[Bomber '67]

How about this: no one on this forum has seen your car up close.

Your Malibu has seen how many Iowa winters? My point being that the rust and rot that you can see is only the beginning of all there is to be found.

Without even getting to concours quality, it is real easy for a paint and body restoration to exceed $12,000. Not hard at all. What you have no idea of is how many hours of labor good quality work will consume, then add on the cost of quality materials.

That said, if you want a more budget job you should tell any prospective body shop as much.

Also check to see if there are any vocational schools that you could take classes and do all, or most of, the work yourself. If you do I guarantee that it will give you newfound respect for quality bodywork, and the skill and effort it takes to make an old car be eye catching once again.

A post like this will almost inevitably get one or more responses about how others have spent little and received beautiful paint and bodywork. The same thing happens in the hot rod side of the hobby where a few people will get the magic combo that is insanely fast while spending little money and using many factory parts. Problem is that is not the way it plays out for the vast majority.

Thomas