You are doing the right thing with this shell however importing a good shell is surely the way to go for anyone with the same issues. All this great work saves a shell but costs a fortune.
Well done for getting Andy on the job, he will do the work properly and quickly and also give the car significantly more value than if you'd done the job yourself. I know from my own experience that home repairs can be rewarding but the next person will only see the metalwork for what it is.
I've said many times that we treat classic cars differently to our daily drivers where bodywork is concerned. What would we expect from an insurance repair of our car which in many cases will be worth less than our classic?
Imagine Cat A, B, S and N being applied.