The 70 Duster......
Heard back from the 2 shops that looked over the Barracuda (and Satellite). After talking with them yesterday and again today. I have decided that I am going to work on selling off all my projects. I am to the point that I needed to buy land and a building to store to my cars and parts. So for the last few months my wife and I have been looking into that option. We found some properties that would have fit what we wanted. Before we made a land/shop purchase, I decided to check into some more resto hot rod shops to work on my two projects that I had been putting off (Barracuda and Satellite). When I bought the Barracuda I planned to do it first (resto mod). Then the Satellite (full factory correct because it is so original and has a long history coming from same dealership my parents 71 Satellite came from). Well when the time came to build a car (the Duster) was the best option to fit the budget we had at the time. I wanted the Barracuda done but knew the first shop was not the quality I wanted for the Cuda so I sent the Duster. Well we know how that has gone from the length of this thread. Anyway. The 2 shops that came out to look at the Barracuda and Satellite, both do not want to a "full factory correct resto" so that rules out the Satellite. So the quotes on the Barracuda range from a driver quality 30k (labor only) plus parts to 70-100k for "done right" (plus parts). So going off what I have bought for the Charger....I would have about 30k minimum in parts. That would put the resto at somewhere between 60-130k for the Barracuda. The Satellite, both shops said they were not interested in doing the "correct chalk mark, correct plating, OE type resto". It is not that they would not do it they just knew the price was going to be probably more than any reasonable person would tackle.
With all that in mind....I have decided that I am going to work on selling off all my projects, and not purchase the extra land and shop. When I look at all the costs involved....it made no sense.
Land/shop - 60k min
insurance - 1500 year
1 resto - 50k (low end of what I was priced but more than I was willing to spend)
insurance for the cars (likely 4 cars minimum Dart-Duster-Charger and the 1 resto) - 1500 year
I love cars, I enjoy the hobby and will always have a Mopar or two...but time to downsize..