ive got an 85 datsun 720 dual cab 4wd i want to restore, but currently nowhere to work on it. it frustrating as f*&k yeah. ill be reffering back to these kind of vids when i do though for sure
I'm 70 years old now and when was a young man in the 60's and 70's I had no problem finding a good Body man who could and would repair your car's bumps and bends, and they were good at it. But you had to hunt around and talk to his customers to find out if he was a true body man or a mud man and what they had to say about his quality. People like yourself are really hard to find in major cities throughout Canada nowadays. Luckily Through word of mouth and making a new friend I was able to get a real good body man to help me on this last mustang. I really enjoy your show because for many years I've been struggling to do minor repairs with so-so results. Keep up this show and God Bless you and your's in these troubled times. Dave M
The biggest lesson I've learned from you is keep it single, break the repairs down in to stages, I've looked at cars in the past and decided they are too complicated to repair, now I'm jumping in with both feet, so glad I found your channel, Thanks Tony
After the air force , went to school for auto mechanics and body and paint work , never got to work it so just doing mainly my own stuff , after 30 yrs, learning good ways AND remembering stuff I had forgotten !! 😅😮
The mix of Irish and American accents is amazing, also why hasn't youtube bothered to show me these vids before? This is literally exactly the kind of content I've been trying to watch.
I added this video to my playlist and just got around to watching it. You sir are a amazing fabricator. I learned more from your video than I did in school. Simple instructions, reasons behind why you did it the way you did, why you shouldn't do it in a template...it all made perfect since. I have a 75 malibu that I inherited when my twin brother passed 5 years ago. I've done a ls swap but it's just been sitting for 3 years because no one makes patch panels that I need for the car. Recently purchased a 74 bucket seat parts car with plans on stripping it for the metal and interior. After watching a few of your videos I've decided to just make my own panels. You're awesome
I finally figured out why it's Fitzee's Fab..... "I fits(fitz) it to one side, then I fits(fitz) it to the other side"......LOL! Awe inspiring work and you are a good teacher. I like how you don't cut your explanations short. Love the channel, learning lots!!
I just shared this to my Olds Cutlass Facebook group. This is a common repair needed for our cars. I hope they come check you out! Thanks for the continuous videos, they are great!
This was a great eye opener and lesson on how to do rust repair around windows. I have a bunch of this to do on a 55 Chevy and was worried on how to accomplish it. You have shown me the light! Thanks
I have this exact same problem on my 1974 Oldsmobile Delta 88 with only 54,000 miles. They don't make window channel for it. This is a great video, probably one of the most useful videos I've ever seen! I wanted to find a way to fix mine without removing the rear window. I also had rust in the fender well lip that I needed to replace, and I was lucky enough to find a used fender that was cut off of a rust free car. I cut out the old fender lip, the I cut a section out of it that was still solid. I then flipped it upside down and hammered & bent it into the shape of the window channel. Then I used a curved section of the fender to make the top piece to replace the rusted section of the top of the fender. It worked great! I'll install it the same way you did, but I'll have a welding blanket over the glass. Thanks for the great video!
Excellent step-by-step guide on fabricating! You made easy to follow and this is the first video that didn’t leave me with unanswered questions at the end! I’m glad I found this video!! I’ll be following!👀
Thid guy genious. Scares the fuck out of mr when he cuts the original pieces out of these cars. AND ITS NOT EVEN MY CAR. CRAZY AND INSANE. IS WHAT MOST P EOOLE CALL GENIISES. THIS MAN IS TULL Y A GENIOUS. PHENOMOMINAL SKILLS AND BIG BALLS. I WONDER IF HE DRINKS BEER OR WHISKEY. HES SOUBDS IRISH SCOTTICH AND FRENCH. MIXED. LOVE THIS MAN I THINK HR SPENDS 18 TO 20 HOURS IN THE SHOP. 7 DAYS A WEEK. HE GIVES NEW MEANING. TO THE PHRASE. METAL HEAD. HEAVY METAL. IR LIGHT. O DONT THINK HES A 🎸 ROCKER. NIGHTFENCER GATEKEEPER. W O W WOW WOW
I have tried using cardboard templates to cut my steel replacement pieces and it works fairly well. This process skips that and removes the error that transferring the shape to cardboard and then your final steel pieces introduces. I think you have to be careful though when you are laying the new steel sections on top of the original shape because your replacement piece can become slightly larger. I also like how tacking in the new sections and then bending them to fit into the correct shape works. Appreciate the time it takes to make these videos, glad to see you are getting some great recognition. You certainly have mine.
Everything you do completely relates to projects I have. I just need time! I know when I am ready to start doing work I have the best reference manual right here!! Thank you!
Hello Fitzee !! Your biggest fan , Russell here , out in Edmonton . You are a TRUE craftsman ,& you got my full respect ..... NO TEMPLATES , I LOVE IT ! You make the so called technical experts look like amateurs . Thank you so much for all your experience & your videos 😊👍
I always hated to work on places like this, never dreamed that the by using old rusted panels as a template it would be so much easier, My way of thinking was to cut out that rust and get rid of it not realizing how handy that rusted part was. Thanks for the video.
Gary ... I did a project car a few years ago and only a few days into it I realized that cardboard templates only go so far because they don't hold a compound curve. I basically started doing exactly the same as this video, although it was trial and error at the beginning. By the time I was done with the first door sill and rocker, I was starting to feel better with using the rusty parts as my template... or should I say in places where I still had the rusty part. Yeah, there were a few areas where I had to wing it because the OEM part just didn't exist any more so had to measure the other side of the car and flip the part over to make the final fit.
Love your chanel! With your training I rebuilt all four corners of my 1987 toyota extra cab windsheild. I am very please at how it turned out. Much thanks Fitze!
Iv watched so many videos, I started on my 05 blazer for practice, watched afew of yours and boom it turned out great, and made so much more sense! Not a spec of rust now. I've got my 72 gmc, 65 parisienne, and many more to work on! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. Great camera angles and superior teaching experience for both new body man and old!
I've watched your videos for several months now, and this is the one that finally penetrated my noggin. You did an excellent job explaining and showing how you put these patch panels together. I see the light!
You're an awesome teacher! Thanks for helping old is poor diy guys. I'm too foolish to think I can't do something but with your instructions it sure does faster and easier!
It took me a few videos to really appreciate the brilliance of Fitzee’s approach to solving these very complex problems in a relatively simple way - and that is the mark of a mastermind of metal. These videos are a priceless resource.
I,m a metalworking newcomer working on a Nissan Figaro with rusting problems which I'm sorting by following your techniques exactly .Watching your videos makes me feel like i've had a traditional apprenticeship.Keep up the brilliant work
Fitter, I just love your side comments, “did I ever tell you how much I hate sandblasting!”, me too! LOL!! I’m restoring a ‘57 Chevy Bel Air and could NOT have gotten this far without watching your videos!!
I'm in Australia and I too have a couple of old school cars, one I'm trying to restore and yes, I must admit that you have inspired me to keep going and to try things I have never done before, I'm attempting to restore a Ford XC Panel van with it's usual rust issues, as it was sitting in a paddock for many years, trying to keep it alive as they are slowly disappearing from our roads. Again thank you for your help and giving me the courage to tackle this big job one rust repair at a time. Thanks mate, from Australia 🦘
Thank you for your Master Class level presentation that any layman can follow along and understand. It gives me encouragement that yes I can do this too! I am working on a '68 Chevy II Nova SS restoration and while in pretty amazing shape, it has a couple of rusted spots like this. You are saving me from much trouble! Thank you.
I have to say I have learned so much from you. you are old school use tools that most people who like to work with metal would have or could have so talented love to watch you work your magic Thanks for showing me how to do these things.
Like every time I goes near the rust spots on the car... ‘there’s a lot of work in gettin to the work.’ So true, the prep is always harder than the actual work itself. You are an artist my friend
Fitzee - with your simple home made tools and a couple of basic air/electrical tools AND YOUR BASIC APPROACHES to repairing complex shapes, you are a master craftsman. Learnt a lot from your videos and always looking forward to the next challenge! Keep up the excellent teaching and “how to fix that” type videos!!
You nailed the technique with this complex repair; all the slight curves and weird angles are reproduced, spot-on! No other way to do this PROPERLY, but your way. Thank you for clearly explaining all this, Fitzee!!
Thank you Tony, you are so thorough with your explanation and it’s a joy to watch, listen and learn. Passing on the knowledge is the key for all of us to try and help others 😊
I have cab corners to replace and Im going to use store bought panels .There is no way I could do what this guy is doing. Fitzee is an artist I am more paint by numbers guy. But I can’t stop watching these videos. This dude is amazing .....PS , Mr Fitzee, if you fine yourself in need of 1952 Chevy pick-up to star in one of your videos, just let me know. Thank you for posting.
Found that out when redoing a set of western wheels with my son , sandblasting was the ticket to get down into the edges and tight spots and really clean surfaces to add a bit of stranded fiberglass to touch up the rust areas. End job was worth every bit of blasting, winter rims look perfect years later, used 2 part epoxy paint with hi grade primer.
I learned years ago that sandblasting rusty floors in the vehicle gets sand everywhere. The next time I did one, I taped off the dash, underside of the dash included, essentially sealing the dash from the rest of the interior, and then sandblasted the floors. If you don't seal off the dash with tape and sheet plastic, the sand will get into every single component in the dash.
@@robj2704 why not just hold an empty vacuume near the end of the sand blaster? To suck in the sand and re use it another time? I made a jig similar to what dry wall guys use to drill out pot light holes in a finished ceiling, it keeps dust and dirt inside a small vessel that gets sucked out by a vaccume....
Only just found this channel and looking forward to watching back through the older videos, there's so many little tricks here which you only figure out after doing this stuff for years - thanks for passing on your knowledge Fitzee!
I've watched several of your presentations and find you interesting to watch as you figure out the angles and compound curves. You are an artist and a talented fabricator. I am 71 years old and having grown up watching my father do similar restoration work with simple handmade tools , You remind me of him and like him amaze me. It blew me away when you said you don't have a torch at 47:38 to take out the brass. The repurposed screw driver, the T dolly and the I beam anvil. You work with what you have and you getter done. One thing that a saw that made me cringe was during the on bench fabrication You was grinding your welds down and the grinding waste (sparks) was directly hitting the front fender of the car behind you. A cover or screen would protect the pain from these hot grinder rash. I know You are working in a small space but some protection is needed. I say this because Years ago my younger brother took his x19 to a body shop to have some special paint work done and when he picked it up it had specs burned into the clear coat on the drivers door and front fender. The body man had tried to buff it out but it was almost clear into the base metal and the body guy said that he did not know what happened. My brother took it to another shop and the body man there said that he has seen this before and said that they was probably working on another vehicle next to his in the shop and did not cover his car. Just an observation. Your work and processes are worth the subscribe to me . Thank you for sharing your craft. Nolan
Experience is often a great teacher and so are you. Straight forward, step by step and explaining why along the way makes understanding simpler. Thanks for sharing.
I started similar repairs prior to finding Fritzee. Fortunately, I did it correctly. I’m now an avid fan of this channel and learn with every video! Thank You for sharing all your experience!
Another great tutorial Fitzy, as we see on completion all metal fitz like factory, you are a true craftsman, well done 100%. John from Cairns Australia 👍👍
Another Great Job.......this Fella is a Real Teacher on this stuff. Anyboby wanting to learn this body repairing NEED's to watch and learn from this guy
From some random guy in exotic ultimately sh*thole Greece, dreaming some day of restoring his own muscle car. Thank You! Informative video and you did such an excellent job!
Best advice I've ever put into practice.... 1964 vw type 3 rear window, both lower quarters done plus mid section (pretty much the same as this video) all in 21 gauge to match original...... cut and butt technique is simply genius to, smallest gap ever to butt weld. Fitzee, genius level fabricator, top work and a great way of explaining things 👍👍👍👍
I so enjoy watching you working learning from your experiences you bring my confidence level up just knowing that it can simply be done all it takes is common sense and willing to try and pay attention to your videos
A master craftsman- Thanks for taking the time to share your skills. People like you are a dying breed in a world of throw it away and get a new one. Thanks Again!
Great job Fitzee. I’ve got a similar job to do on my MGB GT, the corner of the front windshield and the A Post as well as where the Fender bolts through it. Probably end up made up with about 4 or 5 pieces in the end. It’s definitely the way to go making it up with separate pieces and a lot of the fabrication off the car. Cheers
Again, you lay out all the ins, out and angles PLUS! It was practically therapeutic seeing you go step by step with the journey skill set! I never tire of watching brother!
i wish i would have learn from you years ago i really enjoy doing body work and have learn lots from watching your channel. thanks a lot for the videos.
I love your work. I have a whole new way of looking at things because of watching you. I would have given this way too much thought and ruined it thinking I needed thousands of dollars worth of tools and having to learn how to use them. Thank you for sharing this. I know you haven't done this yet and I don't know if you would. I would love to see what a piece looks like filled, blocked, and primed. I don't know if you go that far. Thanks for everything. Please don't stop!
I have a lot of respect for your skills. I have repaired rotted windshield frames with fiberglass. It is a lot of work and comes out nice as well as permanent. I could not do what you do. Yours is the superior repair.
Fitzee helping me fix me 68 caddy DeVille here in Australia - looking great thanks to cut-n-butt and the 3 piece technique for around rear window - thanks mate !
Once again, very well done and jammed full of great info & tips! You do a nice job editing too. I've got a few different size T-dollies in the drawer - first time ever seeing one used "upside-down" like you did. Very effective and a great tip. Thanks Fitzee!
I have a toyota that needs repairing around the windscreen. I'm was gokmg through videos on how to diy body panels. This is by far the best videos iv come across. Really good work can pick up all the experience you have.
Hey I have the same issue, an 2009 with some rust just behind the windshield where the roof meets the windshield . I need to get the windshield off, inspect the rust, then repair... its a bit too cold here for outdoor woolrk right now... maybe in a few weeks I'll tackle it... I don't have welding equipment, but there is a welding shop a 5 minute drive from where I live .. I'll ask them to weld a piece on if need be for a hundred bucks and I'll throw in a case of beer 😂😂😂
i've been watching your videos for a while and I find them very informative and they work amazingly. I've used some of your techniques and they work great. Hope you keep making them.
Fantastic Fitzee! This has been so helpful, it’s simple and complicated all at the same time, your right it’s so professional looking. now I need the practice on the ol ranchero, thanks again
We did the same thing to my 66 Buick Wildcat last summer and I wish we had seen this first. The way we did it was much harder. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I've made panels like this in the past when doing custom panels for taillights that aren't sposed to be there and I ended up with more then 7 panels welded together just to get the right compound shape. Works really well.
Hi Fitzee , I like your videos and do similar repairs as a hobby myself, one trick I use for getting panel shapes is a piece of cardboard template - much easier and quicker cutting a cardboard cardboard template to shape with scissors and then transfer onto your steel piece. Keep up the awesome videos man 👍👍
I am always super amazed at your work. I have my 63 Fairlane that I want to tackle and you are giving me more confidence that it can be done. Just take the time and effort and it will come out good. When i got my pops car in 81 I ran the supply of Bondo and flashing low at the local stores. :) Hey now I know. Thanks for what you do SIR!
Great tips and beautiful job. I just discovered your videos and I find them very interesting to watch. I always thought this was the best way to do this rather than forming a piece off the vehicle, going back and forth from car to workbench, and getting frustrated. This just make more sense.
OK - watched the complete video, and I must say sir, that you are an artist and craftsman! A fine piece of work was created for the finished product!. .. Bravo Fitzee! I learned so much from the video, and I am going to try it on my car that I am restoring - it has a few rusty areas around the windshield that need this similar treatment... I am pretty good with tools, and ready to try this technique to get it done! Cheers!
Thanks Fitzee! I learn a lot of techniques from your videos. I’m not as afraid to do metal repairs as I was before. I like how you simplify things. Keep up the good work!
Another nice job buddy. Turned out well. Even though i do this sort of thing myself i find it soothing to watch in this crazy time we are living in with our governments nonsense.
This guy is helping me fix all the rust in my VL commodore here in Australia. What a legend, its like sitting through a free apprenticeship 👌
Same got me doing my Xb from this video
ive got an 85 datsun 720 dual cab 4wd i want to restore, but currently nowhere to work on it. it frustrating as f*&k yeah. ill be reffering back to these kind of vids when i do though for sure
85 ford transit, fr window, rear wheel arches and drivers floor. Its great to have a good teacher
Correction my friend. This is a free apprenticeship. Fitzee is pure genius
Also in Oz, sorting car projects myself thanks to You Fitzee! Magic! Metal 🎩
I swear you're like the metal working Bob Ross. Thank you so much for your time in sharing your knowledge and skill.
I learned more from this video than I did in 4 months at the local tech school. No substitute for experience. Great work.
This channel is a gem
MICHELLE OBAMA IS A MAN 🎅🏿🎅🏿🎅🏿
I agree 1000%
@@jg2730 I'd let her do me good
@@darthfader3049 HIM AS HES HUNG AS PER HORSE
I'm 70 years old now and when was a young man in the 60's and 70's I had no problem finding a good Body man who could and would repair your car's bumps and bends, and they were good at it. But you had to hunt around and talk to his customers to find out if he was a true body man or a mud man and what they had to say about his quality. People like yourself are really hard to find in major cities throughout Canada nowadays. Luckily Through word of mouth and making a new friend I was able to get a real good body man to help me on this last mustang. I really enjoy your show because for many years I've been struggling to do minor repairs with so-so results. Keep up this show and God Bless you and your's in these troubled times. Dave M
The biggest lesson I've learned from you is keep it single, break the repairs down in to stages, I've looked at cars in the past and decided they are too complicated to repair, now I'm jumping in with both feet, so glad I found your channel, Thanks Tony
Again, the "master" makes it look like even I could do it, after a dozen or so tries. Awesome job, as usual, Tony.
I've watched all his videos and honestly his techniques are awesome, no one else gives this kind of advice 10/10
I agree a great video, very well presented and professional finish.
it's good work you do .but the music is awful
It doesn't matter how you did it it's the result that counts.
I did this work for 37 yrs and retired 12 years ago, and now I see his technic and see how it's really done. Damn It. LOL
Beautiful work sir 💪
After the air force , went to school for auto mechanics and body and paint work , never got to work it so just doing mainly my own stuff , after 30 yrs, learning good ways AND remembering stuff I had forgotten !! 😅😮
Fitzee, you know you're helping a lot of people with classic cars and trucks that cannot find replacement panels. You are a legend! Thank You so much!
The mix of Irish and American accents is amazing, also why hasn't youtube bothered to show me these vids before? This is literally exactly the kind of content I've been trying to watch.
Yeah accent is amazing, never heard it like this before
It's a genuine Newfoundland accent.
I added this video to my playlist and just got around to watching it. You sir are a amazing fabricator. I learned more from your video than I did in school. Simple instructions, reasons behind why you did it the way you did, why you shouldn't do it in a template...it all made perfect since. I have a 75 malibu that I inherited when my twin brother passed 5 years ago. I've done a ls swap but it's just been sitting for 3 years because no one makes patch panels that I need for the car. Recently purchased a 74 bucket seat parts car with plans on stripping it for the metal and interior. After watching a few of your videos I've decided to just make my own panels. You're awesome
I finally figured out why it's Fitzee's Fab..... "I fits(fitz) it to one side, then I fits(fitz) it to the other side"......LOL! Awe inspiring work and you are a good teacher. I like how you don't cut your explanations short. Love the channel, learning lots!!
I just shared this to my Olds Cutlass Facebook group. This is a common repair needed for our cars. I hope they come check you out! Thanks for the continuous videos, they are great!
Which Facebook group? I have a 76
@@importsstillsuck 1968 to 1972 Cutlass group.
@@ChadWilliamsFixesAll ah ok I'm in the colonnade groups
Another day in Fitzee's classroom, 55 minutes well spent. Thank you.
What, was it 55 min?! Felt like 20.. :)
This was a great eye opener and lesson on how to do rust repair around windows. I have a bunch of this to do on a 55 Chevy and was worried on how to accomplish it. You have shown me the light! Thanks
I have this exact same problem on my 1974 Oldsmobile Delta 88 with only 54,000 miles. They don't make window channel for it. This is a great video, probably one of the most useful videos I've ever seen!
I wanted to find a way to fix mine without removing the rear window. I also had rust in the fender well lip that I needed to replace, and I was lucky enough to find a used fender that was cut off of a rust free car. I cut out the old fender lip, the I cut a section out of it that was still solid. I then flipped it upside down and hammered & bent it into the shape of the window channel. Then I used a curved section of the fender to make the top piece to replace the rusted section of the top of the fender. It worked great! I'll install it the same way you did, but I'll have a welding blanket over the glass. Thanks for the great video!
Another masterpiece by a true artist. Thank you very much for the shared knowledge.
Excellent step-by-step guide on fabricating! You made easy to follow and this is the first video that didn’t leave me with unanswered questions at the end! I’m glad I found this video!! I’ll be following!👀
Thid guy genious. Scares the fuck out of mr when he cuts the original pieces out of these cars. AND ITS NOT EVEN MY CAR. CRAZY AND INSANE. IS WHAT MOST P EOOLE CALL GENIISES. THIS MAN IS TULL Y A GENIOUS. PHENOMOMINAL SKILLS AND BIG BALLS. I WONDER IF HE DRINKS BEER OR WHISKEY. HES SOUBDS IRISH SCOTTICH AND FRENCH. MIXED. LOVE THIS MAN I THINK HR SPENDS 18 TO 20 HOURS IN THE SHOP. 7 DAYS A WEEK. HE GIVES NEW MEANING. TO THE PHRASE. METAL HEAD. HEAVY METAL. IR LIGHT. O DONT THINK HES A 🎸 ROCKER. NIGHTFENCER GATEKEEPER. W O W WOW WOW
FRANK,
THIS MAN IS ALL THAT AND A BAG OF CHIPS!!
HIGHLY SKILLED!
I have tried using cardboard templates to cut my steel replacement pieces and it works fairly well. This process skips that and removes the error that transferring the shape to cardboard and then your final steel pieces introduces. I think you have to be careful though when you are laying the new steel sections on top of the original shape because your replacement piece can become slightly larger. I also like how tacking in the new sections and then bending them to fit into the correct shape works. Appreciate the time it takes to make these videos, glad to see you are getting some great recognition. You certainly have mine.
Everything you do completely relates to projects I have. I just need time! I know when I am ready to start doing work I have the best reference manual right here!! Thank you!
Hello Fitzee !! Your biggest fan , Russell here , out in Edmonton . You are a TRUE craftsman ,& you got my full respect ..... NO TEMPLATES , I LOVE IT ! You make the so called technical experts look like amateurs . Thank you so much for all your experience & your videos 😊👍
I always hated to work on places like this, never dreamed that the by using old rusted panels as a template it would be so much easier, My way of thinking was to cut out that rust and get rid of it not realizing how handy that rusted part was. Thanks for the video.
Gary ... I did a project car a few years ago and only a few days into it I realized that cardboard templates only go so far because they don't hold a compound curve. I basically started doing exactly the same as this video, although it was trial and error at the beginning. By the time I was done with the first door sill and rocker, I was starting to feel better with using the rusty parts as my template... or should I say in places where I still had the rusty part. Yeah, there were a few areas where I had to wing it because the OEM part just didn't exist any more so had to measure the other side of the car and flip the part over to make the final fit.
@@rupe53,,
- and
Life of
,
Love your chanel!
With your training I rebuilt all four corners of my 1987 toyota extra cab windsheild. I am very please at how it turned out.
Much thanks Fitze!
Iv watched so many videos, I started on my 05 blazer for practice, watched afew of yours and boom it turned out great, and made so much more sense! Not a spec of rust now. I've got my 72 gmc, 65 parisienne, and many more to work on! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. Great camera angles and superior teaching experience for both new body man and old!
I've watched your videos for several months now, and this is the one that finally penetrated my noggin. You did an excellent job explaining and showing how you put these patch panels together. I see the light!
You're an awesome teacher! Thanks for helping old is poor diy guys. I'm too foolish to think I can't do something but with your instructions it sure does faster and easier!
It took me a few videos to really appreciate the brilliance of Fitzee’s approach to solving these very complex problems in a relatively simple way - and that is the mark of a mastermind of metal. These videos are a priceless resource.
Love your skills and explanations.
"I always find it a lot faster and a lot quicker" made me smile too,
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
"cuts and butts" too.
I,m a metalworking newcomer working on a Nissan Figaro with rusting problems which I'm sorting by following your techniques exactly .Watching your videos makes me feel like i've had a traditional apprenticeship.Keep up the brilliant work
Fitzee's university of rust repair, level 7, nice work as always.
Fitter, I just love your side comments, “did I ever tell you how much I hate sandblasting!”, me too! LOL!!
I’m restoring a ‘57 Chevy Bel Air and could NOT have gotten this far without watching your videos!!
I really enjoy your repair processes. You make a difficult repair area look achievable. Thanks for sharing your skills with us.
I'am 77 years old been doing this a long time but I did learn some things watching your You Tube THANKS ! JIM
I'm in Australia and I too have a couple of old school cars, one I'm trying to restore and yes, I must admit that you have inspired me to keep going and to try things I have never done before, I'm attempting to restore a Ford XC Panel van with it's usual rust issues, as it was sitting in a paddock for many years, trying to keep it alive as they are slowly disappearing from our roads. Again thank you for your help and giving me the courage to tackle this big job one rust repair at a time. Thanks mate, from Australia 🦘
Really enjoy your videos. It's refreshing to see someone showing you don't have to have fancy equipment to get excellent results.
Thank you for your Master Class level presentation that any layman can follow along and understand. It gives me encouragement that yes I can do this too! I am working on a '68 Chevy II Nova SS restoration and while in pretty amazing shape, it has a couple of rusted spots like this. You are saving me from much trouble! Thank you.
I have to say I have learned so much from you. you are old school use tools that most people who like to work with metal would have or could have so talented love to watch you work your magic Thanks for showing me how to do these things.
I had never considered shaping my patch around the existing steel before cutting it out. That tip alone will improve my work hugely.
Like every time I goes near the rust spots on the car... ‘there’s a lot of work in gettin to the work.’
So true, the prep is always harder than the actual work itself. You are an artist my friend
Fitzee - with your simple home made tools and a couple of basic air/electrical tools AND YOUR BASIC APPROACHES to repairing complex shapes, you are a master craftsman. Learnt a lot from your videos and always looking forward to the next challenge! Keep up the excellent teaching and “how to fix that” type videos!!
Another Awesome Blossom Video. Stuck inside the house with this Snow & Ice. Whatching your videos is a pleasure. Thankx for sharing your knowledge.
You nailed the technique with this complex repair; all the slight curves and weird angles are reproduced, spot-on! No other way to do this PROPERLY, but your way. Thank you for clearly explaining all this, Fitzee!!
love how this was done and explained so the average guy at home trying to fix his car can understand and you showed every step ,good job
Thank you Tony, you are so thorough with your explanation and it’s a joy to watch, listen and learn. Passing on the knowledge is the key for all of us to try and help others 😊
I have cab corners to replace and Im going to use store bought panels .There is no way I could do what this guy is doing. Fitzee is an artist I am more paint by numbers guy. But I can’t stop watching these videos. This dude is amazing .....PS , Mr Fitzee, if you fine yourself in need of 1952 Chevy pick-up to star in one of your videos, just let me know. Thank you for posting.
You're right, sandblasting is no fun but clean rust free steel is so much more satisfying to work with.
Found that out when redoing a set of western wheels with my son , sandblasting was the ticket to get down into the edges and tight spots and really clean surfaces to add a bit of stranded fiberglass to touch up the rust areas. End job was worth every bit of blasting, winter rims look perfect years later, used 2 part epoxy paint with hi grade primer.
I learned years ago that sandblasting rusty floors in the vehicle gets sand everywhere. The next time I did one, I taped off the dash, underside of the dash included, essentially sealing the dash from the rest of the interior, and then sandblasted the floors. If you don't seal off the dash with tape and sheet plastic, the sand will get into every single component in the dash.
@@robj2704 why not just hold an empty vacuume near the end of the sand blaster? To suck in the sand and re use it another time? I made a jig similar to what dry wall guys use to drill out pot light holes in a finished ceiling, it keeps dust and dirt inside a small vessel that gets sucked out by a vaccume....
Only just found this channel and looking forward to watching back through the older videos, there's so many little tricks here which you only figure out after doing this stuff for years - thanks for passing on your knowledge Fitzee!
I've watched several of your presentations and find you interesting to watch as you figure out the angles and compound curves. You are an artist and a talented fabricator. I am 71 years old and having grown up watching my father do similar restoration work with simple handmade tools , You remind me of him and like him amaze me. It blew me away when you said you don't have a torch at 47:38 to take out the brass. The repurposed screw driver, the T dolly and the I beam anvil. You work with what you have and you getter done. One thing that a saw that made me cringe was during the on bench fabrication You was grinding your welds down and the grinding waste (sparks) was directly hitting the front fender of the car behind you. A cover or screen would protect the pain from these hot grinder rash. I know You are working in a small space but some protection is needed. I say this because Years ago my younger brother took his x19 to a body shop to have some special paint work done and when he picked it up it had specs burned into the clear coat on the drivers door and front fender. The body man had tried to buff it out but it was almost clear into the base metal and the body guy said that he did not know what happened. My brother took it to another shop and the body man there said that he has seen this before and said that they was probably working on another vehicle next to his in the shop and did not cover his car. Just an observation. Your work and processes are worth the subscribe to me . Thank you for sharing your craft. Nolan
Experience is often a great teacher and so are you. Straight forward, step by step and explaining why along the way makes understanding simpler. Thanks for sharing.
Fitz, This was like a master class. thanks you so much for making these videos.
I started similar repairs prior to finding Fritzee. Fortunately, I did it correctly. I’m now an avid fan of this channel and learn with every video! Thank You for sharing all your experience!
Another great tutorial Fitzy, as we see on completion all metal fitz like factory, you are a true craftsman, well done 100%.
John from Cairns Australia 👍👍
Another Great Job.......this Fella is a Real Teacher on this stuff. Anyboby wanting to learn this body repairing NEED's to watch and learn from this guy
I'm amazed at your work every time. Keep em' coming!
You have been truly blessed with metalworking skills that are second to no one. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!!
My two best Scratch Awls are ground down from two old phillips screw drivers that finally wore out. Agree with you. Recycling to the max. :-)
From some random guy in exotic ultimately sh*thole Greece, dreaming some day of restoring his own muscle car. Thank You! Informative video and you did such an excellent job!
i'm impressed! finally someone using an angle grinder with the guard still on it!
Best advice I've ever put into practice.... 1964 vw type 3 rear window, both lower quarters done plus mid section (pretty much the same as this video) all in 21 gauge to match original...... cut and butt technique is simply genius to, smallest gap ever to butt weld. Fitzee, genius level fabricator, top work and a great way of explaining things 👍👍👍👍
I so enjoy watching you working learning from your experiences you bring my confidence level up just knowing that it can simply be done all it takes is common sense and willing to try and pay attention to your videos
A master craftsman- Thanks for taking the time to share your skills. People like you are a dying breed in a world of throw it away and get a new one. Thanks Again!
Great job Fitzee. I’ve got a similar job to do on my MGB GT, the corner of the front windshield and the A Post as well as where the Fender bolts through it. Probably end up made up with about 4 or 5 pieces in the end. It’s definitely the way to go making it up with separate pieces and a lot of the fabrication off the car. Cheers
Cool car. Good luck.
Again, you lay out all the ins, out and angles PLUS! It was practically therapeutic seeing you go step by step with the journey skill set! I never tire of watching brother!
Very good job. You would never know it. As, every time I watch you I always learn some thing.Thank you Fitzee. Ronnie.
Thanks Fitzee for teaching us a real craft! You have helped me do work on my car that I didn’t think I could actually do! Your the best!
i wish i would have learn from you years ago i really enjoy doing body work and have learn lots from watching your channel. thanks a lot for the videos.
Professor, you have astounded me yet again. Fantastic technique and execution!
I love your work. I have a whole new way of looking at things because of watching you. I would have given this way too much thought and ruined it thinking I needed thousands of dollars worth of tools and having to learn how to use them. Thank you for sharing this. I know you haven't done this yet and I don't know if you would. I would love to see what a piece looks like filled, blocked, and primed. I don't know if you go that far. Thanks for everything. Please don't stop!
I'll be doing that at some point on my toyota project.
You never cease to amaze me with the quality of the finished repair v's the basic tools used Fitzee, superb.
You're the first person on RUclips that I've heard use "the livin' be-jesus" lol. Another great video. Keep it up
Good ol' Irish cursin' ftw... maybe he might if really pushed slide in a begorrah and a few fecks :P
i hollered at that ..
@@dodgydruid Fitzee, and his accent, are from Newfoundland, Canada.
I have a lot of respect for your skills. I have repaired rotted windshield frames with fiberglass. It is a lot of work and comes out nice as well as permanent. I could not do what you do. Yours is the superior repair.
You made it look so easy. You explain it so well, thank you for shearing your years of experience
Fitzee helping me fix me 68 caddy DeVille here in Australia - looking great thanks to cut-n-butt and the 3 piece technique for around rear window - thanks mate !
Once again, very well done and jammed full of great info & tips! You do a nice job editing too. I've got a few different size T-dollies in the drawer - first time ever seeing one used "upside-down" like you did. Very effective and a great tip. Thanks Fitzee!
I have a toyota that needs repairing around the windscreen. I'm was gokmg through videos on how to diy body panels. This is by far the best videos iv come across. Really good work can pick up all the experience you have.
Hey I have the same issue, an 2009 with some rust just behind the windshield where the roof meets the windshield . I need to get the windshield off, inspect the rust, then repair... its a bit too cold here for outdoor woolrk right now... maybe in a few weeks I'll tackle it... I don't have welding equipment, but there is a welding shop a 5 minute drive from where I live .. I'll ask them to weld a piece on if need be for a hundred bucks and I'll throw in a case of beer 😂😂😂
Master Class is back in session...... thanks for the advanced lesson. One small step at a time 👍👍😎👍😎
i've been watching your videos for a while and I find them very informative and they work amazingly. I've used some of your techniques and they work great. Hope you keep making them.
Fantastic Fitzee! This has been so helpful, it’s simple and complicated all at the same time, your right it’s so professional looking. now I need the practice on the ol ranchero, thanks again
We did the same thing to my 66 Buick Wildcat last summer and I wish we had seen this first. The way we did it was much harder. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I've made panels like this in the past when doing custom panels for taillights that aren't sposed to be there and I ended up with more then 7 panels welded together just to get the right compound shape. Works really well.
I can’t tell you how long I’ve been looking for these kinds of videos.... YEARS!
33:33 "A simple shape by no means." That's an understatement!
I'm speechless. What a craftsman! Fantastic job!
Hi Fitzee , I like your videos and do similar repairs as a hobby myself, one trick I use for getting panel shapes is a piece of cardboard template - much easier and quicker cutting a cardboard cardboard template to shape with scissors and then transfer onto your steel piece.
Keep up the awesome videos man 👍👍
I am always super amazed at your work. I have my 63 Fairlane that I want to tackle and you are giving me more confidence that it can be done. Just take the time and effort and it will come out good. When i got my pops car in 81 I ran the supply of Bondo and flashing low at the local stores. :) Hey now I know. Thanks for what you do SIR!
as they say "not all heros wear capes"
or welding gloves!!!!
Another phenomenal video!!!
So methodical and so well explained!
An absolute gem of a video!
Thank you so much for passing on your knowledge Sir!
That´s the video I was waiting for too! Thank you! Now I can proceed ....
Great tips and beautiful job. I just discovered your videos and I find them very interesting to watch. I always thought this was the best way to do this rather than forming a piece off the vehicle, going back and forth from car to workbench, and getting frustrated. This just make more sense.
I'd have to say that t-doll he's probably your most valuable tool from what I've seen that and the piece of I beam
Hi Sir,
You are a craftsman, best panel fabricator ever, step by step information.
Thank you for knowledge.
🔨
Nothing better than a Video from Fritz at Friday afternoon :)
Snap! My Friday afternoon was spent the same way!
It is allways nice to watch somebody who knows what he´s doing.
When you find yourself continually saying out loud "Wow, that's clever" you know you're watching a true craftsman.
OK - watched the complete video, and I must say sir, that you are an artist and craftsman! A fine piece of work was created for the finished product!. .. Bravo Fitzee! I learned so much from the video, and I am going to try it on my car that I am restoring - it has a few rusty areas around the windshield that need this similar treatment... I am pretty good with tools, and ready to try this technique to get it done! Cheers!
Do they call you Fitzee because of your last name, or because you "Fitz" metal together?!
Thanks Fitzee! I learn a lot of techniques from your videos. I’m not as afraid to do metal repairs as I was before. I like how you simplify things. Keep up the good work!
No substitute for experience. That was a tough piece to recreate i'm thinkin'.
Thank you for keeping this art alive and sharing. I love your 3 plane technique. I plan to use your technique at work now. Keep the videos coming.
Another nice job buddy. Turned out well. Even though i do this sort of thing myself i find it soothing to watch in this crazy time we are living in with our governments nonsense.
Amazing job! I always enjoy every one of your videos. You teach us to think outside the box. Looking forward to your next video.