Ive been looking for a reasonable price Duster for awhile, something to tinker with. Ive been scared off of a couple because of the needed body work and the perceived cost that accompanies it. Now, I know you cant get into many reasonably priced 70-73 Dusters without them needing some kind of body work, I get it. The fact is I do not know what kind of money this stuff could run into; I just believe that it could add up faster than my wife may be able to tolerate. So, what sheet metal have you guys had replaced/repaired and what was the associated cost? I know everyones situation is different and I do not expect my situation to replicate anybody elses. Im just interested in the what and how much as a way to determine just how close or far off my assumptions may be, thanks.
How much did it cost you?
- Thread starter Duster_71
- Start date
-
1968FormulaS340
Well-Known Member
If you buy a rusty car from the east, south-east and can't do the work yourself, hitting $20,000 just to restore the body and paint, can and does happen.
You can save thousands of dollars by buying a west coast car and having it shipped east.
You can save thousands of dollars by buying a west coast car and having it shipped east.
roccodart440
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2010
- Messages
- 6,805
- Reaction score
- 3,583
My first dart of the 3 I've owned was an Arizona car and came with an Arizona title. It's needed front floors, quarters and rockers. A decent driver quality build will run you at least 25,000. I had all of that in mine.
Unless you get pleasure out of building something or designing it and having it built. You would surely be better off financially buying something that is already done. at that point you have a car that is done, cost less thatn it cost to build and you can tinker around with it while driving, racing and showing the car.
For example, I bought my current 69 dart GT which is a driver show car quality car and was rotiserarie car for 16,000. I've never seen one straighter or cleaner that actually gets driven.
73SwingerBuild
Well-Known Member
I probably have ~$25-$28k in my Swinger, and I took every nut and bolt off the car myself. The only work I outsourced was the body work.
I bought the car from Oklahoma thinking it would be near rust free (didn't realize there was such an aggressive snow belt down there). The car was rot-free, but there was enough surface rust in the rear quarters, trunk, and driver's side floorboard to merit necessary repairs/replacement. I paid a guy $4k to do the trunk repairs, repair the existing rear quarters, and get the exterior of the car in primer. I then patched the floors and cleaned up the rest of the car for ~$700-$800 in materials. I then got to pay the paint shop ~$7600 to re-do the shoddy body work and paint the car, and that was a steal from what I've heard. This was a relatively rust-free car sitting in primer when I bought it, and I spent >$12k just in body work (never mind the hood scoop costs and other exterior pieces trim pieces that needed repair).
Unless you're a good body guy (or know one), buy a car that's been restored, then work on the mechanical pieces. There's a reason these guys get paid so much to do the work they do. It takes a lot of time and patience. If you don't have both, I'd recommend buying the car with at least the body work done.
Just my $0.02.
-Mike
I bought the car from Oklahoma thinking it would be near rust free (didn't realize there was such an aggressive snow belt down there). The car was rot-free, but there was enough surface rust in the rear quarters, trunk, and driver's side floorboard to merit necessary repairs/replacement. I paid a guy $4k to do the trunk repairs, repair the existing rear quarters, and get the exterior of the car in primer. I then patched the floors and cleaned up the rest of the car for ~$700-$800 in materials. I then got to pay the paint shop ~$7600 to re-do the shoddy body work and paint the car, and that was a steal from what I've heard. This was a relatively rust-free car sitting in primer when I bought it, and I spent >$12k just in body work (never mind the hood scoop costs and other exterior pieces trim pieces that needed repair).
Unless you're a good body guy (or know one), buy a car that's been restored, then work on the mechanical pieces. There's a reason these guys get paid so much to do the work they do. It takes a lot of time and patience. If you don't have both, I'd recommend buying the car with at least the body work done.
Just my $0.02.
-Mike
save yourself all kinds of grief and buy one finished or near finished and much cheaper in the long run .
pyrojim
Well-Known Member
Every now again, you can find some pretty friggin nice rollers on this site with body/paint finished. People get tired of them or run out of money. The 66 dart I have was a bargain with all the metal work finished and will still have another 10-12K in body work and paint. It's amazing how fast the money adds up.
RzeroB
Well-Known Member
I grew up in the road salt covered northeast and after 10 years most of these cars were looking like "Flintstone-mobiles" and on their way to the junkyard. The unfortunate fact is that Ma Mopar didn't design, build or rustproof these cars to last 40+ years.
$heetmetal work gets expen$ive in a hurry. Fenders doors and floorpans are one thing, but when you start getting into frame rails, inner fenders, quarters, cowl and firewall you're talking BIG $$$.
I agree with the idea of looking for a relatively clean western car to start with - it will save you $$$ in the long run. Or you might want to consider looking for one that is already done. We all know that you never get out of a car what you put into it - somebody's loss could be your gain. You can get into a nice finished driver for a lot less than what it would take for you to build the car - unless of course you have all of the skills to do all of the work yourself and a lot of time, years, to do it in.
I'm in my early 50's, so I don't want to spend years building a car - I want to enjoy it now. So I'm looking for a finished driver and I think I finally found one. I am close to closing a deal on a nice '68 Barracuda that spent most of it's life in Oregon and needs practically nothing for it to be show worthy.
$heetmetal work gets expen$ive in a hurry. Fenders doors and floorpans are one thing, but when you start getting into frame rails, inner fenders, quarters, cowl and firewall you're talking BIG $$$.
I agree with the idea of looking for a relatively clean western car to start with - it will save you $$$ in the long run. Or you might want to consider looking for one that is already done. We all know that you never get out of a car what you put into it - somebody's loss could be your gain. You can get into a nice finished driver for a lot less than what it would take for you to build the car - unless of course you have all of the skills to do all of the work yourself and a lot of time, years, to do it in.
I'm in my early 50's, so I don't want to spend years building a car - I want to enjoy it now. So I'm looking for a finished driver and I think I finally found one. I am close to closing a deal on a nice '68 Barracuda that spent most of it's life in Oregon and needs practically nothing for it to be show worthy.
Mopar to ya
Well-Known Member
I bought my Dart with a good body but needing paint. I have 20K into motor, tranny, rear end, exhaust, etc... I still need that paint job, and badly.
pyrojim
Well-Known Member
After reading these post's, I don't feel so bad. I have 25K plus spent, but I'm pretty much finished.
View attachment 2012-07-21_13-20-41_951.jpg
View attachment 2012-07-21_13-20-41_951.jpg
Purchase the best example of what you want or learn body work yoursf. In the long run, it pays to drop the coin I a done car. You get to play with it quicker.
73SwingerBuild
Well-Known Member
There's a lot of truth here. I spent six years spending all that money on my car, and I got so tired of spending summer nights working on the car instead of driving it.
It was well worth the wait, but I definitely wish I had just waited and found a car that was already driving.
pyrojim
Well-Known Member
But, when you build it, at least you know what you have!!
73SwingerBuild
Well-Known Member
Lol, also very true. But not everybody has the time/patience/passion to take every bolt off a car just to make sure the threads are in good shape. Or maybe I just had too much time on my hands lol.
Back to the OP, it's really all in what you want to do. Do you want a car to drive and enjoy with the wife, or do you want a long, drawn out, and typically expensive learning experience/hobby that will change your life?
pyrojim
Well-Known Member
Well, it keeps me out of the saloons early.
Woods74
Broke Senior
Wahhh wahhh, body work wahhh wahhh.
It ain't that hard, plenty of tutorials on it, dig in people. IMO A car isn't truly yours until you personally have done all aspects of restoration.
I love the "it's not my talent" excuse, I hear that one a bunch. The truth is, if you want it, it's a skill, you will get it.
Here is some inspiration:
http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/70135/panels
Enjoy!
It ain't that hard, plenty of tutorials on it, dig in people. IMO A car isn't truly yours until you personally have done all aspects of restoration.
I love the "it's not my talent" excuse, I hear that one a bunch. The truth is, if you want it, it's a skill, you will get it.
Here is some inspiration:
http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/70135/panels
Enjoy!
i have about 10k on my duster now. I bought it good condition, no rust good paint and interior. I have been driving summers and building winters.
i really recomend that You buy good condition car that You Can drive.
i really recomend that You buy good condition car that You Can drive.
magnumdust
Well-Known Member
Or atleast with a clean & straight body.
pyrojim
Well-Known Member
Ok, I just hate doing it. It's tedious, dirty, hard, and makes a huge friggin mess in my barn. That's the real reason. The fact that when I finish it, it'll look like **** is just a happy coincidence!
michformulaS
Well-Known Member
This is what I did and I would do it the same way again on the next one. I bought the nicest car I could find with a tired motor. I found a really nice California Formula S with a tired 318. It also came with a machined 340 block as a bonus. I bought the car on payments for $11K fixing and tweaking the small stuff but driving the car the entire time. It wasn't fast and smoked a bit but it was still fun. After I paid it off in 3 years I kept putting the money away and collected parts for 3 more to build the motor. About another $10K later I had the car I wanted and it was only off the road for a month or so while I installed the motor and got everything sorted out. Too many people pull it off the road and dive in head first and either run out of money or lose interest or both. Just look at how many cars you can find torn apart on craigslist. Many of those were running driving cars but people had big dreams without the money and time.
greymouser7
Vagrant Vagabond “Veni Vidi Vici”
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2010
- Messages
- 3,729
- Reaction score
- 1,493
If you're going to buy a rusty shell of a car and invest a small fortune in it, buy something that has a high resale value and large market/fan base. You could loose your shirt in some of them. The cost of new floor pans, quarter skins, paint, doesn't vary much between 1975 Dusters and 1970 Barracudas.
With enough time and hunting you can find a good deal on a car that was already restored 5 or more years ago and starting to show new rust. That's seller suffers the loss. You go happy moparing.
With enough time and hunting you can find a good deal on a car that was already restored 5 or more years ago and starting to show new rust. That's seller suffers the loss. You go happy moparing.
breakstuff
Well-Known Member
It's cheaper just to get a new wife.
my Question is how much money are you willing to spend...and how far are you willing to travel to get it.I know of a lot of them for sale In just about any shape you want.............Artie
I read all these posts about spending 20K on restoration, and I'm shaking my head. We bought a very clean 66 Valiant from the son of the original owner for less than $1,000. Then over a period of six years we purchased the parts we need through EBAY, and FABO. We also have friends that do body work, etc. that pitched in some free labor. The car will soon be finished and working on it has been a blast.
Start with a good car, don't buy the first one you see. There are a lot of them sitting around if you are patient. Then once you have found your car, take your time and enjoy. It doesn't have to be a show car to be very enjoyable.:burnout:
Start with a good car, don't buy the first one you see. There are a lot of them sitting around if you are patient. Then once you have found your car, take your time and enjoy. It doesn't have to be a show car to be very enjoyable.:burnout:
pyrojim
Well-Known Member
I know a lot of people do it that way. My kids aren't interested and I really don't want to wait that long. I guess it's just a matter of opinion. Some people don't mind doing the work and don't want to spend the money, others don't want to do the work and don't mind spending the money. Me, I'm somewhere in the middle!!
-
