Author Topic: Cost to do a major restoration?  (Read 2649 times)

Tom in seattle

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Cost to do a major restoration?
« on: June 25, 2019, 05:34:07 »
This is just out of curiosity:  but I see folks in this website posting photos of cars completely gutted to the monoframe being painted, suspension rebuilt and correctly painted, trans and motors out and rebuilt, reupholstered. re chromed  and cad plated .  Everything as brand new.  Maybe major rust fixes.

What are they paying for this kind of work?  How much will be invested in the end result?  Just an educated guess?
Tom Averill
1967 250 SL Auto Euro Spec

Peter h

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Re: Cost to do a major restoration?
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2019, 06:26:04 »
That's a special question.
I work this winter at the engine and engine bay with all trimmings and paint work.
I pay 15000 Euro but the hole engine is new and all around is shining.   :)
10000 for the paint shop
Interior with soft top 15000
Suspension 10000
And the many other things....
If you do many things with your one hands maybe 80000
If you go to a shop 120000
Plus your pagoda
Then you are at the hight end.
If you buy a perfekt pagode
, you are in the market range 13000 to 18000
Peter
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09.68 280sl  4-speed, now 5-speed Getrag 180 G dark green MB Tex

stickandrudderman

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Re: Cost to do a major restoration?
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2019, 10:18:23 »
Here in the UK a full bare metal restoration is going to cost minimum £100,000 plus VAT.

Taleb

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Re: Cost to do a major restoration?
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2019, 13:00:46 »
whatever cost in euro it will cost  you same number but in dollar if you do it in U.S.A ….

mario

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Re: Cost to do a major restoration?
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2019, 13:51:05 »
Mine was $90,000 USD

Rolf-Dieter ✝︎

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Re: Cost to do a major restoration?
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2019, 16:39:16 »
This to me is an open ended question not easily answered without a full inspection by a shop that handles all the required tasks or at least most of them with some minor tasks done by other local shops like machining etc.

My best advise is two fold;

First; if you don’t have a Pagoda yet find and purchase one that your budget can afford I.e purchase the best you can afford. Once you done that you can then do work as you go along in time. The advantage here is, you pay a lot less and you can enjoy the car as you go along.

Second; if you do have a Pagoda, find a shop that does this work in your area so at least say 400 to 500 Miles from your location and get a price estimate. I say estimate, for that is all they will give you. The true Restauration cost will only be known at the completion of the work. As you can appreciate, only once everything is taken apart, inspected and the time to refurbish or replace certain parts will the true cost be known.

I know of one Member that purchased a Pagoda for a fairly low price and his Restauration is now in it’s 4th year. I will not mention the dollars he has and still has to spend, only to say it is enormous. 

Good Luck

Dieter
DD 2011 SL 63 AMG and my 69 Pagoda 280 SL

teahead

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Re: Cost to do a major restoration?
« Reply #6 on: June 25, 2019, 20:42:53 »
Depends with what you started with.

If you have 95% of the parts, and in good condition, and your body is solid, I would think minimum would be $100k.

now if your body is rusty, and you have missing parts or badly worn parts, figure another $50k USD.

For a #1 car, I would think $200k.  Really, it's not that hard to shell out $1000 20x.
1970 280SL auto, AC - aka "Edelweiss"

dirkbalter

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Re: Cost to do a major restoration?
« Reply #7 on: June 25, 2019, 21:07:33 »
Unless you restore a car because it is something you like to do and you do major parts of it yourself, I believe it is always cheaper to buy an already restored one.
Dirk
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Shvegel

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Re: Cost to do a major restoration?
« Reply #8 on: June 26, 2019, 02:53:07 »
I think Teahead is pretty close.  Minimum 100K and 200K for a rusty one.  I am doing my own (rusty one) and I am somewhere around 60K and at least 1200 hours of my time.  Stupid things like a ignition distributor can turn into a 6 hour ordeal.  If I had to guess I probably  have 160 hours just in glass bead blasting parts.  Ouch.

Cees Klumper

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Re: Cost to do a major restoration?
« Reply #9 on: June 26, 2019, 12:25:51 »
Unless you restore a car because it is something you like to do and you do major parts of it yourself, I believe it is always cheaper to buy an already restored one.

X2
Cees Klumper
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