Whose had a shop do a full body restoration and how much did you pay?

[AKcharger]

I was going to do the major structual work on my '70 myself, but I've changed my mind, I'm planning to strip it bare, bring it to a shop and let them do the 1/4s  rear valance and assocated old rust repairs. I'll do the final body work, paint and assembly.

Anyone have a shop do JUST the structual work? I saw U.S. car tool does a "body in white" that is unibody only repair from $17K, seems a bit high to me, considering hood/doors/trunk and front fenders aren't touched.


...Anyone, Anyone...Bueler?

[charger_fan_4ever]

Most places local to me go by the hour. You never know what you will dig up once you jump in and seems once you've put a number out there as a ball park figure by the time the car is done your held to it no matter what.
I'm curious also to here what people have paid.



My brothers have run a shop for over 30 years. They try to stray away from restorations as most people that aren't really car guys don't understand the labour involved. The restorations they have done over the past 10 years they go by the hour and regular payments a must.

[elacruze]

I used the US Cartool BIW program as a baseline for my pricing (it was only $15k then)
My body guy gets $45/hr, and to date (near ready for final paint) his labor charges come to about $5k. You can see how much work has been done on my resto thread -

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,66411.msg744819.html#msg744819

We've replaced all four corners, both rockers, trunk floor, and done lots of little work here and there. He encapsulated all the exposed inner frames when available. The panel gaps are so close Honda would be envious. He also installed my US Cartool frame connectors, and welded in torque boxes.

[69*F5*SE]

Just had a guy give me a price of $200 per full quarter installed providing I remove the old quarters. 

[71ChallengeHer]

Bill, There is a place right behind me. The Rod Shop. About 45 minutes south of Carlisle. I can get you his #. He does great work, plus he is a really honest guy. He's doing work on my Chally this fall. Plus he has done other work for me. 

[Cooter]

Haven't paid anybody since around 1987, but I do do it for others...

I charge $90/hour, cause MY free time is only "Free" to ME...Everyubody else will pay for it...Bodywork is like anything else, you get what you pay for...You go with the cheapest in town by the hour, and your sure to be back here bitch'in bout the work and how you shoulda paid the going rate from the start.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rules, I used to be just that..Doing quality work for cheap..I have since learned thjat no matter how well you do the work, there's always someone gonna brinig it back and bitch until you just simply give him all his money back and you can't satisfy him/her...

[elacruze]

I charge $90/hour, cause MY free time is only "Free" to ME...Everyubody else will pay for it...

Amen to that!

I'll help somebody piddle around on their car, but if they want to hand over a mission to me, I make certain that they understand the price. I explain to them (if they don't know me already) that if they want to go fishing, it's BOTH our free time they're paying for.

[Chatt69chgr]

A friend of mine just had a 66 Belvedere II body done.  They had to do a patch panel on left rear qtr.  Some other work.  Blocked body and epoxy primed.  They charged $30/hr and I think it cost him around $8k.  He got it painted black for another $1800.  The car looks flawless.  Panels are perfectly straight.  They did discuss $$ up front but the cost kept creeping up.  But basically, they charge by the hour.  You really have to be going by and checking on progress every couple of days to make sure all of their time is on your car and that they are actually spending the time they say.  Unannounced visits.  But remember that while you are there, they probably won't be working and you will still be paying for that time too.  Some places might let you help to try to defray the costs.  Or you could do some of the easy stuff before you take it to be worked.  Bottom line, time is money.

[no318]

A friend of mine just had a 66 Belvedere II body done.  They had to do a patch panel on left rear qtr.  Some other work.  Blocked body and epoxy primed.  They charged $30/hr and I think it cost him around $8k.  He got it painted black for another $1800.  The car looks flawless.  Panels are perfectly straight.  They did discuss $$ up front but the cost kept creeping up.  But basically, they charge by the hour.  You really have to be going by and checking on progress every couple of days to make sure all of their time is on your car and that they are actually spending the time they say.  Unannounced visits.  But remember that while you are there, they probably won't be working and you will still be paying for that time too.  Some places might let you help to try to defray the costs.  Or you could do some of the easy stuff before you take it to be worked.  Bottom line, time is money.

BUT, you don't want to be a pest and so they hurry and get it done to get you off their back.  My shop has this motto:  "CHEAP, FAST, GOOD; PICK 2".  You won't get all 3. 

[AKcharger]

Copy all Guys (thanks for the suggestion Jakie)

I'm smellin' what you're cooking, you get what you pay for, and I expect to pay for someones skills and experience. I'm just wondering if that cost is going to be prohibitive, If I've got to pay $20K for structual work only (I do all assy/body and paint) on an otherwise nice looking, completly drivable car...screw that! I'll just drive it and forget about another resto. Other concern is I tear the car apart, drop it off and it sits and sits. I hear that story ALL the time. What kind of recourse do you have when you get pushed to the back of the line and forgotten?