body shop question

I will soon have my 71 demon project running and was thinking of sending it to the body shop for 2 new quarter panels. I have already bought the panels. I was thinking that it would not be a big deal as the car is really solid (Florida car) except for some small rust holes right at the bottom behind the wheels. When I bought the car it had been in some minor fender benders and and I thought it easier to change the panels instead of knocking out the dents and using bondo. Is it just me, or do the bodyshop guys think that they have a live one on the hook. I am not looking for a complete body and paint job. Three shops said that they would only do it if they were to do a complete job. One said to leave it for the winter so they could work on it during the slow times. All I want is two quarters replaced, finished and primed. I would remove glass, lights and bumper. Interior is already stripped. Cheapest was $4,000.00 and from there up. My question is, what is the going price to have this done, and has anybody gone through this process already.

Kenny B

You are not realizing the difference between bolt on body panels and weld in body panels. When a body shop buys a aftermarket front fender for a late model Honda they will need to egg shape some of its bolt holes, maybe drill a new hole to make it line up at the park lamp but still in an hour its on there. Lines at the door and hood plenty close enough. Quarter panels for the same car are just as close or wrong depending on your point of view. It will probably take 10 hours to get it fit proper and welded in. The key word is welded. No shifting in the bolt holes to be had.
Aftermarket quarter panels for our old cars dont fit anywhere near as close.
How many hours it will take to get it fit at the wheel well, rear light opening , etc.., is anyones guess.
During the weeks or months that your car sits in there shop its not only taking up work space where better money can be made but there is soo much work going on around your car that it will probably get a scratch or ding and that may or may not be on a quarter panel.
I hope this sheds some light on body work for you.

How Far Are You Willing To Take The Car. I Am About 2 Hours From You And My Brother Has His Own Hobby Shop. He Does This For A Living. If You Want To Take It To Him I Could Ask How Much To Weld In Two Quarters For You. Email Me At moparwedden@hotmail.com.

RedFish summed it up pretty good. Aftermarket panels are alot of work compared to an easy collision repair. Rust and previous repairs are all I do these days. The estimates you recieved are not that far out of line depending on what your local shop rates are.
I am at $45.00 and hour. It takes about 16 hours to install each quarter panel properly. Sometimes the quarters fit OK (just OK) and sometimes they don't fit at all and need additional time to correct the stamping problems. The you may as well figure 5-6 hours of time to fix the stretch marks, creases, dents, folds and what ever else happened during forming and shipping. If they are doing everything right you will have time in rustproofing inside the panels to keep the welds from rusting, time duplicating the fabulous inner quarter panel texture coating, etc. Plus the cost of materials. Welding wire, gas, fillers, primers, etc. Lots of other boring details like priming and re-priming....
It adds up in a hurry.
I would say that if a customer brings in a med. sized car like a Dart, on average, bodywork (a trunk floor, lower quarters, and a few misc. patches), paint, and materials (no parts or sheetmetal) the cost is right up there at 10K give or take a grand.
Then you have the "BIG" shops. You know the ones that think their can of paint is better than mine. Boyd, Rad Rods, Foose etc that charge $10,000 just to draw up the plans :wack:

$4,000 ÷ $80 shop rate = 50 hrs. ÷ 2 = 25 hrs. per side to cut off the old one, including all the old spot welds (pain in the ***) and then fit your new quarters that don't fit for ****, and I really mean that, making sure that all of the reveals and body lines are perfect, so that your trunk lid closes flush and your doors fit right, seam seal all of the joints that need seam sealed, then scuff it, mask it, and primer it. Seems pretty in line with what I would expect.

In the same amount of time, the bodyshop could push through 4-5 collision jobs on 2007 Honda's that are quick, and easy money makers. Which is why the one shop told you to leave it over the winter, so that it could be worked on a little at a time when things are slow.

That price sounds pretty reasonable to me. Not a real money maker for the shop, and a potential liability (damage to car, lost shop space...ect).

As a body and paint guy,such as myself. i wouldn't do the job unless i can do the whole job. just my opinion. i dont know if i would charge that much,but it would be close to that. anybody can put 2 quarters on, but not anybody can put them on right. there is alot of work involved,as stated previously.

If there is just some small rust at the bottom of the quarter behind the wheel well, making a small patch would be substantially cheaper than replacing the whole quarter. Buy the replacement skins and cut the bottoms off to patch.

Dont have to deal with the door jamb, trunk lines, body lines etc......all that means less HRS, ie $$$.

Hey Kenny,

I know where you are coming from, and $4K is a good deal, as long as it's done right.

I've been trying to get my paint done, and I don't need any panels or major repairs, my quote was $12.5K's. I'm rolling in a bare shell with the windshield, rear glass and dash only.

Here's some pics of the car taken last fall, including the worst areas to repair.
http://s203.photobucket.com/albums/aa59/340butterduster/?action=view&current=P9020051.jpg
This will require a patch.
http://s203.photobucket.com/albums/aa59/340butterduster/Under Hood/?
action=view&current=P4050031.jpg
And this fender was replaced in '73, didn't have the hood pin cut out.
http://s203.photobucket.com/albums/aa59/340butterduster/?action=view&current=P4100017.jpg

Feel free to look at the rest of my pics, this car is 70 % original paint, and it sure don't look like it needs that much work.

Just the Canadian way, I decided to do it myself, wether it takes me 5 years or more.

I refuse to pay that kind of $ for something that can do myself, with a few trial runs and some extra sanding, till it's the way I want it.

Best of luck.

Giles