Got bid for body work, blast and paint.....is this too much

[dspaulding70]

I just got the bid to do the following.  Does this seem reasonable?

Completely disassemble the vehicle including removal and discard of old 318, tranny & rear end
Media blast the entire car, inside & out
Fabricate new metal under back windsheild that is completely rusted out
Repair rusted cowl area
Fix rust areas on bottom of all four quarter panels
Paint enitre car, including engine bay & engine with high quality metalic paint (They guarantee it will be show quality)
Put new vinyl roof
Reassemble vehicle
Does not include re-chrome of bumpers

TOTAL  $13,000

For another $5,000, they will take the new 440 crate motor, transmission and rear end I have and convert to an RT clone.  (I have to supply any conversion parts, brackets, disk conversion kit, etc. to make the switch)

What do you think?  Doing any of this myself is not an option since I do not have the skills, tools or time so please no comparisons to doing all the work yourself please.

[69RTSEV88]

$13000 probably isn't too bad for all the work that they say they're going to do, is there any other cars around that they have done, so you can check their work?  I would be hesitant with having THEM "discard" the old 318 and tranny and even the rearend.  Provided that the engine isn't blown and all of these parts are in rebuildable condition, I would think it would be better to have you try to regain some of the expense of this work by selling these parts yourself.  There is nothing wrong with an old 318, and 904 slushbox, and there is always someone out there looking for these parts.

[HITMAN 149]

i agree...why should they "discard" your motor 7 trans.... i'm sure they will sell it or part it out!!! $$$$$$ YOU should sell it, to finance/offset you cost!!!! also what R/T clone are they doing for addtl $5K? i'm confused.....? what would cost you another $5K??...what else woulkd they be doing? otherwise.... not withstanding the quality & reputation of their work (which you should reallllllly check out!!!) the price doesn't seem bad i guess. and i'm in the same boat as you brother..... i' neither have the skills,time or space to do all that type of work myself!!!!! good bless our fellow members who have those skills!!!!!!!!!!

[terrible one]

I think that $13k sounds pretty good, but the extra $5k doesn't!

[hemi-hampton]

The $13,000 sounds cheap, But, After done it could look like a Earl Schieb/Maaco Job? I'm confused on the extra $5,000 Also, You said reassembly is allready part of the 13k deal, SO, Aint they allready going to be putting in the 440, trans & rearend anyways. What more could you do but maybe add a 4:10 gear? Super Stock Springs? Maybe $5,000 to slap on 2 R/T Emlems? LEON.

[gordo1968charger]

i d get a look at there previous work,too many cowboys and not enough indians out there.

[MichaelRW]

The $13,000 sounds cheap, But, After done it could look like a Earl Schieb/Maaco Job? I'm confused on the extra $5,000 Also, You said reassembly is allready part of the 13k deal, SO, Aint they allready going to be putting in the 440, trans & rearend anyways. What more could you do but maybe add a 4:10 gear? Super Stock Springs? Maybe $5,000 to slap on 2 R/T Emlems? LEON.

Here's a Maaco BC/CC paint job. FWIW, I have won trophy's with this car at local cars shows.

[MichaelRW]

For what is on your list, $13,000 sounds like a very reasonable price. But there are a multitude of items not on the list that probably needs to be done also unless you are doing those yourself. Example - polishing stainless, chroming, gauge restoration, etc.

[y3chargerrt]

I can't see how they can give you an accurate estimate until they disassemble everything to see what is hidden. My bet is it ends up costing much more then 13k.

[hemi-hampton]

MichealRW, I worked at Maaco many years ago, I had to paint 8 cars a day & 1 every hour. I know exactly how it goes there, Been there done that. I can tell you I did some nice looking paint jobs for the price. I'll never forget a old street rod I did, Was like a 1940 Ford Business coupe. Guy wanted black metallic, Cant remember if I added the metallic to the black or first coat of clear (this was almost 20 years ago) but I can tell you for a lousy $600 it looked great, No runs, No Dirt, No Orange peel or not much & it looked good. Guy was so happy bought us all a case of Budweiser for after work. Also done many $100,000 100 point show cars & can tell you there is a big differance between the two. Now, To the untrained eye there might not appear to be much differance. Sure, Maaco can bondo that guys car together for $1,300 or a Body shop for $13,000 or I can make it insane for $113,000. All depends on your budget or what you want. LATER.

[68charger383]

--Fabricate new metal under back windshield that is completely rusted out------HOW & WITH WHAT
--Repair rusted cowl area---HOW & WITH WHAT
--Fix rust areas on bottom of all four quarter panels----HOW & WITH WHAT
--Paint entire car, including engine bay & engine with high quality metallic paint (They guarantee it will be show quality)TO WHO AND IF ITS NOT...WHAT WILL THEY DO, REPAINT THE PANEL ETC.

These items need to be specifically stated as to their meaning so in the end....it is clear if they have/have not been met. Taking the time now to clarify exactly what you want them to do and what they will do, will save you a major headache down the road. Spell out what will be done if something unexpected occurs, "lifts carpet and the floor board needs replacement" do you pay more $ and how much or they eat it, Include a time frame for completion so your not their slow time project for the next two years...ex. 10% off price if not completed in 6 months, include a clause if a part is lost "like all of your moulding"...they pay for it, Also include how money is to be paid...20% when dropped off, 10% after media blast etc. to keep the project moving forward. Lastly, if the body shop closes or changes owners, they will contact you to pick up your car within 24 hours. Go talk to people who have had similar work at the shop! Remember, once the car is there and in 100 pieces, they'll hold the cards without the solid contract and the money remaining in your pocket.

Consider this a compilation protecting you from of every body shop horror story I've read.

[AutoRust]

Im not so sure the price for all that work is accurate.
I would expect some serious cost over runs.
By my simple calculations, there could be 8-10K in rust repair issues there.
Rear window work is expensive. Very time consuming.
Cowl work is also very time consuming to do properly. I am not sure what part of the cowl your fixing, if its the window are, again the work is very demanding, as its very intricate and time consuming. Lower quarter work is also rather time consuming if you want to have it done properly. B-bodies have a reputation there as things always are worse then you expect.

Just my 2 cents worth here.
Good Luck with your project.

dave

[MichaelRW]

MichealRW, I worked at Maaco many years ago, I had to paint 8 cars a day & 1 every hour. I know exactly how it goes there, Been there done that. I can tell you I did some nice looking paint jobs for the price. I'll never forget a old street rod I did, Was like a 1940 Ford Business coupe. Guy wanted black metallic, Cant remember if I added the metallic to the black or first coat of clear (this was almost 20 years ago) but I can tell you for a lousy $600 it looked great, No runs, No Dirt, No Orange peel or not much & it looked good. Guy was so happy bought us all a case of Budweiser for after work. Also done many $100,000 100 point show cars & can tell you there is a big differance between the two. Now, To the untrained eye there might not appear to be much differance. Sure, Maaco can bondo that guys car together for $1,300 or a Body shop for $13,000 or I can make it insane for $113,000. All depends on your budget or what you want. LATER.

I hear you. BTW, as many of the guys here already know, I currently own a Maaco. We still do inexpensive (relatively) paint jobs but also can do the higher quality jobs when a customer will pay for it.

[chargerman68]

i suggest looking really into the company talk to previous car owners...cause i thought i got a great deal on my 68 for 11k and half the work got done and the guy filed chapter 7 stole another guys charger and sold it to someone else..and dont pay everything up front......

[TUFCAT]

Pricing a car restoration is just like buying a diamond ring - TOTALLY SUBJECTIVE!  A good deal is more than the money spent, its the piece of mind and confidence in the person doing the work. I've seen and heard millions of stories of how the customer/restorer relationship sours in the middle of the job......not only the car but (the owners wallet) suffered. In the end, those people actually spent more money getting the car done that they would have in the first place!!   Unless your buget is super tight, or you're not willing to wait a year and save the extra money ... then shopping around for the best "deal" may be an option for you.      

[hemi-hampton]

Was watching Chips overhaulin tonight. They did a 57 corvette this time around. I wonder if people looking for a resto watch this show & hear them say what I heard them say tonight. Body shop say's they have 400 man hours in body work, Thats fixing cracked fiberglass & then Blocking & Priming. 400 hours & car gets NO Rusy metal replaced & not even painted yet. I'll do the math for you 400x$50 hour comes out to $20,000 & at the California rate 400x$75= $30,000  Thats just for body work on a non rusty car without paint yet. Gee, I wonder how much a total rust bucket would cost if they did it   And  MichealRW implies $13,000 for a restoration may be to much. I guess if you can paint 8 cars a day or 1 a hour at $300 each you may think that.

[MichaelRW]

Was watching Chips overhaulin tonight. They did a 57 corvette this time around. I wonder if people looking for a resto watch this show & hear them say what I heard them say tonight. Body shop say's they have 400 man hours in body work, Thats fixing cracked fiberglass & then Blocking & Priming. 400 hours & car gets NO Rusy metal replaced & not even painted yet. I'll do the math for you 400x$50 hour comes out to $20,000 & at the California rate 400x$75= $30,000  Thats just for body work on a non rusty car without paint yet. Gee, I wonder how much a total rust bucket would cost if they did it   And  MichealRW implies $13,000 for a restoration may be to much. I guess if you can paint 8 cars a day or 1 a hour at $300 each you may think that.

Where did I imply $13,000 for a restoration was too much?

[hemi-hampton]

I re read your comment, I guess you did not, Guess I jumped to wrong conclusion. When I think of Maaco it's easy to do that. Sorry

[68charger383]

Body shop say's they have 400 man hours in body work, Thats fixing cracked fiberglass & then Blocking & Priming. 400 hours & car gets NO Rusy metal replaced & not even painted yet. I'll do the math for you 400x$50 hour comes out to $20,000 & at the California rate 400x$75= $30,000  Thats just for body work on a non rusty car without paint yet.

I agree, you need to see if this guy has done old car restorations before or just threw out a large number thinking he's going to make a bag of money...not realizing what he's taking on! These guys make their money doing the quick honda accord fender benders with the ins and most won't touch an old car. When they realize their mistake, the car sits until there is an hour of downtime here and there and the car takes a year or two to get done. You get pissed and he tells you to take your car and the 10 boxes of parts and get lost or does a quick shoody job to get paid and to get rid of you. Bottomline, get a few more estimates or talk to this guy and iron out the specific details in writing.

[MichaelRW]

I re read your comment, I guess you did not, Guess I jumped to wrong conclusion. When I think of Maaco it's easy to do that. Sorry

No problem. FWIW, the Maacos of today are quite a bit different than those of years ago. There are now centers that are certified by the franchiser (about half have reached that goal) and the final product is of a much higher quality now. And yes, I'm certified.

[dspaulding70]

Wow,

What a great list of comments and suggestions.  I really appreciate the time you all have taken.  I have done a little more research on this group and so far, I have been really impressed.  This is a smaller father and son operation that was originally started just for the restoration and maintenance of their own classic vehicles.  They have assembled a team of employees who are old car nuts and everything I have seen at the mechanic and body shops have looked 1st class.  They do not work on any model vehicles made after 1977.

They even have a website where you can go and see them working on your car in real time with a 24 hour security camera fixed only on your car!  I thought that was a neat touch.

During the initial meeting, I met every person who would be working on my car and they spent close to 15-20 minutes each with me to discuss my objective and their observation of the vehicle.  I felt like they were interviewing me more than I was interviewing them....

My final decision is that I am going to let them do all the paint and body work, but not pay the additional $5k to reinstall the crate motor, etc. and use a different group to do that.  I negotiated to only pay 1/3 at the beginning, monthly payments as work progresses and the final 1/3 at completion.  They also indicated that they would paint any part of the motor, tranny or rear end for free if I had it brought to the shop.  That was a nice offer I thought.

Anyway, I am planning to sign the contract next week and let them get started.  I will keep posting pictures of the progress for those interested.  I am sure I will have some questions for the group as I proceed and hope that you will give you 2 cents worth.

Thanks again.