builders

[metalman1968]

Just curios how many of you do all your own work or are paying or have payed someone else to do it.

[Andy4639]

I have done all my own work except painting it. I installed all the new glass, upholstery, radio, wiring the fuel injection building the motor. I did buy the transmission already built but I installed it.
Painting and body work are a art and if you don't have the tools and place to do it... well it's just not going to look right!

[rob32472]

I am paying to have my cab work done, and i will pay to have painting done. I will doo body and mechanical work my self. I think there are somethings better left to the professionals other wise we tend to have to tare down the truck every year or so to fix things we are not happy with or that wasnt fixed properly

[metalman1968]

I agree, I do not do wind shields, after cracking way to many or any kind of upholstery as I have no experience in that area. I find it difficult to pay another man to do what I am able to do myself and usually end redoing it any way.

[thirdstreettito]

I do ALL my own work.

[mrein3]

I wouldn't imagine letting somebody else do the work. Body or mechanical.

Anybody can shell out $10,000 on paint and body. To my that is kind of like daycare. Why pay somebody to raise YOUR kids?!?

[68350]

Other than windshields, rear windows, exhaust, and tire mounting, we do everything ourselves.

[kyull67]

On my last build I did everything except the windshield, exhaust, pinstriping, and the machine work on the motor. I also let him assemble the long block because I got a warranty.

[special-K]

It depends.I`ve done it all but sometimes pay for something special.

[Camper Power]

i do ALL the mechanical work, most of the wiring, exept for subs and amps. any thing that needs percise work (exept engine rebuilding) il pay someone to do the work so nothing gets screwy.

[big_al_71]

Only paid for Paint and body...

[Bob 68327]

Do all my own work !!

[sick69]

I will do absolutly everything I can. That being said,,,,,I don't have the equipment to do the machine work on the engine, or the equipment to do the custom uhpolstery. So some stuff is best left to the pros.

I do how ever have access to a painter and a booth so,,,, although he will spray it,,,i'll be there doing the last minute prep along with him, and the detailing afterward,,,,,,


Frank

[firedog]

all but the paint and body work was done in my dads shop right along with him while he was doing his 71 gmc. he did his own painting tho kinda wish i would have done my own body work and paint it wouldnt have taken so long and it probably been better work. Why is everyone so afraid of the windows dad and i have done 4 windshields and 3 back glass (won't do another windshield with trim tho). and i think he has the door glass down to a science.

[firedog]

to go along with my last post don 't miss my quote

"remember it ain't been done right till uve done it at least 3 times"

[spinning wheels]

I do most of the work myself, which explains why my truck runs and looks the way it does.
I did take the truck to a friend's electrical shop. He let one of his flunkies do the work, as he was in the process of making one of Tony Stewart's old NASCARS into a street legal ride, with BBK and Edelbrock fuel injection no less.
Anyways, after spending $200 bucks, the truck died on me, on the way to work. They did such a lousy job and totally missed a bad voltage regulator, that ended up killing my battery.
These trucks are fairly simple to work on, it just takes time and patients. That is one of the reasons these trucks have such loyal owners. If you always take your ride into a shop to have it worked on, you just wont appreciate the truck or bond with it.

[vectorit]

Paid a shop to do the body n paint.
I didn't have the space n time to do it myself.
Everything else I did in a storage unit, and driveways of apartments.
Recently I have had the luxury of a private driveway, and a garage larger than a vw bug.
Still workin on stuff myself.

[LockDoc]

-
I try to do all of the work on my vehicles myself. I'm painting the '70 short box but I'm having a buddy of mine paint the '71 4x4. I'm doing most of the prep on it and trading him labor to paint and buff it. I don't find windshields too difficult but I will be installing my first one with trim in a few days so I may change my tune on that...

LockDoc

[greygoose]

I help,most of the time lol.But a lot of the ppl I know just want to help so they all can see it looking good when it's finish.

[68350]

After seeing professionals do windows with trim and breaking a window the second time, I will leave it to them. It doesn't cost that much for them to install it, and if they break it, they replace it.

[67/72junkie]

One of my best friends is a autobody man by trade so he paints for me in trade I do mechanical work for him .I strip prep and prime everything and he does the finish work.I had 2 windshields broken by so called professionals so I have installed the last 4 or 5 with no problem.I have even reused 2 windshield seals by kicking out the old glass from the inside out.after a through cleaning I soaked them in hot,hot water for about 30 minutes to soften them up.these were both in my drivers and I sprayed a little wd-40 around them to soften and seal them.Haven't had any leaks.The only thing about the windshield is go slow and don't force it.Other than the paint nobody touches my trucks but me. Of course a machinest does do all my prep work before I assemble my engines.

[BarryB]

I do it all, except for the machine work on the motor stuff. I do all my own custom upholstery. I do my own body work , and paint. You name it I can do it.

[Puropedo]

Mother nature and myself! No one else touches it!!!

[GKsport67]

Im always out of pocket$$$$

[pritch]

Like most, I'll do everything I can do myself, but having said that, I went into this as much as a learning experience, so I will try to do some things that I don't really know much about. Somebody has the sig-'I'd rather do it myself and pay the extra $500'

I think there is alot of satisfaction in doing it yourself. There is for me, anyway. And besides, with a resource like this board I learn more each day.