With the drive train complete i'm starting to inquire around town for body work. I had a close family friend that was a great body man lined up for the bodywork and repaint. He unfortunately passed away earlier this year. I've called a few places and stopped by the first shop today. This guy was nice but proceeded to tell me I needed to replace nearly every panel on my car just by looking at it from a few feet away.

I know the body isn't perfect but I don't think its anywhere near being a lost cause. He said "I can't even imagine the number to quote on this car" Then proceeded to shake my hand and said good luck. This was irritating to me as iv'e put alot of my time and heart into this car. For someone else to pretty much shoot it down sucked. I know i'm taking this personal and I shouldn't.

So is this what I should expect from a decent body shop? If this is the conversation i'm gonna have at every shop I stop in i'm gonna stop while i'm ahead and drive the car as-is. This pic was taken 10 minutes ago. So lost cause or what?

 

Not sure how far you want to drive, but Dave's Pro Collision (which used to be called Dave's Body Shop) in Beecher used to be pretty good. He did some work on a couple of my cars and did a nice job, and he's a decent guy. Actually might be a son running it now because Dave would be around retirement age now.

Good luck. Your car does not look bad at all. For whatever reason that shop owner didn't want that job and made sure you went away. He has no bearing on what you will hear from other shops.

 

Hard to tell from a pic 20 feet away.

 

Aw that's only 10 ft hah. Give me a lil credit.

 

Ok, just a lil... Mike is right, he just didn't come right out and say no. Ask around to local people who they would recommend in addition to Mikes.

 

most body shops don't want to do full repaints.overall paint jobs are tedious take lots of time and prep work etc etc.insurance jobs take little time and they get paid good money.
he said every panel needs to be replaced.well the replacement panels aren't perfect either and need work to make em half way right.more then likely your better off with what you have right now.got any better pics,say closeup looking down the sides

 

Yeah i'll snap a few closeups facing down the body on both sides.

 

This. Old cars are a big PITA for a meat-and-potatoes body shop. The guy was just politely trying to tell you to move on because he doesn't want that kind of work. Your panels are likely okay with minimal repair in the hands of a bodyman who likes old cars.


Keep looking and best of luck. There are still shops out there that go beyond quickie insurance work.

 

So what's wrong with driving the car as is until you definitely find the place you are interested in taking it to? Doesn't look terrible imo.

 

Try the paint spot in Addison illinois or custom auto specialties in addison il. Regular body shops need to work with insurance companies and are under the gun so a resto job will get pushed back. I work in a body shop and thats usually how it goes. I dont do side jobs anymore as i found i had no time for my stuff .

 

Total wreck. Scrap it.

I'll come by and tow it away.




As others have said, the money is not in full-car restoration jobs these days, for a very wide range of reasons. Paining new parts, unbolting old parts, and bolting on the new parts is much easier and more profitable.

- Eric

 

He did not want the job and the work involved. Shop around.

 

Eric it's a little more than swapping parts. We still straighten alot of stuff. I got a stack of pics of things I have done at work as far as straightening metal that many newer guys would not touch. It's just more profitable to do insurance jobs as it's quick money. Bigger jobs we have 2 weeks unless it's a big big hit which we have had and we get upwards of a month. So you are not sitting on a job for months waiting for a pay out . Alot less risk involved .

 

Plus, newer cars have far fewer rust problems - straightening may be a difficult skilled job, but rust repair is something that most people in and out of the business would rather avoid.

- Eric

 

We fix rust just no warranty. But yes rust repair is avoided and most likely the OP was told all panels needed to be replaced because not only is it a liability to fix rust but it sucks and its time consuming to make it right and its easier to replace panels cleaner and it last's longer from a shop's stand point.