How much did your restoration cost?
- Thread starter Najib
- Start date
I have about 60K in the Superbird build that I finished in 2004, so it would be higher now. From this:
To this.
To this.
INTMD8
Well-Known Member
^ 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
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
Najib
Well-Known Member
^ 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
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.
Najib
Well-Known Member
Such a beautiful car you did an amazing job on it!
4406bbl
Well-Known Member
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.
Lots more than I planned to right from Day one.
66 Sat
Well-Known Member
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
BeepBeepRR
Well-Known Member
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.
To this.
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.
To this.
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1 Wild R/T
Well-Known Member
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....
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....
70chall440
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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.
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.
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A wonderful, yes important car with one heck of a steward.
1 Wild R/T
Well-Known Member
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.
Najib
Well-Known Member
View attachment 1133745
View attachment 1133747
Lots more than I planned to right from Day one.
View attachment 1133748
Oh man thats nice! good job on it! I love that deep purple too!!
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Najib
Well-Known Member
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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Najib
Well-Known Member
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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Najib
Well-Known Member
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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