The Cal-look Lounge

Whats your opinions

The best license plate frame I have ever read said,



But since a lot of those "checkbook car guys" pays my bills, I can't say too much!! :-X

I have certainly seen both sides to this issue, and now that I am older.... er, ah, and less time on my hands, the idea of paying someone to get my damn car done doesn't sound so bad.

 Alright when do we get started?

Danny <------->Nevada<--------->Deano<--------->Vista<------>No workie

It was worth a try, Right?

My opinion is it comes down to someones capabilities and or income. If you are not mechanically inclined, then it's probably better to have someone else built it. Whether it be engine,trans or chassis. You will end up spending 2 times the amount having to pay someone to fix your mistake. Also for most of the guys that started building there own stuff it was because the lack of money. If you have some ablility and minimal money, it just makes sense. You will get the naysayers if you have someone else build it, but those are usually the people that are jelious of what you have. But there is a sense of accomplishment when you do build you own car.The first rip down the road is one of the best feelings you will ever have.
My two cents
Gabe

No matter how much money you pay someone to build a car, you can´t buy that feeling!!!

Your so right mate, there is nothing like the feeling of finishing and driving a freshly restored vw, knowing that ive done all the graft myself. It was so nice to be able to reply me to the question `who painted that `!
         Winning awards is also a touchy subject, i peronally believe that there should be a category for self/home built cars . ;D

Deano's got it.  I want to be able to do EVERYTHING on my car, and do it well.  I've just started to hit that period of life when there's more important things than making your wife a garage widow stuck with the kid.  Case in point right now, my 2110 build.  I've been gearing up to do it myself, spent a lot on tools and parts.  But if I really ever want it to see it run in this lifetime, someone else is gonna have to do it right now so I'm paying to have it built this winter.  A big bummer for my ego, but I'll forget about that next season when I'm listening to straight cuts whine behind me rather than looking at a bunch of boxes in the attic.

Really makes me wish I had gotten more done in my single days!

I enjoy the build process and working on my cars. Having said that, there are definitely some things I will farm out if I can afford it. There are just some things I know I can't do to the quality I want it done. Plus, then maybe it will get done in a reasonable amount of time.

One day I would like to be rich enough to be able call up someone like Lanny or Danny and say "I want a car with this, this and this, call me when its done."  ;D

--louis

Even if I did have the money I would do it all myself.I get so much joy from searching for parts and figgering out how to do stuff.
The one thing I don't do is the final paint on my car because it involves serious skills to shoot metalflakes. ;)

Michael

me too
I'd try it all at least once, except paint.
Always vowed I'd drive my car around with heads I did, at least that is now partially true ::)

I really enjoy the satisfaction the I get from buildnig cars myself, plus it costs a fortune to have somebody else do it. The few times that I have farmed something out, I'm usually not satisfied with their work anyway. That being said, the last couple of cars I built were unfinished projects, which was very cool. Both were freshly painted rolling shells and all I had to do was re-assemble them.

I don't care if someone buys it or builds it. I care more about the passion that the owner has for the car and the hobby. I personally love working on them, but I also love getting qualified help when I need it. I'm not dumb enough to think i can do it all myself, especially if I want it done right.

I like to do as much as I can myself. I have built engines, panited cars ported heads etc. but after a couple of tries you know what you are good at and what you should leave to pros.
I don't look down at people that has complete pro built cars. If you can't do it yourself due to some reason and can afford to do it, go ahead!
I can't see the difference between having someone building a looker for you or buying a finished car.
It is all about realizing deams.

Totally agree ...
Sometimes you have to let  the pros do their thing.

I'm trying to do everything in the car by myselfe.
sometimes I ask smeone who is better in body work to help me but never pay for all work. thats good that's not so much things that I can't do myselfe :) let say 95% of all I do myselfe.

the best feeling is to don't sleap for 5 night preparing the car to race/meeting and than fire "Him" up and be pfroud of it cuz You dit it npo body else...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyjEthrDFPo
day before racing :)
and the racing day :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PYBrughPHY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L7_Zw-ut4I&feature=related
Sorry for OT :)

but yes do as much as you can on youre car and be proud of it.
(BTW the engin was build in few hours before going back yo Poland form UK :D form 21:00 till 3:00 - ant 10:30 in the morning it was on the dyno and it still runs)

I remember one episode quite funny in Poland - night racing :) BMW don't remember what but the guy was a type of person that Zach describe (check book guy) I spanked him popperly :P and when we were talking he turned red when he heard from my lads that all in the car was made by me in the shitty garage :P 85HP shiter :P

Whatever floats your boat, but I prefer to do everything myself, except painting (just haven't got the equipment)
For me its essential that when I get a compliment about my car I know I did the work

There are some things I dont do. Heads (although im trying) and paint. Those are another kind of art. But I do most of the build myself. I am a mechanic by trade so its no big deal. I do hear about people talking down to people who have had there cars built by someone else, and I dont think that's right. As long as you drive the crap out of the car and the love is there, I dont see a problem.
But I do think that you should get your hands dirty. Maybe oil changes and valve adjustments. Those are things anyone can do.
Gabe

I think anyway is OK

As said before, not everyone has the skills, so fair play to them for investing in our hobby.
Not everyone has the cash so fair play to them for doing it on a budget and making the effort
Again, we are not all the same so choices are fine with me.... would far rather speak to someone who paid $20k to have a car build for them and loves it than some one who goes to the local garage and buys a run of the mill daily driver.

Let's say you get married. You hire a photographer to take the pictures, you want them to be perfect.

Now let's say you're celebrating your birthday. I guess taking the pics yourself is fine...

That's why I got the 68 mostly built but i work on all my other cars.

that's a good point. After a few tries, you learn what you have got the knack for and what to farm out. If I ever tried painting a car, it would want to run and stick its bonnet in the sand and hide. As far as other stuff goes, I like doing it because it is done at my pace, and as many times as it take to get it right. If I bolt up a bottom end, and it just doesn't feel right, I can look in and see what, why, how etc. If I am setting up linkage, I can adjust sweep and length of drop rods until I am happy with feel of pedal. If I think my window cleaning didn't get all the smears and film, then I can re do it. I've had work done, like most others, on my cars, and I have to say, with only a few exceptions (maybe 3 guys), I've been pretty disappointed with their work. Usually had to go home and learn how to figure it out and do it correctly myself. I think the problem usually lies with miscommunication.  ::)

I think this is the best post yet.

--louis

do what you want .

thats what i say .

if you can , and want to build your own car (or even parts)
a lot of the pros will respect you for this and will even offer advice .

if youd rather concentrate on working to get the cash to pay someoneelse , thats fine too .

like russell says , its good just to have the passion to own it , and be an enthusiast .

i'm split with my jobs ... sometimes i like to do things myself , other times i farm it out .
if its something i cannot do or dont want to learn , i pay an expertt to do it .......

..... like when i get toothache .... its just better to pay the dentist ;)
 

*NOTE TO SELF* 
never tell mark i have a toothache ...

i'm still scared of you from that time you turned up at nicks with a corpse in the car ...
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/iancross182/morecrappix013.jpg)
:D:D

I take great pride in haveing done most of the work on mycar.  That being said, now that I am more than a decade earlier, I doubt that I would have time to do the same project now.  Yet, lilke Jim I have trouble finding anyone to do the work to my standards.  For example, if I do my own paint, I can easily overlook a minor flaw or two and I dont get upset if it takes a year.  If I pay some guy $8,000, it better be perfect and on time  havent met a paint and body guy yet who understands a schedule!)

People who do thier own work, should be proud...but careful lest that pride turn into snobbery.  I have to roll my eyes at guys who make comments like "he's not a real enthuisiast, he just writes checks"  like due to thier VW building skills, they are somehow better than the "checkwriter" who may be an accomplished surgeon, or businessman.  In the big scheme of things, that spinal surgeon who just bought a turn-key Cal-Look car has probably paid more dues than during his years and years of college than we have learning to rebuild IDA's.  ::)

My Doctor happens to be a VW guy and a friend.  He doesnt do any of his own work.  Somehow I think he still manages to feel pretty good about himself when he looks at himself in the mirror.  And frankly, as I near 40, there are some procedures that must take place in which I am happy that he wasnt rebuilding a greasy gearbox the night before!   :o ;D

Hmmm what if you don't have the skills or time to build your own car? I have none of these. I wouldn't want to have a go myself and hurtle a fast VW down the road knowing that I've put it together, I value my life  :o

I do what I can on my car, which is mainly the real crappy jobs, like scraping underseal or lapping valves. It's within my skillset, it's safe if I do cock up and I'm happy as I'm working on my own car. I work long hours to pay the right people to work on my car. I'll never have the knowledge that Funky Pete has, and I'll never be able to build a car like Alex Taylor. So I have them do the work for me.

I think that sometimes there's some people who look down on others who have cars built for them. But hey, they'd look down even more if they saw a dangerous, poorly built pile of shit that I cobbled together  ;)

 ;D.... 
" nurse, can of brake clean please....   now Dave, this may sting...."

Or maybe you talked her to sleep! Ah just kidden LOL, Well sorta

Wouldn't it be better to pay Lanny or Buddy to build you a great car if you couldn't do it yourself?

It just seems to me that having fun with a hobby car if far more important than how you got to a place where you can have the fun.

I like knowing my machine inside and out. So if something goes wrong, I don't just automatically call AAA ::)

I struggle with this sometimes. It's a pride thing mostly, but I have my own business and time becomes scarce. I've been working on a body off restoration of a '65 Chevy truck for the last four years. It's 95% finished, however much to my wife's dismay, I've started a new project, '69 Beetle. I really don't want it to take another four years so I'm trying to find a balance. Instead of doing a complete restoration, I'm aiming lower. No paint, I'm just trying to bring back to life the 40yo original paint. A little wetsanding and alot of polishing and it's getting a shine again. I'm doing this part myself. It won't be perfect, far from it, but it'll do. I've gutted the interior, I'll do it all less the headliner. I've done these before and I'd rather pay someone else to do it. The mechanicals will be a combination of myself and friends. I may have someone else build my motor, but I'll put it in. But most importantly, when I'm behind the wheel, listening to those Webbers roar, it'll be all me.

-jeffrey

its all about balance.

Time = wife, kids, work, play, car

Money = as above, but after spending £5k on engine parts I am happy to pay somebody to put them together who really knows what they are doing.  Why would I want to chance all that money.

I built my car from scratch, did everything, and as people have said I know what I can and cannot do really well.  I built my 1914, but I'm not brave enough to build my 2276.

Mark, the paint on your '67 looks great [at least from the pictures]. It actually looks like it's been repainted. I wish my car looked half as nice.

In my case I'm no so lucky. 20 years exposed to the elements left little to work with. On top of that, the PO decided to touch thing up with a rattle can. It also has it's fair share of odd placed dents, probably as a result of it being stacked against and leaned on during those 20 years. What paint remains is completely oxidized, pitted, checked with alot of surface rust mixed in. I've been working on it alot over the last couple of weeks and it's looking much better but not nearly as nice as yours. If all goes as planned, maybe I'll drive it out to the classic next year!

-jeffrey

Back in the 1970s, I did everything – I painted my cars (not good but with no money, what was the alternative?). Today I own a car that was built by somebody else, but I am making several changes to make it my own. Some I will have to pay other to do (some body and paint, and the transmission) and the rest I'll do myself when I can borrow workshop space and find some time. I have no garage, only the use of an open barn for storage, with no power, heat etc. I am too old and wise to kid myself I enjoy working on a car in winter! There should be no stigma attached to paying someone else to do work if you don't have the time, facilities or skills to do it yourself. Let's not forget, no amount of money can buy you good taste.

I try to do the most I can on my cars, the only thing I never do is bodywork and paint. I've always thought you have to be some kind of artist to do that perfectly. ;D