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Daz wrote:

OzHemi wrote:Wow, that car is Rough! (amazing someone in oz would even sell something in that bad a shape, but never know I guess...)

Hey, we all come from criminal stock down here, what do you expect?

I must know better classes of criminals then, since no one i know has anything like that around

Don't let it get to you Bart
Sure there's a lot of rust, but if you already have some welding experience, take it as an opportunity to learn some sheet metal fabrication.
Now days you can find some close to affordable tools, like English wheels & such that weren't available to non-shop mechanics before.
Besides you'll have the satisfaction afterward, of knowing that you've went over the top in this restoration and not only slapping some kits on it
Cheers.

Yeah, it's very possible I end up dropping a boat load of cash on nice tools so I can do the job myself.

Today I removed the boot lid, the bonnet, the grill, the front fenders and a few other little bits. Man, this car is FUBAR. Just about everything this jerry-rigged and/or falling apart. This is going to be one serious effing project and I hope it doesn't kill me.

I might as well be restoring the rolled movie car...at least that's what it feels like so far.

I'll get some more photos up on my blog soon.

Bart

Sorry to hear what you have been finding...
From the sounds of it, doing alot of the work yourself sounds almost like a needed way to go, unless you have the budget for an astronomical panel shop bill (to have the metal work done correctly) Just guessing with what shops around here charge I bet you would be easily looking at $15,000 without paint work if it's that bad. Labor cost to have a real shop fabricate all that missing stuff is what would kill you. I know a panel shop in Oz real well who has some amazing metal guys..they fab alot of stuff from scratch for 30's era oddball cars and alot of muscle car and street rod custom one off from scratch. You would tear up $30,000 at a shop like that without trying. (he gets $15,000 to start for paint jobs..)

An english wheel, shrinker/strecher, bead roller, good mig welder, brake and folder, etc might be a good way to start out, and practice, practice. Getting the body blasted or dipped to start with will give you a good idea of what is really there.
You might consider a rotiserie...make it much easier doing metal work at all angles and what not...assuming you decide to get into it yourself. (and that it's bad enough in alot of areas to warrant the rotiserie and all other equiptment)

Just my .02 worth





PS. My Torana is coming along at least... made up the LS1 wiring harness and got it layed onto the engine..still tons to do, but it's coming along.

Yeah, well, I'm still gonna get some quotes on having a shop do it proper. I can honestly say that if I could get the metal work done pro for $12k or under, I would seriously consider it. Only because I would probably be looking at an investment of at least $7000 for tools alone (I have pretty much NOTHING other than basic hand tools). One of the things I am kinda hoping is that the cost of the repairs will be reduced because I will have all the patch panels, and I will also be restoring the shell only.

I'm gonna pick up some wheel dollies today so I can move the car around a little easier and get the rest of the stuff pulled off.

Bart

Good luck with the price quotes, hopefully you get some that are workable for you.


Those wheel dollies are handy, I have used mine a ton of times! I've even tack welded jack stands on them and used them as a body dolly to wheel around a body shell I was working on.

OzHemi wrote:Those wheel dollies are handy, I have used mine a ton of times! I've even tack welded jack stands on them and used them as a body dolly to wheel around a body shell I was working on.

I bought some nice wheel dollies from Summit Racing last week. They work good. Still, the car is HEAVY and difficult for me alone to move around. But, now, with the doors off it is a lot easier. This weekend I am going to get the glass removed and possible drop the guts from underneath in preparation to pull the motor.

I uploaded some new pics.

Bart

the car is HEAVY and difficult for me alone to move around

I guess that just goes to show a Falcon is alot heavier then a Torana

(I moved around the LS1 powered '69 Camaro on the same dollies and stands...but did it as a bare body shell. The torana still has all it's glass and doors on it.)

I just finished building the passenger side header on mine, onto the (hard) driver side now....LS1 + Torana + 1.75" primary tubes takes some thinking!

Actually, you know what it is? My garage floor is epoxy coated. Which is really nice for oil spills, etc. It cleans up well. I figure it would be perfect for the wheel dollies to roll on, you know, nice and smooth. But the thing is, I can't get any traction on it! I push, my feet slide!!

Bart

I have carpet tiles in my garage actually (they are out of the Melbourne airport actually!) and amazingly enough the car dollies, my engine hoist, etc all roll great on them! Makes it nice to work on too... (I have a ton of them for spares, so if I get some weld splatter on a few I can just put down new ones )


You can see the carpet tiles in this pic... (they cover the entire garage floor)