What does it cost?

[MobileCustoms]

Great thread.
I just look at it as a hobby, and hobbies cost money. Each person gets to decide how much they can or want to spend on their hobby. I am also in a part time band and would never look at it as a money making thing. If i did it would take most all of the fun out of it. Same goes for my cars!

I can't put a number or price tag on that feeling I get when I mash my foot to the floor and try to keep her going straight!

 

[67 prostreet gt]

Great thread though these cars and the whole car hobby can be pricey in my opinion it's well worth it. The replacement dart for the blue car is going to be expensive and it may take 4-5 years to finish it cause I also do a lot of atv racing stuff and college and I also have another project truck in the works

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[RUSTYMOORE]

I have to agree with all the post here. I initially started rebuilding my 66 Cuda with the thought that I wouldn't exceed the restored value, but once you get started, it's personal. I bought this car in 1997 for $3500 and today I've got a few $$ north or $15,000 in it with plans for paint and interior on the Horizon. It's a labor of love, not money.

 

[Skarlett]

Loved this article Tony. Thanks for taking to time to put it down for those of us that are just getting into the hobby. It is a real eye opener to see the numbers on "paper". I know that our car was just bought for cheap. $1500 for a '65 Barracuda with a running 273, and very clean and nice interior. I still don't know about the tranny and rear end yet as the brake pedal just went to the floor and if they do work, I wouldn't be able to stop. But I have a solid platform to start with for sure. I know my wife is anxious about the $$$ that we will need to put into this to get it going again, but I keep trying to convince her that we have all the time in the world and we dont NEED to hurry to try to finish in a time frame. The money will come as we save it. I won't lose track of the finish line and I won't let her give up on this car either. I can't wait to get back home from work and get started on it

 

[mini]

Not an A body. But I put more last year in my 390 stroker than what I can sell my 87 Dakota for.

 

[Dartfan71]

I'm guessing that I have spent around $12-15k and have done all of the work myself except for the longblock rebuild. The car is about 90% complete. I am never selling this thing, it's like one of my kids now.

View attachment 20150704_193223_resized.jpg

 

[Tony Fields]

Great looking rides guys!

I'm now getting close to $50,000 after adding power steering. Had to change
about everything. Exhaust manifolds, steering column shaft, water pump,
all of the pulleys, new stage 3 firm feel box.

I will say this about power steering...money well spent. Getting a new aluminum
radiator installed this week.

I think I'm close to saying that's enough.

 

[draginmopars]

as this latest project comes to completion
For me, way over budget
but all other bills, always paid on time.
sold some parts, and bartered others, to complete this
have all new interior waiting
just have to get the paint finished first

It's the "Smiles to the Mile" when I press the pedal

540-518-dana

 

[moparmat2000]

Hi Tony,

I agree with the money spent. I named my car H-D, because like Harley Davidsons , everything costs a hundred dollars or more. Ither names include money pit. Lol

I started out with a basketcase 67 slant sux 3 on the tree notchback coupe. Not as valuable as a fastback, or convertible, but i like it. Thats all that matters.

I dont intend to sell it when its finished, i will likely keep it until i die. This car will then go to my son to keep after i pass away. Yep its a lot of money, however when spent in small amounts over a long period of time it doesnt seem so bad. For this reason i dont keep my reciepts. I dont want to know.

Doing a lot of the work yourself helps, for me this is the most fun. Plus restoring most of what you can, as opposed to finding new when you can helps.

Thanks for breaking this down. Even though this stuff is more expensive than camaro or mustang stuff, these cars are more unique so to me the cost of the parts is just part of the hobby.

Super nice resto of your black 67 fastback tony. I hope when my car is done it comes out half as good looking as yours.

Matt

 

[Tony Fields]

Thanks Matt.... and thanks for the kind words.

Hi Tony,

I agree with the money spent. I named my car H-D, because like Harley Davidsons , everything costs a hundred dollars or more. Ither names include money pit. Lol

I started out with a basketcase 67 slant sux 3 on the tree notchback coupe. Not as valuable as a fastback, or convertible, but i like it. Thats all that matters.

I dont intend to sell it when its finished, i will likely keep it until i die. This car will then go to my son to keep after i pass away. Yep its a lot of money, however when spent in small amounts over a long period of time it doesnt seem so bad. For this reason i dont keep my reciepts. I dont want to know.

Doing a lot of the work yourself helps, for me this is the most fun. Plus restoring most of what you can, as opposed to finding new when you can helps.

Thanks for breaking this down. Even though this stuff is more expensive than camaro or mustang stuff, these cars are more unique so to me the cost of the parts is just part of the hobby.

Super nice resto of your black 67 fastback tony. I hope when my car is done it comes out half as good looking as yours.

Matt

 

[Ddaddy]

This is a great thread!

Having just recently jumped back into vintage Mopar cars again, I did a LOT of research before setting my budget for doing my '69 GTS. This was also helpful to determine what condition of car to buy initially vs. doing more after buying it.

I keep a running spreadsheet of what I've spent and what I plan to do. My initial budget was $35k to get a car into the condition I wanted to have.

So far, as you can see on the sheet, I'm right on target! Buuuut...like any good enthusiast, my wish list is growing as I do more and will probably wind up going about $3k over just to do some extra stuff.

 

[Tony Fields]

Thanks!

Great lookin' Dart you got there.

This is a great thread!

Having just recently jumped back into vintage Mopar cars again, I did a LOT of research before setting my budget for doing my '69 GTS. This was also helpful to determine what condition of car to buy initially vs. doing more after buying it.

I keep a running spreadsheet of what I've spent and what I plan to do. My initial budget was $35k to get a car into the condition I wanted to have.

So far, as you can see on the sheet, I'm right on target! Buuuut...like any good enthusiast, my wish list is growing as I do more and will probably wind up going about $3k over just to do some extra stuff.

 

[DesertRat]

I save all the reciepts but never add them up. I have another 6K to go to finish my Barracuda and the Gearvendors OD just arrived today. Hope to be done (driveable) this summer. No idea what I will have in mine but I know it will be a lot. Started with a nice low mileage builder that I paid $4,000.00 for which seemed like a lot at the time but a bargain now! Just don't see many Notch Barracudas of any year outside of this forum.
Still for me, the money goes into my car instead of to a therapist----------just sayin-------
Looking for a pre-50 half ton pickup for the next build, think I want to put a Coyote cammer in it----------Cheers to all---DR:burnout:

 

[Dr dan]

I'll chime in, If you're concerned about the cost and weather it's (the car) is worth what your spending, re-think doing it. We who have been at this for a while know that you have to enjoy the build, and the ride and place a priceless value on the things that have no price tags. if you are to ever "justify" what you are doing.
I haven't read the whole thread, as somehow the end is now coming at the beginning and the beginning at the end. I'll sort it out someday when I have the time.
Enjoy the journey! And plan to not overspend the budget, I've seen too many unfinished projects be sold for pennies on the dollar from the frustration of not being able to continue. Or for the finished project to have been so overwhelming. that it brings no happiness. and is sold just to get it out of site and out of mind.

 

[Fisher]

I paid $5000.00 for my duster. 20,000 mile car nice shape. 4 years later i have $32,000.00 into it. Buy good quality parts toss the word budget into the garbage and pay to build it correctly.

 

[pomonamissel]

hemidenny , your deeper then that just in the engine in the silver duster , read through most of your build , great car ! great build ! but i think if you are to build anything car , truck , what ever it is your dream needs . a layout plain , and enough space to store that sh.....t until you get it together , so first thing on the list is space to do the dream . i want to believe i'm a low to no buck build guy so no totaling up until the end , and love to build stuff alot diff then the crowd , i see hemidenny is a little touched too , great builds to you and all that go for the dream . my pitracer pic , had to include the bombshell .

 

[moparmat2000]

I paid $5000.00 for my duster. 20,000 mile car nice shape. 4 years later i have $32,000.00 into it. Buy good quality parts toss the word budget into the garbage and pay to build it correctly.

Holy crap that must be one heck of a duster for that amount of cash. Show us some pix.

 

[Fisher]

Look in Members restoration. Not cheap to build a car with all new parts either. Motor was $13K paint $6500. Trans converter $1100.00 rear end $3000. new brakes all around fuel system. Smiths Rad was $1000. Tires wheels $1100

 

[moparmat2000]

I do my own fabrication, body, and paint, and most of my own work to keep the costs down. Recently picked up an aluminum radiator from engineered cooling products, modified its mounting flanges to suit my application. I use a lot of stuff i can rebuild, restore, repurpose to suit my needs. I buy new only when i need to. Case in point, everything mechanical is being gone through, and being rebuilt using new parts, or stuff that can be refurbished and reused. however body wise lots is getting repaired, repainted etc. A mix of restored and new. My car will be a sleeper when done and appear stock. I will prob have $20K total in the whole car when done.

$13K for an engine, that must be one heck of an engine for that price. I hope its a Hemi for that kind of coin $1,000 for a radiator? Wow and i thought $200 for a new aluminum radiator i bought, and made new custom mounting flanges for was pricey. But thats why theres different budgets for all these builds.

 

[Fisher]

Machine shops and parts are not cheap here the motor is a 383 with a 440 crank, Eddy rpm heads and intake AED carb Lunati cam. Comp rockers were $600 alone. Diamond forged pistons $1000 with rings, Rods $700

 

[SNKEBIT]

If anyone has looked at my thread at all, you have probably figured out I am as cheap as they get when building cars. For me, the fun is in the build. Oh, I love driving them too. But, most of the "therapy" is in the building. If I can somehow make a certain part work for something it wasn't really intended for, I win. I grew up Mopars and always have had some kind of Mopar hotrod all my adult life. Always manage to pay the bills and still spend a little on the "therapy". You can be cost effective if you watch when and where to spend money. If you look long enuff, you can find a deal on a part you need. But, that strategy makes the project take longer. After all, it's a hobby. All hobbies cost money, how much you wanna spend on your hobby is personal preference. If it wasn't love for Mopars, I don't think I could have made it this far in life. (mentally) LOL

I would have had to kill some chebby guys. (did I say that out loud?)

 

[moparmat2000]

I agree 100% with you SNKEBIT. I look for deals all the time. The alum radiator i got was for a 73 to 76 A, it had the inlet and outlet in the correct location for the late model 360 i will be building. Mounting flanges, not so much. I made my own out of .125" 7475 T6 aluminum sheet, and riveted it together.

Cast crank 360, with new rods. 400 hp build is what i am going for. Car weighs under 3,000 lbs so it should fly. Still got to do more research on exactly what i want as far as cam, compression, etc. Got a nice set of bare speedmaster alum heads for a great price off evilbay. Also got a used edelbrock RPM intake manifold used for $75 off evilbay. Used 68 340 Hi perf exhaust manifolds cheap from another auction. They were snoozin, i won em. Nice aluminum oil filter adaptor off a 318 M body fury. $10 at the junky. Remanufactured denso hi torque mopar V8 truck starter $39 shipped off evilbay. No core charge. Theres lots lots more. Having a family to support means i do more scrounging for deals, and doing lots myself. Repurposing parts etc. I think the junkyard crawl for parts is a right of passage for a hot rodder. Modifying parts to suit, finding parts that will fit your application, etc thats the essence of true hot rodding, SNKEBITs resto thread is awesome in the way he mods, and makes what he needs, rather than just buy a car out of a catalog.

 

[Dartswinger70]

I have never kept track of what I spent because I didn't want to know. Now, I am repainting my car, I have all the parts I need to put it together, save for a few interior things like door panels, seat covers. It took years of collecting, but I do have everything to put the car on the road and drive it. It is nice to be at that point, where it wont take much more $$$ to get there. I don't have a clue what I've spent though, I know a few numbers, and even had a folder with receipts, but I couldn't tell you now. Also, things cost more now than when I was buying parts.

 

[Mike69barracuda]

I'm just starting on my 69 vert. We are almost done with all the mechanicals. Engine only needed valves adjusted (slant 6) and pressure washed. The underside is rock solid. The exterior of the body is a good driver, but in about 2 years we are going to send it to our local MOPAR expert body shop and have it redone.

The previous owner put 68 stripes on the car. I may take them off. Not sure yet.

 

[Space Duster]

This a great thread, I'm looking at it as when I'm done I will have a new car. Also, it will be paid for and it's going to stay in the family.