Body Off Restoration - Who and How Much?
03-18-2016, 04:51 PM
#21
Team Owner
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St. Jude Donor '05
On one rescued C1 project, the owner had whizzed $25,000 down a rathole for shoddy work, lost 26 months on the project, and, the shop had "lost" his entire aftermarket A/C kit still in the original boxes and wouldn't replace it.
Lived this nightmare not with one but two shops totalling many yrs down and tons of expensive parts missing. 2nd place never finished it or "found" the parts. You never know what youre getting into with bodyshops sorry guys even the high end ones
Go buy one done..my experience kind of soured me on the hobby. Still like the car but damn it was stressful expensive and took the fun out of it.Good thing I was able to everything else myself.
Lots of rattle can restos out there from flippers, spending the type of money you are insist on docs, receipts photos etc etc so you know what youre getting.
Buy it done!!
Last edited by cv67; 03-18-2016 at 04:52 PM.
03-18-2016, 04:57 PM
#22
Team Owner
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2015 C2 of Year Finalist
Lived this nightmare not with one but two shops totalling many yrs down and tons of expensive parts missing. 2nd place never finished it or "found" the parts. You never know what youre getting into with bodyshops sorry guys even the high end ones
Go buy one done..my experience kind of soured me on the hobby. Still like the car but damn it was stressful expensive and took the fun out of it.Good thing I was able to everything else myself.
Lots of rattle can restos out there from flippers, spending the type of money you are insist on docs, receipts photos etc etc so you know what youre getting.
Buy it done!!
The black 67 coupe my dad and I just restored sat at a highly acclaimed Corvette resto shop to be restored for close to ten years. How none of the parts got missing amazed me. But what they charged the owner to do the work should have been a crime. A example is a simple razor blade you buy cheap was charged five dollars a peice. You can get a idea on the bill totals.
03-18-2016, 05:29 PM
#23
Melting Slicks
The black 67 coupe my dad and I just restored sat at a highly acclaimed Corvette resto shop to be restored for close to ten years. How none of the parts got missing amazed me. But what they charged the owner to do the work should have been a crime. A example is a simple razor blade you buy cheap was charged five dollars a peice. You can get a idea on the bill totals.
03-18-2016, 05:56 PM
#24
Team Owner
A checkbook restoration i.e. Frame off bumper to bumper will cost six figures.
03-18-2016, 06:34 PM
#25
Team Owner
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2021 C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified 2020
C2 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
St. Jude Donor 03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Buy a finished or near finished car. Life is short.
03-18-2016, 07:18 PM
#26
Spent mid $30's + the price of the car + 1000-2000 hours and the only thing I didn't do was the engine machine shop work and the chrome plating. Don't like patina, and parts and materials add up fast.
03-18-2016, 09:04 PM
#27
Race Director
03-20-2016, 11:47 AM
#28
Drifting
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Yes, unless you can afford a shop with the best reputation its a dice roll. I wish I had a dollar for every sad story I've heard on projects that have sat in a shop for two years, are stuck at "90% complete" and the owner gets a monthly bill and a BS story every time he calls/visits. On one rescued C1 project, the owner had whizzed $25,000 down a rathole for shoddy work, lost 26 months on the project, and, the shop had "lost" his entire aftermarket A/C kit still in the original boxes and wouldn't replace it.
03-20-2016, 06:31 PM
#29
Melting Slicks
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I would only let the best do it, if you want to retain max resale and judging points. Nabors Brothers in Houston is the best, I had estimates from them on two of my C2s, $98K for the '64 and $114K for the '67.
03-20-2016, 06:39 PM
#30
Team Owner
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2015 C2 of Year Finalist
You would have to have a special car to get that selling price of each car
03-21-2016, 09:02 PM
#32
Drifting
03-22-2016, 06:27 AM
#35
The car I had in mind is a 66 roadster, 427/390, fully loaded including factory air - black with saddle leather. Car has been sitting inside for more than 30 years with wrong color paint, flared wheel wells, and some damage from something falling on it. Potential to be an extremely valuable car with original engine and trim tag.
03-22-2016, 07:34 AM
#36
Safety Car
Restoration is such a broad term. If you want to just have a nice looking car you might do it for $100,000. An NCRS/BG today will cost you closer to $200,000.
One thing to consider is that a restored car may be worth less than an original car. If you have a really good original car a restoration will lower the value of the car.
The real problem is spending $100,000+ on a car with no provenance. That's a really bad deal. A mid-year with no paperwork isn't very desirable. Unless you just want to have fun driving it.
My feeling is that you either have a nice driver or you have an NCRS/BG car. Don't even think about something in between.
We used to have an old rule that said "going from 98 point to 100 point the cost will double."
Richard Newton
What Exactly is Original?
One thing to consider is that a restored car may be worth less than an original car. If you have a really good original car a restoration will lower the value of the car.
The real problem is spending $100,000+ on a car with no provenance. That's a really bad deal. A mid-year with no paperwork isn't very desirable. Unless you just want to have fun driving it.
My feeling is that you either have a nice driver or you have an NCRS/BG car. Don't even think about something in between.
We used to have an old rule that said "going from 98 point to 100 point the cost will double."
Richard Newton
What Exactly is Original?
03-22-2016, 07:56 AM
#37
Instructor
I am a retired guy doing a bit of old car restoration work. We are doing a frame off on this '62 (327/340, 4 sp). To date we are at a little less than 250 hours and think it will take about the same to get to completion. The cost of parts and services has been about $20k and we think will be about $5k more. The car was in pretty good shape when we started and we are not gong to have to strip it which saves a bunch. So, labor $25 and parts $25, perhaps a bit more to finish. Not an NCRS TF car but the '65 in the photo is.
03-22-2016, 08:30 AM
#38
Drifting
The car I had in mind is a 66 roadster, 427/390, fully loaded including factory air - black with saddle leather. Car has been sitting inside for more than 30 years with wrong color paint, flared wheel wells, and some damage from something falling on it. Potential to be an extremely valuable car with original engine and trim tag.
03-22-2016, 08:38 AM
#39
Le Mans Master
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C1 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
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total restoration - rebuilding everything
1200 hours at a bare min at 75 to 100 an hour - that is a bare min.
Plus paint and materials
plus out services like chrome, cad plating, powder coating, etc...
plus all other parts, interior, top, gauges, engine rebuild,
count on 80k to 100k if you are redoing EVERY part
If panels need replaced or repaired the price goes up
1200 hours at a bare min at 75 to 100 an hour - that is a bare min.
Plus paint and materials
plus out services like chrome, cad plating, powder coating, etc...
plus all other parts, interior, top, gauges, engine rebuild,
count on 80k to 100k if you are redoing EVERY part
If panels need replaced or repaired the price goes up
03-22-2016, 09:35 AM
#40
Safety Car
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Lot's of advise here, and most all of it is correct (IMO).
Having just finished the complete restoration of our '62, I know you can easily approach 100K.
I came in about 85% of that, but did most (not all), of the work myself.
I knew going into it that costs would probably exceed the value of the car, but I've had it over 23 years, and I don't plan to ever get rid of it.
So it is a bit different because I don't look at it as a financial investment, but rather an investment in fun and enjoyment.
I have a lot of personal history in the car as it was used for many anniversaries, and irreplaceable times with my Daughters, and now my Grand Kids.
Plus I get to answer "yes" to people when they ask if I built it!
Pat
Having just finished the complete restoration of our '62, I know you can easily approach 100K.
I came in about 85% of that, but did most (not all), of the work myself.
I knew going into it that costs would probably exceed the value of the car, but I've had it over 23 years, and I don't plan to ever get rid of it.
So it is a bit different because I don't look at it as a financial investment, but rather an investment in fun and enjoyment.
I have a lot of personal history in the car as it was used for many anniversaries, and irreplaceable times with my Daughters, and now my Grand Kids.
Plus I get to answer "yes" to people when they ask if I built it!
Pat