Tom R.

You read about me toying with the idea of an Elise in a few years, a 968 now, then someone said C5, etc.

Well yesterday I polished the S2 and it looks pretty good. You saw this thread. https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-944-951-968-forum/440991-after-1-5-years-i-finally-got-aroud-to-waxing-my-s2-so.html

So today I decided to leave work a few minutes early and hit a few body shops and get some estimates. One shop (Sams) tells me he has to practically cut the fender to the side moulding to replace a little rust in order to warrant the work six months. I thanked him and left when he told me he doesnt like fixing rust. Maybe the Geico sign in the window should have warned me.

I then went to Johns and he gave me an estimate. Well, I told him a friend was sending me a piece of fender. Well, he wants to take the bumpers off, remove this and that, then use a clear coat blah blah. I told him i didnt want clear next to non clear. He told me I wouldnt notice it. Well I did notice it on the quarter of my Firebird that was painted with urethane next to the hand rubbed laquer door. the repair looked worse than the scratch, so i sold the car (after 29 years). He also wanted more than the cost of a nice 944.

Then i saw across the street a Porsche shop. I stopped in and priced some service. More expensive in Denver than NY. Go figya.

Well I was talking to the guy and he looked at my car and gave me two more names to check out.

Bottom line, It will cost about 1200 to fix the rust. I know Dan (xsboost) would have this fixed in a weekend.

So,
Doi sell the car and get a 968? here is the FS thread: https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-944-951-968-forum/438030-about-to-get-ok-for-a-968-need-to-sell-my-s2.html

Do I keep the car and use it with rust for a few years then get an Elise?

Sell it and get a used C5?

Thoughts?

I'm still in shock that a shop told me to take my Porsche elsewhere in this economy.

Or do i

J Berk

Get another Guards red fender from a car in good shape and swap it out....might cost you $100.

Then keep the car for another year or two and keep your eyes opened for what ever it is that you really want.

Tom R.

need two

Catfood

Ive driven an elise and a C5 and every variant of 944s. The elise is the fastest and has the highest limits, but I limit it by being 250 lbs and 6'3". The C5 is sedate and mean whatever you choose and is a great car, but I love the 944 and thats what I drive.

KLR

I've had this same experience in Chicago. I never realized how good we had it in NYC -- tons of competent shops all competing for our business. The options here are few and far between, which seems shocking to me for a metro area with 8 million people. Hourly labor is $100-125. I think that Sonny used to charge me $75 an hour at SM!

Tom R.

150 for a mobil 1 change, 120 to flush the brakes with ATE, and at $46 an hour 2k to fix three square inches of rust.

I told the guy three times teh car was worth 10k and i wanted it to just look nice, not concours. he comes back with painting half the friggin car with clear coat.

then i asked about painting the rest of the car and he tells me 5k because he takes the lights out. i told him i would do that after i smack the car up, not when it is as nice as it currently is.

it is frustrating.

V2Rocket

+11111

Po924S

+ a million. Then later down the road you can buy an Elise.

Van

I haven't driven an Elise, but I have driven the Exige S.

Hands down, the Lotus would be my first choice for a 'play' car. The only thing holding me back now is the lack of practicality - not good in the winter, no rear seat and an even smaller trunk than my oh-so-practical 996 C4.

82-T/A

A couple of years ago, I had the same problem with my 1981 Pontiac Trans Am. I had it ready to go, but it needed body work. The rear quarters were rusted out. I drove it to a few shops and asked them what they would charge. Most of them said they absolutely didn't even want to work on it.

I guess the thing is, nearly all of these body shops specialize specifically in insurance collision repairs. Those cars are typically newer, so it's not really a big deal for them and there's no rust to contend with. They just cut the panel out, and weld in a new one from China.

When there's rust, you typically have to cut out a section further than what you would normally cut out (which might affect more than one patch panel), plus the fact that they may not even have an actual fender / panel for that car. If that's the case, it means they need to make one from scratch.

The estimates I was getting on my 81 Trans Am were so high, that I decided to save myself the $5 grand they were asking for, and just buy myself a Lincoln Electric welder and teach myself. That's what I've been doing the past 4 years in my spare time. The rust wasn't so bad. The front fenders, the subframe, the ENTIRE underbody, the cowl... everything was totally rust free. it just had some rust at the top of the rear quarter panels and the rear valance. They wanted ridiculous prices. I bought some used sheet metal on eBay, and welded it in. It looks totally acceptable, and can be easily cleaned up with a 1/8th inch of plastic body filler smoothed out (not bondo). But I've been working on my Porsche now, so that project is on hold.

Tom R.

I am getting a piece of fender from a rennlister. It seems this shop ignored that fact. I dont think they have to take the fender off the car to weld three square inches of metal to it. I am going to go to another shop. the next step is to cut the piece off and use a metal to metal adhesive and glue the new piece on, then put a little bondo (body filler - what's the difference?) and then spray some of the gravel paint.

what the owner of the shop didnt want to hear was my requirements. I dont want to see a paint line. i dont want to see the different color, texture, lustre of a clear coat painted piece next to a non clear piece. thats why i want to keep as much of the factory paint as possible, and keep the repair in the rusted area which does not extend above the gravel paint.

i guess im more frustrated that i didnt find a shop to do what i want than upset about the price to do what i dont want done.

my frustration from the body shops here may land someone a great deal on a solid driver S2.

J Berk

Tom

Another option....take the fender off...send it, along with the piece from the other lister...to whomever you used to use in LI and have them do it and send it back.

Joe

Tom R.

The thought did cross my mind, so did an image of a scratched and dented fender coming back to me. This is Denver fer cryin out loud. I know there are body guys that work nights on small projects like this, and do good work.

The VIN stickers were removed by an over zealous detailer at some point, but still other little things show that the car was never hit. i was hoping the paint on the bolts would stay factory and un cracked.

tifosiman

You're right. That should be an easy job for a good shop. And, they should be able to do it correctly where it will all be under the texturized coating anyway, so you wouldn't see it (based on the size of the little patch part you need). I'd go to another shop or two. Bodyshops are just like women. You have to go thru a few bad ones before you finally find one that does good work.

potent951turbo

Tom, I am in a similar boat as you when it comes to paint. My driver's side fender needs to have some paint damage fixed but the car has the original single stage alpine white. For some reason no body shops want to do the car if you tell them you don't want any clear coat used. They always go through the usual story of how they want to paint the fender then blend it into the door and quarter panel and clear coat it. I always tell them just to paint the fender and I don't want clear coat used, then they say they won't do it.

There is another rennlister (Burma Shave) in Alabama who I have discussed my situation with and he is willing to do the work like I wanted, but I just haven't brought the car down there to have it done.