doorgunner

Look on the bright side.....in 13 years the price of restoring one is about the same.....LOL!

a71vette

The previous owner of my '71 spent $8k on paint and body work, and that was in 1994. It'll probably need some paint work in the future because they did a pretty crappy job (it's a nice 10' car). I've done all the work myself and probably have about $6-7k into it in mechanicals and interior. I'm going for a nice driver, so I've refurbished as many things as I could. Good news is I only paid $5500 for mine, and it had a crate motor in it with only 2k miles on it.

Do as much of the repairs as you can, get a shop manual, assembly manual, and read as much as possible here and you'll save a bunch of money. Parts are still not cheap, but it beats paying someone to put them on.

persuader

I am not keeping track of what I have been spending on my C-3. Althought the PO had about 10k into it by the time I got it. I will spend whatever I must whenever I can afford it as long as I end up with the Vette I have always wanted.
Think the OP still has his car after 13 years? Talk about resurrecting and old thread.

tak82

82 120k miles, with the cost of purchase I'm in past the value of the car now. The drive train is completely rebuilt and interior done. Soon I will start a total resto, do the body and all weather strip and smaller items so figuring another 5k. I'm in past the value as it is now but the fun factor is worth every penny.

I have a Mopar and had 30k in restoring that 10 yrs ago and I do all my own work.

I have a guy with a 78 TA that wants a show quality repaint/partial resto, new weather strip and basically an appearance upgrade, he thinks 4k will get it done including labor. LOL, the paint alone is 3k. I think he's still living in 1978

Alan 71

Hi TT,
I'm afraid it would likely hold it's value better, and might be worth more $, if it still had the original 350 rather than "a new 350 in it".
Regards,
Alan

Easy Mike

That's entirely up to you. It's your car.

Congrats on the 71.

hwcoop

I never added mine up, I have 2 envelopes like this I just keep adding receipts to, just enjoy the ride

mvette76

really don't care how much I have in the vette. Don't care how much its worth! its a hobby car it will never be done I get something the way want I move on to something else! already had two motors in it two transmissions (swapped to 4 speed) and working on a new motor right now. two exhaust systems and three sets of wheels and I only had the car for five or so years and the list goes on and on! but I can say is that every time I turn the key and the engine roars to life and I go out for a cruise it makes the long work week worth it and that my friends is PRICELESS!!

OMF

Some people spend their money on stick and ball sports, or greenfees.....I spend money on my car and airplane. It doesn't matter....we all enjoy what we do

Blue73Shark

Including the purchase price for my 73 (60k miles on it now - had it since 2005) I am north of 30k due to a total suspension rebuild, frame repair due to rust, new radiator, shroud, tires, brakes, and a bunch of other items. I had someone else do the frame, brakes and suspension work; I did the rest.
It runs superb now and I plan to drive it until my eyes or knees give out, which I hope is at least 25 years away.
Fran

Torqued Off

Wow, you guys claiming $20-$25K are surprising me,...and you are saying it includes buying the car in the first place?? These must not be full body off restorations. When you consider a top notch paint job is $10K mininum, a decent engine build is $6K, you start with $16K between those two. I guess if you buy one for $5000, then you are at $21K...but a $5000 Vette bought today is going to need lots of work, meaning lots of dollars. If you are putting quality parts in the car, and completely restoring it, it has to be at least $30,000. I know I am over that. I also know my car will be better than new, and still far less than a C7, and I will take mine over a C7 any day. I knew the day I started I could never sell the car for what I would put into it. Anyone who knows about the work it takes to restore a car knows that. To think otherwise makes you a fool. Maybe a C1 or C2, but not a C3.

Kaper220

I have spent over 25 years fixing & rebuilding my car. figure about $2000 a year . My wife calls "my car" "the money pit"
Mark

Karsten

I am in the same park as HWCoop other than my folder is flat and just as thick. When I bought the car it was said to be something far what what is was....A 40 year old neglected car.

This



Turned into this.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...ve-i-done.html

Karsten

bluedawg

Don't add the receipts up, unless your filing a claim with your insurance company. Imo it's a labor of love.

dpw21562

Don't ask, I stopped adding a while back. It's probably way more than I want to think about, but 500+ HP, a TCI trans. is worth it and I enjoy it. That is the bottom line, is it "what you want"?

bluedawg

For sure.

MotorHead

I've spent well over 50 grand, I have $20,000 under the hood and I did most of the work myself, small price to pay for smoking a Ferrari

Torqued Off

On the other side of this subject, there was a recent thread on here about how little money some have spent, as if it was some admirable goal. All I can say about that is that good parts cost money, and bubba is perfectly capable of cobbling things together, but if you are going to build a quality car, its going to cost money. I sure do understand not having the money to spend, cause at 55 years old, it is only in the latter part of my life I had any disposable income. Up to that point...I did not have a Corvette.

cv67

Had my A body since the mid 90s between a few different motors trannies rearends couple paint shop disasters I know Ive spent over 90k on it. Went overboard on a lot of things but got me what I want.

One should know when you buy a toy like these they will cost, period

Even buying one "done" youll still spend on it just not as much. A complete resto imo is a personal conquest (Id never do it again lol). Unless youre good at visually sprucing things up on the cheap and flipping them.
Personally I do it for satisfaction and fun worrying abou tthe money part would take all the fun out of it.

It rides just as solid as a new car, faster than most and looks cool.
Worth it.

bluedawg

I do it as a hobby (addiction). I get bored, make it funner, exciting and get bored. If I'd gone a different path in the beginning I might not get bored. I've tried several times to wrap my head around the hole frame off restoration, but I'm afraid that I might not drive it if I made it new or that nice. I want it time be fast, pretty and exciting. I would like to gusset the Frame and change body mounts.