Rim Photos ? Getting the Red GS painted- "Plan C"

[option B9]

  Thanks Edouard, I will pass along the website that you posted to my one of my son's ( whoever walks by desk first) and see if we can work on posting those photos.
  Also thanks Jim, It is so hard to find a shop that is willing to work on our Buicks. Most of the shops just want to do insurance work, change fenders ,bumpers, paint then out the door. I stopped counting how many times the shop owners would say " we don't do that type of work". As per my post last night I followed up on a lead today at a shop on Long Island (PLAN "C") . I met with the owner this afternoon and he gave me a tour of his clean mid-size shop and we talked. He likes working on vintage muscle cars and a space is opening up tomorrow. My Red GS will be on a flatbed to the shop Saturday afternoon and I will meet with him on Monday and we will go over the details of what is to be done and some idea of cost and work will start. And my 18 year journey will be almost complete !!! I will keep you posted.

            Tony 

[GS66]

Good luck Tony and thank you for the update! I did find one shop who could get me in the problem was $16,000+ for a car that needs minimal body work.

[gssizzler]

Yes,glad to hear you are progressing on Steve's old post car! I would agree getting stuff done on these cars is only getting harder and more expensive! I believe that it is one of the reasons this hobby is deminishing! Finding a non high turn shop or a non restoration shop is very hard! Most high end shops do all insurance work or for dealerships! Restoration shops want to do the hole car and more or nothing! So a car without any panel replacement , on frame, no damage should take let's say 400 hours @ $16,000 would be $40 a hour before
Paint & materials! Hard to justify maybe when car is valued at maybe double or less!? Like some of the people who restore the cars have told me these cars are getting to costly to do! Average cost for a full restoration on our cars through a resto shop is easily 40- 90 thousand! And that's on a solid car not one like my hardtop which has new floor front to back,quarters,rebuild wheel housings and taillight panel!

[option B9]

   Yes, you are absolutely correct. I knew from the start that the body of this GS needed major metal work and I could not afford a restoration shop's hourly rate. I planned to to do as much of the work as I could and I would buy what ever I needed to get the work done. I even planned to do the body work and paint, after all the welding was completed I tried the finish body work (body filler) It was not as planned and I was not surprised because I had several operations on both of my hands and they don't sit flat so I can't feel the un-even surfaces. At that point I realized "Stop" I got this far all by myself, time to get some help... 
    As far as cost, I'm sure I have exceeded the GSs book value in  paint & thinners, replacement doors, trunk, floor panels, radiator support, trunk lid, rocker panel, fenders the list goes on forever. Plus all of the tools to get the job done. Even though I have all my receipts neatly in a 3 ring binder I never added it up and don't plan to because I enjoy the work and the people around me. Will I do it again ? Never say never !   

 Tony 
   

[elagache]

Dear Tony, Jon, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,

  Thanks Edouard, I will pass along the website that you posted to my one of my son's ( whoever walks by desk first) and see if we can work on posting those photos.

If that doesn't work out, I can probably serve as intermediary to get your photos posted.

Also thanks Jim, It is so hard to find a shop that is willing to work on our Buicks.
. . . .

Good luck Tony and thank you for the update! I did find one shop who could get me in the problem was $16,000+ for a car that needs minimal body work.

Unfortunately, auto body work is very labor intensive and requires a high level of skill.  As far as I know, most body shops can only make a living on insurance work.  Some do classics out of love, but very often they make a razor-thin profit and still have to charge an arm and a leg just to accomplish that.

. . . .
As far as cost, I'm sure I have exceeded the GSs book value in  paint & thinners, replacement doors, trunk, floor panels, radiator support, trunk lid, rocker panel, fenders the list goes on forever. Plus all of the tools to get the job done. Even though I have all my receipts neatly in a 3 ring binder I never added it up and don't plan to because I enjoy the work and the people around me. Will I do it again ? Never say never ! 

Honestly, if you aren't taking care of these cars because you love them - why bother?  Mass production vehicles are as good transportation as anyone will really need.  Even the cost of mass produced exotic cars is a bargain compared to the time and effort involved in caring for a classic.

Still, I think I prefer it that way.  I'd much rather be in a small community that really cares about our cars!!   

Cheers, Edouard 

[option B9]

  So far everything is going well, The flatbed transport was at my home at 10AM Saturday morning. We loaded the GS on the truck and away it went. I received a call from the driver at around 11:15AM to say that he was at the shop and that someone in a pickup truck followed him from the Long Island expressway all the way to the shop to ask the driver if the GS was for sale. So I told the driver to tell the man in the pickup truck the GS  was not for sale !! Once we got over that, the driver said that he was going to unload the GS and put in in the shop. 
   Today I was at the shop at 10:40AM to meet with the owner, we went over the work that needed to be completed, and then they asked how I found it. I gave them the short version of the GSs sad history. Then it was time to talk numbers and surprisingly the owner was right where I thought it would be and the deal was set with a large deposit. He wrote out a contract and welcomed me back to see the GS anytime to take photos of the work being done.
    After 18 years the promise I gave to Sandy Shuman is almost a reality.   More updates as things progress, maybe some photos too. If I can figure how to post them....

           Tony 

[elagache]

Dear Tony and mid-60s Buick caregivers,

  So far everything is going well, The flatbed transport was at my home at 10AM Saturday morning. We loaded the GS on the truck and away it went. I received a call from the driver at around 11:15AM to say that he was at the shop and that someone in a pickup truck followed him from the Long Island expressway all the way to the shop to ask the driver if the GS was for sale. So I told the driver to tell the man in the pickup truck the GS  was not for sale !!

Well now!  It is nice to see that other folks are interested in our cars, but it is something of an issue when somebody wants to buy a car that's already "spoken for!"

   Today I was at the shop at 10:40AM to meet with the owner, we went over the work that needed to be completed, and then they asked how I found it. I gave them the short version of the GSs sad history. Then it was time to talk numbers and surprisingly the owner was right where I thought it would be and the deal was set with a large deposit. He wrote out a contract and welcomed me back to see the GS anytime to take photos of the work being done.
    After 18 years the promise I gave to Sandy Shuman is almost a reality.   

Certainly great news!   

More updates as things progress, maybe some photos too. If I can figure how to post them....

We'll figure out some way for you to post photos one way or another!

Cheers, Edouard 

[cwmcobra]

Good to see progress on this Tony.  Maybe some day we can get the "Shuman siblings" together!

 

Chuck

[option B9]

 Yes Chuck, that would be great. And we could send a photo to Sandy, I know she would be very happy. Now that the GS is out of the garage I had a chance to get up in the attic and found a black plastic that has a tag on that said "spinner wheel covers from the 65 GS post coupe" They were on the GS when trailered it home to Long Island. they are in decent condition. If you or anyone else wants them just let me know. I do not want any money for them, just send Loren a check for what you think they are worth so he can put it towards the upkeep of the site... I will also post them in the parts for sale listing

              Tony