Bodywork / paint quote!!

gadget1960 · 3rd January 2019, 18:04

I have a 12 inch very light crease in my passenger sill, i used this as a bargaining point when i bought it, the gent said he had caught a concrete garden feature when reversing into his drive! though not really noticeable at first glance it is now beginning to annoy me so i thought i would get a quote from a local body shop for the work to be done.
He seemed very keen to get it all sorted for me and described exactly what he was going to do, i was pleased with his methods right up until he handed me the quote... £389 + VAT ?!!! it's literally no deeper than 2mm and no longer than 12inches so no pulling dents or welding etc:
It's been a long time since i last had any bodywork done by a garage as i usually do my own repairs and tbh i couldn't believe how much it was going to cost.
I must be really out of touch with garages, i thought it would be much lower than that, How wrong was i. lol.

marinabrian · 3rd January 2019, 19:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by gadget1960

I have a 12 inch very light crease in my passenger sill, i used this as a bargaining point when i bought it, the gent said he had caught a concrete garden feature when reversing into his drive! though not really noticeable at first glance it is now beginning to annoy me so i thought i would get a quote from a local body shop for the work to be done.
He seemed very keen to get it all sorted for me and described exactly what he was going to do, i was pleased with his methods right up until he handed me the quote... £389 + VAT ?!!! it's literally no deeper than 2mm and no longer than 12inches so no pulling dents or welding etc:
It's been a long time since i last had any bodywork done by a garage as i usually do my own repairs and tbh i couldn't believe how much it was going to cost.
I must be really out of touch with garages, i thought it would be much lower than that, How wrong was i. lol.

You definitely don't want it slathered in filler, it causes more trouble in the long run.

The problem with bodywork repairs is simple, unless the person carrying out the work is conscientious and prepares the job correctly, then you will end up with something much worse than an annoying crease.

And with preparation comes labour cost, put bluntly if the preparation isn't right you end up with a POSH job.........paint over SH......... well I think you get the picture

Brian

trikey · 3rd January 2019, 19:55

That quote is very high!

gadget1960 · 3rd January 2019, 21:26

Brian, no... certainly do not want a bodge job but at the same time... don't want my pants pulled down neither.
I could take it to an awesome body guy I know in Cornwall, stay in a B&B over night, have it done and get back with change in my pocket for that kind of money.
I think i'll sort it myself when the weather gets a bit warmer, no stranger to a Broom and Wade !

gadget1960 · 3rd January 2019, 21:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by trikey

That quote is very high!

I thought so too, think I must be paying for his whole Christmas! haha.

SCP440 · 3rd January 2019, 21:43

If he is going to cover it in body filer and blow it over that is a complete rip off. £150 would be the most I would expect to pay for that kind of job.

If on the other hand he is going to pull the dent out and put the minimum of filler on to make the surface smooth that is about right.

Doing it properly is probably nearly a days work plus materials at say £40 and hours plus another £50 for the paint and materials.

I suggest you shop around and explain you want a proper job and see what other local places come up with. Might pay to go to body shop that specialises in classics as they are more likely to do it properly.

gadget1960 · 3rd January 2019, 22:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCP440

If he is going to cover it in body filer and blow it over that is a complete rip off. £150 would be the most I would expect to pay for that kind of job.

If on the other hand he is going to pull the dent out and put the minimum of filler on to make the surface smooth that is about right.

Doing it properly is probably nearly a days work plus materials at say £40 and hours plus another £50 for the paint and materials.

I suggest you shop around and explain you want a proper job and see what other local places come up with. Might pay to go to body shop that specialises in classics as they are more likely to do it properly.

Definitely going to shop around, not in any hurry tbh, just thought I would give this garage a go because they are so local.
I'm no stranger to bodywork and painting so know roughly what a job like that should be... and £400+ it isn't.

marinabrian · 3rd January 2019, 22:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCP440

If he is going to cover it in body filer and blow it over that is a complete rip off. £150 would be the most I would expect to pay for that kind of job.

If on the other hand he is going to pull the dent out and put the minimum of filler on to make the surface smooth that is about right.

Doing it properly is probably nearly a days work plus materials at say £40 and hours plus another £50 for the paint and materials.

I suggest you shop around and explain you want a proper job and see what other local places come up with. Might pay to go to body shop that specialises in classics as they are more likely to do it properly.

Exactly, I've seen the result of this type of repair carried out poorly, and not something I would do myself.

I've in the past, used solder flux paste and 70-30 stick solder, to "lead load" a similar repair.

The main difference between using lead and body filler, is the skill level, and the longevity of the repair.

Done correctly, a lead repair will outlast the car, it won't shrink or crack, and most importantly it won't absorb water, something that happens with cataloy body filler.

Brian

vacuman · 3rd January 2019, 22:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by marinabrian

-snip-

Done correctly, a lead repair will outlast the car, it won't shrink or crack, and most importantly it won't absorb water, something that happens with cataloy body filler.

Brian

True enough but if this is just a shallow crease on otherwise solid steel I would consider cleaning back to bare metal and filling the crease with P40

http://www.ebay.co.uk/p/U-POL-Isopon...50ml/679753903

Being glass fibre resin it will flex and not absorb water (think fibreglass boats). Once sanded to shape a fine skim of body filler then surface filler to get the perfect shape then primers and, finally, top coat & lacquer. About £50 of materials if top coat is done with rattle cans.

jim_k · 3rd January 2019, 22:34

I think some repairers are getting greedy. A while back I noticed a neighbour having some repairs done by a colour matcher / mobile guy. Out of interest I asked how much he charged and he said for a basic bumper scrape he started at £200 and for a couple or minor repairs roughly £250.

The conclusion I can to was unless you own a £10k+ motor with a noticeable ding it's almost impossible to justify spending this sort of money.

I've had a few silly quotes so drew the conclusion most repairers are looking for big money. Gone are the days of £60 /70 fixes.

3rd January 2019, 18:04	#1
gadget1960 Gets stuck in Rover 75 saloon Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Maxton, Dover Posts: 519 Thanks: 183 Thanked 132 Times in 89 Posts	Bodywork / paint quote!! I have a 12 inch very light crease in my passenger sill, i used this as a bargaining point when i bought it, the gent said he had caught a concrete garden feature when reversing into his drive! though not really noticeable at first glance it is now beginning to annoy me so i thought i would get a quote from a local body shop for the work to be done. He seemed very keen to get it all sorted for me and described exactly what he was going to do, i was pleased with his methods right up until he handed me the quote... £389 + VAT ?!!! it's literally no deeper than 2mm and no longer than 12inches so no pulling dents or welding etc: It's been a long time since i last had any bodywork done by a garage as i usually do my own repairs and tbh i couldn't believe how much it was going to cost. I must be really out of touch with garages, i thought it would be much lower than that, How wrong was i. lol.

3rd January 2019, 19:55	#3
trikey Premium Trader Rover 75 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Devon Posts: 33,765 Thanks: 8,837 Thanked 14,831 Times in 8,030 Posts	That quote is very high! __________________ Lest we forget..

3rd January 2019, 21:26	#4
gadget1960 Gets stuck in Rover 75 saloon Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Maxton, Dover Posts: 519 Thanks: 183 Thanked 132 Times in 89 Posts	Brian, no... certainly do not want a bodge job but at the same time... don't want my pants pulled down neither. I could take it to an awesome body guy I know in Cornwall, stay in a B&B over night, have it done and get back with change in my pocket for that kind of money. I think i'll sort it myself when the weather gets a bit warmer, no stranger to a Broom and Wade !

3rd January 2019, 21:43	#6
SCP440 I really should get out more....... MG ZT-T 260 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Witney Posts: 2,504 Thanks: 6 Thanked 910 Times in 571 Posts	If he is going to cover it in body filer and blow it over that is a complete rip off. £150 would be the most I would expect to pay for that kind of job. If on the other hand he is going to pull the dent out and put the minimum of filler on to make the surface smooth that is about right. Doing it properly is probably nearly a days work plus materials at say £40 and hours plus another £50 for the paint and materials. I suggest you shop around and explain you want a proper job and see what other local places come up with. Might pay to go to body shop that specialises in classics as they are more likely to do it properly.

3rd January 2019, 22:34	#10
jim_k Avid contributor Rover 75 saloon Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Reading Posts: 199 Thanks: 47 Thanked 44 Times in 31 Posts	I think some repairers are getting greedy. A while back I noticed a neighbour having some repairs done by a colour matcher / mobile guy. Out of interest I asked how much he charged and he said for a basic bumper scrape he started at £200 and for a couple or minor repairs roughly £250. The conclusion I can to was unless you own a £10k+ motor with a noticeable ding it's almost impossible to justify spending this sort of money. I've had a few silly quotes so drew the conclusion most repairers are looking for big money. Gone are the days of £60 /70 fixes.