South Florida Paint Job

[pcivalero]

I have a 73 911 Targa and this is hard to believe but I am having a really hard time finding a good body shop that DOESN'T just want to work on easier collision work...

I am looking for any recommendations for shops in the area and where i don't have to pay $20,000. The car is in great shape with minimal rust.

LMK
Thanks!!

[fred cook]

I had the same problem. We have one good paint/body shop here in my town and the only way I could get them to do a full body paint job on my car was to agree to do all of the disassembly and reassembly work myself. It took me about 3 days to remove all of the trim, rubber, lights, etc, but the work really was not too difficult. Putting it all back together will be more tedious as there will be new paint on all the body parts that will have to be handled carefully to avoid scratches or chips. If you are mechanical enough to do the same, then one of your local shops might agree to take on your car. Be certain to get all the windows out, seals off, etc. Good luck!

[962porsche]

what you are finding now a days are one of two types of shops . you can thank the insurance co's for that . because of what they want to pay for and there telling a shop just how much they will pay . the 1st type of shop is a collision repair shop . they only work on car that are for the most part 10 years old or newer . they come into the shop and out as fast as they can get then out the door . thats how they make there money . shop space is money and to have a resto sit there is not money in there pocket . the other kind is like my shop . we do collision repairs but only on top end cars . we do not do work for insurance co's like progressive , all state and a like . one reason is that they do not cover cars like we work on the other is our pay rate is twice of what they would pay . we also do resto work here too but its only on top end cars . don't bring your civic here for a repaint ! we never do the just spray it jobs . if we do not do all the body work we will not even think about doing the car . so your faced with the same thing allot of people are faced with that own cars that are worth in the 20k rang . they don't want to spend 40k to do a resto on a car that when finished is only going to be worth 20k or so . but for us it comes down to what it cost to own a shop and the day to day cost of running it . just because a car is only worth say 20k it does not make our shop over head any less . when i first opened 18 years ago i did make the mistake of doing work in a sliding scale pay rate and we would spray cars that other people would do the work there selfs on . after two years i stopped it ! one no matter how good your paint work is it all starts from whats under it . just this spring this guy comes back to my shop after 15 and a half year with the hood in his car pealing down to bare metal . it was so long i did not remember the guy . he wanted us to repaint his hood on his 930 for free . so i pulled his old work order and it turned out that all we did is just paint it .he did the striping and priming . he got real pissed off when we told him that it would be 1200 dollars for us to repair it . he just keep on saying we painted it and that we should fix it for free . so you see there are good reasons that shops don't want to do paint work over other peoples body work . so with a collision shop they will not tie up man power and shop space and with shops like mine the customers will not spend 40k plus on a resto for a 20k car . you may be better off to fine some guy that does work out of is home shop . his labor rate will be allot lower because he will have no over head .

[yel911]

I had the same issue, either pay $8K (back in 1998) for bodywork and paint or let it sit in the garage. Most shops, even back then, wanted a complete running car, so they wouldn't have to push it in and out of the garage!!! I couldn't afford the work, so it sat for 3 years till a friend offered to help. That's when I learned about bodywork etc. I'm just a backyard joe...
One thing I will admit, paint and bodywork is labor intensive, most people don't understand why. Do the work yourself and let me know what your time is worth!!!
Hats off to 962porsche, just reading his comments is gold.

[962porsche]

yel911 thanks !!!!!!!!

[BReyes]

Quality paint work is difficult tedious work and very time consuming to strip it, repair it, get the bodywork straight, make the paint flawless, and get it all back together. But if the car needs paint work, for me the result is worth all the effort. The disassembly/ assembly can also get really expensive. Mechanical work is specialized. All expenses have increased significantly in the last 30 years with materials expense going into the thousands when using the best products. Yet if it is just one (skilled) guy mostly doing all the work, when it is finally finished at least can know its done right. If you are diligent, you just may find that guy.

As an alternative, is there a school in your immediate area with an auto body department offering night classes? If you are thinking of going DIY route, with the help of the instructor (not the student's, at least not just any student) you may be able to get the job successfully completed.

Regards,

[johnkszabo]

Check with Fender Mender 1534 NW 1th.Ave.Boca Raton.Robert painted my buddy Jimmy's 71 RS clone it looks great,reasonable price,very thorough. (561)417-7565.
Regards
John Szabo

[pcivalero]

THANK YOU ALL - Great responses!!

[bluemane500]

post on 928 forum you will find a guy for 3500 i think sonet

[euro911sc]

Call Ernie Revuelta @ 561-848-1822 He just opened a body/paint shop called auto - - hause south. He used to run the PCA autocross program and knows Porsches very well. The shop is around the corner from Klubsport.

If you want a back yard painter who does a lot of 911 restoration work you can try Danny Van de Veer @ (561) 254-6312. His work is awesome, but his shop is small and he is usually busy. He is over in Jupiter Farms area.

Both guys do metal work if needed as well.

I will be having my car done by one of these guys. With some luck this year Just have to get the roof replaced and the roll bars in. I'm doing the disassy. and 90% strip/prep to save $$. It still isn't cheap though.

-Michael

[naples911]

I know of a guy who has his own paint shop at his home near Ft. Myers and it's something to see. Excellent work, very reasonable. He's about 2 hours from Boca, on the west coast. Let me know if you want his info. Painting is this guy's passion.

I've been putting off having him do mine as I prefer to just drive it.

[kkinzli]

Hi Naples 911! Could you provide some contact information for this guy?

[naples911]

Yes, check your email.

[kkinzli]

Hi Naples911!

I finally have gotten the money together to seriously look for places to paint my 69 911T. You posted at one point that you know of a guy who does good work for a reasonable price in Fort Myers. Could you please send me his contact information? Please send to kristophkinzli@hotmail.com.

Thanks,
Kristoph

[isby]

Looking for some current recommendations for a shop to repaint my '84 Carrera Cabriolet in S. Florida (anywhere from W. Palm Beach to Miami). Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

-Ira

[Discseven]

4Flyboy / Scott in Delray has his M491 at German Auto Dynamics for a full paint. Just spoke with him and he's happy with the work in progress.

[isby]

Thanks for the info Karl - I will check them out.

[Zidakan]

Originally Posted by yel911

I had the same issue, either pay $8K (back in 1998) for bodywork and paint or let it sit in the garage. Most shops, even back then, wanted a complete running car, so they wouldn't have to push it in and out of the garage!!! I couldn't afford the work, so it sat for 3 years till a friend offered to help. That's when I learned about bodywork etc. I'm just a backyard joe...
One thing I will admit, paint and bodywork is labor intensive, most people don't understand why. Do the work yourself and let me know what your time is worth!!!
Hats off to 962porsche, just reading his comments is gold.

thankssss!