Hey guys,

I am looking for both body and engine shops in Tampa. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am in the middle of a complete restoration of a 72z and want a quality paint job. Also, as far as the engine is concerned i am looking for a place that has experience with high performance rebuilds

I have recently finished the restoration on the complete suspension and undercarriage and am ready to continue the project.

Please see pics of progress below

Matt

NUTZ

In Largo a guy and his father, Jack and Ralph Ransky own a shop named D'Elegance auto. I believe this is the link www.deleganceauto.com. Jack has done some SCCA racing and he did a good job on an engine build for me. His shop is easy to find when crossing the the HOWARD FRANKLIN. BTW the under carriage looks sweet. Very nice job.!

Esmit208

Thanks for the reply and the compliment. It has taken two years to get the underside complete. I am anxious to move the project along. That shop sounds like what I am looking for. I will give them a call on monday. What did you have them do for you?

Matt

Edited January 16, 201114 yr by Nutz

Matt,

I'm south of Tampa and do not know many establishments up there even though I used a machine shop in Ybor. I suggest you contact Carl Beck or Jim Frederick for some good advice.

Chris

To get reasonable recommendations - it would help if you would tell us:

a) what condition the car will be in - when you are ready to take it to a body shop for body and paint work.

Will you have all glass, chrome, trim, lights etc stripped off the car?

Will you have the interior out of the car?

What metal work needs to be done?

Define in terms of the "price" you expect to pay, what a good paint job should cost.

c) What kind of turn-around time do you expect? 90 days, 6 months, 12 months???

BTW - I believe that D'Elegance only does mechanical work - so they can do the engine rebuild.

FWIW,

Carl B.

Carl,

The car is a rolling chassis.

The car has been stripped of paint and has a coat of PPG primer on it. I am sure it will need lots of block sanding to straighten it out but all of the hammer and dolly work is complete.

The underside and engine compartment have been completed.

I would like to spend $3000 on paint and $3000 on the engine rebuild.

Also i would like to thank you Carl. Approximately five years ago you were gracious enough to let me come over to your house for a half day to show me the inns and outs of z cars. We even went for a ride in your white z. I have been nutz ever since. Thanks for your help then and now.

Matt

Before during and after pics below.

Edited January 17, 201114 yr by Nutz

Curious, as this unwinds, to see how close you come to what you want, for what you want to spend.

Bruce

My numbers are not set in stone. Also, neither are my su's.

Hello Matt:

I'm glad to hear that you found a good Z to start with and glad to see the progress you've made with it to date. It was a pleasure having you visit.

Just as a point of information - I'm currently helping another Original Owner with the restoration of his 73 240Z. Using PPG products - we spent just a couple dollars under $2,000.00 on materials and supplies alone. Looking at the work you've done on the undercarriage and the primer on the entire car I'd guess you have $600.00 to $700.00 in paint, primers, sealers, supplies {cleaning supplies, masking tap, sand paper, thinners}.

The good news is you have the undercarriage, engine bay and suspension all done - the bad news is that in order to keep it clean while the car is in the body shop - it will take additional time to seal everything off. This also means that you have to find some pretty professional and caring people to do the work - without screwing up what you have already put so much effort into.

I'll check with couple shop's I've used here in the Clearwater area but they may be to far outside your current budget. If you stick with PPG's better quality materials you're looking at $1,000.00 + and it is reasonable to think that it would take a couple weeks of labor {80 hours x $45.00 to $55.00 per hour} - $3600.00 to $4,400.00

These are shops that will get your car in - work on it - and get it out - - rather than letting it sit for six months to a year using it as side work. I'll check with them anyway - just as a reference point, but I think your budget might be a bit too low - to match the quality of work you've already put into the car.

FWIW,

Carl B.

We like a lot of cars. When purchasing, to narrow down the choices of cars that you're considering, it pays to do some research and to learn as much about each vehicle as you can. The more you know, the better buyer you'll be. A lot of used automobile dealerships exist in Tampa. In Tampa, you will find various vehicles for sale at numerous dealerships. With all the different choices, you are able to find exactly what you need in a vehicle. There is a good source I found. It helped me figure out which dealerships were best for me. You can go there too at: http://cardealexpert.com/state/FL#cbsa_45300

Engine lab in tampa has good reviews but i have not used them. I took my sti to a place recommended thru a reference of a reference that CP pistions gave me in orlando and was not happy. I was going to try them next time or go to an aircraft engine machine shop and fell them out.