700-1000 hours for everything including fabrication, paint, and body. If you're doing a high end really detailed show quality car. If several people are working on it at once, then divide the hour total by the number of people. You'll be close.


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Poster said he is keeping the paint on it now.

What kind of times are you seeing from the shop that can start in May?

You didn't read anything did you?

LET ME RESTATE- no body paint beyond necessary for suspension and firewall work and I am not looking for a SEMA car. I want a versatile street car that can outperform most modern cars on the street or the track should I find an opportunity to track it. I am also looking to drive it to events, the power tour, etc and not load it in a trailer and haul it to a show.

Estimation based on another build they did, where they did not do the paint (but did do some body mods and it was a convertible so they did some work on the top) was 668 hours. He felt it would be less due to no convertible top or body work at all other than the firewall, mini-tubs, and suspension, but not much.

My thought was that it was closer to 300-350 hours worth of work. The real number will likely lie somewhere between my number and his, I just didn't know how much more or less. That's why I came here.

Rebelceb, are you on the east coast? Just wondering due to shop hourly rates being so different from East coast to West coast.
Looking forward to seeing your car finished. It will be a beast!

Not sure I qualify as the East Coast. I'm in MS, so I guess that qualifies as the Gulf Coast and east of the MS River. The shop I have been talking to is in Tennessee, though. Most other shops I have talked to are in the $90-$95/hr range.

Wow.... Please don't start this project. Just drive the car as is and enjoy it.

https://lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=50766
Just an example, asking $110k with well over $185k into the build......

My suggestion, enjoy the restored 69 you've got while you look for the finished, or mostly finished car that's in your head. I know it's not what you were originally asking but it's worth looking into.
Clearly you're wanting to enjoy the finished product, why deal with the hassle of a long term build?

Good luck with it.
:thumbsup:



p.s. Don't do it

Ryan gets excited jumps from the couch and makes a HUGE bowl of popcorn a few beers and a pillow ...might have to nap....slides back onto the couch and opens his beer . Grabs a handful of popcorn and silently watches what seems to be a sh#t storm starting

You have no idea how much knowledge is on this website. That's why we're trying to help you. We've been there and done that. Some of us dozens of times. You asked a very good question - stated the scope of work - and you've gotten very good responses. They are honest, unbiased, and come from experienced people in the business, or in the hobby for many years. We can argue about who what when and how much over and over... but what YOU need to take away from the discussion is - whatever you think you want this job to cost - it's going to cost way more. Just be prepared for that and you'll be fine. If you're not prepared or willing to do whatever it takes/costs... then just don't start the project because you will be disappointed. This hobby should be called "can of worms" because that's what it is. Every builder on here will tell you that.

Your Camaro looks great as is... and it may be the most solid 47 year old Camaro on the planet - but we're trying to warn you of the pitfalls of what we've all experienced. That's the best we can do.

Stick around - go thru the builds here - just start in the Projects section. Sort that section by "views"... start with page one of any of the projects you pick and go thru the thread. You'll see dozens of perfectly good cars start off with simple (some not so simple) "mods"... Look and see how many truly nice looking cars get started and then the "discovery period" and the "oh wow" unfolds as the owner finds out his pretty paint is covering over some pretty nasty 47 year old ugliness... See how weeks or months turns into YEARS... see how simple turns into SEMA.... See how perfect laser straight bondo is hiding sink holes of time and money. Then when YOU are ready - take yours to the shop. It's exciting - it's fun - it's satisfying - it's camaraderie - it can be lasting friendships... It's not for the light of wallet - the faint of heart - the married with children - or the guy that thinks it's easy and cheap.