Earlier, I posted this:
Hi,
I have a 69 Chevelle SS 396. I am getting ready to have the bodywork done and I'm looking for good people to give me a ballpark estimate.
This is for bodywork alone, no paint yet.

Hood: patches of surface rust, no filler or rot. Good condition.
Surface rust damage= 5% of panel.

Decklid: no rust or rot, needs straightened, not bent but factory filler was disturbed, lower rear to the left of lock. Good condition. Disturbed area= 15% of panel.

Roof: no rust or rot even around windows. Excellent condition.

Drivers door: no rust or rot. Good condition.

Passenger door: no rot, minor rust where mirror goes. Average condition. Rot damage= 1% of surface area of door skin.

Drivers front fender: Rot behind wheel opening, wheel opening itself is clean. Average condition. Rot damage= 5% of panel.

Passenger front fender: Same as drivers side. Average condition.
Rot damage= 5% of panel.

Drivers 1/4 panel : wheel opening rot , typical rust behind openning. Above wheel openning along bodyline factory filler was messed with and must be straightened. Average condition. Rot damage= 15% of panel.

Passenger 1/4 panel: Same as drivers side. Below average condition.
Rot damage= 15% of panel.

Front header (nose) panel: minor surface rust, subtle buldge next to body/hood line must be pounded out. Good condition. Surface rust damage= 2% of panel.

Both rocker panels are in excellent condtion.
Frame, floors, and trunk; no rust or rot. Excellent condition.
The car has the factory red lacquer and it seems that someone sprayed a sealer primer over top of it. Door jams are in excellent condition.
The car as a whole is a very, very, solid Arizona car except for the places mentioned. I do realise that it is difficult to give an accurate estimate on bodywork without actually seeing a body. I would however appreciate a ballpark figure for the work that I have listed here so that I no what will be required financially on my part. Thank you for your time.


I got an estimate for $15,000 for bodywork and paint alone. No custom work and correct factory color in a basecote/clearcote system.
I would like to hear your views. Thanks.

Well, my suggestion would be to do the minor work by yourself, and prep the car by yourself. Doing that I wouldn't pay more then a couple of grand for it (though painting alone is like 3-4K). Otherwise I wouldn't pay more then 10-12K

Lou,

That sounds too high to me. Even if the shop was figuring installing new quarter panels, it's too high. My guess would be more like $7 - $8K. Good luck.

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Bill Pritchard
69 SS396 Convertible
"Doing my part to help the disadvantaged - My Chevelle was for sale by a blatant liar. Didn't trust him, so I hired a blind man to inspect it before I bought it."

My low tech web page:
http://home.att.net/~bpritchard/index.html

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bill Pritchard:
Lou,

That sounds too high to me. Even if the shop was figuring installing new quarter panels, it's too high. My guess would be more like $7 - $8K. Good luck.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yea, thats what I thought. I could get all brand new panels for that price, maybe even less.

That price is way too high. Take a look at my car (click my signature line). This is a show quality job which required slightly less than you are talking about (my car had no rust anywhere). The shop who did it does show and race cars from all over the country (and a few from outside the country!). He has hand built cars from the ground up and also does simple collision work. His custom work is outstanding (he offers his own line of chopped Mustangs and shortened wheelbase T-Birds. He has over 60 cars his shop has done appear in major magazines (hopefully one more sometime soon!). He will do anything required to make it right and his pricing is on the high end of what I consider acceptable. Case in point: he opened all the seams in the doors and trunk lid to clean out all possible rust areas and paint stripping chemicals.

My price was a little over a 1/3 of the price you quoted. For that much money you should get a completely restored car ready to drive with new trim and interior and a rebuilt drivetrain not just body work. Keep shopping.

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NCOA member #220
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