Finding a body shop

[jvb6648]

Trying to find someone to replace quarters and floor pans on my '68. Is it the norm to ask for some money up front? $500 to reserve the next slot and another 500 when the car is dropped off. Or should this throw up a red flag?

[restore-z28]

Jim, it would seem odd about the deposit of $500 to hold the spot, I can almost see an argument for the $500 when the car is dropped off to cover initial parts etc. I personally have never had to provide a deposit to hold the next spot. Have you done some homework on the shop? How is their standing with the Better Business Bureau and the collector car community?  Maybe check with a few other shops in your area and look at some of the completed cars these folks have done, best of luck.

[william]

Having spent 14 years in the parts business I had many occasions to make the body shop/new customer connection. Both were our customer. I stopped doing it because both end up pissed off.

Body Shop: keeps adding work but holds me to the estimate, car is worse than we thought, constantly here nit-picking, parts missing/late, keeps bugging me to finish it. Owes me money.

Customer: Taking longer than agreed on, costing more than agreed on, not the level of quality I expected. Doesn't return calls, why is my car outside???

Valid issues on both sides. Try to avoid them.

First and most common mistake is taking a car to a production body shop. Most are slow at this time of the year so they will agree to anything. If the shop hasn't done restoration work in the past they don't realize how putsy it can be. They take all sorts of ugly shortcuts; lap-weld floor pans, splice panels to avoid drilling out spotwelds. The instant they get some insurance work in your car sits. Sometimes parts are removed and later cannot be found.

Find a shop that has done resto work and talk to some former customers.

All shops have an "undisclosed damage" clause that you need to understand. No one has X-ray vision and all sorts of problems can show up when the quarters are removed or 3 coats of paint are stipped off. If you want it made right costs and time will increase.

Help yourself out-do as much of the grunt work as possible. Don't drop the car off with a full interior and expect them to remove/store it for you.

Don't expect any shop to finance your restoration. Space is always a factor and they schedule to maximize usage. Having a deposit is one way to ensure your car will be there on time. They have all had guys "change their mind" and go somewhere else. The instant it arrives the clock starts. The shop wakes up every morning and starts eating money.

Asking for money up front is also a character test for you. $1000 is peanuts in the hobby and you're already flunking. There won't be an insurance check and they don't know you. A small risk to get the relationship off on the right foot.

Good Luck!   

[jvb6648]

Thanks, that's all true. I gave my car and $1000 to some one on Jan. 22. All he did so far was replace the area of floor around the shifter with rivets. He does media blasting so no insurance checks there. I pulled the car out yesterday and will probably have to work out something with blasting for the balance of the money. I live near Charlotte and went into NPD and got a couple of names of body men. One almost worked out, he looked at the car, which by the way is just body and frame, set a date when he felt he could start work. I called then and he said he was tied up with something and I could take the car elsewhere if I wanted. I took that as he no longer wanted to do the work. Others just don't return your calls. Even went to one of the big restoration house but $75/hr and a talk with a former employee shot that place down. I've got 2 more places to try, that's why I asked about fronting the money, this guy doesn't have much history, says he just left NASCAR and more of a painter. He hasn't seen the car yet but wants $500 to hold the next spot. I've been burnt before by fronting money and am hesitant.  I've been trying to find someone for almost 2 yrs. I'm beginning to think I should sold this thing 20 yrs ago.

[william]

Tough call. I have had body shops, restoration shops, and guys working out of their garage part time do my cars and have lucked out I guess.

Guess which one of these won the "Best Paint" award at GoodGuys here about 5 years ago.

[jvb6648]

Probably the guy working at home with no spray booth.

If anybody knows of someone in the Charlotte area I'm looking for someone who can do quarters, floor and fabricate patches.

[L78 steve]

I know someone good (Restoration shop) in Hendersonville NC 2 hrs. from you. I can show you his work on my 70 L/78 Nova.

[jvb6648]

Sure, I'll take a look. Actually I'm in Salisbury so it's closer to 3 hrs. It's a little further than I'd like but I'll look at him. Contact me at my e-mail, it's on my profile. Thanks

[68camaroz28]

Having spent 14 years in the parts business I had many occasions to make the body shop/new customer connection. Both were our customer. I stopped doing it because both end up pissed off.

Body Shop: keeps adding work but holds me to the estimate, car is worse than we thought, constantly here nit-picking, parts missing/late, keeps bugging me to finish it. Owes me money.

Customer: Taking longer than agreed on, costing more than agreed on, not the level of quality I expected. Doesn't return calls, why is my car outside???

Valid issues on both sides. Try to avoid them.

First and most common mistake is taking a car to a production body shop. Most are slow at this time of the year so they will agree to anything. If the shop hasn't done restoration work in the past they don't realize how putsy it can be. They take all sorts of ugly shortcuts; lap-weld floor pans, splice panels to avoid drilling out spotwelds. The instant they get some insurance work in your car sits. Sometimes parts are removed and later cannot be found.

Find a shop that has done resto work and talk to some former customers.

All shops have an "undisclosed damage" clause that you need to understand. No one has X-ray vision and all sorts of problems can show up when the quarters are removed or 3 coats of paint are stipped off. If you want it made right costs and time will increase.

Help yourself out-do as much of the grunt work as possible. Don't drop the car off with a full interior and expect them to remove/store it for you.

Don't expect any shop to finance your restoration. Space is always a factor and they schedule to maximize usage. Having a deposit is one way to ensure your car will be there on time. They have all had guys "change their mind" and go somewhere else. The instant it arrives the clock starts. The shop wakes up every morning and starts eating money.

Asking for money up front is also a character test for you. $1000 is peanuts in the hobby and you're already flunking. There won't be an insurance check and they don't know you. A small risk to get the relationship off on the right foot.

Good Luck!   

William you hit several key points! I was lucky in that I knew the owner of our local restoraion shop for over 25 years so there was nothing to check but I have seen first hand several cars that have arrived at his establishment that first landed at a body shop and it failed for one or several of the reasons you listed. Not getting done (just sitting) and the quality are the two biggest complaints. In the past year I saw two cars that were both at two body shops before they finally came to my friends shop and these are NOT local cars. There are many excellent body shops but their first order of business is insurance repair and that takes priority. And could not agree with you more about taking the easy road time wise to fix something rather than doing it like a normal restoration shop. Jim, its tough finding a place and a lot of work can go into finding a good place. Since this is a one time replacement I'd consider taking it where you know the work will be done correctly. Last year one of the cars at my friends shop was from CA. See you have a 68 Z/28 so welcome aboard both to the forum and having a 68Z. Need to update the thread but here is our's.
 http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=182584

[firstgenaddict]

I have seen the paint jobs guys have paid 10k - 15k to have done... most of the work is terrible from inside 10 feet.
The detail areas, jambs, rockers, floor pans etc are all over looked, inside wiper grilles around light openings etc. The difference in a 10k paint job and a 25k job is the patience to get ALL the details correct, that and hardblocking with 2500 for a week of Sundays.

[jvb6648]

Thanks for all the input, as you can see by the new photo I've found someone to do the body work. I believe I got it right this time. The body is all squared and clamped in a jig. Of course  once you start cutting it up you find more rust damage than expected.