advice on resto shop

[Kenneth G.]

hello all-

well the time has come for me to turn my 69 over to the resto shop. I have completed the chasis (suspension, motor ,tranny ,rear,brakes etc) and now i am turning the body over to the resto shop for body work. I am also having the interior redone along with all wiring etc. Basically i am letting the shop complete the car from where it is now (rolling chasis). I was wondering what anyones experiences have been in dealing with shops on this kind of full scale restoration. Any advice on dealing with shopowners and what problems , if any , you have encountered. This is my first experience with a full scale resto project and i am anticipating it will be expensive. Can anyone relate what their costs were, time frame for completion etc.?? Ill be bringing it in this saturday so let me get back to finishing off a few minor details . thanks

Kenny-1969 350/350 4spd conv w/ac

[Jack H.]

Re: advice on resto shop

The word 'restoration' means different things to different folks. Make sure you and your restorer are swinging on the same 'vine'.... I'd advise negotiating (formal or informal, depending on your trust/confidence level) a job objective (2nd Flight, Top Flight, Mark Of Excellence level and maybe a point deduction target). If your shop's got solid past experience under the belt, it will know what you're after and be 'relatively' comfortable with the notion.

Costs for what you want (Exterior and Interior) can run a healthy range depending on: (1) how much good/re-useable stuff is there to start with, (2) what the job target is, (3) how much experience the shop has, and (4) what level of on-hand inventory he has or has access to. Could be as little as 5-6K for a bottom of the line effort (2nd/3rd Flight target) or as much as 30K for an absolute prima dona job....

[G B.]

Get it in writing

Jack's advice is excellent - decide what final condition you want the shop to achieve. Then, after reaching understanding with the people who will do the work (not just the shop owner), write down your standards and list as many specific tasks as you can. For example, if you expect them to strip your body to bare fiberglass with chemicals and steel wool, say so in writing. The shop owner should be willing to sign such a work scope. If the work isn't contingent on finding rare parts like NOS body panels, the shop should be willing to sign off on an agreed completion date too.

I would talk to past customers to find out how the shop treated them. You are not likely to fare any better than the last few guys. It's rare to find a shop that has satisfied everybody, but if you find a few lawsuits or unfinished cars, you're on to something.

Good work is not cheap. I still run into folks who think it's possible to get wonderful work for very little money. Maybe that does happen sometimes, but not on the planet I'm from.

[Jack H.]

Re: Get it in writing

I'm from your planet too, Jerry. Thanks for the vote of confidence and adding on. Now, a word for the other side of the equation.

We've got a shop out here in Denver that does wonderful work. Three Duntov Mark Of Excellence awards under his belt and may Top Flight. But, restoration is an adjunct to the shop's other business (routine maintenance and building custom Vintage Racers).

There are ALWAYS 'oops' issues that surface when you tear into a job. It's virtually unheard of for any reputable shop to meet a fixed budget or fixed schedule unless they've done YOUR SPECIFIC JOB before and are dedicated restoration water walkers.

The shop I'm speaking of has never missed completing a quality job or getting to the objective, but it's also NEVER made a schedule. Folks who've not been there before naturally start to panic -- what if this guys goes belly up an my car's in a jillion pieces???

Fair game concern. There's an artform aspect here that's hard to convey to first time restorers. Everything you say I agree with. But, I also encourage the owner not to divorce himself from the job and go ballistic if/when a schedule is missed. Develop a solid working relationship with your hired restorer and play ball him.

If you smell a legitimate rat, trust your gut and pull the rip chord early. If you're convinced you're making progress and going in the right direction, then be prepared to play ball and stay till the fat lady sings. You'll need this guy when the car's 'done' because this is just the starting point to assess what you've got/what you've done....