JP,
I might have to chat with the fellow on CL - judging from the map in his post, he's slightly more than an hour away (at highway speeds).
My biggest concern, without having seen his work firsthand, is that I envision the work between the photos depicting hammered sheet metal and finished product on the silver car in this post (
https://eastnc.craigslist.org/aos/5460027532.html) involves a cake-icing-like layer of body filler and sculpting.
For that matter, that's my concern about the "aspiring hot rod builder." I've known about the program at Craven Community College for many years (I'm an alumnus). Most of the work performed by the students in the class are on the student's vehicles. And, regardless of inherent skills, metal work is a time-enhanced ability that typically improves only with experience.
I am fairly certain that there is a "hobby shop" on the USMC base near me, but finding someone with the necessary skill set, time, and/or access is another story. As for meandering over to the base, it's never been an "open" base, like some are, with areas that are accessible to the general public. Add to that the effects of Sep 11, and "meandering" won't get you past the visitor's center parking lot.
I have a neighbor who is a professional mechanic, and was speaking with him about local shops. He feels the same as I do, in that most modern collision repair shops don't do the work my GT requires. The kind of work I need is more along the line of restoration, and in his words, "is a dying art." That might not hold true in the larger metropolitan areas, but it seems to be so in this area. He knows my car and the work to be done, and is checking with his contacts to see if they recommend anyone other than the shops I've already visited.
Brinkerhoff,
Yes, it would be nice to find the guy who wrote the estimator guide. If you find him, let me know. I gave up trying to find him in 1983 when I left the last dealership where I worked. I always pictured him as some caffeine-hyped, four-armed beast, with an encyclopedic knowledge of automobiles, the speed of a 100-yard sprinter, and the endurance of a triathlete.
(not to mention that he probably never skinned a knuckle or broke a bolt)
Mike (in Tampa),
It's nice to find a properly skilled individual who is a perfectionist about his repair work, but lacking in shop management skills. The shop owner who quoted me the "considerably higher than anticipated" price has the skills required, based upon a review of the work proceeding in his shop. But, he lost his previous shop location when the real estate market crashed, (long unrelated and unsubstantiated story) so he appears to be equally experienced in business management. As for him being a perfectionist, my satisfaction with driver quality versus concourse appears to be one side of a fine line in his shop, affecting the amount of attention paid to fine details, not the underlying work. And , to his credit, I must admit, the more I hear from conversation to conversation, the more reasonable his price becomes.
Thanks for helping me think through this folks, and for doing some long-distance research for me (JP).
Your input is definitely appreciated, and thought provoking.