Most body and paint shops are set up to work on whole cars, so when I approached them with the idea of bringing in all the separate body parts most of them were scared off. One shop I found was interested and quoted me a fair price, but when I visited, I found out that they didn't have a paint booth; they painted outside "on calm days"! (I can only imagine what the neighbors' cars look like from the drifting overspray!)
Another wanted to "take it to the next level" with a concourse-quality paint job at a price that would have exceeded the entire cost of the restoration, including purchasing the car to begin with.
I finally found a shop that would take my parts a few at a time, and fit them in between their regular collision-repair jobs, and at a reasonable price. I dropped off the fenders, doors, and running boards to get started. Two months later, no progress had been made, and I talked with the owner about getting a schedule. He told me that they were too busy with their collision work, which needed to be turned around quickly, and that it might be six months or more before he could get to my stuff. (I'm not sure how he knew that they wouldn't STILL be too busy in six months.) I decided to keep looking, and when I went to pick up the parts, I found them sitting outdoors on a rack with a dozen other piece-parts, some of which looked like they had been there a lot longer than two months. (I didn't bother to ask the owner if he had an uncle or something named Brutus.)
I asked some of the local car guys and gals for recommendations in the area, and was surprised at a name that came up more than once. A Maaco shop in Mesa.
I'm aware that some of you have just had a shiver run down your spine, but when I went out to talk with them, look at their shop, and at what they were putting out the door, I was more impressed than with Brutus' nephew's place. They were organized, well-staffed, and the quality of their work seemed first rate. They weren't deterred by my body-parts requirement, gave me a reasonable estimate based on photos of the parts, and even gave me a turn-around time in weeks, not months.
Bear in mind that I'm looking for a "driver" paint job; one that is more akin to the car's factory finish than something you'd see on the grass at Pebble Beach. If (when) I get a rock chip while out cruising, I'm going to fix it with a tiny dab of paint in the divot; I'm not going to refinish the whole fender.
Now that they have the parts and have seen the spots that will require a little filler here and there, they are going to give me a revised estimate, which is only fair. If it were to double (which I don't expect) it would still be less than a third of Mr. Next-Level's price.
While the body is in paint, and the frame is at media-blasting / powder-coat, I will work on the front and rear suspension and brake assemblies.
I am already getting progress photos from the manager at Maaco! What a difference from the other guys!
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| Inventory of parts to be painted. I kept a number of the small parts back that I will paint myself. |
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| The body tub fits perfectly in the truck. |
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| Already making progress! |
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