Qtr Panel Evaluation
03-29-2012, 10:41 PM
#11
S197 Section Modder-ator
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Orlando FL
Posts: 13,373
10K is not unreasonable. If the guy at the body shop knows and cares what he is doing, he damn well knows (judging from the pictures) that from the knee down, much if not most of the sheet metal is going to have to go.
In other words, if the body shop guy quotes 6K to replace the quarters, repair the shock towers, fix the toe board and throw a paint job on the car, then "finds" that the floors, frame rails, cowl, etc. need replacing as well. Lets not forget that this work will involve taking the entire freaking car apart, near every nut and bolt, every piece of trim, every piece of interior... (then all of this stuff has to be put together)... what kind of shape is the wiring in? Is the shop going to assemble the car over crap wires? Is this car going to be assembled without painting the interior panels and jambs? What about the brittle and worn pieces that break on dis-assembly? What about the "come backs" for a rattles, or now my heater blower doesn't work? How about removing and replacing the glass to check for rust in the windshield and back glass channels?
I don't want to be a downer here, but imo, the bill for a "good" paint job on top of all of the rust repair that is going to need to be done, it will be closer to 15K, or even 25K or more for a "show" paint job, (if the shop is good enough to check and correctly repair everything mentioned above).
Counting shop hours on a project like this ain't even comparable to "Joe car guy" doing the work in his garage.
So how about a 35K "old" Mustang?
Sounds outrageous! but the funny thing is that it ain't outrageous to pay 45 or 50K for a new car that depreciates 33% as soon as it crosses the curb at the dealership.... Think about it..
In other words, if the body shop guy quotes 6K to replace the quarters, repair the shock towers, fix the toe board and throw a paint job on the car, then "finds" that the floors, frame rails, cowl, etc. need replacing as well. Lets not forget that this work will involve taking the entire freaking car apart, near every nut and bolt, every piece of trim, every piece of interior... (then all of this stuff has to be put together)... what kind of shape is the wiring in? Is the shop going to assemble the car over crap wires? Is this car going to be assembled without painting the interior panels and jambs? What about the brittle and worn pieces that break on dis-assembly? What about the "come backs" for a rattles, or now my heater blower doesn't work? How about removing and replacing the glass to check for rust in the windshield and back glass channels?
I don't want to be a downer here, but imo, the bill for a "good" paint job on top of all of the rust repair that is going to need to be done, it will be closer to 15K, or even 25K or more for a "show" paint job, (if the shop is good enough to check and correctly repair everything mentioned above).
Counting shop hours on a project like this ain't even comparable to "Joe car guy" doing the work in his garage.
So how about a 35K "old" Mustang?
Sounds outrageous! but the funny thing is that it ain't outrageous to pay 45 or 50K for a new car that depreciates 33% as soon as it crosses the curb at the dealership.... Think about it..For that amount ($6K), I ain't touching that car.
And don't fall for this "Ford tooling" crap on the aftermarket sheet metal referring to quality...
The fit is approximate at best, lol.
I did a 65 vert last year and the job included full quarters, factory style.
I ended up using only the skin, the contour and trunk/tail area were so bad.
Spent a whole week on those POS quarters, not counting blocking and everything else.
So $1200 a side is not even in the ball park.
Take a look at those pics...
See what you have to do to make a rear valence panel fit on a 69 Mach.
The quarters were original, rust free and never messed with. It's madness.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Had to relocate the bracket in the back more than a 1/4", lol
03-30-2012, 11:02 AM
#12
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: AR
Posts: 5,469
JDM, don't you own a body shop?
Got about $12k in the body work and paint. the paint is show quality too.... I guess that is the difference between going to a professional big show and a small one man body shop. (I will say that it did take 2 years to get the car back though)
Got about $12k in the body work and paint. the paint is show quality too.... I guess that is the difference between going to a professional big show and a small one man body shop. (I will say that it did take 2 years to get the car back though)
I AM NOT one of those shops that does "high end" paint work, I am into good driver cars.
I have spent a day at a shop that pretty much only does $20,000+ paint jobs (Crisp Paint and Body in Phoenix, and they earn their money), if you managed to get a shop to deliver a paint job that good for half the price, then damn good job! But, I can say with near certainty the shop that did the work on your cars didn't make a cent from you, that guy is a friend!
Lets do the math, $10,000 at $45 an hour body shop rate is about 220 man hours, (27 days of shop time) without considering the cost of replacement metal, replacement parts and trim, primer, paint and consumables..... Realistically, this "stuff" is going to to eat up about1/2 of this $10,000, meaning to get a return of $45 an hour, ONE MAN only has 13 1/2 days to do all of the disassembly, rust repair, prepping, sanding, priming, blocking (priming and blocking at least 3 times), painting, cutting, buffing, reassemble, test, and de-bug (are you going to put all of those old ****ty weather seals on that new paint?).....
Bullsh!t, I don't care if SUPERMAN runs that shop.... $40 an hour is break even at best....
Even on Overhaulin, it takes a crew of 30 or so people a week to build a car....
Last edited by JMD; 03-30-2012 at 11:40 AM.
03-30-2012, 11:55 AM
#13
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: AR
Posts: 5,469
Wishful thinking....
I see it all the time, a customer gets a quote to have a specific job done, puts the car in the shop, then decides to have me do twice the work, and then complains that the bill is double my quote.... Sometimes the best outcome for a scenario like this is waiting several weeks to get paid for a "discounted" ticket. It's just bad.
Very few established shops owners are going to want to give a "set" price that isn't high to start wit for a project like this...
And remember, many sins can be covered by a generous layer of body filler....
I see it all the time, a customer gets a quote to have a specific job done, puts the car in the shop, then decides to have me do twice the work, and then complains that the bill is double my quote.... Sometimes the best outcome for a scenario like this is waiting several weeks to get paid for a "discounted" ticket. It's just bad.
Very few established shops owners are going to want to give a "set" price that isn't high to start wit for a project like this...
And remember, many sins can be covered by a generous layer of body filler....
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