Michigan Recommendations

[JMitch19]

Hey guys I'm about to get my 69 Camaro back from the media blaster for the second time. It took me twice to find someone that could do it right. I'm wondering if anyone could recommend a shop to do most of my metal work. (quarters, tail section, trunk floor, ect.) I'm in the Grand Rapids area so I would like a shop on the west side of the state ,but I am willing to drive a couple of hours to have someone that is going to do the work right and get in done in a decent amount of time. I have almost all the sheet metal to get the job done and I've been quoted prices from $1800 to 10000. I want the car done right and at a reasonable rate. I just can't see spending 10K on just the metal work my car needs. If that is the case I might as well just buy a "New" 69 camaro.

[CAMAROBOY69]

Soooo dang tempting. Hmmm. :ssst:

[astroracer]

This is one of the better shops in the area...
Don Marrah Auto Body
840 E Juddville Rd
Owosso, MI 48867-9468
Phone: (989) 723-1365
They have done a number of magazine cars. If anyone remembers the "2 door" '91 Pro-Street Caprice that hit the shows in the mid-ninties that car was built by Marrah's. They do very high quality work so they may be kinda spendy but you know you only get what you pay for...
Mark

[CAMAROBOY69]

Precision Collision off of Apple ave in Muskegon. They do some of the best work in town.
1-231-777-1156
I dont personally know them but I have seen a lot of their cars at the local car shows.
If I didnt do all my own bodywork I would have them do it.

[JMitch19]

Thanks for the replies, I'm still hopin to see a few more.

[CAMAROBOY69]

I would say if you found a quote for around $1800 that is a very, very reasonable price for that much work. (quarters, tail section, trunk floor, ect.) I would assume that quote also covers seam sealing and sealing the car in primer. I wouldnt let a car leave with that much new metal unless it was sealed. But thats just me. Mabey official body shops are different.

[JMitch19]

Adam, was thinkin the same thing on the $1800. I'm kinda looking for a shop that someone else has had good luck with. I went with the shop that gave me the best price on my 67 RS Conv. and in stead of adjusting the fender to make the door fit he cut my quarter to add space. I'm not looking to out through that again. So I guess I'm a little leary of the lowest price.

[CAMAROBOY69]

That sounds like a nightmare. If they didnt adjust the fender properly the hood, doors, front clip, and everything would be off. :scared:
Good luck and I hope you find someone reasonable and reliable. Make sure to keep us updated so we can spread the good or bad word.
Did you call any of the places we mentioned?

[JMitch19]

Adam, the 67 was a nightmare. I bought it as an all original car that was painted in the mid 80's from a GM retiree that was in his 70's. The car was super nice. It only had 5k on the drive train. I redid the interior myself but I wasn't about to have this car be my first paint job. The car had no rust and only 1 small door ding, and the passenger door needed to be adjusted. I felt sick every time I looked at the car after getting in back from the body shop. I THINK the reason he cut the quarter so because he already had the bumble bee stripe painted and he didn't want to have to redo that to get the door to fit. (The door only needed about a 1/8 of an inch or so) I sold the car for much less than I should have gotten for it just because it made me mad every time I looked at it.
I'm not willing to go through that with this car. I don't have a lot of money to work with on this car, but I'd rather just build it slow as money allows than get it done fast and cheap and not be happy. My goal is Power Tour 07. We'll see if that happens or not. I'm not willing to compromise the picture I have in my head for this car so we will see.

[Patrick Burrell]

Jason, where did you get your media blasting done? I live in Allendale and am about a week or so away from getting mine done. I plan to use Southwest Sandblasting in GR just off 131. I've stopped in and talked to Randy there. He seems like a good guy who really knows what he's doing. He also does powdercoating. When I was there I saw everything from engine blocks, wire wheels, hood, doors, fenders, etc. All looked really good, no warped parts, and the powdercoated pieces were beautiful. Also, who did the bad job the first time?

I just want to avoid a disaster!

Thanks,

[JMitch19]

Patrick, I just moved to the GR area a little over a year ago. Everyone I talked to around here said that they just do sand blasting. I ended up taking my car to Ray's Rustbuster in Warren, MI. He had big booth at the Frankenmuth car show. His work looked real nice, and he was a real nice guy. I took the car to his shop. He had some nice cars in the shop. Then things went south. I couldn't get him to return any phone calls. He told me it would take about 3 days. Well 4 months later I got the car back and it looked about half done. All the nice cars in his shop were still in the same state they were 4 months earlier. The car is now in my parent’s garage in Bay City, MI and I found a nice shop just down the road in Saginaw, MI called Professional Paint Works.
I work for Fox Motor Group, and one of the guys here said he had really good luck with SouthWest. He had them do a 68 Merc and a Camaro for him. If I had known about them in the first place I probably would have taken the car there.

[Patrick Burrell]

Hey, I'm from Bay City and my parents still live there. I grew up near Wilder Rd. and Henry St, but my folks live on Salzburg (towards Midland) now.

I'm glad to hear someone had a good experience with Southwest. Randy at SW said to let him know when I'm ready, and then he'll keep an eye on the weather and call me the night before he wants me to bring it in. He said if I get it there by 8AM I can pick it up at 4PM the same day. Plus he will shoot primer on it before I pick it up so it doesn't have to spend any time exposed to moisture in the air.

He told me he started blasting when he was 15 and he's 43 now, so he's got 27 years experience. I saw a stack of pictures of the projects he's worked on: street rods, muscle cars, motorcycles, bikes, etc.

I'll report back on my experience after my car is done.

[JMitch19]

I grew up on N.Dewitt about 3 blocks west of Henry and maybe about 2 miles South of Wilder. We are between Gary & Hart St. if that is fimilar. My mon still lives there.

I shot you a P.M. Also if you don't mind what kind of a price did Randy give you for media blasting.

[Patrick Burrell]

Randy told me $250 to blast and powdercoat the subframe, and about $350-450 to do the body shell, depending on how much work is required to get it clean.

I'll get the subframe blasted, and then I have to do the DSE coil-over conversion. When that's done I'll get it powdercoated. After the body is blasted, I have to get to work replacing the floor. Then comes the subframe connectors, mini-tubs, and the DSE 4-link kit.

It's going to be a busy winter!

I replied to your PM.