Preparing for the paint job

There are two kinds of tasks in a restoration of a Mustang, the easy and the difficult. It is easy to weld in new replacement sheet metal. It's easy to bolt in new ball joints for the suspension. A little more difficult is to replace inner rockers of a convertible. Just prepare for it and you'll do it. It's easy to get any of the replacement spares shipped overseas in a week. It's easy to earn the money for paying any of them parts. It's tough but still possible to spend ten days under your car grinding, sanding and eating the dust. What seems to be the most diffucult portion of the project is to get two things agreed with a paint shop guy,  the schedule and the total price.

The car is here, ready and willing to be painted. I did the normal procedures for the front end sheet metal and she's all dressed  to be delivered.

I have consulted with five of them and here is how it looks so far.

#1 I'll do one only project during the winter. Get your car ready by January and I'll do it. The car was ready but he wasn't. Meanwhile he did two other projects.

#2 I'll do this in March, I'll spend 100-150 hours or more  @20€ per hour on it. Plus You buy the paints and filler. After this I've contacted him three times to agree for the schedule, but he never showed up.

#3 Bring it over tomorrow. The price is 4000 € or more. This was told on phone without even seeing the car.

#4 I can start it next week. I'll do six weeks nothing but your car. 4000 €.

#5 We'll do it for 2000 € , no receipt. We can start in a week. I offered him 2300 € ( note I offered him more because I assumed he had made a faulty estimate. ) The day after this he called and wanted to raise the price because he - as he said - had made a faulty estimate.  At this point he was still unable to give me a correct estimation.

So my conclusion is that either I'm stupid or they are. I make a salary above the average but I do not make 4000 € in a month after the taxes. So I just refuse to pay such an amount for the paint job, knowing that the material can be purchased with less than 1000 €. It's not about the money, it's about the price.

So while waiting for Mr #5 to give me the exact price, we deciced to give Destiny some gas and sparks.

The battery was charged, the drive shaft went in, some hoses and water as well, followed by lubricants for the transmission and the engine. And finally we were able to lead 12 DC for the starter.

The engine cranked and fired up with no leaks, no special noise. The smoke from exhaust manifold paint burning filled the carage with the sweetest sound I've heard for 18 months.