Going to the bodyshop

[Ravenfreak13]

Well I'm going with my dad on thursday to our local bodyshop(my dad has used them before) to talk to the guy about repairing the body and the paintjob. Do you guys have any idea of what it might cost...maybe a ballpark range?

Heres the damage...

The first one's been enhanced to show the damage on the rear panel.

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/3601/hjhgujytutrja8.jpg

Here's an unenhanced one.

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/3795/jhkkaz7.jpg

Heres the front end damage

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/5316/uhiouodg4.jpg

[ocnblu]

Well I don't know even from your pictures, which are fine, but I still can't tell. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

[Ravenfreak13]

I'm just going to talk to the guy...not bringing the car. But I might bring the pics so he has an idea of what the damage is. I hope he can give me a good deal.

[ocnblu]

He won't be able to give you a good estimate unless you take the car to him.

[Ravenfreak13]

I took very close up pics and brought them to him....for body and paint...$7000...definetely not...im gonna get more estimates.

[ocnblu]

It is not ethical or acceptable here in PA to write an estimate from photographs. No wonder he went through the roof, because he doesn't know what he'll run into.

[Camino LS6]

OCN is right, 7k is an "I don't want to deal with it" price.

[Sixty8panther]

I agree Raven... asking to get an estimate on your car without having

it present is pretty much like asking to pick out a counterfit $100 bill

from 3 miles away using a pair og binoculars. You could take a dozen

photos of each body panel including inside the trunk, inner wheel well

& inside the trunk and the body man will still tell you he needs to SEE

the car in person.

Either way it will be worth the money you invest, that's one gorgeous

hardtop right there.

Still I think you may find it will be cheaper to get a rear skin or 1/4

panel instead of repairing your damaged one.

[Ravenfreak13]

I know the car has to be present but it's just so hard to get the car around...its not registered/licensed/insured, so even if I wanted to take the car to the shop, it would be highly risky. Plus, centain things(breaklight,tails) dont work so If I brought the car it would have to be some place very local.

And about finding a replacement skin...never gonna happen...GM was fond of slightly changing this car every model year so the body lines wouldn't match and finding a 66 is extremely hard.

I've emailed my cousin who has a friend whos job is finding classics , restoring them, and selling them so that could greatly benifet me. Even my cousin looks fors cars for the guy and he gets a slice of the profit for finding the cars.

Also my godfather who gave me the car is asking around...The more connections I can get, the better deal I can hammer out.

Thanks for your imput guys!

[Oracle of Delphi]

Can he come to where you are to do the estimate?

[Ravenfreak13]

Eh, he seemed more intrested in purchasing the car and restoring it himself. I'd rather have my cousin use one of his contacts. I think I'll get a better quality job.