Planning For Classic Car Repairs & Restorations

by Andrea L. White
Motorheads Performance

As owners of a classic car repair shop, Guy Algar and I receive all sorts of calls from owners wanting anything from simple repairs to performance upgrades and restoration services for their classic car or truck, street rod or muscle car. We might be looking at repairs or upgrades where costs are sometimes easy to establish.  Complex repairs and restorations are often much harder to pinpoint, but you can do a lot to ensure a good experience.

Before you even start making your way through finding a shop - one that offers the types of services you're looking for, and you feel comfortable with the shop's knowledge, experience, and policies - you need to take a hard look at your end of the project so that there are no obstacles or surprises later on.  Adding to the initial scope of any project will end up costing you more than you anticipated, and sometimes leaves you unfairly blaming the shop for your overspending. I offer these suggestions to customers looking for a "fair shake" at a classic car repair or restoration shop. 

First, carefully consider all your wishes for your ride. Everything should be thought out, especially if the project is going to be done in stages. Your bottom-line budget can be affected greatly by some of the choices you make. These are questions you should ask yourself:

Specifically what do I want?   More horsepower, better handling, need to correct a problem?

What is important to me?   Do you want a great looking ride to impress people?  Performance, horsepower or handling? A great sounding engine?

What am I going to use my ride for?   Do you have the need for speed and want to do some casual drag strip racing? Do you want a daily driver? Do you want to do short or long cruises?  Show your car?

What time frame am I looking for?   Do you have a specific deadline?  How flexible are you?

What can I afford to spend?   This is always a tough one, but please be honest with yourself, and the shop you eventually contract with. You want and expect the best from them, so put your best foot forward and be open and honest about how much you're willing to spend. 

What are things I should wait on?   This is anything that you feel cannot be accomplished within your budget! It doesn't mean you can't talk to your shop about it, but you should have realistic expectations about whether you can afford to do it.

The more specific you can be (and don't be afraid to be completely honest with the shops you talk to) the better your chance for complete satisfaction...within your budget. Once you've done your homework, and have given your project a lot of thought, you can now talk to shops and get an idea of what they recommend for your vehicle. This will give you an idea what type of emphasis the shop places on their work (i.e. do they favor traditional/stock restoration, custom fabrication, or the latest "bling" available?). Your choice should be one that is close to your own preferences, and also what you're trying to accomplish (custom work, repairs, performance, racing, classic restoration, etc.).

Be wary of shops which over-inflate the value of your vehicle so you'll feel better about the costs of your repair, upgrade or restoration! Guy Algar explains, "We tell all our customers that the first and fore-most reason for spending money on your ride should be for your love of the vehicle. With the crazy ups and downs in classic car values - recently more down than up - and the amount of money that it typically takes for a restoration or a major performance upgrade, you're usually lucky to break even on a project if you're restoring or upgrading it for resale. If you're doing it for the enjoyment of the ride, or the sentimental value of the vehicle, you're in it for all the right reasons." He states that he has had customers come to him with stories of how a shop told them that their car was worth two to three times it's actual worth! It's something we're all afraid of, but taking the time to prepare will help you avoid these pitfalls.

Shops simply don't "quote".  Many shops do not even provide "estimates" anymore, and may provide only a loose "ballpark figure". Please understand that there is a difference between a "quote" and an "estimate". Those that do provide "estimates" have pulled together a list of needed parts, and have a rough idea (or estimate!) of how long the project will take, but realize that there are unknowns which may cause the price to rise or fall above or below the estimate!  Using standardized repair time estimates do not work when dealing with classic cars.  Remember, you're repairing a vehicle that is over 25 years old. It is no longer a simple repair!

There's no such thing as a $2,000 paint job anymore (unless you're looking for something that'll most surely involve hiding Bondo... and paint that could slide off the car within 6 months). Costs of paint itself can be $1,000 and it usually takes a minimum of 100 hours to properly prep a car for paint. Most classic or antiques cost $6,000 and up for a decent paint job, and a show quality paint job can cost $15,000 or more. If body work is required, costs are certain to be more than the average modern car.

Labor is generally THE most difficult part of a repair or restoration to justify to customers. Such a large part of the total cost is labor. Most people have no idea just what is involved in completing the task. Sometimes engine restoration or upgrades are easier since a good chunk of the cost is the actual price of parts, and there are usually low-end and high-end alternatives which gives you much more flexibility when putting your "ideal" car or truck together.  As a general rule of thumb, expect to spend approximately the same amount in labor as you are spending for parts!

Going into your project with a realistic idea of cost is essential. You don't want your shop to cut corners at the end of the job because you've spent your limit. And you don't want to owe the shop fees you cannot pay for. Shops will not release a vehicle until all invoices are paid in full.  Labor is the time it takes to do the job. While a professional shop can generally get the job done a bit faster because they have the proper tools and equipment, it still takes time. Restorations can typically take a do-it-yourselfer 5-10 years to complete. Cutting the time to several months to a year is one of the big reasons why owners turn to a professional shops. Another reason is that, more times than not, you will come across something on your at-home project car that you don't have the experience or know-how to do yourself, don't have the equipment to do yourself, or it is something that you find you simply don't like doing.

Once you've decided on all the components of your restoration - engine work, induction system, exhaust system, interior, exterior, wheels, suspension, steering, brakes, heating & cooling, etc. - and have an idea what each will cost, form a final plan by cutting or modifying where needed so that everything fits your budget. It's always a good idea to add about 10-20% additional for unexpected surprises which always seem to crop up in any type of project. Remember - an estimate is just that...an ESTIMATE.

Guy elaborates, "I try to give as accurate an estimate as possible, given unforeseen parts failures, or some evil lurking in the engine which we cannot possibly know about until we attempt to fire her up. The shop you've decided on will give you a timetable where they'll be able to take in your project, and also give you a rough idea of how long it will take to complete the job. Shops have different policies on how they handle payments, and it is a good idea to make sure you are very clear on how payments and/or billing is handled. At Motorheads, we get clear agreements at the start on whether this is a complete start-to-finish all-at-once restoration which usually requires a deposit and payment of the initial parts order, or one that is to be budgeted out over time (i.e. $1000 per month, etc).  As a matter of fact, you'll get a copy of our policies where everything is spelled out in detail, including what we expect from you and what you can expect from us! But policies vary from shop to shop, and some don't put it in writing. It's a wise idea to find out ahead of time."

Once you have these details worked out, stick with your plan! I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough. One of the most difficult things for a shop to deal with is a change in direction when the job is already well underway. Second-guessing, or adding "what if we do this" to the project can stop a project in its track and derail much more than just your project. Projects are painstakingly planned out and the slightest delays (such as a part not arriving on schedule, coming in damaged, a hold by the customer, or a hold by the shop due to slow payment or non-payment when an invoice is sent) can mean throwing the schedule off for each and every vehicle. If the delay is more than a few days, it means that your project can get bumped off the schedule for weeks or even longer, since other jobs must stay on track so that they finish on schedule. "Delays can also cost you financially, since estimates are all based on cost of parts at time of estimate and labor is estimated based on things going as scheduled without change," says Guy. "At Motorheads Performance we do not mark up our parts, preferring instead to pass the savings on to our customers. We don't stock parts and everything is ordered specifically for your vehicle. If changes are made or things get delayed, we don't have any wiggle room because we're buying at current prices and must pass increases on to you."
You can help immensely by being well prepared, and by forming a concrete plan of action. Be as honest as you can about what you are trying to accomplish and what you intend to use your finished vehicle for. When it comes to final negotiations, be honest about your budget so that your classic car shop can help you with your choices and help you stay within your budget.

"I enjoy helping my customers with decisions by going over options, discussing the pros and cons of each, and trying to develop a plan which will deliver the exact type of performance they want," Guy Algar explains. "We want our customers to know we're comfortable working with you and really listening to your needs and wishes. We don't try to fit you into our mold of what we feel is right for you, what is currently 'hot', or what 'everyone else' is doing. We'll advise, give you the pro's and con's of different choices, give you options within a range of prices...ultimately the decisions are yours. If these qualities are important to you, look for a shop that shares them." Hard to add anything to that.

I know that I love working with people who are passionate about their old cars and trucks, regardless of your level of experience or knowledge because Guy and I have a real passion for what we do.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. White is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her business partner Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.