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There's been a thread the past few days about how "nice and helpful" everyone here is to each other, and I gotta say, that is one of the main reasons I rarely go to other forums.
Another thing I really like here is that there are so many who "do it yourself."
For those who don't for whatever reason, that's ok, we like you too.
For those who would like to but lack the confidence, read on.
I've always been a do-it-yourselfer, mostly of the "shade tree" variety. This car, this place, and this time in my life I've tried to raise the bar personally on what I can do and how well I can do it.
This winter (working on the car in the heated garage) season has been a banner time for me because I've added 2 new skills.
I bought and learned to use some basic equipment that enabled me to do my own front end alignment. Since us with "modified old cars" tend to be billed by the hour for such services, I figure it paid for itself this first use.
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The other is a "biggie." For many years, I've felt very limited because of my inability to use "fire" to make 2 peices of steel into one. Well, no more. I weld. And with welding comes the ability to "make things" rather than simply buying them and bolting them on. It will be a LONG LONG time (if ever) before my fabrication skills approach those of Royce, or Eric68, or Mark W. (to name only a few) but I'll keep practicing, and I'll get better.
Not long ago, I replaced the mufflers and used band clamps to clamp them on. The original flowmaster hangers were bent metal rods welded to the conventional clamps, and were no longer useable. In just a few minutes, I cut off the bars, made up 2 peices of flat steel with 2 holes each matching the boltholes on the band clamps, some quick measuring, fire up the mig, ZAP, 2 new muffler hangers!
While doing the floors was cool, actually making something that didn't exist before really "rang my bell."
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So, if you always wanted to, then just "go-fer-it!"
Another thing I really like here is that there are so many who "do it yourself."
For those who don't for whatever reason, that's ok, we like you too.
For those who would like to but lack the confidence, read on.
I've always been a do-it-yourselfer, mostly of the "shade tree" variety. This car, this place, and this time in my life I've tried to raise the bar personally on what I can do and how well I can do it.
This winter (working on the car in the heated garage) season has been a banner time for me because I've added 2 new skills.
I bought and learned to use some basic equipment that enabled me to do my own front end alignment. Since us with "modified old cars" tend to be billed by the hour for such services, I figure it paid for itself this first use.
The other is a "biggie." For many years, I've felt very limited because of my inability to use "fire" to make 2 peices of steel into one. Well, no more. I weld. And with welding comes the ability to "make things" rather than simply buying them and bolting them on. It will be a LONG LONG time (if ever) before my fabrication skills approach those of Royce, or Eric68, or Mark W. (to name only a few) but I'll keep practicing, and I'll get better.
Not long ago, I replaced the mufflers and used band clamps to clamp them on. The original flowmaster hangers were bent metal rods welded to the conventional clamps, and were no longer useable. In just a few minutes, I cut off the bars, made up 2 peices of flat steel with 2 holes each matching the boltholes on the band clamps, some quick measuring, fire up the mig, ZAP, 2 new muffler hangers!
While doing the floors was cool, actually making something that didn't exist before really "rang my bell."
So, if you always wanted to, then just "go-fer-it!"
