Restoration price range and recommendation?

[fazeka]

Hi all,

First timer on the 67-72 forums here.

I have an older Toyota Tacoma that is getting tired that will soon need to be replaced.

I have an interest in replacing it with a 1967 (large window only) through 1970 Chevy C10 SWB fleetside for my daily driver. Always had a fondness for these after having learned to drive on my grandfather's '71 back in the day...

I am looking for one that is already restored, stock.

Two questions:

1) What kind of price range could I expect for a restoration? I'm not talking concurs, but (close to) the level of what would have rolled off the assembly line back in the day.

2) What shop would y'all recommend for the restoration?

Yep, I live in Hawaii, and am prepared for shipping costs...

Thanks,
Paul

[RenoKeene]

Hi Paul, welcome aboard from Florida.
A decently restored truck like these will be $15 to $20 grand. There are members here that live on the Islands, they should be able to give you advice on whats available local and shipping costs, etc.
Cali is full of good sheet metal so this shouldn't be too hard.
Good luck.

[RenoKeene]

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/4339153358.html
Check this one out.

[JointTech]

hmm i lived in dana point for a while and im there often. never seen that one around. nice truck!! looks like a great price compared to the barrett jackson koolaid drinkers I see usually.

[67ctener]

Honestly the hard part will be to find a factory restored truck. Most have custom touches you may not want in a daily driver. I'd agree 20k is a safe number but may be less or may be beyond.

[Eddie H.]

It has been my experience that any restoration project will usually take at least twice as long and cost 3 times as much as you budget for when you start on it.

[fazeka]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies thus far.

I do realize I may not get a 100% factory restored truck, but my statement re: the restoration was more regarding the level of quality. Meaning, for example, if the original frame was good, solid and straight to begin with, I would expect nothing more than it being stripped and repainted, not detailed out/polished. That was what I meant by "not concurs".

Getting a truck with some modern day comforts like A/C, mild suspension modifications for better handling, maybe some rally wheels and an otherwise stock inline 6 or V8 (matching numbers would be nice but not required if price is significantly higher) would be fine. I'd also be fine with a bone stock resto, too. Things I need to have as close to original as possible would be the exterior (possible exception of wheels) and interior.

Thanks,
Paul

[fazeka]

Hi,

One more thing I was asking about in the original posting was regarding the cost of a restoration and a reputable place that could do one.

I ask because I have a friend on the West Coast that may have a line on one. This option would allow me to get something that is exactly what I want (of course, depending on price).

Yes, I realize this option will leave me probably paying more than searching for/buying a truck that is already done. But I just wanted to get a gauge...

Thanks,
Paul

[Carl Spangler]

Originally Posted by fazeka

Hi all,

First timer on the 67-72 forums here.

I have an older Toyota Tacoma that is getting tired that will soon need to be replaced.

I have an interest in replacing it with a 1967 (large window only) through 1970 Chevy C10 SWB fleetside for my daily driver. Always had a fondness for these after having learned to drive on my grandfather's '71 back in the day...

I am looking for one that is already restored, stock.

Two questions:

1) What kind of price range could I expect for a restoration? I'm not talking concurs, but (close to) the level of what would have rolled off the assembly line back in the day.

2) What shop would y'all recommend for the restoration?

Yep, I live in Hawaii, and am prepared for shipping costs...

Thanks,
Paul

Welcome Paul

Any low-modest optioned 67-72 truck (properly) restored to factory original condition is going to cost $25K or more. Then, add some $'s for a highly optioned truck. Prices will be quite a bit less if you're willing to back off a bit on the 'factory original' scheme.

cheers
JohnG

[Coley]

....some great info here for you Paul!! These guys know their stuff....
I'll give you my two bits....now, if money is an issue...and it almost always is, you are probably best to find a truck that has already been done or is just a really nice original truck.
If you buy something that is going to need bodywork, parts and mechanics in the realm of 'restoration' etc....don't break out the wallet...break out the mortgage
You should be able to find a really nice example that you can enjoy 'right out of the box' for $10-$15k....easy. Then drive it a while, enjoy it, grow into it...then decide what you really want to do to it.
I think a lot of guys start by tearing down the truck to restore and then lose patience and their vision (or their wife does..LOL)....you really gotta hang in there to go this route and have excellent tools, space, money...and a great wife!
Again...just my two bits!!

All Good
Coley

[fazeka]

Originally Posted by Carl Spangler

Any low-modest optioned 67-72 truck (properly) restored to factory original condition is going to cost $25K or more.

Kinda what I was figuring. OK. $25k for the restoration or for the completed truck?

Originally Posted by Carl Spangler

Then, add some $'s for a highly optioned truck.

Of course. Don't think I need a highly optioned truck, so shouldn't be a problem.

Originally Posted by Carl Spangler

Prices will be quite a bit less if you're willing to back off a bit on the 'factory original' scheme.

Yes, I can understand this. I likely will back off a bit, to what extent I don't know. Like I said, I don't need a "numbers matching" engine, etc.

Thanks again,
Paul

P.S. Still no feedback on a reputable "restoration" shop?

[Grumpy old man]

What is your real cash ready to spend budget ? There are more than a few guys in here that can build anything you want ! You just have to decide what that is ? We can guess all day long and never be right !

[fazeka]

Thank you, someone already answered on the price range.

[69Rumbler]

There no such thing as a budget lol .. Budget are like rules meant to be broken lol

[Carl Spangler]

Originally Posted by fazeka

Thank you, someone already answered on the price range.

Check out the paint forum for the thread on 'paint cost'. That will give you a basic idea on what paint will cost. Add in mechanical restoration and you're looking at crazy 'fat stacks' to professionally restore one of these trucks.

Takeaway: Unless you're willing to do most of the work yourself you'll be WAY ahead (price wise) finding one "done". i.e. buy one from someone who has 500+ hours of sweat equity into the project and willing to sell at/below his outlay + parts cost.

cheers
JohnG

[Sicklajoie]

I would definitely find one done. I got wicked lucky with mine. Decent ones are easy to find on the US west coast.

[Oly72C20]

Since you have asked about shops... One that I have heard great things about and could probably have them build to taste is "Delmo's" in California. Everything that I have seen from that shop has been very clean. I apologize that I do not have any price points or ideas for you. I hope that helps, welcome to the forum, and good luck with your hunt for your new project!

Joe

[fazeka]

Originally Posted by Carl Spangler

Check out the paint forum for the thread on 'paint cost'. That will give you a basic idea on what paint will cost. Add in mechanical restoration and you're looking at crazy 'fat stacks' to professionally restore one of these trucks.

Thanks Carl! Helpful link to a newbie like me. Would probably not have seen it for a while as I am still getting acquainted with the forums here.

[magwakeenercew2jh]

You are not getting a ton of feedback on specific restoration shops for good reason:

The folks who have replied to the overall question(s) have given you good advice in finding a truck that's already done to the standards that you'll accept.

Say what you will, even inside the parameters you list, there is a wide band of quality of build...and usually cost to balance that out.
However, it's easy to get screwed. Something that looks good isn't necessarily as solid as it is purported to be. Paint and primer can hide
a glut of problems (for a while).

As in most things of this nature, open-ended questions have to leave room for a lot of slack in the answers.
Perhaps if you were to ask any of the following questions to limit the process and expand these great responses:

- If I buy a truck that's already restored, what should I look for so I'm not butchered?

- Should I buy a truck finished? If not, what stage in the build makes sense for me? (preceded by what you REALLY want to do yourself hands-on to the truck)

- I have a purchase budget of $XXXXXXX. What should I expect out of California? Arizona? Oregon? Texas? Florida? SC? NC? etc. Then you could figure your shipping cost.

Another thing: A lot of us are very supportive with our time. Whatever you choose to do, calling on us in our respective areas will often get one or more of us to wander
over to the seller's place and check out a rig for you.

My wife says we have $30k in the truck. I think it's $25k. It may be worth $15k. No matter. We got lucky on a $4,500 paint job. Most down-to-metal jobs with high quality
paint, professionally done, are substantially more money. Could have been disaster. It turned out. As she sits, I got five years of fun building RAT. And the beat (383 build) goes on.

But I build because I like to. I may be done with that particular point of view, as I've seemed to have reached a place in the age/energy/finance matrix that suggests that I keep my baby....
...or if I choose not to and find myself hanging my head after stupidity causes a sale, I'd buy one already done...Or at least done to the point that I could just massage it to make
it my own.....That, BTW, does NOT include painting, building an engine, switching out transmissions for whatever reason. The only number that matches on this truck is the SPID,
door plate, and registration.

Of course everyone's milage will vary on this issue.....That's my point.

I got what I wanted. I hope you do the same.

[fazeka]

Hi,

Thanks for posting.

I am OK with the range of answers that have been provided here. Everyone's got different perspectives and I welcome that.

The questions you provided are useful. Hope someone else may find them just as useful in the future.

Good suggestion on having eyes potentially available to check out a truck, never considered that.

I'm appreciative to you and everyone else who replied in this thread. Informative and what I was expecting, actually.

Thanks,
Paul

[dbash]

My two cents.

Set a budget for the purchase of your truck and get one as clean as you can for that budget. Have a friend or professional look at it for you if your buying site unseen this, whatever it costs, will save you thousands later.

Research the parts/options you want to add to this truck and total their cost up.

If a shop is going to do all the labor? at least double the cost of the parts.

If your standards are up to the caliber of the best home built trucks you see on this site then budget 40-50 thousand bucks. These guys on here are modest and do not give themselves the credit they deserve for the 400-500 actual hours some of them have into their builds. Any shop worth using in CA is going to charge 100 bucks an hour give or take. I would figure 200 hours labor just to be honest with yourself.

Last but not least? figure out exactly what you want and write a contract.

I recommend Tim's Hotrods In Rio Linda, CA. You can see my build, that he completed a week ago, if you click the blue link at the bottom of this post.

Good Luck

Aloha!

[bigmac73]

http://honolulu.craigslist.org/mau/cto/4346618011.html

[bigmac73]

http://honolulu.craigslist.org/big/cto/4334054376.html

[bigmac73]

found 2 in about 3 mins in your area, would save on a shipping price from the mainland

[Sicklajoie]

Originally Posted by bigmac73

http://honolulu.craigslist.org/mau/cto/4346618011.html

Holy crap that is sweet!!!!