plymouth67
It be a lot cooler if you did...
I'm in...
Stop in for a cup of coffee
- Thread starter toolmanmike
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dukeboy440
Well-Known Member
lol I was joking, I don't have those kinds of skills.
Can start up a new thread to post up "Rescue Demon" showing weekly progress in stages as completed:
1. Final Paint Stripping
2. Body Rough In
3. Filler Straightening Work
4. Prime Car
5. Block out Primer Surfacer Work
6. Talented Person applying new finish
7. Owner assembling car after paint job.
That woud be a cool thread !
Progress Progress . . .
plymouth67
It be a lot cooler if you did...
Neither does the place that has his car....lol
Well, let us take that US or Imperial measure. No, you are right, for the ECE lamps, or E-marked lamps as they are called in Europe, they use metric measurements.
I have looked online about descriptions of how to adjust the lights, but it is half bogus what they write, half vehicle model based. If you want to write an instruction of how to adjust the headlights, it is two ways of doing it. One way is to do it for a certain car, brand new. Let us say a 1977 Dodge Aspen. You know the ride height, and you can say how far from the wall it is supposed to be, and how high up the lights are supposed to shine. Then the car sags in front and rear, and the instruction is just bogus again.
Then there is the way for example the road authorities in Norway used to write it, which is car model independent, and age independent, but the authorities in Norway as well in other European countries had set a distance for how far from the car the low beams were supposed to shine. This was set to 40 - 50 meters on low beam, and at least 100 meters on high beams. That is what the headlights of any kind in Europe were designed for. 40 meters is 131 feet, (more or less 3.28 feet in a meter) (1 inch equals 25.4 mm) 50 meters is 164 feet, and 100 meters is 328 feet.
So, then, an average between 40 and 50 meters, is 45 meters, which is 147,6 feet. So, in my example, I used 150 feet, to get a round figure.
If you place the car 1/10 of that 150 feet distance from a wall, in other words, 15 feet from the wall, and measure the height of the center of the lamp from the floor or ground, and measure on the wall, 9/10 of that height, your light beam will drop 10% or 1/10 for every 15 feet you go in front of the car, so, when you come to 150 feet, the beam is on the ground and does not light up more than that. Except for stray light.
This is the only correct way of explaining it so it becomes independent of what kind of car you have, or load, or age, or whatever. All other measurements are vehicle specific.
If you want to stay 1/5 of the 150 feet distance from the wall, you have to change the height to where you measure to 4/5th of the height of the center of the headlamp, and you will get the same result.
This way, everyone can adjust the headlights on their vehicle, no matter what brand, model or year it is. Only one procedure to remember for all kind of vehicles. And it gets right every time.
I do realize that here in the US, the 40 - 50 meter distance to the end of the low beam might be wrong, might not be what the US road authorities say. I just mean that with an ECE lamp, this is how they are supposed to be designed, and to make them work right, they have to be adjusted that way.
I also realize that Hella might have lost their mind and done something stupid to the lamps that they should not have done. But, at least the ones I have dealth with in Norway have not had this issue.
I can not believe I can not find anywhere in Europe this way is described anymore. Have they lost their marbles over there ?
Bill
dukeboy440
Well-Known Member
OK once all the smoke clears and all joking aside. Here is what is going on with the Body Shops and the Classic Car Guys trying to get their car body work and painting complete.
Most of the body shops out there do Collision Repair work for their main stay of business. The shops shy away from complete basic paint jobs because they take so much high priced material for the new finishes and lots of labor to match. They have quicker turn arounds and make decent money on collision work with only having to buy 1 quart of base color to match into the cars existing paint job. In and out quick and on to the next one.
No one can regulate what jobs are going to show up next. So the body shops take on a Restoration Job as fill in work as a "Saftey Barrier" to their work flow in case the collision work dries up. Unfortunately our guys with the classic's keep getting their projects put on the back burner as the collision work keeps coming in.
The subject of all the money that it takes to do the classic's has not even entered into the equation yet, so that is the next thing, body shops can get shell shocked . . afraid of getting burned for all the labor that goes into one of these projects.
Best to pay as you go in the stages as stated above. Then if the project stalls out, you are all paid up and can take your car and go to plan B.
Most of the body shops out there do Collision Repair work for their main stay of business. The shops shy away from complete basic paint jobs because they take so much high priced material for the new finishes and lots of labor to match. They have quicker turn arounds and make decent money on collision work with only having to buy 1 quart of base color to match into the cars existing paint job. In and out quick and on to the next one.
No one can regulate what jobs are going to show up next. So the body shops take on a Restoration Job as fill in work as a "Saftey Barrier" to their work flow in case the collision work dries up. Unfortunately our guys with the classic's keep getting their projects put on the back burner as the collision work keeps coming in.
The subject of all the money that it takes to do the classic's has not even entered into the equation yet, so that is the next thing, body shops can get shell shocked . . afraid of getting burned for all the labor that goes into one of these projects.
Best to pay as you go in the stages as stated above. Then if the project stalls out, you are all paid up and can take your car and go to plan B.
zkx14
Duster De-ruster
I think we all get that. But at some point they need to recognize that this is also a paying customer and get it done.
dukeboy440
Well-Known Member
Right, we all get that. And understand it. However, using a customer's classic car as a long term storage shelf is way over the line.
On a best case scenario,more progress equals more money.
Guy shows up to see his car being used as parts storage will get discouraged.should at least see some forward motion to feel hes getting his money’s worth.
And being a shop owner i would be embarrassed. I never pile crap on customer’s vehicles. Dont even lean a broom against it.
On a good note,alternator in honda pilot is easier to change with rad out...
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Or phrased another way I am letting him use my Demon for storage plus paid him 3500 cash to do it! On plus side he contacted me today and explained Oct 1 for new completion target date. I paid the partial payment cash upfront as he explained it was a way to move me to front of line. Hah! All good in Fargo. I think I will head down to Z mans, swipe some of his muscle relaxers and let him mix me one of his “health drinks”!
zkx14
Duster De-ruster
It's a small lamp inside the headlight housing. As far as I know it can be used like a parking light if so wired in. Not sure what is really gained over seperate parking lights. Just a different way of doing things as far as I can tell, probably for cars that didn't come with parking lights.
One thread for each car in the shop. A little friendly competition.
And there will be judging!
Here's Mine....Sheet metal work done now..New rockers, new floor and trunk floor, outer wheel houses, new quarters, new dutchman panel, Etc..Wheww...Now in primer, most skimming done. ready to block...Where does that put me on the Scale ????
plymouth67
It be a lot cooler if you did...
Ya we get it...... collision make money on insurance jobs...quick and easy....cut to fit and paint to match..that is why you dont take your car to a collision only shop or, do it yourself...it can be done!!!
zkx14
Duster De-ruster
Blocking can be quite time consuming. But from what I have seen of George’s work between this and the Vette. I would guess he’s already got it damn close at this point.
All our chatter here must have gotten back to the body shop, time to make good on the "Demon Project"
Front of the Line . . . Oct 1 shinning new.
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Clearly way ahead of mine! I should have trailered mine to your guy! Hah!
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I have painted my last two by myself in an improv paint booth in barn. I understand your determination but I simply do not have the time and or space/skill to do it again. I hung plastic, hung about a million trouble lights, hosed down floor, ran dog out and squirted them myself. I had paint dust on everything in the barn. Plus I just fundamentally am not a skilled painter. My desire to have the Demon professionally painted was a direct reflection of my efforts and results on last two DIY paint jobs. Mine look great from about twenty feet out! Hah!
Same thing here...I am not a body and paint guy...Probably could learn, but I just think it makes one hell of a mess, and my shop is fairly clean. I will do everything else on a restoration, including engines, transmissions, diff, Chassis and front end work, brakes,etc, even interior work. I hate the thought of having more money in the car than what it is worth. So I usually find an investment grade model to restore for myself. Think Im on around 8 cars, so far....
Win by technicality?
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