Terrible idea?

Long story made quite short:

I bought a house with my wife 4 years ago. We were pregnant with our first when I decided to buy a fixer-upper classic truck to replace my dying 90's econobox (not in the "I really want another car" dying, like in a "which gear will I get today?" dying) so I picked up a 72 GMC.

As often goes, it was worse than it looked. Needing cab corners, rocker panels, some floor repair and general body work everywhere.

I was driving it daily when we had kid #1. I did some stuff, swapped some parts (transmission, points to HEI etc) I got an interesting deal from a friend who wanted to help, and as kid #1 aged, I drove his 80's econobox and took the GMC off the road for a real restoration. I shaved the drip rails, replaced the rear end, learned a great deal about slinging filler, sanding it all off, block sanding, panel replacement, and generally got a lot done, and a lot taken apart.

Enter kid #2. I expected to begin working on it again as kid #2 aged, but the wife started grad school instead (and still working) and now she's pregnant with kid #3. I haven't touched it in about a year.

Everyone is out of work, right? What if I recruited an out of work body guy under the table, paid him $1000 and gave him a week or two to finish what I started? Not restore it, mind you, but just the bodywork. Bodywork, at this stage, can only be done in 6+ hour chunks that I no longer have. I can easily put the rest together an hour here and there at night when the kids are asleep compared to the monstrous task of pushing the truck out of the garage, removing the bed, putting it somewhere, replacing the cab corners and then putting it all back. That sort of thing would take months to accomplish and be 10x more complicated to do an hour at a time at night while the kids are asleep. If the kids have a bad night, the daily needs an oil change, the wife has a concert at night, it's all over for that night/week.

Either that or I wait another year before touching it again.

What say you? Terrible idea? Great idea? Know someone proficient at bodywork that wants to work for fun?

I want to get this thing on the road again.

I would work on not expanding the kid collection

parker wrote: I would work on not expanding the kid collection

Thanks, but it's a bit late now.

Yeah, gotta figure out what's cause'n the kids!

Store it and wait 'till they grow up.

Dave

So everyone here votes for "don't do anything until you have time", eh? I am just worried that it will end up being 15 years. I have ambition, don't get me wrong, and I have put a dent in the project (not literally), but at the same time I watched my Uncle store his '67 GTO outside in a field (in central new york - I am in SC) for about three decades. I think the floorboards are on the ground now. I just don't want to be 'that guy' and was hoping that if I found just the right guy to help me jump start the bodywork that's got me stuck I can get this thing back running and on the road.

No?

I understand where you're coming from. I'm more or less in the same boat with my crusty 1800ES. Paying somebody to do bodywork on it would be a losing proposition... heck, just buying the various patch panels required would probably put its value into the red. So it sits in my back yard under a tarp until I have the time, money and space to work on it myself.

Plus, I'm not sure I trust too many guys to actually do the work. Especially if I'm paying for it. I figure I can do sub-par work just as easily on my own dime.

I feel your pain, have similar kid vs car project challenges, and think your idea is great. What is the worst that happens, the truck gets done (or at least the lions share of the bodywork), you get it back and driving and using it, and sometime down the road you decide to redo some of the work. You'll save money just in the renewal parts if it sits idle (all the hydraulic seals in the brakes will go south, etc.) Now, with the # of kids, it might be that once the bodywork is somewhat done you should be looking for a 72 GMC Suburban, but that is your call. My 2 seat roadster is looking pretty impractical (did I just use that word in reference to calssic sports cas?) in terms of my 2 young kids.

In the same boat here... what started as a summer rebuild has been delayed to what is now 4 seasons. Even though our only child is in his early teens, the priorities are now driving him to his competitive soccer practices and games year round. That eats up 2 week nights and Sunday morning per week... The toys wait patiently...

I have three kids, all playing softball right now. In the fall they played soccer. I coach their teams, and have for years. I am on the technology steering committee at their school, run my own business, and I am generally scheduled out a few weeks in advance. There is never time for my hobby. Unless you’re like Tim, where it’s a part of your business, there is never enough time.

So you need to make some decisions and compromises. To me, bodywork and paint are last on the list. My old crocks are pretty in my eyes. If others can’t see their beauty, oh well. Driving is more important to me. Having a car sit in the garage is low on my list.

Secondly, you need to make the commitment, take the plunge, and be classic only. This is easier if you have a spouse and they have the “good car”. The car you can use if your classic is laid up. You want to minimize your exposure to the good car, as things like power windows, working A/C and satellite navigation can really corrupt a person.

Third, you need to diversify. If you have a two seat sports car, get sedan or a coupe. Get something that will allow you to carry more stuff, kids, dogs, or whatever. Since this is classic motorsports, I can’t condone owning only a classic truck. You need something with more zip. As a second classic, a truck, suburban or as in my case, a wagon, is a fine choice. This way, if the sports car needs some attention, you have the second car to drive. This is not as expensive as you may think. It’s far cheaper than a car payment or a lease payment.

Lastly, do the maintenance yourself; involve the kids in the process. Do the work to keep the classics running, but leave the cosmetics for later when you have the time and the kids don’t want to hang out with you anymore. That time will come. Be sure to drive the cars with the kids. Create some memories.

In youth sports one of the metrics that the leagues use to gauge success is whether or not the kids play the following season. If they keep coming back, you’ve done your job as a coach. Will your kids be classic owners? Does having a car that sits in the garage gathering dust help transfer the passion for classic cars to your kids?

In reply to KaptKaos:

A great discourse, but not terribly helpful to my situation. I have never and will never make a car or lease payment on anything, and the only jobs that I have outsourced to date are putting tires on and off wheels, charging A/C, replacing windshields and PCM flashes for TSB type issues. My oldest kid is 3 years old in may, so he can't help with anything but washing.

I understand that a truck isn't exactly what the majority of this board would want, but it's what I wanted at the time. We each have "good cars" - she, a brand new 150k mile 2006 and me her old "good car", a 120K mile 2001. Again, we own them outright.

As of right now, the truck is in pieces in the garage, half to 75% of the bodywork is done, so I can't just accept the bodywork as-is and drive it. Hence the question. having this thing sitting in the garage isn't doing any good for anyone. It sounds like we agree on this point.

So that begs the question, what do I do?

With kids, a year goes by fast. You've been waiting, you can easily wait longer. The truck's not going anywhere.

But you also say you want it on the road now. OK, then you are going to pay someone else to do the work if you can't allocate the time right now. Can you accept the quality of work you get done? Dunno, you've got to decide that.

@ Tuna55

It seems to me you've made your choice, so I am not sure what you're looking for.

If you want to drive it now, want it pretty, and don't have the time, then you'll need to pay to have it done.

I have a friend that is having an engine built by a fellow that is slow for work right now. He's not a wrench by trade, but has built lots of motors and has a great rep in our little circle. You might want to join a few forums that are dedicated to your truck make/model and see if there are people that are offering those services.

In the Porsche community in SoCal, there are traveling painters, body men, welders, engine builders and others. You might find something similar where you live.

Lastly, if you are a perfectionist, then I don't think that this is a good plan for you. You'll need to overlook the little imperfections that you'll get when someone else does the work. Remember, you'll get what you pay for.

Good luck and post some progress pics.

KaptKaos wrote: @ Tuna55 It seems to me you've made your choice, so I am not sure what you're looking for. If you want to drive it now, want it pretty, and don't have the time, then you'll need to pay to have it done. I have a friend that is having an engine built by a fellow that is slow for work right now. He's not a wrench by trade, but has built lots of motors and has a great rep in our little circle. You might want to join a few forums that are dedicated to your truck make/model and see if there are people that are offering those services. In the Porsche community in SoCal, there are traveling painters, body men, welders, engine builders and others. You might find something similar where you live. Lastly, if you are a perfectionist, then I don't think that this is a good plan for you. You'll need to overlook the little imperfections that you'll get when someone else does the work. Remember, you'll get what you pay for. Good luck and post some progress pics.

Make no mistake, I haven't made up my mind. This thread was created to investigate potential pitfalls and issues with the idea of having someone else do some of the restoration work. Not to mention where to find this person. Something I hadn't ever considered before. I have posted in the 67-72 chevy trucks forum, where I am a relatively long standing member, but haven't received a huge response, or anything.

I didn't think a pickup restoration could honestly be considered worthy of a build thread on classicmotorsports.

I'd also look into The HAMB (http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/) to see if there are folks there looking for work. It's a bunch of hot rodders, but that's ok.

You really should know the person doing the work for you. Likely they will need to do it in your garage, and during daylight hours. That means they will have access to your home. So unless it's someone you know and trust, you might want to wait.

And don't sell your truck short. Many of us like classic haulers. Race cars haulers, parts getters, and general all-around utility vehicles have a place here for sure.

KaptKaos wrote: I'd also look into The HAMB (http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/) to see if there are folks there looking for work. It's a bunch of hot rodders, but that's ok. You really should know the person doing the work for you. Likely they will need to do it in your garage, and during daylight hours. That means they will have access to your home. So unless it's someone you know and trust, you might want to wait. And don't sell your truck short. Many of us like classic haulers. Race cars haulers, parts getters, and general all-around utility vehicles have a place here for sure.

That's a big sticking point - the garage is mostly a storage shed. Don't get me wrong, it's a sheetrocked, two bay garage with a big door, but there's more stroller/tractor/kid toys junk in there than anything else. I can't work on anything in there at the moment. Not to mention that my kids are at home during the day with a Nanny, so yeah, it would have to be a really nice guy with glowing references, for sure.

I never had kids, and I don't have the time to restore my truck either. So don't let these other 'helpful' people annoy you.

I think your plan has merit. The tough part is finding that individual. Find your local AACA chapter and put the word out through them. There may be a retired body guy (or welder) who likes to keep busy. I once knew a guy who needed a Land Rover restored; he placed an ad in the paper and took 'applications', eventually hiring a father/son team that wanted a project to work on together but couldn't afford their own.

I'm trying to find someone now to do some work on my truck without it turning into a 2 year complete teardown. Lots of "I know someone who can do that" but nobody ever calls me.

Five Craigslist replies over the past few weeks. One passed after seeing detailed pics, one showed up but won't return phone calls (and this is before he has my truck), one coming tonight, one tomorrow and hopefully the last (and best) option will visit this weekend.

Alternatively you could save the money you would spend saving the truck, along with selling it for $, and start your kids college funds today

Pay the money. Opportunity cost is what really hurts you. Your kids will always remember cruising around in an old truck, vs. always remembering a bunch of parts in the garage.

"Spend your time wisely and your money foolishly - you never know how much time you have left, and you always know exactly how much money you have." or something like that. You can't make more time, but you can make more money (and apparently kids, but that's a different conversation altogether).

Group one came last night. $2600 to do everything and put it in primer, $800 more to paint it.

I won't have $2600 for a while, so it's a bit steep.

Thanks for the comments, guys. We already do have a school fund for kid #1, but it's probably going to get used up during private school days. We will pay off or mortgage pretty early, so I hope to put more into school funds at that time. For right now, as a few said, I want to spend time with a completed truck and the kids.

Before:

During (now):

Three quotes for bodywork and primer:

$850 $2400 $4500

Seriously. Now what?