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 Long ago I had watched my dad in my Grandparent’s driveway in the summer time, way back in the '50's. Hammer outs, metal finish fenders, paddle lead solder and do "blow-ins" in lacquer with a little home made compressor and an old spray gun. It fascinated me even back then.
Eventually he built a house and shop next door and ran his own business for thirty-five years, where I started working part time when I was just thirteen.
While most kids my age were gluing models together, I was out in my dad's shop doing the real thing, welding. I was still young back then and I almost burnt the place down once. It didn’t go over well. I laugh about it today.
Anyway, I went to trade school, in Toronto, in the late 60’s and back then we had to fabricate most of our own patch panels, quarter panels, door skins and use lead. Bondo wasn't even aloud back then. So I guess you could say I was doing this stuff long before it was actually cool.
I received my Inter-provincial body license in 1970 and over the years restored a number of cars and had done some custom paint jobs. Well, after twenty-six years of painting, I had to give it up, “doctor's orders”. Even though I couldn’t paint any more, guys would call me up and say," I know you don't paint anymore, but can you fabricate this piece for me or weld on these quarter panels”.
That’s how I got back to what I had learned years earlier. Along the way, I had spent ten years in the machine trades, eight of them at Bicknell Racing Products where I learned to set-up, program and operate a vertical C.N.C. milling machine. With what I learned there, I designed and built all the metal forming equipment I use today.
My operation is small, but neat and well equipped. It's not how fancy the shop is, but it's what you do inside that counts. The best part that comes from what I do, with every new client, comes a new friend.
A Quality Resource for Body & Fender Restoration
Gary Geady |
