Rawr256

My dad has a 68' GTO that he has had since 86 that he got just after I was born, he bought it for $350 and it has never run. He has intended to build it up at some point but thinks he doesn't have the time to do it. He was offered $500 for it by someone (one of his summer school students I would think) to take it from him and I imagine they would look into restoring it. I told him not to do it because I always thought it would be something neat to have redone, how many of these things do you see driving around anymore? Let alone back in the day it was capable of a 13 flat in the 1/4 with a average driver, it was a drag specific model, no tape or anything like that in it.

When he first talked about restoring it when I first got into cars he said it would be something set aside for after my brother and I are out of college to help out with it. His next thing is we don't have a shop to really put the car in to tear it apart. Right now it is sitting by my Grandfather's shop (about an hour away) that is more than capable of doing what we need to with it, the only downside is the distance from us.

Alone in the sheet metal for it from year one, we are looking at about $3k just to have the metal for it unpainted, not including the bumper on it and hood and trunk.

Would it be worth selling and just letting someone else take it? If he wants $500 for it I might as well take it, I have always been in love with it and hate to never have the chance to work on something like that from the ground up.

Opinions? Anyone that has done ground up restoration before? What was the price all put together? Is it worth it?

Ackattack1

iTrader: (7)

well here is where I'm at with my frame off restoration



I've already did kindof a frame on restoration. Depending on what your end goal is, it is going to cost you WAY more than you plan.

I would say a 68 GTO is worth more than $500 though.

NWDragRacer

Like they say - "If you have to ask, you can't afford it."

I've done several restorations and it's VERY expensive. You mentioned $3k for sheetmetal - you can also count on 3x that to get it ready for paint. Most of the reproduction sheetmetal is not very close to the orgional stuff and takes a ton of time to make right.

I just got my '67 RS SS396 Camaro back from a local restoration shop. At one point I was spending $8K a month to keep the project moving.




Bottom line is that it's worth WAY more than $500 and you should do what you can afford and accomplish. The world is full of "project" cars in boxes that someone started and could not / would not finish.

my $.02

Don

OSUBraden

Unless it is a total junker you wont want to be selling that at $500. The car, IMO, is a very special one. If I were you I would keep it and save up (since you like cars) little by little until you can start restoring it little by little. 5-10 years from now, so long as you do that, you may have a real beauty on your hands. It also gives you plenty of time to learn WTF you are doing along the way Good luck!

DrEvyl

iTrader: (5)

I did a '66 VW Beetle a number of years ago, but haven't done a complete resto since... it's a lot of freakin work. Beetles are a lot cheaper to restore than most cars, also.. dunno if I'd wanna do it again. I'd rather buy a car that is fairly complete and just finish it.

99blancoSS

iTrader: (115)

I'll give him more than 500 for it. Its going to take a lot of money to restore it properly. 3k is not even close to what the final costs will be. My guess without even seeing the car is more like 10-15k for starters. Unless your going to do a butch job then all bets are out.

TwoFast4Lv

iTrader: (8)

I have worked on a few and started a few. Believe it or not my 95 Z28 has been as big of a project over the years as any. A race car can cost as much as a resto

My dad is in to doing them now

I would find a place close to work on it and dig in. Plan on spending $30 to do it your self

IF the $30k scares you? Do NOT ask anyone here what they have spent on there rides. THAT will truely scare the pants off of you HAha!

Compstall

iTrader: (5)

I say take it little by little and take your time as money allows. If you truly want it to see the road some day you'll get'er done.

I've somehow rat-holed over $10k in mods (and almost half that stuff was bought used) over the years into my car and only got a Hotcam w/ an Ellis tune in it for the power dept.

If my wife would hurry up already and finish her Master's then we can move onto bigger things.

Rawr256

Thanks for the input everyone I appreciate it!

If my dad doesn't want to deal with it than I plan on taking it from him and rebuilding it, I already talked to the wife about it and she ok'd it and I told her I would only put so much into it a year and do as much as possible myself.

I know what you are talking about as far as costs into current cars Ellis, I was blown away at the amount some guys have spent on their FI projects and some don't even run yet!

Here is one I found off EBay that is optioned out exactly like the one my dad has -
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1968-...QQcmdZViewItem

Same engine and the M4 in it, but he has a TH400 that he plans on swapping into it. Talked with a friend whose dad restored a 68 almost identical to ours, only diff was it had a hood tach and was a different original color and his dad says it was worth every penny.

Whenever we do start on it will keep you guys updated on what is going on with it.

krazzycowgirl

hey don is it going to show it self on Sunday or what?

99blancoSS

iTrader: (115)

That Camaro looks incredible!

NWDragRacer

Nope, no way on Sunday.

I hope to have it ready for Hot August Nights, but haven't had much of a chance to work on it.

krazzycowgirl

what I thought you guys would be hauling the vette like last year lol.

OH Well

Tammy