[locomotivebreath]

So my gto is half done and is as far as I can take it . I’m wanting to spend the coin and have a resto shop finish it . I wasted a year and a half waiting to get into a gto shop in Indiana , then the guy quit all communication . I got on a waiting list with another well know Pontiac shop in Ohio , but over 2 years later , my Car still isn’t in the shop . I never dreamt it would be this difficult to spend this much money ! What have you experienced been ? I’m afraid to try a 3rd shop and waste another 2 years on a list .

[RocktimusPryme]

Just throwing this out there, I dont know anything about your car, if it has serious sentimental value or what not, or how much money is a lot of money.

But if you really want a car now, and your planning on spending a lot on the resto, why not just buy the car you want? You likely come out financially better than from a restoration. Then depending on how far along your current car is you either punt it or maybe do a much cheaper and faster driver resto and sell it then.

[1965gp]

It’s tough- I have two cars at two different body shops that just can’t seem to get done- and these are with long term friends!!

I think shops just don’t make enough money on these cars for a regular body shop to keep it a priority.

As for a restoration shop I think there is just too much demand. I don’t know if a good shop in my town that services/builds older cars that doesn’t have a waiting list.

I’m usually not in a rush- get it done when you can and the price reflects it. Cars usually get painted in December when regular customers aren’t spending $$ on cosmetic repairs yet the employees still need to work.

If yo are paying top dollar (again are we talking 5k or 50k) I wouldn’t commit to anything without a schedule in writing and a penalty for it not being done on time- just like a general contractor would do on a building.

[Lightfoot]

Originally Posted by 1965gp;

I think shops just don’t make enough money on these cars for a regular body shop to keep it a priority.

Bingo.
Insurance work is their bread & butter. (body shops)

[locomotivebreath]

Both of these shops are full on resto only shops and GTO’s at that. My dad bought my car in the 70s and it hasn’t been on the road since 79 . There was always a different priority . It turned into frame off under my watch but I lost a lot of ground when dad was fighting cancer and I became a care provider . He’s gone now and I of course I had hoped to finish befor he passed. It’s a rolling frame with completed drivetrain . If I had more room , I would buy a driver to hold me over . I had a 69 c10 for a bit , but myself wrenching on it instead of the goat lol

[Stuart]

A long waiting list to get into a good shop isn't an unreasonable thing (if they're good they'll have a backlog) but they should be able to take the car in and start work when they are ready. I went through this with an off topic car a few years back; it took a year and a half from when I first talked to the shop to when they were able to begin, but once it got there the work went pretty smoothly. It was this place in SE Minnesota: http://www.bremsethbodyshop.com (if you go to the project page my car is in the bottom left.) I'd recommend them if you're willing to bring your car up here, they've worked on everything from farm trucks to Rolls-Royces, and I'm sure they would have no problems with a GTO.

[Sirrotica]

Take it to Gas Monkey, they build cars in less than a month, on TV less than an hour...…...LOL

[Mr_GTO]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

Take it to Gas Monkey, they build cars in less than a month, on TV less than an hour...…...LOL

Or FantomWorks. Though they look like they do things the right way.

[SR-71]

At least with FantomWorks they show the actual days the car has been worked on in their shop. It might not be the time in the shop though.

[Fullsize455]

No chance I'd put up with that. If you're talking about spending real money, why aren't you doing it yourself? With the money you'd pay a quality shop to restore it, you can buy an awful lot of nice tools and equipment with the money you'll save on labor doing it yourself.. and then you can be really proud of the finished product, since you didn't just write a check to someone else for them to do it..

[wovenweb]

I'm likely in the same line as you given your location(I lived in Cincinnati from '09 to '12). Do you know exactly where you are in line? When I stopped by in August I was mid way down the list of 11 confirmed deposits. I've had my car ('70 Buick A-Body big block convertible) in storage in the area since early 2014. But, he finished a '68 Firebird convertible for me(2nd Firebird he has done for me) since that time and I didn't immediately put down a deposit for the Buick. Based on viewing where he was with the cars in his shop and what was waiting, I'm guessing it will be late next year before it gets started.

[locomotivebreath]

I’ve done half of it myself . I have a lot of tools and equipment . I also work on call , out of town and pretty sure painting an automobile in my 2 car attached garage would be dangerous and probaly frowned apon by neighbors in the subdivision . My work schedule or lack there of a shedule makes it difficult to stay on the tools . Not uncommon for me to get home at 0300 and be gone again that afternoon .

[carcrazy]

While I know there are good shops out there, I've tried twice and never had a shop finish a car. In my case, both shops went out of business due to drug use by the owners and one of my cars, the car (a low mileage 76, 455 4 speed T/A) was never found. In the end I just decided to learn how things myself.

[Andre]

If I have heard one resto shop nightmare, I have heard 100. Its not limited to Pontiac, and it seems to be spread across the country. It usually starts with a fair sum of money exchanging hands between car owner and shop, followed by a tear down of the subject car. (something that we can all do our selves) Then the waiting begins..
I was most fortunate when I had my '66 done in 2005. I took it in as a rusty piece of junk in October 2005, and had a complete nut and bolt restored car in early March 2006. I raved about the shop, and many friends took their cars there and were also happy.. Unfortunately the shop grew too fast, money was spent faster than it came in, and by Summer 2012 the shop was out of business leaving many owners with unfinished cars, and no services rendered for money paid.
Skilled craftsmen are often times the worst business people ever, and a common thread is underestimating what the work will take, and then having to eat time/$$.

[muscle_collector]

at least they didn't take your car and get some money up front and just let it sit there. I had one that sat in a friends body shop for 9 years until he finally felt really guilty and finished it.

[Half-Inch Stud]

I have experience on both sides of the issue. Prompt excellent service vs missing convertible for several years. Both (all) give their word of commitment to prompt service, but how to assess?

Two things that stick out:
1. Something happens to the shop soon after you delivery the car; ( become the perpetual reason).
2. They promptly tear down the car and then don't work it, like ever.

In both cases, a personal executive decision is needed to excise the project out of their grip. No hustle to be accepted. Butt I dunno how to advise a generic situation on when to pull the project out.

2.

[TAKerry]

Age old question. Whom ever provides the correct answer will be rich. I am not sure I would even be comfortable with providing a deposit for a 'time slot'. That just sounds to me like a shop holding someone for ransom. If they were honorable they would put the name on a list and when the car gets there, then the money should arrive. I would be concerned after receiving a pile of deposits for no work being done the shop would close. Only thing I can say is broaden your horizon a bit and look a bit further out rather than set your focus on a couple of local shops. I know a guy in vegas that has had cars (Pontiacs) come out of a shop in about a month or so, and they do great work. May be worth looking into. From what I have gathered being in this hobby, it seems that an average time for a car being in a shop is 3-4 years.

[Region Warrior]

5-6 yrs here now.
Had/have several guys that do body work at home, and a couple shops interested in doing mine.
Every time check in with them all are still 6-12 months out.

[carbking]

Originally Posted by 1965gp

It’s tough- I have two cars at two different body shops that just can’t seem to get done- and these are with long term friends!!

I think shops just don’t make enough money on these cars for a regular body shop to keep it a priority.

As for a restoration shop I think there is just too much demand. I don’t know if a good shop in my town that services/builds older cars that doesn’t have a waiting list.

I’m usually not in a rush- get it done when you can and the price reflects it. Cars usually get painted in December when regular customers aren’t spending $$ on cosmetic repairs yet the employees still need to work.

If yo are paying top dollar (again are we talking 5k or 50k) I wouldn’t commit to anything without a schedule in writing and a penalty for it not being done on time- just like a general contractor would do on a building.

With all due respect, I have been playing with cars since 1959, and owned a restoration shop for 40 plus years. In that time I have NEVER seen a decent restoration shop that would commit to a schedule/penalty. Too many unexpected problems in a restoration (now where am I going to find a new idle stop solenoid?).

Personally, I would never deal with a shop that would sign such a deal, knowing they had no idea what they were doing!

Again, with no disrespect intended, if you want a professional restoration, you might wish to re-consider this philosophy.

We have some local shops (I live in a city with a whopping 5,000 population) that are VERY good, and VERY backed up. Patience is your friend.

Jon.

[carbking]

One other consideration:

Most of the really good shops do NOT wish to take over a partial restoration to finish, whether it be by the owner, or some previous shop; AS THEY WILL BE JUDGED ON THE COMPLETED JOB! This means they will at least have to inspect and partially disassemble previously done work, and charge for it. And maybe redo some/all of it. This issue might be part of the problem for the OP.

The numbers are low enough you can judge the age of the sign; but a local shop used to have a sign labor $5/hour, $10/ hour if you watch, $50/hour if you help.

There are horror stories on both sides.

Jon.