Quote:
Originally Posted by Guyz55
well I finally shipped my 55 2nd series off to the body shop ...the body guy is telling me that it would be cheaper/less expensive and less time consuming to replace panels instead of spending his time and my money fixing them ...ie the front fenders and doors need to be fixed or replaced ....I was wondering if what he is telling me is true cause at $100 and hour it adds up fast.....if I choose to replace those parts , is there a best parts supplier ....I know there are a lot of suppliers out there ....I was thinking LMC of course and I have also seen brothers and others ....if iu am going to get replacement parts I want the use the best parts out there
your thoughts
thank you
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We do a lot of new panel installs here and don't seem to have the issues others have. If you want to pay him to fix the truck do you really care if they are new or reworked old panels. Run a calculator over the costs and see
New parts quicker , no rust , next to no body work, adjustments to fit.
Old parts will always have some rust no matter what you do to treat it, acid dip, sandblast, por 15 it all leaves some rust behind. Metal work can cost 3 times the replacement of the part. If the truck was hit sometime in the last 60 years your original panels may be tweak out of shape,
I have a AD door in here now that the customer wants fixed, a huge dent in the center and bottom of the outer panel, its oil canning like an inch in each direction from a bad repair, Cost... $450 to replace the door, $950 so far to fix and we are not done yet, but he wants his original metal, i expect its going to be a $1200 door by the time we are done.
Think about this, if all these panels were crap or didn't fit, it would be much bigger news than you here now, no one would buy them and half the resto body panel industry would be out of business.
No one ever wants to think maybe it's their truck that's all jacked up and out of whack and blames
the new panel. Some panels come out just plain wrong , no doubt about it , but the vast majority come out just fine.