Jan. deadline is looming and I'm getting cold feet. I need advice

[bull]

The Charger is supposed to go into the paint shop in January and I haven't started dismantling it yet because I'm afraid I'll get stuck with a nicely painted shell and no money to finish. I have pretty much exactly the amount of money I need for all the body work and paint but my plan was to have the engine rebuilt while the car is gone and install it when I get it back. I could earn that amount during the painting process but I'm guessing I'll need about another $5k on top of all that to pretty much finish the car. So do I go ahead with the painting process and hope I can come up with the money to finish her off or should I wait, pay for the rebuild of the engine from my paint savings first and drive the car while I'm saving the cash to paint it later? Keep in mind that option 2 would require that I pull the engine twice so the engine bay could be blasted and painted later. That's not really something I'm looking forward to doing but the alternative isn't much better, ie., having the car sit around disassembled but with a coat of new paint. Another thing I could do is just tell the paint shop to move me back about six months and do nothing but earn money in the meantime. Anyway, what would you do?

[bull]

Oh yea, one other problem I have is whether 2 1/2 months is enough time to dismantle the car. By dismantle I mean pull the bumpers, grill and trim, gut the interior and pull the engine and trans. My schedule is pretty tight now without this added work.

[Blown70]

I personally think You COULD pull it apart.... Honestly you will run into a few problems but should not be too bad.

As far as what to do... Wow that is a tough call.  It is nice to have the $$ to do everything.... But are you speaking of interior etc.  I know even doing some of that your self the bill can get pertty high.

I guess that is a tough call.  Do you really want to put it off six months?  Why not get the paint done earn the $$ and put it back to gether... Get the mechanical done as you can and add to the interior as you can...?

[Recharger]

Do it.  Get it started.  If you find an excuse to hesitate now, you'll never finish it.  You have to take the leap of faith that the $$ will keep coming in while the project is in progress.  Good luck.

BTW, tearing things apart shouldn't be that hard.  It's the putting things back together that get's tricky. 

[dd44068]

You could always have the engine bay painted along with all the jams do the engine rebuild and save the shell work for later. I agree get it started dont wait, last thing you want to do have the car in the shop during the summer If you have no choice then its one thing but if you can avoid it then avoid it.

[PocketThunder]

Get it in the paint shop in January.  Having a freshly painted car in the garage waiting for the engine is a whole lot easier than having a driver car waiting for a paint job.  Are you locked into the price for Body and Paint?  Or will it cost even more in 6 months?  I say get it painted and let the paint harden in your garage while you build your engine...

Or get those kids some jobs to start pulling their weight around the house!  

[Blown70]

Or get those kids some jobs to start pulling their weight around the house!  

hahahah,  YES get them job in a sweat shop or something....LOL

[Silver R/T]

2 1/2 months would be enough time to pull it apart, even if you work on car 2 hrs each day tops. Could you just have engine bay painted while engine gets rebuilt, then once bay is painted, drop engine in and dismantle rest of the car.

[Steve P.]

Engine bay and jams first. Once you pull the drivetrain you can do most of the bay over a weekend.. Shoot it now and worry about putting it back together later.. Once you see it in paint you'll get a third job to get her done...Hehehe.....

[az69rtcharger]

I would say do the paint and body work spend the money on a quality job then take your time putting it back together. I think it works best that way.
I am having my body done first, while it in the shop, I have plent of room to paint and rebuild the front suspension, and the rear-end and springs so that will be ready when the car comes back. Dont put it off I have been putting my car of for the last 20 years and I vowed to get it finished this year. Good luck with your project

[472 R/T SE]

If it was an automatic I'd be telling Curtis all kinds of stories to get the car in pieces, that way when he got burned out from it sitting in pieces I could come over and buy it for ten cents on the dollar.    Naaa, I wouldn't do that to a friend.

[TeeWJay426]

Bull- start it now! If you wait till you have the money to do everything you want and the car needs, you'll never get started. Another thing to consider is that the money required only will increase as time passes.

[cudaken]

 I as well think if you are limted cash wizes do the engine bay and engine, then the rest of the Charger as you can afford.

Bull, being able to do all the work, engine, paint and body this is how I did mine not counting the rusted in half part.

Fixed up the egine so she ran good, heads and chain.

Body work next, out side only. Good she was ugly, quater's flapping at 60 MHP

Painted the Body, sheet metal patches in the trunk. and painted.

Replaced the trunk and repainted

Pulled the engine and replaced and painted the compartment

With be being able to all the work my self, I did what brothered me the most first. Engine ran like crap, fixed that then made her pretty.

As far as taking her a part, grill is a pain till you find all the hidden bolts. That is really the only hard part unless you are pulling the dash. Well I guess the hard part is figuering it out but I have done it a few times now. Of, chrome around the rear window, that took me a while to figuer out.

I would say do one major section at a time. Nothing will get you down quicker than having your Charger in 40 boxes all over the garage and have to push it around. I personal think it would go quicker do one part at a time. Less sitting there and staring at it going "what have I done" drinking Cam 2.

                                         Cuda Ken
                                       Cuda Ken

[bull]

If it was an automatic I'd be telling Curtis all kinds of stories to get the car in pieces, that way when he got burned out from it sitting in pieces I could come over and buy it for ten cents on the dollar.     Naaa, I wouldn't do that to a friend.

Hey, wait a minute.

[bull]

I as well think if you are limted cash wizes do the engine bay and engine, then the rest of the Charger as you can afford.

Bull, being able to do all the work, engine, paint and body this is how I did mine not counting the rusted in half part.

Fixed up the egine so she ran good, heads and chain.

Body work next, out side only. Good she was ugly, quater's flapping at 60 MHP

Painted the Body, sheet metal patches in the trunk. and painted.

Replaced the trunk and repainted

Pulled the engine and replaced and painted the compartment

With be being able to all the work my self, I did what brothered me the most first. Engine ran like crap, fixed that then made her pretty.

As far as taking her a part, grill is a pain till you find all the hidden bolts. That is really the only hard part unless you are pulling the dash. Well I guess the hard part is figuering it out but I have done it a few times now. Of, chrome around the rear window, that took me a while to figuer out.

I would say do one major section at a time. Nothing will get you down quicker than having your Charger in 40 boxes all over the garage and have to push it around. I personal think it would go quicker do one part at a time. Less sitting there and staring at it going "what have I done" drinking Cam 2.

                                         Cuda Ken
                                       Cuda Ken

That is a good point. But I can come up with enough $$$ to do the paint and the engine rebuild so maybe I can avoid getting bummed about either too quickly. Shoot, paint and engine is half the resto isn't it?

[cudaken]

 Bull, to me body and engine is the most important part. Seats, well yea I like them nices, but going down the road, no one can see that spring sticking up, well something. Tunk, well don't want tools falling on the road, but till it is open no one but you will know its not pretty.

But when you take them all apart, man it can get you down.

                           Cuda Ken

[472 R/T SE]

If you wait till you have the money to do everything you want and the car needs, you'll never get started.

Especially if he knew what the total was going to be ahead of time.


Just as well get started.  Even if you bail on it, the car has appreciated enuf by now to where you'll prolly break even or come out ahead should you decide to sell,imo.

I like the idea of shooting your engine bay right away so you don't have to pull the motor twice.  Does the color you're going with have metallic in it.  I've shot a few bays, just not metallic and I haven't done one since I got hurt.  I have everything needed to do it, except room right now.  I'd love to help.

[NHCharger]

Have you checked with the body shop recently? When's the last time you heard of a body shop starting a project on time? Their bad as us contractors. I agree with the others, get it started now and keep in touch with the shop as far as their estimated start time.

[ChargerBill]

Oh yea, one other problem I have is whether 2 1/2 months is enough time to dismantle the car. By dismantle I mean pull the bumpers, grill and trim, gut the interior and pull the engine and trans. My schedule is pretty tight now without this added work.

Bull, I know what you're going through here. It can be daunting. As far as time goes, I had mine completely dismantled in 3 weeks...I had help with the engine, but did everything else myself at night and on the weekends. Every nut, bolt and screw is cataloged...MANY photos taken for reference and many notes made. 3 years later I'm not afraid to put it back together because I kept track of everyhting and it should be fairly straightforward.

Mine is STILL dismantled...though I have had a few drastic things land on my plate, so I just take it in stride and know that as long as I get little bits done here and there as time and money allow I'll maintain my sanity. I'm not sure what $$ you will need if you have a complete running car already and you're just getting it painted. Do you have the $$ for the paint and body? If so, I say go for it....nothing will be more motivating to get you working on putting it back together than a bare shell with a beautiful paint job. Have fun...

[bull]

If you wait till you have the money to do everything you want and the car needs, you'll never get started.

I like the idea of shooting your engine bay right away so you don't have to pull the motor twice.   Does the color you're going with have metallic in it.   I've shot a few bays, just not metallic and I haven't done one since I got hurt.   I have everything needed to do it, except room right now.   I'd love to help.

Doesn't that create some paint matching issues though? If I shoot the engine comp now and the paint shop shoots the body later don't I run the risk of having two different shades of green?

Have you checked with the body shop recently? When's the last time you heard of a body shop starting a project on time? Their bad as us contractors. I agree with the others, get it started now and keep in touch with the shop as far as their estimated start time.

I've been calling them every couple weeks with a new question and so far I'm still on schedule. No one has ever said exactly when in January I'll get in but sometime that month it's supposed to happen.

Thanks everyone for the input.