so will you restore my car for $5,000

my old man restores model A's for a retired living
all stock
he is an excelent restorer with a waiting list too boot
he can pick and choose the cars he wants to restore, mostly just working at his own pace. 1 or 2 cars a year along with engine swaps, brakes, rear diff ect.
the problem is that he as a soft spot for the everyday guy. the guys like him and like most of you. he doesn't charge a lot ($35 an hour) and would rather give you parts than cheat you out of them.
As of lately he has been trying to help out all the old timers(70 plus year old guys)(soft spot) but these guys have been trying to hose the **** out of him
take today for instance..31 roadster engine trans front/rear rebuild brakes
thats it get it on the road goes stops runs drives in and out in a week or so.."Oh buy the way can you paint it put a new interior in it and have done by flag day" and will you do it for 5 g's"

so i guess the question is would you restore his car for 5 grand

 

i will diss***emble, lable, and loose 10% of the parts and sell off the fenders for 5 g's.

 

My Dad was the same way before he p***ed on. He could do anything to a car, truck, motorcycle, or tractor. People lined up to have him do work on their stuff. He never made any real money because he was too willing to give guys a break.

Now, I have the same problem in my shop. However, I'm not as nice as my Old Man. When I get a guy in there that wants $20K worth of work and hasn't got $500 to get started I just thank him for his interest and tell him I'm booked till 2008......

 

wow, tough call. Me personally that sounds OK- if it doesn't count parts cost. That's a LOT of work. Sounds like this guy knew exactly what he was doing springing it on him at the last second. I undervalue my time, so 5g's isn't bad if you work quick

 

a spray job and an interior in a month with that budget, hell yeah.

 

5 gs including parts
hell it would cost a grand just for the paint
i don't know when/if anyone priced interior for a 31 roadster
tom

 

5,000 isnt bad if you work quick? Quick or not, its still the same amount of work, and its worth alot more than 5,000. Divide that by $35 an hour, is about 142 hours, at 40 hours a week, thats less than a month....my point being, it would take alot more than 3-4 weeks and $5000 grand to get a quality restoration, and I am ***uming thats what we are talking about here.

I THINK FURBISQUIT HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD

 

Some of these old farts aren't rich because they made carreers of giving anything away. They try to chisel down the price of everything. They do understand "no", but they usually need to be told a few times as they tend to ask the same question different ways.

 

"Well those guys on TV can do it in an hour"...start to finish.."For Free".... Gary 4T950 Chevy Guy

 

My answer to that question. "so you want me to take your fifteen hundred dollar pile of parts, and make it into a 40 thousand dollar rod for five grand?" " I think you need to learn how to weld"

 

In just about any other transaction, the customer either dictates the scope of work OR the budget, not both. Personally I'd tell the old guy to get lost just on principal.

 

What's HAMBer Earl Schieb say?

" I'll paint your car GOOD, FAST and CHEAP!(pick any two) "

 

NOBODY restores a car for 5 grand! If you Dad did do it for the 5 the owner would ***** about getting screwed right up to the second they planted him.

 

I guess the answer is it depends. I have a lot of respect for "old timers" who try to help me or others out. They're from a time where money was short and people helped each other out. Most restoration shops just want to charge you $50-60 per hour with as much $$ up front, regardless of whether they are making any progress. And when it comes to timelines; "don't call us, we'll call you".

I'd set a realistic budget, but I'd give a range of say $5,000 -7,000 because it will depend on what he finds once he strips it apart. Because your dad is doing this for fun, I wouldn't put a tight timeline on it. If the other guys can't live with that, take a hike.

I also find people's kindness gets abused. An old time racer and engine builder I know in his 70s has given me amazing deals on stuff. For example he rebuilt my carbs for $25.00 plus the kits and tuned my engine for an hour for free. I wanted to give him more, but he wouldn't hear of it. He knows I'm a working guy with a wife and kid, and said the look on my face when my coupe was running again was what he was looking for. But there is a guy he does a lot of work for that inherited $30M that buys and sells cars to make $$ that "nickles and dimes" him and treats him like his own personal gopher. It makes me sick.

 

My dad had the same similar gig happen to him. A guy called for his 34 Packard woodgraining (our thing at times), and said go easy on me I'm on a fixed income. The car was a Dietrich V-windshield Sport Sedan. For those not in the know that's a $500,000+ car. Very unique, custom bodied, one of 3. I yelled from the background BULL ****IN ****!! FIXED AT WHAT? 7 FIGURES? **** him, hang up! He did and we still laugh about it a dozen years later. If it was free I'd get for myself and sell it to you on a discount. What do you mean what did I pay for it? Nothing at all, in fact I got paid to tow it outta the ol gal's flower bed. The kind of ppl we don't need.

 

yep, although you dont have to be an old timer to be generous.

car guys are some of the cheapest SOB's on the planet.

 

what I meant was- if you can do the amount of work in one hour that it takes me to do in two or three, then you're set. I'm a slow worker on cars. example: I glue paper on plastic boards on all day. I can make 350+ boards a day- and surf the internet for the other four hours. No other coworkers can come close to that, yet I expend the same amount of energy as them. If you're efficient then go for it

 

Tell them SURE....if you do all the work and supply all the parts.

Otherwise for $5k you get rattle can paint and seatcovers from Warshawski.

But not from ME.

 

Geeze PLAN9, you make cheap sound like a bad thing! cheap aint bad,its being the s.o.b. that is! Hell, some of my best efforts have been for free on a friends ride. All I ask for is someone to return the favor to me when I might need some help. Thats what things like the HAMB and a car club full of friends are for. Right ?
R.R.

 

So just to be clear, the 5 is just to cover the interior and paint, right? The drivetrain/brakes/whatever was a separate amount? Of course he could do interior and paint for 5 grand, but you get what you pay for. Not much bodywork, cheap one stage paint, it'll be shiny enough for flag day this year and a few more. Probably be a 30 footer and don't paint it black, but it'll be good enough for a parade.

 

nope total..parts and labor

Hell, The cars aren't worth a whole lot over $10k stock so why would the owner

if you can touch a restored 31 roadster stock or not for 10 large then find me a 100 of them

my dad doesn't do **** work it leaves the garage just as henry made it yes there is reproduction stuff on it but he uses correct bolts washers paint detail ect.... as much OG as posible
his name is on it and that is why he is so well repected in the model a community

i saw the car and it is painted with a brush,bondo everywhere and the motor knocks about as bad as the guy with the egge piston issue
i have been around this hobby since i could turn stab a screwdriver through a customers radiator.. i know what it takes and i know what it costs. I couldn't build a car for 5,000 and make it nice thats for myself without charging any labor. everyone knows how it nit piks you to death

people scoff at the "restorers" but my dad is old school like that

tom

 

No !

 

NO WAY. That would be an insult to my hard learned (and earned) abilities.
Maybe he should go to these guys and ask if they would sell their house for $10K? I bet their reaction would be much the same.

Dont ever charge anythig less than your expenses plus profit. You need to make something back other than expenses. If you can charge $35 per hour and make a profit that way then you must not be anywhere near the East Coast. We cant do it under $50 per hour here.

And as for the guys with big budgets and small at***tudes- there are plenty out there. Had one in my shop once- a computer guy who did well (young too) and now doesnt work and spends the time letting the builds on his cars fester in his own mind.

Dont ever let these kinds of guys get you down- its better to let them go to the next shop- the h***les to keep them and be their lakeys just arent worth it.

 

TOM ... Guess these words say it all : I quote :" his name is on it and that is why he is so well repected in the model a community ! "
Sounds to me like your father loves to work on those early Fords .... What a great life , ... What a cool guy your father is !!!!
IMPRESSIVE !!!!
imho .. Klaz

 

I wouldnt...... Ive been in that situation. and I like to think ive learned my lesson, but sometimes they get ya.......... and It will ALWAYS cost more than you can estimate. and customers will aways expect you to do extra for the same money. If your father has a reputation and a waiting list he should decline the work or show the guy what he can do for $5000......

 

so here is the deal
the guy is going to pay for the parts
my dad and i are going to change out the motor,trans, check the rear/front axles and brakes. We are going to replace worn components and get it to a state of a "driver"
we can not paint the car and get an interior for that money so he is riding with the brush paint and OG interior
we will know way crest 5 grand and he will have a dependable A to tour in
thanks for you coments guys
tom

 

Tom, I sent you a PM. Please check it when you get a chance.

 

Does you dad have a price list, or what the 5gs gets you? Might suggest he put something together if he doesn't. Then he can say, nope, it doesn't include balancing and blueprinting the motor, only what you see here. Kinda takes any confusion or argument out of the deal.

 

Resto work is best done on a time & materials basis otherwise you will find yourself working for nothing. Thats my 2 cents.