Fair price or not?

GrtDanes · Poncho Master!

Fair price or not?

Elroy · Poncho Master!

if he does good work and is reasonable with his hours thats a great price. Can he quote you on say changing rear quarters how many hours etc ?

norontcan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Is this above or below board?
I find it expensive if its all going into his pocket. Very little supplies in what you described.

StriperSS · Poncho Master!

Who's supplying the materials at that price? Is he working at your place, or his? Is it cash under the table, or a legitimate business? Is he fast or slow?
All good questions.

67SD396 · Poncho Master!

Ask lots of questions like the guys have asked here. I've heard too many horror stories of cars ending up in other guys garages and many years later the car is not complete or the work is really poor. Sometimes it pays to pay, if ya get my drift?

jmont64 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Another story I've heard a few times is guys having to pay money up front and then nothing happens. Pay him every week and then you can keep track what's happening if anything and you can pay for supplies as you need them. If he can't carry you for a week there is a problem. He's got your car as collateral. I think you will find quite a range in wages charged out there now. Good luck.

GrtDanes · Poncho Master!

Thanks guys,Im suppling all the parts and cash deal,he does the rest.Im going to get him over to give a rough quote and check out his work,then we'll go from there.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

67SD396 wrote:

Ask lots of questions like the guys have asked here. I've heard too many horror stories of cars ending up in other guys garages and many years later the car is not complete or the work is really poor. Sometimes it pays to pay, if ya get my drift?

I know exactly what you are talking about! Seen that too often myself!

rabbit64cs · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I had a metal man hang the outers and 1/4's on my 70 lemans, in my shop with my tools and gas, my materials. We agreed to a rate of 30 an hour on the pretense that it was going to take him about 15 - 20 hours a side.

WELL...... he did a great job, butt welded and hammer finished. BUT he ended up just shy of 80 hours to hang both sides. I stopped work at that point and I put in the one outer tub myself. I couldn't afford him no more.

I could see the work he was doing , he worked at one speed , very good at what he was doing , but spent 4 hours reworking a bad seam, that I ended up paying him to fix, which in my opinion was his poor judgement , not mine , while he fitting the 1/4. He was very hard to communicate with , and he under estimated the time it would take. he works in a by the hour resto shop, not flat rate ,,,,hence one speed.

sorry for the length , just hope you can have a good heads up entering into this, don't be afraid to ask for references of his former clients. make progress payments, nothing up front,, especially on a labour only job.

good luck

-- Edited by rabbit64cs on Sunday 14th of March 2010 11:31:54 PM

beauman · Veteran Member

ask him if he has other peoples car pictures or customers phone numbers for satisfaction of similar work performed, if he has some happy customers,great, on the other hand,if he tells you to get stuffed,thats should tell you something. A good body man will have happy customers.Good luck, but remember ,the lowest bid might not be the cheapest in the end.

rabbit64cs · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

and not to blame my metal guy for the cost, I'm not a bodyman , so I may have been naive in the hours required to complete the job,

ALSO , that 80 hours only got me to metal work , no filler , no primer, no block sanding !!

timbuk · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

i do alot of this work,panel repair,replacements rust,etc.The thing about auto resto is no one really wants to do it,and if you do just look at the bodyshop rates-80 and up,goes way higher for paint work.Its very easy to spend huge dollars on the body never mind the paint stage and of course the time blocksanding/fitting.Anyways i dont charge that much,in my shop my tools my hydro is 40-you pay for parts.80 hours is alot of hours for 2 quarters without gettin them blocked in,how were the wheel tubs?Anyways always a shocker when you open them up!

rabbit64cs · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

iner tubs were fine, outer lips were bad, but I had planned for replacing the outers anyways. being a convertible, he left the outers till last. He wanted to be able to get his hands in there for the hammer welding and dollying. He put the one outer in after , with much prying, bending , and pushing.

IT just looked wrong to me , to work that hard, I suggested cutting the outer tub in 2 , clam shell , if you will, then weld the seam after. NOPE..he did it his way with a lot of difficulty.

I did the the other side like I suggested. one extra seam to grind?? big deal.

I tell MY tale to others as a caution to ask question and measure results .

MOST body shops could care less about doing resto work,,there in lies the rub!!

GrtDanes · Poncho Master!

Thanks guys.Im going to his shop today and see a car hes doing now,then i'll ask alot and maybe have him come to my place and give me a rough quote.Then i'll know if I keep looking.
Thanks Doug

GrtDanes · Poncho Master!

To bad your to far away,you would be doing mine.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

3 years ago I did floor pans in my Acadian. I loved the job, learned a lot and just plain enjoyed it.

A number of months later someone asked me to do the same job in his car. I did it for 25 bucks an hour plus a bit for supplies (welding gas, wire, grinding discs etc)

If I had the time, I'd love to do more of it. Fun work.

forespeed · Poncho Master!

If you can't see by the comments that this is a recipe for disaster, it's because you just don't want to admit it. The job will not be done in the range of hours you expect, it just never is.
If the job is completed at the level of quality you expect, you will not be happy with the price. Better you agree on a price up front and if an unexpected problem comes up, agree to discuss it at the time it is discovered.

My theory is this, if I'm able to end price negotiations by accepting the bid price, that gives me the advantage of being able to demand a level of quality work and parts.

What I find ridiculous, is demanding to know if the guy has a legitimate business. If this guy elects to commit tax fraud, you want to share in his savings but you have no liability. If he is caught and forced to pay up plus penalties and fees, etc. Are you going to be there for him and pay the difference between his cash price and the price of a legitimate businessman. Is his labor less valuable because he doesn't pay taxes on the income? If he is working for cash, does he get a price break on lights, gas or materials? Come on, I like a discount as much as the next guy but do you really have the right to ask if a guy is paying his taxes. That is what working for cash means.

dualquadpete · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I think the price is fair. Most body shops are in and around $ 75 to 80 & hr. plus materials. I will be surprised if he can give you a "FIRM" quote, I'm no body man, but what I've learned so fat on doing some of it, you never know whats in there till you "open er up" then you see what kind of "can of worms" you got!!! Pretty hard to say "ya, 25 hrs. will do it" then find there's nothing left [metal wise] to work with, & way more fabricating than he thought was involved. Check out his work, talk to people he's done work for, & if your satisfied, Do IT

DANO65 · Poncho Master!

There are 3 things to consider when it comes to body work,
Good,
Fast,
Cheap
You only get 2,
Good & Fast isn't Cheap, Good & Cheap isn't Fast, Cheap & Fast isn't Good wink

Check him out and go with your gut, If it doesn't seem right don't do it. There's always another one.

timbuk · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

dano thats a good one.True but good.Shop ratyes are off the wall,paying the big shop rates steal the equity from your car.....