How many of you do your own work?

[restoman]

I do everything except machine shop procedures, the final two stages of chrome plating, complex upholstery, convertible tops and glass cutting.

[restoman]

I do everything excepting machine shop procedures, the last two stages of chrome plating, complex upholstery, convertible tops and glass cutting.

[restoman]

I do everything except machine shop procedures, the final two stages of chrome plating, complex upholstery, convertible tops and glass cutting

[flatford8]

Originally Posted by TomT/Williamsburg

I do or did everything for stuff like machine shop work. I am not equipped for that. I have built my own flatheads, T5’s, banjo rears, most all my fabricated parts, interiors, even paint. I do not build stock vehicles like most of you fellas but I am more to the “dsrk side” as Kube and others put it. Presently I unfortunately have to farm out everything now save for most regular maintenance now but I am fortunate to have a very good source to do what needs doing now since I am taking care of my almost 102 year old Dad. I do miss it a lot and do some small things when time prevails but it’s just my life right now. The way it’s going now I probably will not every go back to what I did before as age is creeping up on me ….. time flys when you are having fun and I enjoyed everyone of my 7-8 builds, 3 of them from the ground up.

Pictured is my latest and last build ….

Tom….nice job on the pick-up and congrats to your Dad!!……..Mark

[TomT/Williamsburg]

Thanks petehoovie, cas3, and flatford8 - Dad is still doing pretty well for his age. His short term memory is gone but he’s cognizant and can still form new memories and he’s also a 1-armed amputee from WWII, Patton’s army, 317th infantry, which I have mentioned here on the ‘Barn before. Not many WWII vets left - less than 40k of the 16.5 million who served. It’s hard work, the hardest work I’ve ever done, I will tell you that but he’s home and I run everything for him with some help from the family. Sorry to run on about things and I know many if you would give their eye teeth to have their Dad so long and in as good a shape as he is. Just think of our vets, all of them, and say a prayer of thanks - our lives would be much different without their sacrifice.

[flatford8]

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������Well said!������……my Dad was Infantry also……..Mark

[totto]

Restoring is when you can do most jobs yourself and then finding the right people do "those things" you do not have the equipment(engine rebuilding etc). I have"fun" restoring and the best part is "driving " your pride and joy. These cars/trucks need to be driven and not just sitting in the garage!!

[rockfla]

Totto


Really love your truck in the avatar

[TomT/Williamsburg]

The expression I heard a lot in my early days in this hobby was, “let’s take it to the streets” / we need to drive and enjoy them imho and I do that as much as I can … lije yoyr truck, Totto!

[Als48]

Tom T and others, I'm glad you still have your dad. My dad and his brother were also WWII vets and have passed. But my mom's youngest brother was wounded in the Normandy invasion and is still with us. He turned 100 last February and we attended a big birthday celebration for him. He's in great shape still working on restoring a couple of trucks and still driving! Scary as it sounds.

Al H

[4d fjord]

Originally Posted by 35fordtn

Curious how many of you guys have shops work on your car vs do it all yourself?

Many years back, when I was in high school, I worked in the shipping department for a business that was located right down the street from the local Ford dealer. One day I dropped my 63 Fairlane (260 4spd) off before work for a tune-up. After work I picked it up and it ran terrible. When I got home I started checking things over and found several spark plugs loose and a wire off. After that I decided I would do my own work on my cars and if something didn't turn out right all I had to do was blame myself and most importantly learn from it. Over the years I contracted the dreaded "car disease" of which I still have symptoms to this day. I have had to purchase a lot of specialized tools and manuals but I know I'm ahead in the long term.

[AZMerc39]

I do what I can. But when it comes to body work, I'll have to have a shop do it.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by 4d fjord

Many years back, when I was in high school, I worked in the shipping department for a business that was located right down the street from the local Ford dealer. One day I dropped my 63 Fairlane (260 4spd) off before work for a tune-up. After work I picked it up and it ran terrible. When I got home I started checking things over and found several spark plugs loose and a wire off. After that I decided I would do my own work on my cars and if something didn't turn out right all I had to do was blame myself and most importantly learn from it. Over the years I contracted the dreaded "car disease" of which I still have symptoms to this day. I have had to purchase a lot of specialized tools and manuals but I know I'm ahead in the long term.

I think my turning point was in 1992 when I dropped our family's daily driver (79 toyota landcruiser 4 door wagon) off at a transmission specialty shop on the mainland to have the noisy transfer case rebuilt. This was 5 weeks in advance of a long anticipated month long trip through six western states towing a 16' travel trailer with 3 kids in the backseat. (What was I thinking?)... Every Friday I'd call them about progress. You know the response. Finally after a few added calls it was 'ready' the DAY before our intended departure. So off I go, hitch hiking after I got off the ferry to the trans outfit. Paid and raced away to catch next boat home. Seemed pretty noisy still, or was it just the paranoid me? Get home, ready to hook up trailer and I grabbed the rear output yoke on the t-case ... Yup, up/down clunk same as before. Called the shop, owner said they didn't have any of the shims for preloading the rear bearing so they put it back together with the ones they took out! So while my wife was loading a months worth of crap into the cargo area, I was under there pulling the drive shaft, rear cover, pulled a shim out... Hooked on the fish scale. Too tight. Stabbing a guess I unrolled a beer can and cut a shim ring that gave a very close to the factory service manual. Wonderful trip. Nobody else has ever worked on that rig, which I still drive today, re-branded as the Foyota. Nobody cares about the details like WE do!

[sugarmaker]

Guys,
I try do some work on my own cars. The newer ones about 10 year old go back to dealer for anything other than oil changes. I do my own brakes sometimes. On the older units the 32 and the 65 they get improvements or repairs here in the shop. We have done engine swaps, suspension upgrades, disc brake swaps, rear springs changes, some body work, some painting. Don't want to do repairs for a living, too old for that now.
John Kelley has helped a lot, on most of these projects too. A few are his units that get some attention also.
Regards,
Chris and Cheryl

[Larry29]

i do it myself, not many peeps left that do.

[Strick]

Originally Posted by Tim Ayers

I know this is mainly a purist site, but I am retiring at the end of the month. I've started working with a friend on designing a new performance intake and we've also been discussing designing our own performance cam.

I'm in the process of doing a Lincoln Zephyr distributor V8 conversion using Dean Moon's '53 Car Craft three part series on how to do it at home.

I'm hoping to learn some new skills this year like upholstery and getting better at metal work. I'll even give painting a go.

What is helpful with old Fords is they are not overly complicated and almost every part can be rebuilt or refurbished in some capacity.

I think, like many, the best thing about this hobby is it can help you to keep learning, acquiring new skills and keep your mental acuity sharp.

Tim - how’s the Lincoln Zephyr V8 distributor conversion going? My new obsession…to learn as much about this as I can

[The Old Guy]

-
I try and do all of my own work. I trade my mechanical work for body work and painting whenever I can because I am not very good at those two jobs.


I just finished a pickup truck two years ago that I started with a bare frame and used extra left over parts that I had laying around. I did all of the work on it including assembly, body work, painting, and wiring. I don't watch any TV and I like being outdoors, so I work on the old cars and trucks. I think it keeps me feeling young...

[1952henry]

As much as I can…

[ford38v8]

My father was a machinist, moonlighted installing furnaces and water heaters, room additions, plumbing , electrical, but strangely, would not work on his cars himself. As a kid, I worked on his cars, then on mine, and to this day, nobody changes oil + filter on any of my cars but me, myself, and I.

[The Old Guy]

Originally Posted by ford38v8

My father was a machinist, moonlighted installing furnaces and water heaters, room additions, plumbing , electrical, but strangely, would not work on his cars himself. As a kid, I worked on his cars, then on mine, and to this day, nobody changes oil + filter on any of my cars but me, myself, and I.

-
I do all of my vintage stuff but I take my wife's newer car to a friend of mine that has a local one man shop. He is the only one I would trust to do it. I don't like working on the new stuff.