How many build their rides that do not do this for a living?

[S10Fan]

I make my living as a UPS driver (25 years)......I grew up in my Dad's gas station, that's where my passion for cars came from.....I have a 20X30 detached garage with enough tools and equipment to complete any jobs I feel like getting into....My garage needs a serious cleaning, I'm afraid to throw anything away until I finish this current project, '50 Chevy 3100 on an S-10 chassis.

[BruthaMan]

Frame off, in a two car garage. Barely owned any tools before the build. I'm a computer programmer and had very little experience with cars, outside of changing a tire or air filter.

It was a challenge

[mr48chev]

I've got the tools but they take almost all of the one car garage up. my grandfather built that garage in the 20's or 30's for that era's cars.
So it's do it in the dirt or don't do it.
This where I am working on my frame.

Now that the spring winds have slacked off I'll get a new tarp for the tent carport thing and hopefully have some shade and protection from the rain for the next few months.

Trouble with the daily drivers on an all too regular basis have taken up my time and spending money way too often in the past couple of months. I do have everything except a pair of rear springs to turn this frame into a rolling chassis in the next couple of months.

I am a trained auto mechanic who doesn't work in the field any longer. It took me about 20 years to decide that what I wanted to do was work on my own hot rods and not work on other peoples cars daily for a living even though it was a good living most of the time.
I went from a one car carport to a two car garage to one car garage to no garage over the years. My truck as you see it in my avatar was built in a high schoo autoshop that had almost 10,000 square feet and held 23 cars before you started blocking any in by parking behind them. Quite often it served as a teaching aid over the years when it was time to demonstrate how to do oil changes or brakes or lube jobs.

A nice shop has always been on my list of plans but it most likely won't happen until after I retire.

[drivea55]

back yard builder here to boot!

I am a machinist by trade and this is my first ground up build. I have a 18 x 40 that we are tooling up as we need it. Basically the shop is being built as the truck is... lol

It may not come out perfect, but I can say I built it 100% myself.

Brian

[yunkyarddog]

im a UNION CARPENTER and all i have to do my work is a single driveway car port

[tmoble]

DesertCat, you stateside now? I'm also in the Valley of the Sunstroke, but don't any truck guys. Is there any get togethers that you know of?

[pockets]

It is nice to see a few other software/IT people here. When I tell most developers than I like to work on cars/trucks they just kind of stare at me. Before I did software for a living I fixed airplanes in the airforce. they also taught me how to paint, but i have yet to paint my first non-flying vehicle.

I've always grown up around hot rods though, mostly chevelles as that is what my dad always had.

[bruin_d]

I'm in the Navy and have done 95% of mine in the driveway. I borrow my neighbor's MIG welder when I'm too lazy to use my TIG...which is usually all of the time. I wouldn't call it a hobby though, more of an obsession.

[DesertCat]

tmoble, still in Talibania (land of diaper rash) but going home this week! But only for a couple weeks.

I know there are lots of members and get-togethers all over... check out the AZ part of the forum

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/f...play.php?f=145

If something is going on in June I'd like to go.

Sorry for the hijack, now back to our normal broadcast

[kgmunro]

I am a Chrysler parts guy that takes alot of heat for owning a 57 gmc and a 69 camaro....I work on mine at night and weekends from my 26 x 26 garage at home.

[99-LS1-SS]

Just tell them that "you work for show but, you build for go". lol

Originally Posted by kgmunro

I am a Chrysler parts guy that takes alot of heat for owning a 57 gmc and a 69 camaro....I work on mine at night and weekends from my 26 x 26 garage at home.

[72lb4x4]

I just have regular two car attached garage with lots of tools, bike and Camaro in it. The truck has to live in the driveway.

There are a bunch with nice shops, and some pros, but I'd guess most of us do something else for a living.

The key to having tools is to always be hunting for them and acquiring. You can get tools almost anywhere. Garbage sales, swap meets, CL, etc.

[pgf545]

I am far from a professional but am fortunate to have a nice place to work. My dad build a big "Toy" shop for all of us to play in. We have quite a collection of tools from many years of racing. Now the only things that get worked on are the toys....the 52 and my 69 Camaro...oh yeah mom's Corvair...lol

Bernie

[candyx]

First time builder here and i have a shop with a miller,lathe and welders that we use for construction.I did all the big stuff in the shop but i perfer my garage at home.It sucks driving 30 mins to the shop and working and then driving home again.In the garage at home there is no travel time and you can take breaks and then go back to work as much as you want,at the shop you have to work the whole time as not to waste any time.Now if my shop was in my back yard that would be a whole different story but since its not i rather work at home in the garage.
The guys who have it made are the ones that own body shops !!!!!

[Tri5Nerd]

Originally Posted by candyx

First time builder here and i have a shop with a miller,lathe and welders that we use for construction.I did all the big stuff in the shop but i perfer my garage at home.It sucks driving 30 mins to the shop and working and then driving home again.In the garage at home there is no travel time and you can take breaks and then go back to work as much as you want,at the shop you have to work the whole time as not to waste any time.Now if my shop was in my back yard that would be a whole different story but since its not i rather work at home in the garage.
The guys who have it made are the ones that own body shops !!!!!

Tell me about body shops, they are really doing good, the ones that do insurance work will not take on any other jobs unless business gets slow but I don't think business is ever slow for them, now the other shop that does not do insurance work usually will give higher quotes unless they know you or are recommended by someone you know.

I have had 3 quotes to paint my truck and they range from $7500 to 10k and I think my truck is pretty straight from me priming and blocking the hell out of it. All I wanted was a single color and I have the paint.

Tri5

[fredscarryall]

ya some body shops suck. but you do have to understand where they are coming from.im not sure what they quoted you,but they have to take the truck completely apart to make the paint look good.other wise you will get paint bridging.and if they paint the truck and God forbid you missed prepping a spot or there where some scratches or waves you may have not seen before. i know i have missed a couple on just the firewall of my suburban. the body shop is held liable. so they will add a charge to your paint bill for prep, even if you spent months block sanding. you need to make sure they sign something saying they will complete it by a certian date and they will only charge you this amount. no offense to the honest body shops but because of the economy there are alot more body shops that will screw you now adays. it seems if you are nice and tell them to work on it whenever they have time. i have seen cars sit in body shops for a year and the owner has to take it to another body shop because the first body shop never started it or they got to busi.also if you do take it to a body shop never and i mean never give them the full amount up front, no mater how honest they say they are. how does the old saying go(even a liar says he is honest).thats pretty harsh but true. give them 10 or 20 percent to start to cover materials. and pay them the rest upon completion. or pay them in stages after they complete a certain amount of hours and take a look at the truck a each stage,to make sure they did the work. other wise they have no prize to work for. just keep looking for a body shop and ask around. but if you have good or desent paint skills it would save you alot of money to rent a paint booth. buy your own paint and do it yourself. or try to find yourself a painter that will do it for a fair price to you. word to the wise dont try painting a car in a garage that is attached to the house. my wife got pretty mad. the house stunk for a week.$75 to 10 is pretty steep

[tmoble]

paint it yourself. do it a piece at a time or whatever you feel comfortable with. no need to get into some high stress do or die thing painting the whole truck. This is what I'm going to do, I can't afford to pay out all that money. I just plain don't have it.

Is your paint some kind of metallic or other tricky to shoot stuff?

[slugo10]

I have been working on aircraft for last 15 years but have always like cars so I built a detached 24x32 garage with A/C and air lines in the walls, cable TV, stereo to work on my projects. Here is a pic from few years back working on my old honda.

[salvo]

I'm a Construction Estimator/Manager, if I'm not working I'm usually in my 30x30 garage. With tools, I can fit two cars in it. But only enough room to work on one at a time.

[1955 Eddie]

Father (retired copier technician) and son (phone company guy) builders here. All of our work is done in a 2 car garage. We have picked up tools along the way and we never seem to have enough space. We have done all of the work ourselves with the sewing of the seats being the exception.

[MrTucker]

definitely no pro here...not much of a garage either...

[ChuckDriver]

Built mine in my 2 car garage! Definetly not a pro, but really enjoy doing it myself.

[01spirit750]

I built mine in a two car garage (20x20). I started mine while I was in college (working full time during the day and going to college in the afternoon and evenings) so I really only worked on it during the summers. Then right in the middle of the build we did a major house remodel so we rented a cargo container for the driveway and my truck went in the cargo container.
This is just a hobby for me, but I grew up around cars. My dad had some nice cars (54 corvette, 56 Nomad, 57 stepside big window, 31 Ford model A)

You can kinda see my garage from these pictures

[Mike Bradbury]

I built mine on my driveway and in my garage. I do have a hoist in my garage that I put in years ago, it makes it really easy to remove the body.



And we are currently building a '29 roadster pick up in my dads garage.

[Wheelie]

I have built all my personal stuff in a garage it seems. I would love a personal shop like some of y'all but it hasn't happened yet! I wish I could say I did not do it for a living but corvette restoration seems to bring deep pocket customers. If I didn't I would have more time and motivation to finish my truck! (and sanity!)