- Will the frame repair last forever?
- Can I ship my car or frame to you for repair?
- Do you have dealers in my area?
- What do you suggest as a rust preventer?
- What are your hourly shop rates?
- Do your workers really sing while they weld?
- What are frame kits?
- How do I install kits?
- Can you get body parts and floors?
- Can you make custom sheet metal parts?
- How long does it take to get a part?
- How do you handle international sales?
- What skills and tools do I need to install your kits?
- Can I send you pictures?
- Which side is which?
- I can’t bring my car by… how else can I get an estimate?
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 quality 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.
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 January 2018, our hourly labor rate is $120.00, which is subject to change without notice. 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?
When a vehicle develops rust in the frame it results in an unsafe condition and/or reduces the life span of your vehicle. Safe-T-Cap Kits are made from heavy gauge steel and welded to our factory specifications. Our kits are used to repair the frame for added strength, safety and the longevity of your vehicle. kits are made to work with the remaining solid metal on the frame to give the car a new lease on life. Some kits slip over the existing frame, and others are replacement sections. Our repairs, when properly installed make the frame safe again.
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.
Product Liability/Disclaimer: These frame parts have been designed as functional repair kits/sections, per best engineering practices and principles. Due to the severity of rust and rot, and the probability of multiple problem areas on candidate vehicles, we cannot guarantee that utilizing our parts will deem your vehicle to be roadworthy. Therefore, the purchaser and installer of these parts assumes liability against poor vehicle assessment prior to replacement, and any issues arising from improper or un-smart installation procedures.
Can you get body parts and floors?
Sorry, we’re not a body shop, we only repair the frame.
Can you make custom sheet metal parts?
We do not make one-time custom parts unless the car is in our shop for repair.
How long does it take to get a part?
The only accurate answer is “It depends.” . We have inventory on all of our parts and orders ship the next business day. It rarely takes longer than five business days for you to receive 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?
Call us toll-free at 800.407.7024 to place your order. All our prices are shown in US Dollars. Payment must be by credit card (Mastercard, Visa, or Discover). Online sales are available to our US customers only.
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, etc. Note: industrial welding shops might not be familiar with automotive welding, which uses much less heat than some factory work.
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.
I can’t bring my car by… how else can I get an estimate?
You can email us pictures of the problem area. Call for more details.
