Rust repairs estimate/location request

[khan654]

Hello,

Does anyone knows a good place to have rust repaired in WNY area or maybe in Buffalo NY?

I have a 70 911 T.
Bit more rust than I expected when I bought it. Smugglers box has hole due to rust, few rust spots on front and back floor pan.
Rust on undercarriage rear seat molding.

I never had rust repaired and I assume this will be a full body rust repairs. Mainly there might be many hidden spots where it's been rusting.

Did anyone had a full rust repairs and if so, how much will it cost?

Thanks.

[mepstein]

It’s almost impossible to quote until the car is apart, paint & undercoating removed. Then you can at least see the scope of what’s needed. Labor price varies from $50-250/hour depending on location and who is doing the work. Is the repair just to replace metal or go from teardown to fresh paint? Finding the right person or shop is more important than the location.

[Dpmulvan]

http://restoration-design.com/ Your not too far from Ontario maybe they know someone or can point you in the right direction.

[khan654]

I have contacted Automobile Associates in CT.
5 hours from here.. not too far. Waiting for their call back. Since they are a mechanic shop who has tons of experience...
I want them to also look/adjust MFI pump and new clutch etc.

If these people quote me a lot, I will try to contact
https://www.restoration-design.com/

[2.7RS]

My friend just had a targa repaired. All primed no paint

both rockers with jack supports and kidney
front pan with tank support.
bottom of doors
bottom of fenders

15k

[khan654]

Wow, thats a lot of money for not much rust repairs.
Most of the parts are readily available to replace, only matter of cutting it and doing a nice weld job.
Maybe I am out of touch... 15K because it is a hyped 911?

If mine is going to cost more than $8K I would have them do bare minimum.
After spending 15K on a 50K car the owner would sell at least for 70K. Now, will people buy a car which had previous rust for 70K?

I am not sure..
I bought mine for decent money, I can put in another 15K max both for rust and some basic engine repairs.

Or I will sell it as is with some rust. My engine feels good, I just dont like rust.

[blucille]

rust repair is expensive, like peeling an onion, once you attack what is visible, you find there's more rust, and more after that.

Auto Associates is a great choice, they are a top-notch, full service shop that can handle anything and everything you need done, but I suspect you will need a fairly large budget. Not to say that AA is high priced, but I suspect you've got a lot of work ahead of you.

[2.7RS]

Interestingly when you see US15000 divided by an average of US150 hourly shop rate it comes to 100hrs of labor. full 4 days or 12 full 8 hr. sessions.

When I see it like that 100hrs to do all that work seems not unreasonable.

It takes at least a day to mount a car on a celette by the suspension points after you remove the suspension..

Why don't you PM the user 962porsche. He owns a shop in CT and posts a lot in the paint forum. He seems extremely helpful

[ryans65]

If you find a place that will quote you over the phone you have found someone you don't want to use. Most places will just operate on a time/ materials basis with a draw on the work done that week. Paint and body is eye wateringly expensive for any car these days doesn't matter if it's a hyundai or a porsche. Decades of kids being told by lazy boomers to get a college education and stay out of the trades combined with environmental and zoning restrictions have made it hard to get any auto body business off the ground let alone consistent and profitable. Now the boomers that told the kids that only losers get jobs in the trades whine because the trade work is so expensive. Go figure. Outside of DIY the cost of fixing a rusted Porsche will easily reach the cost of buying a nice one.

[mepstein]

Originally Posted by khan654

Wow, thats a lot of money for not much rust repairs.
Most of the parts are readily available to replace, only matter of cutting it and doing a nice weld job.
Maybe I am out of touch... 15K because it is a hyped 911?

If mine is going to cost more than $8K I would have them do bare minimum.
After spending 15K on a 50K car the owner would sell at least for 70K. Now, will people buy a car which had previous rust for 70K?

I am not sure..
I bought mine for decent money, I can put in another 15K max both for rust and some basic engine repairs.

Or I will sell it as is with some rust. My engine feels good, I just dont like rust.

Yes, you are out of touch. But that’s normal if you haven’t done it before. I would never quote you over the phone because even with pics, you are going to point out a fraction of what it needs. Then you have $10k in your head when it’s really a $20k job. Lots of people pull back the carpet and want what they see repaired but these cars tend to rust from the inside out so often you have to dig deep to get to the structure of the car.
The selling price will have nothing to do with the amount spent on repairs. It’s based on similar cars with similar condition. If you are going to only fix some of it, don’t. It’s like fixing half the roof on a house. Until it’s all fixed, it’s still a rusty car.

[khan654]

Originally Posted by Dpmulvan

http://restoration-design.com/ Your not too far from Ontario maybe they know someone or can point you in the right direction.

Restoration design have a lot of information and parts.. normally you wouldn't find somewhere else.

Especially the body parts. Good to see the prices on their websites for DIY or comparison.

I did book an appointment with Automobile Associates for mid September, hoping they wont have to redo whole body.

While it is there I plan to have clutch replaced and MFI pump fine tuned.

[khan654]

Originally Posted by mepstein

Yes, you are out of touch. But that’s normal if you haven’t done it before. I would never quote you over the phone because even with pics, you are going to point out a fraction of what it needs. Then you have $10k in your head when it’s really a $20k job. Lots of people pull back the carpet and want what they see repaired but these cars tend to rust from the inside out so often you have to dig deep to get to the structure of the car.
The selling price will have nothing to do with the amount spent on repairs. It’s based on similar cars with similar condition. If you are going to only fix some of it, don’t. It’s like fixing half the roof on a house. Until it’s all fixed, it’s still a rusty car.

I am definitely out of touch. I am weighing in my options.. based on current 911 market and my budget I have to decide. I plan to keep this car for couple of years and sell it.

Hence is it smart to put in 20K and sell it for 55 to 60K or just address the main issues and sell it for almost same. I am sure my car has some hidden rust too..I will wait and see until they check and quote me or it.

Appointment is booked with Automobile Associates for Sep, hopefully I can save some more..
I honestly want to address any body frame issues first which can be bad for handling (none right now) but if any other than floor pans. And mainly spend more on engine and transmission or suspensions.
Though engine runs good, transmission can need some help with fresh clutch and other moving parts.

But I do agree with you. Can't tell until they actually look at it.

[khan654]

Originally Posted by 2.7RS

Interestingly when you see US15000 divided by an average of US150 hourly shop rate it comes to 100hrs of labor. full 4 days or 12 full 8 hr. sessions.

When I see it like that 100hrs to do all that work seems not unreasonable.

It takes at least a day to mount a car on a celette by the suspension points after you remove the suspension..

Why don't you PM the user 962porsche. He owns a shop in CT and posts a lot in the paint forum. He seems extremely helpful

Will do. Thanks for the contact!

[khan654]

Originally Posted by ryans65

If you find a place that will quote you over the phone you have found someone you don't want to use. Most places will just operate on a time/ materials basis with a draw on the work done that week. Paint and body is eye wateringly expensive for any car these days doesn't matter if it's a hyundai or a porsche. Decades of kids being told by lazy boomers to get a college education and stay out of the trades combined with environmental and zoning restrictions have made it hard to get any auto body business off the ground let alone consistent and profitable. Now the boomers that told the kids that only losers get jobs in the trades whine because the trade work is so expensive. Go figure. Outside of DIY the cost of fixing a rusted Porsche will easily reach the cost of buying a nice one.

I was told different, maybe because I wasn't born in this country. I remember when my 83 380SL was in an accident, replacing left fender, they quoted me around $4000 or more.
I did it on my own after finding a used fender from salvage store. Seems like a great business but no technicians who have enough experience.

[PeteKz]

Post pictures of your car's rust. No one ever saves money, or makes money, by properly repairing a rusty 911.

[rokemester]

Sorry to be negative, but sounds like a potential upside down situation. This even with air cooled 911 market fairly stable. Exercise caution.

[962porsche]

Originally Posted by 2.7RS

Interestingly when you see US15000 divided by an average of US150 hourly shop rate it comes to 100hrs of labor. full 4 days or 12 full 8 hr. sessions.

When I see it like that 100hrs to do all that work seems not unreasonable.

It takes at least a day to mount a car on a celette by the suspension points after you remove the suspension..

Why don't you PM the user 962porsche. He owns a shop in CT and posts a lot in the paint forum. He seems extremely helpful

sorry I closed up the restoration shop years ago I still have the shop and all the equipment but just for my own use. my wife and I a few years ago started a track day rental car business. rentrushr.com
we rent the Rush SR race cars in the northeast we are also a full service dealer for the cars now in the CT area.

[962porsche]

so you want to top out at 8K ?
just the sprayable materials alone would cost more than that.
1st it's going to be hard as hell to give you a price on a restoration. they are done by time and materials.
next problem is your going to have a hard time finding a restoration shop. most collision shops will not touch a restoration.
you stated you think the price is high or something to that effect because it's a Porsche. well no it's still 4 rubber tires and sheetmetal.
it's very common for lower value cars not to be restored by restoration shops. you see them getting restored by the DIY people.
you made a comment that it's just cut out some rust and welding in new panels. if its that simple and easy then you do it!
if you can't then think as to why you can't . is it because you don't have the years of experience ? is it because you don't have the many thousands in tools? is it because you doing have a shop that will cost you again may thousands a month just to have.

[E Sully]

You have become a member of an expensive club. You can't compare this to the simple replacement of the fender on your Mercedes.
I got in when the cars were cheap back around 1987. I've done most of my own rust repair. Battery boxes, suspension pan, inner fender sections, etc. Parts are not cheap and it takes quite a bit of time to do it right. I'm friendly with a local body shop owner, not the type to take on any restorations, just standard collision work on newer cars. He told me the Glasurit paint alone is over $1000 a gallon.

Originally Posted by khan654

Hello,
I have a 70 911 T.
Bit more rust than I expected when I bought it. Smugglers box has hole due to rust, few rust spots on front and back floor pan.
Rust on undercarriage rear seat molding.
I never had rust repaired and I assume this will be a full body rust repairs. Mainly there might be many hidden spots where it's been rusting.
Did anyone had a full rust repairs and if so, how much will it cost?
Thanks.

I'm afraid you are going to find it is going to be rather extensive and expensive. This thread is one of my favorites on the subject, and will give you a little insight as to what lies beneath.
Restoration of my 69 911
Beyond the rust repair and repaint, you will most likely need some suspension work and a corner balance, which is not cheap. The MFI system is expensive to work on. If the transmission needs attention that gets expensive fast.

[john walker's workshop]

60 hours for a decent engine rebuild X $200hr is $12K. That's about a week and a half of 8 hour days. Figure at least 3X that and then some perhaps for inner/outer rockers, pans, front suspension pan, and who knows what else is uncovered in the process. Plus the parts. Some jobs are just not worth it unless you can DIY. You gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em.