Bear in mind that most of the aftermarket sheet metal you can buy is ill-fitting, thinner than OEM, and made offshore. If the sheet metal you have now is in reasonable shape (dinged and dented but not rusted out for the most part) you know that you can have it repaired and bolt it right back on the tractor without the need for drills, hammers, and crowbars. Don't count on that for replacement sheet metal. Check the archives - you'll find plenty of horror stories about sheet metal that didn't fit, didn't match up with mating OEM metal, required redrilling, was very thin, looked bad, etc., etc., etc. Unless your original sheet metal is in horrible shape (and I doubt that, since a reputable body shop wouldn't try to repair a basket case for only $200) I'd call it a no brainer - I'd have the original restored. If cost bothers you, bear in mind that original sheet metal will bring up the value of a well-restored tractor substantially, and replacement sheet metal is a detriment to the tractor's collectability.
|