coolstuff

OK
I get the basics on a Frame Off vs Frame Up/on restoration - but can people out there give me the basics of what the costs that are involved with each of these...........
are you people spending $10K? 20K?
and how many months are you putting in these projects?
I am curious about this because I may have a car in mind that will need restoration on the interior fer sure - and undoubtedly other issues will come up as well.........
thanx in advance
John Wells
johncoolstuff@mchsi.com

JohnZ

800-1200 hours is common for a body-off restoration, plus parts, services, and paint work; the more you can do yourself, the more you'll save, vs. paying a shop $45-$75 per hour to do the work. The only people who come out ahead on a body-off restoration are the ones who get paid to do the work, but that's not why we do it . You're always better off to buy a car that's already restored and let the previous owner take the hit; you can usually buy the restoration and get the car for free

Solid327

First decide exactly what your goals are and what kind of car you want when finished. Then buy the best car you can get for your money and what your goals are for the kind of car you want when finished.

Be realistic about what work you can do yourself with the skills, tools and space you have. Labor rates vary but expect to pay $45 to $90 pr hour depending on the specialization of the work required and where it is getting done. Some jobs (radio repair, instrument resto, SS polishing, chroming, and other small part resto and rebuilds) are quoted on an individual piecemeal basis. You likely won't be able to do it all yourself. Knowing who to go to for the best results for specialty work will save you money, mistakes and produce the best results.

The more parts you have to purchase, the higher your costs will be. You always end up doing more than you initially anticipated.

Best advice is to plan and budget. You wouldn't attempt to build a house without a plan. So plan, research, plan some more, then proceed with patience and determination. It's fun and rewarding, if you do it right.

ismithlj

I think the costs would depend on the shape of the car you buy, and whether you want a "correct" restoration or a "driver." I would imagine that most cars would require a lot more than $10K to $20K to do a correct restoration.

C2IT

You got that right At work, we call it "scope creep". I'm up to my elbows in that right now - not that I'm complaining Like John said, most of us are not doing this to make money. The important thing to keep in mind is not to mention this to your wife, if applicable

Ol Blue

Another issue is how much space do you have available? To do a body-off takes lots of room, for frame, for body, for all the parts you take off.

I'm on my 3rd body-off and if you don't have rusty frame issues and aren't interested in a show quality restoration, you might want to consider your rebuild in steps. Once you get the car apart, it's not easy to maintain your concentration and interest. (As my daughter can attest!! maybe we'll get it done this summer. chuckle )

If you go it steps you can keep it on the road and get some enjoyment out of it. If it is a running/driving car, safety issues are first of course, fix the brakes. Decide which needs the next attention, front or rear suspension. Or can they wait until you get the new interior in? As Solid327 said, define goals and make a plan.

As mentioned earlier, if you have a spouse, putting money into a car that's useful could be more palatable than a constant drain going into a pile of parts taking up space in the garage.

Good luck
Ol Blue

Ol Blue

Oooops, it's my 4th body-off. I forgot about the one I started 20some years ago that's sitting in the back of my garage with shelves built over it to hold all the parts I took off. :o :o Ol well, maybe next year.
Ol Blue

Viet Nam Vett

Very good call.....Here at work we call It "ESO" Equipment Superior to Operator......Some times when you get up and go into the gee-rage for the day with a list of things you want to get done .....it doesn't work out that way. Running a fuel line from front to back sounds simple ... untill you have to deal with clips and screws and after market junk that doesn't fit correctly...soon..that quicky job turns into 4 hours. And on and on it goes....That....I'll have it done in 2 month thing ..turns into ....maybe in 2 years I'll have it done.

I'm sure some of the guys will jump in here and tell you how long they have been on there project. Me...??? I'm just redoing the frame and dropping a 502 in...no body work...and I started Jan 2005.. Still not done.....Maybe June of this year...

don peters

Am just courious about why anyone would do an absolutely correct restoration. ie searching and paying for say an original master cylinder for a ci.
May be interestng with many different opinions.
I have a 62 driver.
don

JohnZ

It's about the challenge of taking the car back to original, the way it looked when it was built, restoring it back to when it was "born". It can be very rewarding if you have the money, time, dedicated space, motivation, knowledge, tools, equipment, project management skills, and can sustain the motivation. Restoration isn't for everyone; it works better if you have two Corvettes - one to restore as an ongoing project, and another one to drive and enjoy while you work on the other one.

C2IT

John, I want you to talk to my wife at our next Chapter get-together, please

coolstuff

so - from what I am hearing - I should just pay the extra $ and get one that is ready to roll............I guess it comes down to the car and how MUCH work needs to be done to it. A '66 coupe that needs new interior and new paint will most likely need a ton of work on the inside as well - I have yet to look at this car but a buddy of mine told me the guy is wanting just under $30K - so I was keen to go check it out - I will still check it out - but if it needs too much work - then I will have to pass. Thanks to everyone for the input! It is appreciated!

Ol Blue

coolstuff

Just be careful when you are buying a "totally restored" car and make sure key items have been rebuilt and it's not just paint and pretty.
Ol Blue

SPLITRAY

Hi,
I started with a complete running car in "very good" condition. I'm just bored!

I wanted to create a good driving engine but decided that I did not want to work over the fender, and I wanted to see what else was under the body...so here I am!

I started with a front end rebuild kit...then I had the MAWDTA syndrome. That would be "Might As Well Do This Also" syndrome. I decided to to do "everything" and do it 1st class.

So far I have a finished frame, front suspension, rear suspension, steering, and partial brakes. This is not even a rolling chassis yet and I've got $4,000 in it.

My original intent was to have a very nice runner for about 5K... NOT! :o

Keep in mind that all I "needed" to do was provide a streetable engine and I could be out there winning trophies again. SOoooooo...
Count the Cost!!!!

Mike

ffas23

coolstuff

Sent you a PM.

kdzdds

I am into the eighth month of a frame-off resto on a '57. Now this is the second frameoff resto in the last ten years... why? Because, the previous owner's original restoration was just cosmetic and the problems of a less than great job started to show up. Caveat emptor...So decide what kind of car you want before purchasing, do your homework and decide on a driver or do a full restoration....lots of time and money. But, that said , I love every minute of working on my car...the advice to get two cars is right... one to drive and one to restore....

sweet66

An ad I saw in Hemmings 5-6 years ago said it well .. " For Sale 1962 Olds Starfire Hardtop .. 99 point car. Frame off restored .. Car and Parts $20,000
$75,000 in labour is free "

Paul L

Start with the frame. I was fortunate to buy a car with his one.



and the interior. Added new seats and shoulder belts. Not inexpensive!



Then there's the paint. Add new bumpers and trim, door handles, all the little pieces like gaskets, front and back lamps, etc. It adds up!



And I started with a solid base.



I'm probably $12,000 into this restoration. But it is almost complete. No regrets but as the motor is not NCRS/NOM I will never get the money back.

But I will have a pretty and dependable car. And that's all I want.

JWD01

The costs are dependant on how much work you do yourself. The only thing I paid to have done on my body-off was the machine work on the block, the chrome plating, mounting & balancing the tires and the front end alignment. It was a labor of love and I enjoyed doing it all (except stripping the paint). My car is worth more than 4 times what I have into it but I put in alot of time. That's the fun part of it all.

Paul L

JWD01,
I know what you are saying. But if you do not have the facilities to do the work in the winter on your own and your driving season is basically six months per year, it is worth my while to buy driving time by farming out work. It's sad but true.