It;s actually relatively easy in all honesty. A hammer and dolly set, as well as "sandbags" do a great job of aiding you in shaping your metal. You can actually make some pretty compound curves with those alone. I picked up a sheet metal brake for 49.95 that bolts to the workbench that will allow me to make 90 degree bends in up to 18 guage metal in a piece up to 18 inches long.

A 2X4 "C" clamped to a workbench and a hammer can simulate the sheet metal brake.

A shrinker/stretcher can take care of the rest. that is the most expensive tool at 249.95 average price.

Air shears and tin snips are a must and then, you need the MIG.

It sucks, cause the body is in fantastic condition. I need to get the picture scanned in of it. It's yellow with a split sunroof, and the stout turbo hood...it only has the ground effects from the front wheel well to the rear as well as the front air dam. Nothing ridiculous. Also it has

a 78 block,

76 intake and head

Head was ported

new interior

header

new 2 1/2" exhaust

new paint (Glasurit 1995 BMW Yellow)

1 inch front sway bar

7/8" rear sway bar

1 inch lowered tokico springs and struts

brakes, ball joints, fenders, rockers, radiator, starter, alternator, injectors......all new.

The restoration was just done sub par and a faulty ignition let this car sit for 7 years and rot away underneath.....So how much did I pay for this beauty....

200.00 bucks. Upon opening the hatch there was a brand new E-brake cable as well as a solid dif mount. so I def got my money's worth.

I bought my car in July of '93 pretty much as a shell. Got another 240 as a parts car (donor for engine and trans.). The work started right there and then.

Did the apartment w/ car in storage unit thing for about a year and a half. Dropped the storage and then worked on the car out in the parking lot. Finally got a garage, then tore it all completely apart. Finally finished the car in June of 2002. Almost 9 years. Drove it for the first time on June 10th, got my first ticket in it on the 14th! :tapemouth

Biggest set backs were (in order):

School (= no money)

apartment

no money

kid

no money

time

no money

But I'm glad I finished. I broke down a couple times and almost sold her, but it'll be a while before I ever think about selling the car now.

Kmack...

your car really turned out nice! I checked out the site listing the progress on the car regularly.

My biggest setback other than the apartment storage unit thing....

was money. it stilll is a setback at times.

Bought the 71 in the spring of 97. Drove it some but not much, had to build a garage in 98 to store it, then started dissasembling it in the fall of 2001. Here it is the winter of 02 and it is still sitting forlornly on the jackstands waiting for me to get out there and start putting it back together...... The pic in my gallery shows the car as it sat all summer......

Guess mine will end up being a long term project as well.:disappoin

You guys have now confirmed that I will never take my z car completely apart for the paint job and more thorough clean up that I have been dreaming about.

Now I will have to drive my Z in it's less than perfect state forever. Wait, at least I can still drive it... a reasonable trade off.

Good luck on all your projects. 2many you are pretty close to me so if you really get the I just gotta drive a z car blues, I could buzz out there and give you the opportunity.