As many of you know, I can be dangerously ignorant on automotive subjects. Just look at my last thread about how I accidentally dropped a washer down the distributor hole. Thankfully Dan and the rest of you are patient teachers and friends.

There are major milestones in learning:
Unknown incompetence- you don't know what you don't know

Known incompetence- you know you don't know how to do something

Known competence- you know that you know how to do something

Unknown competence- you are so good at something you don't even realize you are doing it.

The most dangerous one is falsely known incompetence-- you think you know how to do something, but you can't do it.

Anyway, I digress. I want to get from the known incompetent to the known competent. I signed up for an auto-body class at the local community college. The instructor (yet another Dan) is a retired auto-body shop owner.


At the first class, I came driving up in the old truck expecting to be taking a hammer and dolly to it... um nope. We have to go get steel mailboxes which he is going to dent and we are going to repair and then paint in the paint booth. After he sees we have the basics down we can move on to our own cars. So I have my new mailbox ($12 at Lowes) for him to damage and me to rebuild. He would do a demo mailbox for chopper clients so they could get an idea of colors and techniques before he painted their bikes.

I will share any useful tips that I learn. I hope the next time you see my truck it will have a bunch of primered repair spots and a lot less rust.

Karl

 

Wow, good idea. I would like to take a class too. Karl, check back with any good inside info. Jag

 

Good Idea - wish I could join you! And anyone who lives rural can tell you how important it is to know how to remove dents from a mail boxes!


Seriously, auto-body is one area where there is no knowledgeable old-timers. The technique changes and evolves to something new every 5 years. You can be our "expert."

 

Karl, that's good. It'll be fun.

I took autobody class at John O'Connor Community College here in the city back in the early eighties.

It was an eye opening experience, and fun. I always looked forward going to class.

Of course, I forgot everything, except how to make dents.

Now I know who to take my sheet metal work to.

 

Great idea Karl! I have taken auto repair classes at a community college, but not body repair. Sounds like a great way to improve your project. I may try that in the distant future, but at the moment am too darn busy.

 

I guess I know where I'm headnig to when Karl graduates

Let's see...Karl can do the bodywork, and dan can paint i.

All I have to do is bolt it back on...

Sounds like a plan to me!

 

Yeah, when Karl graduates he can be the body mand for the project truck. Never know when it will rollover and require his expertise.

 

Good job, Karl! I took a class years ago, but I'm still much better at installing dents than removing them...

Darn good way to get your truck fixed up and have access to the proper tools as well as someone who can show you how to use them. And you can't beat the feeling of being able to say, "Yeah, I did all the bodywork and paint myself...!"

 

Well, I just finished my third class. So far I have learned that good body work demands patience and quality.

Dan, the instructor, dented my mail box last week. By using a hammer and dolly, a target punch (a really great pincher tool) and few other hand tools, I got the dent reasonable smooth. Since then I have been grinding, using body filler, sanding, and repeating to get the repair area to the right state. Last night we broke out the HVLP gun and I sprayed primer. WOW- I already have orange peel!!! Thank God for sand paper.

In my next class, we are going to block it, prep it, and paint. After that, I will start working on my truck. At times I am impatient to get my truck in there and start working on it, but I would rather make as many mistakes as possible on my mailbox instead.

On another note, I am organizing a classics, customs, and everything else vehicle show at work for our weekly party. So far we have:

• 1970 Ford Pickup :-)
  
• 1967 Chevy Camaro
• 1982 Corvette Collector Edition
• 1974Triumph TR6
• 1949 Chevy Pick-up ½ ton
• 1964 Cadillac Series 62 4-door 4-window
• 1955 Chevy BelAir Wagon
• 2002 GSXR 13000 Suzuki Hayabusa
• 2002 Harley Davidson Dyna Low Rider
• 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Fastback
• 64 SS Chevy Impala
• '84, 911 Carrera Porsche
• ’64 Ford Ranchero
• 1985 Ferrari 308 Quattrovalvole
• 1963 Ford Galaxie Convertable
• 1966 AC Cobra (Kit
• 1997 Chevrolet Corvette C5 Coupe
• 1971 Ford Bronco rock crawler and 2005 Jeep rock crawler (husband and wife)
• 2001 Dodge Viper, 2006 Ford Mustang Shelby, 2006 Ford GT!!! (All three belong to one lady! I hope she needs help shuttling them. The Shelby Mustang is her daily driver)
• Alternative energy cars

Ought to be fun... I love my job at times.



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The lady with the Viper and the Ford GT is not single is she? hint hint

 

Two points

• you will be in a long line
• don't assume she shares well with others, I wouldn't

 

Bummer, oh well, going to have to find some other sugar mama.

 

Yeah, that's what I'm lookin' for. Where is that woman that can support me in the manner in which I WISH to become accustomed!

 

I don't think any woman can support me in the manner I wish to be. But I can always hope.

BTW Karl, if she wants someone to take that Viper off her hands I know a good home....uh....Never mind, it would just get torched here.

 

Jim, as if the viper is not hot enough already!

I met her today. Her husband (sorry guys) might bring their stock car to the car show. Here were her words, "I brought the Ford GT last year, nobody will want to see it again." I DO I DO!!!!! I have never seen one in real life.

We also just a added a '56 Bel Air so, that will be cool to have a '55 and '56 parked next to eachother.

This weekend I am going to clean my truck and spruce it up, but it will be like putting lipstick on a pig since she is in such rough shape.