About how?when i dinged? aka all the posts i made asking the same q, combined

[70' GMC]

Such as my 1970 gmc that I dinged on a pole

[70' GMC]

[70' GMC]

[70' GMC]

and how much do you guys think it would cost for good replacement panels like the cab corners and floor board? and other parts?

[PanelDeland]

How much does it cost to build a house?The answer is the same,it depends on how far you want to go with it.If you want a show stopper you can spend a couple hundred thou and still not have the award winner you want.Or you may just want a very nice driver that can cost under 10-15 thou.
Also an issue is how much of the work can/will you do yourself?How quickly do you want it done?Is quality of work important or do you just want to get it done?
Too many variables to answer this one.

[70' GMC]

Originally Posted by PanelDeland

How much does it cost to build a house?The answer is the same,it depends on how far you want to go with it.If you want a show stopper you can spend a couple hundred thou and still not have the award winner you want.Or you may just want a very nice driver that can cost under 10-15 thou.
Also an issue is how much of the work can/will you do yourself?How quickly do you want it done?Is quality of work important or do you just want to get it done?
Too many variables to answer this one.

Id rather for the rust to be taken off and there would be metal put in the place of it instead of bondo

[gkolmatycki]

Originally Posted by PanelDeland

How much does it cost to build a house? The answer is the same, it depends on how far you want to go with it. If you want a show stopper you can spend a couple hundred thou and still not have the award winner you want. Or you may just want a very nice driver that can cost under 10-15 thou.
Also an issue is how much of the work can/will you do yourself? How quickly do you want it done? Is quality of work important or do you just want to get it done? Too many variables to answer this one.

Yeah, I'm proud to call my '69 C/10 "MY OWN". Restored the whole thing myself.....Minus the paint job. Put roughly $15,000 into it and I'm still not done!!! It's appraised at a little over $17K though.

[70' GMC]

I was told that the truck is unreliable. The first time it left me on the side of the road with a flat tire. the the second time at the walmart gas station cause something was not hooked up to the battery properly. then the third time the truck cut off because the choke was pulled out and it vapored locked and the motor cut off at the walmart parking lot. then the fourth time I hit a pole which was my fault. SO why does people tell me that my truck is not reliable?

[bad6772]

Almost 95% of the time... there will be some kind of plastic filler in any project...filler primers included.....very seldom does this not happen....the stuff isnt bad if used correctly........it just got a bad rap< because whenit came out no one really knew how to use it properly

[lbpd719]

agreed, and some people over used filler =(

As for the cost, how much work are you willing to do yourself or learn to do yourself?? Do you have tools, welder, compressor etc.. Do you have parts availability in local salvage yards? A couple of buddy's to help with the heavy lifting, fridge for beer for the buddy's willing to help out?

Take time here on this site and others and educate yourself, that way even if you farm out your "restoration", you won't get taken in as a sucker.

The more you know and can do yourself, the more you will save in actual dollars, however patience and the value of your own time will be it's own reward.

Good Luck and keep us posted..

[70' GMC]

I dont have a welder and the buddies that will help me because he works nigght shift and goes to school in the morning till about 3 o'clock like I do but I go to work at 4 or 5 and get off at 8 o'clock but he does not get off till around 11 or better while he has to be to work at 4. When you work at a family dollar store making 6.50 an hour pulling 30 hours or better a week and going to school aint too fun when they are trying to take the bookbags from us so we will have to 5 bucks for a locker. they already take out 80 dollars or better out of my paycheck and I get paid every other week.
heres our school website http://whs.whiteville.k12.nc.us/home.aspx

[70' GMC]

is bondo just as good as the metal

[truckster]

Bondo is fine for filling dents that aren't too deep. With the rust you have, it's going to take some welding to fix it right. Bondo just doesn't give you the structural strength sheet metal does.

[lbpd719]

if your financial situation is that bad, be prepared for this fix to take a long time. Can be done, but start saving..

also check with some of the board members, they may give you a discount for being here, possibly more of one if you order a ton of parts..

you really need to make friends with someone who has a welder though =)

[Bob B.]

What does it cost to restore a truck? Like the man said in th earlier post, that depends. Do you want a clean driver, or do you want trophies? Also depends on where you are starting from- like what kind of shape is the truck in to start with. Looks to me like your little accident isn't the most serious problem you have there. You have some rust issues in the floor and cab mounts. The only way to fix that properly is to weld in new metal. Over all, the truck doesn't look too bad, but a frame up restoration could still be $25k+. Of course, you don't have to spend that much money. One other thing- don't try to restore a vehicle that is your daily driver. That never works. You need to be able to take the truck completely apart. And, it's going to be apart for a while! If that is your only vehicle, just fix it for now and wait until you have another car to drive before you attempt a restoration.

[70' GMC]

Originally Posted by lbpd719

if your financial situation is that bad, be prepared for this fix to take a long time. Can be done, but start saving..

also check with some of the board members, they may give you a discount for being here, possibly more of one if you order a ton of parts..

you really need to make friends with someone who has a welder though =)

who are the board members?

[70' GMC]

I seen a car that was about mid 90 and it had plastic fenders and my uncle said now If you would have hit this pole you would have totaled that vehicle. and the plastic fender was already cracked from weather.

[bad6772]

^ i agree IMO No, but i love to metal finish, it can be fun... but like i said above, Bondo gets a bad rap.mainly from people who dont know how to use it or use it improperly........ you shouldnt fill a 2 inch deep dent with it..........but a minimal coat is fine... i use it everyday... my rule of thumb is this 1 coat of mudd and one coat of glaze....no more.... if you do this and still need more...you should have pulled the metal out more.....or did better fab work.....Just MY 0.2 dont be scared of it...you have any questions when you start to apply mudd let me know...... ill help you anyway i can..... edit never ever put mudd over rust ever.....

[special-K]

Cost of restoration:$5,000-$30,000.
Just fix the truck and restore some other time.Get a cheap coat of paint on and let it shine a few years.You`ll either restore it later or move on.There`s all kinds of patched-up trucks rollin`around out there that may never be restored.Do what you can within your means.

[72freak]

Originally Posted by special-K

Cost of restoration:$5,000-$30,000.
Just fix the truck and restore some other time.Get a cheap coat of paint on and let it shine a few years.You`ll either restore it later or move on.There`s all kinds of patched-up trucks rollin`around out there that may never be restored.Do what you can within your means.

GREAT ADVICE!!!!

I try not to spend more money than I can sell if for. Hunt the parts to repair the damage..used or new. Find a GOOD small paint shop or back yard paint guy, have the bad rust repaired or panels replaced (rockers, cab corners, doors, bed) and have a good middle of the road paint job put on it. Drive it for a few years and if you still have it when the paint starts to look bad or rust starts to pop through and you want to keep it........THEN do your nice restoration. I have had several $1500-$2500 paint and lots of body work jobs that lasted 5-10 years on garaged trucks. Most of them were sold before they needed to be re-done or touched up.

[70cst]

If your like me (mechanically challenged ) then go have it done. Get various estimates. I would do it in stages with safety issues first. Be patient. I am now ready to take my truck to the body shop this winter but my truck has been in storage since 2001. Then again my truck is not my daily driver. Others on this board have waited a lot longer than I to fix up their truck. As has been mentioned get an estimate on repairs and then see what other trucks are selling for in you area. One can easily get more $$$ in these trucks than what you would get out of it should you decide to sell it. Stay within you means. Don't spend $$$ that you don't have. Your approach can be as follows...
1) address safety issues first, 2) fix body and any rust issues, 3) upgrade mechanics etc etc. These are only suggestions. As far as restoration cost...as mentioned what is your goal? My truck will be a DD and not a show truck and my estimate will be about $20,000. This is rebuilding the 402, redo suspension, new interior, upgrade factory ac, new trim and paint. I cannot afford two separate trucks so I am fixing 1970cst and selling my 99 Taco TRD 4x4 w/55,000 miles. Driving my 70 cst is going to be a lot more fun than my toyota. Good Luck. Don't be afraid to ask qustions. That how we learn.

[stllookn]

"How much does it cost to restore a truck?" Wrong question! You are in HS and just scraping by. All you really want to do is just fix your truck and drive it for now. Find a fender, bumper, hood and core support (if it is damaged) in a junkyard and bolt them on....or take a hammer and beat them out so they are close to their original shape and run them until you can afford to find a replacement junkyard part. Once you have graduated from college or trade school or whatever you can start to think about restoring the truck to its original "show room" condition if you decide that is what you really want.

I have a decent hood I would give you if you would come pick it up! Fender from craigslist $25, rusty but straight core support $25, old bumper $15...pride in having fixed it yourself...PRICELESS!

[caminokid]

Well to answer your question...Its how you want it to know how much it will cost. You want concours?? well thats a long and expensive process. You want restored?? Can be expensive. Examples of what I have done...55 Chevy 210 2 door...in parts alone...22,000.00 this was custom. 1975 Corvette...back to showroom...4500.00. 1973 El Camino SS 454 4 Speed...to showroom...with some mods....7,500.00. Currant 77 El Camino SS...I am up to 6,500.00 body is not done yet...really hard to find certain parts.

So it depends on what you want to price a restore.

[70' GMC]

Is it too far gone, or is it hopeless

[Thealien]

Originally Posted by 70' GMC

Is it too far gone, or is it hopeless

NO, and a great place to learn. Take your time and good parts deals can be had. Look at the junkyard resurection thread http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...light=junkyard If you need the truck as transportation it really changes things. You will need a welder, or a friend with one. A compressor helps a lot.

Good luck