Building a car

[TC Chris]

Now, this will seem like old stuff to Greg, with his restoration background, but for those of us with very limited metal-working skills, watching this video is amazing. It's a bunch of guys building a new custom body on what looks like a Porsche chassis (and adding a Ford V-8). It's from Eastwood so you'll see some of their equipment deployed. Two take-aways: (1) skill matters, and (2) having a bunch of cool tools makes the job easier. Watch the English wheels, flanging devices, planishing hammer, plasma and fluid cutters, CAD equipment, and skilled welders do the job. I watched it with audio off (radio is on, and for Bill, it's "Pipedreams") so I may have missed a few comments, but I did wonder about cutting into and then reshaping a unit body vehicle. Seems to me there' a lot of engineering in shaping those bodies and when you modify them, you may be affecting strength.

But what the heck, watch it here:

https://www.eastwood.com/profiles/cruci ... e8cf3d1881

Chris Campbell

[William]

Thanks for sharing, Chris. They make it look so easy, but when you have skills and a million bucks worth of tools it helps.

Bill

[electra225]

Actually, I appreciate anything that is done where people put some of themselves into the project.

[TC Chris]

Actually, I appreciate anything that is done where people put some of themselves into the project.

Yes indeed. I have never envied, and actually feel sorry for, people who can buy anything they want and then pay others to take care of the things. The personal involvement is an important part of any project. Pride in exercising skills well is important. Even in places where nobody will see....

Chris Campbell

[walyfd]

At this point, I think it'd be easier to build one than fix one. I spent the weekend on my back changing the transmission pan gasket and resealing the cooler lines. I'm shot. Definitely feeling older with every project like this.

[Motorola minion]

I know many folks who are growing tired of car shows where everything is either new, bought for a fortune or fully finished. The only saving grace is that a charity is usually benefitting. Otherwise, I can go to a museum like in Hershey, where rolling stock is rotated like an Art museum.

The last car show I liked was at our state capitol and had some less-than ideal examples but way more interesting because of ordinary and customized cars we loved as kids. In addition to the ubiquitous new and old pony cars, one participant had a very original 65 Impala, another had a 69 Torino, even an original AMX. Others had ongoing projects like mine, curated over decades.

I was at an event at my daughter's elementary school next to a 50's themed dinette, did not take my Pontiac or it would have been the only one there Sure, there were plenty of bowties and ovals if you're into street rods, corvettes and mustangs. No Oldsmobile or Buick either!!The trikes or whatever the open-wheel 3-4 wheel fad vehicles are, seem to edge in on these events as well.

If I would have built anything, it may have been a 70s Dodge van with a 4WD chassis from a 360 Dodge Ramcharger. A jeep-like vehicle that tows safely and you can camp in

I feel sorry for those who created cars that collectors are cooling off on. The street rods and lead sleds done by my dad's generation were awesome but these creations are not as attractive at those price as some new stuff that practically drives itself.