Does Anybody Still Do Old Fashion Auto Body Work Anymore?

drgrant said:
What if the damage bothers HIM?
Click to expand...
This is one of the main reasons I became proficient in light body work and painting. Minor damage on a ride I care about drives me nuts. I have a hillbilly sh*t box Jeep Comanche and I couldn't care less about scratches and dings.

But if it is a ride I care about I want any scratches/dings fixed and I want them fixed fast.

Last year I was backing up my Camaro and didn't see a concrete marker, I just barely nicked it. the damage was minor, about the size of a quarter. I was so upset I came home and went to work on fixing it immediately. It was lacquer paint so I could work fast. Had the area repaired, prepped and primed that night, shot the paint the next day.
 

Amazon.com

www.amazon.com
71naBuGdhiL._AC_SX679_.jpg
 
Coda said:
I tried to help the guy........

But some of us are advising the OP that there is no inexpensive way to get to where he wants to go, without a lot of hard work and learning on his own.
Click to expand...
My GF has a chip out of her paint on a 2024 KIA , down to the metal maybe the size of a lima bean, if even that.. Must have been a small rock. Happened when her car was like 2 weeks old, she was so sad.

Is a body shop is the only way to take care of this since it is too deep to just buff and blend in?
 
Coda said:
I tried to help the guy........

But some of us are advising the OP that there is no inexpensive way to get to where he wants to go, without a lot of hard work and learning on his own.
Click to expand...

Sure but he didn't ask that. He asked for body shop names - pretty simple
 
I was quoted 8k to fix the bad rot on my truck bed and some cab corners and front fender rot with paint match. Seems reasonable for the market.

Need a couple more quotes if I can get them but most people seem to hear rust and don’t want to bother.
 
67ray said:
Haha typical NES - 31 replies and 3 answers to OP's question


Shitposters we are!
Click to expand...
Absolutely true.

If I started a thread asking something like this.
"I'm thinking about getting a convertible sports car for cruising around in this summer. Something in the 15K to 20K range like a used Miata or maybe a Porsche Boxter"
Probably by the third reply someone is going to reply Jeep has 15% to 20% off MSRP on Gladiators.
 
Coda said:
I still do some body work on the side, and my advice would be leave it alone unless you are willing to do a lot of the work yourself.

If you hire a professional the cost will be more than the car is worth when he is done. If it was a collectable car then it might be worth the cost. Otherwise the only other reason would be if the car has some sort of sentimental value.

If you want to get a few more years out of the car fix the rust yourself the best you can and spray it with Fluid Film.

If the cosmetic stuff is really bothering you and you do not want to put a lot of $$$ into the car your are going to have to roll up your sleeves and do some work yourself. Then take it to an Earl Scheib type of place (the franchise went under but they are still a few privately owned ones around) or Maaco and get a cheap paint job. Show up with the car primed and clean, because if there is any dirt or crud on the car they will just paint right over it.

One thing people realize after they have learned to do some bodywork themselves, is the reason bodywork is so expensive.

This is an old add, you are not going to get anyone to paint your car for 70 bucks. Those were the days..........
View attachment 978314
Click to expand...

View: https://youtu.be/PtjdHaMeiiQ?si=OPDd12e6ASp-JCo2
 
aeromarine said:
I have a 2013 Honday Pilot that has picked up various dents and dings over the years. It only has 150,000 miles and I'd like to keep it on the road for a few more years., ideally, after getting some of those cosmetic issues addressed.

After visiting three body shops, all of the estimates for repairs came out in the range of $6k-$7k. Each priced their work by welding in new sections of sheet metal then repainting the entire side to insure a good match. What happened to the old days of using dent pullers, bondo and feathered in paint? Does anybody still do that kine or work and, if not, why?

I'm in metrowest Boston. I'm not looking for perfection with my old car, just some clean-up repairs to make it look a little more presentable. If anyone knows of any bodyshops that might be able to help out using that old fashioned and, hopefully, more economical pproach, please let me know.

Thanks for listening to my rant!

Cheers!
Click to expand...

They want to weld in new metal to repair dents and dings? I know a decent amount about body work (did extensive rust repair and full paint jobs back in the day) - and I don't know WTF they'd be doing that.

That sounds like rust repair - not dent repair.

If what you truly have are dents - and they're not too big - then you might want to look into the people who do the paintless dent repair. I've seen a number of jobs these guys can do and it comes out pretty good.

Another avenue to pursue - is just replacing body panels and doors - that can be replaced. You might find that you can get the same-colored pieces to go on your car - as what your car is now - and it will cost far less than what it would cost to do bodywork.

Most body shops are probably getting like $100 an hour now. We got the hood replaced and painted on my wife's Lexus - and if I remember it cost something like $1000. They didn't want to clean up the rust on the old hood and repaint (which was perfectly fine otherwise - it just had some scratches that had rusted) - because they said the rust will always come back.

I don't really believe that, but they also argued that "doing it right" would cost more than a new hood and paint. That *might* be why they want new metal - because there's rust in there.

Like a lot of other things - you can save a lot of money by learning how to do shit yourself.
 
Last edited:
aeromarine said:
I have a 2013 Honday Pilot that has picked up various dents and dings over the years. It only has 150,000 miles and I'd like to keep it on the road for a few more years., ideally, after getting some of those cosmetic issues addressed.

After visiting three body shops, all of the estimates for repairs came out in the range of $6k-$7k. Each priced their work by welding in new sections of sheet metal then repainting the entire side to insure a good match. What happened to the old days of using dent pullers, bondo and feathered in paint? Does anybody still do that kine or work and, if not, why?

I'm in metrowest Boston. I'm not looking for perfection with my old car, just some clean-up repairs to make it look a little more presentable. If anyone knows of any bodyshops that might be able to help out using that old fashioned and, hopefully, more economical pproach, please let me know.

Thanks for listening to my rant!

Cheers!
Click to expand...

[pics]
 
67ray said:
Sure but he didn't ask that. He asked for body shop names - pretty simple
Click to expand...
And anybody that knows anything about body work knows that there is not a shop that was going to do a cheap half ass repair on his car.

There are mostly (2) types of shops out there. Your traditional collision repair facility that does most nothing else but insurance repairs (which is most of them). And then there is the shop that specializes in restoration work (very expensive). Neither one of those is going to do a cheap patch up job and quick re-spray.

We understand what he asked and some of us tried to help, and all you seem to have to offer is criticism. Now THATS pretty simple.
 
Coda said:
And anybody that knows anything about body work knows that there is not a shop that was going to do a cheap half ass repair on his car.

There are mostly (2) types of shops out there. Your traditional collision repair facility that does most nothing else but insurance repairs (which is most of them). And then there is the shop that specializes in restoration work (very expensive). Neither one of those is going to do a cheap patch up job and quick re-spray.

We understand what he asked and some of us tried to help, and all you seem to have to offer is criticism. Now THATS pretty simple.
Click to expand...
I’m actually shocked he got the $6-$7k quote
 
LuvDog said:
You'd rather have bondo/filler vs cut and welded metal?
Click to expand...

If all that's being fixed is door dings and maybe some smaller-ish sized "real" dents - I'm not sure why there's ANY cutting and metal welding involved at all. Maybe if the car is like half the cars I see coming out of Lawrence - where they look like they came out of Beirut in the 1980s - I can see just cutting out metal and welding in new panels - but even then on most cars that would mean the rear quarters -not front fenders and doors. Fenders and doors - either just get new ones or go find a junkyard and get clean ones from there - and repaint before welding in metal.
 
drgrant said:
What if the damage bothers HIM? Like in my case IDGAF what others think of my car but I don't like driving junks anymore. At some level "it's OK driving a junk because MA sucks and is going to continuously f*** up your car" is an MA defeatist thing. Living like that way after a point sucks and is kind of faggoty.

Like a great analogy is how @fencer takes care of his property. He has the best lawn I have ever seen. I also would bet $100 it's more about how he feels about his lawn vs giving a shit about what the neighbors think about it. It's important to HIM.

I also understand the "Freedom" of not giving a shit anymore ((and just driving shitty cars and not worrying about dents) but the guy is probably just annoyed because he doesnt want his car to look like shit, but he is trying to skinflint. You can't get there for free.
Click to expand...

A 2013 Honda Pilot with 150k on the clock - if it's not already too rusted out - can be expected to possibly go another 150,000 miles if you keep on top of it. Given the price of new vehicles it's not bad math to put some money into keeping it nice looking so you feel like keeping driving it - instead of seeing a shitbox in the driveway and thinking about getting rid of it.
 
calsdad said:
A 2013 Honda Pilot with 150k on the clock - if it's not already too rusted out - can be expected to possibly go another 150,000 miles if you keep on top of it. Given the price of new vehicles it's not bad math to put some money into keeping it nice looking so you feel like keeping driving it - instead of seeing a shitbox in the driveway and thinking about getting rid of it.
Click to expand...
+1000...

This too. I know it sounds retarded to some but if your old car is still kinda "nice" it adds major resistance to the urge to sell the thing.
 
VTski4x4 said:
Essex County Collision - Salem MA - Kevin is an artist, he's just tough to schedule. Fantastic work - worth the wait. Keep following up with him. I find visiting him is the best option.

The other person I would 100% recommend is Michael Delzingo (Fishbucket Mike) in Arlington. He works out of Palmer's Garage - fantastic dude. Tell him Kenny sent you.
Click to expand...
Super random and unrelated, is this the same Mike Delzingo of fishbucket sport fishing? I’m on a commercial striped bass Facebook group and see his posts a lot. Just happened to remember his name when I read your post.
 
drgrant said:
+1000...

This too. I know it sounds retarded to some but if your old car is still kinda "nice" it adds major resistance to the urge to sell the thing.
Click to expand...

My wife has a 2013 Lexus RX350. The thing sounds like it's made out of tin when you shut the hood , but the car has almost 200K on it now - and it's been really really reliable. Other than brake jobs and replacing struts - which are maintainence items - the only real problem we've had with it was that the radiator started leaking a few years back - and I had to replace that.

It's pretty obvious that the front suspension now needs a thorough going-thru - and the dealer told us a couple of years back that the rear suspension needs some work because they couldn't do an alignment since some of the stuff was too rusted together to make adjustments. Even if the thing needs like $3K in work - it's still cheap at the price because it's overall in good shape and I think given it's overall condition might still go another 150k in miles before it starts turning into a real ratbox.

A new one - or even an off-lease 2 year old with like 35K in miles - is probably in the mid 50's now. The one we have is paid-for, reliable , still looks good and clean - so on a cost-per-mile driven basis it makes total sense to put some $$ into it to keep it going. Best thing is my wife just wants to keep it nice. She's not one of those people that's like "it's 3 years old we need to get a new car" - so we avoid that whole money pit attitude. She's happy driving "her" car - as long as it's not too beat up and it's reliable and drives nice.
 
drgrant said:
What if the damage bothers HIM? Like in my case IDGAF what others think of my car but I don't like driving junks anymore. At some level "it's OK driving a junk because MA sucks and is going to continuously f*** up your car" is an MA defeatist thing. Living like that way after a point sucks and is kind of faggoty.

Like a great analogy is how @fencer takes care of his property. He has the best lawn I have ever seen. I also would bet $100 it's more about how he feels about his lawn vs giving a shit about what the neighbors think about it. It's important to HIM.

I also understand the "Freedom" of not giving a shit anymore ((and just driving shitty cars and not worrying about dents) but the guy is probably just annoyed because he doesnt want his car to look like shit, but he is trying to skinflint. You can't get there for free.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. Its his money he can do what he wants with it.

Ive just seen people do stupid shit because they are worrying what others think.

Like I said I have a different perspective on it and once a car is past a certain point I could GAF anymore because im not putting money I wont get back into it for mere cosmetics. Im using it to save for cash down or buy on another car.

But thats me and if he feels different then what matters to him is what counts.Ill also add that this was what I used to do. The car market is different now. I bought used rode it til it died and bought lightly used again. Saving money in the process.

Now its a shit show and anyone that needs to keep their car going for however long they want the calculus vs. paying new may be worth it.
 
Last edited:
Mark from ? said:
Absolutely. Its his money he can do what he wants with it.

Ive just seen people do stupid shit because they are worrying what others think.

Like I said I have a different perspective on it and once a car is past a certain point I could GAF anymore because im not putting money I wont get back into it for mere cosmetics. Im using it to save for cash down or buy on another car.

But thats me and if he feels different then what matters to him is what counts.Ill also add that this was what I used to do. The car market is different now. I bought used rode it til it died and bought lightly used again. Saving money in the process.

Now its a shit show and anyone that needs to keep their car going for however long they want the calculus vs. paying new may be worth it.
Click to expand...
There is nothing more refreshing than reaching the DGAF point of vehicle ownership, and being unburdened by the need to keep it aesthetically nice.
 
calsdad said:
If all that's being fixed is door dings and maybe some smaller-ish sized "real" dents - I'm not sure why there's ANY cutting and metal welding involved at all. Maybe if the car is like half the cars I see coming out of Lawrence - where they look like they came out of Beirut in the 1980s - I can see just cutting out metal and welding in new panels - but even then on most cars that would mean the rear quarters -not front fenders and doors. Fenders and doors - either just get new ones or go find a junkyard and get clean ones from there - and repaint before welding in metal.
Click to expand...

I agree with this... What I meant was, if the shop is saying metal work, then I'm assuming it's rotted in areas or dented so badly that dent pulling is out of the question. No reputable auto body shop is going to slap on bondo over a big dent. Too many follow up problems for them.

From the title of the thread, I think of "Old Fashion Auto Body Work" as metal work - shaping first where possible and new if not, and the filler is just skim coats if necessary.
I think of bondo as backyard jobs with a rattle can finish.

calsdad said:
A 2013 Honda Pilot with 150k on the clock - if it's not already too rusted out - can be expected to possibly go another 150,000 miles if you keep on top of it. Given the price of new vehicles it's not bad math to put some money into keeping it nice looking so you feel like keeping driving it - instead of seeing a shitbox in the driveway and thinking about getting rid of it.
Click to expand...

I agree with this too. I'm driving a 2013 truck, and I'm seriously thinking of putting some money in to it instead of buying something to replace it. I'm starting to notice a little transmission slip, but that's still cheaper than a new truck
 
aeromarine said:
I have a 2013 Honday Pilot that has picked up various dents and dings over the years. It only has 150,000 miles and I'd like to keep it on the road for a few more years., ideally, after getting some of those cosmetic issues addressed.

After visiting three body shops, all of the estimates for repairs came out in the range of $6k-$7k. Each priced their work by welding in new sections of sheet metal then repainting the entire side to insure a good match. What happened to the old days of using dent pullers, bondo and feathered in paint? Does anybody still do that kine or work and, if not, why?

I'm in metrowest Boston. I'm not looking for perfection with my old car, just some clean-up repairs to make it look a little more presentable. If anyone knows of any bodyshops that might be able to help out using that old fashioned and, hopefully, more economical pproach, please let me know.

Thanks for listening to my rant!

Cheers!
Click to expand...

If you just had door dings then dent wizard or similar.

You go on to talk about replacing metal / rot repair. That gets expensive quick.

You will not get an inexpensive job with any quality shop. You will be best served asking to find someone doing it under the table in their back yard. This cheap repair is unlikely to last.
Your best off looking into selling your current car and upgrading.
As to hack shops in the around Boston I don't know any. Might try shops in Lynn, Revere etc.
 
Grendizer138 said:
There is nothing more refreshing than reaching the DGAF point of vehicle ownership, and being unburdened by the need to keep it aesthetically nice.
Click to expand...
This......I generally keep my shit nice with my own fxcking hands. Which means washing, detailing and hand or machine waxing. Its nice to take a few years off from doing that until you buy the next car that's worth doing it to.....

Those that write a check for this shit at the drive thru car wash and detailer....... won't understand it.
 

Similar threads

Does MA still require permits for powder-actuated tools?
2
Replies
41
Views
681
Pete85
P
Ammo in building at auto-body shop fire (Gardner MA)
2 3
Replies
61
Views
1K
Dench
Dench
Desperate Stars Wear Hideous Crap At Met Gala - Focus On Black Fashion (Oxymoron)
Replies
0
Views
55
Reptile
Reptile
Commie Pope Francis won't be down to lecture us on migrants anymore
5 6 7
Replies
180
Views
4K
Buck F
Buck F
Why US Men Think College Isn’t Worth It Anymore
3 4 5
Replies
140
Views
2K
G4Y4HK
G
Back
Top Bottom