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BODY WORK HOW - TO

Bodywork = Hell.
So once that notion is well understood lets get started.
I have restored way too many cars and probably lost money on all of them so I will now teach you a little bit on how to lose some of your own hard earned money too. However, I will try to save you some along with time which seems to be a the reason why many cars end up as "project" cars after all of the hard work has been done.
Bodywork is usually easy to learn at first but soon becomes very trying and difficult to master. There is a slew of new body working processes, equipment, and products that change the body repair industry every few years in step with the advances of automobiles. However, the skills of a good body man will never become obsolete.
I am not a professional body man but I know of a few and after listening to their advice, learning the art, and buying a boatload of tools I can understand why it is expensive. Like an artist a good bodyman can work wonders far surpassing what the average Joe can accomplish even those who are "bondo kings", with less time and materials invested. They are professionals, not monkeys with hammers, so expect to pay good money for experienced labor. Enough said, but what can we do to save some cash?
Labor costs are labor costs whether the bodyman is sanding out rust or smoothing out some sheet metal so flat you can see your face in it. Since we are relatively "unskilled" it is best we do all of the ugly work ourselves and once we get the car relatively straight tow it over to your bodyman for smoothing and a topcoat. This is where I believe you should spend the money. I have painted cars myself and while they have looked pretty good a pro in a paint booth will give you that show finish.
Now I am not saying that you cannot get your car in fine shape with a decent Earl Schieb or Macco paint job when they run their specials and cut the price in half. While people cringe at this thought if you are on a budget they are not bad alternatives for a driver. If you are hooked on those car mag paint jobs, lemme tell you those paint jobs represent hundreds of hours and countless dollars to achieve. That is why they are in the magazines, not parked in the local shopping center lot ready to receive dings from those god awful SUV owners.
Now to do bodywork I assume you will have the basic body tools and whatnot to float out a few dents, spread some filler and sand it down. The best way to learn the art is to get a book and read it and practice practice practice on an old fender etc. until you get the feel for it.

EVALUATION:
We need to get a game plan. This is where 90% of all of us get into trouble. Now we all read those car craft magazines and look at those cars with perfect paint jobs and we feel we can do the same. These mags are like porno mags. They seduce you into thinking that your car (girl) should look like that and you know what 99% aren't (UNFORTUNATELY). Next they write every story using some product of some advertiser in the magazine, since they have to kiss ass to keep that advertising money coming in, as subscriptions don't pay the bills.
Ultimately even if you do a good job you feel unfulfilled, as your ride doesn't look like that car. You know we can probably do the same but how deep is your wallet and how much time can you waste? This is why I like to buy cars in good shape so you can get by this stage quickly and enjoy your car. Average paint goes a long way. Average paint gives you the freedom to drive your car places not worrying too bad about paint chips instead of blowing major cash on a sweet job and then your car becomes a garage queen. And if that wretched SUV owners' kid slams those heavy Chevy Suburban's doors in your car at the mall parking lot and leaves you with a nice ding you wont go too postal, maybe just kick a little a$$. What I am saying is please be conservative with your expectations.
Also restoring cars requires a lot of space. Digging too far in a 30 year old car can turn into a horror story if you have no place to store the parts and just depressing looking at the numerous things you will find that need replacing as you go. Just look at my shell of a car in the parking lot outside my apartment, parts in my backyard, little parts bagged and under my bed, girlfriends townhouse garage filled with crap, rust everywhere in sight.... it goes on and on. It takes a strong, dedicated man to do a full restoration! (Or a stupid one!).

START:
I have only one word of advice before you begin bodywork on your car. Please start on the chassis of the vehicle. It is the foundation of the whole car and don't do anything else until it is DONE! Once finished you can repair the car panel by panel and bolt them on. So now is time to attack those rust holes where they won't be noticed so easily. I personally use 20 gauge galvanized sheet metal. It is somewhat easy to cut and seems to be almost the same thickness as the original body.
To weld in patches I use a Lincoln Weld-Pak 100 wire feel welder. The lightest metal it will weld is 20 gauge unless you purchase the MIG attachment which allows up to 22 gauge operation and cleaner welds. The galvanized metal doesn't weld nicely, it tends to pop and splatter so I try to remove the galvanized coating off of the edge I am welding to with a grinder.
You can use gas welding methods such as brazing to install patch panels HOWEVER if it is a quarter panel or some sort of weight supporting or stressed joint forget brazing and use oxyacetlyene but with all welding processes be careful of warping the metal!
Once our chassis is clean, primered, patch panels installed, body work done, and undercoating applied it is time for the next step. Spray the chassis door jambs, floors, trunk, engine compartment etc. with single stage urethane paint (more on paints later). Next spray the inside of your hood, trunk lid, inside doors etc. with the same single stage and then bolt them all on. Pick up your phone and call your body guy to pick up the car to finish the outside bodywork and topcoat it with a nice base/clear coat.
OR you finish the exterior yourself and then drive it over to Earl Schieb with your own paint and have them blast it for you in a paint booth. Make sure you find out who is the best paint guy and tip him like $30.00 before he does the job to do it well. If you are spraying urethane paint in a dust free professional booth you may not need to do anything to the car after it dries. Next park it in your garage for a week or so or longer if it is a base / clear and then wet sand, compound, wax, and enjoy.

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