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Repairing rusty panels

Started by Torananut , May 21 2014 08:47 PM

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6 replies to this topic

#1 Torananut

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Name:Grant
Location:Victoria
Car:L34 x 2, hatch x 4, UC sedan x 2, LC XU1
Joined: 30-June 12

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Posted 21 May 2014 - 08:47 PM

Hey guys,

Have been busy cutting out a lot of rust on my projects lately and I was wondering if there was a market for someone to do this full time, mainly doors and guards or even up to structural rust in body shells (without getting into the paint side of things). There also seems to be a lot of rust replacement sections such as tail light buckets that are not available on the market, not to mention for Fords and Valiants as well. Are people paying panel beaters to do this sort of work for people or are they trying themselves. The panel beaters that I know all say "go get better panels, I'm not fixing that". I can get access to plenty of rusty panels including torana ones through a friend that owns a wrecking yard so stock is not an issue. Is this a viable business to attempt? Would love to hear peoples thoughts on this.

Cheers, Grant

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#2 _UCLX_

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Posted 21 May 2014 - 09:07 PM

Hi Grant,

You might be on to a good idea.

But for body shells and rear quarters, you might want to consider networking or franchising other repairers in other cities and regions.

This so that customers could trailer their project in for specific jobs (read hard to do at home) and then trailer their pride and joy home so that it is not sitting in the repairers yard for weeks that usually turn into months.

There seems to be a lot of forum members who have the skills for this kind of network.

And please include the mighty UC hatch in your repair program.

Cheers,

Daryl.

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#3 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 22 May 2014 - 05:12 PM

I'll repair most any panel on a resto because owning & building these cars for myself I know it isn't always possible let alone cost effective to find a better panel. I am currently restoring a LX hatch that would have to be one of the worst Toranas I've worked on for rust, made worse by poor quality repairs done in the past & plenty of bog filling holes etc. I have not asked the owner to replace any of the panels, I've repaired them. I'll use Rare Spares products where available to save the time & labour involved in trying to fabricate some of the more intricate panels by hand from flat bits of steel, otherwise I make all my own repair sections the old fashioned way by hand using blocks of timber, anvils, bench vise & plenty of hammer & dolly work. It all comes down to time, I would post some pics of the work I've been doing on the LX hatch, front screen apertures, wiper plenum, "C" pillars, hatch seal channel, front guards, doors etc, but from previous experience, most people here have no respect for the type of work I do & believe all panel beaters are rip off merchants who are filthy rich from rorting their customers.

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#4 TerrA LX

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Posted 22 May 2014 - 05:19 PM

I will look at any part that needs fabrication.

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#5 76lxhatch

That was easy!

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Location:Unzud
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Posted 23 May 2014 - 06:53 AM

If you're talking about selling repaired panels and parts then I think the answer is pretty straight-forward: if you can supply them at a cheaper price than a pristine original to at least the quality of a reproduction part (may require evidence of quality repair, e.g. photos) then people will buy them. I'm not really sure it adds up with the number of hours you'd have to put in, when we work on our own cars its generally a labour of love and time doesn't factor into the costs. As LH SLR 3300 alluded to there is generally more time involved than most people are willing to pay for.

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#6 _UCLX_

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Posted 24 May 2014 - 10:23 PM

Some of us are aware that the repair cost / time issue costs major dollars, that's why, if possible it is best to buy the least rust affected vehicle one can afford.

Having said that, I will still do as much as I can myself, but I don't really have the time to do a fabrication / auto painting apprenticeship between now & when I get old.

Also my neighbours being inner city yuppies, (just them, not me), are not too keen on me spreading paint / thinners fumes around.

So, it would be good if Grant's idea gets up and spreads nation wide.

Cheers,

Daryl.