lol just got my mini back out of the shop....had the entire floor replaced as well as the step panels...but added a set of sparco pedals and yellow plug wires...though they did cut and and replace a part of the body that had a huge rust sore...gotta find a body shop to smooth it out and blend the paint...plus i had to replace the battery terminals and clean the rust off the terminals




new stereo as the old one was pretty much shot



the rust sore that had to be cut out...

 

This why I decided to take welding classes .... one short trip around this path sent me to adult education welding school & purchase of a MIG unit ... then replacing a couple of floor pans, some outer sills, some door pocket holes and the occasional panel hole... (cut back to clean metal, cut a patch and use a flange tool to recess it.....mig it in and a wee bit of filler and TA DA)..I think I've come out ahead.

 

Between the Vespas I restore and the Mini I've recently gotten, I've really considered doing this. Where does one take a welding class anyway? The local community college or business technology center or something? Whats something like that cost and how long is the class? I don't care about doing it for college credit or anything, would just like to know more about it and how to do it. What else do they offer? Anything on painting or anything like that?

yellowbritishrocket, the new stuff looks great! Bet your ready to get that new metal portion sorted out! Its not too much of an eye sore. I'd still drive the car and not be ashamed.

 

That welding's a bit rough.........or is it not finished yet........

 

What is the color of you Mini? It certainly is coming right along....going to be a very fine ride.

 

It's applejack.

 

When I did this I lived outside of Norfolk VA and both the local Community College, and the County public school system had welding classes which I found by digging in the class listings stuffed in the newspaper and later on line.

The Community College courses were intended as a track to certification and after talking to someone who was in them seemed a bit overkill for my needs. The class via the public schools was "adult education" and the welding class provided just what I was looking for: an over view of the various welding methods (stick, mig, tig) and also cutting. Also covered "how and what to buy" .... what differentiated a toy welder from a pro welding unit. We were taught the basics of each method. Fortunately the school District had a high school votec welding track. Cost was under $200 and well worth it. Had I invested in a welder b4 this class I absolutely would have bought the wrong thing and wasted money. (BTW the h.s kids that graduated from this votec program were typically offered an appretice ship at the Navy Shipyard with a starting salery around $35k; it is a multi year program leading to certification)

My satisfaction with this course led me to the auto body course at the same location which was a great deal. For the same ~$200 a semester I got 2 days a week use of the votec autobody shop: all tools, some materials, lifts, frame straighter, and paint booth - as well as an instructor and a half a dozen guys who'd be "taking" the class semester after semester working on their projects. I became one of that gang and learned a lot about body work on their projects, fixing dents for friends, painting doner vehicles (we changed the color on undercover police cars!) and when I felt I was ready, started on my 79. I was able to try different filler materials, different methods of dent pulling, cut entire panels out and replaced - practiced some welding skills and worked with modern paint systems . There are certain advantages to trying these skills a time or two on doner vehicles . And understanding why painting in your garage can result in burning it down

So that's where I'd start....online with you community college or find out if your school district teaches votec and then look for the adult education program.... everything was a 'standard semester' or around 10 weeks, couple of night a week.

ALSO if you have access: the Air Force base not far from my current home has a full "hobby shop" with tools, lifts and experts very willing to lend a hand .... a full paint booth .... sells custom mix Sher' Williams auto paint and teaches an auto-body specific MIG welding course on a continuous basis charginf only for some safety equipment and materials. If you have access look into it..... most large military units have similar facilities and the price is right.