Just wondering how some people do them so fast

[bull]

Oh stop, you don't have to explain anything to me.  Just pitchin' you a little chit.   

It's a point I've been wanting to make for a while anyway. You just happened to be the one who gave me the opportunity.

[67440chrg]

I guess mine is a little diffrent story and may not fit but I will tell a condensed version. In about 1986 I had a big block 1972 SE with a lot of potential it ran good but needed a complete front suspension rebuild. I stored it at a relatives property for a wile and some one stole it. It took me over 15 years to justify spending the money to get another Charger with kids,divorce and new family It had ben restored 20 years earlier so it is more of a refresh as i can and drive the hell out of it along the way.For me it would be money and responsibilities. 

[Khyron]

I don't have deap pockets, but I was very lucky to have started with a solid car, worked my ass off almost every night and on my days off, and had a good friend with a body shop :-)

[FrnkNsteen]

Well, I'm just getting started, and I'm just expecting it to take 3-4 years minimum, and the main reason is money. I figure it this way..... I know even by just adding up the big items, that it's going to cost enough that there's NO WAY I can afford to pay for them any quicker. I guess a person could take a loan to buy everything that will be needed, but I don't see me being willing to do that. Even if I could justify $400 every single month, that's only $4800 per year. At that rate it will still take me 3-4 years minimum to get everything needed.

So..... like someone on here suggested, I'll work on a little something every day, and when it gets done it gets done. I'm going to TRY to be patient and just keep trudging along! No need to get down on ourselves because we don't have a crew of 40 people all working on it at once to get it done in a week like some of the shows we all watch!!

[FastbackJon]

Imagine building a Charger from all clean perfect NOS parts in two days and getting all the factory markings correct, and doing it for under $3,000.

Sound impossible?

Well the factory did it back in the '60's thousands of times per day!

[1970Moparmann]

I was pretty fortunate when I did my 68 a few years ago, I had the money... Today, would be a different story.  I also had to call in a few people to assist.  This made things a lot faster also.   

It's hard to do a restoration in less than a year unless you dedicate all your free time towards it.   I did about 10% in the first year in a half and then 90% in 10 months.   Time allocation my friend.

[Richard Cranium]

The fastest time I restored a car was 8 months back in 1985-86. The car was a complete basket case when I bought it so time was saved on the disassembly. At the time, I was living at home & had no girlfriend , so all my spare time was devoted to the car as was my wallet. My current project will be done in less than a year, but I did farm out the bodywork. Everything else is being done by me.......and it is costing plenty.

[azfrench]

Now im nervous.  I plan on starting my car in Nov or Dec.  Hope to have it done in a few months.  Hopefully less than a year.  AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!


Rick

[elanmars]

I guess it depends how far you want to take it/how bad the car was to begin with.

I always get half-decent drivers with few issues and fix them as I drive them...couldn't stand to have a trailer queen or one that wasn't rolling, it's bad enough when it's down for maintenance for at least a week up to 3 weeks. torture!

[green69rt]

Restorations, that is. I understand that I'm not the fastest worker in the world, and that some guys do this type of work professionally or semi-professionally, but I just don't understand how a guy can restore a Charger in 6-8 months without A: doing a half-assed job, B: deep, deep pockets and C: a team of helpers. More than once I've seen guys start with a rusted out Charger exoskeleton, pass me and 20 other guys with their project and have the thing on the road less than a year later. It's baffling and, to be honest, a little frustrating. What am I missing?

I look at some of the rebuilds on this site and wonder - am I slow or just stupid, did I not know what I was doing, what do these people know that I don't??  Then I remember that this is a first for me (done engines, trans etc before but never body.)   Then I remember that my car was a real junker, more problems than I expected.  Also remember that instead of years think about hours spent.  I get to spend maybe 10 hours a week on my car, sometimes less.  Shops say a basic restoration will take about 1500 hours - (1500/(10 per week) is about three years.)  Then I figure in that I'm an amateur at a lot of things and some things get done twice.  So three years times two is six years.  Then add the difficulty of your particular job and we're talking about a 10 year job.  So stop fretting about time, enjoy the journey.  Somebody told me (when I was much younger)  enjoy the fact that you are building "YOUR" car, if we remember it or not we're all hot rodders at heart, take an old hulk and make it someting we're proud to drive.  

[Doright]

I restored my Rallye in about 1/2 year, and at the same time I spent every weekend April to October running a stock car with my pal at the same time.  It all comes down to making use of your time. Every weeknight would involve coming home and straight to the garage for 4-5 hours of work. It's amazing what you can do when you stop watching TV and leave the beer in the fridge.

On the other hand I have a car that I have been tinkering on for 21 years. It's all about priorities.

Some just dont get it they'd rather cry and whine in there Beer.
If your going to do this stuff ya Gotta shut off the dam Boob tube AND the dam PC and just get out there and do it!
You have to do something every day! or it it ain't ever going to get done!

Its not all about buying new parts, yes new parts are nice! but a coat of fresh paint covers up a multiple of sins or heck just cleaning something!
My point is its not just about money!

Who says a restoration has to have all new parts? why cant you just reuse what works clean it and paint it and replace JUST whats broken??
So many get caught up in all this Magazine BS (That's just some one else's dream) live your own.
Who says a restoration has to have new parts? whats wrong with good usable stuff or something that's repaired?


If your waiting for the day your going to be able to afford it you might as well sell it now!
Because you ain't never going to win the lottery or be able to afford all new this and that's like they show in the magazines its kiddy stuff smell the coffee! Those magazine cars all get new stuff from sponsors the parts were free so they'd put it in the magazine.

No excuses get off your ass and get to work! 

[Doright]

Well i had to add my 

I own a small computer company, have employees, 3 kids oldest 24, 19 and 16. yes i am married. But i have 3 mopars also!

my latest project from start to finish was about 1 year and 3 months, did all myself after work and weekends. complete restoration! I think its nice! Honestly it comes down to time more than anything! i give 110% to any project and only do the work myself or it would never be finished! 1 year 3 months in my back shop missing dinner often missing breakfast! LOL
i cant imagine taking 2,3,4-6 10 years... life is short! get-er done! then you can ENJOY IT!

my wife and kids hated car until it was finished, now they understand why i was working on it every night. THEY enjoy it now. feels good!

No one gets it till its done no one appreciates it like YOU either!
Congrats on finishing its a good feeling isn't it?
   

[Richard Cranium]

 I get to spend maybe 10 hours a week on my car, sometimes less.  

Slacker.   

[green69rt]

 I get to spend maybe 10 hours a week on my car, sometimes less.  

Slacker.   

But I REALLY enjoy those 10 hours!!!

[FrnkNsteen]

Some just dont get it they'd rather cry and whine in there Beer.
If your going to do this stuff ya Gotta shut off the dam Boob tube AND the dam PC and just get out there and do it!
You have to do something every day! or it it ain't ever going to get done!

Who says a restoration has to have all new parts? why cant you just reuse what works clean it and paint it and replace JUST whats broken??
So many get caught up in all this Magazine BS (That's just some one else's dream) live your own.
Who says a restoration has to have new parts? whats wrong with good usable stuff or something that's repaired?


If your waiting for the day your going to be able to afford it you might as well sell it now!
Because you ain't never going to win the lottery or be able to afford all new this and that's like they show in the magazines its kiddy stuff smell the coffee! Those magazine cars all get new stuff from sponsors the parts were free so they'd put it in the magazine.

No excuses get off your ass and get to work! 

Well DoRight.... That might be good advice for you, or others, but it's not real world for others. For some of us, it's not a matter of the Boob tube or the PC as you put it. Some of us have other responsibilities, and who was whining. All they were saying is that it takes them longer than others. For me, the TV and PC have little to do with my amount of time. I work full time, and have chosen to go back to school. So when I'm not working 45-50 hours a week, I'm studying for school, or doing what needs done around the home so the family doesn't suffer. I'm lucky to get away for 10 hours a week to do anything.

as for "buying all new, and why don't we fix what we have". Pretty easy to say if you're starting with a clean and complete car. Mine has been sitting for 20 years. The old parts are either mouse eaten, or are so sun rotted that they crumble in your hands! Since school is coming to an end soon, I have really started in onthe project, and have dropped over $5K into body parts for just the pieces that HAVE to be replaced!! On a fixed budget, that makes paint an expensive item!!

Bottom line.... I didn't see anyone "Whining" on here about how long it takes.... just admitting that it takes some people longer to get the work done. Some people have more time to spend with their cars, but it doesn't mean that they mean less to them than someone who has nothing else to do.

[gtx6970]

most places can go as fast at the customers ck'ing account will allow

I have my own pace. I work the schedule I want to still maintain  a life with my family and also keep up on parts sales.

I rarely bill/work more than 35 hours a week though

[The70RT]

For me it's been 5 years and am just over the hump.... I think. Yeah time and money, if mine wasn't a nut and bolt resto I could have been done. If I was to do it all over again It would probably be the same deal. I had my car for 30 years and yeah I want to get it done. I am always wheeling and dealing to make more $$$ to fund it. Making 15.00 an hour and a 1200 house payment doesn't help much either.

[six-tee-nine]

$15 an hour???  How do you stay alive? I have no idea how much difference there is in living life between the US and us Europeans (I mean average morgages and the cost of food and heating, clothing and so on) but I make almost $23 an hour and we dont have alot left in a month and my wife earns more per hour than i do.

[FrnkNsteen]

$15 an hour???  How do you stay alive? I have no idea how much difference there is in living life between the US and us Europeans (I mean average morgages and the cost of food and heating, clothing and so on) but I make almost $23 an hour and we dont have alot left in a month and my wife earns more per hour than i do.

Consider this then six-tee-nine..... I work for a medical device company in the Midwest area of the U.S. I am a technician in the new product development group, and have no complaints about what I make, not that it's a lot (slightly more than what you said you make) but our floor operators who build the product start out at $9 per hour, and the average home in this area is between 90K and 150K. Add in $4/gallon gas and rising food costs, and a lot of people don't have much, if anything, left at the end of the month. People keep calling us the "rich americans", but the truth is that the average person isn't nearly as "Rich" as everyone thinks we are. There is a HUGE gap between the average worker and the image that gets portrayed of Americans. Granted..... we all do MUCH better than some areas of the world, so I guess we don't have much to complain about!! Like was said before.... It's all about priorities and what you can afford.

[Troy]

$15 an hour???  How do you stay alive? I have no idea how much difference there is in living life between the US and us Europeans (I mean average morgages and the cost of food and heating, clothing and so on) but I make almost $23 an hour and we dont have alot left in a month and my wife earns more per hour than i do.

It's because we don't have 40%+ income taxes on every single person in the country and 17-20% VAT (compounded in certain instances) on everything bought or sold. Median salary is (I think) about $30k per year and the bottom 50% of wage earners pay NO income tax (which is why "taxing the rich" is so popular - because most people won't see a difference at all). Sales tax varies by state/municipality but it's not much more than 10% anywhere (typically 5-6% I'd imagine). Depending on where you are in this country, $15 per hour is a pretty decent wage - although I'm not sure I'd want to raise 3 kids on it!  My best job before finally going to college was $12 per hour and I was making almost double what a lot of my friends were. If you live on either coast or in the biggest cities (especially in NYC, San Fran, Chicago, etc.) you'll need to make a lot more money - primarily due to taxes and cost of living. Around here you can get a nice house on 3/4 acre with a 2 car garage for $130-200k. That makes buying a house cheaper than renting most 2 bedroom apartments. Not so elsewhere!

Troy

[Orange_Crush]

Restorations, that is. I understand that I'm not the fastest worker in the world, and that some guys do this type of work professionally or semi-professionally, but I just don't understand how a guy can restore a Charger in 6-8 months without A: doing a half-assed job, B: deep, deep pockets and C: a team of helpers. More than once I've seen guys start with a rusted out Charger exoskeleton, pass me and 20 other guys with their project and have the thing on the road less than a year later. It's baffling and, to be honest, a little frustrating. What am I missing?

I haven't read all the replies i the thread so I'll give you the short summary.

Wife, kids, financial obligations, lawns need to be mowed, walls need to be painted, etc.

Since I have owned my '70 I have done the following:

Bought and sold two houses
remodeled two kitchens, two bathrooms, and converted a back porch to a mud room/laundry room, kitchen expansion.
Laid tile on more square feet of floor space than I care to count
Started a manufacturing facility

That is all in addition to the wife and kid.

So, the '70 R/T that I have owned since 2003 is still just a bare shell tucked away in one of the buildings of the resto shop.

[Richard Cranium]

I haven't read all the replies i the thread so I'll give you the short summary.

Wife, kids, financial obligations, lawns need to be mowed, walls need to be painted, etc.

My kids are finally at the age to mow the lawn so I don't have to and when it comes to painting projects, I place my wife on a pedastal..............so she can paint the ceiling.   

[FrnkNsteen]

[

My kids are finally at the age to mow the lawn so I don't have to and when it comes to painting projects, I place my wife on a pedastal..............so she can paint the ceiling.   
[/quote]

WOW!! You are a Richard aren't you?!?!? 

[six-tee-nine]

$15 an hour???  How do you stay alive? I have no idea how much difference there is in living life between the US and us Europeans (I mean average morgages and the cost of food and heating, clothing and so on) but I make almost $23 an hour and we dont have alot left in a month and my wife earns more per hour than i do.

It's because we don't have 40%+ income taxes on every single person in the country and 17-20% VAT (compounded in certain instances) on everything bought or sold. Median salary is (I think) about $30k per year and the bottom 50% of wage earners pay NO income tax (which is why "taxing the rich" is so popular - because most people won't see a difference at all). Sales tax varies by state/municipality but it's not much more than 10% anywhere (typically 5-6% I'd imagine). Depending on where you are in this country, $15 per hour is a pretty decent wage - although I'm not sure I'd want to raise 3 kids on it!  My best job before finally going to college was $12 per hour and I was making almost double what a lot of my friends were. If you live on either coast or in the biggest cities (especially in NYC, San Fran, Chicago, etc.) you'll need to make a lot more money - primarily due to taxes and cost of living. Around here you can get a nice house on 3/4 acre with a 2 car garage for $130-200k. That makes buying a house cheaper than renting most 2 bedroom apartments. Not so elsewhere!

Troy

That makes alot of sence, I never looked at it that way and...... It seems like I make alot more an hour as most of you guys, but the government takes 45% of that on income taxes every month.
The house you mention Troy will cost me around here in Belgium up to $600k Real esate is horrible over here. Young couples almost need finanial help from their parents to be able to buy a house. Life itself is not cheap anymore either, we pay 21% VAT on every producht we buy and since Europe gave us the Euro in 2000, prices only went up because people werent used of the new currency but now 11 years later if you look back some things cost twice a what they did back then.....
And gas is 1.70 Euro/litre thats about $9/gallon No wonder we all (have) to drive small cars with a 2 liter diesel engine everything else will suck our wallet dry.....

[John_Kunkel]

On a similar note, a recent episode of Pawn Stars showed Rick looking at a totally disassembled '57 Chevy that was supposed to be his dad's birthday present 3 days hence, the builders (two) said "We'll get 'er done on time" and they did. But that's TV.