Just for discussion
 

I am trying to get my 18yo son to think about going frame off with his 69. But, I am also wondering if it is a bit much for the weekend warrior. I have some experience with turning wrenches, but have never dove in that far into the deep end. He digs driving it, so I hate to put it up on blocks and he doesn't get to drive it around, but it needs a motor anyway, so it will be out of service eventually. Any guidance or input on how tough it is, and whether an 18yo would really get that much out of it?

RR

Re: Just for discussion
 

I'm the weekend warrior guy. Mine runs and drives but needs pretty much everything. If I were to tear mine down completely, it might never get back together. So far I've repaired rust in the cab, changed out gaskets and have about 99% of leaks stopped. Next is suspension and converting drum to disc brakes in the front. I'm just doing one thing at a time to keep it on the road and safe.

Full frame off is A LOT to take on. Just honestly look at your experience, how much time you have to work on it and, of course, how much money you have to put in it. Just my opinion. Good luck.

Re: Just for discussion
 

I'd say do mechanical stuff like brakes, etc. that take hours. Fix wiring. Change lubricants. I've never bought an old vehicle that didn't need a new battery tray.
Tearing an old vehicle apart doing work and putting it back together is a big deal. Getting an 18 year old to do this is tough.

Re: Just for discussion
 

Rolling restoration. If he gets to where he wants it tore down/put back perfect he'll want to have another vehicle by then. Let him enjoy it now and enjoy getting into the groove with it's ins and outs. He came make it a decent proud ride with only weekends. It's how we did it when we were young. I have always driven old vehicles I made nice while driving

Re: Just for discussion
 

Yep, best to tackle 1 thing at a time, keep it running, enjoy it. Frame off can take a while.

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Here is my example of a frame-off restoration and the time it required...

It took 6 years of almost daily attention to go from a $850 rust bucket to a $45,000 finished project doing almost all the work myself. I had someone else install the front and rear glass, exhaust, rear-end and tranny rebuild, and mount the tires, but everything else was done in my shop (not a garage, but a 30x30 shop dedicated to the project.

A friend of mine said "it's not a hobby unless you spend at least 10 hours a week doing it and it will take 20 years to restore a frog into a prince at that rate". I spent at least 20 hours a week and sometimes 25 hours in just a weekend in order to do one in 6 years...I bet I averaged 25-35 hours a week. Keep in mind I left nothing unexplored and took the project to the extreme as far as detail was concerned...full frame-off, everything rebuilt or replaced, every piece of available trim added back, many modifications, and a complex paint job. I did this in my late 30's and early 40's with good hobby money, kids part time, and mostly single. I worked my 40 hours making my living and then went home an obsessed in the shop. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL THING And I enjoyed it immensely, but it was a big dedication to time.

I nice truck can certainly be done otherwise, but a frame-off project starts something that is very hard to undo should you change your priorities. There are alot of projects out there for sale that "come in a basket" due to this phenomenon. Consider a different Father and Son project that can sit without the sadness of non-use.

These trucks are one of the most affordable to restore along with the Mustang, Camaro/Firebird, Nova, and, dare I say, VW Bugs...(motorcycles too).

Re: Just for discussion
 

Take it from a weekend hack, don't do a frame off unless you have access to some help. I tried a full restoration on a 73 Camaro that had great sentimental value so I was emotionally invested. I got as far as cutting out floor, trunk, toe panel and replacing them all. Wheel houses, quarter panels etc. I never even got to the main mechanical parts since it was just too much and I had to finally admit it would never be driven in my lifetime. I sold it and let someone finish it. It's way more work than you think. Do the safety/mechanical part and enjoy it unless you really want to take it out of service for years and want to learn how to do all the things required. If you just want to do it because you want to see it restored, that will become a chore.

Re: Just for discussion
 

That's not a hobby: it's a part-time job that you pay for the privilege of doing.

Re: Just for discussion
 

I'm 5 years into a frame off for my '72...it's an "heirloom" truck and I'm in no rush, but it has literally needed every part fixed or replaced. I also have no prior experience, a young family, and my shop is 2 hours away. A nice truck can be built in much quicker time but it ALWAYS takes longer than expected...and costs more. If I was 18, just keep it safe and reliable and enjoy the truck, rolling restoration on the weekends. Just my opinion.

Re: Just for discussion
 

I got ambitious with my Blazer seven years ago. Then life happened. It hasn't seen the road since.

Let him drive it and enjoy it and fix little things here and there.

Re: Just for discussion
 

I recently bought my '69 and the plan was to get it mechanically sound and drive the wheels off of it. Well, project creep has bitten me and I haven't had it on the road since I got it. I keep doing the "while I'm here" thing, and of course, I don't want to do it twice, so . . . well, you get the idea.
I would be afraid of your project never getting completed due to project creep.

Re: Just for discussion
 

I have seen some build threads on here of frame offs that have taken almost a decade. I have about 2,300 hours in my build and it was not a frame off although mostly everything has been replaced at this point, I worked on it between 15 and 40 hours a week and then did about 170 hours straight to paint it. I would have liked to do a frame off but I don't have a garage so I drove it while building which worked out ok for me.

Re: Just for discussion
 

I'm a year in to my build. Just got the motor running again this weekend. Hoping to have the frame/cab "driveable" (Read: it has brakes that work, a steering column, gear shifter) in a few weeks. Remaining body work is still going to take months to finish up - and probably won't be beautiful, but we want a driver, not a show truck.

For reference, this was my wife's father's truck and was almost a complete basket case. Rusted out everything, one brake working, engine would idle but not accelerate. I'm 11k in to the rebuild right now, but I think I'm about finished with the big purchases, minus a new instrument cluster. Hundreds of hours too. The wife was excited about the project early on, getting her childhood truck back to operable condition and all, but that has waned significantly. Maybe this summer it will be good enough to venture back on the road...

Re: Just for discussion
 

I have about 10 hours worth of work left of a full Frame off Resto mod that took me 6 years and almost 50 grand to do. These turn into a lot more work that you think on the front end and as mentioned before you can't do one alone. Too many big pieces that you will need help handling etc. I love the truck now that it is almost done but I had a dollar for every cuss work I spewed while building it, I could probably retire. Bare in mind, I consider myself a pretty skilled wrench and I had a lot of struggles. Let the kid drive the truck for now, and if he ever decides to upgrade and park it, that's the time to tear it all apart. save a lot of money between now and then too.

Re: Just for discussion
 

Thanks to all the replies. Very much appreciated and nice to see. You are all very correct, and the dad in me got in the way. He should be able to drive and enjoy it, and we will do the little stuff as weekends permit. Both he and I have time constraints and the lack of a full on garage makes it tougher.

Thanks to all for the comments and giving me the info needed to realize that I was being a bit over zealous. My son thanks you as well. LOL.

RR

Re: Just for discussion
 

Great! Have fun with it! I can't wait for the streets to clear up here so I can drive mine!

Re: Just for discussion
 

Yep you made the correct decision , let him enjoy it and do the small upgrades and fixes on the weekend.

Re: Just for discussion
 

I'm doing a frame off on mine in the evenings after work and then all weekend. The main things I have learned with the restoration is, (1) be persistent and keep working on it; if you don't it will end up sitting way longer than you'd like; and (2) purchase or obtain the proper tools to do the job; if you don't, it makes the job ten times harder than it needs to be, especially if you're doing the job yourself.

I'm sure he can handle it as I wish I had the energy I had when I was 18. But, he'll need to have the patience.

Re: Just for discussion
 

Small projects a little at a time can be better to keep a young one, with so many things to pull his attention away, interested. Small victories build enthusiasm.