Is this car savable?

[torredcuda]

I have another car that was every bit as bad as that car. It actually ran and drove when I got it and in my haste to buy it, I didn't examine it hard enough. Looking back, it wasn't worth the trouble but it is coming together now and will be great at some point. The metal alone for the car is well over 5k, probably double that but I'm afraid to add it up. And if I bought AMD like most folks do, then even more money. Thank god I'm not paying an hourly shop wage for the labor. Shops earn their money for sure.

If you are willing to take on the metal work yourself, and you actually like doing metal work like me, using metal that's affordable, then I think it's doable. Half the restoration costs are labor so if you do it yourself, you can keep your cost to the break even point of what you could recover if you sold the car after it was complete. Maybe. Not saying you should do it though. There's a lot of ifs in there and you would never be able to turn a profit on the car, you'd take it on because you love this particular car and love the work involved.

As anyone who has done it knows the body resto takes TONS of hours and if you are paying  for that then you are automatically way upside down money wise, do it yourself and scrounge swap meets and junkyards for bargain parts prices and you could do it for $50k or well under. My `72 318 car was not worth it financially but it was the car I owned for a long time so sentimentally it was the car I wanted to restore so I did, don`t regret it one bit and driving the wheels off it for 20+ years.

[kawahonda]

I personally would not touch that. JMO.

I bought a beater '65 Galaxie when I was 18 and learned the ropes of auto restoration. Gained lots of skills, learned metal working, rebuilt a mild and health 390, learned how to do it right for the most part. I told myself I'd never buy such a crap-shape car again. My Galaxie was 2x better than what's pictured at least. Needed a new driver's quarter, patch work on rear end, new trunk lid, and new fender...and I jimmy-rigged parts of the floor pan with POR-15....but only pinhole stuff, not stuff where you could fit several cats into...

Welding in a panel here and there is expected. Welding in every single metal piece possible + finding missing interior parts (90% missing) + etc. Dude, I would seriously pass on that unless it was an R/T or Hemi car. There is no way, even with swap meets (which I find 90% of the time people are asking near eBay prices as their bottom line) that you would be able to make that car correct for $50,000. I bet $75,000, do it yourself price, when all said and done, plus 300-400 hours (years) of work. Paint is very expensive now BTW. Is this your "dream" car?

And swap meets? Come on, seriously. Most stuff found is Ford or GM. It takes some serious searching to find the RIGHT Mopar parts, and the Mopar people that show up like I said know exactly the highest end the could get, and that tends to be their bottom line....I learned quickly to not rely on swap meets for $hit.

JMO

[anlauto]

I learned quickly to not rely on swap meets for $hit.

I guess you've never been to Carlisle ?

[Plumcrazzy]

Lot of variables here and I am sure you have gone through these variables in your mind. Got to be careful regarding emotional issues (this is the color combo I have been looking for forever). On a car like this the knowns are tough enough but the unknowns are what will eat away (in huge bites) at your budget. I have done four total rebuilds and am never doing another. They eat up your life. I always felt like, for me, that the build was what attracted me not necessarily the finished product---the chase--the looking for parts, etc. If you decide to jump then I wish you well and enjoy the ride.

[kawahonda]

I learned quickly to not rely on swap meets for $hit.

I guess you've never been to Carlisle ?

Understood, but please factor in plane ticket from west coast and shipping costs.....

And, my biggest problem with making everything 100% again, being a perfectionist that I am, is that you tend to be scared to touch it, don't want to deal with minor stuff with it anymore. See post above, hit the nail on the head.

I rebuild honda motorcycles. I've done two that have undergone frame-off restorations are still under covers for 2 years. I just don't want to see them, nor let light touch them. That's not what Mr. Honda nor Ma intended.....

The best ones have undergone some "minor" refurbishment and clean-up...I ride those the most...and they are still show-worthy...you don't worry if sun beats on them or worry about riding them into work...

Not trying to rain on parades here, but to touch that car will take serious skill, money, and time. That's a fact. I personally would not accept that challenge.

[BIGSHCLUNK]

I've seen many cars way better than that , that rapidly went waaaaay north of what you could ever sell one for. Besides missing waaaaaay to many pieces....   

[torredcuda]

I personally would not touch that. JMO.

I bought a beater '65 Galaxie when I was 18 and learned the ropes of auto restoration. Gained lots of skills, learned metal working, rebuilt a mild and health 390, learned how to do it right for the most part. I told myself I'd never buy such a crap-shape car again. My Galaxie was 2x better than what's pictured at least. Needed a new driver's quarter, patch work on rear end, new trunk lid, and new fender...and I jimmy-rigged parts of the floor pan with POR-15....but only pinhole stuff, not stuff where you could fit several cats into...

Welding in a panel here and there is expected. Welding in every single metal piece possible + finding missing interior parts (90% missing) + etc. Dude, I would seriously pass on that unless it was an R/T or Hemi car. There is no way, even with swap meets (which I find 90% of the time people are asking near eBay prices as their bottom line) that you would be able to make that car correct for $50,000. I bet $75,000, do it yourself price, when all said and done, plus 300-400 hours (years) of work. Paint is very expensive now BTW. Is this your "dream" car?

And swap meets? Come on, seriously. Most stuff found is Ford or GM. It takes some serious searching to find the RIGHT Mopar parts, and the Mopar people that show up like I said know exactly the highest end the could get, and that tends to be their bottom line....I learned quickly to not rely on swap meets for $hit.

JMO

I agree swap meets aren`t what they used to be but I still find deals at Carlilse and small local ones, not sure how the other big Mopar show/swaps are like. You also seem to be talking about a very high level restoration, not sure what the OP is looking for but big difference in quality/cost of resto from a nice driver to natioanl show winner.

[chargerdon]

Any car is savable, but, why would you want to?   There are other vehicles out there that are in far better shape to start with.  If it was a family car with sentiment then maybe.   

I can tell you this however.   There is no better sense of pride than bringing a car back from the dead, doing all the work yourself and when finished saying...wow...look at what I did !!

I love mopars, but, if i ever do another car it will be a Camaro or a fastback Mustang...simply because that is what you find 90% of the parts at swap meets are there. 

[cuda hunter]

I wouldn't do a high end resto.   A personal restore so low budget. Not necessarily low quality.
This is the third red interior black exterior car I have found and this one is in better shape than the others.

I just really needed you guys to tell me I'm crazy again. 

[torredcuda]

I wouldn't do a high end resto.   A personal restore so low budget. Not necessarily low quality.
This is the third red interior black exterior car I have found and this one is in better shape than the others.

I just really needed you guys to tell me I'm crazy again.

It won`t be me cuz I`m crazier then most when it comes to saving things.     This is a worthless `76 clubcab W100 but I`m doing it anyway. I do it as a hobby purely for the feeling of accomplishment and saying I did it myself, not for the money or ego. That and I can`t afford to buy a nice, done one.

[cuda hunter]

Wow !  That's some awesome work.  Sounds like we are in the same boat just different ends. 

[anlauto]

What's the difference between a "high end resto" and doing a decent low budget resto yourself ?

I mean the obvious "doing the work yourself to avoid labour cost" I understand, but where else can money be saved ? Do you buy used tie rod ends and ball joints ?

[RUNCHARGER]

Metal wise this car is not so bad. If you are dealing with the floor totally gone it's no different than the floors being a little rusty if you want to repair it correctly.  Underhood looks a lot better than most and I doubt I would hang inner fenders on it. A lot depends on the frame structure front and rear and the roof structure. Lower firewall is gone, not sure about the cowl. Up here the sheetmetal would come to about $13k for the parts, my labour is free for my own cars. In the states you better budget about $10k for metal, then body shop supplies are on top of that and they're not cheap.
However if you have no Cuda parts to draw from for the interior, steering column and mechanical parts is what makes the big difference. Price out stuff like seat frames, radiator, complete wiring and everything else the car needs.
Yes a black big block car should be saved but it depends on what you have laying around to save it.

[torredcuda]

What's the difference between a "high end resto" and doing a decent low budget resto yourself ?

I mean the obvious "doing the work yourself to avoid labour cost" I understand, but where else can money be saved ? Do you buy used tie rod ends and ball joints ?

No just scrounge swap meets, CL, FB, friends, junkyards etc for used parts, don`t pay $1000s to have a dash restored, seats recovered etc. , I  do it myself. Ball joints and stuff are cheap it`s the rare factory parts that add up along with all the repro trim parts and such but it can still be done on a fairly tight budget. I`ve seen $2000 alternator restos which may be worth it on that 1 of 1 hemicuda but not a"driver" quality Gran Coupe that I can get one  for $20 and clean up a bit.

[JS29]

The over head consolett, the wire harness and dome light. the relay and time delay. to get it all operational  BUT it is a cool feature when your done.