Is It Worth It?

[2FAST4U]

Is it worth dry assembling the car, taking it apart to powder coat the chassis and any other pieces, and then doing the final assembly afterwards?

[Gumball]

When I started this project, one of the things I was dreading was building it multiple times... that is, fitting parts, taking them off to do something (paint, powdercoat, massage, etc...) then reassembling. Well, I've done that at least twice (if not three times) on most components and have actually enjoyed the process so far and I'm sure the build it better for it. So, my vote would be for "yes," it's worth it.

[mrmustang]

Is it worth dry assembling the car, taking it apart to powder coat the chassis and any other pieces, and then doing the final assembly afterwards?


Yes, yes it is

[SCFFR]

Definitely fit all of the components before having them powder coated but I would get the chassis already coated. You can then fit and removed all of the parts from the finished chassis. The kit/components have been engineered that everything fits pretty well. I would hate to get everything fitted on the chassis just to have to remove them to get the bare chassis painted/coated. It was worth the $329 to have FFR powder coat the chassis. I couldn't have rented a trailer, hauled it to the nearest powder coater (160 mile round trip) and had it coated for anything near that price.

Ron

[Dan Babb]

Because of all the mods on your car, it probably is worth it. Maybe mount all the major stuff just to make sure it all fits how you want. You could also drill/tap for any wire/hose clamps that you will need throughout.

Plus...you're retired, so time shouldnt be an issue...right? :)

[tirod]

Try fitting and reassembly is worth it, yes.

Powder coating is something else. One alternative is to try fit, then paint that specific area, then assemble. As the chassis is completed, it's painted - by hand, with a roller, using a common quality outdoor oriented paint for metal surfaces. I'm repainting my daily driver that way, and it's cost effective, plus, each panel can be handled separately. A new tube chassis would be a breeze in comparison.

Powder coat needs the same prep, plenty of reports of lifting, bubbling, etc. It's hard to clean and degrease the hundreds of yards of tubing in mass production,especially when said tubing is coated in oil for shipment to the fabricator.

Having just turned 60, retirement isn't all that. The unfortunate thing is that the human body has a clock, it's ticking, and at 60 or thereabouts, only those in the deepest denial see their lives stretching out endlessly into the future. Especially when you get all the eldercare junk mail in your various inboxes, electronic or otherwise. It doesn't help to find yourself waking up too early with all your abused joints sending personal messages of distress to your caffeine deprived mind. Plenty of incentive to emulate other grumpy old men, cause, you is one.

Just saying, there are options, if they don't consume valuable time. I believe there's a maxim out there, I wouldn't have taken so long if I'd known how much fun it is.

[2FAST4U]

Because of all the mods on your car, it probably is worth it. Maybe mount all the major stuff just to make sure it all fits how you want. You could also drill/tap for any wire/hose clamps that you will need throughout.

Plus...you're retired, so time shouldnt be an issue...right? :)

Good point. I think I'll loosely assemble the suspension components, layout the fuel and brake lines, cleco the aluminum, temp install the engine and trans, and then take everything apart for powder coat. Should take a week or so. Can't wait for the car to get here. Hoping for June.

[Roy]

I wish I new now what I did't know then. I woul have assembled, cut, modified, welded, drilled, fixed,then sent it to the powder coater.

[GWL]

I had, at one time, planned to complete a straight forward build but I've gotten into many complicated modifications that have the potential to get in the way of other stuff on the car. I've had my body on and off twice and an empty engine block in and out more times than I can remember and am now about to put it back in with a transmission hooked up to check for the EFI fit to the Classic A/C Witby unit which I added an insulated box to. So it is never ending, but I'm really enjoying the process. It truly is the journey.

Bill, we each age differently, but I'm retired, 69 and am in the middle of a rehab of a 1908 camp/cottage on Lake Champlain and the building of the car. The bottom line is I may never finish either but I'm am truly enjoying life and look forward to every morning I can still get out of bed, even though I feel beat up at the end of each day. It is the journey.

George

[mikiec]

Depends on how many times you want to build it. LOL

Mike