Be careful here. The internet is awash with stories of guys who paid professional shops big money and got the same or worse. Paying big money to a pro is not a slam dunk either.

Are there any pro shops out there willing to give encouragement/hope to the average Joe enthusiast who can't afford to spend $250k building a car?

Don

By the way, no JB Weld on any of my cars. A little chewing gum and spit here and there, but no JB Weld....

:D

you just have to shop around and do your home work.

It didn't help that the OP listed the group of projects that he did in post #1


"I'm looking at restoring my 1968 Camaro. I love the style of some of these pro-touring builds such as Blu Balz and Frostbite although it's a Firebird. Another good one is Badmotorfinger v2.2. Also a big fan of Lou's Change.

Does anyone know approximately how much these builds cost and what's the breakdown of materials and labor?"



I've build a bunch of cars for under $60K but none will win car shows or stain a carpet at SEMA. These are what I like to call "blue collar" cars. The ones with $9,000 paint jobs, you can drive in the rain, park on the street and enjoy when they get used. No one on that list is under $90K

That is what I am talking about Vince. Sounds like the OP and the rest of the regular Joes need to get together with you. :thumbsup:

Don

I contend you are underinsured my friend. :underchair:

Who is "everyone"? Because there are all kinds of numbers being spewed about in this thread.

Way to many including myself are lured into building way to much car. It's not dissimilar to Americans chasing the Jones. I can't count how many times I spent over $1,000 on a part that would gain me a fraction of an inch. For what?

Less is more. Make the carpet match the drapes. Make it a nice driver and performer. You don't need DSE suspension or an LS7 to do it. How much time are you actually going to spend behind the wheel? From what I've seen, 1 in 10,000 have elapsed 10k on the odometer. See paragraph one for why so many stall out.

There is a time and place for these mega builds, just don't get sucked in over your head. It's not worth it from multiple angles. Build a car you can enjoy and afford!

I guess I'm just a dumbass. I built my kitchen when we remodeled our house - demo, design, built cabinets, 60 plus drawers, plumbing, etc., and then I built my car.

Unlike Dale's assumption, some of us can figure out that welding is better than JB Weld, and that a well sorted out home built car is better than something that someone who claims to be a professional might end up building for us.

Dale: arrogance =/= professional.

I second your wife's opinion! :)

Obviously people have fun in this hobby in different ways.

Some don't mind the long build time.

For others that would take the fun out of things.

I liked modding my '70 455 Buick GS convert because it stayed on the road and it was a great driver after the bigger/better wheels and tires went on combined with an updated suspension. The fun part was that it had 510 ft lbs from the factory @2800. :)

Main thing though was it was a solid driver to start with.

So if your not married to the '68, you could potentially save a lot of time and money by selling what you have and take the age-old super solid advice...'Buy the best car you can' as the right way to start a project.

Patience pay$ off big time. :thumbsup:

I perceived the OP as unknowing and honest in his question, call him naive or whatever, but I believe many on the outside that aren't in the know so to speak and really don't have a clue what it takes to achieve what they see and think is really cool. He asked an honest question and gave images of what he envisions, can't fault him for asking, and the thread is returning insight.

The majority in this day and age appear to have few mechanical skills or knowledge which leads to assumptions that are influenced by the marketing perceptions they are exposed to.

Hell........people think my car is expensive around here........compared to their C class Benz. :D

State Farm from the beginning, limited to 7,500 miles annually, $500 deductible, full coverage less towing and rental car. I also carry a $1m personal umbrella. Assessed valuation increased to $34.5K after the fire and appraisal, $13K before which almost bit me hard.

I was paying $86 per year for a long time.........felt like Super Thief. Reality is I hardly drove it..........you know what that's like. :D My daily driver for the last ten years has 120K on it, kids and age change things.