Costliest Mistakes

[jamie1974]

   Whats some of the costliest mistakes you've made during a Charger restoration - in terms of either time or money, that you wish you could go back and undo?

       

[Hemidoug]

The first paint job on my 71 back in the 80s. I only found out how much I was ripped off when I started on the new paint job. Man there are some butchers out there! The dickhead pop rivited over the part in the picture. Couldn't cut out the rot first...just pop rivit and mud....

[jamie1974]

   

    Not keeping close enough track of my parts when I took everything down. I was somewhat careful, but not enough!! I'm still missing some chrome trim pieces, and small cosmetic items. Tracking that stuff down is extremely TIME intensive! The price for it is  only part of the sting.

    Man I wish I knew where my wheel well chrome trim went now... it WAS all there.   


   GOING BACK I WOULD BE PARANOID ABOUT KEEPING EACH BOLT IN A SAFE PLACE!!!!!

[Charger-Bodie]

the costliest mistake on my resto was buying the car

[konigcharger]

 

I'd have just got one that was finished would have saved me a bunch of money 

[ChargerSG]

Bought one that looked just great, but when got it home it was just the paint holding the car toghter, for every day something new would break, i sold that car fast and the dude who bought it keep on struggling with it. I hated that 70 after 2 weeks. so i got a good one insted and a resto to

[PocketThunder]

I'd have just got one that was finished would have saved me a bunch of money 

I kept a very detailed excel spreadsheet on everything i spent and i'm at $20,000 and holding on my 68.  I should have bought one already finished.
But, i'm getting ready to do it all over again with my 69...  I'll never learn.

[GTX]

I kept a very detailed excel spreadsheet on everything i spent and i'm at $20,000 and holding on my 68.  I should have bought one already finished.
But, i'm getting ready to do it all over again with my 69...  I'll never learn.

That's what I should do but after the GTX I'm really afraid to find out the total. Ive kept folders with all of my receipts though on both cars. Maybe some day I'll total them up when I'm feeling really brave.

My costliest mistake so far really has probably been forgetting that I bought misc parts or forgetting which box I put them in and then buying them again. Doh!
That and changing my mind on the tire\ wheel combo before I even used the first set, now I have two complete sets of tires and wheels for one car.

[Spike]

Selling parts I had back in the day that I should of held on to. Such as a complete six-pack set up, everything except the air cleaner. Sold that for around $400.00. I had a used Superbird wing that I sold for around the $400 as well.
Then there is buying parts that I already had....

[tan top]

not buying a C500  also ..back when they could be had for  a little more than a descent  R/T  or at least the 440 car's were..  & a C500 J code,  could be bought for  may be 10 grand more ...  must do more lottery tickets

[ds440]

...not doing my research BEFORE I bought the car...

[Arigmaster]

I made a few mistakes and most were just because I didn't wait or shop around first when I was gathering parts. The other was over-kill on the resto.

First off, I bought all the parts I felt I needed before I even started the work. I didn't shop around because I wanted them now. (feel like a dumbass now)

Anyway, The car I started with had minimal rust but it was dented up. in the time and money it took me to put the aftermarket quarter skins on I could have just pulled the dents and welded in 3" X 7" metal patches behind the rear wheel openings and only replaced the quarter to rear valance corner caps. But nooooo... I had to get all O.C.D on it and replace the rear valance, corners and both quarters with brand new sheet metal. (OCD = obsessive compulsive disorder)

Then there was the front... I replaced the front lower valance instead of repairing the original because there was surface rust and 2 dents. I also replaced the front drivers fender because the very front was hit and I didn't want to take the time to pull and repair the metal. By this time, I really had the O.C.D. kick in and my goal was to work the metal to make the car bondo free...Damn I was sick! My doors were fine but the internal seams at the bottom where the shell folded over the inner door were swelling... Again, the OCD Kicked in and I replaced them completely.

I must have spent a whole year of weekends just on the sheet metal alone to keep from putting any plastic on the car. Half of that was just working on the welds at the top of the quarters. shrinking, pulling welding little pin holes. You name the flaw and I worked on it... I was a real case when I had to face the fact that I had to leave plastic in the roof seam and down where the quarter skin butted against the rocker.

Looking back, I probably could have done it at a fraction of the cost in time and $$$.

The next mistake was having to have the Daytona wing and fender scoops right away. I didn't shop around very well and when Ted told me it would be 8 mos. before I could get one from him, I bought it from Showcars instead. $400.00 less, but got it in less than 2 mos. It was a piece of crap quality wise and I ended up re-working the entire thing. The scoops were the same story. (Horizontal blade still ain't quite right)

I probably would have been miles ahead on the hood as well if I just went out an bought a glass hood with the scoop already in it. But nooooo... My O.C.D. reared it's ugly head there too...  I had to be different...I had to do it one step better.... I am a sick person...lol

I ended up slipping the glass scoop between the inner and outer structure of the hood and used so much Dura-Bond that it squished out both sides of the thing when I clamped it down to the outer skin sheet metal then worked both pieces at the seam until it only required a slight skim coat all the way around. etc. etc. etc. Anyway, in the end the car turned out nearly bondo free but the lesson is that no one other than me will really ever notice or appreciate it.

I could have just done a standard repair on everything and saved a year & 1/2 on the build and probably 14K in mechanical and body work.  I'm gonna do the interior when I get the $$$ and pieces together and my have to consult a shrink to keep me from letting the O.C.D take me at that stage too....

[Brock Samson]

i should have probably taken out a small loan and bought a hemi daytona when they were still avail. and relitivly cheap. instead of setteling on a simple R/T SE cause i got excited. i guess i did ok but i could have done alot better.. 

[jamie1974]

Anyway, The car I started with had minimal rust but it was dented up. in the time and money it took me to put the aftermarket quarter skins on I could have just pulled the dents and welded in 3" X 7" metal patches behind the rear wheel openings and only replaced the quarter to rear valance corner caps. But nooooo... I had to get all O.C.D on it and replace the rear valance, corners and both quarters with brand new sheet metal. (OCD = obsessive compulsive disorder)

Looking back, I probably could have done it at a fraction of the cost in time and $$$.

   Yeah, I remember having the same mentality when I did mine. Fortunately at the time I was doing it, I was still in high school, and using my parent's garage space. They put their foot down when I told them my plans to completely replace my rear quarters, trunk, etc. But I had the same mentality - no bondo!

    Some of my anti-bondo hostility lessened when I peeled off the vinyl top, and saw that there was bondo used at the factory for the roofline. I thought - if they can do it on the original, maybe its not such a bad thing. I think for a lot of us the bondo scare comes from when we patched together our first cars without doing proper sheet metal work underneath, and we see the bondo cracking a year or two later. A proper sheet metal job will keep the bodywork solid for a lifetime, provided you're not driving it through salty roads in the winter...(and who does??) Then again - driving a car with no bondo at all on salty roads will eat the car up after 10 years, too, so nothing is invincible.

    But I did wind up just welding in patches, and I haven't had any problems - it's been 12 years. (knock on wood!!!)

   Its gotta be a good feeling though to know that your car is that clean though!! 

[blackcharger]

actually made two
first I had a "friend" that claimed to be a bodyman work on the Charger
second I got married

[WheresMyCharger]

second I got married

Same here, Soon after I met my wife these got sold:
'74 Roadrunner
'69 Roadrunner convertible
'70 Charger 383
and after the new house(and this hurts)
'69 B5 Charger 383 4-speed console

Now, Her,the house and the Charger are gone

[tan top]

i should have probably taken out a small loan and bought a hemi daytona when they were still avail. and relitivly cheap. instead of setteling on a simple R/T SE cause i got excited. i guess i did ok but i could have done alot better.. 

 

     thanks for the reminder (Brock)    forgot about a HEMI daytona      i guess  thats two then   

[ACUDANUT]

 I did not install a transmission correctly and broke a pump or something like that. Had to do it twice. Make sure that torque Coverter is in and lined up folks.  Don't make the same mistake I did.  Also, I sold parts I ended up needing down the road and had to pay twice the price to get something half ass.

[Back N Black]

Buying a Charger!

[BlueSS454]

Buying an incomplete car/basket case/someone else's blunder.  After restoring 2 Chevelles this way, you would think I would learn......nope.  However, having already restored 2 cars, I figured a few things out, BAG & LABEL EVERYTHING!!!! no matter how small or trivial the piece may be.  The most costly thing through the restoration of my 69 so far has been trying to track down the correct missing parts.  I have most of them, but I am sure I'll figure out what more I am missing after I begin reassembly in a month or so.  Also on a side note, I bought another incomplete/torn down rust bucket after I began on the Charger  .  The thing about this car (1970 Chevelle Convertible) is, it was the right price and I was in the right place at the right time so I nabbed it up.  I'll be tearing into that one after the Charger is completed.

[AKcharger]

Restoring my car in Alaska...I must have spent at LEAST $1200 in shipping

Otherwise I think I did pretty good

[Telvis]

Marrying my wife......I love my car!...........Anybody in the market for a brunette?

[The Ghoul]

the costliest mistake on my resto was buying the car

[Mefirst]

Bought myself a ready built 440 Cost: 7000$$$
Dyno test/tune Cost: 540$$$

1/4mile Race Track entry fee Cost: 90$ (2 day event)

3 runs and the 440 blows up. Result: 7 rods stuck to the piston pins, 8 cylinders busted and camshaft messed up 

TOTAL COST: 7630$$$ PRICELESS!!! 

[AKcharger]

Bought myself a ready built 440 Cost: 7000$$$

Any warranty?? 3 runs and it explodes....he saw you comin'

[General_01]

I did not install a transmission correctly and broke a pump or something like that. Had to do it twice. Make sure that torque Coverter is in and lined up folks.  Don't make the same mistake I did.  Also, I sold parts I ended up needing down the road and had to pay twice the price to get something half ass.

Did the same thing myself. Funny thing is that I hooked up a 727 to this 440 about 9 years ago. I pulled the 440 out of my 71, rebuilt the motor and bought a new tranny for the 69. I hooked the tranny up outside the car and dropped the whole thing into the 69. Drove it about two months sparingly and it was leaking oil like crazy. Seems I took the pump out. Awesome! So it was $900 for the tranny, $400 for the tourque converter and $1,000 for the rebuild. Live and learn i guess.

[GTX]

second I got married

Same here, Soon after I met my wife these got sold:
'74 Roadrunner
'69 Roadrunner convertible
'70 Charger 383
and after the new house(and this hurts)
'69 B5 Charger 383 4-speed console

Now, Her,the house and the Charger are gone

I've seen this many times. I will not allow anyone to tell me that I have to buy or sell anything. Big red flags and whistles go off in my head!
Fortunately for me, mine supports most of my hobbies and actually told me to buy another Mopar although she wants a 'Cuda or Challenger.
The only thing she's done was she told me once that nearly 100 video arcade machines was a bit much.

Now on the other hand, I'd say that letting her know what I spend on the cars is a costly mistake!
( I quit telling her)

[Old Moparz]

On this Charger, it's been none.

No, I'm not bragging & I'm not perfect, but I have a master's degree in "Costly Auto Repairs & Restoration History - 101" that had me spending as much, or more, than my college tuition. In the past, I found out that you can't restore your daily driver the way you really want to, you need two cars. Every repair or phase of the resto costs more than expected, & parts other than the one you are working on, will need to be replaced too. Getting stiffed by a body shop for both shoddy work (on a different car) & unpaid carpentry services all totalling over $12,000 will teach you well too. 

Patience, as well as looking at things carefully, are the best things to have & use to keep the costs down. It'll give you the chance to be in the right place at the right time when I deal pops up, & also It'll keep you from jumping into something based on your emotions.

[mally69]

i realize i could change this at any time jut dont want to,,, but i wished i would have bought a set of eddy heads for my 440 when i had it all torn apart,,,     now i want more power   so i simply bought  another charger and building a 512  stroker defintly not going to skip anything this time   

[Highbanked Hauler]

  Working my 500 hard when I got it new and not taking better care of it when I quit running it or when it quit running.

[41husk]

I would have to say my most exspensive mistake was telling my wife what I paid for used parts

[GTX]

Should have seen the look I got when my '67 Mustang went away and a blower suddenly appeared.
I thought I was a dead man for about a month!

[Bandit4142]

Paying someone upfront for new custom interior, without checking references first....   

[Doright]

Buying a car that needed to be restored

[Mike DC]

     
Should have built 2 Chargers from the beginning instead of just the one. 

Comfy nice street cars are very different animals from fast/fun beaters.  It's frustrating to try and make one car be so good at both jobs.