Wiring comes easy. Buy the parts, do a neat logical job. For me sanding bondo is an art. No matter what I try the work has waves. Lots of garage words. I think it's a touch thing.
Up the pay to where a good shop can not refuse it or just do it yourself. Cover the increased rent for the young guy for two months. How bad do you want it done? Money talks. As stated before, If you started on the body work two years ago, it would be finished. Can always wait two more. Neal
I'm starting to straighten out '29 rear 1/4's after removing 3/4" bondo. All I have is a few hammers and dollys, some bondo and time. Learning how the metal is made to move is interesting and I'm finally near skim coat. Sanding is not a fav, but I'm learning and then walk away for a bit and do something else to the car. Being retired, I have the time but not enough to pay someone else and I'll get it through a couple coats of PPG epoxy primer. If you got all the mechanics working in a year, you should do all right. Like said above, there's plenty of verbal direction available right here on the HAMB if you need some guidance. RB
I think I get where the OP is coming from, he wants a professional to do the final sanding because pros have a better eye and feel than those of us who only do it occasionally. When I prepped my Jeep pickup for paint about 10 years ago I was pretty proud of the block sanding and prep work I had done. A bodyshop friend of mine stopped by and ran his hand over it and said "bring it over to my shop and you and I will do a little more prep work on it because it isn't done yet." That "little bit of prep work" turned out to be every night for a week, with him using a DA and hammer and dolly to get the body straight enough to spray. I was only too happy to pay him to do it for me because the Jeep turned out great. My point is, a professional bodyman will see and feel places that most of us would never notice, and the final job can turn out so much better if one of them does the final prep. I think that is what the OP is thinking too. Don
This thread is sure to be full of "Captain Obvious" replies. I'm particularly amused by the "...$800 in materials..." response. That should cover sandpaper, filler, some solvents and worthwhile primers. The biggest mistake in the whole idea is 2 words...B O D Y S H O P. Body shops and their techs profit on being able to accomplish 12+ hours of "book work" in 8 or less every day. Body shop owners profit on repair parts and material sales/mark up. Restoration/custom shops have to put that profit into their hourly rates. The average custom/resto rate nationwide is about $65/hr. Many are much higher exceeding $100/hr. Liability insurance, taxes, payroll, worker's comp, equipment, and on and on and on and, well, you get it. Hard work? Yeah, if you want it right. I'd hope you didn't sweat getting the top right, engineering suspension, aligning panels, and all the other misc tasks just exactly where you want them in order to let it look like it was painted with foam roller and Rustoleum. Give this final job the respect it deserves, either by your hand or that of a pro and you'll be happy 10yrs from now. Live in the future of this project, not in the moment. That's all I got...
I talked to a friend who has a body shop to see if he'd do some welding for me. Said he sold his welder, all the insurance jobs these days are bolt or glue on panels. At least that's what he told me anyway. Another guy wanted to do the work, told me I was 2nd in line with a car already in his shop. That was a year ago. It was probably a blessing that I wasn't next in line because that dude has been paying hourly rates for a year.
Do you have a local community college with a autobody program? We have a local tech school where there is a summer program where you can bring in your own car to work on. No greater satisfaction than doing it yourself.
While glueing on the panels is more prevelant these days even the glue-on panels are usually tack welded in spots per the manufacturer's recommendation - he still has that welder or he would not be able to glue on a rear quarter per the instructions they get with them.
That's what I thought, so Tinbender's reply above yours is accurate ... I wish people wouldn't be afraid to say no, you know what I mean?
Don't go to a body shop. Go to a body shop supply place and ask who does freelance, they should know who's who in your area.
It's used in combination with welding or mechanical fastening such as self piercing rivets. The Idea that modern body shops glue everything together is internet ignorance. The insurance companies don't and legally can't dictate repair procedure. That's determined by the OEM. Most manufactures require anchor welds at the corner of panels at a minimum. Weld bonding is the most common. There are a few repairs that require bonding only. It's VERY specific to make and model. There are quite a few applications for the technology in restoration but not patch panels. You can stiffen the shit out of new floors and rockers and such, but still you need to add welds. As to the OP, go to a restorer or hot rod shop. Few modern body shops have the time or patience for our cars.
Thanks for not taking my statement personally. We should all try to keep the info as accurate as possible.
I agree here. No pro wants to do finish work over the top of anybody's work. If it fails for any reason who do you think gets the blame? You got it, the preper and painter.
True. Send it down here to Texas. I'll do it. It's not hard, just tedious. I'll paint it , cut and buff it too. I'll stand behind it too. You will pay for it though.
If my boss gave me a job like that i'd pack up my tools and walk out the door. But then again i go home and work on shit like that and i'm ok with it. Go figure.
I am in Albany NY and work for a bodyshop. I actually building a 54 for myself. We dont typically do insurance work, typically we do wholesale/dealer work, however I dont mind taking on a job like this, but like others said, I am gonna strip off other peoples mess and start fresh with my work which I know and can trust. Its more work but I am not gonna put my name on some other chumps work with who knows what underneath. Its up to you, if you feel like dragging the car 6 hours each way that's your call. I would post some pictures of how the car currently sits.
Ok all you haters. I posted a photo album of the car on my profile page along with some recent paint and fab work I did. Don't insult my work ethic or my abilities. I'm going to finishing prepping the car for paint myself. FTW!
If you can get the car as far as you have-you have the ability to get the car to completion-Go for it! Your attention to detail will not let you do a bad job.
At the resto shop i work at, if you brought your car to us it would be sitting in a corner for about 2-3 months b4 we could even get to it. Some shops tell you to bring your car in so they know they have the business and get to it when they get to it if its not a big paying job. Insurance jobs will pay better than a strictly bodywork job. You need to find a body guy that does stuff on the side. If you lived closer id tell you to bring it over. Good luck man.....
I've read some very good synopsis of this situation without ever seeing a photo of the car. Now that I have seen the photos, I see the number one issue is responsibility for the finished product. I can't tell how rough it is with it in primer. It may be smooth as a baby's butt or not. I can't tell if the metal work was done properly or if it's just patched up because it's covered up. I can't tell if the filler applied to the car is not too thick because I didn't put it on, and it's covered up. I can't tell if the primer on the car was applied properly and is of good quality because I didn't put it on the car. Now you want me to put this in my shop, just sand it down and shoot the paint because you've done all the hard part. Then of course you will expect it to look super good because all I did was just spray it, you did all the hard work. And you will expect me to stand behind the job because I'm the professional and that is why you brought it to me. Are you beginning to see the problem here? It's not that we don't want to work on your car for your cash, it's that we don't want to be your warranty for your work. From what I've seen of your other work on the bikes, it's time for you to pick up the sandpaper and get with it, like it or not. And then, either spray it yourself or take it down to a maco and have it sprayed. Then, pick up the sandpaper and go again only this time do some color sanding and some polishing. You've done it with the bikes, now do it with the car. And when it turns out as nice as the bikes, think how you will feel showing that album! You can do this! I sincerely hope that I have not insulted you in any way because that was not my intent and if I have, please accept my apology. This is what I see, no disrespect intended to anyone - including maco. Dave.
what I don't understand is all you hambers, ASSUME Joe has done a bad job...WTF.??? I too have owned body shops in the past and we all know that when the customer says, "it' ready for paint" run like hell....but why brand the guy without any proof
For real! there is a lot of computer car building going on now days! talking about it is one thing but doing it they cant!! i do this shit everyday and love what i do! i have done these types of jobs before,charge by the hour and it should be just fine! he wants to pay for it ! in this industry thats amazing itself!!!!
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