Thread: Need Welders Help

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I am going to replace the rear driver side quarter pannel on my 69 firebird (coupe). Rough estimate....how many hrs are we looking at to cut out the old one and replace it? Thanx in advance

Originally posted by DanMoore80
I am going to replace the rear driver side quarter pannel on my 69 firebird (coupe). Rough estimate....how many hrs are we looking at to cut out the old one and replace it? Thanx in advance

Well I'm no expert........ There are some variables such as equipment you have to work with, for removing the old and installing the new but I say as little as 8hr to as much as 24

just my 2 cents

MM64

www.greganti.com/rambler

I'm sorry.......I'm not replacing it myself, but I'm going to have it done somewhere. I was just trying to figure out how much in labor I'm going to end up paying. Thanks

When I first read the post, I kinda guessed that might be what was going on.

Most shops use a "flat-rate manual" to determine an approximate time to charge on a given job. For both mechanical maintaince and body work these books can be fairly acurate. The rub comes in when the cars get older, as they don't take into account things like rusted/seized parts, previous damage, or other work that someone has cobbeled together.

You don't say wether the quarter is required because of damage or rust. Either can have other work involved to properly replace the quarter properly.

If it was me, I would take it to the body shop(s), have them look it over and explain exactly what they feel is required to properly do the repair and get a price on doing it. Most shops in my area now charge a nominal fee to do an estimate (refundable if the repair is done in that shop).

When you find a shop that you feel confortable with let them do the repair with the stipulation that once they get the old quarter off if more extensive work is required to call you before they do it.

Ahh that makes sense. I'm going to start pricing this comming week. I need to get my hands on one of those books Maybe I can find one online. Thanx again!

Dan, go back and read Mike's post a couple more times til the nuance sinks in, especially the part about selecting a shop that will do it right.

You may find an estimating guide on line, but it's of marginal value to you. Two key words there............estimating, root word estimate...........and guide. I'm sure there are people here who tire of my insistance on understanding terminology accurately, but misunderstanding the meaning of those two words can leave you a very disappointed guy when it comes to a repair outcome. BTW, most shops use computer based guides rather than books now a days, so books are harder to find.

I'll tell you right now, it would probably indicate something around 15 hours, give or take.................but that's only part of the picture. As an example, that number doesn't take into account any other necessary operations such as dealing with a vinyl top, protecting glass from damage, replacing fasteners, etc. As Mike pointed out, especially on a 35 year old car, there are other considerations as well. The only sensible thing to do is take it to the shops in your area that do that kind of work (a majority of "body shops" won't work on older cars) and have them ESTIMATE what it will cost. And you need to think of the estimate gathering process as you interviewing the shop for their capabilities, not a price shopping exercise. The only way you can buy anything on price is if all options are EXACTLY equal. All body shops ARE NOT EQUAL. Look around the facility. If it's a pig pen, they do pig pen work. If the guy just tosses you a number without his backing it up with some discussion about your wants and needs, and the ultimate goal you have for the car, he's a hack or an extreme introvert. Usually the guy that will spend more time finding out what your expectations are, and demonstrating to you he knows what he's doing and reinforces HOW he'll do it right will cost more. The tone of your comments implies that you're focused on the cost. Maintaining a budget is fine and prudent. But you need to think about another axiom. If you can't afford to have it done right, how can you afford to have it done wrong? And that's not to say that the highest price would be the best quality, that's why you have to evaluate them, just like they have to evaluate the car. Neither one of you will know what's best without examination.

Lastly, your headline for the thread would indicate that you believe the welding is the principle part of the job. I don't know you so I don't know for sure. But the welding part is a piece of cake compared to the skill and diligence required of the repair tech when it comes to panel alignment, fit, and finish.

Dan,

Bob's post is right on the money. You also don't mention if want the job finished off with matching paint or finished and left in primer, or just cut and welded and you plan to do the finish body work yourself. It will be helpful if you have all that figured out before you go shopping. This is not a place to scrimp, shop for quality not price. Ask your car nut buddies for references too. Doing it that way will return dividends in the long run.

Pat

I dont mind your insistance on understanding terminology accurately...I completely understand where you are comming from. I only want to do this job once (or have it done once) so I appriciate all of the help. I have never had any work done on the car, so I'm new to all of this. The car is in primer at the moment. Maybe I should keep that quarter and put a maco job on the car until I can afford to have it all done properly.

Originally posted by DanMoore80
I only want to do this job once (or have it done once) so I appriciate all of the help.
Maybe I should keep that quarter and put a maco job on the car until I can afford to have it all done properly.

Dan just my opinion here so take it for what you feel its worth.....but before you do anything decide on what you want to do with the car,get a plan together,and stick to it even if it costs a bit more or takes a bit longer.

Reason i say that is back when i was a bit younger i would have a plan for a car in my head and know the proper way to build it (new quarters&good paint) but then at the last minute i would get impatient and slap some filler on the fender and get a "macco" spray job. Then a year later i would regret it and just have wasted that much more money and added another layer of paint that i would have to sand off

not tryin to act like i have the right answer for you but just tryin ta give a little advice based on some mistakes i have made myself and finally learned from.

good luck with whatever route you choose!

BG

BlownGoat......so true. I plan on keeping the car, and like they say "Do it right the first time" I think that's the way to go. Thanx for the advice