Where do you fit in?

[Craig Lewis]

2.8 I guess.
Was a bodyman/painter for a dozen yrs. Currently sole proprietor of an autoglass shop since 92. Luckily I've accumulated what's needed to fix nearly anything without going into town...lathe,welders,bead blaster and all the little stuff.
I did send out my engine components for machining but managed to fit the insert brgs myself (tricky stuff) ...also I rebuilt the entire chassis including doing the prep work for powdercoating.
Out of neccessity I've hand built quite a number of tools along the way as certain components get you scratching the ol noggin and suddenly sparks are flying and walla...new tool!!
I somehow managed to rebuild the radiator which was a first timer event. Unsoldered the lower tank and rodded out the tubes...learning in the process why radiator shops have mostly all closed their doors...because that's long, dirty, unhealthy work for lousy pay!
I've bought kits and done Caswell cad plating & some of the nickel work....that's another job that taught my a high respect for those who do it as a day job. It was fun and educational, but time consuming bigtime.
I'm lousy with wood...still thinking of using the original because hey it fitted...and I believe it'll restore that "old car" smell which would be so cool. I'll have to have a pro look at the wood, but if a kit is needed I'll try doing it myself.
I've never done upholstery work, other than stitching a seat rip and replacing a few covers, but I'll certainly buy the Model A kit and hope for good instructions .
What worry's me the most?....is if I'll still remember how to spray paint when all this bodywork is done. It might be a pile of runs

I probably have most of the repair books, plus 25 yrs of Restorer issues stacked, BUT it's been the advice given by hundreds of great people on these forums which have guided me the straightest on my current project(31 coupe)
...you know who you are...thanks.

[Milton]

#2.5 ?

I'm not a machinist and I don't do upholstery. Don't care to go deeply into gens or starters unless I have to. I don't buy tools for every occassion either. Just "pressed" in the rear shackle bushings using all thread, nuts and washers. Will be jigging up a new pinion to turn down the second cone bearing seat. Built my own cam wrench and a leverage bar for valve work photo below. Welded up a spring speader etc. If I can, I will. If I can't, I will try. If I fail, I didn't want to do it anyway!

[dave in australia]

I'm all three.
I'll send an engine out for some work, or if a part doesn't fit in my lathe at home, I'll send it to a machine shop.
I'll buy a balanced crank, high comp head, high speed diff gears.
I'll rebuild a carb, including turning up a new venturi and throttle shaft. I've done my own electroplating, it was my first trade. I'll manufacture and weld in patch panels. I'm currently working on overhauling shocks, including welding up and turning worn shafts and bodies etc.

[Roadster62]

I've never understood electricty, so my projects end there and I start on another.

[TonyM]

Originally Posted by Tiny

The question I am about ask I have pondered for a while.
Where do you fit in?
1. I buy my parts rebuilt or have others do it for me.
2. I will take on some jobs but I'm not comfortable with working on all of parts of my A
3. Bring it on. I will learn how to do it myself.

I pose this question after lurking on this board and reading the Tech section of The Restorer. It seems as though a lot of people are content to let others do their rebuilding and repairing. A common asnwer to questions is "buy part A from supplier B". I dont think this is bad, some people just enjoy driving their car not fiddling with it. Or maybe they don't own a lot of tools.

Myself I fit in #3. The coupe is my first A but will not be my last. I buy the book for what I am going to do and tackle the project head on. If it needs a special tool I buy that. Next time I have the tool and book. An example is the Tillotson on my car a $20 book and a $2 gasket set and it runs like a champ. Rebuilt Tillys are a bit more than $22 and if I srewed it up its only $2 for the retry. I have always enjoyed building driving and wrenching much more than shows. At 40 I very young for the A's but have been playing with old cars since I was born. I have ammassed a nice shop full of tools over the years and coffidence and paitence to at least try just about anything. I dont think pouring babbits is on my list to try though!LOL.

Sowhere do you fit in?

I am all three. But with pre war Ford V-8 automobiles.

Some stuff I can do, some stuff I can't.
I am willing to learn and I want to do as much as I can for myself.

After I bought my Ford V-8, I bought about $400 worth of reference books. It is a continuous learning experience. And just like the original poster, this is my first early Ford (pre war V-8) but not my last.

[Mike V. Florida]

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Tough one, not afraid to try anything but lacking alot of equipment to do so.

[jimalabam]

I,2,3 depending on the task...

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Jeez, how embarrassing but I'm really not sure which one of those 3, --if any I fall into!


Been awhile since I posted anything but adding to what Mr Becker said above, I find there is a tremendous amount of truth in what he says about folks "trying".

There is one side of his comments that I have noticed. I have learned a person's "time" is one of the most valued commodities that any person owns. We all have 24 hours in a day but priorities (both perceived and actual) are different for each of us. Taking a Model-A hobbyist that has a wife and maybe two school-aged kids, he should balance his given time between work, home, wife, each child, recreation and church. I believe this person needs to establish a priorities list and then allocate his time accordingly. Sadly, many homes are broken today because hobbyists chose their own self-interests (i.e.: Model-A's???) over participating in areas that realistically should have seen a higher priority (attending their kid's activities or assisting with their home tasks).

Ironically I find many of my customers are very capable to do the repair/restoration themselves however my perception is 99.9% of them have a pretty good handle on their "priorities in life" where they successfully manage their resourses (time, money, family, etc.) well. Maybe that is the key to their successful life, ....time management? So to many hobbyists, I feel it becomes a time balance between their priorities and their goals. Maybe something higher up on their priorities list keeps them from allocating enough time to perform that repair/restoration themselves?? Definitely should be no shame in that!!

.

[QGolden]

I put myself in the very high 2 to 3 area. But it depends on the project at hand. Your question means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. I do not have the facilities to pour Babbitt, nor would it be cost effective for me to rebuild an engine. I have lathes, a manual mill and a small CNC Mill so I can reproduce a lot of small parts. I have a bead roller, welders and a small brake so I can work with sheet-metal.

I also have a "digitizer" which will make very minute and accurate measurements of a part, convert the data to a CNC file so I can reproduce it. I have used to to make a replacement bowl for a long obsolete carburetor for a vintage motorcycle.

Most of my neighbors think I am some kind of mechanical fabricating wizard.

However,

My current project involves rounded top Cycle Type fenders. In my opinion there is no point in making them (and I do not have an English Wheel) when I have a quote in hand from a Fender Shop who will build them for me for 80.00 each, shipped. I would have to make a lot of panels to justify buying an English Wheel and mastering it's use, 'cause you have to buy the sheet-metal as well, just to practice on. I am not in to spending money to make scrap when that same money will buy me the finished part. None of us are a 3 if we buy patch panes instead of making them, although perhaps welding them in, and finishing the panel to paint prep might make you a 3. Depends on your attitude.

You know, sometimes paying money to someone who specializes in their field can be rewarding as well. I am my own worst critic, and hiring someone to do my pin-striping is easier on me then seeing an error in my work forever, even when no-one else can see it. Consulting with a good painter will often bring to the table color combinations and textures that I had not thought of. Although I have painted and others think my work is good, but, if I bring my body parts to someone who has professional, safe, paint facilities and pay him to lay paint to my standards on a car that I designed and built, and colors I have chosen, it is still my project. It takes me a day to convert my shop for painting, the weather has to be right. the shop is tied up for days so nothing else can be done in there, or I can drop off the parts on Monday, and pick them up on Saturday, and be building a car by Sunday...works for me.

[Tiny]

Nice comments fellas
It's funny I didn't expect it to be a ranking system when I typed it originally 1 2 & 3 were just labels. I would say I'm a high 2 but this system I set up. I'm not afraid to try anything but having a best friend that is a high end custom painter sure helps. He won't let me do the painting. That being said I haven't taken a car to final paint In a long time. I plan on learning upholstery and already have the machine just no need to use it yet. I believe the comment about the work family kids is very valid. I'm at a state compatition with my oldest son all weekend. Old cars in general I do view as a healthy habit though. My wife knows where I am ( not at a bar or out fooling around ) and I am not a fan of sports or tv so after dinner and reading a story to the youngest I head for my temple(the garage) while the mrs. Watches American idol or something I'm not intersted in

[Tiny]

And as far as a pro being quicker. My A is not my only car and if I wanted to be rapid with stuff an A is probably the wrong car. Like I always say. Old cars are cheaper than therapy

[29ModelA]

If I have something to start with I am good, I have rebuilt engines and things, however I know there are others that can do it better.

I paid a guy to resurrect the engine in our A, and I am glad I did as he did and found stuff that I would have skipped. When it needs rebuilt I will send it to a pro.

I will also do the same with our steering box. I am swapping in a good one right now, but will have the original rebuilt in the meantime.

If I can't find an original part, I will buy a repro until I do find an original. I would rather have a 'not correct' part for awhile than not have it at all. If it comes to 'restoring a part to 100% correct' I will likely leave that to a pro too as I sometimes do not have the patience for the little details.

Overall I will tackle most projects, so I am probably a 2.5.

[Forker]

Interesting question. Today, by default I'm a #1, since I just bought my first A and it had been restored by someone else. Anything I've done so far has been a cosmetic addition or minor maintenance kind of stuff that everyone does routinely.

I bought it to drive it, but now that I have her memories of all those old cars I worked on in my youth are coming back. As a teen I worked for years in my uncle's garage, he was the complete mechanic in his day and his garage was where you took a car for repairs if you wanted it fixed right. I worked as his helper and certainly was exposed to most everything mechanical and over time had hands on most everything. Starting out as the kid who pumped gas, checked the oil and cleaned windshields, I eventually graduated up to oil changes, towing, tire repairs, radiator flushes and the like until I was pulling engines and transmissions, breaking them down and doing the repairs or certainly helped with the repairs.

Well those days were long ago and far away from where I am today. After college I went to work in corporate America and honestly can't remember the last time I got under the hood other than when buying a new car. Fond memories of those days working on cars for a living and with friends fixing up our 'project' cars, although most skills and knowledge has been forgotten, I think this new found Model A hobby may move me from category #1 to at least category #2 as defined here. I guess only time will tell

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Dog here again, WOOOF!
What kind a SCALE you using??? I'm a "10" yes a "10"----"A TEN"! Ole' Bill, well, I don't REALLY know??? Buster T.

[Ken Ehrenhofer]

I think you need another "qualifier " in there and I guess that is why so many went to 2.5.....I have been doing this since high school and have learned from many people how it is done. The problem is there is so much to learn and not enough life time to learn it in. I always say it take a village to restore a Model A.....Meaning that I have met so many talented people in this hobby and our clubs that when I need help I know who to go to. Last year we did a fire truck and needed Boyer gate valve handles to be cast in aluminum. We had one original and we needed 6 so I asked a fellow club member and two weeks later we had 6 handles. If I can't figure it out there is someone in this hobby who can help me do it. Thanks to all the talented people in this hobby they are truly inspirational,
Ken

[Randy in Illinois]

I'm a 3, Worked of cars and mechanical stuff since I was very young. Books are use full, the FB form is use full. Half the fun of our Model A's or any old car, is working on them. Sharing and helping others in the hobby is part of the fun and friendships formed.

[Rock Hornbuckle]

A #3 and still learning.

[TonyM]

Originally Posted by Tiny

Nice comments fellas
It's funny I didn't expect it to be a ranking system when I typed it originally 1 2 & 3 were just labels.

I did not read it as a rankning system either. Just a choice of 1, 2 or 3. Not sure how people are coming up with 2.8 or 2.5 (?). It's either one, two, three or a combo thereof. TM.

[Tiny]

No one whats to admit to being a 1? I don't think there should be any shame in that. I'm sure Berts sells lots of rebuilt carbs and not everyone cares to learn how to rebuild a dizzy.
I was at my pops house this week end and he is getting ready to build a jet flow contraption so we can do our one carbs with pro results. I guess I come by it honestly

[Forker]

No one whats to admit to being a 1? I don't think there should be any shame in that. I'm sure Berts sells lots of rebuilt carbs and not everyone cares to learn how to rebuild a dizzy.

If no one ever wanted to be a #1, I think most sports stadiums and arenas would be pretty empty...