Thread: Restoring Cars

As mentioned when picking a car - make sure you pick a model tha you like and one that will maximise its value - doesn't matter if that is a considerstion or not. It costs the same to panel beat a steel panel on a 90s dunny door as it does on a classic.

Work out what you want to use the car for when it is finished - do you want a concourse car which cannot be used or a car that looks nice, drives nice and you can drive it when you want. The standards and costs in rebuilding will be a lot different.

People often restore to concourse standards and then use the car and in a very short period of time it is no longer concourse but in good usable condition - would have saved a lot of money only going to the lower standard.

Garry

Originally Posted by bacicat

I'm hoping to keep my current build to around half that, but if it was worth $5K when I'm done, I'd be stoked...

As someone who has restored and rebuild cars before, I agree with you comments entirely.

That's what I'm aiming at with the ugly pink car I linked. That doesn't include the 500hours of labour I put into it .... and certainly it's not "restored". I haven't rebuilt any of the mechanical compoents (there all in fine health). I've chased up some free 50year old original seats that are still usable (way nicer but way less perfect than retrimmed). I'll probably spend ~ $1500 on chemicals.... epoxy primer, high build primer, base coat, clear ... quality paints cost $$$. But hey, put 150hours into the bodywork then put supercheap acrylic laquer on ... Now THAT is insanity (and something I'd certainly do for a 4wd .... 'cos I'd probably have offroad pinstripes on it within a week ).

It's NOT restored though. Sure if I do it nice enough, it'll probably be worth the 15-$20,000 mark. ..... Do you value your time at 50cents an hour though ? PLUS: I lucked out finding the right car at the right time. Something I was certain I could restore cheaply 'cos I already had the required parts.

Say I was to restore the old Rangey.... The motor is good... but you'd want to rebuild it for piece of mind... so $3000 ??? DIY with new cam lifters, timing chains, refreshed heads, piston/liner kits, bearing and oil pump ?? Maybe more ?? Gearbox ... 5th is growly ... what $1000 bucks for new bearings, synchros and shims. Ditta transfer case .... What about diffs, wheel bearings. Then we have new factory soft springs, new, shocks, new full rubber bush kit and ball joints, rebuilt or new boge load leveller.

Were probably already at $5000+ and the car looks identical and won't be worth a cent more.

Same $1500bucks for paints and coatings ( + 100hours getting it straight and trying to get the panel fit better ... it's bloody shocking at the moment).

New tyres (given we want original, re-paint steel wheels, try to find original type michelin tires). == $$$$

Interior.... new plastics ( can they be found ?). New carpets, new seats, new doortrims, new roof lining. Would that be $3000 easy if I DIY.

We now have a bloody nice straight tidy looking '85 Rangy .... It's cost me countless hours, probably every spare minute for 2years +++ ... I've probably spend $10,000+ on it .... Will you give me $4500 for it ??? Blooody doubtful right?

seeya
Shane L.

Originally Posted by garrycol

It costs the same to panel beat a steel panel on a 90s dunny door as it does on a classic.

But a '90's Commodore is a classic!

Originally Posted by garrycol

As mentioned when picking a car - make sure you pick a model tha you like and one that will maximise its value - doesn't matter if that is a considerstion or not. It costs the same to panel beat a steel panel on a 90s dunny door as it does on a classic.


Garry

To a certain extent.... You may struggle to find a panel beater that'll even take on an older car.... You never know what your going to find when you strip the old paint and crap off. Sometimes a panel you thought you were just stripping, tidying up and coating ..... turns into a mammoth sized rebuild job .... especially where rust is concerned.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

But a '90's Commodore is a classic!

Yeah but a classic what ....... ? i wont say it some people get upset .

Originally Posted by Chops

Nick, I looked into VeeWee's a couple of years ago,, haha, not too sure how I'd go finding one at the right price. I like the Beetles more myself. I've had a 63 Beetle, and I think if memory serve correctly, about a 74-ish Camper. Got really frustrated with the camper as it blew a plug, twice even

As for V8's, I can't seem to stop being a rev-head, hence one of the reasons I got rid of the D2 V8
If I was to have one now, I'd want a manual, and would probably not have a license within a week 20 years ago, there weren't as many tossers on the road, people paid attention to their own driving, and others around them, so if you did make an error, there was generally two of you trying to rectify the situation. These days, if you should come a cropper, others have no idea of defensive driving, or thinking what the other "might" be going to try and achieve, so all is lost

I'll stick to a little "old" 4 cyl now

I wanted to buy a 73 superbug about 2 weeks ago but boss said no , i said picture it with a nice paint job and some alloy wheels - still said no.
Women have little imagination.

Originally Posted by loanrangie

I wanted to buy a 73 superbug about 2 weeks ago but boss said no , i said picture it with a nice paint job and some alloy wheels - still said no.
Women have little imagination.

Foiled by our own past more like it .... They know we'll push it into the back corner of the shed to "get to oneday when I have some time and money". Either that, or we'd actually want money to spend on it now ............. What you can see pigs flying ??

seeya,
Shane L.

Originally Posted by loanrangie

Yeah but a classic what ....... ? i wont say it some people get upset .

Hey Chops. Change of plan.
I've got a great car you can restore. And it's got a V8.
Bit of a cut and polish and it should be fine. Won't take you long.