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From: Mike Patterson
Email: mchr@theriver.com
Remote Name: 216.39.190.237
Date: November 16, 2003
Sad but true, as mentioned below, even if you can do the majority of the work youself, it's generally cheaper to buy a complete(d) car than it is to build it youself. I just picked up another project car (non-foward look era) The costs breaks down something like this. Car (pretty straight and complete, rust free 2 dr post) $500, Engine (built and ready to go already sitting on the stand) $3000, transmission $300, New brakes, brake lines wheel cyls brake lines master cyl (at this point no plans to upgrade to disk) $300, suspension rebuild parts $300, rear axel bearnings and seals $75, tires $200, Paint materials (for driver quality paint job)$700, Exhaust $200, Upholesrty $1200. Figure consertavitly another $1225 for the things I'm likely leaving out(glass seals, door gasgets radio, radiator etc) and it comes to a total of $8000. I run my own garage, and everything will be done in house except the upholstry, if you have to farm the work out figure another $50-75 an hour for shop rate and this can become a VERY expensive car. Considering the car started out life as a bottom of the line 6 cyl 2dr post car and will in no way be a "correct" car it will only be worth between $5000-6000 on a good day. Now in reality I have a couple of choices, I can shop for a car thats already done (and likely modify it to suit my taste) and come out cheaper in the long run, or build it myself (which is the part I actually enjoy the most). The other side of the coin is for all intents and purposes I will have a car that is "new" mechinically and though will only get gas milage equivelent to a Hummer it will be what I want to drive.
