how much $$$ to restore a car

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man alot of work ahead of me well its what i get at least i no it will be done right and will run the streets kickin a$$ lol thanks everyone for the stories
 
Take all those numbers you have been throwing out, double them, and you might be close.
 
It takes a lot of money. But if it makes you happy it's worth it. One thing I noticed is your car doesn't have the dreaded vinyl roof, that's a good thing.
 
Ya its all money money money lol I have a stupid question I just notice above my avatar it now says senior member does the ratings go buy how many post you do or ?
 
duster731 said:
Ya its all money money money lol I have a stupid question I just notice above my avatar it now says senior member does the ratings go buy how many post you do or ?
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After a certain number of posts, I think 100, you're a senior member. Congrats!
 
The cost is basically what you want to, or can, spend on it. As said above the more you do yourself the cheaper things will be. But once you get nice paint on the car the other parts start looking worse. Also don't forget to "pad" your budget, because some things will cost more than what you expected and some may be less. Example, you plan on spending $3000 for paint, budget $5000. Better to be too high than too low.
 
How far do want to go with it? Do you want all the window mechanisms cleaned/painted? Insides of doors prepped & rustproofed? Trunk stripped/rustproofed painted? Not uncommon to have 300 hours in just body/paint alone, depending on some of the above.... Just because you do not see rust does not mean it is not there.
 
731,
if cost is driving some of your decisions you better learn how to do some of the work yourself.
Whoever said 1000 hours, that would be in the 20% gravity of the moon.
Admittedly Im going down a unique and twisted path with my car,but the real cost is not all that bad compared to having someone else do the work.
Just think about the cost of having someone else do the rear spoiler:toothy10:
As I have said before to others here, decide what the end result will be and put together a plan and a spread sheet.
Then sit down and decide if its worth it. If not adjust the plan until it is.

Andrew
 
If you want the car first rate just figure on buying at least 75 percent of the car all over again brand new piece by piece-expensive
On the good side almost all of the parts are out there and available.
If you can live without a show stopper and are pretty handy you can repair alot of the old parts your self. You can go to swap meets and scrounge around with patience and elbow grease you can have a nice car in the end and not mortgage the farm. Depends on WHAT YOU WANT!
Restoring a car is like working on old plumbing. You start at one end of the pipes and by the time you get to the other end you have replaced everything!
Depends also on what you start with? I don't have alot of money so my cars are always a little rough when purchased.
I am like the horse running circles in a round barn looking for a corner to SH*& in!(Optamist) Sometimes you are money ahead if you spend a little more get a project someone has not finished

I am very confident from experience with this answer
 
i agree with blue missle have a plan. have a vision, put it on paper and put some numbers to it. if you go with what it costs is what it costs it can get out of control. i have been working on my 68 dart for three years and no end in sight. by the end i will spend close to 30 to 35 000 on it. the big chunk was body. i can do any thing but body work but i could still remove every nut and bolt to get it ready. i did trades for parts and services, and it all saves. just do not get discuraged
 
I dn't mean to discourage you but I relate to your question. Not to many years ago I realized i could not afford my car hobby if I paid everyone to do the work. I started learning: bought a welder, took welding classes, read books, welded stuff, Paint: bought painting eqiupment, autobody equipment, took a class, painted the dogs *** made freinds with an old body man. Join a car club and you will find alot of people that want to help you. Nobody no's more than older hot rodders-listen!
I just painted my first tri-color paint and i screwed up a little bit but now I have to correct the sand through. LEARNING and the next tri-color will be better!!!
I have so much respect for people that try and do there own work even though sometimes its not always the best but thats OK!
MY friend has a killer Roadrunner he had built and never broke a nail! I rather talk to the guy with al little orange peel or fish eye and built his car himself late at night with the dog and Bruce Springsting (soapbox please) maybe some BEER
 
I have an easy 35K in my car... It's just about complete now... I wish I could have done more hands on my i'm just not skilled enough, so I wrote the checks for just about everything on my car.
 
I agree completely with those who have said, don't put a number on it. Every time I do a project the only numbers I think in are how much of a paycheck can go into the car and how much has to go into bills and living.
I'm nowhere near loaded, hell I barely get by. if i don't know how to do it I have to figure it out.
Keep mental lists, one for have to haves for the car, want to haves, and wish. And realize that the needs will take forever to get, the wants you might get lucky on craigslist or FABO but don't get your hopes up, and its great to dream about the wish list as long as you know when to wake up.
If you don't take it one small project at a time it will get over whelming and it will be just another started project being sold on craigslist.
anything is possible, as long as you find ways to do what you want instead of getting caught up in this american check writing mentality.
 
I am able and willing to do as much work to the car myself as I can. I understand that in the end of the build its not about who's is the best its about your hard work and efforts to get to finish it and that's what I wanna do and have already started I am slowly converting the interior from green to black. Just three days ago on my way up to san Francisco I met Karen on here parting a duster out and picked up a nice dash pad for 40, last yr I drove 4 hrs round trip to pick up a front bench seat with the split black very nice for 125 I met him threw craigslist. Those are some examples of what ive got so far I do drive this a couple day a week it has a fresh 318 I built my self ex the machine work that took one yr and next month I plan on getting a b body 8 3/4 rear from the mopar spring fling and swap that into the duster. An a body one is too expensive lol then my next project would be from auto to 4speed swap so as I do these little projects one at a time I think will be much easier and better then all at once cause I can still drive it and save up for a next little project then the last project would be disassemble and paint.
 
right-on Duster 731 exactly. Nice duster. I failed miserably at upholstery
check out autobody101 if anybody wants to learn how to do body work and paint cd's are great!
I bought a SEARS paint gun and got some fenders from the junk yard and had a blast one summer.
Get friendly with your local Autobody store and ask for cheap odds and ends(paint) Fun!!!
 
If you have the cash GREAT I am not knocking that all. I was just trying to let him know if you want it bad enough there alternatives. A PEP post if you will- encouragement
 
If you have the cash GREAT I am not knocking that all!!! I was just trying to let him know if you want it bad enough there alternatives. A PEP post if you will- encouragement
 
tooslow said:
right-on Duster 731 exactly. Nice duster. I failed miserably at upholstery
check out autobody101 if anybody wants to learn how to do body work and paint cd's are great!
I bought a SEARS paint gun and got some fenders from the junk yard and had a blast one summer.
Get friendly with your local Autobody store and ask for cheap odds and ends(paint) Fun!!!
Click to expand...

I hear you that's the next skill I need to learn is body and paint lol then I'm good to go
 
Learn and buy tools for bodywork. I was lucky on my 70 Duster, as I owned it from new. 1/4 panel, 600; trunk pan 200, not factory; Misc parts, 500.
welder, and all that, 2000. Drive train, I build most here, but dana 60 and 4 link parts, 2000; trans, 800. Shifter, ignition etc, 1000. Engine , with parts and machining, 4000 min. primer,etc, shooting the interior, 400. Probably have over 1000 hours in it, and still on jackstands.
Helping a buddy on a 69 Charger; we did the bodywork, and most of the mech; after paint, he will be lucky to have it for $20000, and he had the car already. It is a love for having something that will kick ***, looks good, and nobody else can run to the store and buy one. I'm 60 years old, and some old ladies know I'm about to take it off the jackstands, and just run the mock-up M/T street slicks. They all want to ride. (these things are girl magnets)
Seriously; do your own bodywork, we can help. Lot of $ saved.
 
yes learn learn learn, im still learning, im mostly broke so my projects are always rough but i get my jewels every now and then, i have a 78 macho pw and they dont make any parts for these other than engine parts, it took me 3 months to find a gas tank! and since im still learning i made a mistake in my haste to get the tank in, i dont think it had a float and im wondering why the gas gauge doesnt work lol, so learn, have patience, enough patience to basically forget you have it, thats wat i do. i see it in my yard everyday and at 18 i wouldve been like damnit i wanna drive it and get it done, now at 23 i just walk on past it cause i know i have no money, i do the same with my dart sitting in the garage it runs, drives and moves, on a lawnmower gas tank. so when i go to the garage i just walk on past it. helps keep my sanity and the vehicles intact cause im not running around thinking i gotta get it done, tomorrow will always be there, patience truly is a virtue. and learning is next in line, followed by practice makes perfect. you have a very nice duster lets not see it on craigslist k man?
 
Every car is different, every shop is different, as are most owners. So the result and costs are always really unknown until the project is on your doorstep. I've tried to sell complete street car packages, freshly done in any color of your choice, any engine/driveline, for $20k and gotten no response. I think that's a mix of trust issues (an I understand that), and also because most guys don't have $20K sitting around. They might have $2K, and 5K, and $4K, and $1500, at various times of the year. Then you talk to others, they end up with $20K in bodywork over 2 years...lol I've also seen some way overpriced cars from flippers that make me cringe. As individuals, we all think differently about what a "finished car" or restored car represent. Now, for the OP, if you want to do body work, don't start on your car... Do little projects for free or materials cost to get the techniques and skills built up, and the tools. If you have a place to set u pas a spray booth, you can spray. All you need are hammers, dollies, air compressor and various tools, a mig, the guns, etc. You will spend close to $5K on tools to properly equip yourself. And there's always more. More cutters for the roto-broach and spot weld cutters, discs for the die grinder and 4" grinder, more sand paper than you ever thought you'd need, and abrasive for the blaster, masking supplies, mask and filters, you name it. And you havent gottent eh weatherstrips, paint seal kit, paint and prep stuff, stel panels as needed. It all adds up. Also, many body shops won't paint if they don't do the steel and blocking. Because the spraying is easy, the work underneath is what makes the quality look good.
 
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