Sad day for me. Selling the car.

This isnt a for sale thread, I have it posted in local Craigslists and I hope it will sell. I'm selling for a couple of reasons. I just had back surgery in February and it is a pretty rough ride for someone trying to get better, I drove it for about an hour or so on the highway and I didn't feel very good once I got out.

Outside of that, being that I could just park it until I'm all better, it needs a lot of work. I even just got the go ahead to dip into our savings to restore the interior, I had planned on getting the body perfect this year. As it turns out, thats going to cost me 7-12k, which is a lot more than I had planned. I saved up about 5000$ to get it all perfect and I'd hoped that in that budget I could have included new weather stripping, hood, and I needed a new rear bumper cover. Well it turns out that its at LEAST 7000 in labour before any parts. This is from multiple quotes.

My rear QP is rusted on both sides, and my fenders aren't lined up. Well as it turns out that even though my car has a clear title, its been in an accident and the front frame is crooked. Add that to a few other things the car needs on the body end of it and the total is just too much.

I had hoped that for about 10-15 grand I could do the whole car, but it turns out that I bought the car off of a sleazebag who just bondo'd over the whole car and gave it a quick spray of paint to hide it all.

Anyways, sorry for the long ramble but I expected lots of questions. I just listed it for sale in our local craigslist and I feel like I'm about to cry. Just thought I'd share.
 
But thats the thing, I don't get it. I cant even see how it would be that much to repair it. I'm not a body man but the pictures I post is exactly how it looks, you just cant see the minor rust there. And the rust is only on the QP. The front end is crooked, but only by an inch, I figured it could just get put on a frame straightener and align the fenders. I even thought about getting a decent 4 cyl and transplanting it, but a clean one is like 3-4 thousand here.

One shop said they would do it for 5000 under the table (thats complete...rust, front end repair, whole body painted including trim and jams), but they are a relatively new shop (only been around for 1.5 years). They were working on a 60's firebird and a 60's beaumont so somebody trusts them, I just don't know if I do.

Bah...this sucks.
 
Rigamaroles----Which car is yours? The maroon or the blue on notch? They both look nice, how does one of them need all that work? Did something happen to it?

I know you have heard this part before, but: You know, if you sell it, you'll regret it. It is just a car, but like me, they all hold a spot in you that you just can't let go. If you don't need the money, I would wait one year. One year goes by fast, and one year from now your back might be able to withstand the rough ride again.
 
Rigamaroles----Which car is yours? The maroon or the blue on notch? They both look nice, how does one of them need all that work? Did something happen to it?

I know you have heard this part before, but: You know, if you sell it, you'll regret it. It is just a car, but like me, they all hold a spot in you that you just can't let go. If you don't need the money, I would wait one year. One year goes by fast, and one year from now your back might be able to withstand the rough ride again.

The blue notch is mine, the red one was my brothers and he wrote it off a while ago. I'm not worried about the ride so much, its just the cost of repair. I've got a couple body shops to go talk to today and I'll see what they say.
 
Oh okay. That's too bad you weren't closer to me. There are some good shops around here that could get that thing straigthend out for cheap, and they do good work.
 
I agree. In reality, 5K should do it, but as high price as body shops are, like 38 an hr. for paint, 38 an hr. for paint, 50-70 an hr. for frame stuff, it gets crazy when they go by the books.

I swear man, I love working here at the yard, but then their are days where I would love to just set up a business where I could just work on peoples Mustangs. I wouldn't take on anything too major, but for instance like your car, I would do. I can do that stuff right, and in a reasonable time frame. Just some minor things here and there, and do it at a reasonable price. I don't see that happening though, I have a good spot here, so I don't wanna leave.
 
That would be a pretty bitchin shop. Judging by the work you do, I think you'd do well at it, as well.

Todays update goes as follows. I'm tentatively booked in with a local shop for May 26th to undergo a makeover. We came to a deal based on my profession and referral power and me paying cash. I still would have liked to have been able to save a bit more, but this will have to do.

They'll repair all the rust, pop out all the dings, straighten the front end, paint the door and trunk jams, roll the fenders, paint all the window trim/mirrors etc., and do the paint however I want whether it be a new color (which it wont be) pearl, extra flake, etc. I am getting a really good deal, which is good because its literally all I can afford.

Now the search is on to find a new rear bumper cover once I get my next cheque.
 
well thats good bro!! do this for me though, constantly come up there and look at the car in all stages just make sure its done right!!

Well, I wont know what the hell I'm looking at, but I plan to go up and take pictures every so often to post on here and for an album. Mechanically I'm capable, body wise I'm a total newb. I know one of the guys that works there from where I use to live, and the other guys seem really nice. Part of the deal is that I advertise for them through referrals and a small sticker on the back window so if it isnt well done then he doesn't benefit from it either.
 
well thats good bro!! do this for me though, constantly come up there and look at the car in all stages just make sure its done right!!

QFT

Josh came with me to check out my car and was asking the shop bitch a bunch of questions and based on our assessment of their work I drove my car out the next day with the bumper in the back seat and only one taillight. I got it fixed right, it cost more, but it was well worth it in the end. You can't even tell what was done to it!
 
Well, like I said, I really don't know anything about body work. I'd hardly be in line trying to be a critic to someone far more knowledgeable. I don't think I know anybody thats very proficient in body work so I'm only going on referrals and reputation at this point.

I've been referred to them (as well as many others), and right now I'm trying to get some info from other body shops about their reputation. So...I don't know.
 
Cool man, yeah taking pics would be great so you can have before during and afters. I hope all goes well, and you have it back for the summer. What did they say the turn around time should be?