Repairs and resprays by other club members

toopy

toopy

Club Member
Does anyone in the club/forum take on work for other Z owners?

some members do such great work and are always faffing with lots of cars, that i would rather trust them, even if it took a lot longer, than chancing a proper restoration type business to do the work.

things like, removing the suspension/running gear for painting/powder coating.

Replacing window rubbers, the rear hatch frame to glass is ok, but looks pants.

Re-hanging/adjusting the passenger door, which the garage i took it too, seem to of made worse after fitting a hinge repair kit!

Very minor surface rust repairs and then repainting the bodywork, dont think it warrants a bare metal job, but certainly rubbing down and making good.

When the car was restored previously, approx 10yrs ago now, i had it resprayed, but i couldnt afford the full on bare metal jobbie, so it was more of a £2k blow over, however, i dont think they rubbed it down any where near sufficiently or used much, if any primer!
Apart from the trailing edge of the roof and the leading edge of the hatch, the body work was pretty much rust free, it was the underside that was really bad on my car.
 
toopy said:
When the car was restored previously, approx 10yrs ago now, i had it resprayed, but i couldnt afford the full on bare metal jobbie, so it was more of a £2k blow over, however, i dont think they rubbed it down any where near sufficiently or used much, if any primer!
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No offence but you get what you pay for with resprays !:eek:
 
SeanDezart said:
No offence but you get what you pay for with resprays !:eek:
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I know, and I accepted that at the time, and it wasnt perfect from day one for sure.

However, it was a professional outfit and i would expect even an half arsed job to not now being cracking and peeling away from the sound bodywork and paint underneath, had they prepared it properly! i would of paid more to achieve this at the time, but was led to believe the job would be more than adequate as is, at the agreed price :unsure:
 
in some cases you are probably right about some restoration garages,i worked in one such place and saw plenty of things which i wouldnt do on my own car,a lot of places simply dont have the time or dont want to narrow their profit margin to do what i would call a perfect job,so if you can find somebody with the "love" flowing from their hands its probably going to be better for you and the car,thats why i do all the work on mine myself:D
 
mrM said:
in some cases you are probably right about some restoration garages,i worked in one such place and saw plenty of things which i wouldnt do on my own car,a lot of places simply dont have the time or dont want to narrow their profit margin to do what i would call a perfect job,so if you can find somebody with the "love" flowing from their hands its probably going to be better for you and the car,thats why i do all the work on mine myself:D
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Exactly that...... that's why i asked the question to start with, regards club members :)

I would be more than happy to spend time helping out whoever was doing the work, getting my hands dirty and learning a thing or two along the way.
I dont have the expertise or the space/garage to crack on with it alone :(
 
I think the problem you'll run into (and the reason most decent mechanics won't do this sort of work) is the difference in how much time it takes to do a task properly and how much money you think that task is worth.

For instance I have seen someone spend a whole 8 hour day (with a few teas in between) hanging a door and getting the lines just right. Most people would not be willing to pay ~£200 for that which is why restoration companies have to work on high value marques to make a profit.

Trying to be a little more positive I can recommend a good paint guy in Kent (MechSpray in Rochester), the guy that runs it is super friendly and if you bring the car down he can give you an honest appraisal of what can be done for what budget.
 
TomZupra said:
I think the problem you'll run into (and the reason most decent mechanics won't do this sort of work) is the difference in how much time it takes to do a task properly and how much money you think that task is worth.
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Im a self employed gardener/grounds maintenance ,so the above is something i have to deal with regularly.... pay peanuts get monkeys :p

TomZupra said:
For instance I have seen someone spend a whole 8 hour day (with a few teas in between) hanging a door and getting the lines just right. Most people would not be willing to pay ~£200 for that which is why restoration companies have to work on high value marques to make a profit.
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As above, i can appreciate the point, if thats what it takes, then so be it, but i would want to see the best hung door in the country! :)
 
The tasks ( apart from respray) you require support are labour intensive. So something that is relatively easy for a competent garage like removing suspension, getting it blasted and re-fit is a pain and not likely to be of interest. Why?..they will need to send items to powder coater who make take a few days or weeks? In interim, the car is immovable and taking up garage space as well (not an issue for a big garage but a pain for a small enterprise that has limited space\4 poster etc). Then add the possibility that replacement bushes may not be perfect fit ( usually the case with early+late cars+ 2plus2). So the hours add up gradually. What's your budget?..PM please as I can suggest an option.
 
EVERYTHING is in the prep - the consummables and materials are normally all about the same price so it's labour you're paying.

Strip it yourself and reconstruct it yourself and you save a fortune....might take longer but your own time is free and you might have a mate or two who can help for a currey and a couple of beers ?
 
SeanDezart said:
EVERYTHING is in the prep - the consummables and materials are normally all about the same price so it's labour you're paying.

Strip it yourself and reconstruct it yourself and you save a fortune....might take longer but your own time is free and you might have a mate or two who can help for a currey and a couple of beers ?
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Sadly Sean, none of my mates are particularly into older cars, most just see them as 'A to B' travel, they appreciate my car but have no inclination to crawl under it and graze their knuckles!! They're more into football.....boorriinnggggggg :eek:

It doesnt require complete stripping, there's no major rust, the engine bay is fine as is (probably the best part of the whole respray) and the interior is all good.

But anyhow I have no room under cover to do it at home and im not doing it in winter on the drive!
an immovable car taking up space for anything more than a week or two just isnt practical, theres a van and two other cars to consider.
 
datsfun said:
The tasks ( apart from respray) you require support are labour intensive. So something that is relatively easy for a competent garage like removing suspension, getting it blasted and re-fit is a pain and not likely to be of interest. Why?..they will need to send items to powder coater who make take a few days or weeks? In interim, the car is immovable and taking up garage space as well (not an issue for a big garage but a pain for a small enterprise that has limited space\4 poster etc). Then add the possibility that replacement bushes may not be perfect fit ( usually the case with early+late cars+ 2plus2). So the hours add up gradually. What's your budget?..PM please as I can suggest an option.
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Thats why i would rather have a 'zedder' with the room and tools etc to do it properly, while I help out as much as possible.

There are several people on the forum who import/buy/sell cars, repair/upgrade/respray etc it would appear most of the time, in big garages with all the tools, does no one in a similar postion ever do work/help out other zedders, rather than everyone having to take there cars to a 'classic car outfit'? :)
 
I work on my own cars because I cant find anyone to do the work at a reasonable cost and how I want it done. If I make a pigs ear of something or brake a part when removeing it then its no great problem as its my car. Would I work on someone elses in my "spare" time? Although I do go out of my way to help people, Doing job for others is not something I have time for in my busy life. I spent all yesterday evening stripping the rear suspension off one of my Zeds because thats the time I had spare to do it.
 
I've been wondering the same thing as you Toopy. I'm no mechanic, the last time I got my hands dirty on an engine it was a BSA bantam and I was ten years old. TBH I just don't have the bottle to mess with my car unless it's a really simple job, I feel totally accident prone fiddling about with cars, I don't trust myself. I have done some of the jobs on my Z, but even while doing the wax oiling I managed to have the spray canister basically explode on me covering the local garages workshop in waxoil :eek: I'm lucky in that the owner of said garage lets me drive my car into the workshop and get it up on the car lift so I can poke about but I don't really do anything unless the garage owner is about and watching over my shoulder as I fear I'll just cock something up.
I don't have a garage/barn/shed or car port so I keep my car under a soft cover but I've been lucky to find an empty workshop with a car lift that I'm renting for the worst of the winter months for a very reasonable rate, and I have a pile of new parts waiting to go onto the car but I really don't feel confident enough to do most of the work myself and had thought of asking here on the forums just what you've asked. I don't mind getting my hands dirty, I really do want to be involved in work done on the car and I'd like to learn, but I just don't trust myself to go charging into things on my own.
 
I do trust myself with car work in fact I don't trust anybody else - that's why I service my own (and family) cars and always have done. I've also done major work (welding/spraying/engine and gearbox rebuilds etc) however I don't have the facilities (just a single garage) and it's really frustrating. I have to do nearly everything outside and move cars around etc. Recently I 'looked-into' renting a 'unit' on a local farm but it was £4k year.

I've also recognised that there is a need for someone to do routine work on our cars and I did consider renting this unit and paying for it by working on Zs etc but at 63 it's a bit late to start plus as John says there is a big difference between working on your own and other's cars. There are all kinds of implications and things to consider - not least insurance and H&S.
 
This is the moment where I say man up and get on with it! :D Z's are relatively simple cars to work on and actually doing stuff yourself is the best education you can get in knowing the vehicle. I'm no mechanic either but the experience of stripping and rebuilding my car a decade ago was a very fulfilling and informative one. I'd have no qualms about stripping a Z down and putting back together again. The only thing that I'm slightly reticent about is putting an engine together - something I've never done. However, I've completely stripped one or two and fully intend to give a build a go when I have time. I've got a chance for practice this winter as the Z's head gasket needs changing and I have some other work to do (new intake manifold, possibly fuel system setup, head needs stripping for surfacing, etc.).

As John said, doing as much as you can yourself controls costs and gives you control over how things are done. It may take longer for certain jobs, especially if you are learning in the process, but ultimately you know how it was done and to what standard.

With my next project, I will do as much myself as space, family, and time allows. Ideally, it'll be everything short of final paint and (likely) assembly of the long block.
 
Ok, well, i appreciate everyones comments, but as ive said several times... I dont want to do anything other than tinkering on the drive and i dont have a big enough garage.

I would love to have a go at stripping out the suspension, im not afraid to do it, but for me its just not practical on the drive, especially so in winter!

When the weathers good i want to be driving the damn thing, not laying under it :rolleyes:

Saving money, although always welcome, isnt the main issue for me.

Now where's 4ways number :ack:
 
If you have the space, I think you can still build a decent size single garage to do most of your jobs for about £1500.
 
I stripped and rebuilt my car in a single (albeit enclosed) car port. It was maybe a few cm wider than many standard single garages, but still not huge.

I may have a double garage now but with two cars in there, it requires a bit of space planning for work. It can be done though (although I am going to cheat by getting a shed built behind the garage for overspill!).
 
It seems that most would like to be able to work on their cars but don't have the covered space or tools to allow them to do it. I am also in this position so can understand the problems.

If people don't want to work on others' cars, why don't a few Zedders in an area club together to rent a workshop size space and use it when needed. The costs are probably too high for one person but spread over a few, it cuts the bill right down.

I would certainly be in for that in the Bristol area.
 
Farmer42 said:
It seems that most would like to be able to work on their cars but don't have the covered space or tools to allow them to do it. I am also in this position so can understand the problems.

If people don't want to work on others' cars, why don't a few Zedders in an area club together to rent a workshop size space and use it when needed. The costs are probably too high for one person but spread over a few, it cuts the bill right down.

I would certainly be in for that in the Bristol area.
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Heres a few reasons why it doesnt work
Insurance, rent, rates, business rates, electricity........Then who supplies the tools and im not talking a few odds and sods from wilko, to do a proper job you need proper kit....I for one would not allow any numpty to use my tools
And when its left in a state because member A spilt oil all over member B's stuff or member C lost some of member D's tools, or when member E uses up all the spare widgets that member F bought
We can't even agree on relatively simple things never mind a mine field like that
 
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