rust repair / bodywork- possible costs vs parts alone?
#1528580
11/04/13 04:19 PM
11/04/13 04:19 PM
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 282
USA
ignoble
OP
enthusiast
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OP
enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 282
USA
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If a guy is looking at parts made by AMD, or equivalent reproduction pieces by another company, what might be a fair ratio/ multiplier to figure what a bodyshop would charge to install/ paint them. I mean repair / replacement along the lines of rusted quarters, rocker areas, inner wheelhouses, hood hinge area, etc. Spots that are going to take welding and finishing skills.  Not "bolt-on" type pieces like valances/ hood/ decklid/ trim. I know this is a very open ended question with lots of variables, so just hoping for a "rule of thumb # $$$". I'm am considering getting a '72 E-body where i know the return value compared to investment will never be there should i need to sell in the future . It's a car that belongs to family/uncle, i cruised in it as a teen passenger decades ago, praticed in it for driving test, etc. Essentially its the car that led me into owning probably 20 older mopars. But fuzzy warm feelings aside, i need to have an idea if the bodywork costs will crush the budget i could allot to it, or if i could afford to do anything else fun simultaneously with rehabbing the car. I am used to buying solid, basically no rust cars, so i want to be informed 1st. 72 Challenger needs, from my quick inspection, [ it is across the country ] no pictures sorry. Needs rear quarters/ maybe patch panels around rear wheels- swiss cheese, needs rockers-rusted, front fenders behind wheels- rusted, hood hinge area described as rusted, trunk area probable repacement needed also- described as "surface rust". Did not see in the engine compartment, so am unsure if the hood hinge area can rust without affecting the firewall or cowling {?}. Did not get under car, car has sat in garages for last 15 years, so i think the suspension points/torsion bar areas are solid - but thats an assumption. Interior floors felt solid from the top, and no obvious water leaks into the car. OK, Thats all i've got, until i ask for specific pictures. Thanks.
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Re: rust repair / bodywork- possible costs vs parts alone?
[Re: ignoble]
#1528581
11/04/13 06:03 PM
11/04/13 06:03 PM
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,161
CT
GTX MATT
master
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master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,161
CT
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Without seeing any pictures, if you want a shop to do the whole body, including paint, it sounds like something a reasonable shop will charge you 10-15K for, and specialty/high end shops will be charging you 30K+.
Now I need to pin those needles, got to feel that heat
Hear my motor screamin while I'm tearin up the street
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Re: rust repair / bodywork- possible costs vs parts alone?
[Re: ignoble]
#1528582
11/04/13 07:25 PM
11/04/13 07:25 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
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Quote:
If a guy is looking at parts made by AMD, or equivalent reproduction pieces by another company, what might be a fair ratio/ multiplier to figure what a bodyshop would charge to install/ paint them.
I mean repair / replacement along the lines of rusted quarters, rocker areas, inner wheelhouses, hood hinge area, etc. Spots that are going to take welding and finishing skills.
Not "bolt-on" type pieces like valances/ hood/ decklid/ trim.
I know this is a very open ended question with lots of variables, so just hoping for a "rule of thumb # $$$".
I'm am considering getting a '72 E-body where i know the return value compared to investment will never be there should i need to sell in the future . It's a car that belongs to family/uncle, i cruised in it as a teen passenger decades ago, praticed in it for driving test, etc.
Essentially its the car that led me into owning probably 20 older mopars. But fuzzy warm feelings aside, i need to have an idea if the bodywork costs will crush the budget i could allot to it, or if i could afford to do anything else fun simultaneously with rehabbing the car. I am used to buying solid, basically no rust cars, so i want to be informed 1st.
72 Challenger needs, from my quick inspection, [ it is across the country ] no pictures sorry. Needs rear quarters/ maybe patch panels around rear wheels- swiss cheese, needs rockers-rusted, front fenders behind wheels- rusted, hood hinge area described as rusted, trunk area probable repacement needed also- described as "surface rust". Did not see in the engine compartment, so am unsure if the hood hinge area can rust without affecting the firewall or cowling {?}.
Did not get under car, car has sat in garages for last 15 years, so i think the suspension points/torsion bar areas are solid - but thats an assumption. Interior floors felt solid from the top, and no obvious water leaks into the car. OK, Thats all i've got, until i ask for specific pictures. Thanks.
This is a impossible question to answer, even with pictures none of us can tell anything for sure. But from your description, it needs every replacement panel made. Under hood is trashed if there's rust in the hood hinge area.
We all have opinions which are worthless in this case, but here's mine.
It sounds like it's only worth saving if you can do it yourself. Not many of us can afford to pay a shop to do that kind of rust repair and then plus paint. Paint alone is 10-15K if a shop does it for you today. imo
Good luck with the car.
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Re: rust repair / bodywork- possible costs vs parts alone?
[Re: ignoble]
#1528584
11/04/13 09:39 PM
11/04/13 09:39 PM
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,848
Memphis
HemiRick
master
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master
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,848
Memphis
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If the rockers are rusted thru, this is a bad sign for the underside. The rockers are considerably thicker than the rest of the sheet metal.
Take care,
Rick
68 Coronet R/T 440 & 68 Charger 528 Hemi,and 5 Challengers! 6 cyl, 318, 360, 383, 451
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Re: rust repair / bodywork- possible costs vs parts alone?
[Re: HemiRick]
#1528585
11/04/13 11:25 PM
11/04/13 11:25 PM
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 12,481
Chino Valley
RodStRace
I Live Here
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I Live Here
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Posts: 12,481
Chino Valley
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There is a company (US Car Tool) that advertises here about a body in white program. For 18K they will get the body straight with all needed patch/replacement panels. http://uscartool.com/body-in-white/There has been a bunch of threads on this, but unless you can find a good, quick, reliable and cheap body guy, this is probably a very good indication of the cost of doing a full rust repair job. There are other threads on how rare a good, quick, reliable and cheap body guy is too. As soon as cheap gets into the mix, you usually lose at least 1 or 2 of the other 3 qualities.
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Re: rust repair / bodywork- possible costs vs parts alone?
[Re: RodStRace]
#1528586
11/05/13 02:07 PM
11/05/13 02:07 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 12,675
Columbia, CT
moper
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 12,675
Columbia, CT
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I'm doing a unibody rust repair on a '70 e that I used to own for the new owner. I have history with both the car and buyer and it means a lot for the car to be finished right, and that the owner not be dissapointed with anything. So he's getting a huge deal on labor. But - materials and paint will run close to $8K when it's all said and done without an ounc of labor. So as to you question the guys nailed it:
You can't possibly know what it needs until you actually start taking the visually rusted parts off. I feel it's pretty safe to say it will need 30% more in terms of parts and labor than what you can easilly see when the car has been stripped to the unibody - and some of that needs to be fabricated or come froma parts car.
Money wise - if you can do it yourself you'll be happier. But - the best repro parts are still not factory. You have to be good enough to know what to look for and how to address issues that will creep up with the new parts and you'll need an environment to do it, and the tools and equipment to do it. So how much are you really saving?
Lastly in terms of materials parts, labor, and paint - you get what you pay for.
Well, art is art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water! And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now, uh... Now you tell me what you know.
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Re: rust repair / bodywork- possible costs vs parts alone?
[Re: crocha617]
#1528588
11/05/13 09:19 PM
11/05/13 09:19 PM
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 282
USA
ignoble
OP
enthusiast
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OP
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 282
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Thanks everyone for the replies, this should help convince me it would be a long, frustrating, possibly too expensive a road to take. I should probably just savor the memories, thank the car for setting me on the mopar path, and devote my time + energy + money to stuff i already have. Based on what you all have said for potential costs involved on bodywork + what i figured for mechanicals, i could easily be into the rig double and probably triple $$ -- for what in the end would be car with a probable worth of $15K, maybe less. [gold 318 slapstick] edit - as i just relooked over this thread my young daughter saw Challenger 1's cars in his signature and said "Look at that cool gold car we should get that one !" Haha, the irony... 
Last edited by ignoble; 11/05/13 09:26 PM.
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