Total $$ invested in restoration

[volksworld]

every part of a rusty truck has been subjected to the same conditions....road salt, coastal flooding, sitting on its rims in the mud for 10 years covered in wet leaves, etc ....so just because the rockers and a small portion of a floor have holes doesn't mean thats it ....everything else is usually paper thin and will rust out as soon as you finish the bodywork (murphy's law of rust repair)

[James the III]

Originally Posted by Coley

The point about doing the work, or buying the parts, incrementally over time and thus, making the cash outlay a little more digestible...makes sense on many levels.
I think something what is key here....is, as Renokeene said, always trying to start with a good, solid truck...($5000+).
It seems the biggest cost is the bodywork (correct me if I'm wrong) so you can save yourself thousands of dollars if you can avoid having to do repair on every panel or surface on the truck.
When I start to hear about complete cab replacement and door replacement, rust repair on the box, etc....I can just feel my wallet start to cry...lol.

All good
Coley

Good point, as long as you know what to look for.. There are many an artist in the collector vehicle world that are able to make it look straight and have a magnet stick.. but the repairs are iffie at best..

[Camaroguy]

How much you spend is entirely up to you and what you are wanting.

You can check out this build thread. We will have 25-30 in this one before calculating our labor. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=724379

The truck in the pic is my personal truck. It will be my son's when he is old enough to start driving. I have about 14 in it and it still needs paint. I bought it for 8, moved the tank, did suspension, wheels and tires, a crate motor and fuel injection.

[Metaldoc]

15 to 17000$ in parts, materials and buying the truck. 1000 to 1500 hours my time. No outer paint, no real engine work just seals, original rear gears, and still a three speed stick. The rest of the truck is new or renewed. Truck is only worth $18000 and I put almost $100 000 at custom shop rates of my time. It all depends on your ability.

[NoStopN]

I feel like I'm going to weep seeing the numbers here. But, I know restorations or restomods aren't cheap. I'm about $1250 in tools & maintenance beyond the $2K the truck cost. I haven't even started on the restoration.

[Metaldoc]

I started doing just enough to get it safe and on the road. As I got into it, it was hard not to fix more, set a plan. It's all about the build for me, but I did cut back on mods to start driving it. Once enjoyed for a drive you know your direction Mine came off the trailer and into the shop. 3 years later I'm driving it and the build was great. Do it, do it right, do it right the first time. It's smiles per gallon after.

[tdangle]

What ever you end up figuring for $ and time, Double the $ and Triple the time and you should be close. Just make sure you have a plan and stick to it, otherwise it will end up sitting in your garage/shop for years and you will loose motivation.

Good Luck.

[TwoFiftyShifter]

Don't let the wives see this one!

[1972_cheyenne_red]

First of all I payed 17,000 for the truck with a 396 big block. Very nice and powerful engine with billet parts and all goodies. mostly had all nos parts but they were all old sitting outside for about 10 years.

I should of left it how it was but kinda got carried away by seeing all these extremely nice trucks so I decided to take it to the shop.

paint/body including sandblasting =14,500
new windows= 950 installed
bucket seats with center consule=1800
upper and lower moldings= 1200
tailgate wood grain band= 250
lowering kit =1200
sport mirrors=250
steering wheels and other small parts=800

still need Nos inner and outer grill im guessing =1800
still need wood bed=1100

I think im over 40,000 and dam truck hasn't even been painted yet and its been 6 months already

[TwoFiftyShifter]

I bought for 3,000. I bought a $175 radiator, $250 in tires, steering wheel and seat $75 each, and a $300 shifter. Bout 4K. Have driven 2500 miles since July though.

[vics stuff]

Hey Guys ! This will put a smile on your faces. I live in Alaska and have for over 54 years . I made it to retirement and now my wife and I have decided to move south where I can enjoy my vehicles more than just 3 months here . We bought a house in Reno Nevada 3 years ago and I plan to do the move myself. A friend of mine moved there 3 years ago and he indicated that for a 40' semi van shipped was 16K. With that number , I figured it would cost me 75K for moving 5 loads. So like all of us trying to save a buck. I went out and bought a Freightliner semi truck with a 53' enclosed 6 car hauler . That set me back 25K. I thought good start on the move. So far I have spent over 45K on parts and some service that I could not do myself. I have been completely through this truck mechanically. Runs and drives great. Almost like it did when new. My next project is repainting the entire truck to a different color and paint scheme . Every time I take this truck in for some work that I can not do , the shop guys are all over this truck wanting to buy it. My thoughts that when I am done , this truck will be a great road truck for someone to run for years without putting any major components in it. My plans are after I am done with my move , I am going to sell it . My point is that we all are looking at these trucks as a hobby. If you were to run out and buy one you will miss out on the best part , for me it is the hunt and meeting other gear heads doing the same thing . For me I can not put a $$$ on my hobby.
Vic

[tristan]

I have no mechanical or metalworking skills, nor do I have any spare time, so my truck is being professionally restored. I'm not in a hurry so I have an arrangement with the shop whereby they work on my truck whenever someone else isn't hammering on them to finish another vehicle. I paid $10K for a well-optioned truck that had spent its life in NM; not 100% rust-free, but very sound, and decided to do a frame-off rotisserie restoration.

I don't have the guts to add up the bills I have paid over the past two years but it wouldn't surprise me if I am past $50K in shop work not counting my purchase price and I still have paint, upholstery installation and final assembly ahead of me. I look at it as an installment purchase where I am getting a vehicle finished to my exact specifications with no surprises at the end of the process.

Following on the prior astute observation, it's a hobby and while I am not out to bankrupt myself, within a loose outer boundary I am not all that concerned about the cost. I figure if I hang onto the truck then the rising market for them will narrow my upside-down financial position over time. I'm not Richard Rawlings.

In the mean time I get to participate in a great learning experience that continues to this minute. I interact with the shop guys and get to see how they have dissected, repaired and re-assembled a complex machine. I always treat them with the courtesy and respect they deserve as fine craftsmen, pay my bills quickly and thus I am always welcome to visit. They have 15 or 20 other cars and trucks in the restoration process and there are always new and interesting things to look at there. Since just about everything on my truck apparently was busted, rusted or missing I volunteered to hunt down the parts needed on this forum and elsewhere - thrill of the hunt.

I am a few years from retirement now and my trucks will be a way to occupy my time. I figure driving and maintaining them, participating in shows, hitting Truck Carlisle, and continuing to hunt down stuff will beat sitting in front of a TV watching People's Court. I guess we will see. If I am wrong then the market for our trucks is a robust one and someone else can do their own thing with them after I have cashed out.

[jaros44sr]

How to make a small fortune when restoring a truck?

Start with a large fortune

[72 tigger]

tristan- sounds like you'll have a very nice truck when it's done- any before or SPID pics?

[NoStopN]

Originally Posted by TwoFiftyShifter

I bought for 3,000. I bought a $175 radiator, $250 in tires, steering wheel and seat $75 each, and a $300 shifter. Bout 4K. Have driven 2500 miles since July though.

I just had to look. It doesn't seem like I've driven my truck much since I bought it. But I've only put 2 thousand on mine. Finding a truck that was in driving condition was one of my prerequisites for buying. If I had bought a truck with no engine or trans, it would be a very expensive lawn ornament.

[tristan]

How ya doing Kirk? Here is my saga:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=641532

The worst part is I have a second one lined up for the same treatment after #1 is completed. That one will be a much tougher financial row to hoe as I had collections of other things to liquidate to help pay for #1. Mother Hubbard's Cupboard is now pretty much bare. However, #2 is a legit 1971 factory SWB BB Cheyenne so the allure of making it over is pretty strong.

Originally Posted by 72 tigger

tristan- sounds like you'll have a very nice truck when it's done- any before or SPID pics?

[NoStopN]

Originally Posted by tristan

The worst part is I have a second one lined up for the same treatment after #1 is completed. However, #2 is a legit 1971 factory SWB BB Cheyenne so the allure of making it over is pretty strong.

I think the time that you haven't been able to drive it is what would kill me. Now I want to hear about #2. By your description, it sounds like a truck, not a Blazer or Jimmy.

[Jose's 69]

I think I'm about 4000 in after purchase. Did most work myself. Upgraded intake and carb. Did front disc upgrade and suspension rebuild. re-cored radiator. Lowered 3.5 and 5.5. Re did the interior. Still have to do the wood bed and want new exhaust. I also picked up a used 350 with vortec heads off a 92 2500 that I'm working on. It's a lot of fun working on these trucks.

[tristan]

It is! Sold new in Broken Arrow, OK but spent a lot of its life in AR before heading north to PA. Now in dry secure storage with parts hoard awaiting some love. Note from the SPID that it started life white/ochre/white/ochre and to that color scheme it shall return.

Originally Posted by NoStopN

I think the time that you haven't been able to drive it is what would kill me. Now I want to hear about #2. By your description, it sounds like a truck, not a Blazer or Jimmy.

[GR8-68]

I don't even know what I have invested so far in my 68 build, probably doesn't even matter as I know my return if I ever sold it would be much less

[NoStopN]

Originally Posted by tristan

Note from the SPID that it started life white/ochre/white/ochre and to that color scheme it shall return.

Wow. That truck is very nicely equipped. I had to look up ochre. I've never heard of the color name, but I've seen plenty of trucks that color.

[nevada]

getting a education reading all your posts. Thank you for all the good threads
recently purchased a 72 C20

[whoa]

Originally Posted by nevada

getting a education reading all your posts. Thank you for all the good threads
recently purchased a 72 C20

I completely agree. This thread is a great resource. I'm still looking for a C10, and I'm taking these suggestions to heart.

[NoStopN]

Originally Posted by nevada

getting a education reading all your posts. Thank you for all the good threads
recently purchased a 72 C20

And you haven't even posted a picture of it?

[James the III]

Originally Posted by NoStopN

I feel like I'm going to weep seeing the numbers here. But, I know restorations or restomods aren't cheap. I'm about $1250 in tools & maintenance beyond the $2K the truck cost. I haven't even started on the restoration.

Still cheaper than a vehicle payment..

One must remember that many that have 5-10-15k in their trucks did it over time..
I've had mine for 15 years.. and when I divide the total so far by years..
It's 650. a year..
I'd not call that huge money.. Sure the 9k-11k so far sounds like a lot..
but it's really 650.00 a year .
And much of the money spent wasn't on needed items/parts it was wanted parts..
It didn't need a new crate engine.. /etc..

I haven't seem many list enjoyment as part of this..
and in the long run if it puts a smile on your face and you enjoy it..
the dollar value is a moot point..