paying someone to finish truck

[Midgets50]

hello all,
Ive got a 51 chevy 3600 long bed that im setting on a 79 3/4 ton GMC. ive got it setting on frame of GMC but ive ran out of time to work on it. Ive got to go back to school. i was wondering about yours guys opinion of having a body shop finishing the truck up for me except painting. what i have left is to build/mount cab and bed, repair fair amount of spots on cab, put new floor in, repair doors, put new glass in, and wire the truck up. what do you guys think that would cost?

[Highsider]

Are you sure you won't have time next summer?
Top notch guy in Ft Dodge, IA. Roger Burman.
Look him up on FB. He could give you an idea.
dba Lakeside Rods and Rides

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by Midgets50

what do you guys think that would cost?

tens of thousands of dollars
and you would be setting yourself up for disappointment
don't do it.
Store it or sell it, but know it's worth one tenth of it's value in pieces
Posted via Mobile Device

[OrrieG]

Can't quote numbers, but I think you are grossly under estimating what it would cost a shop to do the work. If getting into a drivable old truck quickly is the goal then you can always find one completed for less than it costs for parts, forget getting recouped for your labor. If doing the work yourself is the goal, then it will wait until next summer.

Most paint and body shops will not touch it, they make their money off of quick turn collision work. So you need to get some quotes from rod type shops. Expect an estimate with no upper limit. Rather than do all the repair work to the cab, they would be money ahead to just find someone elses unfinished project or a good texas or az rust free cab and buy it. Same with the bed, if its a lot of work, they will just buy a new bed kit. There is a reason Delmo buys trucks that already have a good body and frames for his projects.

My gut is telling be about 25K or 720 manhours or 40 hours a week for 18 weeks. I assumed the guy will have other projects and only dedicate 20 hours a week to yours over the next 9 months.

[cleanshaven84]

I would just store it until you had time to work on it, or sell it as is. You are looking at a small fortune to finish an old truck in that state. I've worked in a bodyshop and have done bodywork for over 10 years now and labor rates are only getting higher. Also, a project like this will be put on the back burner because most body shops run off insurance jobs to make their money. You're best bet might be finding a rod shop somewhere close who does specialty jobs like this for a living but you are still looking at a load of money to get it finished. Anyways, hope this helps ya out some and good luck with your education bud.

[arturo7]

Much cheaper to buy a finished rig than to pay someone to finish one.

[andrew_k]

Yeah, that's a lot of work. Most of us have spent way more time/money than our trucks are worth, but it's different when you actually put a dollar figure on it...

[Midgets50]

Thanks guys, im probly gonna wait and try to do it myself next summer. That way i can say i did most of it

[Midgets50]

Heres how far i am. i dont think im doing to bad for being a pre vet student and not a mechanic

[67swb72klb]

good choice u will save yourself a ton of money not to mention the stress !!
looks good keep up the good work it will be done in no time

[oldcouple]

I took mine up to finish paint and some fitting stage, then took it to my local rod shop.

[Rude Dude]

Finish school then after grad you will have the income to work on it. School cost money so I would work on it between semesters. The money and time you spend on spring break could be used on the truck, plus the satisfaction of knowing it is done right. Shops cost run as high as $60 dollars an hour for custom fab work and so many seedy places trying to find a good one is another dilema. Remember the truck is a hobby your schooling is career knowledge and is the key to success! Good Luck

[solidaxel]

"He who has the vision DOES the work"
Old proverb I think from Julius Ceasar!

[mr48chev]

I agree with the other guys in it will cost far more than it is worth to have a regular shop do the work. There is way too much simple but time consuming fab work to be done to do it right. While the tech may be able to repair a fender on a 2007 Audi so that you never know it had been hit he may not have a clue on how to fab cab or bed mounts that are functional but clean looking and don't take a large numbers of hours to do.

[Midgets50]

i trust the guy id take it to the shop does everything from custom fabricating on cars to semis and he has done several older trucks. he personally owns a 59 chevy apache that he redid himself

[Highsider]

Stop by and visit when you are in Lamoni.

[Midgets50]

For my next possible build would it be easier if i had a truck in good shape and just put for instance both everything running wise under the original frame instead of moving the cab and bed to a different frame? or is the way im doing it the easier of the 2

[AZbent]

I wortk with a guy that is restoring (to original) a 51 AD, he spent over six grand to have rust cut out and patch panels welded in on just the cab. He could have almost bought a new cab for that price. This is just an idea of how much it will cost to have a sho-p do the work.