Shops that repair old trucks.

[Big Kev-O]

Trying to find somebody to paint my truck for a fair price is impossible in my town. All the shops around here want $20k to paint , not including body work. One shop actually told me he makes $1500 (profit) just color matching a replacement fender or bumper on an insurance claim so that is all he does.

Classics are a rich guys game. I’m not rich so I do everything myself. Taught myself to weld. Looks like I will be learning to paint.

Built not bought is more respectable anyway.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by Big Kev-O

Trying to find somebody to paint my truck for a fair price is impossible in my town. All the shops around here want $20k to paint , not including body work. One shop actually told me he makes $1500 (profit) just color matching a replacement fender or bumper on an insurance claim so that is all he does.

Classics are a rich guys game. I’m not rich so I do everything myself. Taught myself to weld. Looks like I will be learning to paint.

Built not bought is more respectable anyway.
Posted via Mobile Device

Paint isn't that tough, I've painted several of my vehicles. If you can rattle-can something and make it look half-way decent, you would be able to paint your truck. Good prep is of course, required, or it won't look good. What are you going to paint it with? Lacquer is kind of hard to come by, around here. When I repainted the roof on my truck I had to buy a mask.

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by Big Kev-O

Trying to find somebody to paint my truck for a fair price is impossible in my town. All the shops around here want $20k to paint , not including body work. One shop actually told me he makes $1500 (profit) just color matching a replacement fender or bumper on an insurance claim so that is all he does.

Classics are a rich guys game. I’m not rich so I do everything myself. Taught myself to weld. Looks like I will be learning to paint.

Built not bought is more respectable anyway.
Posted via Mobile Device

Up until this post I was thinking, who can afford to have a "toy" of a vehicle serviced at a shop?

I too taught myself to weld on this truck. Like everything else. It is a process. If you follow the process correctly you will have good results.

I painted it myself. No it will never look like a job you paid a shop $20,000.00 to do but for less than $800.00 and lots of my time, like welding, painting is a process. Learn the process and follow it.

[FYI, I'm glad I painted it when I did. I paid less than $100/gallon two times on color. The last gallon of epoxy primer I bought was $26x.xx with the activator so that $800 I spent is likely close to double that now - but still less than $20,000.00]

AC? Not a problem. I put factory style AC on a non-factory AC truck cab. For that job I had to weld, paint, and do AC work. If you are not doing AC work every day, a Harbor Fright AC evacuation pump does the job. The factory shop manual tells you all you need to know about AC work.

There is very little I am afraid to attempt on such a simple vehicle. At the bare minimum, before you plop down good money at a repair shop, watch a YouTube video on the repair. These guys making videos with their iPod phones are no different than you and me.

[68 C10 Driver]

Originally Posted by Big Kev-O

Trying to find somebody to paint my truck for a fair price is impossible in my town. All the shops around here want $20k to paint , not including body work. One shop actually told me he makes $1500 (profit) just color matching a replacement fender or bumper on an insurance claim so that is all he does.

Classics are a rich guys game. I’m not rich so I do everything myself. Taught myself to weld. Looks like I will be learning to paint.

Built not bought is more respectable anyway.
Posted via Mobile Device

That's why I learned to do all the work myself. Back in the late 70s and early 80s as a poor airman in the Air Force, I didn't have the money to have body and paint work done. Even with the Earl Scheib $99 special, it was too rich for me, so I started to do it myself. Sure, I sucked at it at first, but I improved quickly and got to be pretty good at it.

I also learned the mechanical aspect as well, to me that was easier and a fun way to relax. Later, I decided I wasn't going to pay the cost of A/C work, and started picking up equipment on eBay back about 15 years ago when things were still cheap. Same with welding, two years ago I never welded, but perseverance and many hours of practice I have repaired the common rust areas on my C10.

I guess the moral of the story is we all have the capacity to learn and apply that knowledge. It may take time to get the practical application down, but you'll get there.