Sensible Advice Sought

[davethebirdman]

Some of you may recall that back in April I bought a Jacobs that needed a great deal of work if it was ever going to see the light of day again. It has sat in my garage feeling sorry for itself ever since.

Bodywork wise it has dents on all panels. The back is stoved in in places. It looks like it has been dropped on its head at some point too.

Inside rust has taken hold and eaten through the tub bottom and the shelf between the tub and compressor.

The compressor looks healthy enough but as yet its untested. Electrically again untested.

Today I took the machine to a bodyshop for a quote on a ground up body restoration. Sandblast all rust sorted out, dents sorted and a re-spray.

The chap has just phoned me with the quote. It works out at just under £1600.00 (double or thereabouts for dollars). He promises that the machine will look like new and I beleive it will. He works on vintage sportscars and liked the novelty of doing a soda machine.

This price is just for body work. No compresor or electrics.

I haven't got £1600.00 lying around and with Christmas on the horizon I'd be mad to try and find it. But, I would love my Jacobs to come back to life again. So, do I hammer the Mastercard. Does this fall into the "Priceless" category.

Would this be the sort of money you guys would expect to pay for bodywork.

I know that if I did have it done I wouldn't be doing it for investment. But for the love of it.

Dave

[loman4ec]

I would say that is way too high. Did you take the machine to him together or is it taken apart? If I were you I would take it completly apart and take it to a mom and pop place close to you. I have found that these people do just as good of a job for alot less. You have the know how to do the rest of the machine yourself. I would take it apart and farm everything out yourself. I would also think about taking the machine to be sandblasted before taking it to the body shop. His price is too high even for a full restoration. I hope this made sense and might help. Lets see what everyone else has to say.
Josh

[rogerz]

I would think that is way to high also. If you ding the charge card your loving understanding wife might start to lose that loving understanding feeling '>

rz

[coke_and_stuff]

I do agree, the price of paint for my 81 will be about $1,400.00 including all paint and bodywork. I brought it to him sandblasted and it went straight into sealer. Shop around and se whats out there.

Joey

[Jim]

I think he's expensive and that may be because of his vintage car restoration clients... He probably get a good dollar for these types of restorations.

As far as sand blasting is concerned, be very sure that who ever you use has sandblasted sheet metal before and has done it without warping ANY metal!
Example: don't use someone that sandblasts bridges or buildings as their experience with sheet metal is nonexistant eventhough they may tell you that they can do it.

[davethebirdman]

Thanks Jim. I'll bear that in mind.

I think I'll shop around a bit more. Its really difficult trying to get bodyshops even to look at it. I phoned four more this morning and they all said that either they were too bogged down with work or that they don't touch anything other than cars.

I will probably break the machine down. (Fairly confident on that aspect) and have the tub shelving etc sorted. Can probably do most of that myself. Then I 'll keep looking for a panel beater to sort out the dents. I have a friend of a friend of a friend who might do the re-spray but I'm not sure I want to leave it to chance.

Everyone, as always thanks for the advice.

Dave

[loman4ec]

This has worked great for me in the past. I was having my machines in florida painted by a local body shop but they were slow and slightly expensive. Well after visiting several time to see the progress of one of the machines I started to know some of the guys that worked there. I then offered the painter cash to do my machines on the side after hours and he jumped on it. This might work for you. Try and find one of the guys doing the work and maybe you can work out a deal for after hours. This is also how I have my cooling systems done. I just staked out a refrigeration repair place and walked up to the first technition that was walking to his van and asked him if he would do some work for me on the side for cash. The first guy I talked to was happy to help.

Also if you show up to a body shop with a machine that is taken apart and has been sandblasted you have a much better chance of getting a shop to do the work for you. If you bring them a machine that is all together they see a complicated old pepsi machine. But if it is just the shell they see that it is just another piece of metal to work on.
Just my two cents.
Josh

[BrianB]

Great advice Josh!!

[Pat Pixley]

The Body Shop  I deal with them all the time  I send customers there way  Plus I write the personal insurance for both the owners.
The Vernors Machine was under $500 Paint & body  my Dr Pepper machine
is over there and it should be done in late Dec. and right in that price range also.

Josh  is right , Body shop do like when the machine is broke down and sand blasted it has made their job a lot easier .  
Pat

[davethebirdman]

Thanks Everyone. I'm now in the process of breaking the machine down and we'll see
where we go from there.

Dave