[Luiz]

Hi goat people,

Looking to restore the body on my 69 GTO. The body is not in bad shape but does need work to put it into "like new" condition.

An initial estimate I got from a local classic car restorer in Southern California amounted to $46K. I had budgeted half that amount.

Does that sound reasonable? Is it really that much? Should I shop around?

Thanks!

[Luiz]

Just to add to this. I was actually quoted $43K with $37K in labor and $6K in parts

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Luiz

Does that sound reasonable? Is it really that much?

No...but then, I don't live in California.
Seriously, impossible for anyone here to give you an idea without a better description of the issues and photos would be a huge help.

[MUSLCAH]

Originally Posted by Luiz

Hi goat people,

Looking to restore the body on my 69 GTO. The body is not in bad shape but does need work to put it into "like new" condition.

An initial estimate I got from a local classic car restorer in Southern California amounted to $46K. I had budgeted half that amount.

Does that sound reasonable? Is it really that much? Should I shop around?

Thanks!

As an old guy....been there done that....you are much better off ,buying a car already restored. Then you can turn the key and drive it tomorrow...instead of 3 years from now.....you get more bang for your buck.

[Stuart]

If we assume the shop has a $100/hr shop rate that's 370 hours of labor, but labor rates are probably higher than that in your area. Whether that's too much or not enough will depend on how much work is needed, and if they do the final finish to just an OK level, or to a concours level.

As far as that goes, their quote should really only be an order of magnitude estimate - there's no way for them to know exactly how much work will be required until they strip the car down to bare metal.

[getmygoat]

I was quoted $40k in San Diego just for a paint job. Clean, California car with original paint so not a rust bucket at all.

Not sure what is included in your $46k. Is this a frame off? Interior resto included in that price?

[Luiz]

Thanks Mulcah, but this goat has sentimental value as I bought it as my first car when I was 16 and now I am 50 and finally have a little money to make improvements. So buying a new goat and selling this one is not an option.

From the estimate, which is too big of a file to attach, says 324 hours at an average of $114/hr, so about $37K in labor

. There is $22,750 just in paint work alone, with the remainder being disassembly, media blasting, chrome, weather stripping, polishing, felts, parts.
The body is not in bad shape right now, very little visible rust, paint is decent, some scratches and dings.

[bdk1976]

I'd consider the following:

DIY

Shipping the car to a well respected painter/restorer outside of commiefornia.

[MUSLCAH]

I don’t fall in love with my cars....that’s the problem with people. Your going to have more than twice as much money into it ...than it’s worth. In this case....it’s not cheaper to keep her...lol. But if you got the flow...it’s a go.

[MUSLCAH]

Originally Posted by bdk1976

I'd consider the following:

DIY

Shipping the car to a well respected painter/restorer outside of commiefornia.

I think there are some Amish guys in Indiana doing Resto work....Iam serious too.

[Verdoro 68]

What is the scope of the estimate? Full ground up nut and bolt restoration? Just Paint & body? How about interior, chassis/suspension and engine? $6k in parts seem light to me. You'll also probably end up with a final cost at least 1/3 more than the estimate.

IMO, being in California doesn't really have much to do with the price. If you drop a fully assembled car off at a shop to do a resto, that's a pretty time intensive operation. There's a lot of variables depending on the depth of work and products their using. $22k for paint and body may be a little on the higher end, but it's not totally out of the ball park. Also consider that a shop is likely going to farm out work like upholstery which is going to up your cost.

If you are hands on, consider what work you'd be willing to do yourself. For example, disassembling and stripping the car for paint at home then reassembling would save you a couple thousand. Likewise, pulling the interior, ordering parts, and finding an interior shop on your own would whittle down the cost too.

That's my two cents, anyway. I've rarely had a large chunk of change to invest in my car at one time so I've had to get crafty about restoring it. Then again, I also enjoy getting my hands dirty.

[einstein]

Maybe inquire abour hourly rates elsewhere in well-established restoration shops in the midwest or lower cost-of-living areas out west. If you can find shops who perform similar quality work for 60 or 80 bucks per hour, it may be worth shipping you car and a couple plane trips.

[1969 Ram Air]

Shop around and find a guy who does body work and paint on the side. Ask to look at some cars he has painted. If you don't need a lot of metal work, you should be able to get it done for $10-$15k. That's body work and paint only. You can do the rest yourself.

[Scott Thelander]

drive it and enjoy it !!!!!

spend the money on making it safe and dependable and DRIVE the tires off it !!!!!

new tires if yours are over 5 years old.... brakes ... radiator ..lubes .... etc .....

it looks great !!! nothin wrong with patina and a little bling here and there ,,,
it shows it get used and enjoyed,,,,,, I respect that alot ....

nice paint jobs are a pain in my AZZ to have around ..... let alone use and store ..... cats dogs kids birds dust n dirt

just my opinion of course .....

if you do have it done ... dont give deposits ... or just buy the materials .... I have seen many cars be held hostage in paint shops
for years .... with the country slowly opening back up this fall ... "I" feel shops will take in all kinds of work and many large projects
will be put on the back burner .... as stated above there are gentleman in the business ... but ,,, there are alot of salesmen also ..

just remember ... it often takes twice as long as they quote or more.... and you will miss driving it for 2 years ... at least ...

Scott T

[Brewster]

I agree with Scott 100%. I enjoy looking at original or older cars then I do restored ones. Enjoy it but IF you do restore her count on adding time and coin. Their just like a house in that sense if not worse.
Cheers

[76TA462]

Just my long winded 2 cents, and we know what opinions are good for :>). I understand where you are coming from. I bought my car when I was 22, and am now 62. Car was beat on way back when, was at my marriage, did tire smoke shows with my kids, Dad helped me with things along the way and taught me. etc. That has value and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. The car now is pretty, strong and functional as I chipped away over the last decade. It could have been done sooner but life gets in the way. Decided to make it stronger, dependable and also safe enough to hand off. I am a home garage guy so did my own detailing and interior. But I had the car stripped and painted and re-decaled (76 TA) by a real pro whom I have known forever, so trusted. Same for the engine. For more fun and driveability I did the EFI thing, coil over, lowering, Wilwood etc. and it is a real hoot. Okay. Cost. I spread it out. Is it worth what I put into it? Not sure, probably not but within reason, and because I spread it over a few years, I don’t really care. Is it cheaper to buy a finished project – from my experience yes, but that is moot for you, me and other’s like minded. It’s a hobby thing isn’t it? Your quote, I have no idea what it covers and what needs to be done. It does sound dear if you are looking at the body only, assuming it isn’t a total cheese factory. But for sure, as we have all or mostly all experienced, there will be surprises and they aren’t free. So, check around, focus on what your really want, use someone you really trust and don’t look back. It will never be financially effective, or almost never, especially when outsourcing. If you focus on body only, and have a pretty good understanding of its weakness, maybe go for the body work and paint based on a really good job but not frame off (unless the framed is f—d), and drive it saving some paint for the inevitable chips of being a driver. If it is to be a show piece, then ignore everything I wrote.

[north]

When I repaint a rustfree and straight car (just needing dings and little dents straightened) it costs me between $12-25k for labor and paint and supplies. The going rate here is about $50 an hour. The low end is for a car that doesn't need the jams repainted and the higher end is for a car that the front clip comes apart to detail things like all the jams, front tubs, rad support etc.

Now this is at a body shop (a very good one) not a full resto shop. They don't have the expertise or the space to do full resto's. They do very nice work but I deliver them a car with all the trim removed and I do my own re-install of the emblems, chrome trim, interior, weatherstrip etc.

I agree with the comments on shopping around, big cities, especially in California where the government has made doing business brutally expensive is not the place to go.

[rwfisher]

Assuming this is NOT original Paint on the car now?? If it is, do what you need to do to keep it drivable / reliable and pass it on when your gone if the sentiment is there. At 50, you probably have better things to throw $50k at and unless it has some really unique options, the value post work just won't be there (Except to you of course).. At 60, I'm in the same boat with my 69 TA but it aint going anywhere.....

[Stuart]

Some people are happy with what is called patina these days, others prefer a car that looks like new or better. I fall mainly in the second camp, and have found it's not that hard to maintain a car with a real nice paint job - you just have to be a little more careful about where you park and how you wash and wax the thing.

If you determine that's the going price for what you want, and you have the funds, go for it. There was a recent discussion about spending more on a car than what it's worth if you were to sell it, and many people responded saying how they spent the money for their enjoyment and not for investment purposes. There's nothing wrong with that, if it's your choice. After all, people spend all kinds of money on other hobbies (golf, skiing, going on cruises, etc.) and they have nothing to show for it at the end; with a car, you will still have something you can enjoy for years to come.

[MUSLCAH]

I like the drivers.....and I don’t judge....some cars look better untouched....and don’t have to worry about them