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So what does a restoration really cost these days?

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Costs have increased significantly since I restored an MG TD back in 1973. A year or two ago, I posted a comparison between what I paid and what those parts are selling for now - if they're even available. You could look it up on this website. I did everything except rebuilding the cylinder head - cost me $45 and was done by a racecar mechanic friend of mine - and the painting, done by a local body shop owned by another friend. A good paint job is essential and 99% of you out there are not capable of doing a complete professional-quality repaint. The prep will get you. I know.
 
After i finished painting and striped off the last of the masking tape and paper I stood in the engine bay with a silly grin on my face and said I love it, hard work but worth it all.

Graham
P1010078.jpeg
 
Graham, that really looks great.
PDplot Interesting on the parts, 1973 was a different place and time, but parts haven't gone up much since the late 80s, you can still get a piston and liner set from VB for a little over $300. I think I spent about $450 for my set in the late 80s.

While the price of parts may have not changed much, quality may well have gone down, and the price of paint, materials and labor have certainly gone way up.

Greg
 
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The quality of paint has gone up a lot but the price has gone through the roof. I was in the paint store and overheard a conversation on the phone and the paint guy said yes that is $950.00 a gallon. Explained to e it was a Red Tri colour. Don't mess it up.

David
 
Always a good question never a good answer and if you say do not tell my wife. 1992 I bought a 1973 driver ( I have owned other TR's) in fact I got three two parts cars for a song. at $3.500.00 and I did all the work except paint and inside. I did it all in one year ( rare ) I quit adding up at $10.000.00. I had to use the frame from one car body parts from another car and the drive system from the driver car. I was DMV cert. Dec. 1993. I have been in all the West and Southwest states. Nat. Parks, Mexico, Canada. My Speedo did not always work so no idea of real miles. I can tell you I just took a trip to Moscow Idaho and back from Reno NV. 1,800 miles plus in June. My starter got a dead spot must have been org. 1973. Put a new geared one this week.
I know every part and sound of my car.
As to restored car by others you are all right a can of worms. Can't do the work yourself start at $ 25.000.00 and $ 1,000.00 shipping home. The simple question to answer what is the car for show, drive, or a retirement project. Madflyer
 
Greg I wish I still had my 250 I sold my TR 4 in 1971 for it but kids took my 250 away 5 years later for more room. Madflyer
 
One owner's experience. I bought my TR6 on November 11, 1995 from a local guy who was getting married. It was not running but it looked good with a shiny red paint job so I paid him $2,500.00 and towed it home on the end of a rope. I took inventory and found 35 things that needed fixing, replacement or parts. (I can furnish a list if anyone's interested). I did all the restoration work myself except for removing the nut from the alternator,(I was turning it the wrong way!) installing a stainless steel exhaust system, tracing a short in the tail lights, installing replacement bumpers and welding the frame where the trailing arm attached. A prior owner-not the guy I bought from - had spent $2,795.00 in parts on the car (I know because I have all the Roadster Factory invoices), and through the years I have continually upgraded the car and replaced things as they wore out or fell off to the tune of $14,347.00 to date. Adding in what the prior owner spent on parts (don't know about labor), you come to a total of $17,142.00 restoration costs plus the initial $2,500.00 purchase price. I know that he paid about $3,400.00 for the car back in the 1980s because I have the original invoice - also turned over to me when I bought the car. What's it worth? It still looks good 25 years later, has no rust underneath, two small rust holes in the rocker panel and inner fender lining that's been there since I bought the car and never spread since this car has never been driven in the rain or snow since I've owned it. It had 99,236 miles when I bought it and now it shows a little over 106,000 and I think that's real mileage. 7,000 miles in 25 years in my possession. It's no show car for sure, but a good daily driver with a fairly new set of Michelins, new shocks, valve job with hardened seats 7 years ago and soon-to-be-installed new clutch MC and SC. Some bodywork had been done years ago on the right rear fender/trunk area but all the sheet metal is solid - floorboards, trunk, fender liners - so I was spared that expense. I would never buy a car needing extensive bodywork, welding etc. - skills I don't possess, but if you can do that stuff, go ahead and plunge in. I thinks parts are a bit more expensive now and some are unavailable except from junkyards or parts collectors (like the trailing arms).
 
I read through the entire thread and I see it does not include my time-proven formula for answering this question.


What will a restoration cost? Just do this...

Step 1. Get three estimates

Step 2. Add them up


Alas, there is no Step 3.
 
Depends on what you want. A show car that you're afraid to have anybody touch or a nice clean daily driver-type? This is what mine looks like 25 years later.TR6-front 6.7.19.jpgTR6-rear 6.7.19.jpg
 
I had a mentor who restores Triumph's on a commercial basis and when I had finished I took it to him to get his opinion and he took it for a drive and said well if I had done this to the same standard you wouldn't have got any change from $120K so I was very happy with that and I have finally come to the conclusion I need to stop fixing it until it is broken?

Graham
 
So I went through most all of this again. Great topic, a lot of thought and different viewpoints and approaches. I was going to try to write a sort of summary and pulling together of the whole topic, but a dose of reality (it probably wouldn't be as good as I think it would be) plus laziness, stopped me.

I will add the whole "buy the best you can afford" should probably be appended with "if you want the best".

I have been buying scruffy drivers for the last six years or so, and having about the most fun with cars I have ever had.

A $1000 924, a $2200 BMW 2002, a $2500 Saab Sonett. I fixed and tinkered to varying degrees with all, learned about different cars, wrenched on them, drove them, sold them as better cars than I bought them, broke even or better (made a little money on the Saab).

So by buying neither the best nor the worst, I had fun, didn't spend a lot of money, and got to drive and enjoy the fruits of my labor immediately.

Not British cars, but could have been the same story with an old B, Sprite, or Spitfire. Maybe not the route to go if you want perfection or close to it, but perfection is a harsh (and expensive) mistress.
 
I was told something like this some time ago, so things may have gone up with inflation - on a 100 pt car, the first 80 points are $500 per point, the next 10 points are $1000 per point, the last 10 points are $5000 per point. With that math, you're looking at $100,000. That number is having someone else do everything, so it's probably on the low side.
 
I recently bought a TR4A from a guy who owned the car since 2004 for $12k. I bought it because the engine needed a rebuild. The former owner had put close to $55K into the car, exterior paint, interior, top, bright work. Receipts from a well known Northern CA foreign car shop show he spent $35K. Of that $35K, parts were only $6K. The car does not have a frame off restoration, but the rest of the car is beautiful, and with the new engine, it goes like a dream. My advise if you want a "perfect" car, buy one already done. Even buying all the parts and installing them yourself will exceed the cost of a completed purchase.
I also bought a basket case Bugeye Sprite for $4K with good paint in 2010. I completed the car in 2015, did all the work myself, and eventually sold it for $21K, after putting about $25K into it. The current owner in San Diego has won over 30 trophies since then. Cheers, Scott in CA20200510_160454.jpg
 
If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it. Usually, if done by a shop, more than the car will ever be worth. If done by yourself, with parts purchased and some things done by specialists, (welding), double what car is worth. If done all by yourself, still more than car is worth, but satisfaction in doing it yourself and enjoying car. Just hope you don't pass away and the wife sells it for what you told her you had in it. P.S. No real answer, all depends on starting condition and how far you want to go. Each car is different because of age and what breaks on disassembly and what has to be massaged to fit or aligned.
 
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