Labor Hours Required Quote?
Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2022 2:14 pm
Trying to get some opinions/approximations about how many labor hours I should expect for some work I'm about to have done by a professional restoration shop.
I know that's a super difficult thing to ask even if you were to see the car in person. It's even more difficult via just photos on the internet.
I should add that the entire bottom of the car, interior, trunk, cowl section and tail section has already been media blasted and painted. Those jobs are already done and good enough to eat off of.
The car has an 8 point cage cut through the floor and welded right to the frame rails, welded sub frame connectors, new DSE front sub frame, ladder bars, mini tubs, Strange rear end as it is. This thing isn't coming apart without lots of cutting and new parts.
But, that's what I have to work with so here goes:
I'm about to drop this car off to the restoration/body shop to have the following things done:
1) Reassemble car
----a. I'm asking the shop to reassemble the body properly. I want every panel perfectly aligned, all door gaps correctly shimmed etc. I'm not hesitant to spend money on their time to get this 100% correct. I've seen cars 'restored' before where panel gap is absolutely atrocious.
----b. As you can see from the photos, the car has a new DSE front sub frame. So there are really no reference points to begin reassembly, so it won't be easy.
----c. The fenders, hood, front end, doors, bumpers are all off the car right now
2) DA sand body down to bare metal (doors, hood, fenders, roof, trunk, quarters, bumpers etc.) down to bare metal.
----a. This car HAS BEEN painted once before in the mid 80's so I have to assume there's the original paint on the car as well to get through
2) Repair any significant rust issues
----a. I'm pretty certain this really won't be an issue. So for the purposes of the thread lets assume there's NO RUST to repair
3) Smooth fire wall
----a. I want the firewall smoothed. I don't need the shop to worry about a/c, heater core, steering column. I just want them to cut out the factory firewall and smooth it.
4) Cut out damaged drivers side cowl door section and replace with OEM part
5) Spray car in epoxy primer
----a. I'm NOT HAVING the shop get it 'paint ready'.
----b. Bondo work, filler, seem coat, all of that type stuff is going to be MUCH further down the road when I get it painted.
----c. I just want it reassembled, gaps corrected, sanded, and put in epoxy primer so I can store this thing in my garage while I do what I need to over the next few years
Some things to point out:
----I have all of the factory sheet metal from this car (including rust free inner fender walls).
----I have a perfect OEM front core support and new door hinges for the car
----I'm NOT HAVING them put the wheel fares on the car
----All the parts to the car are already properly labeled and marked which should help them out a little bit
Attached are photos of the car in the shape they will receive it.
Can you give me an idea of how many labor hours you think they'll quote?
I know that's a super difficult thing to ask even if you were to see the car in person. It's even more difficult via just photos on the internet.
I should add that the entire bottom of the car, interior, trunk, cowl section and tail section has already been media blasted and painted. Those jobs are already done and good enough to eat off of.
The car has an 8 point cage cut through the floor and welded right to the frame rails, welded sub frame connectors, new DSE front sub frame, ladder bars, mini tubs, Strange rear end as it is. This thing isn't coming apart without lots of cutting and new parts.
But, that's what I have to work with so here goes:
I'm about to drop this car off to the restoration/body shop to have the following things done:
1) Reassemble car
----a. I'm asking the shop to reassemble the body properly. I want every panel perfectly aligned, all door gaps correctly shimmed etc. I'm not hesitant to spend money on their time to get this 100% correct. I've seen cars 'restored' before where panel gap is absolutely atrocious.
----b. As you can see from the photos, the car has a new DSE front sub frame. So there are really no reference points to begin reassembly, so it won't be easy.
----c. The fenders, hood, front end, doors, bumpers are all off the car right now
2) DA sand body down to bare metal (doors, hood, fenders, roof, trunk, quarters, bumpers etc.) down to bare metal.
----a. This car HAS BEEN painted once before in the mid 80's so I have to assume there's the original paint on the car as well to get through
2) Repair any significant rust issues
----a. I'm pretty certain this really won't be an issue. So for the purposes of the thread lets assume there's NO RUST to repair
3) Smooth fire wall
----a. I want the firewall smoothed. I don't need the shop to worry about a/c, heater core, steering column. I just want them to cut out the factory firewall and smooth it.
4) Cut out damaged drivers side cowl door section and replace with OEM part
5) Spray car in epoxy primer
----a. I'm NOT HAVING the shop get it 'paint ready'.
----b. Bondo work, filler, seem coat, all of that type stuff is going to be MUCH further down the road when I get it painted.
----c. I just want it reassembled, gaps corrected, sanded, and put in epoxy primer so I can store this thing in my garage while I do what I need to over the next few years
Some things to point out:
----I have all of the factory sheet metal from this car (including rust free inner fender walls).
----I have a perfect OEM front core support and new door hinges for the car
----I'm NOT HAVING them put the wheel fares on the car
----All the parts to the car are already properly labeled and marked which should help them out a little bit
Attached are photos of the car in the shape they will receive it.
Can you give me an idea of how many labor hours you think they'll quote?