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over priced restorations?


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#1 _Mick_186_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 02:29 PM

just wondering if I can get a point of view from some other members

I've been restoring car for a number of years now and on numerous occasions have seen the bill for these car climb to 30 - 40k for body and paint for relatively straight cars with minor rust. it's a lot of work and very time consuming to get these cars perfect and there always seems to be a few customers ever now and the who will complain about price.

do use think this is over priced?

#2 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 05:54 PM

Considering the costs of operating a panel/paint shop & the time involved in doing the job properly so the workmanship will last the life of the car, not just the next twelve months or so, the answer for me is no. It never ceases to amaze me that alot of people won't blink twice at spending $20-30K on mechanicals or the latest 20inch Intro Billit wheels & custom leather trim, give them a quote of more than $4-5K for a full in/out bare steel re-paint in 2K COB & their jaw usually hits the floor. Paint & bodywork is generally the first thing you notice on a car, but this is the area alot of people want to spend the least amount of money. JMO.

#3 boomfunk

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 06:35 PM

i think its interior they spend the least on, people will spend 15k on a paint job but when you say 5k for the interior they say "that much?"

just my thoughts.. time is money and people need to pay for it or they do it them selves

#4 dattoman

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 06:41 PM

Try doing brakes for a living
No-one wants to spend anything there
Big bucks on wheels and paint... but nothing on brakes and susp

#5 _nial8r_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 06:47 PM

Considering the costs of operating a panel/paint shop & the time involved in doing the job properly so the workmanship will last the life of the car, not just the next twelve months or so, the answer for me is no. It never ceases to amaze me that alot of people won't blink twice at spending $20-30K on mechanicals or the latest 20inch Intro Billit wheels & custom leather trim, give them a quote of more than $4-5K for a full in/out bare steel re-paint in 2K COB & their jaw usually hits the floor. Paint & bodywork is generally the first thing you notice on a car, but this is the area alot of people want to spend the least amount of money. JMO.

:iagree: with Matt on this one, panel and paint is what makes a car. you can have a shitter that is off its nut but i bet you will stand and look at nice clean shinny and straight car with only a 6 pot screamer in it longer than the shitter thats off its nut !!
just my 2 bobs worth as i know the time and effot that goes in to a "proper " resto !!

#6 _Ozzie Picker_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 06:58 PM

I restore my own cars for a hobby,i would think 20k for a straight car is reasonable,but 30 to 40 is out there,if it was an chev impala,then 30 i guess.With all the new procedures and products available for the professionals these days a paint job has never been so quick,i do it old school,using acrylic and this way is much more labour intensive.I,ve seen the locals making good coin at 20k.

Overheads must be crazy in some parts of the country.

#7 _Ozzie Picker_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 07:20 PM

So thats like 20k to paint shell,and what 10k for doors and boot and another 10k for guards bonnet and front panels.So thats like 2k for a door,bahahaha.

#8 S pack

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 07:24 PM

IMO it doesn't matter whether it's bodywork & paint, interior trim, brakes, suspension, engine & drive train etc etc.
People have big ideas and high expectations but don't have the $$$$ in their budget.

#9 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 07:32 PM

What about re-chromed bumpers, repair/re-polish body moulds, rubber seals etc. I've spent $5K alone on recoed bumpers, rubber kits & recoed stainless body moulds, new tail light lenses etc. On average the panel/paint materials i've bought to restore my own cars, including primers, thinners, sandpapers etc have cost me around $3-4K. And these cars were just repair, prime, block & paint. So far that's aproaching the $10K mark & i'm doing all the labour myself.

#10 _Ozzie Picker_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 07:44 PM

He said body and paint only,on relatively straight cars with minor rust.then add the rest.

#11 _LONA-CK_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 07:45 PM

30 or 40k you would want your car back ready to put back together in a week for that sort of money 15 to 18k is a full on price for a full resto,
thats my 2c worth anyways.

cheers gong

#12 Ice

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 07:49 PM

When can i drop my torana off john 15k will only get you panel and maybe paint over here some do some cheap jobs but you know the story get what you pay for

#13 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 08:04 PM

He said body and paint only,on relatively straight cars with minor rust.then add the rest.

Fair call, but then i'm working on a LC GTR at work that before media blasting (at a cost of $4K alone in/out) fitted in that catagory. Thing is though, once all the paint came off, forty years of substandard repairs & plenty of unseen rust has meant to date i've fitted two quarter panels, a lower beaver panel, half a boot floor, two floor pans, a lower front stone tray, two front guard sections, not to mention quite a few hand made panels to rebuild the front screen aperture & other repairs etc. I haven't started on the doors yet but they have their fair share of rust & damage. I can take pics of the car in it's metal finished state, i haven't started any body filler work as yet & the areas i've repaired are in epoxy etch until all metal work is finished. So far i estimate i've spent around 150+ hours on the car at $80ph. If the hourly rate seems excessive, my boss pays $3000pw in rent on the shop, so in Sydney at least, overheads can get expensive.

#14 _Viper_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 08:24 PM

It depends on the level the customer wants, on a "straight rust free" car you. Can do a "nice" job for 20k but a customers idea of straight/rust free and panel beaters idea can differ greatly.

But the more perfect they want the car the more time it takes and labour is expensive and adds up quickly.

We are looking at a smallish workshop and rent is $1000-1500 a week

But for a very nice streeter 30-40k is certainly reasonable

#15 _Bomber Watson_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 08:36 PM

Most people expect show car finish for four cartons of cheap piss.

#16 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 08:39 PM

^^^LOL, & if the car has so much as a ripple or a bit of dust in the paint, the panel beater/spraypainter is a shonk & ripped them off right?

#17 _sunburst73-xu1_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 08:39 PM

People should try and have a crack them selfs,I mean rust and body work,as Craig said everything you can do your self is saving you money.I know every car is different in condition(rust/dents)but my XU1 owes me 7k in out lay of money for panel and paint.Its not perfect but I'm happy.

#18 _Bomber Watson_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 09:01 PM

^^^LOL, & if the car has so much as a ripple or a bit of dust in the paint, the panel beater/spraypainter is a shonk & ripped them off right?


Spot on mate.

frOck me blasting/painting box trailers for lads is bad enough, more than a carton and you would think your asking them for there firstborn, and they bitch if its not spot on 500% better than brand new afterwards.

i stopped doing cashies on the weekends years ago due to this.

#19 RIM-010

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 09:27 PM

If you think something is overpriced, go somewhere else...

Oh, what's that? There is nowhere else? Looks like you're gunna have to shut up and pay the man or do it yourself...

#20 Ice

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 09:31 PM

Thats another problem these guys that do this sort of work are drying up you either pay big bucks or like tim said do it yourself if you think you can

#21 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 09:37 PM

Here is an VN Calais engine bay i customised, primed twice, rubbed twice & sprayed for a friend. Two months of weekends, working 8-9 hours at a time for nothing & i got complaints because there was dust in the paint (was painted in a garage under the house) & some factory spot welds & other imperfections. As such i'm none too keen on cashies or love jobs either.
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#22 _Ozzie Picker_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 10:00 PM

paint and rust repaires on this monaro of mine,under 4 grand.Many hours,but they are free,its my hobby.People can do alot themselves,like using good old paint stripper and save a fortune there,smash shops want the quick dollars, so the medium blasting gets the job done quicker.

Also the boot lid in last pic has no lock,so is sitting up slightly.
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Edited by 73BATHXU1HTBATH350, 08 September 2012 - 10:12 PM.


#23 Mort

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 10:18 PM

I was one of those people that cringed when i was told the cost of a paint job many years ago, but know i am older and wiser (and painted a car myself) i have accepted the fact that a car resto is going to cost me 25k+ (thank god for shares)

It's just cost me 12k for panel and paint, i didn't want a mega show winning paint job just good enough for everyday driving.

The car was stripped, rust repairs which i didn't think there was much but thats only what i could see (was a couple of patches that Tony found after stripping it), cut front and rear guards, do panel gaps, paint in 2pac and what ever else there is to make it nice, straight and shiny.

1k to straighten the rear chassis rail, panel beat the floor and paint the underside ( not colour ).

5k for the interior, full SL/R interior in black vinyl with grey golfball, Dynamat from firewall to the parcel shelf, carpet in the boot and side panels.

Still gotta find out how much it will cost extra forTony to fix and polish the stainless trim for around the windows and gutter moulds and fit it, fit all the glass and hardware, fit and adjust the body kit.

Wheels and tyres cost another 2.5k.

Still have the engine, brakes, gearbox and diff to do.

I would think that 30-40k just for paint and panel is a bit rich, unless it's a mega trophy winner job.

#24 Mort

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 10:29 PM

Thats another problem these guys that do this sort of work are drying up you either pay big bucks or like tim said do it yourself if you think you can


To right i went to many panel/paint shops and all they seemed to be interested in are insurance jobs, they always gave me the impression it was too much effort to do a resto.

It took me many years to find Tony, he works from home, paints in his big shed (no booth) and has been doing it for quite a while (his dad had a panel shop) and is into hotrods as well and really great to talk to he's down to earth.

#25 _LH SLR 3300_

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Posted 08 September 2012 - 10:45 PM

If you're a panel shop owner operator, you can open a can of worms so to speak taking on a resto. My old boss took on a resto on what appeared to be a clean unmolested original HZ Holden. He quoted $12K to do the job & by the time it was finished, he'd lost money on it. A quote's a quote. He got hit twice, even though he lost money on it from the start, the owner was expecting more than what he got & promptly sued my old boss through Fair Trading. The owner lost but the inconvenience of attending lawyers, court etc & down time from running his buisness left him with the determination never to take on another resto again.




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