Cost of classic car restoration

[wbvs58]

Naa, leave it as it is.

Ken

 

[SmokinM]

Ole Blue - My '48 GMC. After market wheels and bed but original drive train. 228 straight six with a 4 speed. Doesn't like going faster than 40. It'll get me between the farms but I'm on and off again about whether to repower it so I can run farther afield with it. But there's a part of me that want's to just keep it simple. I would imagine the restoration/repowering balance sheet would give me some regret.

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Naa, leave it as it is.

Ken

Amen!

 

[Little Joe]

Ole Blue - My '48 GMC. After market wheels and bed but original drive train. 228 straight six with a 4 speed. Doesn't like going faster than 40. It'll get me between the farms but I'm on and off again about whether to repower it so I can run farther afield with it. But there's a part of me that want's to just keep it simple. I would imagine the restoration/repowering balance sheet would give me some regret.

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I probably wouldn't repower it due to simplicity but if I did I would put a GM 5.3 LS out of a 99-2006. There's an outfit here in Arkansas that reconfigures the wiring harness and flashes the computer so the 5.3 doesn't have to have all of the sensors and such but is still fuel injected.

 

[Travlr]

I probably wouldn't repower it due to simplicity but if I did I would put a GM 5.3 LS out of a 99-2006. There's an outfit here in Arkansas that reconfigures the wiring harness and flashes the computer so the 5.3 doesn't have to have all of the sensors and such but is still fuel injected.

I'm thinking about doing the same with a '78 Chevy I bought a while ago. But I'll go 6.0 liter if I do.

 

[greybeard]

Question. All the vehicles we've seen posted or had earlier in life were usually just daily drivers and I doubt many of us (if any of us) had a clue regarding their collectivity. Even my old '64 Ford would be worth some serious $$ if I had put it up and kept it all these years.

BUT, what of the cars and trucks we drive today???

My wife drives a 2013 Dodge Dart II. Nice car but just plain.
I really can't see someone in the year 2055 saying "Wow, I found a 2013 Dart in an old barn and it's in perfect condition!!"

 

[SmokinM]

Question. All the vehicles we've seen posted or had earlier in life were usually just daily drivers and I doubt many of us (if any of us) had a clue regarding their collectivity. Even my old '64 Ford would be worth some serious $$ if I had put it up and kept it all these years.

BUT, what of the cars and trucks we drive today???

My wife drives a 2013 Dodge Dart II. Nice car but just plain.
I really can't see someone in the year 2055 saying "Wow, I found a 2013 Dart in an old barn and it's in perfect condition!

No but some of those Hemi powered Challengers and Chargers will be along with the Corvettes, Camaros and certain Mustangs. Some things just aren't collectible. The same can be said of the Chevette, Pinto and Dodge Dart of yesteryear.

 

[greybeard]

SmokinM, I wouldn't bet on some of that
A new 1980 Chevette MSRP'd for $4,418.

There's always someone somewhere that collects certain things...

 

[SmokinM]

I guess PT Barnum was right Greybeard!

 

[Ouachita]

SmokinM, I wouldn't bet on some of that
A new 1980 Chevette MSRP'd for $4,418.

There's always someone somewhere that collects certain things...

View attachment 25533

Yeah, with a remarkable sigh. Wrong number; Apologies, again. These vehicles should be reserved for folks that'll get out of the house a few times per annum and visit their hillbilly kin. Maybe.

 

[greybeard]

Wrong number; Apologies, again

huh?

 

[Splash]

I probably wouldn't repower it due to simplicity but if I did I would put a GM 5.3 LS out of a 99-2006. There's an outfit here in Arkansas that reconfigures the wiring harness and flashes the computer so the 5.3 doesn't have to have all of the sensors and such but is still fuel injected.

The LS was my 1st thought. Keep it to a manual transmission. Need to change the rear end ratio or complete new rear end if I go that route. New steering column to fit. Replacement radiator. Front suspension, and on, and on ............... One of those things that keeps on growing.

 

[Splash]

Naa, leave it as it is.

Ken

There's a lot to like about this. If you like old school, the nostalgic driving experience will put a smile on your face. Floor starter, clutch and brake pedals seem a foot off the floor, spring seat to keep you bouncing, huge steering wheel, if you like air conditioning - it's old school - stick your head out the window!

Everything that's been engineered to make new trucks into the plush but boring highway trucks of today is not there. But that's the real draw.

 

[wbvs58]

There's a lot to like about this. If you like old school, the nostalgic driving experience will put a smile on your face. Floor starter, clutch and brake pedals seem a foot off the floor, spring seat to keep you bouncing, huge steering wheel, if you like air conditioning - it's old school - stick your head out the window!

Everything that's been engineered to make new trucks into the plush but boring highway trucks of today is not there. But that's the real draw.

I know what you mean, I drove the old WW2 Studebaker and GMC 6x6 back in my army reserve days. I loved those old trucks as did everyone else in our transport platoon. We much preferred them to the later International ACCO's.

Ken

 

[SmokinM]

There's a lot to like about this. If you like old school, the nostalgic driving experience will put a smile on your face. Floor starter, clutch and brake pedals seem a foot off the floor, spring seat to keep you bouncing, huge steering wheel, if you like air conditioning - it's old school - stick your head out the window!

Everything that's been engineered to make new trucks into the plush but boring highway trucks of today is not there. But that's the real draw.

If, if you wanted to repower something like that I would only even think about a mechanical 12v Cummins. Dual stacks rolling coal right behind the cab. That being said I love it the way it is.

 

[Nesikep]

For a cheap 80's car that i'd actually pay some money for with NO rust is a 84-85ish Toyota tercel station wagon 4x4, crazy capable little cars, but the bodies just rusted out bad (If you desert state people find one...)... We've had about 6 of them over the years

My real weakness is 84-85 Rx7's, kicking myself for selling my last one, probably be about a $15K car as it sits today. They were built pretty stout, they were actually considerably heavier than that Tercel station wagon.
I have a lot of miles in these, I found them really predictable and fun to throw around corners



Sold this one to a friend, a '93 Rx7, one of the sexiest body lines ever, I'd just dumped a bunch of money into it and the thing was pretty quick, the handling on it was amazing, 140mph felt solid, and I did hit 180mph once but there's just not many places you can do that. As much as it had far superior handling, and 500rwhp is certainly thrilling, the car above with 200hp just somehow felt funner


Here's a guy that put a 6 rotor (essentially 3x the stock displacement) into a purpose built drift car.. love that sound

We've put a bunch of money into our old Dodges now.. Got a 2wd diesel I want to fix up, super clean truck with NO RUST
How it looked when I bought it.. .Drives like a dream, every option you could get was on it, was a grandpa truck that pulled a camper to florida every year
I'll keep it pretty stock, good mileage comfy cruiser kinda truck


Little hammer and dolly work, little white rattle can paint, new rims and tires and it's presentable at least


My dually I repainted back in 2014, Same paint code as the '93 Rx7, really cool color (Montego blue).. it was at 600something HP but I'm detuning it to work truck specs now, 350-400hp or so. 12V cummins, 6 speed, VGT turbo with my own controller, that power comes on smooth but fast, it'll break loose on you at 50mph in 5th if the conditions aren't just perfect.


Want to turn this one into a play truck with big power, got some real secret sauce stuff for it, would like to put down a 4 digit dyno number. I need to do some frame work on it, rust is bad by the fuel tank on the frame, body is solid though

 

[Ouachita]

It is the uniqueness of the people, that forever prompts me to come back.

 

[Little Joe]

I'm thinking about doing the same with a '78 Chevy I bought a while ago. But I'll go 6.0 liter if I do.

I had a 2500 with a 6.0 and I wasn't as impressed with it as I am the 5.3 and the 6.0 is harder find and more expensive. I'm a firm advocate for the 99-06 5.3 liters, our 06 tahoe has 280,000 miles and runs like a top, my 02 Z71 has over 250,000 and runs like a top. I've seen 99-06 5.3 liters with 400,000 miles and still running. 07-13 5.3 engines were good but had lifter problems and some oil consumption all due to the engines dropping to 4 cylinders when cruising. I hear the new 5.3s are junk, why can't manufacturers leave something that works well alone? I know, it's the money from service that motivates them.

 

[Little Joe]

For a cheap 80's car that i'd actually pay some money for with NO rust is a 84-85ish Toyota tercel station wagon 4x4, crazy capable little cars, but the bodies just rusted out bad (If you desert state people find one...)... We've had about 6 of them over the years

My real weakness is 84-85 Rx7's, kicking myself for selling my last one, probably be about a $15K car as it sits today. They were built pretty stout, they were actually considerably heavier than that Tercel station wagon.
I have a lot of miles in these, I found them really predictable and fun to throw around corners
View attachment 25544


Sold this one to a friend, a '93 Rx7, one of the sexiest body lines ever, I'd just dumped a bunch of money into it and the thing was pretty quick, the handling on it was amazing, 140mph felt solid, and I did hit 180mph once but there's just not many places you can do that. As much as it had far superior handling, and 500rwhp is certainly thrilling, the car above with 200hp just somehow felt funner
View attachment 25545

Here's a guy that put a 6 rotor (essentially 3x the stock displacement) into a purpose built drift car.. love that sound

We've put a bunch of money into our old Dodges now.. Got a 2wd diesel I want to fix up, super clean truck with NO RUST
How it looked when I bought it.. .Drives like a dream, every option you could get was on it, was a grandpa truck that pulled a camper to florida every year
I'll keep it pretty stock, good mileage comfy cruiser kinda truck
View attachment 25546

Little hammer and dolly work, little white rattle can paint, new rims and tires and it's presentable at least
View attachment 25547

My dually I repainted back in 2014, Same paint code as the '93 Rx7, really cool color (Montego blue).. it was at 600something HP but I'm detuning it to work truck specs now, 350-400hp or so. 12V cummins, 6 speed, VGT turbo with my own controller, that power comes on smooth but fast, it'll break loose on you at 50mph in 5th if the conditions aren't just perfect.
View attachment 25548

Want to turn this one into a play truck with big power, got some real secret sauce stuff for it, would like to put down a 4 digit dyno number. I need to do some frame work on it, rust is bad by the fuel tank on the frame, body is solid though
View attachment 25549

Love those old first gens, that second gen is nice too.

 

[Ouachita]

We should all cabbage on to an idea exemplified by Johnny Cash.

 

[callmefence]

Ole Blue - My '48 GMC. After market wheels and bed but original drive train. 228 straight six with a 4 speed. Doesn't like going faster than 40. It'll get me between the farms but I'm on and off again about whether to repower it so I can run farther afield with it. But there's a part of me that want's to just keep it simple. I would imagine the restoration/repowering balance sheet would give me some regret.

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I've only got 3 words.....how much