Friday, October 5, 2018

What Will It Cost?

How Much Will It Cost?!?

Here at Good Fellaz, we are often times asked things like: “How much is a restoration?” or “I have a 19xx Plymouth Yada Yada, whats it going to cost to restore it?” ....... Well .... there is never an answer for that. We can’t give anyone a guess cost or even an estimate until we get into and see it as a whole and in full. So, for that reason, we have provided the below article from Brad in regard to some of the average and or round about costs that a restoration may be.

Please remember, these are not final costs and should only be used to get a feel for what a restoration can cost on average. Each build is different in many aspects and no two builds are ever the same.

How Much Will My Classic Build Cost?

Many car enthusiasts have a emotional attachment and vision that does not match there budget. That can often times create issues between the builder and the owner, even if the builder is the owner. Below we have provided some information from the research we have done so that our customers can get a better understanding of the potential restoration cost before the process begins.

1). The Estimating Process: What is My cost? .... If you are trying to ballpark the restoration costs for your vehicle, be honest with yourself about the condition of your vehicle. Does your vehicle need a mild work or a full frame off rebuild? Do you want modifications or to keep your existing parts? Changes once in the process can increase your cost dramatically! What is your vehicle? Is it a 60s Camaro or Tri five where parts are readily available compared to a Hudson, Nash, or AMC.

2). Restoration Charges Vary from Vehicle-To-Vehicle.... In most situations, a classic vehicle that has been driven and well maintained for the past 60 years (or however old the vehicle is) will often times cost less to restore than a “barn find” vehicle would. For example, two people bring in the same exact vehicle. Person number one has had the car since high school and has kept it up to par mechanically but would like it restored anyhow. Person number two just purchased the vehicle at an auction/estate sale. Neither person may know for sure what each vehicle needs, but both would like them restored. So a few of the things we like the customers to consider are.

A) Does it need new metal or body panels? Sheet metal and body panels can average $15-$20,000 to redo/replace.
B) How is the condition of the chrome, interior, mechanics, frame etc.?
C) Are the current parts on the vehicle still usable or do they need to be replaced?

All of these things and more are definite factors in any restoration and no two are ever the same. In turn, the restoration cost for each person on the same exact vehicle, dependent on each vehicles condition, can make the restoration cost vary greatly.

As stated above, the price can vary greatly depending on the level of restoration and the condition of the vehicle. If you need mainly the body redone with mild body work, the labor can be approximatly 200-300 hours. Materials for body work can range from $1000-$10,000 dependent on choices you make. A frame off restoration will take about 1000 hours of labor. And if the vehicle is rough or multiple modifications are wanted, consider approximatly 2000 hours of labor.

3). Before You Commit Ask Yourself These Questions First

A) Do/Will I need new body panels?
B) Whats underneath the existing panels once they are removed? Am I prepared to replace the body panels if there is rot, rust or holes underneath the existing ones?
C) Are there any missing parts?
D) What do I want to do with the interior? Seats, carpet, upholstery, dashes, steering wheel, colums, glove box, cnsoles, etc.
E) Do I want any modifications or upgrades done? Am I practical about the budget I have in mind for the modifications or upgrades I would like?
- Modifications and upgrades are often very neat, but remember, the cost of the parts is not all you will be paying for. For instance a regular motor converted to a coyote engine may take 500-600 hours where an LS conversion (dependent on which LS and the type your installing it in) can be 150 hours or less. At times, vehicles with the same part can even be very different to install. We are currently installing six of the same 9 inch rear axles but all in different restorations projects. A 1935 Ford pickup with a custom shortened 9 inch axle takes much more fabrictation work and man hours then a stock 9 inch made to fit would.

F) Do I want a show car or leasure/daily driver?
- The variables between a show car and a driver are tremendous. The budget, cost and end result vary if you are looking for a driver vs a show vehicle and vice versa. Your restoration process will go much smoother if you already know what you want before you start the build and if you are realistic about the budget and timeline. Not to burst anyones bubble, but.....No build is ever done over night or within 30 minutes of a tv episode.

G) How long will it take to get the body, frame, panels and parts rust and dent free?
- Cars 20-80 years old may have many hidden problems. Problems that can not be seen or known until disassembly has taken place. Vehicles that are 20, 40, 60 or 80 years old, no matter how well they are taken care of, can have unexpected problems arise that are beyond anyone's control.

4) What is a Full Restoration?... To do a full restoration you are hand building a vehicle but before you can even start on that you have to correct the bad that has been done the last say 40 years. It can take hundreds, if not thousands, of labor hours to complete and there are delays for an array of things. Delays can happen because of availability (or lack thereof) of parts, delivery of those parts from suppliers, outsourced labor if it is something like Dyno, parts suppliers speed or depending on the vehicle, just sourcing parts.

5) What Are Modifications? They are just that. A modified part or car in full. Modifications can happen to any part of any vehicle. You may hear that this is not true, however, we beg to differ. Interior, exterior, custom body shape, axles, rear ends, front ends, suspension, custom frames, wheels, tires, lift kits, air ride, hydraulics and so much more can be modified and or upgraded. But keep in mind, this all cost money and time and if you are substantially changing something, like maybe the drive train, it can take a substantial amount of time and resources. So make sure you have a budget set aside and be sure to discuss your budget with us. We are always willing to work with our customers and can wait or put a build on hold during the process if need.

General Prices and Descriptions for a Build Budget

These are potential things that may have to be done on most restorations. All restorations are different and these costs are not final. Below, you will be able to review the type of work and the average cost to do that work.
- Remove all glass, trim, grille, headlights, bezels, tail lights, marker lights - $750 -1200
- Engine, transmission, electrical, mechanical etc. - $2000 to $3800
- Body work by Condition:
- Very good - $3k - $5,000
- Fair or somewhat maintained with minor rust, dents and dings - $5k - $10,000
- Poor condition - $15k - $30,000
- Media blasting (returns vehicle back to bare metal) - $800 - $1800
- Re-chroming parts - $1500-$6000
- Full Interior - $5k - $15,000
- Basic mechanics & tuning - $1000 - $5000
- Engine, transmission, wiring, front suspension, brakes, lines, mechanical components & drive line components - $20k - $50,000
- Disc brake conversion - $1k - $4000
- Heat and air systems - $1300 - $2000 plus installation
- Custom exhaust - $700 - $1500 plus Installation
- Frame Repair/Restoration - $700 and up
- New Glass;windows, windshield, rear window, wing/fin windows etc - $500-3000
- Lowering or Lifting - $1500 and up
- Assembly: mount body to the frame, weather stripping, window seals, glass, bumpers, trim, body panels, lights, chrome bezels, interior - $2k - $7000

Labor Rates: Us (the Good Fellaz) $60 - $75 per hour. Some customers with extensive and or multi-builds may recieve a discounted rate. Remember, according to AAA and Custom Cost Estimator, national hourly rates can be up to $215 per hour and Missouri State rates are on average $175-$200 per hour.

Other add ons or works: IFS suspensions, four links, air ride, fuel injection, modern power train transplants, gauges, wheels, tires and more all available for your builds.

Restoration Rough Estimator

Below you can see the various types of items in a restoration, approximate hours/labor it could take and the approximate cost for parts. Remember: these are not final or concrete costs. All builds are different and subject to the cost for each build.
RESTORATION OF
HOURS/LABOR
PARTS COST $
Brake System
20-40
2500-3500
Fuel System
10-20
1000-1500
Suspension
30-40
2500-5000
Wheels & Tires
5-10
1000-10,000
Engine Overhaul
40-60
2500-4500
Engine Replacement
15-25
6000-20,000
Transmission Overhaul
30-40
1000-2500
Transmission Replace
5-10
3000-8000
Floorpan Complete
70-100
1500-3000
Quarter Panels
15-25
500-2000
New Interior
50-60
2500-12,000
Rewire Whole Vehicle
40-50
1000-3000
Custom Gauges
10-15
800-2000
Holley Carb Replacement
3-10
700-2000
High Quality Paint & Body
150-200
7000-11,000

AVERAGE COST TOTALED
* for the items above *

These are just average costs not final and not applicable to all builds!
Labor
Hours
Our Rate
Costs
Low End
493
$60 Per Hour
$29,580.00
High End
705
$75 Per Hour
$52,875.00
Parts
Cost
+Tax & Fees
Costs
Low End
$33,500.00
25%
$44,670.00
High End
$90,000.00
32%
$132,355.00
Total Avg. Cost
Labor
Parts
Total
Low End
$29,580.00
$44,670.00
$74,250.00
High End
$52,875.00
$132,355.00
$187,230.00

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