Local Body Shop??

Tarzan · Joined: 09 Feb 2004 Posts: 10 Location: Coeur d'Alene, ID

I talked with a guy in Coeur d'Alene that works for Vdub place on Seltice. I got quoted $30 hr. 9+ months to finish

Talked with Sheldon @ Classic VW Restoration in the Valley. $50 hr. 2-3 months to finish

I have a '64 deluxe bus ready for restoration. No rust. Needs a new nose. Minimal body work. Already sandblasted and stripped to nothing. No electrical, motor, rubber, windows, or interior. I want to keep it under $5k for all the body work and paint and I don't want it to take 9 months to finish. I don't want a trailer queen, but I want something to be proud of. It makes me nervous not having a solid price quote. I don't want to hit the $6k mark and it be only half done.

Any advice or am I just dreaming?
Does anyone know any other places to get quotes?
Is Troy thinking of doing restorations still?

Tarzan · Joined: 09 Feb 2004 Posts: 10 Location: Coeur d'Alene, ID

I posted some pics of it's current state in my personal gallery. It has slight surface rust from being stripped, but definitely no cancer. The inside floor has 1 coat of Master Series. The underneath is still undercoated. The nose needs to be replaced and in front of brake pedal straightened, but all the other metal is good. Floors, rockers, and cross members are solid. It needs a little messaging of the panels to make them perfectly straight.

Advice?
How much to get this fixed and painted?

Troy Hobbs · Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Posts: 766

Sorry on two counts , one I'm not doing any work at this time , and two sorry you are dreaming at under $5,000 for a bus. Quailty paint materials alone will be $800-$1500, that leaves roughly $3500 for body materials and labor. At $50hr and no body materials you get 70 hrs for labor, even for non show quality thats not very many hours for a vehicle as big as a bus. Give me a call, I have another place I can recomend that does excellent work, and may be able to get you close to your goal. TROY (509)927-1031

viperbgy · Joined: 24 Mar 2006 Posts: 73 Location: Spokane, WA

Tarzan · Joined: 09 Feb 2004 Posts: 10 Location: Coeur d'Alene, ID

Thanks Troy. I'll call you later today.

I do have $10k total for my restoration and already have a lot of the other stuff like new rubber, new wiring harness, etc. I put a 5k target on the body & paint to maybe hit my $10k for the total restoration. Maybe I am dreaming, but hopefully I can get it done before my wife turns off the money faucet.

CustomVW did tell me that $10k should be enough if I don't have any major rust repair. I don't. It is sandblasted and the bare metal can be seen throughout.

Tarzan · Joined: 09 Feb 2004 Posts: 10 Location: Coeur d'Alene, ID

Pics of my progress are under the "Car Pictures" section. More to come.

I have already used $6k and it still needs final outside primer, some minor inside work, and paint. At this point I will be glad to hit $10k for a perfect paint job.

CustomVW · Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007 6:25 am Post subject:

When restoring, don't keep thinking about a budget....You'll just get stressed. Find out the average estimated cost for your bus, and then raise the funds to achieve that budget +15%. If you start cutting corners, you'll get a restore that looks good.....for about two years.

If you got a tatoo....would you pick your artist by finding the cheapest artist?