Dallas area body shop for M491 conversion?

[Tylerncc]

Hello! I'm looking for a shop to potentially take on an M491 conversion for my '87 Targa, currently grand prix white and not looking for color change. I've seen a few recommendations on the forums here but they're all from 10 years ago or more.

Anyone have confidence in a shop that could handle the steel welding for flares and the paint process for single stage color?

I'm open to sending the car out of town if I have to, but closer is more preferred.

Thanks!

[PeteKz]

It will probably be cheaper to sell your car and by an M491. Consider all the costs, as well as what the car will be worth after all that work.

[jac1976]

Originally Posted by PeteKz

It will probably be cheaper to sell your car and by an M491. Consider all the costs, as well as what the car will be worth after all that work.

This by a large margin

[kltarga72]

From discussions i have heard the last several years M491 and long nose conversions have run their course (old school).

[Shaun @ Tru6]

If your car is in great shape, you are much better off selling your car and buying an M491. You have the cost of body & paint, suspension and brakes, maybe wheels, which will likely be more than the delta between selling yours and buying a factory M491. Also consider that while all air-cooled cars are doing well, M491s occupy a special place where it's possible that their value will increase at a greater rate over time than a standard body and certainly more than a recreation, even one well done. My $.02

[jac1976]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

If your car is in great shape, you are much better off selling your car and buying an M491. You have the cost of body & paint, suspension and brakes, maybe wheels, which will likely be more than the delta between selling yours and buying a factory M491. Also consider that while all air-cooled cars are doing well, M491s occupy a special place where it's possible that their value will increase at a greater rate over time than a standard body and certainly more than a recreation, even one well done. My $.02

I’ll add that, if your current car is original, you’ll likely decrease the value of the car with the conversion. So this increases the net cost/value delta.

[chucksmith]

Air Cooled Classics in Knoxville TN does a great job on wide body conversions. I was quoted around 40K for conversion and windows out paint in same color for a hot rod build I wanted to do, but later ran across an already converted car with good paint and no engine or transmission for a good price and it was perfect for my 3.6 build. I think the wide body cars just look better, so do what works for you.

[plexiform]

Find a car that's already done properly and you will save lots of $$$ and more importantly years of your life. I'm going to be listing mine for sale in a few weeks. Spent the last 12 years making my perfect air cooled 911 and now just getting older and priorities changing. Haven't decided where to list it yet. Prices for nice restomods may seem a little nuts but once you start down the slippery slope it is not in any way cheaper to do it yourself. Even if you do the work yourself, you will still be spending years getting it sorted out. PM if interested in a completed 75 911S converted wide body with nice 3.6L motor before it gets listed on BAT and has an added 5% selling fee on it.

[Tylerncc]

I appreciate everyone's opinion here but everything you're saying is what I'm trying to figure out on my own. I want to find a good shop to talk to about cost and timeline and then I'll decide. Also, I'm just looking for the body work right now. The car was partially resprayed at some point and that combined with a fair bit or road wear and I'd like to get the paint redone properly. I figure it doesn't hurt to see how much more it would be to do a conversion while I'm at it. And yes, I know it will be orders of magnitude more costly.

The car is far from original. Its a high mileage chassis, but it's been well sorted mechanically including some suspension upgrades and some turbo components already done just to keep it on the road. So I'm not concerned about ruining the value on it. And I already know I'm getting the interior redone in something a little more custom. Again, a combination of replacing worn out materials and fixing some previous work that wasn't to the standard I would want.

Is the resto-mod thing played out? I don't know...who cares? It's what I like so I want to see what it might take to start down that path.

Thank you to @chucksmith for the rec. I will check them out!

[faverymi]

The value police always get on the way of the have fun police.

Good for you and have fun.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by faverymi

The value police always get on the way of the have fun police.

Good for you and have fun.

Just as long as you don't want to have fun for 2 years while your car is being built.

[917_Langheck]

Originally Posted by Tylerncc

Hello! I'm looking for a shop to potentially take on an M491 conversion for my '87 Targa, currently grand prix white and not looking for color change. I've seen a few recommendations on the forums here but they're all from 10 years ago or more.

Anyone have confidence in a shop that could handle the steel welding for flares and the paint process for single stage color?

I'm open to sending the car out of town if I have to, but closer is more preferred.

Thanks!

Among the knowledgeable group here I recommend you have a conversation with Mr. Frank @Famoroso here in the forum. He lives M491.

[chucksmith]

I don't see the restomod or backdating as being played out at all. In fact, It will continue to evolve just as the midyear Corvette market has. Take an old car that looks fantastic and iconic, then improve it and make it more fun to drive, all while enjoying the experience of the build. A win win for most of us. It took a year to get my car on the road and I had so much fun that now I am going to do it again with a 964.

[RFP]

In the Fort Worth/Dallas area, there must be many who could do your project well. The only experience I have had with this was when I had a front-end respray of my 911. They were recommended to me by the good folks at Mayo Performance. While no body work was involved, they did superb work. I know that over the years they have done some serious customization.
They are in the Mid-Cities area:
www.AdvantageAutoworks.com - Classic Restoration

[AG81]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Just as long as you don't want to have fun for 2 years while your car is being built.

^

This is very true as I have built my car myself at a very high level. You are still at the mercy of the machine shops and their wait list. What could have been done in a year has taken two.

[chucksmith]

That is why I like Air Cooled Classics. They get the job done in a timely fashion, not cheap, but good work and on time. It is like they say in racing. You can have Cheap, fast, reliable- pick two.

[Tylerncc]

Originally Posted by RFP

In the Fort Worth/Dallas area, there must be many who could do your project well. The only experience I have had with this was when I had a front-end respray of my 911. They were recommended to me by the good folks at Mayo Performance. While no body work was involved, they did superb work. I know that over the years they have done some serious customization.
They are in the Mid-Cities area:
www.AdvantageAutoworks.com - Classic Restoration

Awesome, thank you! Even if I dont have custom work done I do want to talk to someone who knows single stage paint. I will reach out to them!

Part of what I think might be fun and interesting is something that is partial restomod, but not a full long-hood conversion. I dont see too many that keep some of the G body characteristics, but now people are doing some swap in parts that are kinds cool, like the new Rennline RSR style taillights. Some of it is stuff I could do myself, which is part of the fun.

Anyway, thanks for the recs!