My first MOPAR

[66SportFury]

That seems to be the issue with body shops. My buddy has had a car at a local body shop now for over a year. They keep telling him that they are busy and cant get to it. If that was me,.I would get my car outta there. They were going to charge me $1200 just to body work one rear quarter and a truck lid that really wasn't that bad. That included the paint to match!,..but still. I did it myself for under a $100. They are going to paint and match the quarter and truck for $450. I think that's expensive too,..but it needs to be done. I am tempted to take it to Maaco. They do a good job. I can get the entire car painted for about $300.

 

[BIGBARNEYCARS]

Sorry to hear you were involved in that fire. That one made national newz! The San Antonio and Houston Mopar clubz used to hold a joint spring meet at the Chrysler Dealership there in Bastrop on SR71 in the late '90s. We used to party and do cook outz in the park there too! Good folkz in both clubz. Don't bother with the Austin Mopar Club tho'. If you don't have a B-body or E-body you'll get treated like ah leper by that bunch! Did the little Bone Yard a couple miles west of Bastrop on the north side of the road survive the fire? I hope so, I had fun stompin' around in there more then once. Later, Jer

 

[commando1]

Never put a pine tree on the mirror ..........

Why's that. I started hanging them on my father's car mirror when I was 14. Gotta continue the tradition....
Fifty years of Pine Trees. Wow. Kinda shocking now that I think of it.

 

[Stormer]

Now is a good time to stop, Stan.

We're a few years into the new century but it's ok. Just a mild intervention. Could have been much worse.

 

[Catfish]

That seems to be the issue with body shops. My buddy has had a car at a local body shop now for over a year. They keep telling him that they are busy and cant get to it. If that was me,.I would get my car outta there. They were going to charge me $1200 just to body work one rear quarter and a truck lid that really wasn't that bad. That included the paint to match!,..but still. I did it myself for under a $100. They are going to paint and match the quarter and truck for $450. I think that's expensive too,..but it needs to be done. I am tempted to take it to Maaco. They do a good job. I can get the entire car painted for about $300.

Mine has been there for four years now I believe. It's currently in primer with the firewall painted and the sub frame painted. Interior is painted as well. The guy just wants to block it out another time or two. Funny thing is, he has to push it out of the shop in the morning, then back in when they go to lunch.....then back out after lunch and back in at night. Seems much easier to me to just paint the damn thing. I understand he's not a resto shop and he cannot afford to turn down any and all insurance work that comes his way. But damn, spend a Saturday and Sunday on my car and its done. It's not like I haven't been doing my part...I have paid as he progressed to the tune of over 15,000 bucks. He doesn't avoid me at all, in fact he's very honest and never tells me a date that it will be finished. He just says it'll get done when there is a lag on insurance work. It didn't help that he recently fired one of his employees either. He did say he wants to get me the car before the snow flies. Bad part is, I am not wanting to get ugly and rush him either. I am paying for a top notch job and want him to not cut any corners. It is what it is I guess.

 

[commando1]

Now is a good time to stop, Stan.

We're a few years into the new century but it's ok. Just a mild intervention. Could have been much worse.

Yes it could have.

 

[cm23uoc]

Why's that. I started hanging them on my father's car mirror when I was 14. Gotta continue the tradition.....

So he didn't tear it apart the same instant as the wolf whistle ?

 

[bulldogchesty]

The air freshener thing reminded me of a joke I heard awhile back. You know you're drunk when you swerve to miss a tree, then relize it's you air freshener. I know wrong forum.

 

[polara71]

Now is a good time to stop, Stan.

We're a few years into the new century but it's ok. Just a mild intervention. C
ould have been much worse.

Now is the perfect time

 

[66SportFury]

Mine has been there for four years now I believe. It's currently in primer with the firewall painted and the sub frame painted. Interior is painted as well. The guy just wants to block it out another time or two. Funny thing is, he has to push it out of the shop in the morning, then back in when they go to lunch.....then back out after lunch and back in at night. Seems much easier to me to just paint the damn thing. I understand he's not a resto shop and he cannot afford to turn down any and all insurance work that comes his way. But damn, spend a Saturday and Sunday on my car and its done. It's not like I haven't been doing my part...I have paid as he progressed to the tune of over 15,000 bucks. He doesn't avoid me at all, in fact he's very honest and never tells me a date that it will be finished. He just says it'll get done when there is a lag on insurance work. It didn't help that he recently fired one of his employees either. He did say he wants to get me the car before the snow flies. Bad part is, I am not wanting to get ugly and rush him either. I am paying for a top notch job and want him to not cut any corners. It is what it is I guess.

Holy crap,..15K on paint and body? What the heck is he doing to it that it takes 15k?? Wow,.It must be a great paint job to say the least..!!

 

[Catfish]

Holy crap,..15K on paint and body? What the heck is he doing to it that it takes 15k?? Wow,.It must be a great paint job to say the least..!!

He is doing everything that I want! The other shop that even considered doing it was slightly higher in the estimate. Laser straight completely stripped of all paint yet leaving the factory undercoating. Addressing any rust issue, no matter how slight, correctly. And ditching the lead body filler for modern technology that lasts. Sure, I could have cut some corners here and there, but I wanted it done the right way. I want it to look good for years. It's the labor that adds up, and it takes a long time to do great metal work rather than throw in a big patch of body filler. Supplies are a drop in the bucket. And the guy is good.....real good. I will be upside down by a mile monetarily, but it's worth it to me. And I will drive the **** out of it. Sure, I have moments where I step back and think....WTF am I doing......then I just think of all the fun times the wife and I will have cruising around. Odd thing, a lot of older gentlemen visit the shop regularly for bullshitting sessions. The body man says they always walk right past the 69 road runner and 57 Chevy that are in the shop to see if there is any progress on the 65 polara. They think its just neat as hell that someone is doing what I am having done. They love the car. Of course, they can likely relate to the car. I do have those moments though that I sometimes wish that it was my road runner in the shop and someone else's Polara.....LOL.

 

[Stormer]

Hey Catfish, I'm in the same boat but mine's moving along a little faster. Same budget range though so it better be a damn good paint job. Same thing too that everybody wants to check out the old Polara when there's 30 other bays with lambos, etc....

 

[Ripinator]

That is a really good looking car ! Welcome to C-Bodies. . .

 

[66SportFury]

He is doing everything that I want! The other shop that even considered doing it was slightly higher in the estimate. Laser straight completely stripped of all paint yet leaving the factory undercoating. Addressing any rust issue, no matter how slight, correctly. And ditching the lead body filler for modern technology that lasts. Sure, I could have cut some corners here and there, but I wanted it done the right way. I want it to look good for years. It's the labor that adds up, and it takes a long time to do great metal work rather than throw in a big patch of body filler. Supplies are a drop in the bucket. And the guy is good.....real good. I will be upside down by a mile monetarily, but it's worth it to me. And I will drive the **** out of it. Sure, I have moments where I step back and think....WTF am I doing......then I just think of all the fun times the wife and I will have cruising around. Odd thing, a lot of older gentlemen visit the shop regularly for bullshitting sessions. The body man says they always walk right past the 69 road runner and 57 Chevy that are in the shop to see if there is any progress on the 65 polara. They think its just neat as hell that someone is doing what I am having done. They love the car. Of course, they can likely relate to the car. I do have those moments though that I sometimes wish that it was my road runner in the shop and someone else's Polara.....LOL.

I hear ya and it's always god to have it completely redone. I sounds like it's going to be beautiful too. Like to see some pics when completed.

 

[Catfish]

Hey Catfish, I'm in the same boat but mine's moving along a little faster. Same budget range though so it better be a damn good paint job. Same thing too that everybody wants to check out the old Polara when there's 30 other bays with lambos, etc....

Glad yours is moving along. Hopefully I do get mine back before winter so I can get to rebuilding and reinstalling things.

 

[Stormer]

Glad yours is moving along. Hopefully I do get mine back before winter so I can get to rebuilding and reinstalling things.

I'm hoping to be done for Good Guys or Carlisle next year. I hope they're not on the same weekend again.

I just went flat black in the engine bay so she'll get painted with drivetrain in place.

 

[Mopar4life]

That's awesome Catfish. I'd love to see some pictures of it when it's painted. I have a 65 polara myself and always catch flack about putting money into it because it's not worth a ton of money. But I love the car and that's all that matters to me