tomhop

tomhop

Active Member
I know, i know i have opened a can of worms and you cant put a price on it the same for every vehicle......... but it has taken me 3 years to get to where i am and we have just started a new family and a new business so time is at a premium, i would just like to get her to a state where she will pass an MOT and i can finish tarting her up later.

I am sending my half finished 1982 series 3 88" restoration to be finished the garage thinks it will take 40-50 hours at £45 per hour = £1,800 - £2,250 to finish her.
She ran before i started the dismantle just a dodgy gearbox and some body issues e.g. rotten seat box and foot-wells.
She is at the following stage:
  • chassis shot blasted, galvanized & painted
  • Axles stripped painted and all new bearings fitted
  • new swivels
  • all new brake parts fitted (apart from pipes)
  • suspension all renewed and fitted
  • gearbox reconditioned (professionally)
  • engine has had new gaskets and been painted (it ran very well before i started to dismantle it)
  • wheels shot blasted and painted
  • bulk head had both foot-wells replaced and top section around both vents
  • new clutch and pressure plate
  • new clutch slave cylinder
  • all the above is fitted to the chassis apart from the bulkhead
Bits bought but not fitted to vehicle
  • new wiring harness from auto-sparks with couple extra options
  • new brake lines all ready to fit
  • fuel tank stripped and painted and new fitting kit
  • seat box totally restored and painted
  • front wings painted but small patches required
  • rear tub is painted on the under side but just needs to be painted on the outside once fitted
  • brand new doors ( not yet painted )
  • hard top in great nick so nothing required
  • rear door stripped and painted
  • all new hoses bought for rad engine etc
  • lots of mounting brakets, battery tray etc all stripped and painted.
  • new headlights
  • inner wing mud gaurds
Bits not done
  • windscreen not touched but is in good order
  • dash parts all there bar a couple switches
  • steering wheel but its quite decent
  • seats are goosed but frames are all there
  • need new seals for doors, tub, wind screen etc
  • foot pedals untouched but probably ok
  • end dash panel around windscreen wiper motor is totally rotten but is not required for an MOT and i will worry about it later

So from what i can see they will need to
  • fit wiring harness
  • fit brake lines,
  • fit bulk head
  • fit foot pedals and linkages to engine, clutch, brakes etc
  • fit carburetor and its fittings
  • refit exhaust (a bit rusty but will do until i can save up for a new one)
  • get engine running
  • fit hand brake and linkage (drum all renewed)
  • fit dash panels and wire up gauges and lights etc
  • fit body panels and make sure they all line up ok
Have i missed anything?
​
Do you think that the price quoted (£1,800 - £2,250) is reasonable or will it soon pass that figure?
 
That sounds very reasonable. My strategy would be to offer 50 or even 55 hours at their £45 rate as a fixed price for the vehicle delivered with an MOT with no advisories, good and safe to drive and with no "to dos" in the 12 months after delivery. Your big problem is not the 45-50 hours or the £45, both are reasonable, the risk is it becomes 100 hours because lots of time gets spent fiddling with things. Getting a fixed price keeps everyone focussed. Unlike most of the car resto progs on TV Phantom Works sometimes go through the invoice. Last week for a (very nice) Mustang it was for $13,500 parts and 300 hours, so that puts in in perspective. The other route which i have used in the past is to make payments in £500 blocks and meet each time they want more and go over where the last £500 went and where the next is going. This works for both parties as it avoids all the nasty suprises and it also throws up things that you can do to save money like searching for parts on line.
 
i would call the guys at Blackpaw 4x4 and ask Ben what he thinks ... feels like a lot to me but peace of mind does not come cheap...
 
I would agree with rob1miles. The initial quote both for time and cost does seem reasonable but try and get it fixed. It would be very easy for additional parts and time to add up to a very unpleasant bill when it was presented to you on completion. The other thing to do is to stay involved. Make the effort to regularly (maybe once a week) go down and talk to them and see the progress. That way you are aware of any problems as they come up and what any additional cost would be.
 
Simon Perks said:
i would call the guys at Blackpaw 4x4 and ask Ben what he thinks ... feels like a lot to me but peace of mind does not come cheap...
Click to expand...
Just spoke to Ben at Blackpaw he said £8,250:eek: definitely do not have that much to spend on it!!!

I will definitely be setting a budget with Strathearn which was their suggestion they seem to be a decent lot that understand my pockets aren't that deep!
 
Had a quick read of the quote and seems cheap.
BUT I then thought it does not say how many workers there are for the £45/hour.
If there are 2 workers they will be pushed to build a motor in a week
50 hours.
Make sure you have a plan wrote down for the build listing every thing.
If there are any problems they will need to contact you.
Good luck and keep us all informed of the outcome.
 
I reckon the final cost will be double your quoted figure. I agree with everything that has been said above but I would get them to commit to a finish date, you don't want your car to be the one they leave in bits and just do a bit when they are quiet.

Col
 
The more I look at that price the more I think they'll struggle to meet that. I would definitly agree a price, above their quote if need be, and then pay and monitor every week. My 1990 300TD Mercedes wnet in for a rear door change (I provided a used door in the right colour) and dented read wing that would push out, a crease in the inner wheel arch, some trim to be changed and a broken indicator after it was sideswiped. The insurence approved £2500 and there was every indication the body shop were planning to jack that up once they started. I stopped it and took the car back.
 
Colthebrummie said:
I reckon the final cost will be double your quoted figure. I agree with everything that has been said above but I would get them to commit to a finish date, you don't want your car to be the one they leave in bits and just do a bit when they are quiet
Click to expand...

I agree on every point.
 
£45 for labour is very reasonable, place my lad works at charge close to £150

and the mechanics charge around £50 for private jobs off site
 
I had this done to my S3, 88", truck cab from 1977, by an external garage.
  • Full service, including a new diesel filter, oil filter, break fluid, oil, etc etc
  • All engine gaskets replaced
  • New radiator including top and bottom hose
  • New hub bearings (front)
  • New freewheeling hubs and gaskets
  • New exhaust system (not stainless...)
  • Complete brake overhaul, new pads and cylinders, all OE
  • New chrystal halogen kits with backing bowls
  • New track rod ends
  • New wiper blades
  • New rear crossmember
  • New towing ball incl. drop plate kit
  • New springs
  • New shock absorbers
  • Polyurethane bushes
  • New bump stops
  • RearOE mudflaps
  • Heater plug conversion kit
  • 90/110 mirror conversion kit + screws/nuts/gaskets
  • New propshaft gaiter
It all cost me around £4800 (parts at £1650 from Paddocks and LT Parts, work at £3150). The guys at the garage also took the car through the MOT.
 
tomhop said:
Just spoke to Ben at Blackpaw he said £8,250:eek: definitely do not have that much to spend on it!!!

I will definitely be setting a budget with Strathearn which was their suggestion they seem to be a decent lot that understand my pockets aren't that deep!
Click to expand...

Right it may sound like a lot but now you know the real cost of such work and therefore expect a shock when the other garage also realises how much work is really involved and double the quote ...
good luck though
 
Well thats it she has been dropped off at Strathearn engineering .......... lots of sleepless nights whether it is the right decision as it is going to come to a lot of money however i think in the long run i will be glad i did it its just for now its terrifying!!!
 
Correct decision, you can reach a point where progress slows so much it stops and never starts again and all the while time is passing and you are not getting the pleasure of your purchase.
 
your right, I have probably spend 1000’s on it already but because it was over an extended period of time £100 here £50 there over 3 years it doesn’t seem so bad, can’t wait to have her back up and running, they had a similar series 3 there to mine which was bombing about which helped stir up the enthusiasm again! Fingers crossed for a red hot summer and I can take the hard top off and go cruising!
 
Just a quick update on the rebuild,

Strathearn started on it last Monday, their mechanic was able to give it a full appraisal before he started and think's it will take around 100 hours, i just want her finished so i can enjoy driving her around this summer (if we get one) so i bit the bullet and said go for it and MOT it when your finished!

went down to see them mid week they are making good progress, the mechanic seems to understand that my budget is getting stretched and is cracking on as quick as he can whilst making sure its done right, so all in all i am very pleased and very excited to see her all back together again!

I will keep you updated hoping to get back down there this week.
 
Regular visits are the key and always ask if they are struggling to find a part, it can save a lot if you spend your evenings searching the web instead of them as they have to bill for the time.
 
tomhop said:
Just spoke to Ben at Blackpaw he said £8,250:eek: definitely do not have that much to spend on it!!!

I will definitely be setting a budget with Strathearn which was their suggestion they seem to be a decent lot that understand my pockets aren't that deep!
Click to expand...
Get a fixed price. Strathern can be expensive. There’s a new place in Kinross, find them on Facebook.
 
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