Hi everyone from the west midlands,uk.

[Z5Roadster]

Hi Andy welcome to the site.
Have you tried The Black Country Museum yes I know its right on your doorstep, if not go to the garage and have a chat to the volunteers there. From what I see on their website they don't have any vacancies but I found that the guys doing restoration work are only too pleased to talk, and you may be what their looking for.

The Black Country Motor Company
http://www.bclm.co.uk
The Motor Company volunteers meet on a weekly basis at the Museum to maintain and restore the Museum’s collection of vintage vehicles and to regularly operate the vehicles around the Museum village.

and by way of a course that's value for money.

Bill Longyard went to MPH Motor Panels in Liskard Cornwall while on a trip over here, mainly wheeling, they do 2 and 5 day course. Check out Geoff Moss video filmed by Bill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6GTMAMUee4
http://www.mphmotorpanels.com/ Try clicking Bill's Bugatti top right hand corner, another masterpiece.

[andyhot]

Hi david at the moment as much as I would love to do a course, I just couldn't afford it in the near future. My main interest would be to learn the basic foundations using mainly hand tools, I would love to learn to use a wheeling machine and planishing machines etc but wouldn't be in a position to purchase them.
I have been considering my options at the moment and think that spending my money on your dvd and some basic tools would be my best bet, then I can practice on a few small repair pieces I need to make.

Hi tom, thanks for your brilliant suggestion, I would never of thought of the bclm. I will pop down and have a chat with them and see if they would be interested in me volunteering one day a week. I have a good knowledge of mechanical work, body preparation and painting.
So hopefully I can be of some help to them in exchange for their knowledge.
That course you linked does sound great and that work is amazing but I just wouldn't be able to afford it as with travel expenses, accommodation and the fees it is still close on £1000. Also it seems mainly aimed at wheeling which would be great to learn but I couldn't afford one in the near future.

Thank you all for your great help and suggestions. They are greatly appreciated and I look forward to any more ideas.
thanks andy.

[Peter Tommasini]

Hi Andy I am sure that David would be the right man to teach you but I think that Jeff Moss from MPH does classes to, they are both brilliant tradesman
Peter

[andyhot]

Hi peter.
Yes I do believe I would benefit greatly from one of davids classes but for the moment I will settle for learning from some books and davids dvd (judging from the many positive reviews its as informative as some classes). Mphmotorpanels do hold classes and he does seem to be an excellent craftsman but his classes are also out of my budget at the moment.
I hope to find an experienced car restorer who will be glad that im interested in and prepared to commit my own time to try to learn this seeming dying art.
fingers crossed as there doesn't seem to be too many local to me. I have come up with an idea of joining some local classic and custom car clubs and hopefully some members can point me in the right direction.
Thanks andy.

[PaulMcElhinney]

Andy,

I live in Halesowen so I'm a stone's throw away from you.

I have completed several courses at Leeds City Technology College. These are held in the college holidays and are entitled "short courses". My advice is complete the one week welding course first. This is mainly gas welding but touches on brazing and MIG on the last couple of days. Thereafter complete the panel fabrication course. This teaches roughing out in the stump/sandbag, English wheeling, wire edging, use of the shrinker/stretcher, simple folding/flanging. The tutor Terry Devaney is a very skilled fellow having spent his entire working life building vehicle bodies.

I did it the wrong way round. I did the panel fab' course first so had to do a "crash course" in gas welding. As a result several months later I did the welding course. I then did the panel fabrication course again.

Each course is £385 (per week) which I think is excellent value for money. I've also done their one day body soldering course.

Next month I'm off to Cornwall to take Geoff Moss's wheeling course. I'm very much looking forward to that.

If you are tempted by the Leeds courses there is a bed and breakfast that I can recommend within walking distance of the college. My only advice would be to check whether Terry is the tutor.

Good luck.

Paul McElhinney.

[PaulMcElhinney]

http://www.leedscitycollege.ac.uk/in...r-restoration/

[wombat]

I went on the panel fab course at Leeds City Technology College and would recommend it as well. I would also say that having welding first would make it easier. Leaves you with the time just to concentrate on the panel skills. Loads of cheap B&Bs in Leeds so not too expensive either. Terry was with them at the NEC Classic car show today, so he is still doing some stuff with them.