DREGSZ

I figure by the end of the week I should be in for $12-$13k since buying it on Jan 2nd this year.
I have the rear end: guessing $1500-2000, and interior $2000,
Rims and tires $2000. left to do.
And the car will be brand new.
next spring I'll go for heads and cam. $2000 and that will get us up to 450 hp.
Then I'll sell it for a 50% loss if I'm lucky to buy a 69 BB, 4 speed roadster/
There's a plan.

MARKUS_P

There are two folders full of invoices on my table.....
Didn´t have the guts to calculate them together..
Remember here in Austria we´ve to pay much more than you guys, custom taxes and freight charges are really depressing.
Arrrgh, I´ve to think about another topic, this one is pissing me off :mad
Sorry :bb

virtue4u

I spend about $16.5 in direct restoration costs, inclusive of purchase price. I also purchased some tools that I use on all my other projects. I think it is a great bargain. Hell, a used 1999 Camaro or Mustang is a far less prestigious drive for that price.

Racer-X

My first Vette not counting price of car $5,000.00 no new motor. second Vette $1000.00 I've just had it a few months. :chevy

norvalwilhelm

In the last 2 years alone I have spent about $6000 in new and blown transmissions and when I converted from a nitrous to a blown bigblock the blower, carbs, pistons, cam, valves etc set me back another $9000. I don't worry about the price. I try to spend about $4000 per year on something.

gabesWHITE77

I'm waiting for Steve (Merlin) to post...

theanswriz42

How scary, I'm working on my vette project and so I have to do one thing at a time until i finally get it how i want it. It's going to take a lot of time to get perfect but unless i come up with 20grand i don't think i'll be doing it all in one shot :)

71DropTop

Ok now i really feel sick! i will spend $32,000 on my 71 bb vert thats including a $5000 purchase price. of course it was completely destroyed from the fan forward in an accident by the previous owner.... But I thought it was better to rebuild than crush!!!!!!!! :smash: :smash: :smash: :confused: :confused: :blueangel: :cry

joeveto

I refuse to add up anything. Knowing what I've spent is not worth the resulting depression and frustration.

Maxd_out

Man! I don't even want to say what I've put into mine in the last few years in just maintainence alone. Let's put it this way. I could almost buy a C5. No complaints however. I love my car. :cheers:

foundvettelifeisgood

Let's all try to remember that a new C-5 ($50k) is just as much a toy as our C-3's ($10-20k) at a fraction of the cost. Also remember that C-3's appreciate, while C-5's depreciate. I just paid double the original sticker price for my 1972 29-years later. Don't get me wrong, I love C-5's. As cool as C-5's are, the C-3's are simply outrageous vehicles.

Lastly, you could have a rusted 1972 Buick that needed a $1k rear-end project, and when you were finished, the Buick would still be worth $300.

If you put your mind to it, you can justify anything. :lol:

rob75383

I have spent around 24 grand on mine (SO FAR :lol: ) including the purchase price of $9200.
BTW I got ripped off on the purchase price, but I deserved it, 'cause I was a newbie.
Now I estimate I'm running around 400-440 hp.
Where can you buy a car that looks as cool :cool: , handles as good, has that much horsepower, and has such a helpful (borderline fanatical ;) ) following of enthusiasts... all for under $25 grand.

dladd74roadster

I am just now starting to budget for my rebuild. I am saving all of my money before I start so I will be able to go from the ground up with the project. I have budgeted $12k in parts and I am planning on doing almost all of the work myself. This doesn't include paint which I won't be doing myself. After seeing what retailers charge for doing frame-off restorations, I don't think that 12k is too bad. I am not "restoring" exactly though, I am improving. Half of this money is budgeted toward the engine.

I do get the feeling that I will go over budget, just don't know how much yet. Hopefully I'll still be married when the project is completed. :rolleyes:

dl

2nspire

40k and only 15 more to go.

68shark

Total cost including purchase, plus rebuilding the engine last year and other odds and ends would be around $17,000 in US dollars. Car has been rebuilt front to back with all receipts to prove it (most from prior owner who apparently needed a hole to throw money into, and this was it!). Car is basically very reliable, fun to drive, looks great (even up close!), paint is very good, top is like brand new, interior is fine. Could I recover my costs? Of course not......but then I have no intention to sell so it is a moot point!One thing I've learned with cars is very few ever actually make money on them, but the fun to own and drive factor more than compensates! My daily driver is a 2000 Toyota 4Runner that cost a lost more than the Vette. Not once has anyone ever stopped me or waved and said "nice car".......

BadjerJim

Well geez, I've been driving my '81 for a year and a half now. It's my daily driver, and I've put about 15,000 miles on it during my ownership.

All told, including maintenance, a new water pump, and misc. interior bits, I'm into it for about $9,000. The car is a joy to drive, and is utterly reliable. Turns heads wherever I go.

I think that while owning a C3, it's easy to get derailed and forget what "other" cars cost. I have a friend who just had the 60K mile service done on a Toyota MR-2 Turbo -- for $1,700. Just for the service (belts, plugs, tune-up). Then there's my wife's Mitsubishi that needs an AC clutch for $550 - and that's just for the part: not the AC pump, or installation.

I think the issue here is that many of us are re-living our "youth" through the C3, and remember being starving college students... back in the days when you could buy complete tune-up kits (points, plugs, condenser) in a department store for less than $10. I know "I" remember those days! Sheesh.


-BadjerJim
Sparks, Nevada

Jughead

Yikes---$550 for the clutch??? :eek: :eek: I just replaced mine on my 'Stang and I thought $89 was a rip!

The general public keeps dishing out $$ for those general service calls. I usually don't fix it until it's broke.(except the Vette of course)

Jay---nice pic---got any of the engine?

Oh, Yeah. I paid $7,600 for the car and added another $5,000 in parts and repairs. $1,500 of that was for the wheels/tires, $600 for the hood/air chamber and $600 for the front suspension rebuild.

When I stand near a C-5, I really can't tell if the engine is running or not! I can hear my '70 running inside my house! :lol:


[Modified by 1970 Stingray, 11:05 AM 11/2/2001]

69Myway

I anticipate just a tad over $30K with me doing 98% of the work.

As it stands now, between the hot rod goodies in the spare bedroom,

BB Edelbrock heads, etc. etc.

and all I have done (suspension, frame, paint, body, a/c, etc) I am just over $15k today.

Don't add it up, it will only depress you! :smash:

foundvettelifeisgood

Len,

No engine shots yet. Still cleaning. :nopity

Jay

TommyTrout

I just picked up a 1971 Stingray for $11k. It needs a few thing but the estimate I got for paint and replacing seals and other minor things is about $10k. Holy Crap! Is it going to be worth it? It has a new 350 in it also so I'm thinking it will hold value but I don't want to get soaked in debt and not get what I put into it sometime down the road. And holy crap again, I just noticed now old this conversation is...haha!