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I have a 1966 Roadster that I am working to get back to at least the appearance of original. I am not a body guy, and I am not an experienced restorer, so I am having difficulty getting ballpark (high, high level) figures from body shops on how long it will take and about how much it will cost. I am putting money in the bank monthly to get this done and I'm trying to schedule things so that I will have enough in the bank by the time the car is done. I realize this is a major over simplification of the process and I'm willing to put some of this on credit if anything unexpected happens, but I'm just trying to get close. Below is the email I have been sending out to local shops to try and get input. If any of you have experience with this, I welcome your input - whether that is how to get this info from the body shops or if you have estimates you can provide.Hello Body Shop Guy,
It was good to talk with you over the phone regarding my 1966 Corvette that I am restoring. As discussed, the car has been stripped down and the body is ready to be removed from the rotten frame. I have a new frame ready to accept the body and thought this would be the right time to get the body work tackled. Below I’ve listed the known issues with the body that need addressing and I’m looking for a rough idea on pricing and lead time. I have attached some pictures to help give you an idea of what I’m looking for. Ultimately, the goal of this car is to have it look as original as possible.
The first picture attached is the Corvette as it stood after I bought it. I quickly learned that the frame was rotten and have been working for the past year or so on a frame off restoration.
With respect to the work we would like to see you look into, here is a quick list:
Fiberglass Work
Rear fenders returned to stock (possible full or partial fender replacement)
Front fenders repaired to include lower mounting tab for lower rocker valence/trim
Hole repair on PS rear fender where bumper mounting rod protrudes (possible full fender replacement)
Front lower nose repair to include tab for mounting center grill support
DS door repair – various cracks as shown on pictures
Fix up-turned fender tabs (gutter) under hood
Paint
Paint the body a non-stock silver color (yet to be finalized)
Paint the engine bay black
Assembly
Install the windshield
Work that has already been done or will be done
Engine/tranny removed
Wiring harness completely removed
Windshield removed
Doors and interior gutted
All trim, badges, etc… removed
Paint stripped
All reassembly (except the windshield) will be done by us.
Your car needs both quarter panels for sure . It looks like the surround panel was cut off in front of the headlights, if so I would replace the surround panel. Your lower valance is hand laid fiberglass . It will cheaper to replace than fix the tabs. There is a guy on EBAY called Vette Masters who has great C2 fiberglass parts he has press molded. They are so perfect they could pass for nos Gm.I have installed his quarters and tail light panel and fit like Gm. He also has fenders and surround panels in stock, no waiting to be made.
My two cents based on my experience: Most body shops are in the collision repair business and have to take care of their bread & butter first (i.e. insurance & fleet work) as they are on the "clock" and your project may go on the back burner. Unless you can find a shop specializing in body and paint (customizing, etc.) which will cost more; the time frame to complete usually gets pushed out past what they tell you. Then the time will come where you start to worry about what kind of workmanship your get if you start harping at them and pushing to get it done.
Be prepared for delays and set your expectations accordingly. Things take more time than we plan.
Modern urethane paints with safety equipment and spray booth requirements have discourages a lot of self-do-it painters from attempting a paint job anymore. I painted my car in the garage back in the days of lacquer. No big deal back then. But if you are not afraid of work - and from the stage of disassembly I would say you aren't - you could potentially do all the paint stripping, panel replacement and fiberglass work up to the point of passing it off to the painter. Fiberglass work is not difficult. The basic process is easy to learn and as long as the basics are followed the results can be first class. Same with panel replacement. The modern panel adhesives with their longer work time take a lot of the risk and difficulty out of the equation. If you have an eye for visually gaging panels for straightness, uniformity and waviness prepping a body with filler and blocking is pretty straight forward. It’s work but it can save considerable expense. Here in Arkansas I would say a quality paint job on a mostly prepared Corvette body would run $12 to 15k. But if they are handed the body in the condition as pictured with the list of repair items, stripping, panel replacement, fiberglass repairs, blocking out the body, etc, I would guess you could almost double that amount.
I do all my own work in a pretty small shop. I use mostly SPI products which cut the costs dramatically without a sacrifice in quality. I don't have the air movement to safely do a complete topcoat base/clear so I have a pro do it over a long weekend. He has charged me $400, then $600, then $1000 from 12 years to 3 years back. My '66 coupe is sitting in 400 grit waiting a few more months till I block and seal. I'll do all that myself and schedule a road trip to his shop. I never tally the receipts, but I'd bet I've spent over $3000 in product so far including the red base. My painter always has a hand in choosing the clear so I haven't purchase that yet.....and it's best to keep that as fresh as possible.
Good to see one being resuscitated but as others have pointed out, the cost of having it done correctly by someone else can be astronomical. Recommend you determine what the car would be worth in top condition, then determine how deep into your pockets you want to reach to cover the difference - i.e. - what $ you’ll never see again - before you take the plunge with a shop.
Not one to normally give financial advice but I would not depend on credit to cover costs unless you have a large income stream of discretionary cash.
My two cents based on my experience: Most body shops are in the collision repair business and have to take care of their bread & butter first (i.e. insurance & fleet work) as they are on the "clock" and your project may go on the back burner. Unless you can find a shop specializing in body and paint (customizing, etc.) which will cost more; the time frame to complete usually gets pushed out past what they tell you. Then the time will come where you start to worry about what kind of workmanship your get if you start harping at them and pushing to get it done.
Be prepared for delays and set your expectations accordingly. Things take more time than we plan.
This was my experience also. Every body shop I checked with refused to do the body work on my car.
The impression I got was that these body shops just want the quick turnaround work, i.e. someone brings their modern day car in for crash repairs while insurance cuts a check soon after.
Also mentioned too was that ‘we don’t work on fiberglass cars’. One body shop mentioned that if they did take the car in it would be on a second tier basis…….. as in, ‘we’ll get to it when we have time’.
It turned out I ended up getting a couple of ‘how to’
guides and did the body work at home in the garage.
Four body panels were replaced along with general body work done in other areas. Slow and easy all worked out good. After all said and done a local area paint shop painted the car.
I have a very similar 66 C2 project. Did you resolve the body work issues? I am beginning to think that I will have to learn how to put the body together myself. Is that possible?
Adrian, Do not trust your car to anyone who doesn’t have extensive, demonstrable experience with older Corvettes. Over the years, I have known numerous guys who ended up with their cars nearly destroyed by shops that; sandblasted the old paint, turned a young kid loose with a DA sander to remove the old paint, made repairs using glass and resin without knowledge of proper methods, etc, etc. In every case, it cost them significant $$ over the expected price because they had to move it to another shop that knew what they were doing.
If a shop you’re considering can’t introduce you to at least a couple of happy, recent customers who can show you their cars and his quality of work, don’t risk it.
WPR, Your avatar doesn't say where you live. I was extremely pleased with the quality and price of the restoration/paint work done on my '66 after a deer strike. But depending on where you live it may be impractical. I was willing to transport my car 4-5 hrs away to the right shop with lots of C2 experience and reasonable estimate. PM me and I can provide details. Larry
Adrian, WPR, if you are thinking about doing the bodywork yourself then watch some Midyear Mitch you tube videos. Look back at some of his past videos, he literally takes a Corvette that is in pieces and reassembles the body. Makes it look easy.
Adrian, WPR, if you are thinking about doing the bodywork yourself then watch some Midyear Mitch you tube videos. Look back at some of his past videos, he literally takes a Corvette that is in pieces and reassembles the body. Makes it look easy.
Steve
EyEball johns Kustom corner also shows how with some very simple tips and takes his time so you can follow.... On youtube also.
WPR, Your avatar doesn't say where you live. I was extremely pleased with the quality and price of the restoration/paint work done on my '66 after a deer strike. But depending on where you live it may be impractical. I was willing to transport my car 4-5 hrs away to the right shop with lots of C2 experience and reasonable estimate. PM me and I can provide details. Larry
Hey Larry,
Off topic a bit, but I see you're in, or near Huntsville Alabama. We were just there last week (Priceville) visiting our daughter and her family.
Holy crap! That area around Madison and Decatur has literally blown up! Then visiting TN around Franklin and Leiper's Fork area. Again.....Crazy development and of course....Crazy prices on real estate!
Back to the OP's topic. Lots of great advice given! Honestly, you really have to look into whether you can do the work or not. It does take a ton of time, but it is doable. So difficult (and expensive) to depend upon a shop to do the complete restoration. Around here (Northern California), one would be underwater very quickly as the minimum shop rate I'm observing is easily $150.00 per hour and many shops are even more.
You may want to talk to some in your local Corvette groups, or someone affiliated with NCRS in your area. More than likely they can provide some guidance on whom you may wish to contact.
I’m in NJ as well. Have you joined NCRS? We have a local chapter full of seasoned guys who may be able to guide you.
Yes, I have joined NCRS, Can you send me the local chapter info?
Just returned from a shop in PA who gave me an estimate of about $120K! I have watched most of the Mid Year MItch videos, I am going to have to give it a try.
Body Work
