Re: ? body in white program ?
[Re: birdboy]
#83368
07/08/08 09:55 AM
07/08/08 09:55 AM
|
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,109 Hiram, Georgia
474218
super stock
|
super stock
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,109
Hiram, Georgia
|
Quote:
anyone do the body in white program? how long to get done? happy with results? would you do it again? is price set depending on how much work needs to be done?
The old 2.2/2.5 FWD Mopar Performance Book has this to say about "body-in-white:
A "body-in-white" is a car (or truck) body only and includes all the sheet metal, fenders, doors, hood and trunk lid. There is nothing but sheet metal, no paint, primer, suspension, fuel tank, electrical, glass, interior, etc.
They can only be picked up at the factory and must be fully paid for at time of order.
Addtionally only current year bodies are available.
|
|
|
Re: ? body in white program ?
[Re: 474218]
#83369
07/08/08 10:08 AM
07/08/08 10:08 AM
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
Too Many Posts
|
Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
|
Quote:
Quote:
anyone do the body in white program? how long to get done? happy with results? would you do it again? is price set depending on how much work needs to be done?
The old 2.2/2.5 FWD Mopar Performance Book has this to say about "body-in-white:
A "body-in-white" is a car (or truck) body only and includes all the sheet metal, fenders, doors, hood and trunk lid. There is nothing but sheet metal, no paint, primer, suspension, fuel tank, electrical, glass, interior, etc.
They can only be picked up at the factory and must be fully paid for at time of order.
Addtionally only current year bodies are available.
I beleive he's asking about US Car Tool's body in white.
|
|
|
Re: ? body in white program ?
[Re: birdboy]
#83370
07/08/08 10:31 AM
07/08/08 10:31 AM
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,588 missouri, USA
moparmojo
master
|
master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,588
missouri, USA
|
I looked at their website recently and the price seemed to go from $15,000 to $17,500 for the body in white program. However, I still swear I saw a Moparts ad here showing $15,000. The website shows several cars with detailed pictures. Many look like basket cases when they arrived and look good leaving. You may want to call and find out more about it. However, like you, I was anxious to hear a few pros & cons from someone who actually went through the program.
|
|
|
Re: ? body in white program ?
[Re: moparmojo]
#83371
07/08/08 10:50 AM
07/08/08 10:50 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,854 Georgetown Ontario Canada
anlauto
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,854
Georgetown Ontario Canada
|
The pictures of the Super Bee on their web site look great. Once the cars are in primer it's hard to see the repairs thats for sure. I couldn't find before shots of the same car. Finding a shop that will tackle major metal is a chore in it's self. Things that I would question is panel alignment. They make no mention of fitting the trunk lid, doors, fenders etc...All these things are affect by major panel replacement. (ask me how I know) Their firm price in advance is curious as well??? They tell you $17500 up front....that most likely breaks down to about 250 hours at $70/hr or 300hrs at $58... What happens if they're right into it but running out of time? do they rush to get it finished in their time frame...or sucker you in to paying more to finish your now half-finished car??? The cars I've had done by Keith Sim started out as a ball park figure and then the clock starts. It's amazing what you find once you start into it...rust hides everywhere They've up'd their price after only do two or three cars...that tells you something right there
CHECK OUT MY NEW WEB SITE !
|
|
|
Re: ? body in white program ?
[Re: anlauto]
#83372
07/08/08 12:17 PM
07/08/08 12:17 PM
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,060 Western New York
sixpackbee
master
|
master
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,060
Western New York
|
At 17,500, unless a car needs rails also it seems a bit steep to me. But then again I am used to the shop rate I have here in economicly challenged western New York.
1959 Bugeye Sprite 1967 Charger Black L code 1967 Coronet R/T Convert Green 440 auto bought from original owner 1968 Charger R/T Bronze 440 4 spd console AM/FM 1969 Super Bee WM21H B5 A40 D21 N96 1969 Barracuda Formula S 340 Convert pilot car 1969 Hemi Road Runner RM23J D32 Omaha orange 4.10 Dana N96 N85 1970 Super Bee WM23N FE5 V1X 3.91 axle package, N96 1970 Road Runner RM21N B3 V1X D13 1971 MG Midget 1971 Road Runner RM23H GW3, A57 1972 Road Runner RM23P FY1, D21
|
|
|
Re: ? body in white program ?
[Re: sixpackbee]
#83373
07/08/08 12:41 PM
07/08/08 12:41 PM
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
Uni-bodies are a pain in the ( o ) to fix.
I've done a trunk floor and quarters on an E-body and fixed little spots around the hood hinges.
Lots and lots of manual labor gettin' old rusty crusty metal straight again.
I gotta tell ya, even at $17,500 it sounds like a bargain!
|
|
|
Re: ? body in white program ?
[Re: moparmojo]
#83375
07/12/08 10:20 AM
07/12/08 10:20 AM
|
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 15,119 85086
moparpollack
Lil Herman
|
Lil Herman
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 15,119
85086
|
I think that it's marketing. There's no way they would of done a car like Alan's cuda for $17500 out the door. Before I buy my cars I have to have a rust free car. My Coronet R/T tough me that lesson early. Spend the money on the original rust free car not on panel replacement.
56 Plaza 63 D100 step side 67 Coronet, 68 Roadrunner, 69 Super Bees, 69 Coronet 500 convertible, 70 Roadrunner Post, 79 D150 360, and a severe case of Mopar a,d,d
|
|
|
Re: ? body in white program ?
[Re: moparpollack]
#83376
07/16/08 09:28 PM
07/16/08 09:28 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 761 Raleigh, NC
John426
super gas
|
super gas
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 761
Raleigh, NC
|
Lots of speculation and interesting thoughts, maybe I can clear up some and answer a few questions. We (US Car Tool) are a Mopar Only resto shop and have been doing this for 5 years. Building race cars, fabricating rollbars, replacing unibody panels has taught us a thing or two about mopar metal and it is definitely our "sweet spot", as we say in our tag line, We Don't Scare Easy!! The 69 Superbee in the advertisement picture is a full rotisserie restoration and it is pretty similiar to the Body in White, we just did the dismantling and the reassembly - there are plenty of pictures of this car (368 of them!), before during and after on our web site. Check this link for lots of detail http://www.uscartool.com/img/69bee/index.htmlWith the recent introduction of replacement sheetmetal, OEM floors, quarters, roofs etc. we recognized that we could now predict the costs of most of the major rust repair that is needed on a mopar unibody. In the past, we spent countless hours chasing used sheetmetal, sometimes having to repair the replacement parts before it could be used. Now we can understand the costs (to a greater extent than ever before possible) and we have a lot of expertise in removing and replacing unibody parts and fabricating parts that can not be found. We routinely built frame rails from scratch, repaired cowls and firewalls and patched together floors from various parts. So with an understanding of the costs involved, we introduced the US Car Tool "Body in White" program at $15,000. This introductory price was raised to its present $17,500 after 6 months and 6 cars in the program. The breakdown on costs is roughly, $2000 to have the unibody dipped and stripped to bare metal, $7,000 - $8,000 worth of repair panels (some are still not available and have to be sourced used or fabricated from scratch) and the remaining $7,500 for labor to remove / replace the panels. At our shop rate of $75 per hour, this is just about 100 hours of labor, but we care more getting the unibody correct than we do about hitting a number. To separate out the really bad cars, we charge a bit extra for replacing frame rails or a roof. We do frame rails for $250 plus the cost of the part, roofs for $500 plus the part cost. We (US Car Tool) had a 1970 Challenger R/T at Carlisle on one of our rotisseries. This was the very first car to go through the "body in white" program and is still another 30 hours or so from being finished - needs all the finish detailing underneath, some more welding at the trunk floor extension to quarter and the wheelhouse to quarter panel attachments and lots of small brackets still to be reattached. All the work in our shop is done in bare metal and we keep cars in bare metal until they are finished. The 1970 Challenger R/T customer wanted his car in epoxy prime, so it is now in primer, but there is zero (none) filler in the car. Check the over 600 pictures of this car on our web site at http://www.uscartool.com/img/70ChallengerRT/index.htmlI also saw a question about panel alignment. I don't want to sound mean or anything, but we just aren't that new at this (grin!). Check pages 69 and 70 on the '70 Challenger R/T BIW and you will see it with fenders, doors, decklid and even a rear glass windshield. All to verify panel alignment. I suppose the net is, we believe in offering a great value to the Mopar community and have absolutely nothing to hide. Our process is fully documented with pictures and the end results. Have a look and let me know what you think. As always, Moparts Rocks!! Thanks Tom!!
Last edited by John426; 07/16/08 10:04 PM.
|
|
|
Re: ? body in white program ?
[Re: polaraholic]
#83379
07/17/08 08:24 AM
07/17/08 08:24 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 761 Raleigh, NC
John426
super gas
|
super gas
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 761
Raleigh, NC
|
Quote:
John, Is the price the same no mater how many hrs it takes or is that a starting point? I have a 74 challenger that "looks" like it needs very little metalwork. I know looks is the key word but it's a CA car. Would the "body in white" program be only for a car needing a lot of work? Steve
Pretty fair and common question! We keep accurate records of all the time (and materials) spent on every car. If the time (shop rate at $75 per hour) and materials are less than the $17,500 for the body in white program, you pay the lesser amount.
Of course, to date, no car has been that easy!!
And in all fairness, most customers have us do much more work - fully half the cars that have come in required some additional dissasembly and most have included the front & rear suspension for us to refurbish. Several are having us do the bolt on sheetmetal as well.
|
|
|
Re: ? body in white program ?
[Re: John426]
#83381
07/17/08 06:25 PM
07/17/08 06:25 PM
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
|
|
Re: ? body in white program ?
#83382
07/17/08 06:49 PM
07/17/08 06:49 PM
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 586 Silicon valley
A12bee
super street
|
super street
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 586
Silicon valley
|
Why can't there be somebody in California that can do that sort of work. I tried looking once and got nowhere.
This space left intentianlly blank.
|
|
|
|
|