A matter of opinion: resto cost

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The body shop that did my '69 car had over 670 hours in it but the thing is dead straight. Paint materials, depending on the color, will probably cost you over $2,000 which includes primers, bondo, sandpaper, tape, etc., etc. I think you'll be surprised at the final cost.

I would be happy to send you the 11 page breakdown of my parts and labor charges. Just PM me with your e-mail address.

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All that changes is the labor rate; we've all been saying that a proper resto will take 1000 hrs give or take and the part cost is the same no matter where you are.

Even if you charge yourself out at $20/hr and don't have to pay rent, insurance, taxes, upkeep, tool replacement, etc. etc. it is still going to break down something like this;

- parts & materials: $20,000

- farmed out component resto and specialty labor: $ 10,000

- 1000 hrs at $20/hr: 20,000

Total: $50,000

All I know is that I could have done ALL the labor by myself for free and I still would have spent more than your $35k budget. I would take the offer given above and take a look at a spreadsheet for a complete nut and bolt resto to make sure you haven't missed or underestimated significant items.

Do what you like, but I think you're making a big mistake and will be working for free. If we could all get quality resto work done where you live for 1/3rd the going rate, we'd all be doing that.

OTOH, if you don't have any bills to pay, maybe it's a good idea to do this one and then you'll know for sure one way or the other.


Dave

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I say you're foot is bleeding.

I don't have time to give you a complete breakdown, but $35k wouldn't cover the cost of parts and the drivetrain in my case.

I have over $100k in my resto, but my car was missing lots of stuff which significantly added to the cost. If it was together and complete, I probably could have saved $20 - $30k. Also, I spent good money on many repop parts that weren't good enough to use and also I bought quite a few spares.

Bottom line is that I spent $50k on metal work, body work, paint, panel alignment and body reassembly. Shop had over 600 hours charged to the car which I have every reason to believe is accurate. At a pretty cheap charge out rate of $50/hr that's $30,000 in labor alone. (If you want more detail on exactly what metal work was done and how many hours were spent, let me know and I'll dig it out.)

....then you can add in the engine, tranny, driveshaft, rear end, dash and gauges, interior, exhaust, suspension, etc. etc. Even the sub assy's that Jules did for me (steering column, wiper motor and linkage, e-brake assy, heater box) added up to a fair chunk of change.

I just don't see how a quality rotisserie restoration by skilled workers can cost any less than $50 - $60k.....heck, lots of people have indicated that they have 1000 - 2000 hours in thier resto and even at the cheapest rates possible for a real and viable business, it simply adds up.



Dave

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I guarantee you you are going to find a lot more rust in areas that you can't see until you start removing the panels

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I rarely get a complete job to do. Mostly do total body/paint and customers assemble. Get quite a few engines/trans too. I have one coming in. Total job. The car is very complete and original. Needs only a carb to be found. Needs complete rear body panels and floor. No frame work needed. Underside will be done in primer type deatil. Total interior redo, seat covers ect. Engine will be done all new and slightly internally warmed over. Rebuild trans. Rear gear swap and rebuild. Suspension redo and powder coated.
In short the car comes to me as it is. Not running and rusty. It gets delivered back in very, very nice driver quality, no paint daubs, overpray type details, turn key style. I came up with just north of 35,000 parts and labor. Opinions: is he going to take a swing at me or is my foot bleeding from a self inflicted injury?

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