58367 The $75 Junkyard Carrera coupe restoration

[tperazzo]

Keep your head up Justin. Great lesson plus you'll rest assured knowing you've done the best possible work with the best materials. Prep makes the job so you are going to have one beautiful ride.
Thanks for sharing.

[spyderwerks]

Justin thanks for sharing this, many times experience is the best teacher. This is part of the Process, you are a great teacher sharing the whole story.

[Bill Sampson]

Justin:

Great story. I have nothing but admiration for your efforts. AND for your making this web site available to us.


Bill

[356JAGER]

Justin,
Thanks for keeping it real. If I had anything of value or detriment for all the mistakes and redos in my passage, I would be extraordinarily wealthy, or somewhere on the polar opposite. Beautiful work and dedication.
Best,
Joel

[JTR70]

WOW! Thank you very much for all the great comments of understanding and support you guys! Your stories of similar trials and tribulations really helped to ease the sense of frustration and doubt. Its nice to know that its not just me! Thanks once again to you all; it is very much appreciated! Justin

Once it was primered I began skim coating the obvious waves and irregularities I was wrestling with before all of this.

This where it is as of this evening. The putty stage is finished and am now back to primer, long-boarding and test coats.

[bbspdstr]

It looks like I stumbled into an Autobodyman Anonymous meeting!

"Hi, my name is Bruce, and I've been doing bodywork on cars for almost 50 years and I need a Sponsor...."

Lou Reed can be quoted as "The (other) girls say": doot-da-doot-de-doot-da-doot...."Really, it can't take THAT long, can it?" "It's easy, my brother-in-law did his 'Vette in 2 weekends...." "How can Maaco do such a great job for $299?" "I don't think $2,000 is so bad for bodywork and paint......whattaya mean that's only for the materials!!!"

Good work is only done once, no matter how long it takes.

Well, brothers and sisters....can I get a halleluiah!?...see the light: http://cnnsi.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1138303/index.htm

Read to the end...he is preachin' to the choir when he is quoted as "only breaking even."

-Brother Bruce

[Phil Planck]

Great story. Thanks for posting it Bruce. I don't charge myself anything per hour. I pay others for the joy of repairing Foamcar(tools, sheet metal, lead, air compressor, air tools.....................)
Phil

[spyderwerks]

Speaking of Junior, here's one for ya. Smothers Brother Dick brought his 62 S Coupe to Junior to have it repainted after being keyed in the mid. Sixties. Those boys kicked up some dust in the 60's.Here some pics of the car several years ago, 62k orig. Miles. It is a S/R with all the options, rallye headlight grills, Speedster side spears, headrests, S engine, 62 date stamped Nardi .Found the paint sample from Juniors in the glove box.
Called Junior and he told me the story of why the repaint of such a new car., still looked good after 40 years.

Another keeper !

[Jack Staggs]

Love the car and the provenance. Dickie Smothers is a true American hero along the lines of the late Pete Seeger. I believe that House of Color is still around. Thanx for sharing. Peace

[Jack Staggs]

P.S Bruce: Be careful on your "Walk on the Wild Side"

[JTR70]

It looks like I stumbled into an Autobodyman Anonymous meeting!

Good one Bruce!

This very well could be the support group for Burned-out bodymen! Thanks for that interesting link. 75K to paint a car? At 50 bucks an hour working to create perfect painted panels, jambs and undersides; I can see how that kind of money could realistically accrue. Especially on an old beater like mine but certainly not a show-room new car like he is sometimes sent. I really enjoyed reading all about his quest for perfection but I have to admit I began to feel my OCD begin to flair up. I almost immediately began inventorying in my mind all the short-comings on this car's bodywork. Then I had to remind myself that I still have wiring, plumbing, interior, motor, transmission Etc. still ahead of me so cut the bullshit and move on! I'm much calmer now.
Agreed, a lot in that story rings true: Still finds himself behind the 8-ball at the end of the month and drives a beater to work. What's that about the plumbers pipes own leaky pipes and the cobblers kids going without shoes. I need to quit bodywork! You'll make a great sponsor Bruce!

Very cool Max thanks for posting that! Do I understand correctly that this is currently one of your 356's??
Justin

5/17/14
first test coat after redo.

Much to my relief its actually getting really close.

Still having a slight issue in the reflection at the mid-upper door gap transition but its closer than it was before I had to strip it. I don't know why that is but this area is straightening quicker than before I took it down to metal?? I'm sure its all in my head, anyway its getting to a level that I can live with. Thanks again you guys! Justin

[roy mawbey]

Looking really great Justin. Brother Bruce I enjoyed reading Junior's life story. I can believe although the final cost is high to the customer the actual money he makes is nothing in comparision.

I had a friend no actually, still a good friend, who had a Ford Cortina Mk 1 from about 1965 who decided he wanted it red instead of white in 1970. He lived then opposite me in my first house when we moved down from London to the seaside.

At that time he had no garage but a nice front lawn. Saw him out there one Saturday with the car washing it down on the lawn and then masking up the windows.

He had made a compressor spray gun set up with home made receiver (which a few years later I used to first spray my car). Within 30 minutes or so the grey primer was on and being a nice day it was dry in minutes. Out came the red cellulose and maybe two hours later after a few coats his car was red.

All of that was really entertaining to watch till he removed the masking from the windows and drove the car off the lawn.

Then all you could see was a wonderful impression of a 1965 Cotina in red on the lawn.

That impession seem to stay for weeks on his lawn and we have never forgotten it to this day. What Junior would have thought God only knows, he would have probably fainted.

Roy

[bbspdstr]

P.S Bruce: Be careful on your "Walk on the Wild Side"

That song is one of my favs and happened to be on the radio when I was posting. It happened to fit while my thoughts were creating typical quotes from customers who want work like is being demonstrated here in this thread but have no clue what's actually involved.

There is a reason I bill incrementally with no cumulative costs as the work progresses. I let them figure that out if they care. I also do not rush unless I am asked. I pace a restoration so the billing comes more slowly and for less than one big hit....as with body, mechanical, upholstery, chrome and parts bills all landing at one time, a random week could come in at $25k or more, and even the wealthiest clients gag on those....because they just don't expect them!

This is why I am happy to have a customer come to 'work' on their own car on a day off, like a Saturday. Once involved and getting dirty, it's better than sending a thousand in-process pictures and I never have trouble getting a check after that.

Communication and education at all levels, just like here...but also professionally.

I had a big shop long ago with 12 guys in various specialties. A guy came in asking about an heirloom 356 that had been neglected. I was asked if it could done within three months for a family gathering where it could be a highlight...if it looked and drove 'like new.'

We agreed on his financial support of my commitment and took off on the challenge. At the end, even he had to "sell some art" to pay the last of the final bill, but we succeeded. I made no more than if I had spread the same work around on one of the other 30 or so Porsches in the shop, but it was fun to prove that it was possible, that not every restoration needed to take years...it just takes enough money, if it's not done by one person in their 'spare time,' whatever that is!

-Bruce

[spyderwerks]

No Justin, it was a short love affair, had to sell It to move on to the next adventure. The chapter of buying and selling to enjoy yet another one of Dr. Porsches creations is coming to an end.

All around it's not an easy process anymore.

My current car a 59 Ivory Cabriolet is undergoing a sympathetic restoration . It's another great car and a year & model I've never owned. I think I'm through now , this one should be with me for some time.

[S.J.Szabo]

Just read the "JR" article. Ya gotta admire the way he's doing things on his own terms.

Now, my thing about the piece is that I would love to know what a "hand-blown windshield" looks like. Is it like looking thru the bottom of a bottle as you drive? In my callow youth, I tried this a time or two, but it didn't work out so well.

Of course, I could have the wrong context, in which case I can surely identify, for I have blown a hand install of a windshield before.