Realistic build cost - Lateral-g Forums

LL CUSTOM · #1 08-01-2007, 06:00 PM

Hi everybody.
As a shop owner I am always triing to keep a handel on where the market is going and how cost are influnceing what and how guy's [and gals] are building their cars. What do you feel are realistic cost's for metal and paint work, chassis fabrication's or up grade's, drive train's [engine,trans ect.]. compared to some of the other site's I go on such as www.trifive.com or say www.streetrodding.com the car's on this site for the most part are way over the top in comparative build process's. so I would really appriciate your imput.
thank's and have a great day

Larry www.llcustomperformance.com

Rick D · #2 08-01-2007, 06:48 PM

Larry I can tell you from a shop stand point it is way more than most pepole think it cost to build these car's that we all love so much. Just from fixed cost at our shop taxes are almost $30,000.00 a year

and that dose not include the patment to the bank every month. From a build cost stand point we charge $75.00 per hr and we bill t/m. We have a 69 Chevelle that will be going out the end of this week. We did a under car resto took the body off the frame sandblast prime and paint everything back to new all new parts to long story short the customer wanted to be around the $7500.00 mark just added up and to date he's at $21,000.00. Now he know where he is at with this build so there is no suprises for him and he pay as he goes. i quoted a job a couple of weeks ago the whole build minus eng and trans (he wants to do something) but mini tub quadra link wheels tire's paint stock guts but all new. He wants a show car I gave a qoute for $100,000.00. Now that does include the car also which we have. You know owning your own shop how the cost can get out of hand really quick. I'll add more later got to go give the kids a shower

LL CUSTOM · #3 08-02-2007, 06:42 AM

Rick
Thanks for the reply. I think as shop owner's anyone of us can relate to all the cost of running our buisness's. Recently I sold the big shop and am now moveing back to the old shop next to my rural home. Going from 10,000 sq ft with an in house media blast system and a down draft booth [ which I sold both pieces of equipt.] back to a 4,500 sq ft with a cross draft. is going to take some getting use to. but the shear cost of running that monster, was priceing me out of the market. lot's of potential customer's and nice prodject's ' but the market in central Wi bear's about 50.00 per hour and my accountant said it needed to be more like a 100.00 per hour.
But the reason I started this tread was to get a feel of what the average guy really thinks is a resonable price for this kind of work and what his or her expectation's are for thier investment. and hopefully a few more shop guys will pitch in and we will all come away with a more informed attitude of what can be expected all the way around.

have a great day Larry

www.llcustomperformance.com

TravisB · #4 08-02-2007, 07:21 AM

we qoute by the job get paid by the hour. hAving a car built is not for the faint at heart its get expensive real quick.

Reckley · #5 08-02-2007, 07:42 AM

I like the idea of a quote by the job.

jy211 · #6 08-02-2007, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TravisB

Having a car built is not for the faint at heart... its get expensive real quick.

Ain't that the truth!

68protouring454 · #7 08-02-2007, 08:10 AM

30-50k if you do everything yourself
60-100 if you don't, and thats a mid grade car.

Smack_talker · #8 08-02-2007, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TravisB

we qoute by the job get paid by the hour. hAving a car built is not for the faint at heart its get expensive real quick.

Thats why its usually cheaper to buy a complete car than have one built. I worked at a rod shop before and watched builds skyrocket quick.

ironworks · #9 08-02-2007, 09:28 AM

It is cheaper, but all you are buying is what somebody else wanted, and then beat up. I would rather pay more and have exactly what I want.

The price of the car is directly related to the level of creativity and craftsmanship that a shop can demonstrate. Look at Rad rides, their labor rate is 55-65 an hour. But they just built the most expensive hot rod yet with the ridler car. But those boys can throw down, if you can dream of it and pay for it they can build it. There are very few shops that charge 100 per hour where you get your monies worth. Steve Moal come to mind as a rare exception, but not to many more. Most of the guys who do really amazing work are in the 55-75 per hour for a full tilt hot rod shop. The labor rate should have to do with the tools that the shop has to speed up the fabrication process.

I had a customer of mine us a local sheetmetal guy to do the chop on his truck. They charged him for a 125 hours @ 40 dollars per hour, to chop a pick up. The quality was good, but they do not have an english wheel or planishing hammer, so the made all the filler pieces with a hammer and dolly.
We chopped a sedan a few months ago and did the whole thing in 85 hours, because we have kick ass tools that speed things up. My labor rate is 55 currently, but we could have done his truck in 85 hours. Which is 4675. He asked me when he was done and I told him we could have done it cheaper because we can get more work done in that same hour.

**Steve Chryssos** · #10 08-02-2007, 10:10 AM

When I had my front clip redone the right way, I asked for an estimate. Answer was "$75/hour". I pushed for a rough idea of total cost, response was "$75/hour". I pushed once more for a ballpark figure, the answer was "$75/hour".

I learned my lesson. Good builders don't tease you with lowball numbers and then bang you on the other end. They put in the time to do the job right and then charge you accordingly. It's painful, but so is finding out that the job cost double or triple the estimate. Only the "up front estimate" approach can lead to hard feelings.

That's why I make and sell parts for a living and build cars for fun.