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How much did your restoration cost?

Najib

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I am pretty interested on how yalls Mopar build cost came out to?
 
I have about 60K in the Superbird build that I finished in 2004, so it would be higher now. From this:
2000, 03-08 01.jpg

To this.
20191011_112455.jpg
 
^ That sounds realistic. Beautiful car!

Many people in my experience are very unrealistic about this. Don't know if it's poor bookkeeping, denial or trying to hide from their wife? Will talk to someone who did a complete resto, new drivetrain, suspension, wheels, tires, paint over the course of a few years. "I did the entire thing for 10k!".

Yeah, not possible.

If you actually keep track of everything, it adds up fast :D
 
^ That sounds realistic. Beautiful car!

Many people in my experience are very unrealistic about this. Don't know if it's poor bookkeeping, denial or trying to hide from their wife? Will talk to someone who did a complete resto, new drivetrain, suspension, wheels, tires, paint over the course of a few years. "I did the entire thing for 10k!".

Yeah, not possible.

If you actually keep track of everything, it adds up fast :D

Yeah I know people that said that too. My 73 Charger Isnt near completion but the 440 I am building is probably going to be 6000 By the time the machine shop builds it. Luckly I got my 1973 dodge charger for 1000. It was a complete car and ran. The car was rust free other than some of the floor pan and the front fenders. It is all original and the interior was redone before me. It makes the cost lower some but I am probably going to have 20k In it.
 
I will be at 70-80 k in a superbird and the only thing I farmed out was paint and body. When you do every nut and bolt it adds up. I started with a running complete car, but you find out real fast nothing on it is nice enough to use as is. Everything has to be fit, plated, polished, or replaced. It adds up.
 
I'm in at least $40k Australian (probably $28k USD) and that's with me doing everything apart from the engine rebuild, and although the car has had some bodywork, it's still the same paint as when I bought it. It's far from a show car but quite tidy now.
Before
20150104_141259.jpg


After
20201215_220533.jpg
 
Way too many variables here. Depends on so so so many things...
We talking numbers matching hemi convertible '71 Cuda here or a small block '66 Dart?
Wing car? ANY factory hemi or six barrel car? 2nd gen Charger?

I've seen it written that you could do "two Mustangs for the price of one Mopar".
There's a lot of truth to that, actually.
How much can/will you do yourself? How intact is the project car to begin with?
Are you doing concourse or non-numbers daily driver?
One piece of advice I can give anyone contemplating restoring any old car, though -
buy all the car you can afford, meaning get one as complete (and maybe even partially
done) as you can.
Oh - and figure on it costing twice what your careful budget determines. :)

121180661_10221649689945598_1861937124457702431_o.jpg
I bought "Fred" for $17k 11 years ago, supposedly complete.
I don't do paint/body and he had all that done already.
Non-matching numbers, wrong color, but he is a real '68 GTX.
I have probably spent close to $9k on him in the years since, a little at a time -
and damn frugally. All the mechanicals, electricals, plumbing have been replaced
now on this "complete" car - by me.
The couple times I paid someone else to work on him, I wound up redoing their
work later.
Results are for considerably less than $30k I have a perfectly functional, decent
looking GTX that I drive whenever I like - which is all I wanted. :)
 
With a tight budget in mind. And getting paint done pretty cheap The Roadrunner was probably around $15,000 Its not even my car but I had lots of fun putting it together. Did a ton of research and my favorite part was parts hunting for stuff. I guess it was easy to do when it wasn't my money. Keep in mind this is a driver and not intended to be a show car. I did everything but paint and interior. I mean I did install all the door panels and arm rests. Also the package tray all of the interior moldings after the headliner was put in. Eventually pulled the engine to bring it back to stock looking. And replaced the tired 727. Forgot to mention that I did this car in 9 months. Hardest part was figuring out all the door lock and window stuff. I didn't take the car apart so I had no idea what went where. I just laid it all out on the concrete and figured it all out that way. It just made sense once it was all laid out.

I was going to buy this car and If It would have been mine it would have been B5 no vinyl top and steelies with dog dishes. And the stripes would not be glossed. It was missing the fender tag which is supposed to be at the former owners house. But I tried to contact them to get it but to no avail I had to press on.

From this.
IMG_0458 (1).jpg
IMG_0915.JPG

IMG_0916.JPG




To this.
IMG_0939.JPG


IMG_0225.JPG
IMG_0220.JPG
 
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I did my Challenger back in 95-96... Built most of it myself, I did the rough metal work, bodywork was done by a friend in my garage, he charged me $10 an hour back then, rented a booth & he squirted it, I built the engine, transmission, rear end, brakes, suspension.... I bought Legendary seat covers & paid a friend to stretch them...
I horse traded & swapped labor for labor... In the end we finished the car in 15 months & including purchasing the car I spent just shy of 20K... Can't come close to that today but back then I built a total of seven cars & my Challenger was the most I'd ever spent....

1016386-rev%20RT.jpg


1016387-rev%20RT1.jpg


IMG_7492_3_4.jpg
 
I have over $50K in my Cuda which includes the $2500 initial cost. I did pretty much all of the work myself with the exception of redoing the seats. That said this car has an immense amount of fabrication, a 416 stoker, EFI sixpack, 4 speed, TTI headers, 4 link rear, custom instrument cluster, etc. Has new quarters, new fenders and one new door skin.
DSCN1606.JPG
IMG_0015.jpg
 
I agree @moparedtn it's all about what you want. I have cars that I have spent a lot less on, but the Bird was a one owner completely matching numbers car. All mechanicals were rebuilt, body work was extensive to eliminate any and all rust, but keeping as much of the original panels that was feasible. Everything was returned to day one specifications other than the cam and the cruise control. I upgraded to a 6-pack cam profile and retained the dealer added cruise control. I could have probably did it for 10-12K less, but I now know exactly what I have. No guesses anywhere. Just remember no one gets paid for their labor. Add 1000 plus hours of labor and no one can afford the car.
 
I agree @moparedtn it's all about what you want. I have cars that I have spent a lot less on, but the Bird was a one owner completely matching numbers car. All mechanicals were rebuilt, body work was extensive to eliminate any and all rust, but keeping as much of the original panels that was feasible. Everything was returned to day one specifications other than the cam and the cruise control. I upgraded to a 6-pack cam profile and retained the dealer added cruise control. I could have probably did it for 10-12K less, but I now know exactly what I have. No guesses anywhere. Just remember no one gets paid for their labor. Add 1000 plus hours of labor and no one can afford the car.
A wonderful, yes important car with one heck of a steward. :usflag:
 
I agree @moparedtn

Add 1000 plus hours of labor and no one can afford the car
.

Mine was every bit of that & if you count what I normally bill my time at the car becomes completely impossible to justify.... But it's a hobby so my labor doesn't count...
 
I’m pretty much where I thought I’d be. Body and paint was a little less than 1/2 the money. There was almost nothing that didn’t need a lot of work. Maybe about the same money as a premium model new Mercedes.
 
I have over $50K in my Cuda which includes the $2500 initial cost. I did pretty much all of the work myself with the exception of redoing the seats. That said this car has an immense amount of fabrication, a 416 stoker, EFI sixpack, 4 speed, TTI headers, 4 link rear, custom instrument cluster, etc. Has new quarters, new fenders and one new door skin.
View attachment 1133770 View attachment 1133771

Good job on that, the green and black looks amazing!! Oh and how much did you end up spending on the motor?
 
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I did my Challenger back in 95-96... Built most of it myself, I did the rough metal work, bodywork was done by a friend in my garage, he charged me $10 an hour back then, rented a booth & he squirted it, I built the engine, transmission, rear end, brakes, suspension.... I bought Legendary seat covers & paid a friend to stretch them...
I horse traded & swapped labor for labor... In the end we finished the car in 15 months & including purchasing the car I spent just shy of 20K... Can't come close to that today but back then I built a total of seven cars & my Challenger was the most I'd ever spent....

View attachment 1133767

View attachment 1133768

View attachment 1133769

Oh man now that looks like it would be fun to drive down the freeway on a sunny day!!! Such beautiful paintjob too! What other cars do you got?
 
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With a tight budget in mind. And getting paint done pretty cheap The Roadrunner was probably around $15,000 Its not even my car but I had lots of fun putting it together. Did a ton of research and my favorite part was parts hunting for stuff. I guess it was easy to do when it wasn't my money. Keep in mind this is a driver and not intended to be a show car. I did everything but paint and interior. I mean I did install all the door panels and arm rests. Also the package tray all of the interior moldings after the headliner was put in. Eventually pulled the engine to bring it back to stock looking. And replaced the tired 727. Forgot to mention that I did this car in 9 months. Hardest part was figuring out all the door lock and window stuff. I didn't take the car apart so I had no idea what went where. I just laid it all out on the concrete and figured it all out that way. It just made sense once it was all laid out.

I was going to buy this car and If It would have been mine it would have been B5 no vinyl top and steelies with dog dishes. And the stripes would not be glossed. It was missing the fender tag which is supposed to be at the former owners house. But I tried to contact them to get it but to no avail I had to press on.

From this.
View attachment 1133754View attachment 1133778
View attachment 1133783



To this.
View attachment 1133786

View attachment 1133758 View attachment 1133759

That is an amazing budget build! I Love them roadrunners and that paint is just amazing I am astonished that it was done for 15k Good job! My old boss had a 69 roadrunner brand new and then traded it for a 72 after having that roadrunner for a couple years and He ended up giving the 72 roadrunner after the motor blew. He says today that it was the worst choice he made cause of how much they are going for now
 
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