Know a good shop? PICS of my car

[HeavyFuel]

Hey guys... my car has been at the body shop since June 06,    and the dude just isn't making progress on it.

I know, I'm insane for leaving it there this long, but the guy does good work.  For some reason he has it in his head that my car is not a priority for him.

The car was down to the unibody when I took it to him, just asking for body work and paint.  And the body work is light.

Anyone know of a good shop with openings in the ND, SD, MN, MT area?  I want to hank my car from him and take it to someone that might actually care about working on it.

[Tilar]

You have to understand that "Paint and body work" on an old car is not the best money for a body shop. Reparing crash damage for insurance companies are their bread and butter. It's going to be hard to find one that will put your restoration project in front of an insurance job.

[baullz]

Anyone know of a good shop with openings in the ND, SD, MN, MT area?  I want to hank my car from him and take it to someone that might actually care about working on it.

I have my '69 at NZ Customs in Fargo, ND and Brent, the owner, really seems to know his stuff.  He is also very avid about keeping me in the loop on what he is going to and when he will do it.  I usually stop in at least every few weeks to see what he's gotten done and whats next on the list.  He is very personable and will usually take at least a good half hour or so out of his day when I show up to tell me and show me what he has or is doing.

I know mine was the last major project that he was goin to take over the winter, but he did just finish a Camaro so who knows.  He also was working on '69 and even had access to a donor car which came in handy for mine. 

So check him out you can get all his info at http://www.nzcustoms.com/

[HeavyFuel]

baullz, Thanks for the heads up on the Fargo shop, I'll check it out.

Just for grins, I emailed Muscle Car Resorations in WI.  I gave them a pretty good discription of my car and sent some good pics to show the condition.  They responded that the average resto for them takes between 800 and 1200 hours, at $70 an hour.  Ouch.

Better have deep pockets to even consider that place. There's no way mine would take anywhere near that much time, since I am doing the dis and re assembly myself. But even at 200 hours, that's 14 grand.   

[hemi-hampton]

That doesn't include that $6,000 or $7,000 just to dip & prime.  LEON.

[Charger-Bodie]

baullz, Thanks for the heads up on the Fargo shop, I'll check it out.

Just for grins, I emailed Muscle Car Resorations in WI.  I gave them a pretty good discription of my car and sent some good pics to show the condition.  They responded that the average resto for them takes between 800 and 1200 hours, at $70 an hour.  Ouch.

Better have deep pockets to even consider that place. There's no way mine would take anywhere near that much time, since I am doing the dis and re assembly myself. But even at 200 hours, that's 14 grand.   

There are deffinatly some shops out there that are rediculous on the amount they charger.....What really erks me that before mopars got high in value, people wernt nearly as apt to charger an arm and a leg to do one....


Its like:

High value car =100.00 per hou

low value car= 50.00 per hour 

Just not right if you ask me. 

[gasoline_24]

I took mine in and got a quote of $20,000 - $25,000 for sheet metal and paint.  After we got into it I decided to do some changes such as full quarters and he indicated the price was probably in the $30,000 range.  He charges $45.00 an hour.  He also told me the average resto takes around 1000 hours.  When he got the car it was down to the unibody and on a rotisserie.  I paid for all sheet metal and for media blasting and we are now over $50,000.  I am contemplating a law suit, but I need to get the car back first as I am afraid nothing will get done.  I approached him about this and his response was I spent the time so you owe me.  I asked why it was that when he as the expert gave me an estimate why am I the only one paying for this mistake and he had no answer.  The work is top notch, but had I known we would be $25,000 over budget on body and paint I would have bought a completed hemi and been ahead.  The problem I have now is that I have to finish it as it is worth little to nothing in its existing state.  Hopefully the market improves so it is worth something.

[Drop Top]

I do restorations for a living too bad I'm on the west coast. Did he take pics as he went and keep a log of the work on a daily basis? I also do a pay as you go, every friday the work gets inspected, discucesd and payed for as it goes along that way there are no suprises. Just some things to look for when your takeing your car to a resto shop. I've been doing this sence the early 90s and still going strong. If you don't stay on top of the progress it can turn very expensive and get away from you really fast. As you found out.

[gasoline_24]

Yeah I got billed about weekly and I stopped almost daily to inspect, but I just didn't realize it was going to get this high.  Ohh well I keep telling myself and more importantly my wife that if we wouldn't have put the money into the car it would have gone into my retirement account.  We all know how that would have turned out.

[hemi-hampton]

He said average is 1,000 hours. If you got a rustbucket you can figure much more. 1,000 hrs x $45=$45,000 about where your at. No surprise. A estimate is just a Guestimate. If going over budget only way to meet estimate is to cut corners & take shortcuts & nobody wants that. LEON.

[Rigs]

Heavyfuel,
       yes,it's time to yank it away from that guy,I know it could and will be hard to find a shop to focus just on your car as Tilar said,they put insurance work in front of restos.

gasoline_24,
             OMG !!!!!! You've got a big descision to make as far as your car is concerned.How far is it along and close to being done,becuase holy cow is that bank breaking money,even if the finished product is second to none,although I'm saying that without actually knowing/seeing how much has been done on your car,because it seems way over what you expected.
       We've seen comments of these estimates thrown around 800,800-1200,1000,and then more with rustbuckets.Although I cannot attest to own/or work at a body/resto shop as the ones who responded here,I do it more as a hobby and passion for the gratification of the outcome of restoring a car,and this is all at night after my regular full time job not even associated with cars.
     Throwing around number of hours involved with doing a car,I did a duster for a friend which needed quite a bit of metal work: full NOS 1/4's,NOS front inner fenders,NOS lower rad support,NOS driv side full rocker panel,NOS driv trunk ext,repo pass,NOS pass door skin,NOS fenders,cowl damaged from hood blowing open along with the roof wacked in from same incident,some welding patches where needed,(NOS sheetmetal needing alot of bodywork as we know thy're not perfect and being handled all those years).
     Then alot of priming/polyester priming blocking,paint everywhere,in,out,top,bottom,etc, sanded and buffed for a total of 647 hours.Time frame for me was a year and half start to finish.I know when there is more intensity to the project the hours can start growing so each case will be different ,this is just an example of what I have encountered on this particular car.Couple pics I still have on file since the job.....

[gasoline_24]

I replaced the drivers floor pan, both rear quarters, dutchman panel, full trunk floor, rear frame rails, rear valance, tailpanel, patched some around rear window and a few other patches.  I also had some work that needed done on the hood and trunk, but nothing major.  I also had frame connectors installed.  Right now it is painted and awaiting wet sanding and buffing.  On the hours I understood that things vary, but the 1000 hours was if I dropped off the car as I bought it and he disassembled and reassembled everything.  This care was disassembled when delivered  except for doors and I will have to reassemble when I get it back.  For this kind of money it should have benen ready to drive when I get it back.

[hemi-hampton]

Can we see Pics of Painted Product in Question LEON.

[Charger-Bodie]

1000 hours is rediculous for whats been done......A novice could have stumbled thru it i that amount of time. 

[69 OUR/TEA]

1000 hours is rediculous for whats been done......A novice could have stumbled thru it i that amount of time. 

       
     

[gasoline_24]

Here are the pics of the current progress.

[gasoline_24]

Here are some more.  You can also see some of the progress on this thread:  http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,47116.msg579183.html#msg579183

[gasoline_24]

And more

[gasoline_24]

and more

[gasoline_24]

and more

[elitecustombody]

I replaced the drivers floor pan, both rear quarters, dutchman panel, full trunk floor, rear frame rails, rear valance, tailpanel, patched some around rear window and a few other patches.  I also had some work that needed done on the hood and trunk, but nothing major.  I also had frame connectors installed.  Right now it is painted and awaiting wet sanding and buffing.  On the hours I understood that things vary, but the 1000 hours was if I dropped off the car as I bought it and he disassembled and reassembled everything.  This care was disassembled when delivered  except for doors and I will have to reassemble when I get it back.  For this kind of money it should have benen ready to drive when I get it back.

you got hosed my friend,sorry to hear that, I wish I could find customers like you ,that job should have cost you under 30k,especially when the car was already torn down and you will be putting it back together,6 months is more than plenty to do a job like that,I don't know what that guy is smoking,but there is nowhere near 1000 hours spent there

if you have another car that needs work, let me know, I will even pick it up and deliver it when finished  at no charge

Stefan

[HeavyFuel]

This is how my car went to the shop.........in June of 06.

[HeavyFuel]

more

[HeavyFuel]

Does this look too hard? 

Really, my car is hardly a basket case. 

I want to kick by body guy in the nuts.

[Charger-Bodie]

I wouldnt mind working that car! If you were willing to wait until our schedule clears up some.
I am in Iowa though.