Curious how hands on FABO is

What you did yourself

  • Every nut, bolt, engine, trans, rear end, suspension, brakes, body work, paint, etc

    Votes: 55 50.0%

  • Body work

    Votes: 34 30.9%

  • Paint

    Votes: 25 22.7%

  • Installed engine, trans, rear end

    Votes: 75 68.2%

  • Rebuilt and installed engine, trans, rear end

    Votes: 61 55.5%

  • Wheels, tires

    Votes: 74 67.3%

  • Interior

    Votes: 64 58.2%

  • Suspension

    Votes: 79 71.8%

  • glass

    Votes: 40 36.4%

  • Brakes

    Votes: 79 71.8%
  • Total voters
    110
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skep419

skep419

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I like random polls :popcorn:
Pick as many as you want.
 
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I’ll try and do just about anything I have tools for. Been working on my 67 Belvedere mostly, painting jams fixing/welding up broken doors.
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Everything but paint and automatic transmissions. Both in my option are better left to professionals.
 
I have done it all, but lately I farm out paint and bodywork to a trusted friend. That way I can concentrate on what I like most.
 
I do it all, started out at 13 years old repairing and prepping the front clip of my 67 Barracuda in our basement one winter.
I rebuilt a 383 that following spring, installed the big block by myself when I was 15.
The rest is history 45 years later. I still have my 67 Barracuda remade over the years.
 
I've done it all except machine work and rebuilding an automatic. I'll tackle an automatic someday, just to say I did it! Machine work? Uh....nope! I'm not good enough at math (2+2=cat) and one of my best friends is a NASCAR legend with his own machine shop! I do my own body work and have for years, and am getting experience painting. Got several beaters to practice on before wasting high dollar paint on my real projects. Like Brian on You Tube's Paint Society says...."Don't overthink it, it's just paint!"
 
ProjectBazza said:
No glass or body work for me.

"A man's got to know his limitations."
Harry Callahan
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It isnt s easy as it seems ,ask me how I know... I installed a windsheild by myself it was physical labor and I was achy using the plastic knife method I dont know how long it took either but I remember the wife yelling "dinner" I was like "Ill be in in a few" an hour or two later I went in and heated up my plate...:)
 
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The real problem isn’t the actual building, it’s the making everything fit together from original parts, to reproduction parts, to aftermarket upgrade components, and including the dreaded “universal fit” parts lol. Forget if you start with a car that was worked over, now you add in the “This doesn’t look right…. What was supposed to be here?” parts hunt… oof.
 
Wvbuzzmaster said:
The real problem isn’t the actual building, it’s the making everything fit together from original parts, to reproduction parts, to aftermarket upgrade components, and including the dreaded “universal fit” parts lol. Forget if you start with a car that was worked over, now you add in the “This doesn’t look right…. What was supposed to be here?” parts hunt… oof.
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Very good point and buying a project car that was bailed on then you have to get it home sort parts figure out whts missing or needs replaced...very time consuming if you are 1 man it can take years.
 
Hands on here. I'd like to get more experience with metal fabrication and machining though. The stuff I make never turns out as nice as I'd like.

One thing that was conspicuously absent from the list is wiring. Seems like a lot of dudes are afraid of it or just have no clue what they are looking at. With all the electronics getting incorporated into older cars, this may get tougher and tougher to get a handle on. I've rewired a few cars now and am on my second EFI conversion. It's a skill for sure.

Pretty much every old cr will need to be completely rewired at this point if it still retains the OE harnesses.
 
Dartswinger70 said:
Very good point and buying a project car that was bailed on then you have to get it home sort parts figure out whts missing or needs replaced...very time consuming if you are 1 man it can take years.
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It took me 3 years to fully repair/restore my 1972 Duster including all summer to sort out the rest of the inconsistencies during drives. I did not touch body work at all, just everything else! Lol
rmchrgr said:
Pretty much every old car will need to be completely rewired at this point if it still retains the OE harnesses.
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On my Duster, that was an argument on why it was a good decision to buy a car that had a wiring harness meltdown, because it made the decision non optional to replace. I went with OEM correct reproduction harnesses and that is almost plug and play… never throw out your old harness until you are done, some of those connectors and terminals come in handy when adding your own harness additions without hacking new harnesses. Plus some connectors are not always correct for your specific car due to mid production year changes. Especially on a 1972 model year built in October 1971… that got tricky at times… with members asking ”Do you have the 1971 or 1972 version of xxxx part?” I was over here like ”This is my first Mopar, and I don‘t know the difference, and don‘t have it at all… I just need what fits here” only to find out “The part is the same, it just has an extra crease over here.” I’m 33 years old, did not grow up with these old cars, not going to notice… took me weeks to notice my interior sail panels delaminated lol.
 
does removing the interior, heater and controls, radio and all extra wiring count as interior work? I did put the bench seat and door panels back on...
 
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