I gotta say, I did front springs on a 70 cutlass today and did not enjoy one bit of it. These things fought me the whole way. Probably didn't help it was just a bare frame with no weight of anything to help?
Probably one of the jobs I hate most....and Ive done a lot of jobs. Glad its over. What do you guys dread doing?

 

Sandblasting .
You have to dress up in a long sleeve shirt in 90 degree weather . Put on a hood with a small window to see out of . ( and it's always fogged )
It's dirty , boring , and seems like it takes forever .
But , it does clean the metal thoroughly .

 

Been there, done that but it is rewarding when that rust is gone. Dirty, messy, hard to see, sand in everything and unless you have a pro set up, blast time is short and gotta fill pressure pot or wait for compressor to catch up. Id still rather do that than front springs.

 

They just don't make cars to be worked on. If you think brakes are tough you should do an engine overhaul on a van.

 

R & R oil pan with engine in the car or R & R exhaust manifolds with engine in the car.

 

Remove and reinstall a 4 speed from under the car. Can't bench as much as I did as a youngin..........

 

And, mmmmm, trying to align doors after a fresh paint job without scratching or chipping the new paint.

 

Any more I hate working an anything other than a complete restoration. If I had to pick one thing, I think it would be the heater core on an A/C car but that is no big deal on a complete restoration. A little off from what you are looking for but the worst thing about a complete restoration is cleaning and bead blasting parts.

 

Yes the cleaning and blasting is like death by a thousand cuts. The heater core is no fun either in fact my 71 convertible has a leaky one going on three yrs now. Not looking forward to that.

I remember guys changing oil pans without removing motor and that was a pain too.

Impatience and no help will wreck the paint on those doors edges too, kinda like trying to put a front bumper on alone.

 

Setting the dwell on a '68 w/ the low hood angle. No wait, replacing the brake booster on a '68, which requires climbing onto the engine w/ the low hood angle.

 

Working on anything under the car without a lift. Oh and thinking that I can do anything like I did 20 years ago...... Tedd

 

Anything I have to do over again, cause I screwed something up.

 

During a resto, here's the ones I don't look forward to at all:

Removing/installing front springs
Straightening radiator and condenser fins
Reinstalling the gas tank (however, long "starting" bolts help)
Realigning side glasses after complete removal - especially on convertibles
Anything having to do withe the belt line trim on 68-69's
Installing new front fender well splash sheilds (A frame flaps)

 

For me, it was replacing the front springs, followed closely with installing a new gas tank with new straps. I wish I would have thought of costpenn's starting bolts!. I used my floor jack and a piece of board to spread the load, to raise the tank. When I came out from under the car, I realized I had lifted the car completely off the rear jack stands by about an inch. and the bolts were still an inch shy of the nuts . I wound up using a C-clamp to close the gap. I'm dreading the eventual heater core replacement

 

How about changing the power brake booster? I find that it's a royal PITA unless you have really small hands and really small tools.

 

I like exhaust work least, brakes just before that. What I really hate is rushed jobs; I'll put up with most anything if I can stop when tired and get back to it later.

 

Wasn't thinking about the side glass. Yes, that is for sure the worst. Not sure how bad that will be on the 62 but I almost think it is going to be easier on it than the 70 was.

 

I quit doing exhaust work. I did on the W-30 but that was a full restoration and they have those pipes down pretty good. I will not be doing it on my Jetfire or any future car again

 

^^^x2. Also, I wouldn't say I "hate" doing anything to my '72 Supreme, because I absolutely enjoy tinkering on it. For me, it's more like what's the most "frustrating" thing, and if I had to pick one, I would say removing the back seat and the rear interior panels to do any work inside the quarter panels.

 

(from my limited experience)

WE HAVE A WINNAH!!!!

Followed closely by replacing control arm bushings......

For those who have done the convertible top switch......while not in the same category, it can certainly make you question your sanity.

Cheers,

Troy

 

I've been pretty lucky in the past as a friend and I had a buddy system for working on our car projects. Its much easier when misery has company.

My short list
Rear quarter window adjustments
Heater core on a/c cars
Fresh header installs

 

Agreed. I love working on cars. I LOATHE working on cars I have to drive the next day. Being able to walk away when frustrated or something doesn't go quite right makes all the difference in the world.

 

Most jobs on older cars are tolerable. Time constraints on vehicles are a huge dread, but the biggest factor in my world is doing maintenance in 100+ degree heat. Constantly wiping stinging sweat from your eyes, wet clothing, sweat contamination on plated surfaces. Just overall discomfort. It can drive you to temporarily lower your quality of work standards for the sake of comfort. I generally save detail work for fair weather. It finally cooled off around here so I’ve been working on building up the dash on our wagon this weekend.

 

I’m doing my heater core now. Took about 2-1/2 hours to get it out, I’m hoping the reverse will go about the same. Definitely not as bad as I expected but definitely not a lot of fun.

 

Maybe all the build up prepared you mentally? Good luck

 

next time you need to replace springs weight, either use a spring compressor, or use the MacGuyver method. Hook one end of a chain to you floor jack, go up over the frame, then hook the other end to the other side of the Jack. Now when you try to raise the control arm with no weight, the chain will keep the chassis from lifting instead of the control arm.

 

Anything that requires the work being done by feel. I have big hands, they don’t fit into cramped places easily. I hate not being able to see what I’m doing. I’d I’d like to know who the ******* is that put all the razor blades inside doors!! I swear, anytime I do anything inside a door my hands are shredded!

 

Fixing hack jobs on wiring to meet UK requirements. Changing a heater core. Both tie for 1st place for me.

Roger.

 

This doesn't really compare to a lot of the nasty jobs mentioned above but the hardest thing I did on my 63 Starfire was changing the rear engine / trans mounts with everything in the car. Got 'er done but ached for a week!

 

Driver side and passenger side rear header bolts on my 70 Cutlass.

 

Changing the dash pad on a 70 to 72 Cutlass and changing the headlight switch with the courtesy light over the switch all with the dash pad in place. Miserable work.

 

Rust !. I hate working on rusty cars that's about it. Repairing it is a different story but diving into a car and trying to work around rust sucks. Compared to some of the stuff i do day to day . working on old cars is a breeze for the most part.

 

Anything where I have to work under the car on a creeper (I don't have a lift). At 73 and a few pounds (I wish it was only a few) overweight, it is a pain to get on and off the creeper. Plus it is the dirtiest part of the car.

 

That ones an easy. Rust-work. Nothing compares.

 

For sure

 

Rust is miserable but those pictures make me feel ashamed to complain..........

 

I too HATE doing front springs...so I went with these.
Easy now. No worry of being decapitated. And adjustable.
-pete

 

Front springs are easy when you have the correct tool and follow the CSM process. Burroughs Tool BT-6505.

The jobs I hate (besides rust repair) are reinstalling the front cover after doing a timing chain in the car, and exhaust work when you are under the car and rust is continually falling in your face. Oh, and dropping the gas tank.

 

Joe I had a welding shop make me a 1 inch steel puck to compress the spring on the control arm with the conventional spring compressor. i use the puck under the control arm like in the illustration .

 

25 Years ago doing my body off , I had the frame at my neighbors garage and the body 2 doors up at my house, I was assembling the front end with my neighbor and with him sitting on the frame and me pushing down on a bare frame and a jack under the a arm, I could not get the ball joint enough thru the spindle to get it started, then my neighbors wife pulls in and he says come here a minute, has her sit on the front frame rail and I can start the bolt,and then did the other side, he was probably 225, and she was much bigger, I said thanks and she walked away, this was the times that Spandex was popular, neon colors, green and orange and yellow, and not just pants but tops and bottoms, and this day she had on the yellow, I'll never forget him turning to me and saying I'm in trouble when I get in the house!, He later ran off with his 20 something sons girlfriend, I still see him at cruises and he tells this story to all my friends