done by a pro). The 300... That was turn key, but I've done a lot more with it (again, I'm too anal) and I'm way upside down ... Having a ball though.
 
Me too. I got deeper in the last couple cars than I wanted to, but they never got too far away from being drivable
That was my goal with my Charger, just get it moving. Now it is on to becoming more livable and presentable.
I'm trying to get my Barracuda moving also, it was down to bare body shell, never again.
 
The last car I bought, I made two promises to myself... One that it would be "turn key" with only some tweaks and that I wouldn't get upside down in cost. I did more work than I anticipated and some of that is because I'm a little anal about things. I'm about break even on what I could sell it for. I wouldn't be if I had farmed out the work (although I did have the headliner done by a pro). The 300... That was turn key, but I've done a lot more with it (again, I'm too anal) and I'm way upside down ... Having a ball though.

The statement having a ball is key.
If it is a business, upside down is a problem.
If it is a learning experience, it could be considered an investment in knowledge. Education is not free. If you are learning new skills as you are going along and take satisfaction in the outcome it can be priceless.
If it is a hobby, the time and money spent is for your enjoyment. There are very few if any free hobbies.
 
I'm still not sure what to do. But finding someone who does the hidden areas cheaper is an option.

It's definitely a hobby. And hobbies are not cheap, but still have to be in the own posibility range.

I'll keep you guys updated on what I'm gonna do.

At least I'm sure now that, if, an Imperial body shell would be the only option as even the chrysler bodys are way to different.
 
I'm keeping and fixing my body shell..! It would not be my car anymore after changing to another body shell. I rather lower my standards a little bit then throwing away MY car.

A good friend of mine who knows what he is doing is helping me fix all the parts "not visible" myself. It will be good work, but not "better then new" like I wanted it be become in first place.
I have donor panels for all these areas so it should be pretty doable.

And all the visible parts like the wheel lips, lower quarters and the dutchman panel will be done by an expert.

That's the best of both worlds I guess.
 
I'm keeping and fixing my body shell..! It would not be my car anymore after changing to another body shell. I rather lower my standards a little bit then throwing away MY car.

A good friend of mine who knows what he is doing is helping me fix all the parts "not visible" myself. It will be good work, but not "better then new" like I wanted it be become in first place.
I have donor panels for all these areas so it should be pretty doable.

And all the visible parts like the wheel lips, lower quarters and the dutchman panel will be done by an expert.

That's the best of both worlds I guess.
Go man go!
 
Once you get started and learn to weld, work metal, you may just take on those other areas, baby steps.


Alan
 
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