shemp

Who did you have do it. I'm beginning to look at doing mine. I
went to Tony's in Gaithersburg, But he is booked for about 1 1/2
years. You aren't to far from me in Crownsville.
Shemp

mdz06vetter

66jack,

you say $10,000 - how much is labor and what labor rate did you use? you have to figure your time in at a similar going rate for you area

shemp

Rick, I must have missed your earlier post. I see Tony did yours.
His shop is awsome and he does fantastic work. I guess that is
why he is so backed up.

Shemp

bigearl56

I have owned and restored the following cars. Started in 1988 with a '57Nomad full frame off 4 1/2 years. '57 Bel-Air Hard top purchased done. '55 Bel-Air full frame off 2 1/2 years (getting better) '32 Ford Hi-Boy street rod 2 1/2 years. '56 Bel-Air full custom 3 1/2 years had to wait 6mo's for upholstery. '67 Corvette 1 year. (not taken off frame) '55 Bel-Air Sedan, sold it without restoring it. (getting smarter). I tell you all this to reinforce what has been said above. All of my projects cost way more than was planned for. Most all the above were high point show cars I trailered to shows and sat quietly behind them in lawn chairs. Others with their "Drivers" rode around having what appeared to be "FUN FUN FUN". Now don't get me wrong, winning is always fun no matter what form it takes, but "dag nab it", cars should be driven. We had a club member drive his '58 from Va. to Tn. this past Sept and had a ball. I still own the '67 Corvette and I never plan to sell it. Why? Because I drive it and enjoy it. I did not take it off the frame because I knew if I did, the driving thing would be over. If you decide to do a frame off, I salute you and best of luck. As for me and mine, it is always goning to be driven and kept in tip top mechanical condition. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all.

62Jeff

I tweaked the above quote to make a generic point.

When my 72 Buick came out of the paint shop, the paint was perfect. I wanted to put my 56 Olds in the same shop, but the guy had a 2 year waiting list. Not wanting to wait, I went with another painter that came highly recommended but was otherwise unknown to me.

He had the car for almost 2 years, and it looked pretty good when he finished the paint. However after a few months as the paint did its expected shrinking, the flaws in the body work began to appear. The car sat in my garage for another 6 years waiting for the guy to have time to take the car back in to redo his work. The car is done again and came back home for the last time in October of this year.

So let's do some math:
Option 1, the car waits 2 years then gets painted by known show car painter: Car would have been back in my garage and painted right in 3 years total.

Option 2 (the path I chose), the car is now back in my garage with really nice, but not as perfect as planned paint and body, and it took from July 1997 to October 2006 to get there.

My point - sometimes waiting for a shop of a known high quality will save you time in the long run.

While I waited for my painter to redo my 56, I continued to shop on e-bay for those hard to find parts (56 Olds aren't as easy to restore as a vette), and I restored much of the rest of the car so that it is now largely ready to be bolted back together. Activities I could have done while waiting for the preferred painter I didn't use.

vettebuyer6369

Terrific points being made here. Nice job.

One thing I think you should keep in mind when deciding, "to frame-off or not to frame-off?".... Are you going to be afraid to drive the car when it becomes "too nice?"

This has happened to me, and I really didn't see it coming. If you consider you car a fun driver and you keep making improvements, that's fine. However, there is that "bright line" that you cross, where suddenly you are afraid of rock chips, afraid to travel, afraid to play with it. This is the point where, to me, the car becomes less valuable. Invariably, that's when I sell.

I'm in the exact same spot you are with my '58... looks nice, tons of new parts and fresh mechanicals, great driver... but I know once I go to the next level (full paint or more) it will affect my attitude in driving and enjoying the car.

Now, if you want a trailer queen or a Top Flight car, obviously all bets are off. But if you want to play, you should at least consider this.

silverslashstreak

A lot of great points have been made. But another thing to consider, just because you spend the big money to have your car completly restored doesn't mean that when you try to drive it that everything will work perfectly. Someone will have to be around to correct all the little bugs that show up during the next few years, because it is still old technology.

The approach that I have taken over the past 15 years with my SWC has been to take a area of the car in the winter and improve it and debug it. Then play with the car in season and go back next winter and pick another area to work on. That way it doesn't break the bank and the car isn't up on jack stand for a couple years.

IMO if you are going to really drive a car the last thing you need is a really nice expensive paint job.

SSS

62Jeff

I'd get the body perfect but the paint simply nice. Later if you want to put a show-quality paint job on it, the body work will already be behind you.

Workin On 59

Wow.....alot of valuable experience expressed in the replys on this thread. Great points from those who have done body offs.

Seems to me to be a great hobby. A hobby that can get very expensive. If you do your own work and don't count anything for your labor it can be much more affordable.

If you have a pile of cash that you don't mind spending and really want a specific outcome then you can buy what you want (parts and labor) and participate as little or as much as you want.

If you are more flexible in the car you end up with then it seems that you can buy it for less than the cost of building. I have seen cars go for under $40K this year that I know cost much more to build ( I'm talking about really nice drivers, not NCRS types).

What some posters said about making it too valuable too drive (especially paint) makes a lot of sense to me.

The good news is you have a really fun classic Corvette and you can decide what is the best plan for you.

bb62

For some people (personal finances permiting) it may be helpful to start a restoration by buying another Corvette. The worst part of doing a restoration is watching other people drive their cars. It might keep the motivation levels high by reducing the frustration levels.

Marks69BB

This is the way I've been handling my cars. First, get the car in safe and reliable mechanical shape. Then, unless you have serious frame or bodywork issues, concentrating on the easy things like replacing worn parts (trim, carpet, seat covers, etc.) and rechroming bumpers, etc. will make a huge difference. Then the car will be back on the road and you will not get in so far over your head that you will lose interest. You seem like you can handle these types of jobs since you have already replaced the electricals which are a PIA on C1s (ask me how I know...)

j3studio

So, I'll bite. Is it basically impossible to both drive/enjoy and Top Flight a 1953 to 1967 Corvette? I ask because I am currently driving/enjoying my much more modern (1985) Corvette, while also doing decently (96 and change at the New England Regional in September) in flight judging.

We're heading backwards in time with our Corvettes (74/75 'vert is next) and I fully expect to own both a Sting Ray and a solid axle at some point, so knowing what to expect is relevant to me ...

mdz06vetter

Shemp,

yeah, Tony's Corvette in Gaithersburg did mine - and he does have a waiting list, but well worth the wait! for those that are interested, my restoration pix are at the following:

http://www.pbase.com/c5vetter

BTW - do some winter projects on the car now - like putting all the big brake stuff back on; different rear shocks; different water pump and basically sprucing the car up since I do drive the car - getting ready for NCRS show in Charlotte in April

silverslashstreak

J3 to answer your question about driving and showing, in the last 15 years my wife and I have driven in each state and taken a picture of our 63 under all 48 state signs. We also auto cross it ever chance we get. At the same time it has won many awards with a handful of best of shows.

Granted the frontend has been touched up a couple times (once for rocks and debri and once a sign got blown into it at a show). Ever once and awhile our boxer finds her way into the seat. Life is to short to worry about a nick or a scratch, fix em up and drive em and fix em up again. That is what makes this hobby so much fun.

SSS

vettebuyer6369

I never said it was "impossible" to enjoy driving a Top Flight solid axle or midyear Corvette. I said I personally have a problem when the car reaches a level that I think is "too nice to drive." I suggested that the person considering the frame-off take this issue into consideration when he's making his decision. If he (or you) were to decide that it isn't a problem, then great. In my case it bugged me. Personal preference.

I can't compare this thought process to an '85 as I see them as drivers in any capacity, even if they judge well. I personally can't imagine comparing an '85 to a '58 in terms of restoration, expense or driving.

If driving your Top Flight '75 convertible, Sting Ray and solid axle doesn't bother you, then that's all that should matter.

Joel 67

Good advice. The wifey is a little more forgiving if at least one of the cars can be used to take her out for ice cream on a nice day

TEP061

I personal shocked that people pay labor rates that they do. You could always go to a shop talk to someone that works there, and get them to do it as a side job for 20 a hour cash. There are a lot of good people out there that would work for that money. If your paying over 50 an hour your being ripped off. You wait all these years to buy a vette you've dreamed of. Invested right, put your pennies away to buy a 100,000 with your retirement cash. When all along you could have bought it new for 4,000. Funnny how it works out in the end.

AZDoug

I see no need for a body off complete restoration, unless you *need* to have a brand new, 50 year old Corvette for judging, or personal fulfilment of a life long dream, or whatever.

And in 10 years, it will just be a used Corvette again with rotting rubber/weatherstip, cracking body/paint and oil leaks.

You can do a whole lot to make it look perfect and drive perfect, and unless someone gets out the fine tooth comb, they will never know that you didn't do a complete body off resto.

Having done a couple show quailty paint jobs on my car (no body off resto), I can attest to the fact that your mirror perfect paint job, does go away after a while as stress cracks reappear, paint gets rock chips and bird poops, etc., and after a while, you just have another old car again in need of more $$$$ to get it the way it once was.

Doug

corvettethomas67

We're three years into our '60 frame off project and approxiately $18-19,000 for replacement parts spent to date. The car came originally with a body (in two pieces), a frame, an engine that's correct for a 1957 vette, and a title. I wanted the project for my step-son and grandson to take an interest in...making something special from something that started with very little. http://www.ageless-makeup.com/corvet..._page_one.html

While there are many more pictures of the car since we've posted on my wife's web site, I hope we can complete the car within the next two years. It would have been nice to rebuild it correctly, however, the car has been hit in the rear driver's quarter many times (as it spent some of its life as an oval-track dirt car) and has a couple of other minor issues that lead me to the decision that a correct ground-up restoration would have resulted in a car that we wouldn't have enjoyed working on nearly as much as we have. All in, I'm estimating we'll have approxiately $36,000 in her...but it has been well worth it!!! -It gives us time together that would normally be spent doing our own seperate projects.

Good luck,
Tom Spurgeon
corvettethomas67


P.S. We're doing everything on this restoration...

Dave9542

Got into this post late. For what its worth, if you have to ask is it worth it...the answer is probably not.

My experience. One owner 66 needed new front end, repair drivers door and paint. My estimate $30-40,000.00 and one year. Got talked into body off. This is my baby after all. Well, one thing led to another. That was 3 years ago. Its now "about" done and back in my garage...finally! And I'm more than $100,000.00 poorer. But it looks great.

Have Fun
Dave