Unfortunate cost of Restoration...

[anlauto]

So I've been on the phone the past couple of days with this older gentlemen wanting his car fully restored. He's owned it for 42 years and it means the world to him....
A sassy grass 1971 340 4spd Demon....all documented, all numbers matching.

However the thing is VERY rusty....I've been over and over his pictures (I'm not going to share, so don't ask), but there's no way that I can come up with any time of estimate that even comes close to making sense.

Restoring an A Body vs an E Body isn't that much cheaper....some of the parts are actually harder to find nowadays...

I felt sick to my stomach telling him it's going to be at least $60K to do a complete resto, and that number will likely be higher once I actually see the car and the parts he claims to have.

I figured about $10K in metal and $15K for body and paint....

Even doing everything yourself....I think you'd be hard pressed to get any car done for under $40K these days

I'm torn, in one sense I hope he goes for it....I love a good FJ6 Demon ....but in another way I'd feel bad taking that kind of money for a car that would only be worth $25K-$35K finished

[brads70]

I hear you, pretty easy to get "upside down" on an E body ( or any car for that matter)  but especially A-Body's.  I really like 71 Demons as well but they just don't sell for the same money as E-Bodys so you would need to be really careful buying one.

[roadman5312]

               As long as he "fully " understands the final value of the car when finished it shouldn't be a problem. You might want to make sure his wife, and maybe even kids have no problem. 

[70chall440]

I just spent 10 minutes typing a response to this and it didn't post... what is up with that, I have had it happen a number of times.

Anyway, I have a friend who was doing restorations and ran into a similar situation with a 66 Barracuda. Long story short, it wasn't worth the cost of a complete resto so the owner passed. I discussed the concept of "partial" resto packages with him to afford him a wider market. The idea is to offer packages beginning with safety and drivability, then on to comfort and then finally to ascetics and correctness. Each package would allow the customer to purchase packages as finances and interest allow.

Just thought I would share the concept. I understand no one wants to redo work already done and alot of things are inter connected so it is difficult, however having a driving car can incentivize someone to move forward.

[anlauto]

This particular car, the rust in the frames makes any option other then a full restoration, not really feasible...
...and like you said...in the end you end up doing things twice...which may cost more in the end.

I consider my restorations as nice driver quality, clean, safe reliable....but certainly not OE Gold.....I would hate to think what the "high end" OE type shops would have to charge for a car like this. 

[70chall440]

Very unfortunate that the car got to this point.

[roadman5312]

This particular car, the rust in the frames makes any option other then a full restoration, not really feasible...
...and like you said...in the end you end up doing things twice...which may cost more in the end.

I consider my restorations as nice driver quality, clean, safe reliable....but certainly not OE Gold.....I would hate to think what the "high end" OE type shops would have to charge for a car like this. 

                                  When I looked at your AAR at Carlisle I would consider your work much, much higher than nice driver quality. And I looked at it close, I'm pretty picky. Just sayin.   

[anlauto]

Thank you

[HP_Cuda]

Some projects just are not meant to be restored.

I guess if the guy is completely sentimental about the Demon then he will go for it.

[JH27N0B]

60K seems cheap to me to do a ground up restoration!
I know a Mopar shop here in IL who would probably charge over twice that and treat the guy like he and his car were an imposition on them.    I'd say DAMHIK except Alan and I have talked about my restoration adventure. 
I know of a shop that is in the neighborhood of where Leinenkugel beer is made that would probably run the bills up near 200K.
Restoring a car these days is not for the faint of heart or the short of being a multimillionaire.

[Cuda Cody]

60K is super cheap for a full resto.  If I was the owner of that A body and it meant that much to me I would jump on that price. 

[rUNCHARGER]

Most people have no clue how much it costs. $25k for body and paint would be some kind of a deal for what that car needs. Honestly, restoring an E-body is upside down these days even if you have the starter car for free. Any other Mopar is guaranteed to be a bad financial decision. We have to do it for the love of the car.

Sheldon

[anlauto]

60K is super cheap for a full resto.  If I was the owner of that A body and it meant that much to me I would jump on that price.

That's actually $40K USD for you 'merican foke"

[HP_Cuda]

Well Alan then find me an 69 RR A12 and start restorin!!!

 

[74 challenge]

I am in this position actually.

I love my car to death but it's just not worth it. I Can't restore my e-body for anything reasonable and buying a car already restored is my only option. I can't afford a restored e-body so I'm going to step down and buy a restored A body.

I am deathly afraid I will never be able to afford an e-body again as I watch the price of my favorite e body, the 70 Challenger T/A, rise in price.

I don't think 60k is a bad price it just sucks that his car afterwards is going to be worth half.

I like the idea of partial restorations, focus on making the frame safe and straight, critical systems, while collecting and restoring parts to fix the aesthetics but like Alan said it needs to be on something that isn't currently transported in a dustpan.