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How much should body work cost?

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Oil leaks

1.4 million mile 2nd gen

Hello



So I'm looking at getting some body work done and I have no experience in the area. How much should I expect to pay for stuff bellow? I realize that a definitive answer is impossible, but I'm looking for ballpark figures so that I don't get ripped off *too* bad.



Rear window resealed/seal replaced - leaks like a sieve

Bottoms of the doors re-skinned - rusted

A few superficial dents pulled out/fixed

Whole truck re-sprayed - nothing fancy, white, no color change. The current paint is peeling down to the primer.



Thanks

Vic
 
I got mine done for $2,000 in Kansas but it was a cash deal and I pretty sure they weren't in the country legally, they didn't charge sales tax either
 
I was lucky enough to never have experienced the primer/paint issues that others have had that caused the peeling issue, good luck with your project and keep us posted please
 
Lot of labor for sanding it down because of peeling. A shop I took my truck to pint part of the cab/hood/roof/tailgate for peeling charged $40 an hour and used enamel paint. I had to a customer who restores older cars paint the other side of cab and front fender he charged more but used a better paint.
 
Because of the peeling paint and the skinning, I would not be surprised to see it exceed $5,000. 00.



I had a really good shop that has done work for us before, he quoted me $7-8 for what you are talking about. They really do impressive work!



I would talk to a local car club or find a cruise nite hangout. Talk with people and find out where the good shops are. A lot of places will charge a ton of money for bad work, too.....
 
I never had the rust issues either, quality of work can vary greatly and you get what you pay for, an example is tailights, do they tape them off or pull them, if pulled do they sand the inside and paint or just overspray the inside



I've had excellent luck using a hispanic body shop, they fix things the old way, repairing dents the way they were repaired 30 years ago rather than putting on new parts and they tend to work cheaper



regardless, it ought to be a buyers market with the economy, my tire shop had to order my Toyo's as nobody was buying good tires, they were all buying Chinese to save $$, just an example things are tough out there and you ought to be able to get a good deal



Flying gage's idea of car club/cruise night hangout is an excellent idea!! good luck and keep us posted
 
My plan is to do as much of the disassembly my self- pull the bumpers, lights, interior, etc and deliver the truck to the shop on a flatbed.

If the quotes come back in the 7-8 k range I'll have do a lot more of the work my self as that's just not in the budget.
 
My plan is to do as much of the disassembly my self- pull the bumpers, lights, interior, etc and deliver the truck to the shop on a flatbed.



If the quotes come back in the 7-8 k range I'll have do a lot more of the work my self as that's just not in the budget.



That is what I plan to do. My '96 is peeling bad. Apparently, '96 was a crappyass year for Dodge paint. I plan to sand mine myself. It does not need much body work, only a couple little dings repaired and I won't paint the flatbed, only the cab/front end. I have thought about a rattle can job to keep the peeling spots from rusting until I get time and money to have it painted... . any thoughts on this?
 
That is what I plan to do. My '96 is peeling bad. Apparently, '96 was a crappyass year for Dodge paint. I plan to sand mine myself. It does not need much body work, only a couple little dings repaired and I won't paint the flatbed, only the cab/front end. I have thought about a rattle can job to keep the peeling spots from rusting until I get time and money to have it painted... . any thoughts on this?



My peeling spots aren't rusting. They've been that way for a year or two now.



I'd stay away from rattle cans. Who know how that paint will react with "real" paint later on.
 
Rattle cans can work for small areas but it's impossible to do a decent looking whole panel. If you're doing a lot of the prep yourself, you can save some cash. It cuts down on the labor quite a bit. I did something similar with a car - removed all the trim, filled dents, primed and sanded the car myself. They charged me about $1500 because all they had to do was mask and paint.
 
My peeling spots aren't rusting. They've been that way for a year or two now.



I'd stay away from rattle cans. Who know how that paint will react with "real" paint later on.



I just want to use the "rattle can" to prevent the peeled areas from rusting till I can sand it down and prepare it for a good paint job. It is starting to get some surface rust on top of the cab. I will "rattle can" it just to prevent further rusting and maybe slow the peeling. It is on the top, so is not easily seen anyway.
 
I agree that if you do the majority of the disassembly and sanding you will save a ton of money. If you want a first class paint job--base coat clear coat you should be prepared to pay close to 3-5k. The cost of materials are crazy high and because of the EPA the new paint booths and the protective gear that painters have to wear now are all costs that are past on to the consumers. The other alternative is going to Maaco or some place like that and paying $200. for a paint job that will last maybe till you get home:eek:

Jay
 
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