Finding a Body Shop for my 70 RR
- Thread starter DMateya
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I don't see many 68/9s with aluminum slots........ that looks great, I have a set of slots for mine
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May not be the greatest, but it's far better than what I (we) had to use years ago before they became available.
My new AMD quarters needed some work- both sides in the same places.
One thing you might try is go talk to local auto body paint stores, they know some guys
One thing you might try is go talk to local auto body paint stores, they know some guys
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gkent
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Because this (circled) area needs MAJOR massaging for the trim to fit !! If the bodyman doesn't pay attention and fix this, you're screwed!
I this photo It looks like the dutchman is too high. But if it was brought down then the trim won't fit into the corner of the quarter. So in this case there are TWO issues - 1) the ditchman needs to be adjusted and then 2) the corner of the quarter needs major massaging.
I'd really like to know how this area was corrected on this car. I only discovered this issue after all the bodywork and paint was done - the sheet metal guy obviously never checked the trim fit! Now I'm thinking. The only solution for me right now is to try and tweek the trim to fit. That or MAJOR bodywork to a finished car !!!
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yup....... I probably have a day on each side getting things to snap in place and lay down perfectly ........
the issues went right up the sail, as it was about 3/16 too wide; if the original part that drops over the edge wasn't rotted, I'd have kept it in place and did a simple butt weld
Coelacanth
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My Charger sat in slumber for over 15 years because I didn't know someone or a shop I could trust with my specific vision. It was only by chance that I needed an appraisal on my 2008 Pontiac Torrent GXP that was totaled when a lady ran a red light, to fight my insurance company offering a dreadful lowball to replace the car...and the guy who was recommended for the appraisal was a car guy, we got talking about muscle cars, my GN and Charger, and he told me about a guy he knew that worked out of his own shop out at an acreage 90 minutes away...the guy (Mark) did the bodywork on his 50's hotrod, and like my Charger, his hotrod was mostly disassembled in advance. The price he paid--and he said his hotrod was more disassembled even than mine--was almost too low to believe...like $18K (Canadian). It was several years ago though, but I got Mark's contact info, eventually he came over to take a close look at the Charger and told me about $25K.
My Charger needed a new trunk floor, front & rear valance, rear valance corners, front floor pans, both lower rear quarter sections, some work on the front quarters, some work on the cowl. Later it was discovered we needed a torsion bar crossmember too. I provided all the new sheetmetal that I had already, but I only had one side lower rear quarter half. Mark used it to make a template to fix the other side.
He invited me out several times during the 6-month process (yeah, amazing, only 6 months!) to discuss my wants and unexpected surprises. The final total was about $27.5K but that still seems like a great bargain, compared to what I've seen others complain about and getting ripped off, which is just sad. I consider myself extremely lucky.
The body & paint process is documented in my Grendel Lives project thread.
My Charger needed a new trunk floor, front & rear valance, rear valance corners, front floor pans, both lower rear quarter sections, some work on the front quarters, some work on the cowl. Later it was discovered we needed a torsion bar crossmember too. I provided all the new sheetmetal that I had already, but I only had one side lower rear quarter half. Mark used it to make a template to fix the other side.
He invited me out several times during the 6-month process (yeah, amazing, only 6 months!) to discuss my wants and unexpected surprises. The final total was about $27.5K but that still seems like a great bargain, compared to what I've seen others complain about and getting ripped off, which is just sad. I consider myself extremely lucky.
The body & paint process is documented in my Grendel Lives project thread.
gkent
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27.5k - was that including bodywork and paint or just the sheet metal replacement?
If you ever watched Legendary Motor Cars ten years or so ago, it was their sheet metal guy who did my 69 RR metalwork - he was out on his own by then. He fucked up virtually everything he touched. The front end was so bad it all had to be cut off, new stuff bought and re-installed. To his credit, he could probably hand-form just about anything BUT he absolutely sucked at fitting panels !! Not only was his final price 50% more than his original quote (nothing extra done), but it cost me roughly 9k to have the front end redone.
If you ever watched Legendary Motor Cars ten years or so ago, it was their sheet metal guy who did my 69 RR metalwork - he was out on his own by then. He fucked up virtually everything he touched. The front end was so bad it all had to be cut off, new stuff bought and re-installed. To his credit, he could probably hand-form just about anything BUT he absolutely sucked at fitting panels !! Not only was his final price 50% more than his original quote (nothing extra done), but it cost me roughly 9k to have the front end redone.
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Coelacanth
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Bodywork and paint. I supplied the front floor pans, trunk floor, one lower quarter half, rear valance and corners and crossmember. Most of those I purchased many years ago and were hoarding them for the eventual bodywork. In addition to the obvious sheetmetal work, he had to weld in a patch on the driver side firewall above the floor pan seam where there was a rust hole, and hammer out a dimple I put in the hood years ago when I closed it with the oil breather cap sitting on the air cleaner. I basically supplied all the parts, which were fortunately mostly all bought pre-Covid.
gkent
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If he did a decent job, you got a smokin' deal. These days even "the average joe" is $100/hour shop rate plus materials. If you think about it, 6 months is roughly 1,000 hours of labour. Do the math.
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if I got 100 per; no one would be in the game 
......... there's anywhere from 650-1000 hours to efficiently piece and paint today's average B body to a high standard
......... there's anywhere from 650-1000 hours to efficiently piece and paint today's average B body to a high standard
Coelacanth
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He did very good work, he's won several show awards and a few best-in-shows, one of which is a '57 Chevy Sedan Delivery that he rescued from a junk yard that was about to be crushed. Lots of trophies displayed on the wall. I was indeed lucky he was recommended to me by the insurance appraiser. I wasn't looking for show car results mind you...Grendel is no rotisserie chicken.
gkent
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So what's you're point, that you're working for peanuts ?!?!?
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honey roasted cashews
pretty much no overhead helps everyone
pretty much no overhead helps everyone
If you have too much work, then you're not charging enough.
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If you have too much work, then you're not charging enough.
I'm penciling you in for spring
I'm penciling you in for spring
gkent
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Ho's charge reasonable prices. You're a **** !
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