Does this body work quote seam reasonable?

[John76]

I hope @BarneyT will chime in with his extensive experience with paint and restoration projects.

Barney can probably give you some good ideas on time and materials for such repairs.

John

[Stevenc22]

4 hours ago, JsnPpp said:

 

A $15K '72 Tii that looks like that (am I reading this right?) is truly a great deal! Nice car!

You are reading that wrong. The paint work cost $15k. I'm all for $60k

[Tdh]

You’ve gotten some good advice so far. Some of the best is to check out the guys previous work.  Ask him if he’s got some previous customers he can refer for a consultation. Talk to them. Ask them questions. Then, if you’re still comfortable with the guy, get a written estimate that details everything he’s willing to do for 15k (down to the brand of paint and primer).  Make sure that progressive photos of the work are part of the deal. Explain that you want them in case you ever decide to sell. If he balks at any of this explain that you like things to go smoothly, and making sure everything is spelled out up front insures said smoothness.

 

My guess is 15k is his baseline, with the understanding that any “suprises” will bump up the cost. When I do this kind of work, I don’t like to quote  a baseline. I give an hourly rate with the understanding that it takes as long as it takes (don’t like it, then “takes” your ass down the road).

 

All that said, looking at your photos, it’s reasonable that you could get out for 15k. Just do what I and others have said. Due diligence is your friend here. These things can and do go badly, but they don’t have to if everyone starts out on the same page. Not sure of the laws where you are, but a mechanics lien and him having possession of your car is an expensive proposition to work through to get your unfinished car back if things go south. 
 

 

Edited March 23, 2023 by Tdh

[BarneyT]

4 hours ago, John76 said:

I hope @BarneyT will chime in with his extensive experience with paint and restoration projects.

Barney can probably give you some good ideas on time and materials for such repairs.

John

John prices very so much by location its had to say what is a fair price, but the way i look at it is rust repair and paint/minor body work should be two different numbers...the car in question looks rusty to me, i would start with bead blasting the car to metal to see the real extent of rust...then the needed metal repair/replace will be shown (i have spent 150 man hours on rust repair)...here in texas two stage paint/body would be 10/15k single stage 15/20k...the rust looks like at least 5/10k...plus the cost to glass bead blast around 2k here...

 

to me its a low 20k plus project, would want to see other work/projects in progress and completed by paint/body vendor...

[cmiceli]

honestly i think 15k is cheap quote. I would also figure out what they are gonna do it. Acid dip? cut and repair all rust? replace panels? straighten it all paint? I would ask for a detailed break down of the cost. 

[Conserv]

What they^^ said!

 

Given what’s been revealed thus far, you will be well served to do additional stripping of the body at this time. It will allow you and the body shop to be better prepared for the issues you’ll face. In short, given the rust exposed thus far, do yourself a favor and remove: (a.) the front fenders, and (b.) the bituminous sound deadening covering the entire interior floor (dry ice). Yes, entire!

 

The trunk does not present a pretty picture. Past repairs in that area are, at best, sloppy and amateurish. They give me little to no comfort that the past repairer knew what he was doing or fully resolved the issues in those areas. Green circles in the first photo show these problem areas. On account of these past challenges, I’d also be examining the blue-circled areas in the second photo very closely — after all the sound deadening has been removed. You do not want to replace rear wheel wells two years after you’ve re-painted the car! 😯

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

[Georges]

The other option is to buy the body work tools and do the rust repair yourself for 5K (no new panels) and then spend 2K for a Maaco paint job. Obviously the result will be rough, but your final satisfaction, bragging rights, and marital approval will actually be higher. I went this route and I now have a nice 10 footer that I can park anywhere.

[bavariaboy]

Reading the recent posts by people who know what they are doing and saying, if I was you I would hit the pause button.

 

If this ends up a $25,000 restoration/paint project of unknown quality, and it well could,  I would seriously consider saving time, money and possibly grief, and find as  nice a car as I could that met all my requirements(sunroof-no sunroof  roundie-square  mods-original).  It might take six months or more but this project could drag on for two years or more. Most of us have read the horror stories(shop closed  --  excuse after excuse after lie - "discovered this when we were working on this, it will cost $$$ more).  And you will have little or no leverage when the shop is thousands of $$$ into your car.  I just heard someone whisper "mechanic's leins".

 

Reread Barney T and Conserv's comments above. They speak volumes to me.

 

Steve

 

 

[cmiceli]

If you go with a restoration shop go with one that has a history of sending photos of how things progress. a nice thing about it taking longer is you can space out the cost over years.

as for doing it yourself

a whole nose is 850 

inner wheel well 500 each

Outter wheel wells 225 each

Floor pans 100 each

Inner kick panel 85 each

Plus shipping 

price from kooglewerks 

 

so let’s say 3-4k in body panels shipped.

now add labor cost to replace them or do it themselves. You can figure 100$ a hour easy for repair work. Plus all the body work, shops they do show quality body work and paint jobs reach 40-60k in body work and paint easily 

 

[Lucky 7]

Yeah, what they said. Seeing those pictures, I doubt you’d be out the door for 15, probably more like 20. They’ll find more problems and want more money and time. 
 

My 74 is nearing the end of its time at the body shop. I’ll be all in for 14k, over the 12k initial quote. I sprayed the trunk and engine bay myself, and did all the rust mitigation and recoating on the underbody and interior. My car is a low rust Cali car and they only found one rust spot needing cut/repair after blasting the whole thing down to bare metal. The 2k additional was to straighten out old body damage that had been poorly mudded over.  They spent a few extra weeks pulling and straightening the skin.  It’s primed now and they’re doing final prep for paint. For reference it’s getting Deltron base/clear and a cut/buff, all of which adds cost.  
 

I was able to keep the price down by stripping all the parts myself and doing all the rust repair and paint that I did. The body shop is only working on the visible exterior skin, nothing else. Yours looks a bit more involved. 
 

15 seems like good price, but I’d expect it to go up once they get their hands dirty. 

Edited March 25, 2023 by Lucky 7

[Dudeland]

I have read all of the comments.  No way you are going to get that done for $15K.  It will be one of those projects that get half done,  parts lost and 2 years later you will be calling a tow truck to drag it back home and sell it for parts. 

 

You can't make money on that car for $15K, and if they don't know it now,  they will when the budget hits about $10K.  The body shop then relents and says they will work on it when things get slow.  Then they never get slow... and ya... No fly zone. 

 

I think you will be into it for about $22-25K easily.  You can't really see what is underneath. ... my "rust-free" California car is getting a driver's floor.  Especially if you dip it, pin holes mean new metal, they don't patch it.   Maybe if you take it to Tijuana.. maybe. 

 

Sorry dude.  I have been keeping an eye on stuff, knowing that when I get everything fitted, tuned and sorted.  I may strip it down and send it to get done, but I know for sure that I am into it for at least $20K.

 

Keep us posted. 

 

[wojo]

Lots of great points above.  You've got rust in some critical places.

 

One question you need to answer is what do you want in and from your car when the work is done?  Do you plan to keep the car long term or keep it a while and sell it?  I've owned my car since '78 and don't ever plan to part with it.

 

I took my car to a shop that has done work for other CCA members.  One man shop, reasonable rates.  A perfectionist when it comes to his work but very slow.  Had planned to replace frame rails and new paint.  To do it right it ended up as a bare metal rotisserie restoration.  It also took years longer than expected.  Paint and body alone exceeded $40K.  The result is a beautiful car that I love to drive just like I did 45 years ago.

 

Again, what do you want your car to be when you finish?  To paraphrase Steve above you don't want to replace rear wheel wells or redo anything two years later.

 

[Markster]

Why did they cut the tunnel?  Minimum 15k. Surely going to go over. 
 

[fjord-tii]

You indicate your residence is Maryland. Go north to Pennsylvania or west to W. Virginia, your rates will drop significantly.  Good luck!