Restoration poll
 

I'm curious as to who in this forum has done their own restoration?

Drew

I have done three personal vehicles and worked on countless others with my group. I'm currently working on a 1968 Lemans. Attached are two of the three cars I have restored (68 GTO & 79 TA). The light blue 68 Lemans I picked up last year and I'm just starting to dig into it. ... and NO I'm not going to make it a "GTO Clone". Plans are for a pump gas mid 12 second car (in drive) that can be driven daily (which will not happen) Color/interior to be stock.

The first two I did was about 12 years ago, and I still have them I,ve since started my own biz and have done dozens. Love it, not to mention I,m self employed!

i do my own also and some customer work.

mike

I restored a couple of cars in the early 80's and did a few in the 90's...none in this Century.

Mike

In the middle of one now
 

in the middle on one right now.

'70 GTO frame-off, farmed out a few big things, but everything else is all me.

Doing a 70 post tempest now first frame off. I teach high school shop have all the equip. to do it. Just put the powdercoated frame,steering,susp. back in these things are easy would love to do more if not 1 per year. Mine or others kids dig it and are good at it.

I have done a ground up restoration on a 70 1/2 ram air 3, m20 formula (Shaker455ho has seen it) 73 y code trans am. I am currently restoring a 74 sd trans am with a 72 trans am in waiting. I also have an all original 72 lemans sport vert with t41, 400 4bl and m22, that I got from the original owner. Not sure what the plans are for that car at this point. It has it's original revere silver paint. It would be a shame to paint it although it does need it. I am building a portfolio and will be offering restoration services in the future.

I did most of mine. Engine rebuild was farmed out because I don't have the necessary tools and equipment. Also I struggled with a new headliner so I had that professionally done. I did the rest.

I have been restoring my 70 GTO for about a 1.5 yrs. I have done everything accept the motor which I bought a 70 455 off a PY member ready to go and I will send the frame, suspension pieces and radiator support in for sandblasting and powdercoating. Other than that I've done and plan on doing everything else.

In the past 7 years, my Dad & I (with some help from good friends here and there) have done frame-on resto's on a 70 Lemans Sport 400/auto,72 W30 Olds, a 71 GTO, a 69 Firebird 350HO, and the most recent was Dad's Nordic Silver 71 T-37 400 4spd, which was our first frame-off, and is the Jan/Feb cover car for Pontiac Enthusiast Magazine.
We're just a bathroom project(my house)away from starting the next resto for my brother, a 69 Chevelle 427 COPO clone, built for the Pure Stock Musclecar Drags.

On our Resto's, we have handed the painting duties over to my good friend Bryan Bottger, who is the painter at the Downs Design division of Legend Motorsports,formerly known(before the merger) as Downs Manufacturing in Lawton Michigan.

Have fun with your resto's guy's, they can be both very frustrating, and rewarding. You just have to trudge though the time,labor,blood,sweat,tears before the reward.
I get sidetracked quite easily,and I can lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel,almost growing to Hate the car before completion. But once you get the first compliment's, it's all worth it. Funny thing, that line between Love/Hate.

agree with previous post, you must keep the vision. (and a lot of little plastic bags with labels and parts:D ).helps if you can do something everyday. even if it's as small as cleaning your choke housing, keeps things moving. did numorous body and paint before I began to tackle complete resto's. been a hobby for me over the years. have yet to pull a body off the frame, but sure that will come. have installed full floor pans,trunk pans,full interiors, 1/4r's etc.....like some others, I farm out drive train components to those who are more qualified. I am looking forward to father daughter projects for both my girls when they near driving age. here are 2 of my most recent completions.

Got started in my pontiac addiction in 88 and have restored (3) GTO's conv. 68 69 70 and (4) firebirds conv. 67 68 2 of each. I have more fun working on the cars then driving them. Now looking for 67 or 68 Turquoise paint and interior 400 conv. #'s matching or blue paint and interior.

I bought my 1969 gto 4 speed convert when i was 14 and have had it over 3 years and restored it myself. I found everything very enjoyable but i wish i was able to paint better.

im doing mine now a little over a year and at te painters hoping to have back in april

I've found that learning how to do restoration work has been one of the most personally rewarding things I've done. The fact that I'll have a really cool car when it's finished is like an added bonus. I think car restoration might be addictive, though. I'm already thinking about my next project!http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/closeup.mv?CarID=870

I have painted a few over the years but havent recently. I send my engines and trannys out for rebuild but everything else I do myself. I have recently redone a 64 SS impala then 65 cat convert then 72 GTO then 70 GTO, Along with more minor stuff on a corvette and a lemans plus my truck. I am itching for another but I GOT NO SPACE

ive been doing all mine my self. from taking it apart to blasting and painting the parts down to all the engine suspenion work and little things in between. all thats really left besides a few small things is the body/paint and interior

I can't take much credit for the restoration. I found the car, hired a restoration body shop. My job was to locate all the parts and pay all the bills. The mechanics, paint, body and interior people did what they do best.
I did learn alot about cars as I spent at least 2 to 3 hours a day at the body shop.
Along the way, I met and made alot of new friends and drank a lot of beer. Ha!
The project took 10 months and recently, we pulled the motor and tranny and made some more mods.