How Much Does It Cost To Restore A Car?

This is just one of those questions that doesn’t really have a definite answer, it all depends on how for you want to take the restoration of your car.

First off most respectable shops will charge a high price to restore your car; most shops start at around $75.00 per hour per person working on your car.

So you’ve got to think about what it is that you want your car to be when it’s done, is it a show car, or a driver, is it a custom car, or a factory pure restoration.

These are the things that you want to ask yourself long before you decide to restore your car.

It can, and usually does cost a lot of money to restore your classic car.

One of the biggest reasons a lot of cars never get finished is because the owner of the car never planed what he wanted the car to be when it was finished.

Depending on the rarity of your car prices will change, people charge a premium price for parts that are hard to find, and this is not a rip off, it’s all a part of playing the game.

I suggest that you learn all you can about your particular car, be very familiar with what the car came with from the factory, paint colors, engine, and interior options, know your car, this is the best way to save cash while building your car.

If you haven’t bought the car that you want to restore yet, I will give you some hints on how to get a good one to start with.


1) Check the body for rust hole, paint bubbling, or flaking off of the car.


A. Check the rocker panels for rust and bad body work.


B. Check the engine bay for rust, or paint bubbling or flaking.


C. Check the front fenders, header and valance panels for rust, bad body & paint work, paint flaking or bubbling.


D. Check the quarter panels for rust hole, bad body & paint work, paint bubbling, flaking or large dents.


E. Check the doors for bad body & paint work, larger dents, rust holes, paint flaking or bubbling.


2) Hinges & body gaps & alignments.


A. Open and close the doors a few times, look for the doors to drop when you open them, also listen for loud cracking noises, these indicate bad hinges or rusted hinge mounts.


B. Look closely at the door gaps, hood gaps and trunk gaps, none should be less then 1/8″ or more then a 1/4″, if so this indicates that they have been removed for some reason, usually to replace after a wreck.


C. Look closely at the alignment of the front clip on the car, if if sits more to one side then the other, it has been removed, or part of it has been removed, yet again indicating major body work has been done.


This is just a few things to look at on the car that you wnat to restore, any work that doesn’t have to be done, or the lees new parts you have to buy, the more cash you will save.

• Muscle Car Restoration
  
  
  
• Car Restoration

David C. Atkin