looking for opinions on body work... (1 Viewer)

[moiremusic]

I'm talking to a guy about a 62 he's selling. He says the fenders/wheelwells are in good shape, so is the frame, but there are a few dings, bubbles, and spots on the body. He also said that the rain gutter in the rear is pretty rusty, but doesn't have a picture. I'm a handy under the hood, but don't know much about body work, so I have no idea what kind of repair cost I'm looking at for the body. How much do you guys think it would take to get this ready for a new paint job?

 

[cfdlighthouse]

man that depends. are you doing it yourself(the body work and prep) or (the paint) or both. body work without bondo is an art if you want it to look good. if you have bubling there is rust iunder the bubbles and you may find that your sheet metal is in worse shape than you think. it is important to eliminate all rust and replace your rusted through metal before a nice paint job or you will spend alot of money for nothing. your probly better off spot treating the rust in sections unless you have a couple grand to throw away on paint and body work. personally i would rather spend the money on functional improvements and allow the truck to have character with dents and treated rust areas.

just my .02 if you want pretty get out your wallet

 

[moiremusic]

No, body work is something I don't have experience in. I would definitely have a shop do it. Same with the paint.

 

[cfdlighthouse]

No, body work is something I don't have experience in. I would definitely have a shop do it. Same with the paint.

$$$$ man paint and prep can easily run a couple thousand depending on what they find when they start sanding and how bad the obvious rust is, if sheet metal needs replacing just keep adding the $$$$$. its all in what you want.

whats the price of the rig???

looks pretty good by the way from the pics are those 35's?

check the frame rust though. there have been a couple of recent rust posts that show cancer in the rear pretty evidently. stay away from rusted metal that is seperating

 

[moiremusic]

It's a dirt cheap rig, mainly because it's about to blow a rod. The engine I can handle, it'll be a swap anyway. The tires are 33s, included for an extra $400.

 

[RockDoc]

If it's all on swappable panels (door, fender,....) no biggie, if its in the roof, quarters, rockers, walk away if you are looking for a keeper. The bumper is worth a bit of coin if it is in good shape.

From what I see of it in the pics, the typical spots that rust up here are pretty good, but the rain gutters look nasty, and that door is pooched. This must be a coastal truck, right?

 

[Texx]

To begin with, have this asshat take pictures in the daylight Additionally, have him buy a disposable camera, take a pic of every square inch of this rusted turd, including the drip rail, and mail it to you to develop yourself if he's too cheap to buy a digital. You get what you pay for. Personally, I'd run, not walk, from a truck in this poor of condition.

 

[Gappy]

Instead of putting the money in the body work (and engine), you are better off putting the money in a cleaner rig. Then in the end I would bet that you would have not spent as much money and would have a nicer rig. You need to put the time in to finding the nice rig.

 

[HR-OLIFANT]

I got a quote from a very reputable shop on our area for the following similar issues:
repair all dings and dents, repair flaking rust areas (under rear windows, door jams, etc.), repair ds rear quarter with new metal, full paint prep and PPG paint to OEM color.... and a few extras...

Rear quarter was @ $600 if I provided metal replacement panel, @ $900 if they had to fab from scratch.
All other paint/ body work was @ $3000.
If I were to remove all trim, rear windows, lights, etc., the cost would drop significantly mirroring their labor expectancies.

I thought this was a very reasonable quote. whether it is right for you, only you can say. If you bought it for a low price, you may even out with the repair vs. buying nicer for more money. For me, it is worth the repair, since she is already mine and nicer than most overall. If you can wait to find something nicer, it would be worth the wait.

 

[moiremusic]

Instead of putting the money in the body work (and engine), you are better off putting the money in a cleaner rig. Then in the end I would bet that you would have not spent as much money and would have a nicer rig. You need to put the time in to finding the nice rig.

Sounds like this is the general consensus here. The rig is going for under $1000, not bad for a '62, but if even this small amount of rust is going to be that much trouble, I suppose I am better off just looking for a cleaner cruiser. Plus, with that impending engine problem, I'd have to have it transported to me, which will run $600+ USD.

Thanks fellas.

 

[moiremusic]

By the way, for anyone else interested in it, it's in Silverthorne, Co near Denver. The engine knocks, making the owner think it's going to blow a rod soon. He's got it listed for $850, extra for the tires and bumper:

Recent post: 1989 Toyota Land Cruiser (needs motor)
First post, with pics: Toyota Land Cruiser FJ62 w/ rod knock

 

[moiremusic]

So if I want a 60-series that will last, should I stay away from a Colorado vehicle (or at least a Rocky Mountain vehicle)? Are they as rusty as the Northern vehicles? I'm in East Texas, and we get about zero inches of snow per year... so issues like undercarriage rust is just not something we ever really have to think about.

 

[5280Hawk]

No,

Colorado Is relatively Dry,

My 60 spent it's whole life in Southern Colorado and has very little rust. The only rust i had was the frame channel, and rear Fenders and wells.

you can find better ones in Texas and California, some in Arizona still have the factory paint on the Frame.