Ripped the Band Aid off! Build Thread and Advice Sought.

[o2batsea]

I can't believe I'm doing this, but I just couldn't stand it. I'm posting on the Rovers North board again after swearing I'd never come back.

Yorker, I just couldn't let you hang.

To everyone who has argued to the contrary on this thread, Yorker is right:

GALVANIZING A CHASSIS THAT'S IN GOOD CONDITION IS NOT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN BUYING A NEW GALVANIZED CHASSIS!

Well, maybe. If you have the tools, the skills to use them, the time to do the work, the space to do the work, tolerant wives, girlfriends and neighbors, no kids, and the means or physical ability to hump around a chassis to the galvanizer's assuming there is one near by. Not everyone is like you in that regard. There is no question that it is easier to just have it delivered all done, ready to bolt up. Also there is no question whether you will have rot you didn't see or treat inside the frame rail. Not having to deal with refurbishing the chassis will always leapfrog the project ahead. In the grand scheme of things that may easily worth the three large for the chassis. It's called "spending wisely"
You are mistakenly not including the expense of your own time and effort, which is a substantial amount. If it takes you twenty hours of work to get the chassis done and you consider your time at a very conservative $40 an hour, plus the supplies, wear and tear on tools and other consumables...you're pretty much there.
What if you had spent all that chassis time on other areas that show more like the interior or painting the body?
Don't attack with broad statements that only apply to your own particular situation. If spending money on a new chassis makes sense for another person they should not be ridiculed or lambasted for that decision nor should any of us who offer that option as a suggestion.

[thixon]

And now I remember why I stopped posting here.

o2batsea,

1) two people can move a chassis.
2) its cheap to rent a Uhaul.
3)If he can't weld, professional welders with portable setups will actually go to him. Really, I'm not joking.
4)Everything I just mentioned above will cost a lot less than buying a new galvy chassis.
5)I have a new galvy chassis, so stop trying to make it seem as if I'm bashing you for buying your new galvy chassis.
6)A monkey can figure out if a frame is bad.
7)Trying to account for his labor hours is useless in this situation. Its a hobby, don't ruin it for us by trying to apply fiance/accounting to the equation.
8)Sweat equity = savings/money in his pocket.
9)You have no idea what the definition of the word "wisely" is. (Notice I removed the "spending" from the phrase)
10)I included 9) just to get a rise out of you.
11)He'd need money to spend on "other areas that show more like the interior and painting the body." Not dropping 3G's on a frame he doesn't need would save him a ton of cash to put into a fore mentioned "other areas." Again, sweat equity = $. He can save money if he fixes/galvanizes the frame he has.
12)I'll lambaste who I please, when I please.
13)Your JB coldweld repair advice is unsound
14)Posting on web boards is supposed to be fun. If someone doesn't agree with you, don't get angry or frustrated.

[albersj51]

Travis is dead-on here!

My frame had been repaired several times and needed more. In my opinion, it was more than I wanted to put into it. So, I bought I rust free, repair free chassis from Ike that required a little work (cutting off random things the PO welded on). Ike had it chem stripped and shipped it to me. Including shipping, the frame, chem stripping and galvanizing I came out about $1500 cheaper than a new chassis...so I used that towards a rust free/repair free bulkhead from Ike, which was also chem stripped and galvanized.

If you want to buy a new one, go for it; there's nothing wrong with doing that. However, in this particular instance, John's chassis is solid and requires little or no work. What would be the logic in scrapping it and spending $3K on a new one?

I can't believe I'm doing this, but I just couldn't stand it. I'm posting on the Rovers North board again after swearing I'd never come back.

Yorker, I just couldn't let you hang.

To everyone who has argued to the contrary on this thread, Yorker is right:

GALVANIZING A CHASSIS THAT'S IN GOOD CONDITION IS NOT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN BUYING A NEW GALVANIZED CHASSIS!

[stonefox]

You don't often get to hear lambaste used in a sentence.

[yorker]

A good friend of mine put it well "This whole attitude whereby a Series MUST have a galvanized frame is silly. Its also a sign of the modern disposable society. Why fix it when you can just bolt a new bit on? I view it as rather lazy."

If you have half a brain you can tell if a chassis is good or not with some reasonable inspection. Its not rocket science but it requires some thought and common sense.
The frames I mentioned I've seen scrapped were generally in good solid shape outside and the owners, once they cut them apart realized how well preserved they were inside. A good inspection and perhaps some minimal repairs would have easily made them as good as new. But this obsession with galvanized frames apparently compelled them to junk a perfectly good chassis and plunk down big bucks for a new shiny one. Frankly someone who junks a perfectly good chassis does deserve to be ridiculed or lambasted for that decision. Sure it takes time, skill, and thought to actually assess, refurbish, and restore what you have. Any damn fool can open a checkbook order a bunch of brand new parts and assemble them.

[I Leak Oil]

You don't often get to hear lambaste used in a sentence.

mmmm.....I like basted lamb.....

[albersj51]

... Any damn fool can open a checkbook order a bunch of brand new parts and assemble them.

Hey! I resemble that remark!

[stonefox]

I thought this was a perfect opportunity to plug the very solid 109 5 door frame I have sitting in my yard for sale.Its not perfect but it sure has a lot of good miles left in ...... I know shameless ... completely shameless..

[o2batsea]

Do I care?

[PH4]

Pressure washed the bulkhead today. Not too awful/bad. Also checked the wings under the tread plate. Couple of holes but think they will be fixable to what i want in the wings. The second photo is the top of the dash below the vent openings.
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