Thoughts on quote for rust removal and new paint? (1 Viewer)

[Jermusom]

So I live in WV. Most body shops around just want to do collision repair. Others that do renovation have long wait lists (was told 2 years by one person).

Background, I have a ‘88 FJ 62. Pretty good condition in terms of body, but there are a few areas mostly around the back window and few small areas around back window/doors/ rocker panels that have rust. I want to address the obvious rust and repaint the whole thing, mostly just to help prevent future rust issues (my 11 year old child claimed this cruiser for the future, so I want to preserve it).

Reputable body shop recently got back to me said 10-15K ballpark and they could start next week.

I thought this was a little steep, but am tempted to accept as not everyone wants to do this work.

Anyone have a similar experience they would like to share or any insight on to whether or not this seems reasonable in my case? Are there any good questions I should ask this guy before I entrust this repair to him?

Thanks to all.

 

[kirvesmies]

So I live in WV. Most body shops around just want to do collision repair. Others that do renovation have long wait lists (was told 2 years by one person).

Background, I have a ‘88 FJ 62. Pretty good condition in terms of body, but there are a few areas mostly around the back window and few small areas around back window/doors/ rocker panels that have rust. I want to address the obvious rust and repaint the whole thing, mostly just to help prevent future rust issues (my 11 year old child claimed this cruiser for the future, so I want to preserve it).

Reputable body shop recently got back to me said 10-15K ballpark and they could start next week.

I thought this was a little steep, but am tempted to accept as not everyone wants to do this work.

Anyone have a similar experience they would like to share or any insight on to whether or not this seems reasonable in my case? Are there any good questions I should ask this guy before I entrust this repair to him?

Thanks to all.

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the 11yr old has claimed it? well damn, put him to work on it @Jermusom , seriously, what i'm seeing in your pics, that rust repair is doable at home, with the 11 yr olds help if you dig around in here you'll see guys have repaired much worse in their home shop.

 

[Gimme a 60]

15k.


That’s a ripoff.

I have a 62 with way worse rust- and I am slowly tackling it.

Like what kirvesmies said, lots of people have repaired much worse in a home shop.

 

[bj70bc]

If that quote was for all the rust repairs and a whole repaint, down to the bare metal
I would pull the trigger on that, providing it is all addressed and not bandaid-ed

Theres a lot more rust there that you cant see... always

 

[klinetime574]

I agree with @bj70bc Yeah I’d say that sounds low for a complete repaint and rust repair. A good paint job alone (glass out, down to bare metal) could be $10,000. At least that’s what I think so I can justify it when I get mine repainted LOL. I hope my (now) 1 year old daughter will want my rig some day!

 

[OSS]

In 1988, a brand new FJ62 cost $22K to drive off the dealership lot.
$15K to fix a few rust holes is insanity.

 

[HujSGory]

To be fair, some of the rust is in ''Pandora box'' type places, ie the A pillar, the rear panel is easy enough. but for a shop quoting yeah its gonna be spendy.

Its all fun saying I fixed worse in my driveway with some Harbour freight mig and a few cases of PBR, thats all fine and well.

Perhaps you should get them to quote on each panel/area?

I'd be more worried if I got a quote for say 2k, than 15k. unless you have ''mates rates''

If you can get the A pillar done by a pro to a good standard, from what I can see the rest can be done easy enough to a decent standard by a ''mate with a mig'' pick the low hanging fruit.

 

[georgebj60]

Body work is labourious, and labour isn't cheap. Just look through some of the fine work of @kelly saad, and you can see why this adds up in a hurry. By the time a person adds in the paint (not cheap), the overhead for a shop to work in, with the lights on, with the tools required to do the work, $10-15K doesn't sound out-of-line anymore.

All well and good to say just fix it yourself in your driveway, but not everyone has the time, nor desire to use their rig as a learning experience. There's downtime on the rig itself, and all that time you're spending working on the truck is time you're not spending at work or with family. All comes down to priorities, or timing.

 

[AussieHJCruza]

10-15k isn't a bad deal especially if it's proper rust repair, i.e. cut out and weld in new steel.

The other question is, why isn't this shop busy? Do they do lousy work?

 

[White Stripe]

I would have proffitts or Kelly Saad fix it. You'll know whatever you shell out is well spent. Don't be afraid to travel a few states for the repairs. You want quality and thoroughness. Ultimately the body may need to be removed to do it right.

 

[Jermusom]

So I talked to the shop owner. He is going to cut out rust and weld in new steel where needed, sand and paint.

I think I could at least repair the rust but would still need the paint job, and I don’t really have the time (I’m sure most can relate). I’m going to pull the trigger and hope for the best. I’ll post some updated photos when it’s done.

Thanks for the sage wisdom and input from those who contributed.

 

[matmattmatthew]

I'm in the same boat as you with about the same amount of rust on my 89, while I haven't started to tackle it, I'm planning on doing it myself. I've never done body work, rust repair or paint but a lot of threads on here have inspired me to tackle it myself. I plan on it being a learning experience and I'm prepared to have the truck parked in my detached garage for at least a year. In a perfect world, I would send it out to a professional but my truck needs a lot more than just bodywork and paint so I need to save on labor by doing as much of the work myself. Just curious, I'm not too far from Charleston WV, what is the shop you're taking it to?

 

[Catching Neutral]

I inquired locally in 2016 about rust repair/ paint on a 40. Was told 10k minimum

 

[diesellibrarian]

I've cut into a couple of 60 series Cruisers, and just by looking at the photos, I can tell you that there's more rust there than meets the eye. The a-pillar is a tricky spot, as you need to drill out the spot welds that hold on the drip rail. There's bound to be more rust behind that. If you took a screwdriver to the lower rear quarters, it would punch right through in several spots, and you're also looking at some inner quarter work by the looks of it. In my experience, though, the trickiest spot is where the rocker and door sill and wheel arch meet right in front of the rear wheel. There are several layers of steel that overlap in that area, which is part of what makes it so rust-prone. It's also what makes it so time-consuming to fix.

I don't say this to discourage you - it can all be repaired. Aftermarket panels are available that can speed the process. But there may well be more to the repairs than just cutting out the visible rust and welding in new. Sometimes you have to go pretty deep to find solid metal to weld to, and that's where the high dollar price tags come in, sadly.

 

[HujSGory]

As diesellibrarian says, the A post is where the fun will really be, to repair it has to be done to a very good standard from a safety point of view, and visually, its in the line of sight.
The sills and the rear quarter, you want the best you can afford, but on a budget, I'd throw the money at the A post, and do a ''good enuff'' repair on sills/quarter, they are low down and not AS structurally important provided the B post is tied in at the bottom.

 

[WVFJ60]

I am also in Charleston WV area so curious what shop have you the quote? I’ll be needing some work down the road once I finish up some of the mechanical work on mine.

 

[cruiserpilot]

So I talked to the shop owner. He is going to cut out rust and weld in new steel where needed, sand and paint.

I think I could at least repair the rust but would still need the paint job, and I don’t really have the time (I’m sure most can relate). I’m going to pull the trigger and hope for the best. I’ll post some updated photos when it’s done.

Thanks for the sage wisdom and input from those who contributed.

Decent paint after sanding and normal stuff is $6K. Lots of guys can and do it at home, but it takes time, lots of time. Not to mention
a fair bit of courage and ability. If you are really set, then remove the entire interior yourself. Bag and label. Remove all trim, side windows,
as much as you can. If you guy is honourable and competent, then to be honest $12-15K isn't out of line. Its a lot of TIME to do this work.
I spent 400 hrs on mine the first time around, bare metal everything but front fenders removed ( which to this day I regret ).
Keep tabs on the progress, if he gets something in the middle just keep him honest you don't want to wait until your kid is 16
before it's done. His work will be reflected in your enthusiasm, maybe you can come in and clean stuff up. I fronted my guy a
bit of money for supplies, sanding discs and tape sort of kept him on track. Then he knows you're serious and can still pay. Be surprised
how many body shops get into giant projects and the owner bails, leaving some weird assed project to sell just to break even.
Good luck, post up progress pics. J

 

[orikawa]

I work with @kelly saad . There's a lot of good advice here. Even YouTubing someone like Fitzee can get you a long long way down the road toward repairing some of the issues yourself but time time time and really there is also a ton in tools and materials achieve higher quality results. Don't be afraid to investigate some of the rust spots by sanding away paint or drilling a hole. Just make sure to seal it again, and primer IS NOT sealer.

If I had to choose a body shop today for that type of project I would be full-on interviewing not only the owner but the guy who is actually doing the work. Things can get out of hand pretty quick so make sure you know where your limits are and have a plan to address the new approach in a detailed way if the initial plan shifts.

Good luck! It's a big expenditure so be picky

 

[cruiserhunter]

HI guys,
I am in Morgantown and just got the rust off my old 86 fj60. Still need to get her painted.
Dave Henry fabricated everything. He does great work and I am thankful for him. Please let me know if you have any questions

Here are the after pics

 

[HujSGory]

HI guys,
I am in Morgantown and just got the rust off my old 86 fj60. Still need to get her painted.
Dave Henry fabricated everything. He does great work and I am thankful for him. Please let me know if you have any questions

Here are the after pics
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Any before pictures?