bad news from a body pro.HELP!
 

Hello,
I just got back from Frank de Rosa's body shop and he basically said that my car has severe rust problems and to fix it right it would require gutting it inside and out completely and cut out all the rust parts and then have it sent off to get it sand blasted. Then he would weld in all the parts back to its original shape. this alone would cost about $12k.(he siad)
To me that seems outrageous. If he charges 50/hr that translate to 400/day witch would mean that it would take 30 full 8hr days to get it to a state that is just a starting point for paint prep?
I'm very mechanically inclined and can gut it out completely including the motor and transmission. I could even help with cutting out the rusted parts.
I have the original shop manual that has step by step procedures on how to remove just about everything on the car.
What do you think I should do? The car runs great and all the trimming in tact, every-things there just the major rust issues.
well let me know what to do.

I could:
1: rebuild the suspension and brakes and not worry about the boby
2: do the body repairs 1 panel at a time
3: find someone cheap and desperate to work on the body rust.
4:????





thanks,
rand

If you can gut it yourself, do that as it will save you money and them time. Same thing with cutting out what needs to be cut. It would cut the bill in half I would think.

r -

At 12K, seems like replacing the fenders and quarter panels might be cheaper - donno, but might be work a look.

Archer

#1: You could do that and HOPE the rust doesn't get worse..(not going to happen)

#2: The cheapest way to do it IF it isn't a driver, for normal transportation.
( the car will be in pieces, so you will need more room AND time than you ever figured):eek:

#3: Cheap body men are a dime a dozen but usually end up costing more when its time to do it right.:D

Not knowing what repairs you are talking about, it really is hard to tell you how to proceed. YES YOU can do them, if TIME is not a factor, but I will tell you a proper sheetmetal replacement is not a "rush thru this so I can go to the next" proposal. To do it correct IS time consuming. Plus if there is structural components involved you will need a fixture to hold it all together, and did i mention time? Now if you are talking about the 'normal' rust places ie:( bottom rear of quarter, bottom of doors, front fenders, etc ) that is very doable. but once you start having to cut into inner wheelhouses and possibly frame rails etc, better to leave that to the "Pro". And I am NOT trying to say that YOU are not capable, its just been proven more times than not even the most well meaning and capable person will have problems. With all that being said post some pics let us know what more info you need, someone here will help. (btw I AM NOT an expert by any means)
A parting thought ;):

If its Cheap it's not Right. - Getting it Right it's not Cheap.
Good luck and let the rest of us know...:)

I agree with MrOlddart2U. Ultimately its a time vs. money issue. If you have the time and know-how, doing it yourself will save you money, but if you don't have the time, paying money will be necessary.

Now, if you are going to take it in, you may want to consider gutting it yourself to save a little bit of money, but remember, you would have to factor in the cost of transporting a non-running car (if you don't have a trailer, you'd have to go to a tow company).

You probably don't want to ignore rust. It will get worse. If its in the frame, it must be taken care of, and as MrOlddart2U said, when working with the frame, its probably best to have a professional do it. If it's not the frame, and if you have the time, it shouldn't be too difficult to do yourself...but still tough and labor intensive.

And besides, when all the rust is gone, you will have piece of mind. Imagine driving around a beautiful car, knowing that it is rotting from the inside out. Talk about a monkey on your back.

And don't consider cutting out what needs to be cut to save some money. In the long run it'll cause more problems than you imagine. Not only will it weaken the structure of the car, but I know as I replace panels, I cut as needed to repair that panel. Sometimes it's drill welds, sometimes it's cut right to the edge, sometimes it's another way. Each body man will do things his own way, and while you think you may be cutting it right, he may look at it and think, Uh oh, I can't save this, or even say dirty words because it wasn't the way he wanted.