Guest BadKarmaCreepin Posted July 28, 2001 Share Posted July 28, 2001 I went to the body shop today and the dude told me that to replace all the panels, repair the undercarriage and paint the whole sucker would be $6000. I don't know if i'm just not that rich or if that is WAAAAAY too much $$$ for body work. What ballpark should I be expecting and what can I do(everything possible) to lower cost(bringing my own materials, providing paint, etc.) so that i don't spend my whole Z budget on the freakin body.....thanks. dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted July 28, 2001 Share Posted July 28, 2001 Heh, would you believe that MY bodyshop bill estimate STARTED at $5K? That was for a fairly rough body. I was REALLY depressed and nearly bought a Sunbeam Tiger that weekend. Then I spotted a Z even closer to me, flipped a coin, and ended up buying the Z. It cost me about what the bodyshop bill was and was probably a little high but it had a NEW interior, Panasports, slightly upgraded brakes, Recaro seats, and ran fine. Oh, it had an R200 too that I didn't realize. Body was nearly perfect and while I've found SOME rust it's stuff I can take care of later (front fenders). I took off what I didn't want, sold it, let my other car go after mostly stripping it (BIG loss), and pushed on. If that bill is too high for you consider finding a Z in better shape. Bodywork SUX and it takes real telent to take care of. Worse, bodyshops will yank you all around - witness Pete's experience. my car had a set of glass bumpers and a hood put on. That "one week" job took a month and cost me way more than the estimate called for. Bodyshop bills NEVER go down, always up so consider that too. Does it really need the bodywork? Could you find another car? Questions you have to ask yourself and as Pete says - "it's just a piece of metal"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted July 28, 2001 Share Posted July 28, 2001 Depending on what they have to do, that might actually not be a bad starting point. Bodywork, paid by the hour, gets incredibly expensive. On my next car I will either buy one that doesn't need much/any or do it myself. More than half of the money in my car is body and paint work. That's sickening to me. Try to get someone that will give you an estimate and stick to it. Doing it by the hour kills you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scca Posted July 28, 2001 Share Posted July 28, 2001 if your car needs floors/rear 1/4's then buy a new car.. it would be better to fly to calif or AZ. or Fla and get a clean car to start with.. you can buy a car for less than 6k with NO rust. even with flying to calif and shipping or driving it back would be less than 6k... as far as paint work get a contract price.. let them have it for a month - tell them no rush and let insurance work take priority over yours.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted July 28, 2001 Share Posted July 28, 2001 What scca said! It'll be cheaper and better in the long run! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scca Posted July 29, 2001 Share Posted July 29, 2001 as a rough idea, i just got a 73 for a friend with no rust "except" a hole in the spare tire area about 3x5" - guess it got the drain stuck and rusted out there. rockers/quarters/floors are all as new. never been patched anywhere else.. pd $2200 and had rear disks, front ZX vented rotor conversion, susp tech springs , 15x7 rims , and 78 280 cloth type seats. flattop 2800 - triple 40mm webers- cforce clutch- and 5 speed.. this was advertised on zcar.com for 2 months---we drove to portland to get it.. we just finished stripping it and did a base clear paint (in my shop) the paint isnt perfect but looks pretty good.. he's into it now for like $4500 and that included the paint and my labor to paint it/weld the rust hole and shave all the factory door bumper trim.. and all new weatherstripping.. FACTORY nissan---- bought the vic british crap.... and had to return it ---no fit... after carpet it will be close to $5k and it is a pretty clean Z now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted July 29, 2001 Share Posted July 29, 2001 Dan, don't get too upset since you just bought the car. How long will you keep the car and how good do you want it to look? Fixing everything might not be an option for you now, but in the future it might be. If you shop around, you can get someone to do the bodywork and paint for less. How much $$$ do you want to spend? If you were not going to college, I'd say enroll in the local Junior College to take a class and do it yourself. Otherwise, check into the local high school autobody shop and talk the kids to see what they can do. Some of the best bodywork was done by my old high school kids. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted July 30, 2001 Share Posted July 30, 2001 Davy does make some good points - must it look perfect? And if there are local tech type places around perhaps they'd like to do some work on it? It's certainly worth a shot but try to find a place that the students are paying to goto. Otherwise there's no end to the crap that might get done to it. A friend is a teacher and he had his project in the high school "shop" area for awhile. He yanked it after some punk knifed his brand new convertible top for grins.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Star 1 Posted July 31, 2001 Share Posted July 31, 2001 Hey BKC I did all the body work and paint myself, and even though its not perfect, it looks pretty good. I had no previous experience with any of this type of work, and made lots of mistakes, but it's my car and I know it inside and out. I found out later that the local junior college has a body works class, and you get to paint your car in their new paint both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BadKarmaCreepin Posted July 31, 2001 Share Posted July 31, 2001 this might seem a little weird, but if i take pics of the undercarriage, could you guys tell me what needs repairing and how i would go about doing it myself? i want to do as much as i can so that i can sink more money into the asthetics of the car. also, how hard is it to paint body panels? can i pick up some dupont paint and do it my self or is there a certain way you have to do it to make the paint turn out right? thanks. dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted July 31, 2001 Share Posted July 31, 2001 Dan, painting is a measure of technique and prep, not to mention materials and equipment. Don't try and use a spray can to do body painting! (some guys may disagree, but foo on them!) As I mentioned in another post, read, read, read. You can paint a car in your garage, or even in your driveway (may be illegal though) but you need to educate yourself on doing it. There is a reason why body shops charge $$$ for what they do best... If you just needed to have the body painted to protect it, you could always go for an inexpensive paint job now from MAACO, Earl Sheib, Miracle, etc. (Oooh, I can see the cringes on Pete's face, BLKMGK's face, etc!) Hey, it may be what you can do now--just be sure there is a guarantee against fading... Read, read, read! Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 1, 2001 Share Posted August 1, 2001 Yeah, I agree Davy, if its just coverage and to get the car looking ok, the cheaper jobs can do. Just make sure you remove all the trim pieces as much as possible, because they usually just vaseline or tape over emblems before painting. Granted you won't win the Oakland roadster show with it, but it'll all be one color, you can park it somewhere and not have a stroke when someone scratches it and your rear won't feel as greased (or not greased as it were)... Regards, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted August 1, 2001 Share Posted August 1, 2001 hey you cant beat it for the money with those cheapo jobs from maaco or miracle, 500.00 for labor and paint. but you have to think about the poor masking, overspray on everything,(including the engine bay , and overall crappy paint used, watch out for "synthetic enamel" that crap will dissolve if you try to buff it....... ill paint your car........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted August 1, 2001 Share Posted August 1, 2001 Hey, you wanna paint mine too? I'm almost ready and am seriously considering Maaco or Scheib or something. It's not a show car, it's a commuter! So I'm going the cheapy route. One day I'll take a class and learn to do it all myself. Owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two40MuscleZ Posted August 1, 2001 Share Posted August 1, 2001 Hey guys, not to play down those paint palaces, but for the average run of the mill daily driver, perhaps. But, never on a "Z" that you are currently building up! The detailing is just NOT there. From a distance looks real sharp, but get a little closer. Now you begin to see the overspray, runs, sags, blemishes, and the ever present dirt and grit that the prep failed to remove prior to their paint jockies unleashing their fury! Granted they do have their places in society, but really think twice. I would rather put up with primer, yes even out of a spray can, over a good, clean and properly preped surface, than having to go back and reprep, sand and potentially clean the whole vehicle surface again! I have seen it more often than not. Some unsuspecting car owner, who has worked hard on their pride and joy, relinquishing it to a paint shop, leaving with high expectations only to return in disbelief as to how poorly the paint and finish has been applied. Scarey thought! But, you need to do what is right for you. In any event...Best of Luck! Compliments, Van Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted August 1, 2001 Share Posted August 1, 2001 I've nto ever owned a car that's been run through one of those places but I've had friends that have. Yeah, there were some bad spots and some poor prep but overall it looked opkay and better than the crap they had before it was done. Not everyone has the money for a really good paint job an dthis is why I've said start with a nice bodypaint - it's cheaper in the long run. However if you've got the car and simply must keep it then this is an option. Maybe not one that will make it win prizes but at 12:00 at night when you line up next to a punk in a Honda that will make it just that much sweeter won't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted August 1, 2001 Share Posted August 1, 2001 Hey, if it's a really rough looking driver, AND you strip everything off, tape up all the underside, underhood, door jambs, EVERYTHING, it can be o.k. Just o.k. though. If you live in a rough area, or have to park it in tight spots at work everyday, this might not be a bad idea. But I'd rather spend the money on tools, gun, etc. and try it myself, if I were going for a so - so job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 1, 2001 Share Posted August 1, 2001 I agree with you there Pete, once I get a permanent venue for my car to do repairs (I.E. a proper garage thats mine...). I'd have no problem giving painting a stab, I figure if I used a paint that flashed off pretty quick and put enough on there to let me color sand it before a clear coat I could probably get a reasonable paint job, but then again I like trying things I've never done (well some things ), but I do research and read everything I can get my hands on about whatever it is first. Regards, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted August 1, 2001 Share Posted August 1, 2001 i would have to agree, its just not right to go through all of the hassle and pain of putting together a good car to let it get the duke of earl schieb treatment, from far away yeah it will look decent, but then you get up close and see all kinds of boo boos and crappieness, i mean you go and spend a good lot of time of your life working on the monster machine only to have earl screw up your paint and have you looking like a straight bucket?? ive been working at a body shop at night(painted a 62 vette last night, two months and this boy already got the hang for crazy angled fiberglass baby!!!!) for most of the summer now and hope the only reason any of you guyz goes to the duke is because they sponsered it or there is no other alternative...for real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted August 1, 2001 Share Posted August 1, 2001 Len, I'll have you shoot my 240Z...when I get one that is. Still, he's not near us, so "Duke of Earl Sheib" may be an option for him. And yes, I would strip the car myself, everything, and just have them shoot it. In fact, I would find a body shop that would work out a deal with me if I did a lot of the work myself first. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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