How Much Will Repairs Cost?

[dj norecords]

My 87 Tbird LX has some paint flaking off on the front right above the grille and has minor rust spots and scratches on the rest of the body. The rubber bottom part of the bumper has a fairly major crack in it that may require replacing the entire bumper. Anyone out there have a similar situation or at least know approximately how much it would cost to replace the bumper and get the car repainted? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[TBirdPilot]

Originally posted by dj norecords:
<STRONG>Anyone out there have a similar situation or at least know approximately how much it would cost to replace the bumper and get the car repainted? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.</STRONG>

The bumper is obsolete so your options are find an aftermarket one (if available) or get one from a junkyard (about $100.00 - or less). You could spend anywhere from $500 to $2,000 plus on painting the car. Best bet is to ask some of your local paint shops what they would charge.

 

[FourFords]

You could get a new to you bumper cover from the J/Y or check with the autoparts stores in your area and see if they offer the 3M urethane bumper repair kit, it is very easy to use and cost about $15.00 - $20.00.
Most of the cost of a paint job is the prep work, prep work is very labor intensive. If you are willing to do the prep work yourself you can save a lot of money and get a very nice paint job. Macco's are all franchise operations, I have had two cars painted by one near me and had decent results, I spoke with the owner when I was in the planning stages and asked him what I could do to make his television ad special a better job for the same money. His suggestions were, remove as much moulding, trim, lights, mirrors etc.
Do your own body work if you feel capable, and wet sand the entire car with 400 grit for preparation. I did what he suggested and got what I felt was a better paint job on the cheap - it was a trade of labor for quality.
L.P.