Looking to always save money, so a question for the home body man. Would you recommend a body novice to remove his own paint. What i'm thinking is 1) save the money prepping myself 2) See if there is any rot or trouble spots under the paint before it goes to the shop 3) practice at something new 4) and last can this be done in my driveway. My parents would freak if they saw a cloud of dust in their driveway at 5:30. I probably would not be able to do ti at work for the same reason. Any comments would be helpful

I do everything myself. I am a cheap SOB. I love a challenge too. Save your money and do it yourself. You will appreciate the end result. I don't trust bodymen. I like to know that I am the one that messed it up. Don't know what they are hiding from you. Just like when you bought the car. How much did they disclose about the rust and repairs?

You don't have to sand it all off. Use a stripper. You can get environmentally safe ones you can wash away, then sand the last part to smooth it out.

Body work is not cheap and it is hard to find one to do extensive work or one that you can trust. They want the quick fix only. That is where they make their money. Ask an insurance agent. Hee hee. I just had a fender and window replaced on my wifes car that was in an accident. 34 bucks an hour. Adds up quick. $3200 when it was done. If you have ever done any body work, you would know that it takes time to do it right.

Marty

its 42 bucks an hour in new jersey.

$48 per body and paint hour here in the UP