I am just wondering how long it may have taken to actually put a Tiger together , start to finish. From the day the shell arrived to the day it rolled off the line . No reason just general curiosity , I find it amazing how a factory can make a car out of nothing in days and then we spend years taking it apart and re putting it together . I wonder if I have just been sniffing to much primer !
How Long did it take ?
- Thread starter CT Tiger
- Start date
- Messages
- 2,968
- Messages
- 4,336
They start with a clean.. straight bunch of metal.. we start with a bunch of twisted rusted mertal that others have also attempted to "correct".. also..we are fussier than the factory 
Building a car has been done at shows before , manufactures or clubs acting like assembly lines . I dont think we would get too far though , there would be 49 of us with the Test Driver Job !! Why not all 50 you say ?, well someone has to go for coffee !!
This is where the primer crack comes from , put it on , block it off !! Anyone looking for me, this is where I will be next few weeks !
View attachment 5476
View attachment 5476
Paul4223
Gold forum user
- Messages
- 159
Time and the Virtue of Patience
Tearing the car completely apart took me a solid weekend, working with two buddies.
Further cataloging of parts took me a couple-three weeks working in my spare time. The body shop had the car about seven months. While the car was in for body and paint, I sourced parts, ran around to places like Vern's for bumper chrome, powder coating, cad plating, yadayada, had the headers coated, and did stuff on the car that the body shop refused to do, like sanding areas which never see the light of day, etc.
Once the car was out of the body shop, it then took about another six months- probably longer, to reassemble - and with considerable help from a number of friends.
Intermittent teething issues took maybe another year and a half, once the car was roadworthy. And then a year or two later, came the second motor- "my dream motor" which was another three or four months, and which presented a few more teething issues once it was in the car.
And it wasn't until a few years ago that I finally completed a number of minor items which were left on the "to do" list.
Two major items which remain are the hard top and a wide ratio box.
I've had the car for about 23 years and in some ways it looks better than when it came out of the body shop, minus the slight "patina" that black paint and shiny parts get over time of course. Random orbital buffers, an array of polishes, and OCD, are my friends.
I would sum up by saying old cars, if you keep them, are rarely ever done.
Tearing the car completely apart took me a solid weekend, working with two buddies.
Further cataloging of parts took me a couple-three weeks working in my spare time. The body shop had the car about seven months. While the car was in for body and paint, I sourced parts, ran around to places like Vern's for bumper chrome, powder coating, cad plating, yadayada, had the headers coated, and did stuff on the car that the body shop refused to do, like sanding areas which never see the light of day, etc.
Once the car was out of the body shop, it then took about another six months- probably longer, to reassemble - and with considerable help from a number of friends.
Intermittent teething issues took maybe another year and a half, once the car was roadworthy. And then a year or two later, came the second motor- "my dream motor" which was another three or four months, and which presented a few more teething issues once it was in the car.
And it wasn't until a few years ago that I finally completed a number of minor items which were left on the "to do" list.
Two major items which remain are the hard top and a wide ratio box.
I've had the car for about 23 years and in some ways it looks better than when it came out of the body shop, minus the slight "patina" that black paint and shiny parts get over time of course.
Random orbital buffers, an array of polishes, and OCD, are my friends.I would sum up by saying old cars, if you keep them, are rarely ever done.
Last edited:
- Messages
- 2,968
Been There Many Times
It's difficult for most customers to fathom this part of a project and the man-hours it chews up. And then, there are the times that an impatient trainee grabs an orbital sander and defeats the whole purpose of long-blocking in a 1/2 minute !!! Start over once more . . . . .
It's difficult for most customers to fathom this part of a project and the man-hours it chews up. And then, there are the times that an impatient trainee grabs an orbital sander and defeats the whole purpose of long-blocking in a 1/2 minute !!!
Start over once more . . . . .
Paul4223
Gold forum user
- Messages
- 159
It's difficult for most customers to fathom this part of a project and the man-hours it chews up. And then, there are the times that an impatient trainee grabs an orbital sander and defeats the whole purpose of long-blocking in a 1/2 minute !!!
Having done just some relatively basic body and paint on one of our cars -not the Tiger- the time I spent dedicated for blocking and a couple, three guide coats, gave me even greater respect for the masters.
It's difficult for most customers to fathom this part of a project and the man-hours it chews up. And then, there are the times that an impatient trainee grabs an orbital sander and defeats the whole purpose of long-blocking in a 1/2 minute !!!
Oh yeah I hear that one , while I was recuperating from surgery I sent the car to a friend who owns a well known restoration shop here , to finish up a few pieces of fab work I had not been able to get to , while there he decided to help me out and start the plastic work for me , only since it was on the friends and family rate he put the newbie on the car, looked good when it came back , until I ran my hand over it ! Its amazing what 15 min with a DA can screw up ! So like I said if you need me I will be blocking .......
1fineAlpine
Silver forum user
- Messages
- 76
Body work...
I always wanted to be able to build my own car, as much as I could possibly do, by myself with no help. I've wrenched on cars for years so I had that down, then I did upholstery at my friends shop for a little over a year, and I did auto body for 4 years (2 years in school, and two years as my job). I will never work at a body shop again... The amount of time and work that goes into a good paint job is unbelievable (as some of you definitely know). I had the same problems when working of some cars, where somebody else got in a hurry and in a few hours messed up weeks of work. I'm fine with just sticking to my own cars for prepping and painting, and that's it. It's all worth it once you unmask the car after the final coats and clear coat are on and dried...
I always wanted to be able to build my own car, as much as I could possibly do, by myself with no help. I've wrenched on cars for years so I had that down, then I did upholstery at my friends shop for a little over a year, and I did auto body for 4 years (2 years in school, and two years as my job). I will never work at a body shop again... The amount of time and work that goes into a good paint job is unbelievable (as some of you definitely know). I had the same problems when working of some cars, where somebody else got in a hurry and in a few hours messed up weeks of work. I'm fine with just sticking to my own cars for prepping and painting, and that's it. It's all worth it once you unmask the car after the final coats and clear coat are on and dried...
George Simpson
Gold forum user
- Messages
- 165
Primers
Randy...Have you ever used (Feather Fill) catalized primer? Smells like boat resin & seals very well. Available in 70's Possibily still available but i dought it?
Randy...Have you ever used (Feather Fill) catalized primer? Smells like boat resin & seals very well. Available in 70's Possibily still available but i dought it?
- Messages
- 2,968
still Sniffing
Sounds like something Timothy Leary would be happy with. The guys prefer an industrial SEM self-etch primer and/or combined with a skim vinyl coating for final blocking. The object being to both hang on tight and keep the metal close to the surface.
Sounds like something Timothy Leary would be happy with. The guys prefer an industrial SEM self-etch primer and/or combined with a skim vinyl coating for final blocking. The object being to both hang on tight and keep the metal close to the surface.
Here is what I do ,some may find my steps a bit redundant and some may even seem out sequence , but they work for me . .First I take the car apart, label everything and pack it away , my camera is my best friend at this point . Next I hand strip all the exposed body parts , using zip strip and the DA, ( this is what the DA is for ) , This helps prevent warping from the blasting process, and more importantly allows me to see whats hiding under the surface , if the body panel damage and rust is not too bad , I will cut out the offending areas and send the shell to the stripper , if there is some major work to do , then I will go ahead and do the metal work , then its off to the stripper. . Some strippers will epoxy prime the shell and parts for you, ( some will give you a lap dance ! ) or prime the car yourself but get it done asap after stripping the car, When the car gets back I do any remaining metal work. Once I am satisfied the metalwork is where it should be , , its time for ....Dum da da dum dum ....the dreaded plastic filler , ( oh no its the B word ! ) , dont let anyone kid you every concourse car that you drool over at the show has some filler on it . When thats where it needs to be , I put the doors and body panels back on and make sure all the gaps are just right , then everything gets a skin coat of a product I use called Icing , and that gets long board blocked , this is where I can see every time the car has been bumped , banged , had the door slammed, and factory imperfections too. Some areas will need to have this done multiple times . When I am happy with that it s time for high build primer and more long board blocking, multiple coats wet blocked between each coat , when I am happy with that, off come the doors hood trunk and any other parts , some more fussing , a primer sealer and then its time to start painting ( another long process ) your favorite color. I never use the DA past the stripping part of the process, and I never sand without a block , even for the final color sanding of the clear coat i use a soft block . Ever wonder why a good paint job costs so much !
George Simpson
Gold forum user
- Messages
- 165
Proper paint job
. Ever wonder why a good paint job costs so much ![/QUOTE]
Mr. CT Tiger... You are 100 percent correct. Once your car is painted the paint job is half way done.
. Ever wonder why a good paint job costs so much ![/QUOTE]
Mr. CT Tiger... You are 100 percent correct. Once your car is painted the paint job is half way done.