How do you guys pay for your "charger project"

[69chargerR/T]

It may not be any of my business but, I'll ask anyway.  I read all the charger restoration projects and I always wonder how everyone pays for them ? I have a middle class income, and I have a 69 charger that needs everything from the doors back like they all do.  I know what the parts cost to fix my car, and I think I could replace all the panels myself (I have never done this kind of work but I think I can do it)  AMD looks to have the best prices, and a good product, but I don't see how I could ever afford to buy all these parts.  My car is a "driver" all the drive train is done, it runs great and looks good from 20 feet. The body is the next step, I see all the time (like 1hotdaytona) redo the whole back of the car, how do you guys do it with the way the economy is today!!!!    Alan   

[bigred68]

 

[greenpigs]

I got a sugar moma!

[Cooter]

You have a valid question and one that everybody at some point HAS to wonder when you see things like HEMI this or Daytona that, so I will give you my own experience..
While pictures don't do a car justice, they also "hide" alot of things as well. NONE of my cars are built to the standards as some right here, but I can say I do ALL OF MY OWN WORK. In YOUR case, the prices of AMD stuff is a concern, but for me, I'm the one asking how much you want for your "old" fenders/hood/deck lid, etc...I have to start  with sh*t nobody else wants in order to make it all happen, therefore, NONE of my cars are "Show cars"...They are however built with VERY little money out of pocket. Some seem to be hung up on the amount of time invested in their projects. This would be a concern in YOUR case as you prolly have to pay someone else to do things I can do myself. If you go into a project like these cars with the idea of making your money back, then IMO, you've lost the battle before it begins. I NEVER even want to know how many hours I have in my cars because it serves no purpose except to depress me. I didn't build them looking to resell them so I couldn't care less.

I built my General Lee for UNDER $7000.00. Now, it could be better sure, but not within MY budget. I also built CHRISTINE, a 1958 Plymouth Basketcase (OR so I'm told) for UNDER $12K. DONE. I built a '68 Dart, with 505 C.I. Stroker back when 500 C.I. on the street was VooDoo. (1995) For UNDER $11K, that runs 6.90's 8th mile...
I also have built a 460 C.I. Ford Maverick, complete with Must. II Front suspension and roll cage, with Narrowed 8.8 Rear with 4.30 Gears although NOT completed, I have only $2000.00 in so far and it's a roller.

The point? If you actually take the time to try and do your own bodywork, paint, interior, etc., You will see that it's NOT rocket science at all. I HAD to learn after sending one of my own cars to the bodyshop when I was 16 Y\O and got it back done incorrectly (Body lines gone etc.).....

It CAN be done cheaply on a budget, but it can't be done AS FAST as some "Plug and Play" people "want" it to be. It took 5 years of my life to get Christine done. Some will invest this kinda time, some just want to "Buy it now"....I've hardly ever been a "buy it now" kinda guy.

The ONLY thing to remember here is, to own one those High dollar looking cars, it usually IS a high dollar car in the end. I don't even try to compete with the guy that clearly has more money to invest in those BRAND NEW repro fenders when I have pieced three old fenders back together.

I am more apt to talk to the guy that has a little rougher looking car that has done all his own work at a show, than the guy that can afford to just pay someone to buy all new sheetmetal for his/her car. It used to be open a catalog to build a Chevy or Ford, now it's Mopar as well if you got the jack...

[triple_green]

go slow...used parts when I can find them. Help from friends......oh yah...I have been going to the same job for 25 years and when I get some OT the charger gets some new stuff.

3X

[Rolling_Thunder]

I am one of those "right place right time" people...         I scored my crate hemi for $2000. I fixed what was wrong with it for another ~$600   

I have taken my sweet time and bought a LOT of good deals...   

[Belgium R/T -68]

For me it's all about priorities, what I mean is that if I want some parts for the cars I have to sacrifice something else. I have choosen
to spend my sparemoney on the cars for a few years instead of going out on bars etc, travelling and the rest.

I will never ever have the money back but I don't care a s**t, you only live once and this is what I want and I don't plan on selling them anyway.

Per

[Beer]

I do not have any kids so that may be a slight adv for me, course no one will be visiting me in the old folks home so I will regret that latter...

I have done mine, one lil side project at a time over the last 5 years...(Motor, engine bay paint, body work here, body work there, final Paint, Seats, Dash, rims/tires).

Bonus's (in my case) seem to be the best bang for the buck in attaining high dollar stuff (like a major body work session in an area, or high $ parts like a forged crank or a set of heads).

[70charginglizard]

no girlfriend. 

[jaak]

My 69 is a long-term project, so I buy this and that over time. Thats one way that helps. Also I started with 2 Chargers, one that was pretty solid, one that was rusty, but had alot of nice parts (good fenders, doors, grill, glass, trim, etc) Anything that needed to be replaced on the good body....just so happen to be ok on the parts car (had to cut out sections of the tail panel and upper right quarter to weld on the other car.

My project is mainly funded from money made from side jobs, etc. Sometimes I work on cars and use that to pay for parts, materials, etc. I have flipped some cars before too, best one was a '99 S10 pickup I bought with a bad trans, bought the truck for 500, fixed it, replaced the tires, front brakes, and detailed it...had 1470 in it when finished, sold it for 3700. Then bought a 72 Charger, did a little work to it, sold it on eBay and made 500-600 bucks.  Selling parts on eBay, Craigslist, etc. Just stuff like that.

On top of that, so far nearly everything thats done to my cars, was done myself... some things could have been done better than others, but I haven't been out any $$$ for labor.

Good luck on your project,
Jason

[ZSmithersCharges]

This is a good thread, once I get into my resto I'll let you know for sure.  But most likely going to be doing exactly what cooter said, maybe some repro parts if I hit a pay day... probably not.

[73ChargerSE]

I'm sure most of the "kids" on the board can attest to the fact that doing this on a college budget, or even high school budget for that matter, is EXTREMELY tough.  I make $100-ish a week.  When a good deal pops up on a car, I usually borrow money from my parents and pay them back when I sell the car, so I guess you could call me a "flipper".  However, it all goes to the greater good of working on the Charger.  For a 20 year old, I've made a decent amount of money on selling cars, but not enough to get rich.  When I sold my '66 Coronet, I had enough capital to get my 400 rebuilt with a few nice parts.  I've done everything but the machine work and short block assembly myself.  Learned how to replace a transmission in the dirt with the car up on jackstands.  Fortunate enough to have concrete now, another thing my Coronet paid for.  All in all it's pretty rough, but it's slow and somewhat steady.  I have no clue how I'm going to pay for interior and body work after the mechanicals are done.  Just my 

[jb666]

It took me 25 years before I was even CLOSE to being able to afford this... There were so many times, in the past, that I wanted to buy something but knew I couldn't afford it in the end..

My job is very demanding, not to mention I've started working a 2nd job (working with a friend), so my lack of time and skill to do the job RIGHT stops me from jumping head first into something like this. I have the space, the tools and the $$ to buy parts, but that doesn't mean the car would look any better by the time I was done hacking it apart.. So I let the professionals do their jobs..

To each his own, and at the end of the day you do what you can afford, and be proud of it. We're all in the same hobby.

[charger_fan_4ever]

I'm in the same boat, my 70 r/t needs "the works" in metal. Sure I could just do patchwork for a year and then bondo and straighten for another 6 months. In the end it would look pretty nice, BUT what happens when in a couple years a little moisture gets in one of the pinholes from the weld and bubbles in the middle of the quarter if i was to put 1/2 quarters, or wherever I've patched ? That means I'll be doing a second restoration to do it right and all the time i put in patching when could have been with the wife ect has all gone out the window. By doing it the cheap way the first time will cost me double if in the first place I would have replaced the whole piece with AMD metal. Over the past 10 years with other cars I've learned that the budget way has always costed double int he end. It my take more time to save the extra money , but when i put the money in the right parts the first time I will have a nice finished product that won't keep me up at night wondering if one of those patches is going to boil out.

I've had my car since June 08. Since then I've bought a AMD full front floor, Footwell panels, full trunk floor, rust free door hinge pillars, rust free door, rust free trunk lid, Amd roof skin, souther fender, nice used finish panel. I still have a long ways to go(full 1/4's, trunk extensions, outer wheelhouses,rear valance,valance corners, tail panel,dutchman panel and probably the deck filler, upper cowl) This is just to get the body done. Then I will need to find a 440 and do the interior, exhaust, suspension,brakes, chroming. Won't be on the road in a couple months thats for sure, but will be worth the wait to have a nice finished product.

With purchase price and parts I have $8k tied up in it. I figure another $13k-15k and it should be on the road. I know for $23k i could not have bought an r/t done the way I want it. Would have probably cost me a minimum of $30k and wouldn't have been the right color ect. We all know even turn key cars are going to require some $$$. I'll be doing the majority of the work myself. My brother has an autobody shop and will be painting it and doing the final block sanding. I didn't have $30k plus to laydown for a toy(wish i did), so about $250 biweekly from my pay is going twoards parts. I try to buy a rust free part instead of new whenever i can, but if its beat and will require 20 hours labour to get it straight its cheaper in the long run to buy a new part thats not going to be full of plastic filler. With full 1/4's available I can't see how its feasible to put on 1/2 quarters and bondo full length, then go and buy sail panels and do the same. Most of the time the sail panels and lower 1/4's are toast. To me buying a new full 1/4 and replacing the whole thing at the factory spotwelds will be less expensive and make a nicer job. A little more dough up front, but well worth it IMO.

As i said I'm doing this full resto with new parts and its going to be around $18k. If i had to pay a body shop for a full resto I'd never be able to do it. Hats off to the guys that can afford six digit resto's on Hemi and sixpack cars. If I was paying for a resto I'd rather just make payments on a turn key car than payments on a credit line to pay a shop.

[nakita7]

Don't forget:

- some people have money to burn
- some are retired
- some have a car business and some of the stuff they buy is through the business
- some are flippers who 'have to sell their 7th Mopar, to finance their other projects' because someone had a gun to their head about a month ago, and they just 'had' to to buy it  
- some just had money put aside
- some are (ex) criminals who don't have to pay taxes like the rest of us...let's not go there  
- some just sold a previous car and are rolling the money into the next one


You just make it happen any way you can. An average Joe will always have a tough time restoring a car simply because it is not in a typical household budget. Just a bit of advice from someone who is pretty good with money...it's still cheaper to buy a done/original car. Let someone else lose the time and money.  Been in this hobby for 25+years and have only seen a handful of people able to restore a car for less than, or for what it's actually worth. Don't like to see someone put $52000 into a car that would only sell for $17,500...but it does keep the economy going!  

[Mike DC]

  
Don't spend no dough on the booty.  

[bull]

go slow...used parts when I can find them. Help from friends......oh yah...I have been going to the same job for 25 years and when I get some OT the charger gets some new stuff.

3X

Except the 25 years at Boeing part. I rarely get overtime but when I do I hit it hard and get all I can. Other than that I try squeezing my regular paycheck for $50-$200 here and there. Sometimes I get lucky and buy things cheap that I can sell for a profit (I know snowboards and Mopar parts so I buy some of those in the summer and flip them). From time to time I'll get part-time jobs or advertise my mole-trapping services. Right now the people I've hired to rebuild my engine and K-frame are busy so that makes my money last longer because they're taking forever. If they had gotten things done when I had hoped (early last summer) I'd be cleaned out right now but as it stands I still have lots left over from last winter's overtime pay. If we get lots of snow this winter I should make enough overtime money to finish my project. Anyway, it's been five years and counting so lots of patience helps too.

[jb666]

I have the utmost amount of respect for you guys that have the skill to do the job RIGHT, but that by no means justifies a job being hacked just because you want to "do it yourself". If you have a toothache, do you see a dentist or do you go put a filling in yourself, in your back room? If you are in legal trouble, do you represent yourself or hire a lawyer? The list goes on and on.. What it comes down to is:

1. If you CAN do it, go for it.
2. If you can pay to have the job done and not take $$ out of your family's mouth in the process, go for it!

So the theory of going up to a "rough car" at a car show vs a mint car at a car show is funny, because there are PLENTY of people out there with flawless rides who have done the work on their own.

And I have two more "how I got the $$ for my restoration" to add to the list above 

1. You saved $$ for 18 years for your daughter(s) to go to college. In that time you scrimped/scraped and DID NOT spend $$ on a car restoration. Daughter A gets a full boat scholorship for 4 years to the school she wants to go to and saves Mom & Dad $28k/Year. 4 Year of college cost 'us' $2400, and that was in books/materials, leaving quite a nice chunk of change left-over.

2. You had 2 family members pass away and a sum of $$ was left to you. Would I trade my car to have them alive again? Sure, but that's not going to happen.. So live life for today, and have no regrets in the meantime!!

You certainly can't take your $$ or toys with you 

I owned a detailing shop for 8 years before getting into my current line of work. People would bring me their cars, panicking about this or that, and I'd be laughing thinking "Wow, these people can't do THAT??". There's no difference.. Skill, supplies, time & material.. They make the world go 'round.

[69chargerR/T]

I'm not looking to build a "show car" that's my car in my sig. pic, it looks good from 20 feet. I don't plan on ever selling my car to make a profit on it. I would just like it to be clean and fairly strait I've been an auto tech. for 30 years, I've done all the work on my car myself, the drive train is all done and the car runs and sounds great This car was redone long before I got it, someone cut the quarters midway and put some metal in and lots of bondo. The bondo is now cracking in the quarters so the car needs quarters. After reading on looking at pics. on this site and others I think I can do the metal work myself. To keep the cost down I was thinking about doing skins on the car, but I don't here good things about skins because all the work they need It does look like it is easier to do the whole quarter, but they are $750 each plus shipping    Then the trunk floor,rear frame rails,rear cross member and so on

  Like I said not looking for a show car, and I think I can do the metal work. As for doing the filler work and getting the fairly strait and ready for someone to paint, I don't know about that I'm guessing I'm looking at around maybe close to $5000 in just parts.  It's just hard to come up with cash these days !!  The only other thing I can think of doing is sell my car and buying one all done and making payments on it. I'm not getting any younger so I don't know if I can spend years redoing this car Then theirs the question of how much I can get for my car  Just throwing all this out there not sure what I'm going to do.    Alan  



   

[skip68]

I just take the parts I need from VegasMike when he is sleeping....        It took about 2 plus years and $28k +/-  just to get where I am now on my car.  I still need more like gears, suregrip, and some other odds and ends but times are bad so it will have to wait.        You just do what you can when you can.   I do some trading too and that works good at times.   Jeff is lucky he lives far away from me or I would have some more parts...       Chuck...........

[Musicman]

Work,Work,Work,Work,Work,Work,Work,Work,Work,Work,Work,Work,Work....

[69charger2002]

i usually buy a project cheap when i find one, resell it, and use that money for either the next project to sell, or if i've done it a few times already, i take all the money and buy a finished car, or land, or whatever; and start all over again. once in a while i get a steal on one, and i decide to keep it... most of the time i let them go quickly so i don't get attached to it.  when i was 20 i had NOTHING except a pretty thrown together general lee with a 318, 68 interior, and $3800 tied up in... about 300 cars later, here i am..  

lately i have sold off a couple of even my good "keepers" because i live 20 miles away from where i store them, and i get sick of going out there and a battery being dead, a tranny seal now leaks from sitting a while without being driven, etc... that gets OLD, and lets me know i don't need 15 cars in the garage. I feel like a horrible "parent" for letting my babies get something wrong with them just from sitting, so i'm downsizing. Oh yeah having a new Challenger 6 speed to drive every day keeps me away from the old ones a little more now too...

[The70RT]

Sounds like a lot of us are about the same. Work and keep your head up and look for deals. It helps if you have any type of skills to be in the car hobby. If you don't you better have money. ANYONE can do a lot of their own work....but they say they can't because they never try, so they would rather pay for it. I would rather be showing a car that I did not what someone else did. If you can read a manual or have a computer it's all out there to be learned. I am a jack of all trades and a master of NONE. If something breaks I try to fix it myself before I call out a repairman. I have never been given anything or gotten any amount of money from lawsuits, dead uncles, parents, lottery etc. There is deals on Craigslist, newspaper etc all the time on cars and parts....you just gotta look and be there before someone else with the money. Just in the last couple years here is a few examples. I bought 4 nos fenders and two 32 ford windshield frames for 600 and sold them for 3000 on ebay. I bought a Cadillac for 500 from coworker and did nothing to it and sold it on craigslist for 1000. Bought a Buick for 200 replaced the engine and made 2000. I have stripped parts from junkers that I got cheap all my life, then scraped the rest. Was doing some work for others too but that got old. Yeah it's tough but when you want something you gotta do what you gotta do and find a way. 15 years ago I went from no house payment and sold my shack for 14K and bought my new house and now pay over 1400 a month since adding my garage build on to it. At times I thought wouldn't make it....but I keep plugging away. I have only took 2 nice vacations in the last 15 years so money management is a plus

[bull]

It does look like it is easier to do the whole quarter, but they are $750 each plus shipping    Then the trunk floor,rear frame rails,rear cross member and so on

After you drop the first $1,500 it gets a lot easier and your perspective on what's expensive gets more liberal. But by the same token that money doesn't come easy so it doesn't take much for me to get really pi$$ed off when I screw up and spend money on the wrong thing, mess up a part or get ripped off by someone.

[1charger69]

well before i was married i established a car fund....still livin at home, workin during the week and playin in a band and making 2-300 bucks a weekend playing guitar....i would live on the band money and sock my paychecks into my car fund.....fast forward 11 years....married now so paychecks go for bills.....i dont need much big stuff to finish the car but i cant go to Carlisle in July and NOT buy something     ill also buy a couple hundred bucks worth of of old dirty parts.....take them home....clean , repair , paint them....and resell them on ebay ...usually double or triple my investment and keeps my car fund afloat! booooyaaaa!    i do 75% of the car resto myself...i get a certain satisfaction from it too!

[FlatbackFanatic]

I've had mine for 9 years, it was a driver when I bought it, so that helps. But with a wife and two kids its hard to get any extra money, you just do what you gotta do. So far I've been able to do most of the work myself, now i just got some body work to do, and some of that will have to be done by someone better than me.lol.

[Cooter]

Sounds like a lot of us are about the same. Work and keep your head up and look for deals. It helps if you have any type of skills to be in the car hobby. If you don't you better have money. ANYONE can do a lot of their own work....but they say they can't because they never try, so they would rather pay for it. I would rather be showing a car that I did not what someone else did. If you can read a manual or have a computer it's all out there to be learned. I am a jack of all trades and a master of NONE. If something breaks I try to fix it myself before I call out a repairman. I have never been given anything or gotten any amount of money from lawsuits, dead uncles, parents, lottery etc. There is deals on Craigslist, newspaper etc all the time on cars and parts....you just gotta look and be there before someone else with the money. Just in the last couple years here is a few examples. I bought 4 nos fenders and two 32 ford windshield frames for 600 and sold them for 3000 on ebay. I bought a Cadillac for 500 from coworker and did nothing to it and sold it on craigslist for 1000. Bought a Buick for 200 replaced the engine and made 2000. I have stripped parts from junkers that I got cheap all my life, then scraped the rest. Was doing some work for others too but that got old. Yeah it's tough but when you want something you gotta do what you gotta do and find a way. 15 years ago I went from no house payment and sold my shack for 14K and bought my new house and now pay over 1400 a month since adding my garage build on to it. At times I thought wouldn't make it....but I keep plugging away. I have only took 2 nice vacations in the last 15 years so money management is a plus

Amen, Couldn't have said it better. I haven't been to the beach since I was around 9 or 10 Y/O in 1982...

[71ChallengeHer]

I do what I can when I can afford. Sometmes the things I want to do with it get pushed aside for the things that need to be done. And a really good tip day helps.     Plus good friends that work for food and beer. 

[charger490]

I retired from atlantic richfield took a lump some payout invested 100000 in cisco systems that split 8 times and than sold the stock 5 years ago and that is how i made the money for my three cars. and i am still working at 77 years old.

[c00nhunterjoe]

i started saving money for my car when i was 13. bought the car for $2000 when i was 15. it was a runnign and driving car with nice paint but full of bondo. i have done all of the work myself on the drivetrain except pressing new valve guides and seats in the heads. i have done ALL of the engine work, trans, rear, interior electrical etc etc etc. that saves alot of money. but i have had my car for 10+ years now and it still isnt done...lol. its a long hard process when you have other things in life that take money too- like a wife and kids.

[Back N Black]

Well, i pretty much have the same story as everyone else. Buy and sell, work on other people's cars, sell a few things on e-bay. Had a couple of part time jobs over the years. I have 4 years into my restoration and the car is done except for the rims and tires. I had it appraised and insured last week and really enjoy driving it, it is more fun than i imaged. I also enjoyed the restroation part, looking for the next part or getting a lead on parts. Driving countless miles to pick up parts and making great friends along the way. Would i do another restoration? absolutely.  

[mopar73]

Donate plasma twice a week 50$   Same as everone, save and spend money wisely and don't put the family budjet in peril over buying car parts.  Some things just have to wait.  I've spent 3 years on my car so far and it will be another year at least.

[mauve66]

my wife pimps me out...........................

[472 R/T SE]

It used to be when I wanted some thing I'd not turn down overtime.  Thing was the cranes' I was on worked lots of weekends any ways so there wasn't much choice.

It helped being in the hobby already & the cars you had or knew of were all of sudden valuable.
I don't envy anyone trying to get into the hobby in just the past 5 years or so.

[motorcitydak]

I bought an 86 Chris Craft Scorpion boat 2 years ago for $1500, fixed it up like new over the last 2 years and sold it in July for $3500 then I bought my project '68 Charger for $3000. I am funding it by bartering and trading when possible. Doing all the work myself and buying parts slowly as a great deal comes along. Then I work and over time shift or two to cover the cost. While it would be nice to just order everything I need for the car rite now, I do not have that $20000 that I would need to do that. If I spread that over the next three years however it becomes more possible and realistic

[BrianShaughnessy]

Usually it helps if you can be one or both of the following:
1.  Born rich / independently wealthy.
2.  No wife or kids.

Barring those circumstances...   I work some OT and live cheap whenever possible.   Put some stuff on the credit card and pay it off over time if necessary.

Forget vacations, forget new cars, forget big houses, forget boats, forget fancy restaurants and whatever else you can think of.    Try living within your means.

Still smoke?   Quit.
Eat out for breakfast and lunch at work?   Brown bag it.
Drink like a fish?   Quit or cut down severly.   
Gamble?  Don't kid yourself... you're a loser.   Stop it...  and stop buying the scratchoffs at the deli while buying your lunch too!

It's all about your priorities and the choices you make.   

I have a bunch of crap in the garage and some extra Firebirds to sell off.   Otherwise Sinnamon is on the pay over time plan.    I didn't expect to start another project but it happened.

[elacruze]

I've owned mine since 1980, and only started having 'restoration' done on it last year. I could only afford the important bits-engine and driveline-before now.

To answer the question directly, I'm not paying for it; you are! Thanks to the unlimited budget Congress gave the MRAP program, I'm in Afghanistan keeping U.S. forces alive and well in them employed by Navistar Defense.

I've been putting in 7 12hr. days for two years now, and signing up for a third. That will get the car finished, I figure it'll amortize to about $1500/yr for all the years I've owned it. That's about 10 years of overtime in 2.
Plus, I only have my Girlfriend's kid, who's 21 now. No wives, houses, or overhead until '05 so nothing to dig out of. I consider myself very lucky as far as the car goes, but most people think I've missed out on a lot...I was about to put the car in BJ in Palm Beach when this job found me. Lucky boy.

[71ChallengeHer]

my wife pimps me out...........................

Really ? How much ?   

[riggs626]

I buy cars or pick up cars with blown motors transmissions wrecked it doesnt matter as long as i know i can resell them. Like the last one was a 99 deville dented doors and trunk paid 300 for it put another 300 in it and had it looking nice and all my cars i make sure the new owner doesnt have any mait for 3months to be done on the car but I made 3700 off that car so that will pay for my rockers and Now I get to start over and flip a 02 cavalier that needs a motor and some body work!

[ZSmithersCharges]

Donate plasma twice a week 50$   Same as everone, save and spend money wisely and don't put the family budjet in peril over buying car parts.  Some things just have to wait.  I've spent 3 years on my car so far and it will be another year at least.

You just gave me a really good idea  I'm not even kidding.

[Long Island RT]

I bought my RT in 1988 for $1000 bucks - dropped a few hundred into it and beat the crap out of it for a few years.  It then got parked for about 15 years while my life went on.

I saved every piece of change I had from 1992 to 2006.  I mean I would go out of my way to get change and save it in jars.  Sometimes I'd drop a few bucks or a twenty when I had extra.
I had 4 five gallon pails when all said and done, just over 12 grand

Back in 06 - I had (the wife too) some better than expected bonuses - Put some towards the boys future and had another 5 g's for the Charger.

3 years later and I'm 3/4's of the way done.  Did it all my self except fo the final stage of paint. (I still don't have the front fenders painted yet)

I now budget about $2-300 a month on it. - I should be finished up in about a year.

[Armudster]

 I'm into the hobby, but I like to live life in a good way also, at least once a month I go to a nice restaurant, I go to parties often, I smoke 2 packs a day(trying to reduce to 1), drink 3 times a week, I like to play poker, I like new gadgets and games, try to travel at least once a year, and I am kind of a sex addict, it really makes it harder, but not impossible, it just takes more time and effort, I try to buy the better car that I can afford and do everything that I can myself, that helps a lot, and I have a good paying job, I try whenever possible to buy parts and resell, and the same about some cars, I bought a Galaxie once for US$2000,00 and sold it for US$8000,00 for example, I also try to reserve a small part of my income to do stock market investments, I have a good broker here, I may not win a lot, but it cut risks in half so this also helps, my Dart is almost ready I need only 2000 dollars or so, and it's only been a year since I have it. I am also trying to learn everything I can, so I can do more and more.
 I will start having bodyshop and resto classes here in Brazil and a good friend teaches me a lot of mechanics,  next I am selling my Dart when ready, looking to get at least US$30000,00 and then will move to US to Lima, Ohio for 4 years to do a major in High Performance Mechanics, and I hope to buy a 68 Charger while I'm there, something solid in the 15000 to 25000 range to then do all the work myself, this will be a keeper and I plan to bring it back to Brazil when I'm ready with my education, I think everything is moving along so far.
My ultimate goal is to have the Charger which is my dream car BTW and open a shop here in Brazil using a lot of lessons learned in the US that still aren't available in Brazil, like CNC ported cylinder heads and camshaft fabrication for example, I'm planning to get in Ohio in July next year and will start college as soon as I get there, of course when living in a new country I need to cut back on some expendings, but nothing radical, maybe I will quit smoking, maybe not, as far as everything goes, I am doing fine and I'm only 25, with no kids or wife, and no interest on new cars, and since I was 15 I always spent 25% on drinks, parties, vacations and other miscellaneous, 20% to 30% towards cars or car savings(in case I don't need anything or need to buck it up a little more for something), and all the rest is for investing and making more money, so you don't need to cut back on anything, you just need some money management, just my  

[Charger440RDN]

I bought my RT in 1988 for $1000 bucks - dropped a few hundred into it and beat the crap out of it for a few years.  It then got parked for about 15 years while my life went on.

I saved every piece of change I had from 1992 to 2006.  I mean I would go out of my way to get change and save it in jars.  Sometimes I'd drop a few bucks or a twenty when I had extra.
I had 4 five gallon pails when all said and done, just over 12 grand

Back in 06 - I had (the wife too) some better than expected bonuses - Put some towards the boys future and had another 5 g's for the Charger.

3 years later and I'm 3/4's of the way done.  Did it all my self except fo the final stage of paint. (I still don't have the front fenders painted yet)

I now budget about $2-300 a month on it. - I should be finished up in about a year.

I don't mean to hijack this thread but can you post some pictures of the charger, the little I can see in the avatar is nice 

[Brock Samson]

 Worked two jobs for 14 years which paid for my Auto intrests and my Band's studios (three different ones over 20 Yrs.) I either fixed or bought parts for the Charger in Approx $2K amounts every couple or few Mos.
   I took out a loan for my first $10K paint job in '89. between '89 and '99 I just bought parts incl. all the BB drivetrain parts, I have detailed extensivly how I proceded with my R/T from purchase in several similar threads.
  My car is and allways has been a driver - it's only been laid up for paint or the engine swaps a few Mos. In more then 25 years and I am quite proud of that. 

[Troy]

I don't drink, smoke, party, go out on the town, buy expensive clothes/shoes/jewelry. Nor do I have cable/satellite, a cool cell phone (with premium plan), a wife, kids, or expensive hobbies. My major bills are shop/garage, fuel, insurance, and this web site. I buy parts when I find deals and try to do a lot of the labor on my own. I'm always juggling time and money (I typically have one or the other but not both). Recently I've sold a few cars and will probably sell a couple more so I can have more drivable cars and fewer projects. I think if I only had one car I'd be a lot better off/farther along but then I'd probably just find something else to mess with.

Troy

[69bronzeT5]

I don't really do much with my cars at the moment. Once I get a job, I can do more. I just do what I can with what money I have.

[Armudster]

 I forgot to say that the another reason I can afford having a Mopar and still continuing to have fun is that I have only one car, so I do just one car at a time, I can´t imagine what my life would be if I had a lot of projects, at least I´m not ready for it, my main priorities in my life is A. Get a Charger and B. Have a shop, all while having fun and enjoying life, and always having some money invested for the future, after I have all that I will start thinking on having a second and maybe third project, and just after that I will even consider getting married and having kids, but this is only my way of thinking.
 

[Long Island RT]

I bought my RT in 1988 for $1000 bucks - dropped a few hundred into it and beat the crap out of it for a few years.  It then got parked for about 15 years while my life went on.

I saved every piece of change I had from 1992 to 2006.  I mean I would go out of my way to get change and save it in jars.  Sometimes I'd drop a few bucks or a twenty when I had extra.
I had 4 five gallon pails when all said and done, just over 12 grand

Back in 06 - I had (the wife too) some better than expected bonuses - Put some towards the boys future and had another 5 g's for the Charger.

3 years later and I'm 3/4's of the way done.  Did it all my self except fo the final stage of paint. (I still don't have the front fenders painted yet)

I now budget about $2-300 a month on it. - I should be finished up in about a year.

I don't mean to hijack this thread but can you post some pictures of the charger, the little I can see in the avatar is nice 

I can do better - I started my own thread:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,53769.0.html

[HeavyFuel]

I'm into the hobby, but I like to live life in a good way also, at least once a month I go to a nice restaurant, I go to parties often, I smoke 2 packs a day(trying to reduce to 1), drink 3 times a week, I like to play poker, I like new gadgets and games, try to travel at least once a year, and I am kind of a sex addict, it really makes it harder, but not impossible, it just takes more time and effort, I try to buy the better car that I can afford and do everything that I can myself, that helps a lot, .......blah, blah, blah,.................. so you don't need to cut back on anything, you just need some money management, just my  

Really, you don't have to cut back on anything?  Sounds like you cut back out the spouse and kids, a major influence on most people, and probably a big part of life for most of the folks on this site.  So yes, lots of us do need to cut back and make smart choices that are good for others not just ourselves.

[Armudster]

I'm into the hobby, but I like to live life in a good way also, at least once a month I go to a nice restaurant, I go to parties often, I smoke 2 packs a day(trying to reduce to 1), drink 3 times a week, I like to play poker, I like new gadgets and games, try to travel at least once a year, and I am kind of a sex addict, it really makes it harder, but not impossible, it just takes more time and effort, I try to buy the better car that I can afford and do everything that I can myself, that helps a lot, .......blah, blah, blah,.................. so you don't need to cut back on anything, you just need some money management, just my  

Really, you don't have to cut back on anything?  Sounds like you cut back out the spouse and kids, a major influence on most people, and probably a big part of life for most of the folks on this site.  So yes, lots of us do need to cut back and make smart choices that are good for others not just ourselves.

Sorry, I think I expressed myself the wrong way, of course some sacrifices have to be made, but I mostly do what I like to, just try to avoid doing it to much, of course getting married and having kids would change everything, but I try to not think about this things yet, I'm still young and have my life ahead of me, but of course things like that happen without much warnings, one day your fine and the other you meet the woman of your life, or the condom can blow up, so these kind of things change everything, but I hope to get my life togheter and start a business before moving on in the next stages of life. If I have a son now for example it's bye bye for my education, my dream car and my dream of owning a shop someday. It may sound selfish, but I think it's not.
See ya 

[elanmars]

I live within my means-still going to school, full time, I have a baby girl. I work as much as I can also and sell a lot of things on ebay, everything from Star Wars figures and other toys, to comic books, video games, movies, books, shirts, etc.  I wish I could do a lot of what the cars have needed myself-but I just don't have the time, the right tools or the space. Currently living with my parents, babymama, baby and I, so that saves a lot of money.

We don't go out often, we don't party, we don't buy things other than necessity and whatever we don't really "need", we get on sale/ebay, no full price/overpriced stuff for us. When we go to the movies, we go matinee or any other way we can get a discount. We go to good restaurants every now and again-but ones that are reasonably priced.

During my dating times, I went half and half, always. If a girl expected me to pay for it all, forget it! But then I've always been solid good when it comes to the ladies. It's always best to do activities that don't involve spending much-and activities that you do together, lets you spend more time together and get closer. Always works.

I was able to purchase my first Charger (73) with some minor savings and selling a few Star Wars items and other collectibles (I was an avid collector). The second one (69) I was able to fund by selling my '73, which I got a really awesome profit out of it compared to what I paid for it, so that was a sweet deal. The 69, I got it cheap and that came with some issues, of course-I knew it was going to have some gremlins and thankfully it's only been because of the body. With the profits from my '73, I've been able to "fund" the '69.

Previous body work was extremely ghetto/shoddy/poor and I have a lot of minor things missing, such as trim, need a new hood, need front buckets replaced or upholstered, some interior things. Unfortunately, it's been held up by really slow body work from a friend of a friend, because I just had to go the cheap route, sigh, big mistake! To his defense, he did have a couple of issues that were out of his hand and I totally understood, plus he does great work and so far, the Charger is turning out fantastic with the body work. My patience is wearing thin though, specially since the car is way overdue and he's going reaaaallyyyyyy slow about it, sometimes he'll go a week without touching it and I might just have to take the car so I can get around (big mistake I sold my 97 Maxima also, so my Charger is my only car) and have him finish it/work on it on weekends.

Once I get it back, I can have the AC installed, disk brakes put on, sound system hooked up, have the car aligned, put sound deadener material and from then on, it'll just be little things here and there I'll get for it, stuff I don't need right now-passenger side mirror, windows tinted, back speakers, etc.

[mauve66]

my wife pimps me out...........................

Really ? How much ?   

cheap................ but you get what you pay for according to her............
i guess you missed the part about my car only being drivable for 2 of the last 16 years, and the last time i drove it for fun was the summer of 99

[The70RT]

my wife pimps me out...........................

Really ? How much ?   

cheap................ but you get what you pay for according to her............
i guess you missed the part about my car only being drivable for 2 of the last 16 years, and the last time i drove it for fun was the summer of 99

Sounds like you better viagra it up so you can drive your car 

[AKcharger]

I bought cheap and did the labor myself and with friends after learning how much a shop wanted

Here it is when I bought it in Summer of 2002 for $750 ($500 to owner and $250 back storage to lot it was abandoned at)


Here it is 2 years later, more work than I could have ever imagined +$15K in cashed in saving bonds and diverted vacation $

[AKcharger]

Oh yeah, this one, I got smart after the '70 and found one with a SOLID BODY to avoid all the body panel replacement. I was well trained on the '70 so body work was a snap. I just used my normal pay to finsh this one but with no car payments (we have old cars) and being kind of boring it was easy to piece it together over a period of 8 months.

Here it was for $2500 when I got it, non running but complete in Summer 2004


And pretty much finished for about $8500 total


can't resist!

[69charger440]

Well I can tell you an easy way to get $8,000 to put into your chargers!!! Just buy a house. Thats what i did. Heck figured i would kill two birds with one stone! Wife wanted a house, I wanted quarter panels, trunk extensions, inner wheel well housing, Oh and paint! Still have money left over for a concrete drive way and new sod. (DARN, FORECLOSURES!) Other then that I pay all the bills and have the wife dump money into savings. (CHARGER FUND) I also do all the mechanical work myself. They paint and body work is the only thing I don't have the patience for.

[stripedelete]

Well I can tell you an easy way to get $8,000 to put into your chargers!!! Just buy a house. Thats what i did. Heck figured i would kill two birds with one stone! Wife wanted a house, I wanted quarter panels, trunk extensions, inner wheel well housing, Oh and paint! Still have money left over for a concrete drive way and new sod. (DARN, FORECLOSURES!) Other then that I pay all the bills and have the wife dump money into savings. (CHARGER FUND) I also do all the mechanical work myself. They paint and body work is the only thing I don't have the patience for.

And we don't even get a "thank you"?   

[69charger440]

Well I can tell you an easy way to get $8,000 to put into your chargers!!! Just buy a house. Thats what i did. Heck figured i would kill two birds with one stone! Wife wanted a house, I wanted quarter panels, trunk extensions, inner wheel well housing, Oh and paint! Still have money left over for a concrete drive way and new sod. (DARN, FORECLOSURES!) Other then that I pay all the bills and have the wife dump money into savings. (CHARGER FUND) I also do all the mechanical work myself. They paint and body work is the only thing I don't have the patience for.

And we don't even get a "thank you"?   


NO SERIOUSLY THANK YOU AMERICA!!

[SFRT]

I saved a pile of cash, then did as much work as I could myself, what I couldnt do I am lucky enough to have a network of very talented very cool friends that hooked me up for cheap or trades. I have spent a LOT on the car, but none of it was for some dude to pretend to sand it for 800 hours. all the $ has gone into quality parts.

also, I spend zero on things for myself like clothes, beer etc. every extra penny goes to the car. I will even eat cheap if I want a part.

[200MPH]

1.Cut back on extra activities like movies, I usually wait until they come to DVD and rent them then. unless its something i really want to see

2,Trade parts if you can

3. Network

4.,buy used parts when you can sheetmetal engine parts etc.paint sometimes paint shops have colors that you may like that a customer failed to pick up

5. Do as much work s as possible on your project like installing the interior or engine and trans, media blasting if you can get the right equipment..

6. come up with a budget and stick to it

7.The Project itself..if you do not have the means to do the Body work and other big tasks associated with restoration then save your money and get the best project for you, you wil be $$$ ahead in the end.

just my

[Akron_Charger]

patience (and staying single) grasshopper!  but really its mostly using your money for what you need first and saving what you can for the car, and not trying to do too much when you really cant

[resq302]

Constantly working on the "honey do list", oh and don't forget I pay for my charger with lots of blood, sweat, and tears.   Mostly blood it seems though.

[DodgeChargerNeeded]

Rob Liquor stores, lol. Mostly by buying and selling one to get another one.

[G-man]

Cant afford a project hence the reason of finding one already done for decent $.

[resq302]

Cant afford a project hence the reason of finding one already done for decent $.

Do they actually exist like that?  Completed for decent money?   

[G-man]

Cant afford a project hence the reason of finding one already done for decent $.

Do they actually exist like that?  Completed for decent money?   

Yeah, the 1 i got of husk. Perfect car for perfect price 

[squeakfinder]

     Well, you could pimp yourself out to hundred fat chicks for a hundred bucks a pop. 

[nakita7]

Cant afford a project hence the reason of finding one already done for decent $.

Do they actually exist like that?  Completed for decent money?   

A completed car will cost you less than restoring a car probably 90% of the time. Let someone else lose their time and money...

[G-man]

     Well, you could pimp yourself out to hundred fat chicks for a hundred bucks a pop. 

Dont think you would be around to buy anything after that. 

[Charger_Croatia]

Constantly working on the "honey do list", oh and don't forget I pay for my charger with lots of blood, sweat, and tears.   Mostly blood it seems though.

Looks like my situation 
But now it is a time for me to save some money to finish bodywork and painting. Some other priorities happened couple times and I must delay charger project 

[greenpigs]

Wife sold her house and we closed on daughters birthday a few months ago. So now she can chip in on household bills. I only pay for Charger parts. Wife works part time to stay at home with the kids more.

[268RTs4ME]

Back 25 years ago I scratched up $700.00 to buy my 68 Coronet RT,  in fact I sold this and that to get the money together,knew is would be worth alot more than that in the future, got it up to were is was presentable, bondo and primered, and screaming ass mean. thru the years have had numerious inquiries on purchasing it, No not for sale, even though I had to pay the bills and feed the kids, I would not sell my car, and I still have it, its a survivor and so am I.  as i got older I invested in some real estate, which I cleaned up and keep for a few years, making payments at the bank every month, now after 10 years sold that real estate with a pretty good profit, was gonna buy cd or mutual fund, nobody wants to pay you crap to use your money, So I invested some fund in another ride, my 74 RR/GTX #s Matching, highly option. right now I have about $15,000.00 in it and I am not done yet. it is a beautiful car which I am proud of.. Now I tool around in it, and I am starting on My RT, I gotta have my mopar to drive while I am working on my other one..expensive hobby, but I love it.. Take care of family and debts first...then your car.. Happy Holidays