I just recently got an '85 f-250 xlt lariat supercab with the 460 big block in it from my uncle, (previously owned by my grandfather who is original owner) from what i have been told it has original miles on it and odometer has NOT been reset back to 0, it has 59630.85 miles on it. the truck has been sitting for quite some time now and not running, and I want to get it back on the streets. I live in Wallingford, CT anyone in the same area have any recommendations for a good body shop? it needs a bit of work with some body rot in a few of the fenders and a new paint job from head to toe. and any other recommendations for work to be done, I want to try and stay as close to stock as I can.

 

I cannot help you regarding the local body shops, but want to welcome you to the forum!

 

Richard, I also cant help much as I don't know shops up in your area, move to NC a year ago from Stamford, CT.


What you can do is hit some of the car shows that should be starting up and see who some of them use. Now you may not need or want that level of work (read $$$) for the truck but it is a starting place.
Also stop in some of the body shops in the area and talk to them but more so to look over their work. This way you can get an ideal what you will pay and the work they do.

Also not knowing how much work you can do both to get it running and back on the road but also body work.
The more work you can do the less money you will have to pay out as labor is $$.
If you can say go thru the brake system and get it working, get it running like draining all the old fuel out, cleaning the tank(s), changing all filters & fluids and getting it running would keep the $$ lower.

As for body work think you said fender(s) or say door(s) if you can pick up better ones used or new so the shop does not do the "running around" would help keep $$ lower. If you change them (fenders & doors) out and the shop only needs to adjust to fit right that would also help.
If you strip the truck down, bumpers off, all chrome, grille & head light doors, door handles, etc. will also keep $$ low as the shop would not need to spend time (labor $$) to do this.

Just got to thinking if you did the stripping of the truck and picked up needed parts, I would do this for any shop doing the work, and you are looking for a truck that looks nice you may want to look in to state technical high schools as some of them have body shops. The students do the work as they learn the trade. It may take longer than a normal body shop and the job may not be a show winner but sometimes is, I hear it is cheaper than a normal body shop.
I did the auto repair side when I went thru high school, they did not have a body shop on the grounds till a few years after I was out of school. It would not of helped me as I already knew how to do body work from my dad before I even started high school.

Just some ways you can go to get the truck back on the road.
Good luck, keep us posted on the project and welcome to the forum.
Dave ----

 

Thanks Dave, and yes I do plan to do as much work as I possibly can, but there are some things like body work I am not skilled in, I know Wilcox tech in Meriden now has a body shop, they didn't have one when I went to the school but unfortunately I can't do business with them as last I checked they won't take vehicles over 10 years old. There is nowhere else I would rather do business with as to give students a learning experience at an inexpensive rate.

 

I wound if it is just that school or all CT tech schools?
I also wonder why, what better way to learn how to repair rust and learn welding.
What car/truck under 10 years old would have rust and when the student gets a car/truck when at a real job how would they then know how to repair it?


Heck when I was in school the cars I drove were over 10 years old!


Guess start checking with shops and other car guys on who they use and find one you can work with. As said if you can strip it down and swap bad parts for good that will keep the dollars lower.
Dave ----

 

they want to keep the cars under 10 so it can show the kids the newer cars and "keep up with the times" my first car was a 1991 Buick century and it was about 7 years too old by the time i graduated and couldn't get work done, not that that car needed anything other than a radiator when i had it. only had 22k on it in '05, today the kids probably don't even know what a carb is unless someone at home thought them.

 

What an awful idea. Older cars are more basic. Teaching with only newer cars, the students will only learn about the most recent newfangled cr@p, and won't learn/appreciate the fundamentals. This is like teaching math using a computer or calculator first, and then expecting students to somehow figure out the basics, rather than teaching the basics of arithmetic first and THEN using "helper" tools. They should START with the fundamentals, and THEN move on to whatever's "trending" (and only include those who master the fundamentals).

This does not bode well for the future, for those of us looking to maintain older vehicles, and occasionally depending on professionals. Guess we gotta keep encouraging the old farts to stay active....

 

It is sad when they don't know the first thing of trouble shooting a poor running motor.
They plug in the computer and if it says all is ok out the door it goes still running like crap.


Wonder how many of the students repair body panels, "tin knockers" over replacing them?
Dave ----