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I painted my 71 98 5+ years ago for < $2500 by taking an auto body course. That's all in, including auto parts store brand primer and SS paint, materials and class fees. I'd still think you could do it for < $5000 if you did all the work yourself and bought bargain materials.
That is really cool. I have been looking for body work, welding, painting courses at my local community colleges, but they are all career track courses that require a commitment to getting a certificate (2 years - big $), vs. an adult continuing non degree education course. I keep hoping to find an opportunity like this. I have even been thinking of taking a part time job at a restorer's shop.
That's a bummer that the community colleges near you are only career course style programs. Don't forget to check local vo-tech schools or surrounding communities too.
That's a bummer that the community colleges near you are only career course style programs. Don't forget to check local vo-tech schools or surrounding communities too.
I have been doing a lot of digging. The local school has a TIG welding and art welding class, but not sure how applicable that is for auto stuff. I assume most car guys are using MIG. I might just have to buy the equipment and youtube it. LOL Sorry. Don't mean to hijack the original post.
To add, from what you describe the bodywork is the tough part. The paint will be easy and cheap relatively speaking.
Last edited by nickwisconsin; October 25th, 2023 at 12:33 PM.
Nick, I moved the posts to a new thread so we weren't hijacking the other thread.
I took a welding class the same time I did the auto body course. The auto body course was more valuable than the welding class. Both were offered as part of a career curriculum, but I took them as an adult during their evening offerings.
The auto body course was such a good class that I took it 3 semesters in a row. I started the body work in the fall and didn't have the car fully assembled after paint until the following summer. Really, I probably could have taken it another semester because I never did any wet sanding or buffing on the paint. Here are some pics.
The only welding I did during the auto body course was to fix the passenger's side fender skirt. The instructor showed me how to cut out the rust from a small hole in the fender skirt. We tack welded a slightly oversized patch to the back side of the fender skirt and use fiber fill on the front. Not only the fender skirt but the rest of the car required ALOT of sanding. 🤯
Nick, I moved the posts to a new thread so we weren't hijacking the other thread.
I took a welding class the same time I did the auto body course. The auto body course was more valuable than the welding class. Both were offered as part of a career curriculum, but I took them as an adult during their evening offerings.
The auto body course was such a good class that I took it 3 semesters in a row. I started the body work in the fall and didn't have the car fully assembled after paint until the following summer. Really, I probably could have taken it another semester because I never did any wet sanding or buffing on the paint. Here are some pics.
The only welding I did during the auto body course was to fix the passenger's side fender skirt. The instructor showed me how to cut out the rust from a small hole in the fender skirt. We tack welded a slightly oversized patch to the back side of the fender skirt and use fiber fill on the front. Not only the fender skirt but the rest of the car required ALOT of sanding. 🤯
Thanks for the move - I saw your post and it struck a chord with me since I was looking for the same thing. I assume you used a MIG welder? I was looking at a hobart and might pull the trigger. I am thinking of just doing what I can to self-teach or try to find someone who restores cars and offer to work for free for a while. Thanks for the info.
Yes, it was a MIG welder. I'll mention this thread to my father, Oldsguy. He recently bought a welder and can give some input.
Yes I did, well more accurately I bought a flux core wire welder. I can weld with it but I am reluctant to do any thin metal work on the car with it because I just cannot get good welds. When I turn up the power to get penetration it often just burns through thin gauge stuff, when I turn the power down then it sputters and splashes and all I get is mouse turds. I think a true MIG with a bottle of inert gas would do much better. I cheaped it out for less than 500 bucks and bought one at Harbor Freight, should have invested more money I think.
You guys might look at the Mig welders from Eastwood. I bought a 250 amp and it works pretty good although I really haven't used it much. It has a great duty cycle. If you are just going to do sheet metal, you don't need that big of a welder. I am not an experienced welder either. I probably don't even qualify as a good amateur..
When I retire, I plan to go get a career track body/paint degree just for my own use. I want to spend about five years taking courses in my hobbies and doing projects. Then, I want to travel the US with a camper. Might do some at the same time. Might get a friendly, small to medium dog, too.
Yes I did, well more accurately I bought a flux core wire welder. I can weld with it but I am reluctant to do any thin metal work on the car with it because I just cannot get good welds. When I turn up the power to get penetration it often just burns through thin gauge stuff, when I turn the power down then it sputters and splashes and all I get is mouse turds. I think a true MIG with a bottle of inert gas would do much better. I cheaped it out for less than 500 bucks and bought one at Harbor Freight, should have invested more money I think.
Oldsguy/Dan, You really should bite the bullet and get that bottle of inert gas. It will do wonders for your thin material welding. Then Practice, Practice, Practice. I too bought an inexpensive flux core wire welder from HF. It works like a champ. I got it while on sale, plus had a 20% coupon they let me use. All-in for the welder and a medium grade cart for right at $400. I got the 175 watt version. I'm getting a gas bottle from the local distributor this winter, to up my game. Without the gas, you get mouse turds. With the gas, it really smooths-out your beads.
Oldsguy/Dan, You really should bite the bullet and get that bottle of inert gas. It will do wonders for your thin material welding. Then Practice, Practice, Practice. I too bought an inexpensive flux core wire welder from HF. It works like a champ. I got it while on sale, plus had a 20% coupon they let me use. All-in for the welder and a medium grade cart for right at $400. I got the 175 watt version. I'm getting a gas bottle from the local distributor this winter, to up my game. Without the gas, you get mouse turds. With the gas, it really smooths-out your beads.
Well unfortunately the welder I have has no plumbing for gas. Maybe just start all over and do what you did. I would really like to enjoy welding and be able to make some decent reapirs on cars and anyting else around the shop that needs it.
Good thread. I remember back in the 80's-90's lots of "Old guys" would take the auto body classes at Lansing Community College. These guys would sometimes have full blown projects, like 32 Ford street rods, etc. At least 2 of the retired guys were instructors after their career of working at body shops. I was not long out of the Navy and had the GI bill which paid for classes. I repaired the trunk boards of my 68 Road Runner and completely painted a '80 Phoenix in auto body classes at LCC. Later after I retired in 2017 I tried to get into some auto body classes at community colleges and found none of them offered that type of curriculum anymore. It seems around here at least if a young person wants to go into a Auto curriculum they have to go to a college that is strictly for that career. That might require going away from Ma and Pa and living in a dorm or something... Not as simple as just staying with the folks and taking some classes at night....
One thing I believe I mentioned in the past, most community colleges or vo-techs offer discounted classes to veterans and senior citizens. I think I investigated in the past; unfortunately, there aren't any places near OKC that offer evening auto body courses the way Great Plains Technology Center did when I was living in S OK. Of course, it's hard to schedule taking a class like that if you work full-time or have to commute.
I remember in the "old days" that it was very easy to take continuing eduction with lots of Votechs and Colleges without any strings attached as far as planning a career go. All you had to do was sign up, pay, and get educated without making a full career of it. I guess things have changed.
When I was in trade school there was a waiting list to get your car into the shop. We did complete restorations, some body shop owners complained that we were taking their work. The teachers used to own body shops and thus ran the shop like a body shop. They even had Jon Kosmoski House of colors do a seminar in the shop. Every year the class would do a raffle car the body shop did the paint, body and interior while the mechanic shop took care of the drive-line. The proceeds went back into the school. Today they no longer do restorations.
October 25th, 2023, 11:03 AM
