Expected Cost

[tn66satellite]

Haven't seen too much on cost pertaining to restoration on here and realize it can vary across geographical line, resources, etc.

What I would like to know is what to expect on certain things like blasting, chemical stripping, painting. I live in Nwest TN and haven't looked at where the first two can be performed within 50 miles.

Anyone's input appreciated.

 

[MoparMitch]

I paid 1300 to have a 68 RR chemical stripped, including all the panels. Donny on this site can tell you about media blasting. I'm sure he'll see this and post. Good luck

 

[cam383]

This was 13yrs ago.I did a full restoration on my 72 challenger and she cost me $18,000.00.She depends on what you want to do?

 

[Dako]

When I'm done...

My `66 Belvedere will have cost me about 80% more than I originally had planned. Had I stayed with just the big ticket items (think 20 footer) I would have been on my mark. It's those things we 'think' will be little (individually they are) that add up in the end. All depends on what you have to start with, what 'you' think needs to be done, and what you are capable of doing yourself.

I could have skipped,...replacing:
rear glass (scratched),
radiator (2 core to 4 core),
steering box (play in it),
wheels (aftermarket vs hubcaps),
exhaust pipes (dual vs single),
dash pad (new vs old),
wiring harness (new vs old),
intake and carb (4bbl vs 2bbl),

I could have skipped rebuilding:
the rear end (added sure grip),
transmission (who knows how it had been treated)

I could have skipped...
Having the pot metal rechromed,
instrument panel (rechromed/ repainted),
Replacing the headliner
Re-upholstering the back seat
Having all the aluminum trim pieces refinished
Having the original radio reworked to play AM/FM MP3


Did I farm out some of the more specialized work? Sure. I am not a paint and body man (yet)...I am not a chrome plater, and I am not a machinist with all tooling needed to overhaul an engine. What I have done is dismantle the car (down to the shell), clean, rebuild, replace, fix, polish, buff, and re-upholster a good deal of what I removed and am now re-assembling all of it. I will have a top to bottom rebuilt/ restored car once I have it all back together. And that is what 'I' wanted.

Some want a car they are not afraid to drive, while others end up with a car that most 'would' be afraid to drive. Some want a car that looks like it was preserved in the condition it was found, while others want it to look like it just came off the show room floor. Your passion (and your budget) get to decide what it will ultimately cost...good luck, and stay with it.

 

[bigmanjbmopar]

Here in Northern Cal we would expect to pay 20-60k total depending on how much needed to be done.

 

[tn66satellite]

Thanks, good stuff. To be honest I am a bit afraid of what the cost might get into. The car is complete less the rims I want, front glass and a few other minor items. Any stripping, blasting, painting would have to be farmed out.

 

[Dako]

Just remember...

It don't all have to be done at once. I've been working on mine going on three years. With a bit of luck, it will be on the road next spring. The old adage "Everything comes to he who waits" applies to old cars aslo. I couldn't wait and bought a new 4 core radiator, then a OEM 3 core shows up on this site for sale for over $100 less than what I paid! Found a complete 3rd member with sure grip(!), and the gears I wanted, on another site for less than what I paid for just a new Auburn unit...no gears. Plan, Plan, Plan...then re-evaluate often as you go.

 

[ga66mopar]

I spent around 25 thousand on my 66 belvedere and it was pretty much rust free and I did all the work myself except the paint and interior. But it was worth every penny.

 

[72Satellite440]

Dont buy too many things in advance unless you know its the route you will go ....Plans and builds change..and money goes quick- especially on these babies.

 

[iraqivet01]

Everyone budget and cost are going to a different. It all depends how deep you want to go, and what upgrade you want to do.

Just sit down establish your budget and figure what you can afford to do and not to do.
Figure out what you need verse wants (replace seals on 440 vs stroking kit with aluminum heads)

Plan on spending a lot of time on the internet researching parts, and prices.

Since I am doing about 90% of the labor, and is fortunate to have an Uncle that has a an Auto repair shop with a lift and my cost are going be difference than some one who has to farm out a lot of the work.

 

[alleyoopmgv]

I have restored plenty of muscle cars in my day, I've been doing it for about 25 years now. I have done plenty of $4500 to $12,000 driver quality restore jobs for people, and plenty of $25,000 and up jobs.

It all depends on what kind of shape your car is in, and what you want out of it.
But my answer to customer's that ask me "how much to restore my car?", is "how much do you want to spend on your car, or a budget of some kind". Because, the more money your willing to spend on your car, the nicer it will be. That's what I tell potential customer's.

My base price is $4500, for a repaint with no bodywork, no painting the jambs. That's strictly sand it down, and repaint it.
If I'm doing a full blown rotisserie job prices start out at around $15,000

Just so you can get an idea.
This green 67 Charger was one of the cleanest cars I have ever worked on, zero rust, but about 200 dents and a color change. It cost him just under $10,000 to do it, and he was pretty happy. I really didn't care for the wheels, and the color, but that's what he wanted.

The white 70 Charger is a number's matching R/T car. A full blown rotisserie job, I charged the guy about $25,000, he was a car jockey, then he sold it for $50,000

 

[Donny]

Triple the time, and costs from where you think you are, or what you think things cost. I tell people (when they try to sharp shoot me) to go there, let the sand blaster dude do your car for $350.00, I promise you will likely come back and see me. You get what you pay for. I try to have an overall value price; high quality work at a fair price. I'm not as cheap as some 'blasters' but, I don't do it fast like they do, I get every part of the car clean; like it was dipped. When you hunt around for a media blaster; look at what they have done before you dive in; have an idea what you want it to look like, this can apply to any part you can't do yourself.

$1500-2000 for a whole car in my shop.

 

[shag766]

the most sure fire way to budget a build is real simple. sit down and do up a list of to-do's, cost it out then TIMES it X2. works every time.

 

[tpodwdog]

heres how i did mine:

1. made it safe
2. made it work,
3. made it " mine"

 

[detmatt1]

I paid a grand to media blast the whole body of my `68. and to this point I have done the rest of the labor myself. I think I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 20K into the project including the cost of the car. By the time I'm done with it I am thinking I will have less then 35K into it and this is literally a frame off rotissery style resto.

 

[Budnicks]

No easy answer

Haven't seen too much on cost pertaining to restoration on here and realize it can vary across geographical line, resources, etc.

What I would like to know is what to expect on certain things like blasting, chemical stripping, painting. I live in Nwest TN and haven't looked at where the first two can be performed within 50 miles.

Anyone's input appreciated.

1st off I would highly suggest get a contract in writing, with a performance & time clause in it so they don't drag their feet & get it done in a decent time frame, {some restoration shops are really slow & will put your car on the back burner if it's not the big dollar job}, do this for all projects, especially if your going to pay someone else to do the work, a flat rate may be cheaper than a parts & material type ala cart build... Make a detailed outline of waht you want, stick to a plan it will save you allot of money in the long run... I think it all comes down to what you end up doing with the car, how much you can do, also were your taking the car & what the shop rates are, parts available, what condition the interior is in, are you doing an engine/drive train build on top of the restoration ?, how much good chrome ?, how much rust repair ?, how much body work ?... For example if you live here in California it will be more hourly rate than if you live in lets say Tenn. labor rate & cost of doing business in what ever geographic region, a total restoration or just partial restoration, if you do most of the work yourself you can expect to spend $20k minimum for a total restoration, if you pay others for performing services you can exceed that number very quickly... I have a 68 RR HT this is my 12th such RR 68-70 with not too much rust {Calif. car} & doing a resto-rod/pro-touring type build, not a full blown 100pt concourse restoration, I already have $15k+ in it plus the $6K I paid for the car & I do everything except the machine work myself, & it's not even painted yet, grant you my car is not a restoration, more of a performance oriented custom... I think your style of build & choice of parts, quality of the workmanship & what you ultimately pay for parts labor & other stuff, if you don't have a resale license or get parts at jobber prices, it cost quite a bit more... I do know guys who have paid the Calif. shop rate of $50-$70+/hr rate at restoration shops & have spent $50k-$70k+ on a similar build as mine, 500hrs or even 1000hrs plus parts, machine work & body work adds up pretty damn fast, think of it 1 guy on the car for a month is 160 man/hrs @ $50per/hr= $8k if it 2 guys it's 320 man/hrs @ $50per/hr = $16k in a month time, that adds up fast... The moral of the story is do what can do yourself ?, you can always take some classes & buy some books to learn to do alot of the stuff yourself, if you think your going to restore the car & turn/resale a car to make a profit "good luck" it's not that easy to do, especially with Mopars & today's market...

 

[shag766]

right on

I paid a grand to media blast the whole body of my `68. and to this point I have done the rest of the labor myself. I think I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 20K into the project including the cost of the car. By the time I'm done with it I am thinking I will have less then 35K into it and this is literally a frame off rotissery style resto.

you know what gentlemen. put a price on it finished and then stay under that number. my 69 coronet with the hemi i will have approximentally 50,000.00 in with a 5 speed tremec, moser 60 rear and a hemi with 700 mi on it. oops. tti 3" end to end. if i can't get 60,000.00 it's not for sale. all pc's are new. i forgot the motor is year correct from a 69 road runner. i think the biggest saving is paying more for the really good body. sorry donny. mat, sounds like you are on the right track.
then i keep buying and selling stuff at a profit and subtracting that from the price of my cost. the biggest grin is you are having fun doing it. up here in canada we have power but the bodies are gone. i am always looking for power up here and then i look for a body down there. its a game. .02

 

[Budnicks]

Very nice

I have restored plenty of muscle cars in my day, I've been doing it for about 25 years now. I have done plenty of $4500 to $12,000 driver quality restore jobs for people, and plenty of $25,000 and up jobs.

It all depends on what kind of shape your car is in, and what you want out of it.
But my answer to customer's that ask me "how much to restore my car?", is "how much do you want to spend on your car, or a budget of some kind". Because, the more money your willing to spend on your car, the nicer it will be. That's what I tell potential customer's.

My base price is $4500, for a repaint with no bodywork, no painting the jambs. That's strictly sand it down, and repaint it.
If I'm doing a full blown rotisserie job prices start out at around $15,000

Just so you can get an idea.
This green 67 Charger was one of the cleanest cars I have ever worked on, zero rust, but about 200 dents and a color change. It cost him just under $10,000 to do it, and he was pretty happy. I really didn't care for the wheels, and the color, but that's what he wanted.

The white 70 Charger is a number's matching R/T car. A full blown rotisserie job, I charged the guy about $25,000, he was a car jockey, then he sold it for $50,000

That is a beautiful 70 Charger R/T, nice job !!!!!! :VB toast:

 

[tn66satellite]

I appreciate all the input from you guys. Okay, how about some hard figures from some of you that have done "a poor man's restoration". If I built my own rotessorie and de-scaled, etc. And lets say I have a relative to paint for a descent price. Could I do an acceptable job on a car for under $10,000??? If you want to look at the car I am talking about, go to my welcome thread.
I appreciate it guys.

This would include, complete interior, front windshield, new brakes, possible bushings and other unforeseen items.

Car is dent free for the most part.