Spec R, thanks for the frank reply. I am keenly aware of the "get what you pay for" concept and your reminder does cause me appropriate pause.
My consideration of this deal is based on my evaluation of the character of this person, his 5 years of professional body work experience, and the fact that he is retired. Clearly, if he were operating a business $200 would not be sufficient for him to break even let alone make a profit. Having met him in person and knowing that many retirees want to make use of their free time while helping others (and, of course, making some money on the side) I am inclined to believe that he is not out to swindle me. On the other hand, anything is possible and I will be especially vigilant for any signs of problems of this sort before I turn over my car.
Since I have no experience in getting body/restoration work done thought I would throw this up for discussion. Assuming my assessment of the offer is correct, wanted to make sure that there aren't any other tasks that should be considered at this time (eg. of the "kill multiple birds with one stone" variety) or some other factor that I should consider.
hmmm well if its more like 200 bucks for labor, and you pay for the supplies/tools up front then i guess its okay. i'm sure you're not expecting/desiring a show quality paint job for your car so maybe it works. dont be dissuaded by my words, but whatever you do, share some pictures of the progress with us.
in fact, take some pics now haha