How much are you guys spending on restoration?
 

My 68 Camaro is "under construction" for the last 2 years. I can't do the bodywork mysellf so I have someone doing this for me. First I had body man #1. Then we started argu-ing about things. Now it is at body man#2. I am very satisfied with his approach and quality but he works really slow. I is not his work, he just does this as a side job after work hours.
It will take at least an other 3-4 months before it is ready for paint.

The only thing that keeps me motivated are the pictures of Steven Rupp's 69 Camaro. That is my big example. That is how my 68 should look like!

My Camaro has been done body off and restoration was done in a rotissery.
the following welding/bodywork has been done:
- new quarters (left and right)
- new door skins (left and right)
- new rear panel.
- restoring the old left fender
- customizing the lower valance panel with 69 turn lights
- welding up the heater opening in the firewall to make a smooth firewall
- welding up the holes in the floorpans, partly welding in new floorpans
- welding up the holes in the rear window panel (between rear window and trunk)
- lots of small welding jobs which take many hours to complete (like tailoring the gaps between the doors, hood and trunk, etc, etc.)

I already spend $ 10.000,- (including the sheetmetal and primer paint etc.)and an other $5.000,- will come for making the car ready for paint (sand blocking it an straighten it out with bondo and putting on the primers).
Paintjob will be at least $ 4.000,- so the total for restoration will be around $20.000,- .........
I am not even talking about the wheels (Intro's), suspension (airride), brakes (wilwood) and all other parts I bought.........
pfffff, now I really have to keep the car forever because I am never going to get that money back.

It seems that I will be spending twice my budget and it takes about twice the time I calculated...

what do you guys spend on your restorations?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...o/IMG_0151.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ro/leftq12.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...-3-2007086.jpg

Yep as Stielow and many other trusted builders say, do your budget and then double it! Sad but that's what it takes! In my case I have more than doubled my pipe dream budget...but as usual I have added many things along the way as well.

Most of us don't build these for resale...your not alone!! But if someone wants to step up with a BIG check, things seem to happen!! :_paranoid

I spent alot of time researching parts and putting together a spreadsheet before even buying a car. Having a background in cars helped me think of almost all of the pieces needed and what decisions had to be made. The real problem is once you get to that part of the project and you see something you just have to have ....well. Mine is well over my original budget but most of that is due to changes in my builder for the better and not knowing how to tell myself no! I would say twice your budget and twice the time is right on the money for most. To me once you have the car on a certain level you just have to build the car right and make the investment. Otherwise the car just doesn't look complete and professionally built.

I was told to think of a budget , then double it! I will probably triple it by the spring...lol :wow: I keep adding things that I want done.The way I see it , if I already spent more than I thought I would, I might as well make the car what I want.

That a boy Vinnie.:unibrow: You can't take it with you.

I agree. Once you get to a certain level of the build the car takes on it's own personality and will most deffinatly tell you what it wants/needs, and always help spend your money!!

My car doesn't have a project name, BUT it does talk to me! Perhaps too many late nights? :_paranoid

No you can't..lol

I couldn't agree more. Well said. :thumbsup: My car told me I need a cage,harness, and you might as well mini tub if you got the grinder and welder out.:unibrow:

haha wow I had planned on a simple 15k restoration...the chassis I am getting for the car now, costs more than that...the project takes a mind of it own at some point...

Everyone seems tight lipped.
 

I'm building a 69 Torino so my costs are different. I spent $3k on an RRS front kit coilover strut kit with disc brakes and another $900 for the rear discs. Then $200 on rebuilding my rear springs and $175 on some Koni rear shocks. Then another $400 on caltracks. I have another $600 slotted for a watts link set up from FaysII, oh yea add in all stainless brake and feul lines for another $200 and a new Willwood maste cylinder for $200 plus $75 to rebuild my stock power booster. So for suspension and brakes I'm onto the car for $5750. I rounded up and down some on my figures but that is pretty close. I spent $800 on a detroit locker third member and some new axles along with another $100 on stripping and painting my rear housing. Then $1200 on a used low mile Tremec TKO 600 plus $300 for a flywheel and another $400 for the clutch and throughout set up. I still need to build a new driveshaft. So from the motor back I'm into it for roughly $3000. Now I started with a virtually rust free body with no major bodywork to be done. My freinds dad is a body shop owner and He is going to paint my car for $7000 but that includes my sweat equity stripping off all the trim and doing a lot of paint stripping and prep work. What am I up to right now around $16000. I have a strong running motor in the car that I spent some dough on. About $2500 for head work, cam, ignition, oil pan but using the unkown milage short block. The end game includes an all aluminum FE motor (not the cheapest route but the route I want to go) The 600hp will cost me at least 10 grand with me doing a lot of the work. Keep in mind that I have done all the dissasembly, cleaning and assembly work on my car so far. I spent a cheap $700 on some custome 17" rims from a local manufacturer and another $600 on some Firestones 245 45 17 and 285 40 17. Relatively cheap $1300 rolling stock. Once the paint is on I'll be into the car for $20,000 and by the time I build the new motor and finish all the interior, exhaust and stereo I'd say I'll have $35,000 into the resto/modification of this car and that is with me doing the majority of the work. I guarentee nobody will buy my 69 Torino for that and then there is still what I bought the car not added into that cost. Everyone seems to want a first generation camaro just look at all of them on this site. If you decide to bail out you'll see a lot more money back then me. To me this is a hobby not a business proposition. The fun I have in tearing the car down installing parts, flogging the car, tearing it apart again, installign something else, floggin it again and eventually ending up with a really unique car that performs well is money well spent. Do you feel any better or worse now?

Do like I do...switch jobs every 18 -36 months, negotiate a healthy signing bonus, save your vacation (so your company has to cut you a check), don't tell the wife about the bonus and vacation check, and then go buy lots of parts! Just kidding...but it does work! :D

If you think thats expensive you should build a mopar holy crap I'm a true gm guy but I came across a cuda that I couldnt pass up. I just sold my 69 camaro its the blue and silver on on the left of the home page and I already spent more on the cuda's parts than I spent on the whole camaro and that not including the price of the cuda, I still have wheels and tires, gauges and some interior stuff, so just be glad your building a camaro, when the cudas done I'm going back to gm. So if you plan on selling these cars I think the only way is to do mostely everything yourself or have some talented friends. good luck

Every project is different. I'm 6 1/2 years into mine.
I have changed directions several times during the process.
I have been told way more than once that I'm a perfectionist.
I really don't think that's totally true.:D I just don't wan't a halfassed job.:thumbsup:
So I'm doing it myself,saving money, buying some really cool guy tools and learning a great deal along the way.

You will know the answer to your question when you are done.:cheers:

if you plan it correctly you can actually do it somewhat cheaply..(?) whatever that means.. i bought my camaro about 8 years ago for 6800 and sold the motor out of it for 3000 so i was 3800 into the car, and it was pretty rust free so i didnt have to replace any panels and i was able to do the paint myself for about 2500 (just materials really).. i figure when its done it will cost me about 20K to build it with some pretty nice parts. I built the 4 link myself similar to the art airbar for about 700 in materials, and am using CPP's big brake kit, and bought a 9" ford off of craigslist that was already narrowed with custom axles and stuff like that, i just try to wheel and deal my way into what i need. Sometimes i buy parts i know i dont need so i can trade them for stuff i do need and save a bit of money.. find people who rebuild tranny's that trade for parts or beer.. that type of thing..

Good thread!
 

Interesting thread.
Will be following closely as I hope I will have a '69 Camaro for a pro-tour treatment.
I know I will need more that what I am originally thinking it would cost. :_paranoid :(

Live in Australia and try to build a high end Camaro....

Car US$9,000 = AUD$16,500 landed and sitting in my yard
My car is incredibly custom
I have over $100,000 (AUD) just in parts in it.
Mind you there is $15,000 (AUD) just in shipping and tax and duties fees
I haven't worked out exchange rates fees but probably another $10K+ in those

All that and we still have only JUST started paint prep.....

and I thought I started with a realistic budget ($180K AUD). I will exceed and on forecasts by about $20-30K.

Note I do absolutely NONE of the work myself, everything is outsourced for 2 reasons (but adds a LOT of cost):
1. I have absolutely no show quality skills and I want this car to be killer quality
2. I have pretty much no time, I work very long hours

But all up, I wouldn't have it any other way, this is a once in a life time dream for me, building this car the way I wanted it from the age of 12 !!

okay mods need to delete this thread incase significant others read this!!:lol: :wow:

People always dance around in these threads, I assume because people are afraid of admitting how much they have into their cars...

I have just under 50k total into my car, including car price, all labor, all parts, everything in a spreadsheet. I don't do much of my own work except for the small stuff.

Started with a 69 z28 with a missing DZ302
Mods/Parts for the car:

ZZ502 Deluxe Crate Engine
Window Rollers Repair
Rebuild Gear Box
Electric Fan
Slotted Front Brakes
Holley Fuel Pump
Chrome Alternator/Brackets
Rewire Engine Compartment
Install Kill Switch/Shiftlight
Install Steering Wheel
New Horns
Misc Hardware/Brackets
Holley 4150 850cfm Carb
Mcleod RST Clutch
Hooker Headers
Modo Innovations Pedal Covers
QA1 Coilovers with Adjusting tool
Hotchkis Sway Bar
Window Crank Kit
Rosewood Steering Wheel Kit
Rear View Mirror
Moroso Solid Motor Mounts
Lokar Midnight Throttle Pedal
Lokar Throttle Cable Duo Pack
Driveshaft Safety Loop
Aluminum Radiator
Recaro Speed S Seats
Seat Sliders/Brackets
Schroth 5 Point Harness's
Subframe Connectors
CCW Classic Wheels/tires
Rear QA1 Shocks
Hotchkis Leaf Springs
MSD 6AL Ignition Box
MSD Pro-Billet Distributor
MSD Blaster 2 Coil
Scott Drake Convex Side Mirror
Rear Drum to Disk Brakes
Dick Guldstrand Control Arm Mod
Dick Guldstrand Track Alignment

So here you have it, a 50k pro-touring 69 camaro on somewhat of a budget.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/__OT3YJ9o9Ao/SP...0/IMG_0569.jpg

Keep in mind, my car hasn't been 'restored' cosmetically and I don't see why many people feel the need, especially if the car is driven as hard as they're built it to run. I'll be happy with a driver paint job I don't have to worry about while spinning out at Laguna Seca.

lol i quit keeping track the day i ordered all the dse suspension quadralink minitub speed kit 3 connectors everything and thats the same day the budget went out the ol window. i'm just lucky enough to be able to do it all myself that saves a bunch .

im currently at 28K, needs paint and interior needs finishing. And i still need to build my rear suspension.

built 289
built C4 auto

i did all the work myself. except for engine machine work. It has also been a 9yr project

I have spent 10k already and you can't tell where it went. Doing a little math I need about 20k more to finish the car with comprimises. If I don't compromise on anything I am probably looking at 40k more. Sounds like alot but my car is still a very basic build with mostly bolt on stuff. I have the body and frame seperated now and am dying to get it back together. I should of listened to my buddies and kept it running and made my upgrades one at a time until I had it done mechanically and tested. Then tear it down for ground up redo.

Almost $500 and it is nearly ready for paint.

I think these topics are loaded questions, That cannot be answered on a level playing field. Or the guy with 10 billion dollars into his car, becomes the no talent jack ass that everyone says they never want to be like.

So here is my take, The worst thing you can ever do is find out what true quality and craftsmenship is. Although it is great and fabulous, Sub par products become junk. The more detail oriented you are the more things have to be right. I remember when I could go to a local car show and be absolutely excited about just seeing custom cars. Now I go and can spot misaligned doors from 10 miles away and I constantly say things like that car is nice but. I don't go out there to knit pick everybody stuff, but the flaws just stick out more as my eyes more and more trained.

Now before I get slung up on the cross and everyone thinks I'm an snob over other peoples cars. Let me give you and example. So lets say I'm raised in a home where my mom cooks dinner every night, and for the first time when I'm say 15 I eat my first meal out side the house and it is the most amazing food. For 15 years I have though I knew what good food was, sure I had never seen or eaten anybody elses food, but the food mom cooked was good, I thought. Well I eat this first meal and I go back home and eat a meal cooked by mom again and all I notice is what I'm not getting in the food I knew and thought was so good for all those years.

Cars are the same way, once you see good Chrome work up close, Your screwed, once you see a straight black car, your screwed. Once you feel true Horsepower or torque, your screwed. Why do you think you see so many young kids driving hondas with not yet painted barely hanging on ground effects and they think they are "IT" cuz either they have no clue or don't care. Well you not a true car guy unless you care.

So to answer your question, you can spend as little as you want or as much as your pocket book will bear. There is no preset spending guide line. Some guys spend more money on the engine then others spend on a painted and one car that they think rules the streets.

Can you build a bad ass 69 camaro for 2000 bucks, I suppose

Can you build a bad ass 69 camaro for 2 million, I would hope so.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Ok 2 cents is over.

I think Bob Johnson said it best once when we were listening to him at a car show, the details in a build are what cost money. Like Rodger said, door gaps good chrome, hidden this and custom that, is what takes alot more time to build and finish than most people can imagine.

Rodger is right, build what you can afford and enjoy the **** out of it and if you really want it nice I'm afraid it is just going to be expensive not matter what! So just make if what you can and have a blast doing it!!

Well said. I too liked going to car shows just to see cars. I still enjoy the local cruise nights, but I am amazed by the guys with the 68 camaro with 15 inch cragers and the back space so screwed up the wheels stick out of the fenders 3 inches, giant drag shifter mounted on the floor, with the el cheapo chrome stuff on the engine. They think (along with lot of other people, the car is bad ass!) The reality check for me is that, after spending so much time on here and reading about the quality builds, I go to a cruise in and say to myself, my car might not be the quality of Jackass, or the Ring Brothers, but I don't have cubic dollars in mine either. Build to your heart and budgets content, keep an eye on the details, that DON'T cost money, using nice bolts, gaps, taking time to hide wires etc. The other thing is don't ad the receipts!

Darren

VERY WELL SAID!!!:thumbsup: :cheers:

the man asked a simple question and is getting page long answers regarding tastes, pocketbooks and details. It'd be a lot nicer if people would post a picture of their car and some numbers as to what they've spent on their projects. I guess talking about money spent is taboo in the car world as well. I searched the pro-touring/lateral G forums for quite some time before deciding to buy my camaro, and found the same answers everywhere you look.

"How much did you pay for paint?"

"Depends how much you want to spend."

That doesn't really help anybody.

Seems like when people talk about specific components/parts theres no issue to talking about price, but when it comes down to total project cost and paint/body cost, mums the word.

When it comes down to camaros specifically. I think a nice driver camaro can be built for 30k, a nice pro touring camaro for 60k, a VERY nice pro-touring camaro 90k, and a full blown show car 120k+. Fair to say?

Or am I way off the mark?

Sorry to make you read so much, but That is like asking how much for a bag of Groceries? There is no Defining answer. What is a nice camaro? I know it is might be 30 grand in parts and no labor. But the parts don't assemble themselves. If your looking for a building a 30 grand camaro go buy one that some guy built for 60 grand.

I guess I could quote another pointless saying, "If you have to ask maybe you cannot afford it".

I get what your saying, but every car has a pile of receipts. Why people bounce around the issue rather than just stating it is beyond me...

I'd LOVE to know what it takes to build a car like f-bomb or penny. I'd LOVE to know what it took to build Mule. I think most people would. All these cars eventually end up for sale eventually, so I really don't see the harm in stating how much the pile of receipts is worth.

We're not the owners, just the caretakers.

You know when i bought my car everyone said figure up how much you think you need to spend then double it. so I aimed high I'm figuring a 100k before i die and considering I'm only 21 and hoping to live a long life i have nothing but time now if i can just find the patients

Couldn't have put it any better. Well Said

The thing is I don't think any of those cars were built in that consideration. All there of thse cars were built with different agendas and by different pocket books. The receipts don't really matter any ways. A car is only worth what 2 people are willing to pay. The best way to devalue a car is to put it up for sale offically. If a guy walks up and has to have it he has to come up with enough to convince you to sell it. If you put it up for sale, you figure out a price you might be willing to get, Some guys will only sell it for what they have in it, most lose money. F-bomb and Bad Penny were both built by magazine editors and I'm sure the out of pocket money was not even close to what a regualr joe would pay. The mule probably has more money under the hood then any other single item.

All 3 are awesome cars but they take are not heavy fabrication cars, when you get into that realm it is a whole other story.

Rodger

Nice Rodger....that whole Mom's cookin really hit's home. LOL Here is my two cents on the whole deal. Since I'm on the downslope of building my first big PT build. I really think there is a point where it's just to damn nice. Do you want to be able to actually drive the car, race the car, and maybe even walk into Lowes for some hardware? Or do you want a car where you are afraid to drive it and live for car shows and SEMA. At the end of the day, it's about the experience behind the wheel for me. How damn good can I make my car ride, handle, and run. My car is damn straight and pretty detailed. It's also getting more dialed in by the minute. I'm happy to take it out and beat the crap out of it anywhere. If it gets a nick or scratch I'll just refresh it later. I'd rather have a good time than worry about what may happen. I have six figures in my car and I'm not afraid to say it. Any of these higher end builds are all over six figures. Penny is probably the only one that isn't due to the fringe benefits of the business....

Well put Vegas69.

I have always beat the tar out of the cars I have built and gotten the "what if it tears up" speech from numerous other "Car Guys". It's funny almost tragic, they think if I burn up a clutch doing burn outs, wear the tires out or get a nick in the paint that it somehow detracts form the car itself. I have a few car dudes I know that will trailer a car ten miles away from home, park in the Wal Mart and drive a half a block to a car show just to give the impression that they drove it to the show. hardy har har.

To each his own. As for me and my house, we will drive em.

Well put and you have one my favorite cars on here. I use it as inspiration often. I think we're in the BBC minority around here. :lol:

I have to agree with Rodger. Moms home cooking isn't always what it seems. And with Todd. It's about the experience.
For me, this is my first full build. By "full build" I mean total tear down and start over. I will use the stock sub frame and there won't be much if any body mods. Very little custom fabrication(only where needed). I am building the car to fit my needs and to be DRIVEN HARD.
My budget is pretty light. If I had to compare it to Payback, Mule, Penny or any of the incredible cars here, mine won't hold a candle to them. BUT, it's my car built for me, by me on my budget. It will look good. It will handle good. It will also stop good and have a truck load of power. (special thanks to all the help on the BBC questions guys. We are the minority but we can smile a little bigger when we stomp the peddal).

I guess most people here are not giving exact numbers for a few different reasons. Privacy being one. Another is that the price to build one varies so much from car to car so while you have some way into the six figure range, there are just as many well under that.

I have a budget of 45,000 that I will allow myself to spend on this project. I am sure I will lose money if I sell it someday. It is what it is. For me it's about the car AND the therapy doing the build. Not so much the price tag.

I have to think that with good planning and self control I can build a damn nice car that I will be proud to run anytime, anywhere. I won't be affraid to park it at Home Depot but also won't feel affraid to park next to a 100k+ car at a show or beat the crap out of it on the track.
Just my .02. Thanks.

This is something I dont like to think about. I started with a budget of 25k. Ive already passed that up and see no real end in sight. I came from building modern cars. If you want to loose money build one of those. Yeah odds are my build will be right around 50k. But Its nice to know the car can sit while I save for the next part on the list and not loose money. If anything it will go up.

Man this is why I look forward to reading your posts on this site. This is the TRUTH!!! If I had the money and I didnt want to challenge myself you would be building my car.

34 Years and still spending
 

I am 34 years into a project Corvette -- bought it as a $1300 parts car in 1975. I am on the 4th suspension, 3rd drivetrain, etc. My problem is that technology moves way faster than I do, so when I finish the "hot set-up", it is time to drag out the chainsaw and start over. I have thousands of dollars in "new-old parts" that never saw the road (or track), but have been removed to make room for a new modification. The good news is that it has been a labor of love, a superb engineering exercise, and a mind challenge. I have learned skills that I have applied across the full spectrum of life, and I have meet some really cool people along the way. I never kept receipts, and I couldn't (or wouldn't) guess how much money I have in it, but regardless of the cost, it has been worth it. Sometimes the value of a project car can't be measured in dollars.

Pappy

Rodger, I like your posts. No messin around. :D

I know down to the dollar (or pretty damn close) what I have in my car for a few reasons. I have an agreed value insurance policy and I like to increase that number the more money I put into the car, which I have been doing gradually over the past 2.5 years.

Like most I started with a budget ($50k LOL) and blew past that a loooong way back. But mostly because I kept adding and adding things I guess I had to have... minitub, 4 link, leather interior, hood hinges, yada yada yada.... about the only damn thing I didn't step up on was an aftermarket sub, which I know I don't need.

And I do not want a great paint job - I wanted driver quality paint only so I won't be any more worried about where I drive or park this car than I already am. This sumbitch is built to drive.


BTW, did anyone notice this thread was revived after being dead for over a year? :lol: