Frequently Asked Questions

Will the frame repair last forever?

Rust is a very strong force. We say that "We put rust to sleep". Our repairs will let you get ten years or more out of a car that would otherwise be unfixable or too expensive to repair. But nothing is forever! Salt from winter roads, salt from the ocean, and loose undercoating can make any car rust faster. Invest in a quiality car cover, and spray your frame inside and out with WD-40 or light oil once a year and this will keep your rust under control.

Can I ship my car or frame to you for repair?

Many people find that there is no local shop that can do the type of repairs that we do. More and more, customers have been shipping their cars, trucks, or just stripped-down frames to us for repair. The costs for shipping a car here depend on distance, but range from about $400 to $1000 round trip. Once here, your vehicle is secured in our locked, alarmed shop. You can also drive your car here and fly back home 'til it's ready, or stay in a hotel for a few days. We can arrange for same-day service if the repair is a manageable size. One customer put his motorcycle in the back of the truck he was bringing in for repair, then rode the bike home. We have a clear statement of our policies and procedures for doing a complete restoration, which you can read here.

Do you have dealers in my area?

This question has its own page here.

My Jeep Grand Wagoneer's gas tank is falling out!

You're not alone. So many people have had this rust problem that we developed a special kit for it. It works with the tank strap that you buy from your Jeep dealer. We have a printed brochure we can mail you about this, use the catalog request form and check off "Jeep Grand Wagoneer Brochure" where it asks what you'd like us to send you.

What do you suggest as a rust preventer?

A fine product is POR-15. You can find out more about it at their website, www.por-15.com, but we do not sell it ourselves. WD-40 is a good old standby.

What are your hourly shop rates?

As of December 2007, our hourly labor rate is $75, which is subject to change without notice. Most of our repair work is quoted by the job, but in rare cases where a job is open-ended, we quote by the hour. Labor rates do not include the price of materials we may need to purchase.

Do your workers really sing while they weld?

Sometimes it can curl your hair just to hear it, but yes, we have singing welders. Especially the 70's hits. And of course, Jerry plays a mean harmonica!

What are frame kits?

Many older cars develop rust in the frame that weakens the car, makes it unsafe, and can result in the car being junked. Our kits are made to work with the remaining solid metal in the frame to give the car a new lease on life. Some of the kits slip over the existing frame, and some are replacement sections that can be welded in place. All our repairs, when properly installed, make the car as strong as, or stronger than new.

How do I install kits?

Each one is a little different, but the basics are the same. Follow all safety instructions. You trim away some of the rusted metal, slip the new part over the old part, and weld it to solid metal on either side of the rusted area. Some kits are complete beam replacements. The kits come with complete, detailed instructions, and if you have a problem with the installation, you can call our office for technical assistance at 800.407.7024 (US and Canada) or 401.944.4444.

Can you get body parts and floors?

We should not be the first place you call if you are looking for hard-to-find body parts, or floors. If you bring the car to us, we can make any kind of body part you need. If you are looking for hard-to-find body parts, go to our sources page for our recommendations.

Can you make custom sheet metal parts?

If a problem is common, we may create a kit for it, but no, we do not make one-time custom parts unless the car is in our shop.

How do you design your frame kits?

The first thing is for us to realize that we are seeing the same type of rusty frame again and again. If it's a problem that has a reasonable solution, we decide to make a kit for it. We buy a car, take it apart, and mount the frame sections on a rolling stand. Then we engineer a part, build it, test it, refine it, and sell it.

How long does it take to get a part?

The only accurate answer is "It depends." Sometimes your part won't be in stock and we will have to build it before we ship it. Our more common parts ship the next business day. It rarely takes longer than three weeks for you to recieve your order. FedEx delivers within 5 business days in the continental US, within 3 for most locations east of the Mississippi river. Naturally, the closer you are to us, the quicker the delivery will be. Shipping information here.

How do you handle international sales?

About five percent of our sales are international, and the vast majority of those go to Canada. All our prices are quoted in US Dollars. We don't keep track of the exchange rate, but you can find it here. Payment must be by credit card (Mastercard, Visa, or Discover). The credit card company handles the currency exchange for us. Shipping can get very expensive very quickly outside of North America, so although most of our shipping is via UPS, we try to ship internationally via USPS airmail parcel post to help defray the customs fees (especially to Canada). Online sales are available only in the US and Canada. Canadian sales are identical to US sales, with the restriction for both that the shipping and billing address must be in the same country.

What skills and tools do I need to install your kits?

You will need a general knowledge of welding and fabricating. Strong mechanical ability. Understanding of safety when working on cars. If in doubt, get help from a qualified source such as a body shop, welding shop, et.c. Note: industrial welding shops might not be familiar with automotive welding, which uses much less heat than some factory work.

How do I ask my local body shop to install these kits?

Tell them that you have a slip-on frame repair cap that needs to be welded in place. Let them know that teh kit is very easy to install. Technical assistance is available during our regular business hours.

I plan to race this car. Or, I have a convertible and am worried about the lack of support since there is no fixed roof. What will make my car frame stronger?

Our subframe connectors tie the front sub-frame and rear sub-frame together, making the frame continuous from front to rear. This is important if your car will be driven hard or might have been weakened from rust. And since the roof which helps tie the frame of a car together is not there on a convertible, we also suggest frame connectors for older convertibles. The cost is reasonable and they can be welded on quickly. The frame connectors are a feature story in Mopar Action Magazine, the October 2002 issue.

How do I order a kit?

Click here for that information.

Can I send you pictures?

Yes. When you're not in our area, pictures are a great way for us to get an idea of the kind of work your vehicle needs. We're rust guys, so we don't need shots of the dashboard (unless it's rusty...), we need shots of the underside. If your pictures are close-ups, please include a wider-angle shot so we can see the area surrounding the problem. We can read just about any file format, but .jpg is easiest. Please mind the size of your images, if you can, we don't need super high-resolution photos. Email us using the regular email form and we'll give you the address to send the photos to. (We can't put the address up on this page because the spambots are here too often.)

Which side is which?

We base "left" and "right" on sitting in the car. The "right" is the passenger's side, and the "left" is the driver's side.