David Schuster

I approach these projects with a little different spin. I always have needed a project, whether it was a racecar, a airplane project or a frameoff. My 60 Corvette is my second. The first was a TR6.

I have convinced myself that if I wasn't buying parts for the project I would likely spend the cash on something else. So it's like a savings account with a little bit of negative interest. When you finish, you have an asset you might not otherwise have.

Remember, it's the journey, not the destination that counts.

tuxedo

Resto or no resto the age ole question. Great fun to do if you keep to the schedule, budget (but you won't) and keep the right attitude and have the right understanding wife and the work space as others have said. Almost always better and cheaper to buy one that's been done already as you almost never get your bucks back and of course never your time. But a resto does give you a sense of accomplishment and a thorough understanding of the car. Probably gets a lot easier after you have done 6 or 7 like JohnZ.


You might read that book Corvette 427 which documents the resto process from start to finish on a 67 BB roadster.

cookie_monster

Can anyone recommend a good paint shop in the San Francisco or San Jose area of California?

1955 copper

I must be bad because I never gave it a thought about the money, ( I was a mechanic) I was also lucky because I collected parts for many years (cheap) back then,and sold many which helped in the cost. When I found my 55 it was a basket case but all there, I restored it as it would have been "NEW",not a trailer queen, powder coating this and that, triple triple triple chroming , sending many things out to be restored ,spending 50k on making the body look like a sheet of glass or having some one with a big shot name paint it, you get the idea. But making sure it was all original using %1 repro parts like weatherstripping and the such. I did it in 6 months, and 7 days later my wife and I drove it around the country putting over 10K miles on her. I take care of my 55 really take care of it that's after 24 years of driving having over 100K miles on it (original engine) we took it to a nationals NCRS meet in Utah (" first time")and still got a top flight award last year.( so I think I can say it's original ) and it's been in two national magazines this last year.Even NCRS had it on it's back cover of their magazine. OK TO THE POINT=

So why people think they have to make a trailer queen to get a top flight is beyond me! THAT'S THE POINT

I know what some are going to say, I've head it a million times , it's OK with me what every you wont or do- what do I care?, (but me -if I cant drive it I don't wont it.) This is where NCRS fanatic's and I depart ways. The fanatic's love talking about the money they spent and who did this or that while cleaning the vett with Q-tips and (when they ask) I tell them I have about 35K in to it and they know I drive it , few stay around me or care about the 55 any more thinking I'm bull Sh**iting them .After all these years I don't care about them only the people that like the Corvette.

Procrastination Racing

You forgot option 3. Paint it yourself.

If you think you can't, here is an excellent link on how a software engineer restored a couple of cars. They aren't Corvettes, and only one is GM, but the information is invaluable.

http://mckennasgarage.com/

The paint booth just goes to show you even you can do it.

Remember, they were painting roughly 100 Corvettes a day. They weren't show jobs. Bodies rolled in, sprayed that paint, and rolled out.

If you do it yourself, you won't be waiting 6 years to redo it.

Procrastination Racing

Definitely. Never have BOTH cars apart.

Procrastination Racing

I think you might find it is better to sell yours and then buy a restored one. The difference will be less than the restoration.

If you do your own work, then lifting a body and cleaning/restoring a frame isn't bad. The body looks good and I'm assuming the interior is also. So if all you want is to clean/renew the chassis, you could lift the body in a couple of weekends, spend a week or two on it (full weeks, not evenings), and set the body back on. You could spread this only a month or two and be done.

If you have to pay someone, sell and buy.

62Jeff

Fair enough, but in my case I had no interest in learning how to do paint and bodywork so that I could redo the work that I'd already paid dearly for. It was up to the painter to make good on his mistakes. Option 3 is probably a better option for those who haven't already spent $$ to get the job done the first time.

noisy_mouse

20 per hour seems too low.
How much do you think is the fair rate to ask someone to do personal favor ?

Corbrastang

This guy is very, very good with figerglass. I have seen two cars in person that Jeff Miller has painted and they are flawless.
http://www.millercustoms.com/index1.htm

63Corvette

I have picked Rick's "Lady" as my reference point because I also have a 63 Z06. I have owned my car for more than 30 years, and raced it (and other Corvettes) extensively. In all of my years of racing, I have not yet spent $60,000, TOTAL.

I will never sell my 63 (my survivors can do that). I have spent money on "maintenance" and cosmetics, but I will not "restore" my car because TO ME it is a total waste of time. I could not care less what it looked like when it rolled out the door in St. Louis in 1963, nor whether it has original air in the tires and water in the radiator.
No amount of cosmetic restoration could ever add to the enjoyment that I get from my car, nor to the performance and handliing that I require on the racetrack. None of the people who come to look at my car in the paddock at Monterey care that it is not "numbers matching", nor do my honored competitors.

I think each owner whould decide for himself what level of restoration he requires, but I personally would rather spend that money on racing. That way I personally get every cent of worth from actually driving my car....as God and Zora intended

Sur4die

does the price really matter? You do this for love of the car and do whatever is required to put her in top shape no matter how much time you'll spend or how much money, just try to get the best deal you can on parts and do your homework.

Roy Nakamura

Wow...amazing. I just thought this was a cool tread from 2006 to see if the costs of frame off restos have changed in 2013....

Marks Hotrod Garage

I dont think they have changed much. Certainly the time it takes to restore a vette hasnt changed and the labor rates I saw quoted early in this thread are probably still in line. I am guessing the average labor rate now averages around $60/hour???

1snake

Ever heard of inflation? The local GM dealer and every shop I know of charges $100 an hour. More skilled craftsmen charge, and get, even more.

Jim

jerhofer

I charged myself $100 per hour when I did my restoration but am having a hell of a time collecting!!!

MAD IN NC

Seeing the "poster" never posted on his thread.... all I have to say personally is that...

It's true that a "body off" is a labor of love, return~?, time? patience? cost - depends on the rarity of car and return and what you can do youraelf.

Actually mine was all good as my 65 vette came in literally over 100 boxes to me. was the car rare - no, matching with a PG 250 HP.

But in all honesty to me the benefit was as it kept me in the garage away from the "dragon queen"..............

I can still her screaming four rooms away now.

time for another car!

MOXIE62

I would never do a body off unless the frame needed repair. I like the idea of knowing that the body was put on by chey workers in st louis and has never been removed. And I don't think you ever get it back exactly the way it was or should be. I know it's hard work to clean the bottom of the body and frame with the body on but I still would leave it on.

1snake

There are certain things that the body has to come off in order to replace, brake & fuels lines come to mind. Also, the rubber in the body mounts deteriorates and causes the body to sag, very common. There is no reason you can't put the body back on in the proper position and probably better than the factory ever did. If you've ever done a body off, I've done a few, you'll find all kinds of factory screw ups. It was a mass produced car with only one goal, get it out the door. For a proper restoration, the body has to come off.

Jim

Marks Hotrod Garage

Jim, no one is letting their local Chevy dealership restore their car. Most consumers stay away from dealerships after warranty for the very fact they are overpriced both with mechanical and body work. There may be a group of specialist getting $100 plus per hour and there are a minority of people willing to pay this price. Mechanical labor is more expensive per hour than body labor. The $65/ hour I am guessing for hourly labor is a heck of a lot closer to reality than your $100