Interesting deal...should I take it?

[jcluvsu]

While driving my 62 GT last Saturday I was stopped by a fella that admired the car. He owns a car body shop and I guess he's looking for work. Anyways...he told me he would do my metal work on the outside (fix the rust holes, repair the right side rocker panel, and my two front floor pans ( I have the pans), remove all my trim, and get the car ready for paint for $1100.00 . I got his card and will look at some of the work he has done before I put out the cash. This is work I need to do but at this time I don't have the time as I am working on my house to get ready to sell it.


Maybe I can get the trunk fixed too.


Here are some pictures of what needs to be done. I am getting with the fella on Monday to discuss the terms.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcluvsu/sets/72157625466705266/

[rockne10]

No.
Just my opinion; based on living with Studebakers for four decades and spending fifteen years of avocational time in a body shop. $1100 won't even get you much of a cosmetic restoration. Even at only $40/hr you'll get 27 hours of prep. And that's still just prepped for paint. Two years later you will wish you had invested that money in the foundation of a good restoration.

Still...just my opinion.

[kurtruk]

DEFINITELY check our his other work AS WELL as his shop. My sister had a guy approach her about some body work on her daily driver. Slapped some Bondo on right in her driveway. Did not sand off the paint first, etc. Bad, bad, bad.

[JimC]

I don't know. My general policy is that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Of course, I don't know this guy. He might really be a top notch body man who is down on his luck thanks to the economy, and since it's almost entirely labor he figures $1100 is way better than nothing to eat this week. All the same though, I would be extremely skeptical, and if I did go with him, every last word of the agreement would need to be in writing.

[JDP]

I don't know. My general policy is that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Of course, I don't know this guy. He might really be a top notch body man who is down on his luck thanks to the economy, and since it's almost entirely labor he figures $1100 is way better than nothing to eat this week. All the same though, I would be extremely skeptical, and if I did go with him, every last word of the agreement would need to be in writing.

I've often used body shop workers that do some work on the side at home, or in my garage. They are happier doing work for say $25/hour cash than get less than half the body shops labor rate.

[Kdancy]

No, sounds like a good bondo man to me.
I'm doing a Jag XKE right now, the car looked pretty good and the owner wanted a color change. We ground upwards of 1/2" bondo spread over the front clip assembly, the prior shop had just covered up the dents and needed metal work with bondo and sculpted it out with bondo. I don't think you want the rust and needed work done that way unless your going to flip the car and sell it to an unsuspecting buyer.

http://s294.photobucket.com/albums/mm97/studebaker2/1970%20Jaguar/

[packardHawk58]

This is 8Hrs work, notice no bondo! The plate at the lower front of the fender is factory Packard Hawk.

[Corvanti]

i'd be like Timothy Leary's brother, Really Leary!!!

[jclary]

My take on this is that ( being an incurable tinkerer), if I can buy the tools for what I can pay someone else to do the job...I'll buy the equipment and have tons of fun learning the skills to use it.

I have had the good fortune to find a vehicle or two that did not need a ton of work to make them presentable. When I did find a car that needed some serious sheet metal work, I began to visit body shops. Like a six-year-old with insatiable curiosity, I would ask more questions than many wanted to hear, much less answer.

What I learned was that most body shops make their money repairing fender benders as quick as possible. Most seemed to use methods (tech-screws, Pop-rivets, bondo, etc.) and what ever tricks of the trade they can use to patch, carpet over, goop over, and get the work out the door as soon as possible. They get the payment from the insurance company and move on to the next job.

Most seem to look at old car business with the excitement of a trip to the dentist. That is why you often get outlandish quotes for the work because it rarely results in good profit or a satisfied customer!

What I observed in my experience was that the quality of work I wanted for my beloved vehicle was rarely seen at a general body shop. What I saw at true restoration shops...I couldn't afford.

I figured that if I was going to pay for lousy work...I might as well buy the equipment and do the lousy work myself. Then, I would have the equipment to do even more lousy work on any other vehicle I might stumble across in the future. So far...it has worked out better than I thought it would, and I have a room full of trophies to prove it.

At least now when I want to give the mechanic a hard time...I only have to walk to the nearest mirror to do it!

[8E45E]

What I learned was that most body shops make their money repairing fender benders as quick as possible. Most seemed to use methods (tech-screws, Pop-rivets, bondo, etc.) and what ever tricks of the trade they can use to patch, carpet over, goop over, and get the work out the door as soon as possible. They get the payment from the insurance company and move on to the next job.

Most seem to look at old car business with the excitement of a trip to the dentist. That is why you often get outlandish quotes for the work because it rarely results in good profit or a satisfied customer!

What I observed in my experience was that the quality of work I wanted for my beloved vehicle was rarely seen at a general body shop. What I saw at true restoration shops...I couldn't afford.

I figured that if I was going to pay for lousy work...I might as well buy the equipment and do the lousy work myself. Then, I would have the equipment to do even more lousy work on any other vehicle I might stumble across in the future. So far...it has worked out better than I thought it would, and I have a room full of trophies to prove it.

That is very well stated, and is the exact truth. We have two members here in our chapter who are professional bodymen, and one still owns a body shop. Same as you, I did all the prep work prior to painting Big Bertha, including sandblasting the frame, etc. About the only work the professionals did was the final painting of it, as I don't have the necessary $30K downdraft paint booth to attain that spot and blemish-free finish. I did ask him after what my final bill would have been had I brought the truck to him 'as was', rusty frame and all. His reply was "We WOULDN'T!" Then his words were almost exactly what you stated word for word. As a high-turnover business, even though he loves vintage cars with a small collection of his own, a restoration is not in their line of work as it just doesn't maintain a healty cash flow.

Craig

[karterfred88]

Sounds too good to me. If he's going to replace your floor pans, that looks alot easier than it is, he may get them cut out and give you a call that he needs more money--and you can't move the car anymore!!. Post some pictures of the work that needs to be done, doubt it can be done in 40 hours. Unless he's starving for work and working for $10.00 an hour it sounds way too cheap.

[jcluvsu]

Thanks, fellas. Most of you are like me in your thinking. "NO FREE LUNCH". "There's a sucker born every minute". "If it seems to good to be true...it probably is". This is another thing I like about this forum. People aren't afraid to give their opinion.

I too was skepticle but it still sounded interesting. I still would like to see some of his work though and bring a magnet.

PS...I'll try to post some pictures today.

[sweetolbob]

Thanks, fellas. Most of you are like me in your thinking. "NO FREE LUNCH". "There's a sucker born every minute". "If it seems to good to be true...it probably is". This is another thing I like about this forum. People aren't afraid to give their opinion.

I too was skepticle but it still sounded interesting. I still would like to see some of his work though and bring a magnet.

PS...I'll try to post some pictures today.

I'm not sure why $1100 is a free lunch, Check work he has done, give him payments as he progresses and set a schedule to see his progress as a condition of payment. If he covers his work before you inspect it then no payment.

When I built my house, I subcontracted to a lot of low bidders and got great work but I checked. Also slip him a $20 or a case of his favorite beer/pop on occasion, Has this forum started to forget there are ways to deal with folks on a person to person basis. Has served me well for 50 years.

Trust but Verify is a quote I remember.

Schhhhesh!! He probably needs the money so it could be a Win/Win if set up correctly.

Bob

[Pat Dilling]

If the other work he has done looks good, get it in writing from him exactly what he will do for $1100, and how long it will take him. Also ask to speak with others who have used his services. Not everyone who offers to do work for you is a crook or incompetent. Just do your due diligence before jumping in, and make sure it is payment on delivery. There is another thread going about questionable work done to a forum members '54 Coupe. I think that was surely a case of different expectations between the customer and the shop. Good lessons for all of us.

[ralt12]

It's too low for a quality job. I'd move on.