Discusted, torn, and just plain over it - 67 Chevelle

G

gpracer15

Last year I hired a local RESTORATION shop to do some floors and body panel replacement on my Chevelle.
In the initial discussion and agreement they were to replace the panels and complete the metal work up to the point of applying filler. Long story short, job was 7 months long (mostly sitting) and when I recieved the car it had issues. Somework was not even done, some not finished, and mainly I was left with a lot of metal work, shaping, bending, etc to get it all fit.

Is there anyone around the Greenville, SC area that can help me out? I have been trying to get it but lack of tools, first time with this type of work, etc has got me to the point of loading a shot gun and shooting it!

I have another shop coming to look at it Friday and all they do is metal work for older restorations period but I am really wanting to learn myself. I have a Miller 211 mig, small hammer and dolly set, basic tools.

I pray that someone can help me out even if it takes some $$ motivation. I truly want to see this thing done!
I have painted motorcycles for a long long time so I know the basics on paint and body but the metal fab is
got me in a bind...I can email pics of what I have accomplished so far. Just want help so I can get moving at a faster rate and start applying my filler!

PM me for contact info if interested.
 
His father owns the glass shop, and they also run a restoration shop out of the same building. Tell him Robert McCartney sent you.
 
thanks I will check into it. I have already overspent as it is so hopefully they can help within my budget.
Id really like a teacher lol
 
Think I mis-read your first post, he does this for a living so not sure if he's gonna hold a class for you. I thought you were looking for a shop to fix it correctly...
 
gpracer15,

Have you considered enrolling in an auto body Vo Tech? If there is a community vo tech within a reasonable drive of you they may be able to assist with learning how to do some basic welding, fabrication, body work, etc. I learned a lot over six sessions of about 12 weeks each. Each class was 6-10pm. Cost about $275-300 a session but some of the guys re-skinned doors and other fabrication type work. We also had access to two $25-30,000 paint booths. I don't think a person could come close to renting a booth like them for a cost of the entire session. I painted every panel that could be removed from my Studebaker there. Others that had trailers would bring their entire vehicles in to paint. Instructors were very knowledgeable and would help out when needed. One of them did some minor welding on a couple of my panels.

Charlie D.
 
Robert

Im looking for either a shop, help or gun..lol.....

Seriously if I can afford a shop I will let the shop do it if I trust them. The last shop quoted me for the job with set price,
we added metal and labor but I was ok and by the time it was over it was per the hour and i paid for a lot of things that were
either not done at all, not finished or half way finished. I was suppose to get a car ready for filler per there words and my
requests......here is one issue I got on one of the extensions. I included two pics as received and a few after I worked on it with a
skim of shortstrand filler. Yes it needs more filler work and not close enough but big big improvement from someone that
never done this metal work before.
 

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I remember seeing your post now. Yeah, looks like some alignment of the panels was missed before they got happy with the welder. Don't know if you have any legal recourse now that you have worked on it. TBH, I think it would have scared me away if they have an advertised standard of "ready for filler". That can encompass quite a bit of hack work I've seen over the years. Good luck with it..
 
MP&C said:
I remember seeing your post now. Yeah, looks like some alignment of the panels was missed before they got happy with the welder. Don't know if you have any legal recourse now that you have worked on it. TBH, I think it would have scared me away if they have an advertised standard of "ready for filler". That can encompass quite a bit of hack work I've seen over the years. Good luck with it..
Click to expand...

When I say ready for filler it was an agreement that the metal work would be done to the point the panels were fitted, welded, aligned, and gaped....as you can see that did not happen. I expected a little manipulation but not what I got....

Personally I would rather pay someone to fix it and at the same time show me how. Its very frustrating but I have to say I have enjoyed making progress where I have. I love the work, just need some guidance. I feel comfortable fixing a panel here and there but when your entire car has been reworked its a lot to chew on.

I got the car back the first of the year, been waiting on it to be finished ever since....Finally I decided to just move forward. They still owe me hours to finish what I paid for. So much for a mans word...
 
I know a guy that took his pickup truck to three different shops to finish for him. Each guy wanted to go back to step one, so a good reputable shop is going to want to redo alot of what was done wrong. I dont know what is happening with that tail light panel. I do know the stock tail light caps for the 66 is pot metal. I took mine to my high school welding class and the teacher fired up the new heliarc welder someone just donated that he did not even know how to use for me to burn it together. They look like they owe you a refund.
 
anotheridiot said:
I know a guy that took his pickup truck to three different shops to finish for him. Each guy wanted to go back to step one, so a good reputable shop is going to want to redo alot of what was done wrong. I dont know what is happening with that tail light panel. I do know the stock tail light caps for the 66 is pot metal. I took mine to my high school welding class and the teacher fired up the new heliarc welder someone just donated that he did not even know how to use for me to burn it together. They look like they owe you a refund.
Click to expand...

Yes they do! Fat chance getting one.....
 
Problem with so many (dare I say most) shops that do"restoration" work is that these guys are almost all hacks. Most of the time they can't keep a job due to alcohol, drugs, whatever. So they open their own Shop. Seen it so much around here. Combine lack of skill, poor work ethics, and non oem panels and you get what you got. Sorry that happened to you.

I'm about 3 hours from Charlotte, 4 hours or so from Greenville. I'd be happy to do what you want done if you want to bring it here. Probably too far away but if you want someone that can do the work and treat you ethically let me know.
 
Some of the problem is that reproduction sheet metal is typically of very poor quality. This leads to a lot of extra work for everything to fit right, and if the there was a set price, all that extra just ain't gonna get done. While some poor craftsmanship is evident in the photos, much of the actual rework was due to poor part quality. That's not to say what they did was right, but to get it done right by a shop that really knows what's involved is generally out of reach financially for the average guy. Also, few resto shops will do things on a fixed bid basis.
 
Not to be mean, but I honestly do not think you're going to find a "teacher". I mean these folks do this for a living, are they supposed to take a pay cut and show someone how to do it? Seems you kind of want your cake and eat it too, a pro to do it, but a discount to tell you how. I am truly sorry you're in the situation you are, but what you are asking for is not realistic.
 
i have to second a few things the guys here said......

#1 your either going to school and learn to do this or hire a shop to do it...not both. a professional has a job to do and its metalwork not teaching.
#2 what crash said about a set price.......this is probably the biggest thing when doing resto work. every customer wants a set price of course but the hands down worse thing you can do is goto a shop that will give you a set price. if you get one then one of two things will happen...#1 alof of unknown things will come up in the job causing more hours and the shop will charge you more than quoted in the end and you get a bill that is way more than you thought...or #2 the shop sticks with the set price and corners are cut. they work to your budget and that is it. every business has a certain # per hour they need to charge to run the shop so it doesnt matter if you get #1 or #2, you get what you pay for.
 
MP&C said:
If you want a reputable shop, talk to John Glenn at Anderson Auto Glass, Anderson SC.

http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=575769

http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=509519

http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=639218
Click to expand...

Robert, I appreciate the referral, and for posting those links.

Chuck, you can find plenty of info on panel fitment in those threads if you would like to try it yourself. Those are the threads I mentioned on the phone yesterday. It's going to be near impossible to find someone willing to do the work while teaching at the same time even if you're willing to pay for the extra hours it takes to do both.

Judging by the pics you posted, you'll need more metalwork before the extensions or tail panel is ready for any filler work. There is a huge mismatch in the transition between the tail panel and extension, especially toward the top, and just adding filler won't hide that. The 2-3" long spot of filler you've added at the end of the tail panel is not enough to "blend" the shape of the tail panel into the shape of the extension... it'll end up looking like a "ramp" once the primer and paint goes on. From my desk it looks like the tail panel is loacated too far inboard, especially up top, and needs to be brought out to match the edge of the extension. I don't think the extension can be brought inward in any way to match.

I did a google search and found this picture; it looks like the two panels should be flush with each other. Adding filler like you have will create a concave shaped panel with a "ramp" at the end and your trim won't fit properly because the panel won't be flat. You'd need a ton of filler to make the panel flat from the center crease out to the fender extension... that's not what you want to do either.

101_1008.JPG
 
John, I did not even come close to finishing that out in filler as far as ramping. I know what your saying though.
Yes the qtr extensions are in at top.

I dove in, probably going to make it worse before better but I want to learn the skills...
 
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