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Car Restoration
- Thread starter fsanford
- Start date
I help my son in his restoration business. 20K is reasonable if it includes body prep and the paint job. Metal work would add more. Our cars are show quality but not extreme high end paint jobs. A good restoration of a car with rust could cost anywhere from 60 to 80 thousand.
So here is the before. I had a new holly carb put on her, new disc breaks, new fan, new suspension, pretty much everything done to make it so you could go on a nice long cruise. The next step is the paint and chrome/powder coat.
The interior is original, will not change much. Maybe a few cosmetic things.
Wow, looks great! That was one heck of a find especially at that price.
Any restoration costs enough that you probably will never get your money back if you were to sell the car.
So what you are saying is that its not like Counting Cars on the History Channel, where they make a nice profit on most of their restorations.
By the way if any of you car guys are in Vegas, it is worth going to see this guys collection.
He was there the day I visited, really a nice guy. But the guys who send cars to him have some serious cash..
After seeing those pics, I wish I hadn't opened this thread again. I would have written that check with no questions asked. Awesome find. I come from a Firebird family - I've had three (a '79, a '00, and another '00 which is sitting in the garage), my uncle also had a '79, my other uncle still has his '72 (and it's a CRAZY fast car), and one of my cousins has an '85. You got the best looking one of the bunch.
Agree with the majority here.
Keep it, drive it, enjoy it. When you no longer enjoy it (if that day comes) or it is too big a burden you can sell it and recoup most/all of your 'investment'.
What I do is basically that, but will pick one bigger thing to address each season or several smaller things. Things that bother you about how it looks, sounds, drives. Think of it as a hobby you can put some money into to enjoy and fiddle with, learning about mechanical things and your particular car along the way.
Find a forum page and subscribe. Learn about what others have done to make theirs better and the mistakes they've learned from doing things wrong or right over time.
Join a club if you are interested in that. You make new friends and find others, again, who know more about your car than you do and are usually willing to give advise and steer you towards local shops that have been good to them - often giving a small discount to club members. Try to pick a Pontiac/Firebird club if there's one active in your area.
Enjoy!
Keep it, drive it, enjoy it. When you no longer enjoy it (if that day comes) or it is too big a burden you can sell it and recoup most/all of your 'investment'.
What I do is basically that, but will pick one bigger thing to address each season or several smaller things. Things that bother you about how it looks, sounds, drives. Think of it as a hobby you can put some money into to enjoy and fiddle with, learning about mechanical things and your particular car along the way.
Find a forum page and subscribe. Learn about what others have done to make theirs better and the mistakes they've learned from doing things wrong or right over time.
Join a club if you are interested in that. You make new friends and find others, again, who know more about your car than you do and are usually willing to give advise and steer you towards local shops that have been good to them - often giving a small discount to club members. Try to pick a Pontiac/Firebird club if there's one active in your area.
Enjoy!
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Nice ******* car! You got a smoking deal on it. I'll concur with all the others, fix any mechanical issues that it may have then drive it.
Nice ride. If it looks as good as it does in the pics, drive it............like you stole it! You can always tweak it as you go. With technology and the internet, if you have the time to invest, you can educate yourself on just about anything without leaving your house.
I would see about getting into a local car club (Firebird / Camaro club would be ideal) and you would be surprised what you could pick up and the connections you can make.
Never powder coated chrome. Have powder coated a diff cover / other parts chrome with a DIY kit. The "clear" they recommended to apply over the top of the chrome coat really took the luster off and made it look more silver. The chrome powder coat really looked good for a spray on application.
If you are really dying to go with new / different bumpers I would buy a spare set and give it a try (powder coat / paint / whatever). If you screw it up, you aren't really in a bind and with bumpers you can change the look of your car with some basic tools and some sweat equity in a couple of hours.
Enjoy!
I would see about getting into a local car club (Firebird / Camaro club would be ideal) and you would be surprised what you could pick up and the connections you can make.
Never powder coated chrome. Have powder coated a diff cover / other parts chrome with a DIY kit. The "clear" they recommended to apply over the top of the chrome coat really took the luster off and made it look more silver. The chrome powder coat really looked good for a spray on application.
If you are really dying to go with new / different bumpers I would buy a spare set and give it a try (powder coat / paint / whatever). If you screw it up, you aren't really in a bind and with bumpers you can change the look of your car with some basic tools and some sweat equity in a couple of hours.
Enjoy!
As to the paint advice. You can go from mild to wild, budget to expensive, in a hurry. I would take some time, think about what you want to do and set out a plan to do it. Again there can be a wealth of information / connections you can make that can help get you pointed in the right direction. 30k seems pretty high for what sounds like a pretty basic restoration. If you can get connected to a car club you will meet people who have been in your shoes and can recommend body shops that are a better value. Good luck!
