How long have you been working on your Pro touring car?

[kevin_l]

Originally Posted by 69hugger

I am so in awe of you guys with the focus & tenacity to dig into a project that takes years to complete. I have such a short attention span (ADD, ADHD, or whatever else they call it these days), I could never build a car from the ground up & actually complete it. Especially the fab & body work... they would never get done. I would gather parts, change my mind, sell the parts for a loss, buy new parts, etc. I know some of that that goes on with lots of guys, but I would be out of control. After a couple years, I would abandon the whole thing.
I do love trick cars, so I CAN however, buy a complete car, then change things to update and re-create it to my current taste. Which is what I did. Took 5 minutes to buy it, but all this winter to tear it all apart & freshen things up.
Instant gratification. I don't get quite the same pride factor you guys must feel, but I know myself well.
Here's to you guys that can start with a rusty hull & end up with a complete, well running, great handling show piece.
I am truly envious!

Bill

I think this (adhd) is part of my problem, I bought a done 65 chevelle, but when people asked me if I built it telling them no made me feel strange. I've always worked on cars, know a little about each aspect of building one, but I have never tackled a ground up. So I sold the chevelle and started my nova build. Like you said, I often think about selling it and wish I did things differently, however I think the end result will be worth the wait. So after reading how long many "Joe's" take to build these badass rigs gives me the motivation to hurry up and wait! lol

[SSLance]

My Motto is... "buy the body, build the drivetrain"

Much easier and faster that way.

[MeanMike]

Originally Posted by SSLance

My Motto is... "buy the body, build the drivetrain"

Much easier and faster that way.

I agree. Paint is the single most expensive thing you can do to a car. I paid less for my car (body and interior) than it cost to paint it.

I've been converting mine from drag to Pro-Touring for about 10 months and it will be a couple more taking it easy. But the whole project has been going one for over 4 years now.

[66fury]

Ive passed the ten yr mark on my build. Owned the car since 86 and mid way through a rebuild in 2004 just to freshen up a resto i completed in 93,i decided to pull it all apart and do better. Did it all in my garage except motor and trans.i hope to make goodguys kissimmee in april.

[Tony V]

There's a reason why i called mine "eternity".....13 yrs ago i was dating my wife and she helped me remove the seats because i was going to update them and some minor suspension parts.....well safely to say a marriage and 3 kids I missed a couple milestones and blew my $30K budget out of the water. looking at a realistic roll out in 2017 but haven't given up....

[GregWeld]

I've built and or body off complete restorations many cars in less than a year and a half.... but you asked about "average joe"... and I'm not average because I'm retired and have ample finances.

The killer I think for most of these builds "time wise" is the finances. It's hard to move forward without having the parts at hand -- or the tools required. How can you build something if you don't have the parts laying right there to continue to move forward?

Factor this in - with the average amount of hours required... 1500 to 2000 hours?? That's the amount of hours a guy works in a year (at 40 hours a week)... So unless you can work full time - and then come home and work another complete full time job on the car... there's no way a guy can get it done. More like 4 years worth of part time and on the weekends and even then you're going to spend a LOT of time in the garage away from family etc.

The rebuild of my brother in laws Camaro - which essentially was a full build - took TWO GUYS 16 months.... with an unlimited budget and every tool required already on hand. It took even longer then for the paint and upholstery.

[andrew5]

Originally Posted by kevin_l

Thanks guys, you're making me feel normal! Can't tell you how many nights I've laid in bed thinking of all the spent money, wondering if I should just sell it thinking it and cut my losses. Aside from some frame straightening everything has been done in my 2 car garage. Loads of overtime pay for the parts, can't imaging paying labor too! I love working on cars, but I've never been this far over my head in a project. It's scary thinking about all the unknowns, but with forums like this I am hopeful we'll get it done. Some day!

i'm on year 5 and should be completing by this spring or early summer.it's a long road!

[pro68chevelle]

Iv been working on my 68 Chevelle for about 3 1/2 years and hoping to paint this spring and get some testing in before next winter but now I'm changing my suspension again!

[69hugger]

Just my little project... freshen the motor, new heads/ cam/ bearings/ and rings... new radiator/ fans... redo the fuel tank... clean up & redo some of the wiring... and detail the inner fenders & rad support will take 3-4 months, and I am retired. Every day I discover I need a new tool, and/ or small parts needed to do the job correctly. Let's not even figure in the project creep. How do you not replace clutch parts while the motor/ trans is out?
These days you don't just run down to the store for a lot of this stuff...you have to go online. (Where do you buy Weaherpack or Metripack connectors locally? There are dozens of types!) Then you wait 2 days to a week to proceed. The little crap runs me $30 to $50 PER DAY! The freight charges add up too!
Even more impressive if you are in some type of auto trade, then come home & start on your deal. (got permagrease?) When do you watch Overhaulin & Bitchin Rides?
Again....a ground-up on a rusted hulk? Not this cowboy.
You that can & do...I salute you!

Bill

[dhutton]

It typically takes me 1.5 to 2 years to complete a project but they are usually limited to rust repair/panel replacement and bolt in mods. They are not SEMA or track bound. I do all the work including paint so I am never waiting on anyone but myself. This also helps control the cost because I can't afford to pay someone significantly more than I make to do significant amounts of work on my car. Each project is financed through the sale of the previous project. I order long lead-time parts well in advance to keep things moving along. I also order parts Sunday night to insure they are available the following weekend. Summit is great for this because you can check inventory.

I am two months into my current 69 Camaro project. The new floor and trunk floor are modified for the AME IRS and installed along with minitubs. The rear subframe is installed. I am currently installing/stretching the rear quarters. The Speartech LSA harness and 6L90E should ship this week so I will be able to figure out what sort of tunnel mods are needed. When they arrive I will order the crate engine. Anvil leadtimes can be long so I ordered the fenders etc well in advance. All I am waiting on is the rear bumper. I am constantly watching for deals on parts that I know I will need. I just picked up some new Recaro seats from a 2015 Z28 that were being swapped out for more race oriented seats.

As stated in the post above I find the key to keeping the timeframe reasonable is a realistic plan and finances in place or at least planned.

Don