I went to this place that is suppose to work on older cars and I showed them my car he said he wont do it because there is rust on it and he doesn't want me to spend that kind of money on the car.
I went to a Pontiac body shop and they said they wanted $5,500 to fix the rust and paint it.


I have no idea what I want to do. Maybe I should just go get the new GTO or wait for the new Camaro. Some guy at the Chevy dealership told me that it might be called Chevelle instead of Camaro.

 

First off try more body shops. You should always get a bunch of estimates. Not everyone needs work, so they may price accordingly.

Secondly don't listen to people at dealerships. They have NO inside information. My mother has worked 25 years at the same dealership and most times I have to inform her of new things coming. Camaro concept debuts in 2 weeks in Detroit. It will be called Camaro.

 

that's true. I had rust, believe it or not, at the t-tops. One place quotes me 550 to remove and repair, no paint. I shopped around an found a guy that did it for 100. I then found a another shop that did body work for 50. I then found a painter for 350. I really shopped around and got a good paint job for around 500. You gotta shop around.

 

He just didn't want to do the job, that's all. If you ever get an answer like that, or an outrageously high quote for (I had a garage tell me it'd be $2000 to replace a head on my friend's car), then it just means they don't want to do the work.

And in that case, RUN AWAY!!

 

Well alot of places want quick turn over rates- in and out insurance jobs. And some feel their skills are "wasted" on a 3rd gen when they can be painting hot rods and show cars which get them more business. Or like they said, maybe its just a busy time.

 

350 for paint is insanely cheap. Id hate to ask the guy what kind of paint he used. He must have stole it....

 

know this jumps off subject, but...where did you get the info that there will be a maro concept in detroit in two weeks? im just a tad bit overly curious, lol.

 

It's pretty well known. Many of the Camaro web message board owners were even invited to a special unveiling at Detroit. I know the owner of www.ls1lt1.com was invited. They'll have pics and video from the show. Production won't be till 08/09 though.

 

I think GM is suddenly trying anything they can to repair their trashed reputation.

 

go to Camaross.com and you will find out all the information you need. You can even find the leaked concept pictures if you look in the right places.

 

do you love 3rd gens? if so dont get rid of your car. i did that due to extensive rust and a twisted chassie. went got a 05 gto, still wish i waited and saved for another 3rd gen.

shop around for body shops, as soon as someone says they dont want to....just walk out right there. that means they cant do the work right. if gm is askin $5500 for rust repair and paint job done right and no one else will touch it, then go to the gm shop.

 

Most body shops make their bread and butter on late model vehicle collision repair. Rust repair is another issue all together. What you see on the outside or after peeling back some carpet is one thing, but that tennis ball size hole in the rear quarter becomes a football size hole once you get the grinder out and cut away to new, solid metal. Then the outer wheelhouse is usually gone as well, etc etc.

I have a couple body men I am friends with, and I have done lots of "patching" on vehicles I have owned over the years.
They don't get into rust repair because for them there just isn't any money in it. People want a patch-n-bondo job, so they get one, then a year later the rust pops through around the repair and the bondo's falling out and they badmouth the bodyguy for it.

Any really good experienced body man won't give a flat price on rust repair because of the reason I mentioned in the first paragraph. They pretty much have to cut and grind first to find out where it's at in most cases.

The last time I was in my fireind's shop I overheard him on the phone with someone asking about a '69 Firebird- he gave them the number of a restoration shop, and the person said that they had already called them but they would not give them a price on labor, only parts- that it was the hourly labor rate for as many hours as it took. My buddy said that they are being honest, and without seeing the car nobody is going to quote a price like Maaco. And the words "restoration" and "cheap" do not belong together!

 

had the same problem with my car a guy said he would do it and i gave him the car and every time id drive by it, the car still would be out side so i went in and talked to him he clamied he was busy after 6 times asking him the next week i saw it in there and then he said it was to much work and so i took it home (the car sat for a year) then i brogght it to another body shop they guy had it out in 2 weeks so now i can

 

Today, I am going to try to go to a few other places to get some quotes. I am definitely going to try to get her painted by summer time no matter what it costs. I just ordered about $3,000 worth of interior parts for my car so I am going to keep my car for a while.

This is the list of what I ordered:
Complete carpet set
Dash top cover
Headliner
Headliner trim piece
T-top sunshades
Leather seats out of a 2002 T/A
Power window switch-both sides
Power mirror switch
Inner door panel top rails with weatherstripping
Outer door window felt strip-both sides
Center console w/lid
Auto Shifter plate w/boot
Auto shifter ****
Radio pod
Radio pod cover
Door panels

My car was rebuilt from a salvage yard so most of my interior pieces look like crap or are broken and that is why I ordered all of this stuff. I still need to order a steering sheel but I don't know which is the correct style for my car.

 

Ok, I went to a couple more body shops and got some estimates. This one place wanted $4,500 dollers to do it. The Buick dealership wanted $9,000 to do it. I am gonna save some money up for a few months and then see where I want to go.

 

If I were you I wouldn't go to dealerships. Find small independent shops.

 

try to find a small "off the beaten path" autobody repair shop. i too have worked at a dealership for a number of years. we never would compete the the smaller shops. for most of the body/paint issues we sent out to a body shop in the sticks. stay away from dealerships and the big name always on the tv body shops. again stay away from the dealerships, at least with a 3rd gen. that is unless you have a friend that works at a ford or chrysler dealer and you like to annoy him with a good car!!!

 

I kinda work at one of those off the beaten path body shops, just so i can use the shop to do my own body work and have the owner paint it for cheap if not free. He's given me about $40 worth of carbide bits, a parts car and lots and lots of experience on body work, which by the way is way harder than most people give credit. Too the point, the shop always has a bunch of cars to do and we keep busy, but not so busy we don't do a customers car. I would never expect him to charge over 2 grand to do rust repair and paint, and we do top o the line work.

 

ive worked at 2 dealerships now (im 17 by the way). i painted at a dodge/subaru dealership over the whole summer, prepping and spraying. and now i work at a mitsubishi/honda/toyota dealership in the body shop. and by the way i disagree about bodywork being hard. its so easy i only took a class for one year and i was fine working at both shops..barely considered a helper. i can do my own bodywork and paint at school though for free (minus materials of course)

 

I guess some people can just fabricate the original line perfectly. Don't know what kind of body work you do but the stuff i do is pretty damn intensive. Don't take offense but its not "so easy". Removing dents is easy, prepping is easy but restoration my friend is not, i'm talking patching, mudding, sanding, glazing, sanding again, laying down primer, sanding again, laying down more primer, sanding again, then laying down paint and clear then wetsanding and wheeling the entire car. Easy i think not.I don't know if you've done restoration but i've restored several cars too original condition, 69' charger for example, 86 gta for another, and these cars were michigan driven rust mobiles. Not trying to come off like an ***, but please don't tell me it's something anyone could just get up and do. I'm not saying it's intellectually intensive, but you can't be just braindead. I'm more saying it's labor intensive.

EDIT: I'm younger than you so don't be proud of yourself.

 

Where in Michigan are you at?? I have some damage to repair and I'm sure there are several "levels" of fixing that could be done at this point if you were to see the car. Just wondering how close you might be.

Edit: this isn't rust repair (at least not yet). Until I picked it up my GTA (in 02) was Maryland car, no salt.

 

does replacing everything back from the rear door on a carolla count? its definantly time consuming and annoying, i just dont find it that difficult, you might have to spend a lot of time and do some stuff over, but i dont really think its difficult. this repair included replacing both quarter panels, trunk lid, rear body panel, frame straightening. all this required drilling, welding, filling etc to get ready for primer. and then like you said, paint prep is easy. im not saying it doesnt give you a beating and its a hard days work, but i just dont think its difficult. i didnt say it was super easy, but with a couple months practice its not hard.

on the other hand, doing something like playing guitar, like i do, can be hard. ive been playing for like 4 years and theres always something harder. took me a year to get decent. practice everyday. eh whatever, im going to bed.

 

I live up in the thumb, so novi to kinde would be a drive, but we have done a car from detroit before, the 68 charger for example.

I see where your coming from zz4, and i too play guitar so yea i guess you could say i know what hard is too. I didn't mean to sound so much like an A-hole, but again it's not something joe six-pack could get up and do. BTW you lucked out at getting a job at a dealership, i'm sure the pay is pretty decent.

 

7 for paint 8 for body, not that great, but alright in high school, plus i get to work during the school day (paid internship for my auto body class). no hard feelings

 

I was in your position 2 years ago. Nobody wanted to touch it becuase it was too rusty. There were a few high end shops that wanted $3k or so. I did not have that kind of money to spend anyway so ended up doing it myself. $1k for materials and tools, about $600 in materials.

I don't know what your situation is, but painting it yourself may be something to consider. It takes a while but you save a ton of money and you learn a LOT.

 

I was in your position 2 years ago. Nobody wanted to touch it becuase it was too rusty. There were a few high end shops that wanted $3k or so. I did not have that kind of money to spend anyway so ended up doing it myself. $1k for materials and tools, about $600 in materials.

I don't know what your situation is, but painting it yourself may be something to consider. It takes a while but you save a ton of money and you learn a LOT.

 

what is hard and what is not cannot be determined in a black and white manner because of the vast difference with which we all think

for example, you think bodywork is easy... but i think bodywork is hard

you think the guitar is hard... i think the guitar is easy

different people think different things

 

eh im not going any deeper into it.

 

Where in the thumb? Driving really doesn't bother me, I put tons of miles on my cars, 30K on the Neon in 18 months, and most of the first 2 months it was off the road.

 

If your serious about taking up the offer just look up kinde on mapquest, the area code is 48445. I'll give you his number in a PM

 

The problem you will find at dealerships (and as a 13 year gm guy, I kinda know) is that they like to use only gm parts and materials. As most of us know, GM stuff invariably costs more, driving up the costs of repairs. Also, their labor rates are geared towards fixing newer cars, not our 13+ year old vehicles. Many GM parts people will ONLY sell GM parts, especially when it comes to body stuff, and often do not have an alternate source for those kinds of repairs or work. However, the flip side is many of those guys are pretty well trained having been sent to schools and seminars and various other training options.

Whatever you do, ask to seem some previous work done, regardless of who you take it to. Good body and paint is as much art as determination. I have a friend who always reminds me that good painters are born, not made.

 

I live in Bay City, mi 48706 and i REALLY REALLY want my 92 z to be cancer free. I have been to kinde and half of my week is spent driving. If you would Stroker SS, PM me your email i would like to send some pics of what i got and when it gets warm i could take a little ride to show you the actual car. money is not to big of a problem. Thanks a million.