flymybird

I have heard that if you're not in a hurry to get your car done you can find some local school that teaches body work and just give them your car to work on. All you pay for is materials and it's very likely that you will get a job done by students under the guidance of their teacher much more carefully than you would at a body shop.

Has anyone any experience with this?

sbusby

Usually they are not bad at all. 99% of the times, the instructor is a perfectionist that wants that quality. They are cheap as hell, but like you said, they take their time. I've had it done to a '63 split window while I was doing some frame up restoration and it turned out T-I-T-S. So, personally, I think it is worth it.

Torque_Wrench

iTrader: (13)

Take the class and lear how to do this yourself. It's actuallynot that bad, and it's pretty fun!

flymybird

Except that will cost me $4500 (I checked). Wanna sponsor me?

Torque_Wrench

iTrader: (13)

Holy **** man! $4500 to take an Autobody class? WTF? Is this from UTI or Wyo Tech?.......check your local Vocational Skills center, they should offer an adult Autobody Tech class. They do here anyway...lol.

If you ever get curious...check out Nashville Auto Diesel & Technical College. Wonderful shcool with a 98% sucess rate, and a 100% job placement rate.

flymybird

It's a 36 week 440 hour course at a local vocational school... I mean, I am enthusiastic about cars but only go as far as I need to fix my own, no more.

transmaro93

iTrader: (4)

heres how it goes... this might be long so sorry... i went to a 2 year auto training school and i learned a whole lot because i was really into it as i love cars... but at these schools there is a lot of dead beat kids that cant do anytihng with themselves so their parents throw them in these schools and they just screw around and mess things up sometimes just to be jerks.... for the most part the teachers were really good... i wouldnt trust my car there a second unless i was right next to it watching... some jerk will probably pull plugs and connectors just to be *** and then u start getting dash lights or somthing... as for doing it your self.. i went to this school and have now been working in the feild for about 9 months... and it took me 9 months of doing this stuff every day to feel comfortable with doing it... i see it all the time at shows people that do these older cars intheir garage and you look down the side it it looks like the ocean... but THEY think its good work.... its not as easy as someone in this thread made it out to be.... if it was everyone would do it.... hope this helps ya...

FootLbs

iTrader: (7)

With my luck everything would turn out great... untill they give it back and you realize they forgot to add hardner to the bondo!
By the way... seen that happen before.
"If it's worth goin at all, It's worth goin all the way"

Tim Noel

Send your car to some kids to practice/learn on? Holy sh.......!! I think not!

I have seen some of these nightmares that come out of these classes, and I would stay far away. I have been in this field and working in a professional collision shop for more than a decade, and let me tell you, there are alot of these instructors who do not do the work the proper way at all. Cut corners, patch and cob, ect... No thanks!

Take the car to a professional shop with a good rep for doing great work, and you'll be way better off in the long run. Sure, the kids can save you money, but cheaper is not always better. I know, as I have had to fix some of this stuff, after it was messed up by these educational/hands on classes.

It's up to you, but I would steer clear.

camracingah

I wouldn't turn my ride over to kids.

Sgt. Spuds

iTrader: (1)

My high school has an amazing body shop, would let them do anything to my car.

CAMAROZ28SS

iTrader: (5)

learn to do it yourself. its actually fun

lsanb05

iTrader: (2)

Look up (ROP) Regional Occupation Program. Thats what we have in the bay area. For High School students its free and for adults its $80. The county basicly pays for the school. Materials for painting a car is usually only around $700 at these schools.

woswill

Haha.. i always visited the automotive class last year in school (high school)... we would always kick the **** out of the cars in there etc..

Swiat34

iTrader: (9)

I think THAT'S the kinda dumb $#!+ that makes these guys say "stay away from the students." I'd be willing to let students work on my car, but not where you live I guess! When it gets to the point of paint (after V6 to V8 swap and body modifications) I'll look for a good teacher with a mature class....years down the road, tho so y'all don't be expecting feedback on that in a week! :p Unless someone wants to sponsor! *rolls eyes* Well, there's my $.02. Swat

O-townLS1

im currently in autobody (collision repair class) at my high school. we take very good care of our cars and before we are assigned to the cars we are taught extensively how to paint, weld, bondo, pop dents, etc etc..... we charge the customer for the materials necessary and body panels if needed. i wouldnt worry about your car being messed up. we take very good care of our cars. hell we even wash, wax, and detail the inside before we give them back. i would just go talk to the instructor but i wouldnt worry about it if i were u. all kids arent total dumbasses like woswill. actually my 99 trans am (want to go whiter with the paint) and 64 chevelle SS drag car (currently competition orange but some dumbass thought it would be a great idea to bondo a cowl on top of the hood instead of buying one so now the bondo is cracked and needs a new cowl hood and painting) will be in there this year. if anything happens theres always lawyers.

AirForceOne

The difference between auto tech and auto body classes is usually the auto tech guys have donated cars that will never see the road again. We had a lot of good stuff in my auto tech class but the auto body guys would bring in their own cars and work on them. If the instructor caught you messing up somebody's ride he called the cops on you. Really, you need to see what the shop has put out before, and also have a good talk with the instructor(s) and try to see how they run their class.

mistr_jinxx

Have used auto-body students on two previous vehicles, (67' Coronet sedan, 65' Polara drop-top). Both times results were beautiful.

SHELBYGLHS

I used a vocational school in MA. The kid, 10th grader that painted the car did a great job. There were little things, like not replacing a pounded rear lock cylinder, a missing rear seat bolt, a slight slash in the headliner, only 2 lights in the rear working (turned out to be bulbs) and a few other minor things.

If I were to do it again, I would do the mechanical work myself, and have them do the body work and paint.

You want perfection go to a pro with a great rep. At the school you won't get absolute perfection. But only the best shops pull that off.

Wyckedcamaro

iTrader: (2)

When i was a highschooler I was in Autobody class. They taught us **** and unfortunately alot of kids RUINED the engine... cut the seats.. slapped soo much bondo on the car probably weighed double it did when it came to us.

We had an old mercedes that a few of us were working on. I was sooo pissed off that everyone destroyed the car.

I dropped out the last few weeks of highschool (long story, but it was corrected) and heard the mercedes left the yard.. hit a bump and the bondo cracked a few places.

Its just scarey letting some kids who are still trying to figure out if smoking is cool or not play with my pride and joy!