Does this body work quote seam reasonable?

[cpurcell34]

I've been quoted $15k in total for rust repair, body work, and paint. This is a local shop in Finksburg, MD that was recommend by a bimmer buddy who's had a few cars done there before. I've seen his work, a car he had just finished, and it looked great. 

 

My '02 is completey stripped. I'm planning to put it on a chassis roller. PO started body work but it's never been in an accident. 

The rust repair is not horrendous: strut tower mounts are good. Trunk is good as are the hood and trunk lids and front fenders.

Areas that need help are the windshield corners, around the pedal box, the passenger floor pan behind the front fender. And lots of surface rust. 

The ebrake was cut out for some stupid reason, I have a new one to weld in. 

I will probably get a new nose panel, maybe even a new tail panel for them to weld in. 

I want them to add turbo flares and the front turbo bumper. 

What am I neglecting to disclose? 

 

Is $15k a decent price in 2023? Any other shop recommendations in the mid-Atlantic area would be great. 

[Son of Marty]

If you can get him to commit to 15k to fix all the rust he uncovers go for it but I'm sure he won't go for that🤕. I'll bet my bottom dollar your going to find more rust as work goes on, like removing the sound deadening from the floors.

[fsf517]

honestly 15k is a workable number for a body man that has a low overhead, works alone etc.  If you feel he is going to a great job, then 15k is fair for labor alone, you buy all the paint and supply, another 2500  + body panels.  this is a lot of work and can easily take someone months for hundreds of hours.  break it down by section (how much just to do the hood) and it is justified. And the nose and tail panels are real difficult , be sure you want to do that.  yours look save able.  not sure , but replacing them will add many hours.  great car and color ! fred

[Son of Marty]

I'd put a add in parts wanted for the missing part of the trans tunnel.

[johnny02]

Dude I just paid 10 for a car that was already in rough primer, just needed some sanding and new primer and paint (and I sprayed under the hood and in the trunk myself). If you get out of there at 15 I’d say you did pretty well.  Long gone are the days of affordable (good) body work. 

Edited March 23, 2023 by johnny02
Left something out

[joysterm]

 

I guess my first questions to you would be what is the level  of finish are you looking for when the car is completed and  are you confident there is nothing( more rust) lurking beyond the areas you have identified. 

 

Given your described areas of concern the 15K maybe on the light side for metal work AND paint. I am assuming that you have not taken the fenders off to see what might be lurking in  those out of sight areas, especially if the corners of the wind shield are in need of attention. The interior metal work is pretty starlight forward and easily addressed.

 

Also, how straight are the doors, hood, trunk, fenders and roof. Hard to tell from the pictures. Those all can quickly chew up hours  trying to make them straight and fit  with the proper gaps.  It's all about the level of prep work that has gone into the project that will determine the level of quality you are trying to achieve, IMHO.

 

Lastly, if you factor in the cost of paint and materials outside the extra panels you may wish to add plus any unknowns,  you maybe finding yourself adding a few more "Benjermans" to your budget.  Hopefully you will be able to make it work....good luck with the project and please be sure to document your progress. I for one enjoy watching the transformation.

[TobyB]

Seems pretty reasonable to me- 

I'm not sure I could get materials 

for under half that, at this point in the universe...

 

t

 

[Stevenc22]

I just paid $15k for paint on a car with minimal issues. 

Edited March 23, 2023 by Stevenc22

[Mikesmalaga72]

Great saving another Bimmer from the grave!! 

Edited March 26, 2023 by Mikesmalaga72
edit

[NYNick]

I think $15K is more than fair from what those pictures show. I hope you're removing the engine first.

 

A lot will depend on the type and quality of the job the shop performs or you ask him to do. Earl Scheib is one thing, a high quality job inside and out is another.

 

I'd also be thinking where you think you're going to end up financially when the car is done. If your starting point is $15K for paint and body work and you paid, let's say, $5K for the car, you're at $20K without interior, trim, engine work, suspension, wheels, tires etc. After those, you're staring at $30K plus all day long when you're finished.

 

Good luck!

[Dug Nichols]

That seems like a reasonable/good price today for that amount of work. I relatively recently had rust repair work done on an OG '73 I found. Slightly different work, but close, included:
- driver side rocker

- new nose

- foot well patches both sides

- driver side rear wheel well patch

- paint to blend everything into mostly original paint

Subtract the rocker from mine, but yours has other spots so maybe that balances out.

 

$25k at the end. Very very well done job and I'm happy with the results. But my original estimate was $15k, but then as you go you discover more.... Definitely became a "while we're at it" situation and really hurts the pocket book and what I've got in total for the car, which at one point I was considering flipping, but now it's a lifer, or at least a long term car.

[JsnPpp]

5 hours ago, Stevenc22 said:

I just paid $15k for a car with minimal issues. 

 

A $15K '72 Tii that looks like that (am I reading this right?) is truly a great deal! Nice car!

[NYNick]

29 minutes ago, Dug Nichols said:

That seems like a reasonable/good price today for that amount of work. I relatively recently had rust repair work done on an OG '73 I found. Slightly different work, but close, included:
- driver side rocker

- new nose

- foot well patches both sides

- driver side rear wheel well patch

- paint to blend everything into mostly original paint

Subtract the rocker from mine, but yours has other spots so maybe that balances out.

 

$25k at the end. Very very well done job and I'm happy with the results. But my original estimate was $15k, but then as you go you discover more.... Definitely became a "while we're at it" situation and really hurts the pocket book and what I've got in total for the car, which at one point I was considering flipping, but now it's a lifer, or at least a long term car.

This is what I was getting at. The OP could get upside down in a hurry depending on what he paid for the car versus what's out there for sale.

 

Buyers don't understand (or care) what restorations cost and restorers don't understand what their restoration will be worth when they're done.

[bavariaboy]

First take a close look at what the shop did for other owners/friends. Look at invoices carefully, total delivered price, time the cars were in the shop, how easy was the shop to deal with? Owner satisfaction long short term.

 

Then  check the availability(shipping, etc) and the real prices of all the parts, nose, tail, etc, you are going to purchase and deliver. How long has the shop been in business? What do the other cars in the shop look like, how long have they been there?

 

I am familiar with restoring e9 Coupes, and $15,000 for the work and parts and paint you are proposing sounds too good to be true. A buddy is having a door straightened and painted on a newer Volvo wagon. At a local shop. No big deal, $1,500. That's 10% of the price quoted you.  

 

Finally, I would get two or three more quotes for all the work you describe here.

 

Steve

[Mike Self]

On the other hand....

 

If you have the time and want to learn a new skill, enroll in an evening auto body course at your local vocational school.  I took 5-6 semesters and learned more in the first two than I had taught myself in 20+ years of trying.  It's especially good if they let you work on your own car, as our school did. 

 

I'd starve to death if I did it professionally (I'm slow but pretty good); I did most of the body work on my '69, then took it to a shop for work that was beyond my abilities (I know my limitations!) and paint (no facilities at home to paint).

 

My highest praise was when I took it in for paint and the folks there uncovered my rather extensive repairs (welding and metal finishing on every panel except the roof!) as they sanded.  Their comment "Who did this?"  I told 'em I did, and they all said it was nice work, done properly.  And after 23 years no rust has reappeared.

 

For $10k you can buy a lot of body shop equipment (MIG welder, compressor, air tools etc) and save the final $5k for paint and incidentals.

 

Just an alternative...

 

mike