Restorations

[clsund]

Good morning all.

I'm new to this forum as I recently became interested in the Pagodas.  I've been doing a lot of looking around for a suitable candidate to purchase.  My question to everyone is- what does it take to make a fair car into a very good car?  Is it possible to make a daily driver into a show car?  Or, asked another way, what exactly is encompassed in a rotesserie restoration?  I've seen that term a number of times and have no idea what that means.  

Also, if anyone has a car they are looking to sell in the L.A. area, please contact me with information.  Thanks and looking forward to learning a lot from you all.

[JamesL]

Welcome

Have a look at bpossel's "restoration - update" thread which is near the top of the "body..."
section - and hit his photos... also bear in mind that he is technically adept and doing much of the work himself

I have nothing but admiration for Bob - he took what to most of us was a good car and is turning it into something stunning.

That may be more than you had in mind but it will give you an idea as to "how bad some of us have it"/what it takes...

[mdsalemi]

clsund,

A "rotisserie restoration" is referring to a device called a rotisserie, which is much like that used to roast a chicken!

http://www.toolsusa.com/asp/item_detail.asp?T1=PBE+9TW+TWIRL-01&GENB=&UID=&s_kwcid=automotive%20rotisserie|1730655109

It allows you to do work a lot easier than on your back; particularly when you need to sandblast the underside or similar.

You asked what does it take to make a fair car into a very good car?  There are all levels of where you start to where you end up.  Every car is different.  Mine was ready for the crusher and it is good enough to show.  What did that take?  Well I never added it up $$$ but I can tell you there were over 1,000 hours of direct labor on body work, paint, dis and re-assembly.  Sublet labor (engine rebuild, etc.) was different.  You can take anything, and turn it into anything--just depends on your budget and time.

You'll hear many people tell you the truth: unless there is some sentimental attachment to a car (there was with mine) it isn't worth buying a crusher-ready car and restoring it; buy the best you can afford; it will nearly always be less costly than bringing something lower to a higher standard.

[clsund]

Thanks for the replies.  

So continuing with my questions- if there are things that need work on a car I purchase, what kinds of things do you take into consideration when deciding whether to try to restore a car back to it's original state or to do different things to is, such as change it's color, it's authentic interior, etc...

What about mektronic upgrades?  Could you take a junker for something like that?

[Mark280SL]

Given what you say you want to do you would among other things surely want to take into consideration the condition of the body and paint. Does it have significant rust or evidence of bodywork?, poor paint job? Depending on where you live A good paint job starts at around $8,000.00+ with no repair work and goes up from there...you would want to look at the chrome and it's condition. If you want to restore a car to a state of high quality, chrome that is damaged, missing and in need of replacement, or in need of replating gets expensive very fast. The hard top chrome can cost as much as $900.00 for one piece.

How the engine runs, how the car handles on the road are also important...Under the hood you would want to be sure the engine has not been adulterated with incorrect parts or missing parts and runs well with good compression and is not leaking everywhere you look. You could quickly spend thousands under the hood as well fixing problems or even completely rebuilding things.

I don't think it is a stretch to say you could easy spend 20, $30,000.00, and more taking a fair or good condition car into a "show car" state, it all depends on what and how much work it needs to start with. Before you buy a car do your homework and educate yourself on what to look for and if possible get someone who knows these cars to go with you when you look at potential candidates. It's not a cheap hobby.

Michael said it best when he said buy the best you can afford. That is sound advice.

quote:Originally posted by clsund

Thanks for the replies.  

So continuing with my questions- if there are things that need work on a car I purchase, what kinds of things do you take into consideration when deciding whether to try to restore a car back to it's original state or to do different things to is, such as change it's color, it's authentic interior, etc...

What about mektronic upgrades?  Could you take a junker for something like that?

[mdsalemi]

Some round numbers:

An engine rebuild: $5K+
A good paint job with minor body work: $10K
Major body work: $10K+
All Chrome re-plated: $5K-10K
Hardtop restored: 100 hours labor.

See where this is going?

[clsund]

Could someone explain to me why it is so important to have matching numbers on the body, engine and transimission?  and what does rebuilding an engine or transmission do to it's value?

[Benz Dr.]

Matching numbers doesn't mean very much on out cars. It's nice to have the moving pannels match the body but all that other stuff is only nice to have.
No one is paying or bidding higher for matching number cars. When they do then it will matter.

[wwheeler]

Matching numbers are extremely important with American muscle cars simply because there were so many engine and drivetrain options. They are very easy to clone. Matching numbers is one, almost positive way to prove authenticity.

With Mercedes, the drivetrain options were limited withinin the models and therefore matching numbers aren't as important.