Tool cost for body work

[Tigger]

Have a 69, it needs trunk, quarters and the right front inner fender and 18" of frame rail. Core support is trashed also.
I have a complete front clip off a 70 cornet.

I wrench for Chrysler for a living, so mechanical tools are not an issue.

Question is, how much money would it take to buy all the proper bodyman tools and welder to address the above issues.

I;m thinking just farm out the bodywork and paint and just deal with the mechanical and interior myself.

Any and all inputs needed, thanks.

[Silver R/T]

my welder cost me nearly $600, its a nice 140 Hobart/Miller with gas setup. Good D/A will cost you at least $100, air compressor 220V, at least 60 gallon, preferrably 2 stage 12-13scfm. Body hammer/dolly set $300-$400 depending on which hammers your get...
if youre doing this once its better to outsource it, if doing more cars in future Id invest in tools. Mine have paid for itself.

[69hemi]

Check out the tools section of my website www.69hemi.com and it will give you a pretty good idea.

[Mike DC]

 
Yeah, that's about the size of it.  Just one car, and it's usually better to pay someone else.  More than one, and you'd be better off buying tools & doing your own metal work if you're good with your hands. 




If you farm it out, be prepared to really pay up the first time. 

The problem with bad bodywork is that if you decide to have it redone later, then the previous work is worth zero when it comes time for the second round.  It may even be negative and cost you more than if you hadn't done anything at all the first time.

If you're gonna prioritize, then put the money in the METAL work every time.  It's better to compromise the perfection of the final paintwork in favor of better sheetmetal underneath it. 




It helps that so much stuff is getting repro'd though.  Fixing these bodies is getting more and more a matter of just throwing enough new replacement panels at it. 

You may only end up with half the same car the factory made in 1969.  However that's still a lot more feasible than keeping 70% of the original metal but spending twice as much as the whole car is worth to cobble it all back together. 

 

[69hemi]

Formally Miked speak the truth.  If some parts were available in repops I would have done a few thing differently, like avoiding that drive to Pittsburgh for sub-par fenders.

Build a good metal base and it wil be there forever and let me pass on some advise I got from a metal guy once.  "If you f*ck it up, then just cut it out and weld in a new piece"

[69*F5*SE]

Great feedback and advice.  Amen.   

[Tigger]

I saw 69HEMIs tools that were being used. I have all except the panel beater tools, and the welder.

I guess i could cough up the money for the rest of the tools, and welder. I would have to take a welding class at the local vo-tech.
Space is also an issue as well as time. My wife told me to buy the car, so i did, but i don't think she realizes the amount of time and effort to restore(resto-mod).

I think i will have the body work farmed out(I ask every charger owner if they were happy with the results of their body work and ask who did it). I go to Carlisle and ask, so I'm narrowing my field down.

Thanks to everyone who has responded, any other advice is always welcomed. My camera broke, so no pics for now.

[69hemi]

Screw the welding class just get some metal and practice.  Since you will mostly be welding sheet metal 90% of your time will be making small beads.

Be a man, suck it up, grow a pair and head off to the welders store.

[Tigger]