Ed, you are a Master Craftsman in the truest sense of the words.
A problem that I encountered here when I got my '68 Pontiac Superior ambulance was that a small bit of rust-through repair was required and no body shops wanted to take it on. There are very few bodymen any more. They're just "parts replacement workers". They just want to unbolt the old fender, bolt on the new one, run it through the paint booth, and bill the insurance company. If they can't source a bolt-on replacement part, they don't want the job. The few "auto restoration" shops that will do it, the custom hot rod guys, want ridiculous money for their services, with a shop rate of about $150.00-$180.00 per hour.
Being an impoverished Paramedic, I decided that the best solution was to get the right tools and teach myself how to do it. Off I went to Home Depot, with their trusty credit card in hand, offering "no interest, no payments until 2011". By the time I was done, I owned a MIG welder, an oxy-acetylene rig, a new beefier compresser, the world's largest supply of sand paper and sanding disks, new disk sanders, and a bunch of other stuff. A trip to the local autobody supply house got me some self-etch, primer, filler, and a few other things. I got it all home, set it up in the shop, stood back, looked at it, and muttered...."I'm a moron! No wonder my wife was laughing so hard at me!".
However, not to be deterred (and very committed to making my wife stop laughing), I got myself a bunch of scrap metal and proceeded to teach myself to braze and weld. If anyone needs brass golf balls, I have a few of them here. But persistance paid off, and I'm not the world's greatest welder by any means, but I can do it well enough to get the job done. I've done a few things on the Superior and I am, to be honest, quite pleased with myself. And apparently I have a new hobby....bodywork! The financial reward is that, based on quotes I received from the "auto restoration shops", I have already saved enough money to pay for the tools and supplies that I bought! :thumbsup:
So thanks again, Ed. Your photos answered a great many questions that I had, and will guide me in things I need to do next. As an example, my Criterion has a bit of rust-through on the roof, right at the back of the spineboard box. Your photos showed me exactly what I need to do. I have also heard from Robert, who kindly offerred me a few interior shots which will be a great help.
Thanks to Robert Shepard as well, for allowing the restoration of his stunning Criterion to be documented so well and used for the eductation of others.
I made a comment as I was unloading the mess that once a bodyman always a bodyman...He looked at me and said I was an Electrician...Just got bored.