oh one more, make sure your paint gun lid is COMPLETLY on before you start spraying! again , don't ask

Using an un-tried HVLP gun and a brand of paint you've never used before for the first time.

Shot the primer with my trusty old Binks Siphon Feed. Should have stayed with it. Trying to keep up with the times. Still don't like the HVLP!

Skimping on my k38, then spending months sanding only to realize I am going to have to spray again because I sanded through to my epoxy.

Shawn

Nothing nicer than your second coat of clear on your hood getting a glob of clear from your paintgun lid.I've since went with liners!

Thinking you can do it on a small budget with basic tools.

Thinking that a body man knows what a calender is......:mad:

Double everything they tell you.

Putting too much $$ up front. Now I just supply the parts or pay for the actual pieces they have ordered and received. Helps get the work done properly in a timely manner.

When buying on line don't believe a piece is nice if the seller beaks off "you'd have to be anal to find fault with it". Find that quote is usually followed by a package contain a part that is in worse shape than the 1 you want to replace.

Don't believe the pictures were bad because of this, that or the other problems with the camera.

Don't believe the new repo part will match your original piece.

When painting the hood, roof, and trunk lid, after the surface was all tacked and clean, I couldn't understand where all the water was coming from. Then it hit me, sweat was dripping out of my canister paint mask onto the car. Doh! (luckily for me it was only primer).

Yea, I needed to stop thinking about sex when painting :attention:

Not tacking the rear quarters together before removing the tail pannel. Being in a hurry!

Yeah, being a man, the proper way to do it is to think about painting while you're having sex. Or at least...Immediately afterwards. :D

The biggest mistake I ever made was giving an estimate befor taking a car apart and having it blasted.

I thought all bodymen are supposed to have x-ray vision!?

LISTENING TO EVERYONE TELL ME 69 AND 70 GP DOORS ARE THE SAME AND FINISHING BODY WORK AND FINDING THEY ARE COMPLETLY DIFFERANT

ASSUMING THAT IF A 2 " HOLE IS IN THE DOOR FOR WIRING IT IS A 2" HOLE IN THE CAR FOR WIRING......... WRONG AFTER PAINT AND DOOR HUNG FOUND THAT ONE..NEEDED TO BE 2.5 " FOR THE GROMETT


NOT USING FENDER COVER ONE DAY AND RUBBING A CLIP BETWEEN MY BELLY AND THE FENDER ...............AFTER BUFFED



OPENING THE DOOR ON JACKSTANDS AFTER BUFFED..............CHIP



BUYING A CHEAP SUMMIT CAM AND LIFTERS AND HAVING TO REDO THE ENGINE TWICE
THE CHEAP COME OUT EXPENSIVE


NOT TAKING THE TIME TO CHANGE THE WATER PUMP ON THE ENGINE STAND TO SAVE 40.00 AND HAVING TO CHANGE IT AFTER ABOUT A WEEK IT STARTED LEAKING

Not saving the money spent on projects and buying one "done".

Thinking I can do it cheaper than letting a restoration shop do it.
snap on compressor 2400.00
iron pipe to run air 340.00
heating unit for 3 car garage (don't ask + insulation)
plasma cutter (don't remember)
mig welder
numerous paint guns (don't want to remember)
200 amp service to garage
electric company charging commercial rates (IT CANT JUST BE A HOBBY!!!)
sand blast cabinet
cutting torch
stupid amount of air and hand tools (My State Farm agent loves my 40,000.00 allowance for stuff in said garage)
20 ton press
ETC.ETC.ETC.
then build 2nd garage to house done cars (can't grind paint sand weld work around nice cars in "hobby shop")
WHAT WAS I THINKING????
OH YEAH ,THEN GETTING PROFICIENT AT ALL THE SKILLS NEEDED TO RESTORE A CAR HMMMMM THAT DIDN'T COST MUCH EITHER.

Hireing someone my GTO club recommended that had a wonderful history restoring these cars. And then, seven years later when most the car was in pieces and some of the best parts missing. Taking it to a shop to have done. After six years at the shop, and more money........ Well, you get the idea. Anyone own a GTO they have a love-hate relationship with?

Never believe what you hear
and only half of what you see.

:):)HaHa. Story of my life!

got you all beat
 

trusting anyone.
spent $10,000 on a rotted out 69 vert. covered with new paint,bondo and expandible foam.
doing 100 hrs of work for a body shop,replacing pvc air lines with copper,installing gas and flue for new booth and expecting to have work done on my gto(agreed barter) which sat for 4 yrs. untouched.
bringing it to someone else(highly recommended) who decided after i spent $3,000 on quarter panels alone to smoke it all in crack cocaine.
have got screwed and tatooed.
finally ready for paint 6yrs later a decent honest bodyman working on it. :)

what's your biggest Resto blunder?
 

Winding up with more cars than garage spaces, then deciding to add another garage. It took two years, two contractors, an attorney, county inspector, structural engineer, and endless battles with total PIA home owner association to get it done. On a square foot basis, I could have built a beach house in Hawaii for less.