Restoring

[terrible one]

Firstly, no...I'm not trying to get out cheap or anything. Just looking for kind of an estimate, etc.

Around how much do you think it will take me to restore a 1970 Charger? Everything is there, and I would be doing all the work myself. Also I might not be going with a completly stock factory restoration. However, I do plan to do a frame off, and basically just cover everything.

[Rolling_Thunder]

$15000+

[694spdRT]

It is hard to give estimates with a lack of info. Pictures will be helpful. At least the condition of the body and your idea of what "you" doing everything means.

Are you really doing everthing including bodywork, paint, engine rebuilding, interior, suspension, brakes, tranny......ect? And before someone else says it a '70 Charger is a unibody so there really is no "frame" off restoration with these Mopars. It is a common term that is used and I assume you just mean a ground up restoration.

With no more info provided I would give you a ballpark figure of at least 15K for a resto where you do most of the work yourself. If you want it really nice and hire out some of the finer details like painting and the drivetrain rebuild figure 25-30K.  

EDIT: Rolling Thunder beat me too it but, we agree on the amount. 

[bad2thebone]

It is hard to give estimates with a llack of info. Pictures will be helpful. At least the condition of the body and your idea of "you" doing everything means.

Are you really doing everthing including bodywork, paint, engine rebuilding, interior, suspension, brakes, tranny......ect? And before someone else says it a '70 Charger is a unibody so there really is no "frame" off restoration with these Mopars. It is a common term that is used and I assume you just mean a ground up restoration.

With no more info provided I would give you a ballpark figure of at least 15K for a resto where you do most of the work yourself. If you want it really nice and hire out some of the finer details like painting and the drivetrain rebuild figure 25-30K.  

EDIT: Rolling Thunder beat me too it but, we agree on the amount. 

I agree...  There is little to go on without a better description of the current condition of the car...

[PocketThunder]

I am doing the exact same thing and so far i am going to be in it for $16,000.  I've done everthing, and will do everything myself except for the mud and paint work ($4000) and the machining of the block ($1500).. everything else is cash out the door for the parts i need..  And i have a feeling my estimate will still go over a couple thou....

Good luck and enjoy it..  

[Troy]

Firstly, no...I'm not trying to get out cheap or anything. Just looking for kind of an estimate, etc.

Around how much do you think it will take me to restore my 1970 Charger? Everything is there, and I will be doing all the work myself. Also I might not be going with a completly stock factory restoration. However, I do plan to do a frame off, and basically just cover everything.

It's hard to say - are you doing a real concourse restoration or are you just making the car drivable? The difference is in the details. Stock parts are expensive so I see that you may be able to save some cash by going with a few aftermarket items. Do your parts need chromed or can you deal with a little crazing/pitting? How good are you at doing all the work (especially paint and body work and interior replacement)? Does the drivetrain need a full rebuild or just freshened up? I have noticed that on my cars all the finish items can really eat up a budget. Little things like screws, clips, handles, gaskets, weatherstripping, emblems, fuel and brake lines, wiring, and vinyl top trim sure add up in a hurry! Don't forget to add in the labor on things that normal people can't do like gauge cluster refacing, plastic chroming, shifter and differential rebuilding, and metal chroming. My cars are going to cost more than I want to count but I'm also probably going way beyond the backyard/garage restoration.

FYI: you can't do a "frame off" restoration on a Charger since it's a unibody. However, if you strip it all down to basics and bare metal you should add a few thousand to cover the extra paint, materials, and labor vs just taking the car down to a "roller" and painting over the original primer.

Troy

[694spdRT]

The other thing to remember is once you paint the car or start putting on some new items all the other things that you once thought were "good enough" suddenly don't look so good anymore. Now you have more stuff to buy....that is where the "snowball" effect surfaces with restorations. 

[ITSA426]

Take your best wild estimate, add about twenty percent for over runs and then double that amount.  It's similar to the planning for the amount of time required but the sooner you want the car done the greater the amount of money needed!  Also, desired quality controls the cost and the time required.

[Todd Wilson]

I just got done with a 71 last winter doing it all in my garage.  You will have 2grand in supplys/consumables (is that a word?!)   This includes the various primers and paint and chemicals. Body filler and the various sand paper stuff,plastic and cleaning supplys you will need. Find a body shop supply store and buy there. Do not buy sand paper,razor blades,masking tape, dust masks at the hardware store. The body shop stuff is better and usually cheaper.

Rubbing compunds in the end are not cheap.  Plan to spend 80$-100$ for a cheap buffer. 100$ estiamte for the compunds themselves.

The paint gun and breathing mask! Shop around you can be into this equipment for a minimum of 350$-400$ and probably more.

This is all alone and does not include tools which can be another 1500$-1800$ if you shop around for good deals. An Air compressor big enough to paint and run a DA will be 800$ minimun, You can have a few huindred dollars in air tools pretty fast and not have the high quality tools at that. But thats not a big deal for an amatuer shop. You can plan about 750$ minimum for a welder. (My case a Hobart 135,cart,bottle,auto darkening helmet (whiich is great for sheet metal work)). You will need an air dryer/cleaner for the AC compressor. I used the cambell hausfeld 120$ unit at the farm store and it did very good!  Get the CHEAP farm store DA sander and plan to use one or two of them on the project. About 40$ a piece.

With the exception of the Devilbiss GTI MIll paint gun all my air equipment was of the amatuer variety  but it did the job well. It just wouldnt hold up in a professional enviroment.

Beer expense!

This does not include anything you got to buy for the car itself such as new sheet metal and interior parts. Locating junkyard parts to fix your bad parts. A few hundred dollars to buy a vinyl top. Engine and drive train rebuilds can go several thousand dollars and up. Weather stripping,rechrome bumpers, new gaskets, and the list goes on and on and on...............


Depending on how much you do at the house plan for your electrical bill to about double per month. I worked weekends and mine doubled. Running a heater, 2 AC compressors and a welder will eat power. When we were stripping the car with the DA both AC compressors would run continuous for hours.

Have extra cash in the budget for the un expected. You will find problems and have to deal with stuff you dont know exists right now.

Plan to have a lot of blood,sweat and tears into the project as well!

If you have family  everyone has to plan on not having you around for weeks or months on end when you have spare time IF you are ever going to complete the project. On my days off from the time I got up to the time I went to bed was focused on the car! Plan on your old lady to get pissed every once in a while because you spend more time with the dam car then her! My old lady was pretty cool about it overall.

My 71 turned out pretty good but its not a concourse restoration and was never intended to be that. It has flaws in the paint and body both from my lack of experience and the garage enviroment it was in. There is something to be said about paint booths and areas where you can block sand and then move the car out of the dust enviroment. I had to do everything in the garage.

If you got neighbors that bitch about stuff  plan for noise  during the whole project and a serious paint smell when it comes time to paint!

Here are links to photo's of my garage project last winter. IN no particular order. One of these days I will make a web page with great details on the journey!

http://www.chargerfever.com/71restore/index.html

http://www.chargerfever.com/71paint/index.html

http://www.chargerfever.com/71buff/index.html

http://www.chargerfever.com/71sun/index.html



Todd

[terrible one]

Thanks guys. No pics, but I do mean doing everything myself besides machine work on the engine.

[Rolling_Thunder]

i still say $15,000+

[rare69]

i haven't got the body work done yet, but everything els. minuse wheels and tires and exhaust. and I'm into it for about 30G,s so do all you can do your self to save a buck or two, because you will find a place to spend them before your threw. good luck!

[terrible one]

Right now I've got a "Charger Fund" of 35 grand. Should I start?

[Rolling_Thunder]

sure

[tick68charger]

I've got $24.000 in mine and that includes the $4,000 for the car. The car was a mess when i got it and in pieces. Had to replace alot of parts. I did not go all original, alot of performance parts. Here is a pic

[694spdRT]

Not to play devil's advocate but, 35K will buy you a very nice Charger that you can enjoy today. If you really have 35K in cash ready to spend it is something to think about before getting deep into a resto and possibly burning out or losing interest. I would never try to discourage anyone from restoring a car, just a fact that often times the end goal is not achieved.

If your '70 is special to you or a high dollar car then that is another story of course.

Good luck with whatever you decide.  

[terrible one]

This is a good thought. I guess it just never crossed my mind. Mostly because my goal has been a restoration. I really like doing it. However, I suppose 35k would buy me a real nice charger, and I could turn this one over for a few thousand on Ebay easily...

[694spdRT]

The final decision is up to you. I just wanted to point out that restorations are a very time consuming and money eating venture. If you have done it before you know exactly what I am talking about.

I don't know what type of Charger you want(IE stock, street machine, or race car) but, 35K will get you a very nice car of your choosing. The other point is that for 35K you will likely find an original 440 R/T that will still be worth the good money if you decide to sell sometime. Also, if your '70 happens to be a 318 or 383 car it will not be worth as much as an R/T in the same shape. That is just how the market works.

One last thing, if you find one for less than 35K you have just saved yourself that much money or you can use it to better the car in some way. Remember, if you do buy a completed car just make sure you check it out very well before laying out that kind of cash.

[HDCharger]

I'd say 20-25 thousand as long as you don't go really crazy.  I've got 15,000 + in mine and I haven't even started the body work or interior.  What really kills you is buying the same thing twice because you didn't get what you wanted the first time and the 18 or 32 dollar trips to Auto Zone for this and that.  So many things add up to big bucks.  I've ran my engine less than an hour and I have changed the oil 4 times.  My best advice is take your time and do it right the first time even if it cost a bit more, it will save you in the long run.

[terrible one]

Thanks again guys. The one I've got is a 440 car. No 4-speed sadly. I'm not sure what I want to make it into (or what I want to buy if I got that route) I'm not into numbers matching factory stock like that, even though the one I've got right now is. It would definitly have some mods.

[694spdRT]

If your car is an original '70 R/T then it would be a good candidate for a restoration. I am not sure how much you know about the numbers and stuff but, in case you are new to Mopars the VIN# should start out XS29L0G for a real R/T car. A fender tag and buildsheet are nice to have as well.

Should be worth some good money as is depending on condition of course. You might want to try the '70 Charger Registry site also. They are a good group of guys. I am sure they would have a lot of info and appreciate if you register your car with them.

http://1970chargerregistry.com/

[Charger_Fan]

You might want to try the '70 Charger Registry site also. They are a good group of guys.

Well, except this guy; http://1970chargerregistry.com/70messageboard/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=16 he's a real jerk.

[Ghoste]

Nah, he's okay.  You just gotta give him a chance.

[694spdRT]

You might want to try the '70 Charger Registry site also. They are a good group of guys.

Well, except this guy; http://1970chargerregistry.com/70messageboard/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=16 he's a real jerk.

Actually, I kinda like him. This guy worries me though...I mean who goes to a '70 site with a username like that? http://1970chargerregistry.com/70messageboard/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=145   

[Charger_Fan]

hehe

[BlueSS454]

From past cars I have restored, my 69 Chevelle cost me the least at less than $15K and I did a complete frame off on it.  My 70 Chevelle SS454 cost me over $30K over a period of 5 years.  My 69 Charger when all said and done will cost around the $15K mark total including the original purchase price.  I've been keeping tabs with a spreadsheet.
The Charger began as a complete rust bucket/basket case in need of exensive metal work.  I am doing all the work myself including the mud work & paint.  It's starts getting very expensive when you need to depend on other people to do the work for you.

[Silver R/T]

also depends on quality you will be doing yourself. your paint job can be anywhere from $1000 to $3-5K depending how good you do paint.bodywork

[HeavyFuel]

I did some rough math on mine just a couple nights ago.  I mentally went through the car one part at a time, and wrote down all of the expenses. They are mainly replacement parts and rebuilds, like the engine, tranny, power booster, etc.  Also body work and paint.  I am doing all of the disassembly and assembly myself, and the refurbishing of parts and simple mechanical pieces.

I have only the original cost of the car, the engine rebuild, rechromed bumpers and tail light assys, and exhaust into it now. That is $11K.

The future stuff came to about $18K.  That about freaked me out, so I went thru it again, and tried to weed out some of the stuff that can wait, like a new carb, etc.  I got it down to about $15K.

So all said and done, the resto will be between $25-30K, including the purhase price.  And my car was/is a pretty easy resto, according to most folks that see the car, not a real basket case.  Low miles, nice complete car.  But when stuff is old, its old, and needs to be replaced.

Now I'm just trying to figure out a way to tell my wife.  I'm probably going to have to sell my truck to help finance this nightmare, how bad is that?