Johnny 66

Just curious, while I know the costs will vary due to differant shops, etc, what does it usually cost to do a frame off on a driver quality car?

Is it worth it in value? Will the cost of the driver car, plus the restoration, be recovered in the next sale, or is it money lost?

65-StingRay

My '65 cost a lot and I did most of it myself except for building the engine. Also never had it painted because the paint was in very good condition and that would have been another big hit.
2500 hours and about 60,000 dollars. This is what I got out of it.

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You never know if it's money lost. I've owned mine for 30 years and yea it's appreciated over all those years and I maintained it well to keep it worth something. My last appraisal was over 6 years ago before the body off resto and the appraiser valued it at $45,000 then. I just had an appraisal done last week and I haven't received the results yet but this appraiser thinks somewhere between $75,000 and $90,000.

I like tearing 'em down and rebuilding them as much as driving now.

65-StingRay

53 Blue Flame Brett

It all depends on how much you already have in your car. If you break even, you're doing good, I feel. ROI is a broad question.

First thing though. Find a shop that you feel comfortable with and that has references for your specific generation of corvette. You want someone who actually knows your car. Not just corvettes, in general.

You don't want a nightmare scenario, as so many others have experienced. So do your homework before you let someone tear your car apart.

Good luck!

stingrayl76

As well as the cost varying from shop to shop, it will vary depending on the condition of the car and the level and quality of the restoration. For example, a NCRS type restoration will add cost to the project.

Only you can determine if it's worth it in value. What value do you place on driving a restored Vette that is relatively trouble free. As for recouping the cost of the restoration when you sell the car, that will depend on when you sell the car and how much you originally paid for the car. I would guess it could take 5 to 10 years break even on you total investment. But look at all the enjoyment you can have in that period of time.

If it is a quality driver, why restore it?

Dave

stingrayl76

Johnny66,

I notice in another thread you are looking for a 66. If you think you want to buy a decent driver then have it restored, by all means by a car that has already been restored to your satisfaction. You will be money ahead and enjoying the car instead of having it sitting in a restoration shop.

Dave

C2Driver

Great advice!

- Pat

rfn026

The word Restoration has just about lost all meaning. Restoration used to mean an NCRS quality rebuild of the total car. Every single bit of history would be striped from the car in an effort to recreate the car that left St. Louis.

Today that type of restoration is going to cost you over $100,00. Most shops stay away from them as the profit margin is really bad.

A lot of serious collectors are into the preservation and conservation thing now. You rebuild the car as necessary but retain the history of the car. You treat the car as a living thing and celebrate it's story.

At Pebble Beach this year they'll have a class for non-restored cars. That's how big this trend is. In the future you can expect to pay more for an original car than you pay for a restored car. That's already happening at the upper levels. Expect it to continue.

You should only restore a car is it's so bad you can't do anything else with it. Restoration is for the basket case Corvettes we have floating around. If you have a decent Corvette your goal should be to preserve it.

Richard Newton

Corvette Restoration Guide: 1963-1967

Ultimate Garage Handbook

Frankie the Fink

This discussion came up a few weeks back and most folks agreed between 2000-3000 man-hours (multiply times your favorite labor rate) and add in parts cost.

Richard - that's pretty much my philosophy; I keep my car in good running order with few modern upgrades but which I can reverse as I have all the original parts. Unless you are going NCRS or have some severe frame damage you can have a nice driveable, rolling restoration that seldom requires extensive "down time". (Paint/motor rebuild being the exceptions)

verle

I agree with an above post.

Take your time in the search, find the car you want in good condition and enjoy it. A restoration takes a lot of time and a lot of money. It is very hard to estimate the cost ahead of time because there are always unforeseen problems.

I heard one shop tell a prospective customer, "estimate what it will cost, double it and you will still be low."

Figure out ahead of time what you budget will allow and spend that amount to buy a finished car.

Verle

Trophy Blue

It costs alot.

OldKarz

with Stingrayl76 100%.