Refinish Network

OK, its late, I'm wanting some pity, so I am going to make this short and sweet since I have to get up before the rooster crows to try and get myself out of this mess..

Here is the gig.. Having been off now 29 weeks this year with only 11 days to work until Feb. of 2009 I placed an ad on Craigslist for paint and bodywork.. I was hoping to get pretty much restoration work as its really my favorite thing to do.. But I have been getting allot of hits for collision work, its money so I am taking almost any collision stuff right now
Well I took on this 2005 Malibu Classic that a kid from NY here on scholarship swiped a tree with.. Needs some time on a frame rack, but kid is hiding the fact he wrecked his car from mom and dad and was looking for an OK fix..

Big Problem #1 It also needs the windshield replaced, but of course he does not carry comprehensive insurance on his car which would replace it free here in KY, so he opted to leave it busted..
The A post is smashed fairly decent and it needs the glass out for me to pull it as I would want it to doing the work here, but that is not happening.Then he brings me a salvage door that was supposed to be a swap... It is a 9 year old door with some different plug ins on components inside the door.. So I had to gut it and make a shell out of it and put all his good stuff
back in this shell.. OK I can do that..

Big Problem #2 The gaps are off, again it needs some rack time, but I think I can make it work where most no one would notice... OK I can do that

Big Problem #3 Where the door meets the A post it is touching when I adjusted the door to correct some of the gap issue's.. It has a normal .5-1" at the top where the door meets the roof
as it should, but where it runs the length of the A post it took a good whack there.. I am going to try and pull it the best I can tomorrow, but this area is of concern since I have this busted up
windshield to try and work around.. I don't think I am going to get this as I would like..

Big Problem #4 Time.. I was supposed to get this thing Monday morning.. I got it Wednesday night at 9 pm.. WTF.. I have to go back to Ford for 3 days next week so there goes time to
work on this thing then, meaning I am trying to get it all done before Sunday

Oh yeah he only wants it panel painted too.. cant afford to pay for blending.. even at my ungodly cheap rate I quoted him

I could go on but I am running out of time for me to sleep, but I think you all get the picture.. Should have just ordered a door shell from my jobber as that would have saved me several hours tear
down and prep since I have to prep this old bastard for paint.. Rust along the bottom seam sealed edge etc.. the norm for 9 year old $hit in the rust belt Really should have told the kid to find
someone else, but I felt bad for him and thought I could make a few dollars for my fam around the holidays.. Money has been as tight as a German Virgin

The real kicker.. I am doing all of this for just $600 ... A shop quoted him $8000
Stupid for doing it for penny's, I know, so you don't have to remind me of that unless you just feel the need

In my ignorant defense, when I made the deal it was to have the glass pulled so i could pull the A post better and make sure a new glass would fit properly and get the car Monday morning.. It would have been a much better job if this had been the case..

Check out the pics and feel free to advise or kick the $hit out of me..

I don't do the collision like you guys, so if you got any pointers for the old polyester prince let me have em

You can look here if you want to see the pics at a much larger view
s227.photobucket.com/albums/dd258/BondoK...%20Malibu%20Classic/

bondo i think ya ougta be able ta pull that one off butt i wish ya woulda quoted him 2 g atleast your just gonna have ta massage it a little more than ya planned dont feel bad it happens to all of us from time to time ill be on tomorrow an throw ya my 2 cents

ya should jump him on that windsheild though

ta be honest it aint that bad i dont there is any thing bent that bad to require a frame rack ya just got a screwed up upper hinge mount an a buggerd window post just look at the damage on the door an ya can see how that upper hing is thinking mainly your just gonna need a bfh an some imagination do ya have a porto power??

I would insist on a windshield

No pity party here, that needs pulled. Let me suggest cross measuring the windshield opening, if it is out of square without correction a new one wont fit. You should also make point to point measurements of the right side door opening for reference. Looks to me the pillar is in and back at the top, but the only way to be certain is to take the measurements. Then correct the damage with what you got around there for tools which i think is gonna be real difficult.. Could you find a friendly slow body shop to hold and pull this for cheap? I just cant fathom shimming the hinge out, slotting holes, and hacking to be honest, in fact i have to be half lit to stomach looking at the many cars destroyed over on the 101. Sorry i take my auto body very seriously.

cut the windshield out and do the repair. then let him decide if he wants to drive the car with a new windshield or none at all tell him you didnt have a choice thats the only way you could adjust everything to get the door to fit and open and close . also give him a little advise. we all f-up. parents always find out. thats just how it is. better for him to tell them now then let them find out some other way. then maybe they'll lend him some cash so you can finish it right and get a little extra.
Also might as well just pull a jimmo and tape off the moldings and handle on that back door and blend it. wont take much longer and you'll fell better about it.
Think of it this way, you got more for that job than normsautobody would have

Bondoking, you are going to laugh your *** off at this. I live and work in Louisville. I remember this kid coming into my work for an estimate a few months ago. I remember having the conversation with him about blending and hidden damage. He didn't want to hear any of it. I told him I wouldn't consider not blending down the side. He was a real nice guy, I think he was in a bit of a bind though. I remember when he left I commented that I hope we didn't get the job because I could see it going to ***. I feel for you on this one. I don't think our estimate was 8000 but I can't remember.

You will probably need a porta-power to fix the A-post. Once you get the gap opened up if you have a stud gun weld a row of pins and try to pull a section at a time and you can probably get it out. I think I priced sectioning in part of an used A-pillar if I can remember correctly. That windshield has to come out. Good luck neighbor!

Ok fellas.. mornin.. I agree with you all.. needs the WS pulled..
He would not hear of it, so I had him sign an agreement that I was not repsonsible for a new windshield not fitting in the future..
I also told him a shop would probably replace the post as Ryan pointed out..
Yes I have a stud welder
My buddy up the street has a porta he told me I could borrow anytime.. thats what I planned on in the begining when we struck the deal
Pnlbtr4life no pity needed bro.. I also understand u take pride in what you do.. as do I.. this is one job I wont be happy about when it leaves though

Most of the time I always end up doing more than what any customer pays for.. that also includes the resto work I do.. in the end its worth it to me..

Now out to get out my BFH and see what damage I can do

Maybe I should just cut out the bad post and make a new one out of Fiberglass like Robert did at 101

so how ya coming on fitting that door up i think the bulk of your problem is in that upper hinge an ya need ta get in to it a drive it foward about a qtr inch i think its just a matter of pulling the door an an thumping it with a sledge an a driving iron that post on the windshield dosent look to bad judging by the gap below your finger in the one pic it seems ta mainly be sheetmetal damage but when somthing takes a shot to the upper hinge like that ya got to think about how ta put that l shape back were it belongs i dont thik is as bad as ya think btw do ya have the tools ta pull that glass????

hey bondo why dont ya private message me with your phone ### an i will give ya a call an throw ya couple ideas on how ta molest that thing properly

Here is a vid I took real quick like.. Its the first thing on the photbucket album

s227.photobucket.com/albums/dd258/BondoK...%20Malibu%20Classic/

I have to agree with pnlbtr4life.....

I spent a whole lot of money to do that type of repair, and you may be in over your head.

When it is all said and done, two people will suffer.

JMT's
Jim

ta be honest its just a sheet metal repair i talked to bondo tonight an the door fits good he just was fighting the outer skin on the post thats all no biggy i wouldnt even bother rackin that one up in my shop ya can kinda tell from the pics that she aint that hard of a hit just a little door hinge thingy when ya cream a door has a tendancy ta pull the higes back an sheet metel on the piller is just that sheet metal nothing structural

It was good talking to Bondomerchant tonight.. He gave me some great pointers Will have some more pics tomorrow as it gets ready for paint.. Owner will be happy and I will be happy when it leaves the driveway .. its back to the 6-5 grind for me next week at Ford so this one needs to go before Monday 4:30 am get up

Till tomorrow gents

Right on man...that's good to hear, I like a happy ending .

I missed most of this thread, I'll just say you can save yourself some good coin by taping everything off! Bumpers, trim, moldings, mirrors, etc....buttmatch, don't prime, just seal...used car specials can be fun!

Sometimes I think a jobs worse off after my bodyman pulls a post! The one that came from Maaco.. He used to tell us when he'd get a heavy hit car, he'd just adjust the fenders and panels around instead of make the necessary pull. After hearing some of his stories and idea's this doesn't sound that bad, glad it seems to be working out for you now. That bondomerch is sometimes good for something.

A skim of mud on this post and i am calling it done..

I post some pics when its done.. running out of time