Building your own car or paying somebody to do everything

[Jim Ratto]

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!  

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

[Rennsurfer]

i'm still scared of you from that time you turned up at nicks with a corpse in the car ...
:D

HAHA!! That's no corpse... that's my girlfriend. Wait... that doesn't sound too good. Joking aside, she had very little sleep that day, obviously.

[danny gabbard]

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

[Brew 66]

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.

[Zach Gomulka]

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

[jhicken]

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

[Lids]

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.

[Rennsurfer]

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

Sheesh, Danny... don't sugar-coat it. I know you and you're NOT kidding. Why do you think I skateboard and surf so much? Energy overload equal to an 18yr. old.

 

Jeffrey, I'm in the same boat regarding the car. I did most of the work myself. And also I'm okay with reviving the existing old paint job. I'm not 20yrs. young, anymore. So I don't care if I don't have new paint. The old paint cleaned up just fine. Even though I've built a few big engines, I'm having my friend, Chris, build my longblock for me. I'll do the rest. Like you... I just wanna enjoy hearing those carbs sing.

[jhicken]

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

[Rennsurfer]

If all goes as planned, maybe I'll drive it out to the classic next year!

-jeffrey

COOL, Jeffrey! VERY looking forward to seeing you and your car, there. Hopefully, my big engine will done by then. We'll see. After being outta work for seven months, it's gonna be interesting to play catch up with finances and getting the engine built.

My paint is not original. Guess that I wasn't clear on that. Sorry. I had to spray the engine compartment Zenith Blue, hand rub all of the exterior that was oxidized, and do MAJOR touch up on all of the scratched and pitted areas throughout the entire car. This is a full-on shoestring budget car. I have to cut corners with spending money on every aspect of the car. So, I have to do most of the work, myself. Thankfully, I remember the days of being a parts guy, service advisor, and mechanic. But the stuff that I forget... I'm grateful to have Rayburn and a few of The Lounge members to help out this old fart.

Stoked that more DEEKS are getting VWs again.

[Fastbrit]

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.

[Nico86]

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.