Restoring you Charger, what is your skill level?

[Back N Black]

Just wondering what the average skill level is when restoring you Charger? For me i did about 80% the final body and paint was done by the pros.  

[69bronzeT5]

Well, I can do all of the assembly and disassembly and restoring smaller parts and my dad does a lot of mechanical stuff however body, paint and engine machining work will be left to the professionals.

[HANDM]

I've done everything myself, can you say "learning curve" 

[HOTROD]

I do 90% cut, weld, rattle can spray and engine work but never have sprayed  a car or body work (puttey) I just hate sanding and sanding !!

[68blue]

I've done a lot of the work, mechanical and interior. No place to exterior paint or do body work so that has been split between friends and pros. Painting smaller items and doing sub assemblies like the grill and dash I was able to do in my garage. Looking forward to getting the car back from the paint shop and completing the assembly.

[six-tee-nine]

I do all my restoring myself except for spraying paint.
However, I had most of my sanding and body straightening work checked by a pro before paint.

On the other side I'm thinking about picking up the glove on painting cars myself. If you have patience a paint booth is not a must.....so I might buy myself some old hoods and doors to give it a try.

Mecanical stuff my job so on these old cars there are'nt many things that surprise me anymore.......

[Patronus]

nobody will touch my cars

[Bossman963]

I do as much as possible- most likely 90%, have a bud who teaching me body work- wow what a pain in the ass- now i know why they charge so much, I restored  in various stages - about 35 cars
I enjoy the mechanical, paint small stuff etc- but ya the complete paint - take to a pro !

[tan top]

 

nobody will touch my cars

do all my own work  !!  
only thing i did not do was replate the bumpers , wish i would of done the prep !!   , thats another story    

& put the tires on the wheels &  balance ,    was going to do that but got a buddy to do it !!  & has the  latest balancing machine  

oh & any engine machining , balancing , boring etc etc  

[71_Charger_R/T]

I'm not sure where I'd fit in on the survey...... I do more than 75% but can't say I do it all. The things I farmed out were: radiator recore, Machine work to the block and heads and I had the automatic transmission rebuilt.   And that's because: Lack of supplier,  Lack of equipment and lack of knowledge, in that order...... to me, it's Voodoo that goes on inside an automatic transmission.   I'd like to learn more about autos but too busy and too intimidated at this point!

[Nacho-RT74]

if I have the tools, I could do everything.

[Troy]

I have no skill - yet I seem to insist on doing everything I can on my own. I also have too many cars to pay someone else to do them. I'm trying to stay away from doing the paint and body but some of the basics (stripping paint and undercoating, shooting primer, hammering dents that are accessible from the back, grinding welds. etc.) really aren't that difficult.

Troy

[six-tee-nine]

I started my first resto at the age of 17 and I also was unskilled at the time. However by screwing up ALOT you eventually learn to to the job good.....

[lisiecki1]

I voted for 75%....probably closer to 90% for me....the last 10% is simply a lack of funds for the neccessary equipment to do everything.....I have the knowledge, but don't have the tooling (lathe's/mills/etc.)

[Richard Cranium]

I go by what Clint says............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VrFV5r8cs0

[Brock Samson]

 It's been over 20 years since i went to junkyards and unbolted stuff from the two parts cars and then re-bolted it to my car,.. the engine was farmed out to a pro race motor builder,.. the paint, headliner and V. top were done by pros too. i bought only the front bumper guards and wheel well moldings over the internet.
I forget thankfully now - just how much trouble it all was, working on a steep hill with virtually no proper tools and in a dim garage with less then six inches of clearance on one side only, and for good reason too.

[kab69440]

My skill level  far exceeds my income level.

[gtx6970]

I can do and have done  everything,,, except exterior body and paint which I have actually done to some degree,, but prefer to pay someone who knows what there doing .

[Magnumcharger]

I do it all.

[Cooter]

Paint and body
Engine/trans
Rearend
electrical
Dash-A/C-Heater
I do it all.
I work on everybody else's junk during the day, I figure I might as well work on my own junk on MY time..

[Ghoste]

I do it all but since I screw up about 25% of the time it made the choice an easy one. 

[greenpigs]

I will do some bodywork, the parking lot rash, but will have the quarters replaced by a shop & painted also. Except for setting the rear gears I have done all the mechanical work myself so far.

[jb666]

Back in my Chevy days, I would do all my own work. I took my Camaro down to nothing and did everything except spray it. Same with a couple of bikes...

These days I've lost my self confidence, my patience and most of my common sense, so I pay the pros to do it (right).

[bull]

Well, I can do all of the assembly and disassembly and restoring smaller parts and my dad does a lot of mechanical stuff however body, paint and engine machining work will be left to the professionals.

Same here. Although I probably can do all that stuff, especially the engine work, I don't really want to. I don't do this stuff enough to feel confident doing it to a 68 Charger. Maybe a 93 Neon or something but the Charger is something I want done right. That doesn't necessarily mean the "professionals" get it right all the time but their results are usually better than mine. Escpecially when it comes to body/paint.

[BlueSS454]

nobody will touch my cars

Same here, been burned twice, never again.  I do sheet metal replacement, bodywork & paint including color sanding & buffing.  I also do suspension, brakes, rear axles, interiors, engines, and electrical.  The only thing I can't do, YET, is automatic transmissions.  I haven't had to mess with one yet.