Cost of a Body off full restoration..
Discussion
I was just wondering what sort of money a full body off would cost..
Im talking full rebuild
New Chassis
Brakes
Suspension
Bushes
Fuel Tank
Respray
Sort wiring with new
refurb Wheels
excluding interior
Also cost of materials and labour
Basically Bring a Wedge to virtually concors condition and sort the traditional electrical gremlins out.
Im talking full rebuild
New Chassis
Brakes
Suspension
Bushes
Fuel Tank
Respray
Sort wiring with new
refurb Wheels
excluding interior
Also cost of materials and labour
Basically Bring a Wedge to virtually concors condition and sort the traditional electrical gremlins out.
dbv8 said:
£10k +
Easy, a good paint job 2+k by its self, prob 50 to 150 per wheel depending what you have done, the chassis is intersting, i know there is a few people doing 3000M Taimar chassis and thats the best part of 2k i think.As for brakes and suspention you could do that aslong your wish bones arent shot.
Sorry no help, but I would estimate it at a fortune (in my terms).
Just removed the engine to replace the clutch and chassis is ok (1986 wedge and no rust or cracks, sills have been removed in the past and surface rust only that has been treated), so perhaps you don't need a new chassis
Or do you have 'information' that a chassis is required?
You can even have the original painted in chrome for concourse spec
Rob
Just removed the engine to replace the clutch and chassis is ok (1986 wedge and no rust or cracks, sills have been removed in the past and surface rust only that has been treated), so perhaps you don't need a new chassis
Or do you have 'information' that a chassis is required? You can even have the original painted in chrome for concourse spec
Rob
How long is a piece of string??
Are you simply removing, cleaning painting and re-fitting or removing replacing with new and re-fitting or removing replacing with upgraded parts and refitting??? Also are you doing it yourself or paying someone to do it?
The cost at the cheapest end of the scale without a re-spray would be approx £6-8k assuming no major rebuilding of engine and box
up to at least £40k if you were replacing / re-building and paying a reasonable labour rate.
The problem is always that everyones idea of a restoration is different!!
N.
Are you simply removing, cleaning painting and re-fitting or removing replacing with new and re-fitting or removing replacing with upgraded parts and refitting??? Also are you doing it yourself or paying someone to do it?
The cost at the cheapest end of the scale without a re-spray would be approx £6-8k assuming no major rebuilding of engine and box
up to at least £40k if you were replacing / re-building and paying a reasonable labour rate.
The problem is always that everyones idea of a restoration is different!!
N.
Sorry, yes a real piece of string question...
I was thinking, my 400ES is in fairly good condition ...
Chassis is sound, just needs cleaning and repainting (galv would be nice)
Everything on the car is working, its mainly cosmetic..
Im not happy with the wiring and the headlights really annoy me (its not the light as I have a quad conversion) its the damn wobbling.
Wheels are again good condition, just a strip and re-polish / diamond cut would probably do.
Engine has given me grief ever since the replacement engine went in in 2003.. Just found a small leak on the valley only 300 miles since the heads were skimmed and replaced.
I see shows on Discovery and their engines / cars are immaculate ... looking at my receipts, ive spent the best part of £7000 on the car since I bought the car (servicing / breakages and mods)
Dont get me wrong here, Peninsula / Dulford have been brilliant to me, and im certainly very happy with the work they have done on the car, but I guess I would like a "mint" example not just a "Very Good" one. I would like a shiny engine bay rather than a dirty oily one.
It seems to me, there are a lot more skilled people in the US that tune / rebuild cars to a higher standard than in the UK.. every company I see SMC etc are knocking out some cracking examples that go for $40 - 70,000 and those are with crazy paint jobs, Hotrod crate engines and all fashioned out of steel rather than GRP.
I was thinking, my 400ES is in fairly good condition ...
Chassis is sound, just needs cleaning and repainting (galv would be nice)
Everything on the car is working, its mainly cosmetic..
Im not happy with the wiring and the headlights really annoy me (its not the light as I have a quad conversion) its the damn wobbling.
Wheels are again good condition, just a strip and re-polish / diamond cut would probably do.
Engine has given me grief ever since the replacement engine went in in 2003.. Just found a small leak on the valley only 300 miles since the heads were skimmed and replaced.
I see shows on Discovery and their engines / cars are immaculate ... looking at my receipts, ive spent the best part of £7000 on the car since I bought the car (servicing / breakages and mods)
Dont get me wrong here, Peninsula / Dulford have been brilliant to me, and im certainly very happy with the work they have done on the car, but I guess I would like a "mint" example not just a "Very Good" one. I would like a shiny engine bay rather than a dirty oily one.
It seems to me, there are a lot more skilled people in the US that tune / rebuild cars to a higher standard than in the UK.. every company I see SMC etc are knocking out some cracking examples that go for $40 - 70,000 and those are with crazy paint jobs, Hotrod crate engines and all fashioned out of steel rather than GRP.
JVaughan said:
I see shows on Discovery and their engines / cars are immaculate ... looking at my receipts, ive spent the best part of £7000 on the car since I bought the car (servicing / breakages and mods)
Dont get me wrong here, Peninsula / Dulford have been brilliant to me, and im certainly very happy with the work they have done on the car, but I guess I would like a "mint" example not just a "Very Good" one. I would like a shiny engine bay rather than a dirty oily one.
It seems to me, there are a lot more skilled people in the US that tune / rebuild cars to a higher standard than in the UK.. every company I see SMC etc are knocking out some cracking examples that go for $40 - 70,000 and those are with crazy paint jobs, Hotrod crate engines and all fashioned out of steel rather than GRP.
What you don't see is how many cars the Yanks send to the crusher, or how many have survived but are total sheds. They find mint, dry-State cars and have little to do to bring them back up. The grade of steel was better and of a heavier gauge and they don't salt their roads.Dont get me wrong here, Peninsula / Dulford have been brilliant to me, and im certainly very happy with the work they have done on the car, but I guess I would like a "mint" example not just a "Very Good" one. I would like a shiny engine bay rather than a dirty oily one.
It seems to me, there are a lot more skilled people in the US that tune / rebuild cars to a higher standard than in the UK.. every company I see SMC etc are knocking out some cracking examples that go for $40 - 70,000 and those are with crazy paint jobs, Hotrod crate engines and all fashioned out of steel rather than GRP.
Labour rates are lower, housing is (I believe) generally cheaper, there are probably more specialists in, say, interior trimming than we have (everyone's bloody multitasking like mad trying to stay in business over here) etc etc. but ultimately you are still talking mortgage money - for a car!
I have receipts totalling way more than my car cost new (not just from my pocket obviously) and it's still at best only an average Wedge.
I guess it depends on where your priorities lie and how much a bit of bling is worth to you.
JVaughan said:
Very true .. I dont mind paying "IF" I can get what I want ... not having the skills or the space to do it myself is a pain.. I guess it may be cheaper to look at sending the car to the US to be fettled and then shipped back than paying UK rates for a mediocre job
How do you know you don't have the skills? You're an intelligent bloke aren't you, you just need a few spanners... 
Edited by Wedg1e on Friday 8th April 00:19
I'd budget £20k and that's assuming a restoration without significant enhancement like bigger brakes/engine/suspension etc.
Where almost everyone goes wrong anyway is failing to spec out the work and the timeline and failing the ensure that the garage knows that it is working for you and not the other way around.
Lots of people on here go on about how good their garage is when they simply aren't any good at all. What they actually mean is that they are nice guys who talk a good game. Most are actually not good at all but get rave revues because we are enthusiasts who sell their product to ourselves.
At the end of the day much of a resto can be done yourself but I never have space or time. I would personally take it back to Blackpool to S&D to do and use Power for the engine. I don't rate too many of the other TVR shops as much more than chancers full of blarney and selling the dream which most have already decided to buy.
Where almost everyone goes wrong anyway is failing to spec out the work and the timeline and failing the ensure that the garage knows that it is working for you and not the other way around.
Lots of people on here go on about how good their garage is when they simply aren't any good at all. What they actually mean is that they are nice guys who talk a good game. Most are actually not good at all but get rave revues because we are enthusiasts who sell their product to ourselves.
At the end of the day much of a resto can be done yourself but I never have space or time. I would personally take it back to Blackpool to S&D to do and use Power for the engine. I don't rate too many of the other TVR shops as much more than chancers full of blarney and selling the dream which most have already decided to buy.
For the kind of money it costs for a top standard job, I'd be seriously considering a fairly freshly built from scratch high quality Ferr*ri replica or a modern TVR like a 350C or Tuscan II.
Part of the problem is resale value, unless that just doesn't matter to you. I'm happy enough that my car is mechanically sound. But then, I never did worry too much about cosmetics. I have a fresh engine, and a spare fresh engine, lets go burn some money on petrol rather than shiny bits.
Part of the problem is resale value, unless that just doesn't matter to you. I'm happy enough that my car is mechanically sound. But then, I never did worry too much about cosmetics. I have a fresh engine, and a spare fresh engine, lets go burn some money on petrol rather than shiny bits.
DonkeyApple said:
Where almost everyone goes wrong anyway is failing to spec out the work and the timeline and failing the ensure that the garage knows that it is working for you and not the other way around.
Lots of people on here go on about how good their garage is when they simply aren't any good at all. What they actually mean is that they are nice guys who talk a good game. Most are actually not good at all but get rave revues because we are enthusiasts who sell their product to ourselves.
At the end of the day much of a resto can be done yourself but I never have space or time. I would personally take it back to Blackpool to S&D to do and use Power for the engine. I don't rate too many of the other TVR shops as much more than chancers full of blarney and selling the dream which most have already decided to buy.
Do you mind if I print and frame that ?Lots of people on here go on about how good their garage is when they simply aren't any good at all. What they actually mean is that they are nice guys who talk a good game. Most are actually not good at all but get rave revues because we are enthusiasts who sell their product to ourselves.
At the end of the day much of a resto can be done yourself but I never have space or time. I would personally take it back to Blackpool to S&D to do and use Power for the engine. I don't rate too many of the other TVR shops as much more than chancers full of blarney and selling the dream which most have already decided to buy.
pwd95 said:
Jason. Sell yours & buy Blaines. Job done. £3k ish difference. Be all done for the summer.
Haha sorry Wyn, J400 SEE will never leave my side ... as number 22 of the last 42 400SE's produced in 1991 and registered in 1992 I couldnt sell it.As a child, the TVR was somethign I always wanted. When I saw my first SEAC in Cardiff, I knew I had to have a Wedge. Before the purchase, I test drove a Ferrari 308 and a Lotus Charlton, but the Wedge grabbed my heart.
Mechanically, she is spot on, small water leak on the valley buy thats it. I just wish I could get it fully re-wired and tuned easily
Ahh well, body off time then. If you can do the donkey work yourself a chassis refurb with all new bushes fuel/brake lines etc can be done for sensible money. It's when you have to pay someone to do it it turns in to 'extension on the house' money. Good luck with it. If it's a car for life then it's worth doing. Probably won't need doing again.
Main problem with any garage is they would not get any work if they spent and charged for the time its take to do everything 100% correctly or how you would have done it yourself.
I've lost count of the houses I've spent fettling to make sure things are 100%, last engine I stripped, I spent 2 days just cleaning all the bits.
Even some of the most rated people cut a corners, but then you not going to get much work if your 3 x the price of everyone else.
I've lost count of the houses I've spent fettling to make sure things are 100%, last engine I stripped, I spent 2 days just cleaning all the bits.
Even some of the most rated people cut a corners, but then you not going to get much work if your 3 x the price of everyone else.
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