Replacement Cost Questimate

[Donnie Lee]

Thought i would check & see if anyone has cost quess (LABOR) to replace the following parts for the '50 3100 we are working on, i have the parts purchased from Nsane; Complete Cab Floor-Front Cowl Repair Panel Both Sides-Inner to Outer Lower Cowl Patch Both Sides-Tall Kick Panel Both Sides-Cab Corners Both Sides.
Thanks

[vintovka]

I found paying others to install will cost you 4x whatever you think is reasonable. Such parts often require serious welding and much body work. And then there's the parts which look nice and correct but are seriously dimensionally wrong and must be modified fit. In some cases they cannot. Hope labor is cheap where you are.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by Donnie Lee

Thought i would check & see if anyone has cost quess (LABOR) to replace the following parts for the '50 3100 we are working on, i have the parts purchased from Nsane; Complete Cab Floor-Front Cowl Repair Panel Both Sides-Inner to Outer Lower Cowl Patch Both Sides-Tall Kick Panel Both Sides-Cab Corners Both Sides.
Thanks

We would charge between $1700 and $2200 because there is always more rust and repair once you open it up. That would include the media blasting once its open and you can get into the pillars and other normally closed areas. Also includes refitting the doors and priming all.

[MARTINSR]

I remember an article in a Rod Action magazine back in the seventies about figuring out the cost of building a car. What it said was to figure out what you think it's going to cost. Then triple that, then double that, you will still be wrong but at least not as much as if you went with your first figure.

Brian

[Donnie Lee]

vintovka-Haven't found anyone yet to give us a quote

dwcsr-If you were in 10-12 hour driving time, I would bring truck to you
Wednesday, Mapquest shows about 20 hours, maybe i need to call you
& clear 4-5 days for a road trip!

MARTINSR-I have personal experience with this cost analogy, its correct &
then some

[OrrieG]

ten years ago I got quotes of $500 per panel to do cab corners, hinge pockets and front cowl (each side) if needed. That was primed ready for final body work. I bought a wire feed welder and started practicing.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by Donnie Lee

vintovka-Haven't found anyone yet to give us a quote

dwcsr-If you were in 10-12 hour driving time, I would bring truck to you
Wednesday, Mapquest shows about 20 hours, maybe i need to call you
& clear 4-5 days for a road trip!

MARTINSR-I have personal experience with this cost analogy, its correct &
then some

Its one of this jobs that you need to do a several of them to get the method down otherwise it can go horribly wrong. Cutting out the old stuff and leaving certain parts and getting it ready to accept the new floor takes the time. Once its prepped it literally pops into place and you clamp and weld. The doors fitting can some times take a day itself after you do a floor even when you get them right before you start cutting.

[mr48chev]

You might look into shipping the cab and parts down to him and then drive down to pick up the finished cab.

Tell your lady you want to go to Galveston or Pardre Island for a few days and oh by the way you have to stop in Houston to pick the truck cab.

[Donnie Lee]

Well, the body man we had been waiting on for 6-7 weeks came today as he had promised, his schedule opened up as he said it would. He looked the cab over good, he does have experience working on AD's & replacing the parts we have, so we struck a deal & he took the cab to his shop. He's about 20 miles from us so we'll be able to go by & check the progress.

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by Donnie Lee

Well, the body man we had been waiting on for 6-7 weeks came today as he had promised, his schedule opened up as he said it would. He looked the cab over good, he does have experience working on AD's & replacing the parts we have, so we struck a deal & he took the cab to his shop. He's about 20 miles from us so we'll be able to go by & check the progress.

Shop is Just finishing mine and it might be home tomorrow

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=714917

My shop is 40 miles away down the coast and I (unfortunately) have plenty of hard earned hindsight from the last 5-6 months. Unforeseen stuff among the biggies.

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I remember an article in a Rod Action magazine back in the seventies about figuring out the cost of building a car. What it said was to figure out what you think it's going to cost. Then triple that, then double that, you will still be wrong but at least not as much as if you went with your first figure.

Brian

Too true (and I can prove it with my check register)

[vintovka]

There are whole replacement cabs available when all else fails. They may even fit the mis-made chinese fenders and such. I think that unless you can do almost everything yourself restoring an AD (or any other classic) may be out of reach for many. Basic restoration with all new moving parts and just a limited amount of repop metal can easily run upwards of 25K.