Greetings from Chicago

[tonekids]

Hello everyone. I stumbled across this forum while researching ways to fabricate replacement panels without having an English wheel or other expensive equipment.

A couple of years ago (October 2012), I bought a 1989 Honda CRX Si from a guy in Indiana with a blown engine and lots of rust.

I pulled the old engine out, sourced a "new" one, and various other things in life, like babies and moving houses, have kept me from working on it too much.

It is finally time for me to get serious about the restoration. There's a lot of structural repairs needed, and I have patch panels for the rockers and rear quarters, but I'll need to fabricate floor panel patches and door skin patches from hand.

Hopefully I will gain some insights into doing that from this forum.

Thanks.

[weldtoride]

Originally Posted by tonekids

....I have patch panels for the rockers and rear quarters, but I'll need to fabricate floor panel patches and door skin patches from hand.....

Welcome to the forum, Paul.

I am currently helping my nephew with his first body repairs. Like you, he has purchased some exterior patch panels; they are average quality, in that they are not perfect replacements and will need tweaking and massaging. His vehicle also needs a lot of floor replacement, which I am helping him form from scratch. My approach is "hands-off, I do the showing, and he does the doing.

My advice to him has been to work the floors first, for several reasons. 1: His car is uni-body construction; having a strong floor will help support the structure when he removes panels for other repairs. 2: Less-than-perfect repairs and panels done here in his beginner's stage won't show on the finished project, they will be covered. This is the time and place do do some learning, and perfection isn't critical. 3: Some of his floor panels are lap joints, easy to do. 4: Forming his own floor panels will be a great learning experience; his metal shaping skills, welding skills, and confidence will grow. 5: By the time he is ready to tackle the outside panel replacements, he should have a good background to do the repairs that will show.

[tonekids]

Thanks a LOT, Mark!

That sounds like great advice. I did want to tackle the scary structural repairs first, and your advice is giving me some confidence.

I look forward to posting some pictures up soon of the current situation.

Thanks for the warm welcome!

-paul