Question wasn't "what does a restoration cost?" I think anyone who has done one knows that its a bottomless pit. I think OP has the right idea of trying to put the ducks in a row. It took me over 5years to finish my car. I paid for everything along the way with cash. In the end I have a finished car that cost nothing more than insurance and gas at this point. I dont have the money to finance a restoration or even buy a finished hot rod, plus I wanted the challenge of building one myself. I too had an idea of what to budget for all of the majors along the way. I guess I didn't learn though as I am about to embark on a new project
