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Customs My new 1957 Chevy Bel Air cover car

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by rippedcamel, Jul 26, 2008.

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  1. rippedcamel
    Joined: Jul 26, 2008
    Posts: 53

    rippedcamel
    Member
    from Florida

    Out of curiosity what type of welding will I need to know to work on this car? I'm in school now, and they offer 15 different types of welding classes. They have tig welding, arc welding, etc etc. Which do I need for doing body work like this?
     
  2. billbrown
    Joined: Dec 24, 2007
    Posts: 595

    billbrown
    BANNED

    i wouldnt give you a punch in the face for it. I kid I kid, Ill bet there are some tri five guys crying right now.
     
  3. Dooley
    Joined: May 29, 2002
    Posts: 2,956

    Dooley
    Member
    from Buffalo NY

    Well, if you need to learn to weld, maybe what you should do is... build a car or two or three or twenty before working on this one
    I've built my car, and I built it for me to like and that is fine for any other car out there, but being that this is a genuine cover car, documented and all, I just don't think this is the car to do for a first time builder, since you could trade it for a garden variety tri 5 and go nuts.

    Having read about resto's of "famous" cars before, you don't relaize the amount of research, and work that is required. I know this has all been said before, but reading about the Valley custom on ebay, kinda makes you realize how rare these things are.
    Plus a car done by Gerstner, should be restored by someone as good or better.

    Or you can store it until the right time-money-restorer comes along.

    It would be like finding a famous painting and taking watercolor classes to be able to restore it.

    First time builds are great, mig welding will help you learn to be able to do a bunch, but this car should not be a first time build ( not knocking your aptitiude at all)
     
  4. rippedcamel
    Joined: Jul 26, 2008
    Posts: 53

    rippedcamel
    Member
    from Florida

    Okay, so lets say I sold the car and was trying to know just to know....(no, I didn't really sell it, but this will eliminate this from the equation)

    What are the exact types of welding needed for automotive fabrication? I know some types are for commercial piping and some for other areas. I want to be able to know how to work on cars in general (automotive fabrication).

    I plan on doing many more projects beyond this one, as I have a true passion for cars. I like most TRUE car enthusiasts, end up putting money into my cars, before I do into anything else. So I want to know what to learn, while I have the opportunity.
     
  5. Abomination
    Joined: Oct 5, 2006
    Posts: 6,719

    Abomination
    Member

  6. oilslinger53
    Joined: Apr 17, 2007
    Posts: 2,500

    oilslinger53
    Member
    from covina CA

    you will need a mig welder,if your just welding sheet metal you dont need anything too powerfull. id suggest getting an oxy-acetelyne(sp?) setup and learning how to use that first, once you do that,mig welding will be a cakewalk.if you have to weld anything thick id suggest a stick welder as well. and like another said, this isnt the car to learn on, you wanna do another car or twelve first.
     
  7. 00 MACK
    Joined: May 10, 2004
    Posts: 3,680

    00 MACK
    Member

    i have Don Pritchrds address and phone #!!! p.m. me! Before that amazes you too much,just remember,I grew up around Ray Soff!Thanks Ray for the info!
     
  8. T-Bone
    Joined: Mar 17, 2001
    Posts: 359

    T-Bone
    Member

    This place is un-friken-believable sometimes.
     
  9. rippedcamel
    Joined: Jul 26, 2008
    Posts: 53

    rippedcamel
    Member
    from Florida


    I called and it was disconnected. Oh well, thanks for trying though. :)
     
  10. 00 MACK
    Joined: May 10, 2004
    Posts: 3,680

    00 MACK
    Member

    Yeah,could be...Soff called him 15 years ago and he was a cool guy.Oh well,I hope Don is o.k.
     
  11. AND THEN THERE'S THE GUYS WHO WILL TRY TO SCAM IT OUT OF YOU.

    No, you can't sell this car. Just take your time and restore back to it's cover car status. You'll be way happier. Who cares how long it takes.
     
  12. Put it back in the garage and let your kid decide in 20 years..:)
     
  13. Not gettin this one, mig and oxy/act welding have no relation to each other than melting them together. mig is a walk in the park compaired to oxy/act. grant you this though all the work on this car was done with gas not mig! Most schools will start you off on gas then move you up from their, take both classes because you are going to need them. tig is nice also great foe making bracketts and things.
     
  14. jonnycola
    Joined: Oct 12, 2003
    Posts: 2,061

    jonnycola
    Member

    You never own a car like that... you're just a caretaker until the next guy owns it.

    Dont be known as the caretaker that wrecked all its history.
     
  15. 00 MACK
    Joined: May 10, 2004
    Posts: 3,680

    00 MACK
    Member

  16. T-Roy
    Joined: Aug 12, 2006
    Posts: 931

    T-Roy
    Member

    Those are some great words of encouragement. :rolleyes:


    I hope Camel makes all the naysayers eat their negative words.
     
  17. rippedcamel
    Joined: Jul 26, 2008
    Posts: 53

    rippedcamel
    Member
    from Florida

    Yeah, anything can be accomplished if you put your mind to it.......right Marty Mccfly :)

    00 Mack......How old was Don Pritchard when you saw him 15 years ago? Would he be in his early 60's now, or much older? I can't tell by the picture, but it looks like he was in his early 30's in the magazine. Any idea?
     
  18. Gotgas
    Joined: Jul 22, 2004
    Posts: 7,175

    Gotgas
    Member
    from DFW USA

    Aw man.. please don't ruin that car with a stupid 400hp LS1 and a C4 suspension. :rolleyes: What are you going to do, autocross it?

    If you want a Pro Touring car.. go get one. That ain't one. I just can't imagine that car with some ridiculous positive offset 18" Z06 knockoff wheels and ostrich interior... YECH!!

    Restore it right or sell it to someone that will, PLEASE.

    That is one of my favorite customs EVER by the way... I'm thinking bias-ply whites and cut coils and a return to that cars glory days is much more appropriate than some wannabe hot rod. My .05
     
  19. FRITZ
    Joined: Sep 6, 2001
    Posts: 1,209

    FRITZ
    BANNED

    Still Interested..........
    FRITZ
     
  20. rippedcamel
    Joined: Jul 26, 2008
    Posts: 53

    rippedcamel
    Member
    from Florida

    Yeah, I'm contimplating putting her on ebay, and letting people battle it out. The historical significance of this car scares me a bit. I wouldn't want to be remembered, or known as the guy that butchered such a classic.

    I would love to build it, and know I could, but things are weighing heavily on my mind. I'll let you guys know if and when I throw her on ebay.
     
  21. wvenfield
    Joined: Nov 23, 2006
    Posts: 5,580

    wvenfield
    Member

    I've defended ya Camel but once again I can't here. IMO there are a coulpe guys here who will step up with the cash to do it right.

    Stick it on the bay and some wahoo with big bucks buys it and does exactly what others have pleaded with you not to do.

    Now maybe there are some dealings that I'm not in on and if so, that's cool. Someone that should get it, gets it and you are O.K. that you got what it's worth, but don't just put it up for grabs.
     
  22. 00 MACK
    Joined: May 10, 2004
    Posts: 3,680

    00 MACK
    Member

    Ive never seen or talked to Pritchard in my life.Ray Soff did 15 years ago.Ray also talked to your dad around the same time.Ill P.M. Soffs #
     
  23. WOW....12 pages only to find out he might not keep it....

    I'm in 100% agreeance with wvenfield. If you sell, offer it up to someone who appreciates it as much as you or your father did. Ask the builder if you could get a ride when it's done for your father, yourself and your son....add something cool for yourself in the deal, not to mention your father most likely would enjoy to ability to see it his invision completed and running. PLEASE don't send it to ebay.....
     
  24. jawdrpn36
    Joined: Apr 17, 2006
    Posts: 326

    jawdrpn36
    Member
    from bay area

    Here is on my buddy just found 35k orignal miles that has been sitting for the last 30 years a true survior[​IMG]
     
  25. jawdrpn36
    Joined: Apr 17, 2006
    Posts: 326

    jawdrpn36
    Member
    from bay area

  26. Danimal
    Joined: Apr 23, 2006
    Posts: 4,149

    Danimal
    Member
    1. A-D Truckers

    Send it to eBay and you'll get what you get. There was a post here a while back about someone who sold their car to a street rod guy who repainted it frog green and put frogs on the trunk lid. He was so pissed because of what the guy did BUT it wasn't his car anymore.

    You see this car 20 years down the line looking like a piece of shit from some ass hat's hack job that you sold on eBay and you'll be trying to explain it to your son why you sold it. Crap, I sold a '54 Bel Air 4 door this spring that I was putting back together and finally got it to running/driving status. My kid was pissed when it left and even more pissed when he saw it painted flat black with a spray bomb red roof.

    It was now his car and he could do as he pleased. I was spending the money on the next project.

    Another story of a tri-5 is my neighbor. The night before he turned 18 he bought a 1955 convertible for a song because the guy who had it needed books for Ohio State. 25 years later, he's still got the car and finally had the $$ to have it gone through to a resto-driver status. Somewhere there is a dude who tells a story about selling his car so he could by books for college and he's certain that the car is long gone because he sold it to some stupid kid. Another house talks about the luck he had finding the car and keeping it all these years, 3 houses, 4 daughters, starting a business, and through it all he's got his 55 vert.

    Which guy do you want to be?
     
  27. Post it on the HAMB for sale. F ebay.
     
  28. FNG
    Joined: Jan 22, 2006
    Posts: 422

    FNG
    Member
    from New Jersey
    1. HAMB Relays

    First off you have a very cool car and don't let what anyone here say sway you one way or another it's your car to do what you want to do with it after all no one here is going to be writing you checks and sending em to you now are they? All that bullshit aside you have a very rare opportunity sitting in your garage. You have a custom car that was good enough to make the cover of Car Craft Magazine so from a professional restorers point of view it should be kept intact. You need to accumulate as much documentation on the car as you can it will all make the car eventually worth more and during your restoration it will prove invaluable. As far as $20,000 getting it back in shape sure if your name is Chip Foose or you have his kind of talent and connections to get a lot of your materials for free. The material for a paint job on that car will cost you around $5000 alone if it was painted in Candy or pearl. As far as the body work goes unless you are a competent professional and a very good one at that don't touch it. Bad body work will totally ruin any car and make it worth less then zero. So either pay someone to do it correctly or buy yourself a couple of old pieces if shit to practice on and then maybe think about doing it yourself. I did say think about it first because it all looks very easy to do but is actually not so easy.
    To quote Clint Eastwood "A man's got to know his limitations"

    The only thing I can say is if you have a place to keep it until you have the money and or the ability to do the job right just keep the thing. It didn't cost you anything and what you would get for it from some guy who thinks he knows what he's doing is going to be next to nothing. You WILL regret selling it some day and for what a few dollars, shit the money will always be there but the car may not.
     
  29. gnarlytyler
    Joined: Feb 2, 2007
    Posts: 1,004

    gnarlytyler
    Member

    I agree screw ebay.. if you've finally stepped into reality and realized this car is a bit too much for your first, and probably too much for even some hambers like me. let it go for a price you and a buyer are both comfortable with. I'm sure you've gotten plenty of emails with people interested. Find out who's serious and start taking some offers and once you've got a good idea what its worth and what you want, put it for sale here in the classifieds. And when your done give alittle bit back to the hamb for giving you so much useful advice and history and knowledge of this car that would have never found or known about before. (I know I need to pitch in myself and be an alliance member) Then go buy another 57 and do your swaps your talking about and flip that for some BIG MONEY!!
    Anthony
     
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