Classic car restoration

JPark

Well-Known Member
I would say that most shops should be able to handle an olds, even if thats not what they specialize in. what kind of shape is it in?

I should have also added.....

What is the plan for the car? Like my mustang...my goal was to make it look totally stock. Its not rebuilt with all ford parts, I have a good amount of reproduction parts....so if I wanted to enter it into some car show where they judge originality, its not going to do well....but I dont care about that crap.

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Or do you maybe have plans to do some custom work? The guy who painted my car is excellent, but I wouldnt say he specializes in custom metal work....like say blue sky restorations in budd lake does.

I would say:

1. What kind of shape is this car in? Is the body a mess/underside a mess? Lot of rust? or does it just not run and needs mechanical restoration?
2. what do I want this car to be when its done
3. how much am I willing to spend?? Then double that number and your probably halfway there :)
That paint job is INSANE
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
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Build it for you, not for resale. You cantt create any more value by saying 'it was delivered this way'. Let the next person that is into all-original worry about that. While I liked the orange, there cars show great in darker colors (not hemi purple)
The yellow belongs on a super bee😆

Cantt wait to see it drive by.
 

JPark

Well-Known Member
Build it for you, not for resale. You cantt create any more value by saying 'it was delivered this way'. Let the next person that is into all-original worry about that. While I liked the orange, there cars show great in darker colors (not hemi purple)
The yellow belongs on a super bee😆

Cantt wait to see it drive by.
That stone we moved out of my yard was where the garage is being built to house the car.
I still see your poor sagging trailer when I drive past you!
 

UtahJoe

Team Workhorse
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Joe, I think I met you on the backside of Mt. Creek the day before that race last fall.

I originally bought the car around around 1990 when I was 18 and did some restoration work on my own. I then lived in a condo with no garage for years so I left it at my parents house. Out of sight out of mind, stopped driving it. And there it sat. But I held on to it, hoping some day I would be in a position to get it restored and keep it inside and that time has finally arrived!

It's a very original car. The 440 engine is original and has the original carb and exhaust manifolds. It even has the original "Dodge Solid State radio". 3 on the tree (but we all can't have a hemi with a 4 speed now can we?)
The body and interior would need to be completely redone however the engine was rebuilt but hasn't been started in over a decade so would need a little overhaul.
It's currently hemi orange but I would restore it back to the original yellow color with vinyl top (even though I think it looks better with no vinyl, I'd like to preserve it's value).

I don't plan to enter it into cars shows but I would like to maximize the resale value if/when I sold it.

I basically want to write someone a check and pick it up when it's done.
I do think I remember you now actually!

So whats awesome with your car...(ESPECIALLY WITH A CHARGER) it look like is all there, the chrome, the trim, the emblems, etc etc....Its not easy to get all of that. Mustangs, you can replace just about anything you want with a new part, not quite the same for a charger.

If that is a numbers matching, 440, RT car...its pretty valuable...My hagerty valuation tool says ~100k range for one that is in excellent condition. I would say, just do all of your homework on the car and make sure you know exactly what you have. Confirm its the original engine/trans/original RT car....With my car for example...it was my dads and I never plan on selling it...However, it was also a 67 S code 4 speed fastback....its had enough value that if I restored it and I had to sell it for some reason....I'd still make out ok. I have seen plenty of $75,000 restorations on $10,000 cars because of the sentimental value...I didnt want to do that. But a 68 charger....the body itself has alot of value bc they really didnt make that many of them and they are hard to find....so what color you paint it? doesnt really matter or effect the value you that much....outside of making it a dukes of hazzard replica, that will hurt the value for sure lol. And while I agree with @Patrick, build it for you....you can do that and still not hurt its value if for some reason you wanted to sell it one day.

If I had to just take a guess....dropping it off at a shop will probably be in the $50-75k range estimated. I mean it could be more....hard to say. When I started looking around for shops, the first thing I learned is that much like houses....the shop/contractor wants to make sure they cover themselves for the unexpected...and with you car....hard to say looking at it exactly how much metal work it will need...and metal work is $$$$$$...Lot of time and the people who do it have to be good. Your panels all look good/straight, but its really hard to say until all the paint is stripped. I actually stripped like 75% of my car for this reason, then I had guys come by for estimates. When you drop it off at a shop tho....the guys that work there are not usually $15 an hour type guys....that means, when they are putting your windshield wipers back on the car, or installing the radio....you are playing them ???$100+ an hour shop labor. Which is fine, but in my case, I had to cut costs where I could, so I opted to put take it apart/put it together myself

Its a really awesome car tho, always wanted one.
 

UtahJoe

Team Workhorse
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Yes, those are the big questions. The Olds was mom's daily from 1969-1987. The frame is shot, associated body repairs are required, so new frame becomes a total rebuild. "If" this goes forward it will not be a show vehicle. The goal would be a driveable weekend car that looks like its original self, even a resto-mod. Hopefully something I wouldn't take to much of a bath on if ever sold. However and TBH, this would become my son's project, so if he sold it in like 20 years it's a totally different market anyway...
thats also a really cool car...it sucks about the rust....metal work is just so expensive to fix. Not saying its not worth it, but it can get VERY expensive.
 
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UtahJoe

Team Workhorse
Team MTBNJ Halter's
It looks so quick and easy on those TV shows!
haha it sure does.

My car was at the shop for like 2.5 years and I did all the disassembly/assembly work lol....

One more shop to check out, little further away in Budd Lake....Blue sky auto restoration...Jesse and his partner do excellent work. Im sure they would jump at the chance to do a 68 charger. I wanted jesse to paint my car, but 5 years ago when i was shopping around...he didn't own the shop yet and I couldn't make a deal with his boss at the time.
 

JPark

Well-Known Member
haha it sure does.

My car was at the shop for like 2.5 years and I did all the disassembly/assembly work lol....

One more shop to check out, little further away in Budd Lake....Blue sky auto restoration...Jesse and his partner do excellent work. Im sure they would jump at the chance to do a 68 charger. I wanted jesse to paint my car, but 5 years ago when i was shopping around...he didn't own the shop yet and I couldn't make a deal with his boss at the time.
I'm surprised it takes that long. I was thinking 6 months or so.
 

JPark

Well-Known Member
I do think I remember you now actually!

So whats awesome with your car...(ESPECIALLY WITH A CHARGER) it look like is all there, the chrome, the trim, the emblems, etc etc....Its not easy to get all of that. Mustangs, you can replace just about anything you want with a new part, not quite the same for a charger.

If that is a numbers matching, 440, RT car...its pretty valuable...My hagerty valuation tool says ~100k range for one that is in excellent condition. I would say, just do all of your homework on the car and make sure you know exactly what you have. Confirm its the original engine/trans/original RT car....With my car for example...it was my dads and I never plan on selling it...However, it was also a 67 S code 4 speed fastback....its had enough value that if I restored it and I had to sell it for some reason....I'd still make out ok. I have seen plenty of $75,000 restorations on $10,000 cars because of the sentimental value...I didnt want to do that. But a 68 charger....the body itself has alot of value bc they really didnt make that many of them and they are hard to find....so what color you paint it? doesnt really matter or effect the value you that much....outside of making it a dukes of hazzard replica, that will hurt the value for sure lol. And while I agree with @Patrick, build it for you....you can do that and still not hurt its value if for some reason you wanted to sell it one day.

If I had to just take a guess....dropping it off at a shop will probably be in the $50-75k range estimated. I mean it could be more....hard to say. When I started looking around for shops, the first thing I learned is that much like houses....the shop/contractor wants to make sure they cover themselves for the unexpected...and with you car....hard to say looking at it exactly how much metal work it will need...and metal work is $$$$$$...Lot of time and the people who do it have to be good. Your panels all look good/straight, but its really hard to say until all the paint is stripped. I actually stripped like 75% of my car for this reason, then I had guys come by for estimates. When you drop it off at a shop tho....the guys that work there are not usually $15 an hour type guys....that means, when they are putting your windshield wipers back on the car, or installing the radio....you are playing them ???$100+ an hour shop labor. Which is fine, but in my case, I had to cut costs where I could, so I opted to put take it apart/put it together myself

Its a really awesome car tho, always wanted one.
Thanks for the detailed info. Maybe I won't go vinyl!
When I bought it I did check the serial number that it was a RT car.
 

UtahJoe

Team Workhorse
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I'm surprised it takes that long. I was thinking 6 months or so.
well it doesnt always.....for me, I needed to pay in blocks of say 40hrs. Now while I wanted the shop to work on it 40 after 40 after 40....well it doesnt always work out that way....Sometimes I got bumped for a more expensive project....like a fancy porsche...this is just the way I had to to do it.

I will say that it sucks waiting, but its REALLY worth the wait.
 

one piece crank

Well-Known Member
thats also a really cool car...it sucks about the rust....metal work is just so expensive to fix. Not saying its not worth it, but it can get VERY expensive.
Yeah, I'm afraid what the total resto would cost, considering it's not a 442. My son would have 50 years to enjoy a "family" car, and maybe somewhere along that road it appreciates.

I'm like you, do the bulk of my own labor. But I'm tied up in old Land Rovers and Range Rovers, and would prefer to travel in them rather than take on an Oldsmobile.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
I'm surprised it takes that long. I was thinking 6 months or so.
Unless you're on a television show, it will likely take longer. Have you considered getting the the mechanicals done first, drive it for bit then work on the others later? Are you're planning a full frame off or rotisserie
 
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qclabrat

Well-Known Member
Yes, those are the big questions. The Olds was mom's daily from 1969-1987. The frame is shot, associated body repairs are required, so new frame becomes a total rebuild. "If" this goes forward it will not be a show vehicle. The goal would be a driveable weekend car that looks like its original self, even a resto-mod. Hopefully something I wouldn't take to much of a bath on if ever sold. However and TBH, this would become my son's project, so if he sold it in like 20 years it's a totally different market anyway...
Almost no restomod will recoup the money spent, unless it's from a well known custom shop. The 69 Firebird was a terrible financial decision from the guy I bought it from in AZ who sunk $80k into it. That car will never be close to that value unless I find bars of gold in the trunk.
 

extremedave

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Obviously you gotta do this

View attachment 181760
This is the only correct choice.

For reals tho the car looks pretty complete. Classic cars aren’t as snooty nowadays and showing up at a meet with a 68 Charger in any condition is cool. Getting it running and driving and just having fun with it might be a plan then see how you feel about it.
 

JPark

Well-Known Member
Unless you're on a television show, it will likely take longer. Have you considered getting the the mechanicals done first, drive it for bit then work on the others later? Are you're planning a full frame off or rotisserie
Waiting on parts is the big delay now.
No surprise there.
 
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