Decisions decisions...Need advice..

[68 General]

Hey guys, this place has been nothing but helpful so far, so once again I call on the help of those more experienced than me..I have a 68 RT sitting down home, strung into a billion pieces for restoration..I've got new fenders, the doors are done, the hood is basically done, as is the deck lid..I have all new sheet metal (what I could purchase at the time I got everything, now there are more pieces available that I have not gotten yet) by way of Quarters (not the full ones, unfortunately) outer rockers, trunk floor and extensions, rear valance and caps, front valance, inner and outer fenderwells..

Of course, this is all well and good..or would be if I had the place to actually work on my car (long story, but the place it is currently sitting is no longer an option) ..My dilema, is that I don't know what to do..I consider myself a halfway decent body man, and I can weld, but I doubt myself far too much to attempt to try to fabricate missing pieces, or to try to weld quarters on my car..

So thus far I have limited options of: Either finding a shell that already has the metalwork done, and pay out the wazoo, or pay out the wazoo to have all the metalwork done to my own car..


Any advice? I've had the car for almost 10 years now, and really want to see it back on the road again within the next couple years at least..Anyone have any info on what the typical shop might charge to ONLY do metalwork, if I supply the metal?

What would you guys do?



Any info/advice is apreciated

Chris

[Old Moparz]

Your location might help other members give you a reference to a shop. As far as cost, you are going to get numbers all over the place. One guy will tell you you can get the metal done for $1500, & another guy will tell you $15,000. There are members on this forum that do restoration work & you can find them in the services offered forum.

I got a quote several years ago from Auto Rust Technicians in RI, that I thought was fair. They were going to do all the passenger compartment floors, 2 front frame rails, 2 quarters, tail panel, torque boxes, sub frame connectors, & a few other areas for $4500 on this......

[Troy]

Your location will definitely help. Looks like you might be in Ohio. One shop northeast of here was recently advertising basically the entire back half (quarters, trunk floor and extensions, rear valance, etc.) for $4,500. I think a one piece floor (passenger compartment) was under $900. Labor rates here are definitely cheaper than on either coast.

FYI - my 68 was reasonably solid to start with and has since had all the metal work done. I tried to sell it for a long time for around $11k and no one offered anywhere close. There's another one locally for $10,500 that's been for sale for over a year. I don't know why people will buy a car for $2-3k that needs $6k worth of metal and $10k worth of labor to make it solid when there are cheaper cars that already have that work finished. I have done it multiple times now but I'm a perfectionist (and probably an idiot). I can see it if you are a professional body man (or don't have to pay much for labor) and have your own shop and tools but, otherwise, you can buy one for less than you can build one.

Troy

[68 General]

Yes, my appologies, I'm in Columbus ohio currently, and the car is in Athens Ohio

[7chargers]

My car sounds to be in the very same kid of condition and trust me my motivation to say the least the last few years has been I would love to drive it but how do I get to that point with out breaking the bank. My advise would be what I have now found my motivation, strip the car down not anymore than you have to but enough to do some of the work yourself. I plan on doing the floors, the trunk pan and some rear rail work, why do those pieces myself? Easy I can make some welding errors and learn along the way but yet you will not be able to see my amatuer errors like you would in a quarter pannel or rear panel. Once I do all the welding that I can, I will search around and find a place to do the quarters, the rear valance and shoot the car in primer. Hopfully I will save alittle money instead of giving my car to a body guy with all the metal work do. When that is acomplished I feel most of the hard work will be over and start puting the finishing touches on the car and put it back together.  I also am a perfectionist but have come to the realization that if I don't want to spend another 25 grand on a restoration and want to drive and enjoy my car i might have to settle with a "solid presentalble looking car" then a show car.

I agree with Troy looking back I should have spent alittle more and found a car that did not need as much as my current project, It would have saved me money and time... 

[68 General]

I totally agree, but the options for chargers in my area at the time I got mine were, one guy had one in Dayton who wouldnt answer the phone, and one that my friend found in the backcountry that I ended up finding and buying, and that was it..lol

But yeah, if I had it to do over again, I probably would save money, or take a bigger loan and buy a general lee already completed. Ah well, ya live and learn, and it's not costing me anything right now..

Unfortunately, it's stripped to the gills at the moment, and if I'd have had any sense at all, I would have never messed with it, and would still be driving it. My avatar  (albeit a small pic) is what it looked like at the time I tore it apart..it needed work from a previous body job (probably 10+ years before I got it) but nothing had holes, and actually was a really good driver, sans some small issues..but hey, what 43 year old car DOESNT have issues, short of a fully restored showcar..and even then i'm certain the owner could nitpick SOMETHING ..

My motivation is still there, although it comes in spurts..mainly due to the fact that I have a place to keep it for now, and when I lose the place to keep it, I have little options as to where to move it to, and even less options of tools, and the means to work on it..