Ballpark pricing on Cuda bodywork

[Russ_b_10]

I'm thinking about trading services with a Electrican for a electrical system upgrade on my home and garage. He has a 70 Barracuda he needs some work done on and I was hoping someone could give me some ball park figures on what he could expect a professional to charge him. We are around the Washington DC area, if that makes a difference. Again it's just ballpark estimates on labor because I don't have a clue on what this type of work costs. I would also be interested in seeing how long it is suppost to take so I can judge just how slow I am.:)

OK here is what he is looking for:

1970 Cuda which is a solid car from Texas but will need floors and trunk pans installed, rear quarter repair from a lousy attempt at repair previously, roof dimples removed for vinyl top installation and block sanded all around to have car ready for paint.

Thanks and any info would be helpful

Russell

[Phil V]

To do the job right the rest of the car would have to be stripped to bare metal. Keep in mind that the easiest part of painting a car is actually shooting the paint. 99% of the work is in getting the car ready to paint. A legitimate estimate to do the work you're talking about and to paint the car would be a minimum of $7,000.00 and closer to $10,000.00 (could go higher depending on what you unearth while stripping the car). Deduct $500 if someone else actually shoots the paint on the car.

Be VERY careful about bartering with anyone. Find out exactly what they are looking for (a decent driver car or up to a 100 point concours restoration job). If you both decide that you are to do the work on the car then get everything in writing and detailed to exactly what is expected of you. That way later there won't be any misconceptions of what was supposed to have been done on the car.

[isprayum]

stay away from that. sounds like trouble. just hire an electrician

[Serge]

In my shop, I would not go fixed price on a thing like that. I work hourly. We usualy talk about an estimate in hours, not in dollars...it's easier this way and I get paid for the time I put on the car...

My guestimate, without looking at the car would be arount 250 hours, maybe a little more. Add about $2000 for materials and you are about there...So in my shop, the job would be around...

250 hours at $45....$11250 + $2000 = $13250

Again, I don't ever quote fixed prices on these as they are like a box of cracker jack, full of surprises. Naturally, this price is for paint and body work only and does not include the price of the sheet metal, that is the floors and quarter you need for the job (just as well assume you will be changing that quarter if it was bastardized with a poor repair before, God knows what you will find under this...). Also, any other parts that will be needed are at the owner's cost.

I assume that you are just painting the car, not restoring it. There is a big difference between the two. I do not include the engine compartment in this estimate or any interior parts that need attention...you can burn alot of time in there restoring it to new condition and alot of money in parts....

Hope this helps,

Serge

[Henry]

I'm thinking about trading services with a Electrican for a electrical system upgrade on my home and garage. He has a 70 Barracuda he needs some work done on and I was hoping someone could give me some ball park figures on what he could expect a professional to charge him. We are around the Washington DC area, if that makes a difference. Again it's just ballpark estimates on labor because I don't have a clue on what this type of work costs. I would also be interested in seeing how long it is suppost to take so I can judge just how slow I am.:)

OK here is what he is looking for:

1970 Cuda which is a solid car from Texas but will need floors and trunk pans installed, rear quarter repair from a lousy attempt at repair previously, roof dimples removed for vinyl top installation and block sanded all around to have car ready for paint.

Thanks and any info would be helpful

Russell
Any time you barter always think of a stick. Who gets the short end. Rarely grabbed in the middle. Every time I barter I get screwed royal.
I'll tell you this though, the bodywork job is a lot more complicated than is the electrical upgrade any day, all day. Then it depends on just what this guy thinks he would be getting for the end result.
That car done right and in the right shape could bring 40K; does he expect you to get it that way? It's an old car and until you start sanding the body and poking in different areas you have no idea how patched or solid the thing is. I would stay away from it.
Also, and not to offend you, but you said you have to idea what a job like this costs is all the more reason to stay away. Resto's are very long hour tedious efforts. Let us know. Henry

[ZRX61]

Serge & Phil are in the ballpark, if I was doing the job for cash there would be a $10K deposit up front.... so I figure for that amount of bodywork etc the electrician should be completely rewiring at least 3 homes....

[Phil V]

I agree that the repair and repaint of that Cuda will most likely turn into a can of worns. I should have been more specific in my "guesstimate" of doing the work you outlined. That price did not include parts, materials, door jambs, engine compartments. That price also did not include ANY rust repair (those Cudas, Challengers were famous for rust around the front and back window channels, rear deck panel between the trunk lid and the lower part of the rear window). The odds are there is more than a little bondo in that car from previous fender benders. You would be expected to re-do all that existing previous bodywork. That alone could take weeks of hard work (guidecoat block sanding etc). My adive is the same as the other guys, write up a detailed open ended contract to repair the car for CASH and the pay an electrician cash to wire your house and garage. There are a lot of electricians who work on the side just like bodymen/painters work on the side.