Bodywork estimate opinions, please

[magilla]

I tagged this on to the end of my Leaky Car Cover thread, but no one answered, so I will ask here.

I have an estimate from a body shop that only does 911's to repair and repaint the windshield channel/ frame area in my SC that has developed visible rust. The range was $750 to $1000. Does this sound resonable?

Any comments (constructive) welcome.

Thanks!

[jmz]

sounds expensive to me. I just paid an additional $250.00 to my bill for a complete strip and paint for the same repair.

[RPMClassic]

The nice thing about Boston, is that there are alot of great places for Porsche repair that have years of experience. Does your quote include the labor to remove and reinstall your windshield? What about the cost of a new gasket? If the estimate were 800 for example, thats not even a days labor to get this job done( assuming the 75-100 per hour rate). If your car is really nice and you want it to stay that way - the $$ is worth it in my opinion. Just make sure that price includes any metal work that will need to be done( ie cut and welded) vs just sanding the area and filling with magic putty. You also run the risk of your glass breaking during the remove/install process. Some shops cover that risk( ie buy you a new one for no charge) , while most shops pass the cost on to you. So your $1000 bill now jumps to $1750.

Good luck with the car and the repair. Have you talked with Mike's,Dick's,West Foreign,Jim Newton?? All these high end places should be close in price.

[Harlan Chinn]

Your estimate sounds pretty reasonable. I had my car recently repainted in its entirety. If your car has had it's windshield replaced or removed in he past, most likely the guy probably took a razor or knife to the old seal. This technique usually ends up cutting through the paint, primer and into the metal therefore causing the rust to form under the windshield seal.
First, the windshield needs to be pulled and then later reinstalled, this can be risky as sometimes the windshield will crack. A new seal is always recommended at this time.
The extent of the rust must be assessed and treated, the spot(s) then ground down to bare metal or if it is bad enough, the section should be removed and new sheet metal welded.
This area then is primed, allowed to dry, wet sanded before the area is masked and painted with the appropriate paint, allowed to dry before any post paint color sanding. All of this may take place over a period of 4 to 5 days. This process is to do things correctly so the body doesn't begin to rust again.

[jmz]

perhaps it is reasonable. I had already paid to have the windshield taken out for the repaint of my car. I then had to buy a new seal and I will pay a glass shop not the body shop to re-install the windshield. f.w.i.w. I had effected area cut out and new sheet metal welded in and hammered smooth. We got rid of the rust and it looks "good enough" the area is under the windshield and won't be seen.

[nick-moss]

Magilla, Your SC is over 20 years old, and if there is visible rust outside the rubber, then there will be more hidden underneath.
I'm sure that the bodyshop is allowing for cutting out, replacement metal, a new seal and screen, possible the metal strip as well.

[magilla]

So the general concensus is that this is a reasonable estimate?

Nick, you are correct that the rust is visible, and that the shop has seen the underneath, since they has the glass company come in to replace the pitted windshield last summer during some other stuff they were doing.

My understanding is that they will remove and replace the windshield (with a new gasket), repair any rotted metal, and repaint.

Thanks for everyones input. I feel more comfortable about the estimate.

RPM- I spoke with Dick's some time ago about another car, and they had a 6month lead. I am not going to wait that long... The rest of the paint sucks, anyway. No sense having the cowl be the showplace of the car... I'd rather fix it now and drive it without worrying about the weather.

[RPMClassic]

Try River Street Collision in Dedham. Ask for Brook. He just finished a PCA car that came out incredible - nice people and fast turn around. Good luck.

[tryan]

i am a body shop junky. the local mb dealer is about 400 a panel on a r and r ( i love that phrase, it has so many meanings ). to cut out and butt weld i/they add 200.

the work at the this dealer is unsurpassed. a repaired panel cannot be detected even ten years later.

[dad911]

Originally posted by tryan

the work at the this dealer is unsurpassed. a repaired panel cannot be detected even ten years later.

My local dealer farms out work to other shops.

[Jadams1]

Make sure you get all your questions answered before hand, perhaps in writing. New gasket, sandblast area, weld metal vs bondo repair, raw metal prep and primer, how they will blend the paint, etc, etc. Just don't want to see you get burned. Look at the trouble I am having getting the whale tail painted.