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MAN!!! Look at that body!!!

U

Uerik

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Replacing hood, front/rear bumpers

Well I had a kick in the mouth yesterday. story: bout a year ago was was backed into by a UPS truck, now how many of you guys can say that :p Anyway, there insurance took care of everything, or so I thought. I ended up getting about 1.7k for the damage to the hood and front bumper. That was the body shops estimate for doing all the work and taking the paint job all the way back into the doors. So i was happy, wasn't all that bad, figured I'd do it later and ended up sinking the money into the engine (had a complete new "racier" one built, roller cam, bored .03 over, the works. Not like some i've seen out there though :eek

Well I've been saving up a lil money recently, got about 3k and I decided to go back there and have the entire car painted along with the body work. EIGHT GRAND :crazy... Now I know this is a common figure for a real good paint job and some body work, but I realized I got wined, dined, and left with a mint on my pillow in the morning by the insurance company :cry. So now I am saying screw it... I am gonna buy the hood and front and rear bumper and put em on myself and sand and prime and prep and all that stuff to keep the cost down.

Anyway... my question, anyone know what kinda job I'm in for? any of you guys done this yourself? Is it work the extra 4 grand or so to spare the frustration? :bash Anyone know of any good body kits out there that inclue the hood, front, and rear bumper? I was looking at the stalker wide body kit, but that is a little pricey right now and I don't think that includes the hood. I've seen some highrise hoods out there, any of you guys have those? Lemme know what you all think!

Chris

Insurance Companies:r
 
Man. Not a single reply? :s Has anyone out there done their own body work for the hood/bumpers?
 
Lacking Real Experience

Chris,

In high school, I had a Bradley GT I that I was planning on doing the same thing with....doing all the prep work myself to keep cost down. It is very time consuming and hard to get it just right. I don't have to experience to tell you to go ahead with it or not...just letting you know that you're in for a job if ya do it yourself. Good luck with it.
 
Eight grand for a paint job sounds pretty high. I see you live in Calif. but I would think that would be high for even there. Unless your getting something special done, I would shop around. I was given a estimate here in Florida of two grand for a complete repaint of same color. This is by a body shop that does custom cars and vettes and also painted my 75 a few years back.
 
You have to be very carefull with a fiberglass body. DO NOT sand down to the fiber or there is a whole process you have to go through to seal it up. Body work is an art, and it's not easy. If your not very good at it will be time consuming. I dont mean to discourage you. Just be prepared for the project.

Is the accident repair costing more than the check will cover? If so contact the insurance company and see if they will pay the difference. I have seen a lot of used body parts sell on e-bay for decent prices. Look around you might get lucky.

Good luck.
 
some things are better off left to the the pros, and in my opinion , sanding, priming and painting are one of them. Takes a lot of hours to get glass sanded just right for a smooth finish , and if your sinking 5-6 grand in for a paint job you want the grunt work done right:D
 
I agree

I agree with SN400. You get what you pay for. If you were a bodyman to begin with and had all the tools to strip a vette properly then I would say go for it, but if you mess something up you might be spending more in the long run. At my locksmith shop we have two labor rates. One basic rate and a double rate reserved to the people who try to fix it themselves (we also have a triple rate for the people who try to fix it themselves and then want to watch).
I was quoted between $2500 and $6000 to strip and repaint my vette (two different shops--$2500 from a friend of a friend). 8k seems a bit high and I wonder if you get kissed for that price as well. Good luck
--Drew:w
 
do it your self

I am not a painter,so I read some books...picked a few brains..and painted the car myself...it took awhile..but after the results.everyone wants me to paint their car...go for it

:w
 
Thanx for the info all. I still haven't decided yet, i think that I may pursue further with the insurance company cuz the money they gave me is 6 grand short of the money for the actual repair and paint costs. If I get no where with them, then i have no place to go but up. Right now on my vette the clearcoat is gone, the hood has a crack, the front bumper is cracked and the rear bumper is sagging. I noticed that a lot of the body kits come sanded, primed and ready for paint, so I would in effect actually only be installing the new hood, and two bumpers prepping the doors, and sides, and probably buying a new glass top. Thanx for all the input.


Chris
 
Chris,

I would check around for used panels. I would also consider getting a couple of other estimates so that you can compare apples to apples. The $8K estimate may be overkill in some areas.

You might even luck up and get used panels the correct color! This has happened before. Your hood will interchange with several year models, so no worries there.

Yes, I have changed all the body panels out one time on a 1985 model. Not too tough with the right tools. You will want to invest in an air compressor and paint gun so that you can prep and spray the jams and under side edges of the new panels in so it all looks factory when complete.
 
8K is high! last year i had to have the front bumper replaced on my 90 so i went ahead and had the whole Vette repainted. it cost me a total of $3200 and it turned out beautiful.
 

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