Pricing to do the underneath of a 69

[JohnZ]

The body really needs to come off the frame to do the job right, but having a shop do that will put you upside-down on the car in about an hour. You might re-evaluate your goal for the car and decide what you really want to end up with. Based on the condition of the chassis, you may want to just get it running and safe to drive, sell it, and look for a better candidate; it needs a LOT of expensive work (far more than the car is worth) to make it look (and operate) like new, and that's just for the chassis (and maybe the engine too).

 

[fine69]

Here's a general idea of the condition. The one pic of the bushing close up shows pretty much the condition of all the bushings on the car. The rust condition is obvious as well. Thoughts?

Do you have surface rust or do you have areas that are rotted out? I couldn't tell from the pics.

A quick way to check is to use a hammer and lightly tap on different areas of the frame. If you hear more of a "thud" more than a "ping" -- you may some serious problems. Be sure to check the area immediately in front of the rear wheels - as this particular area is prone to rust damage.

With respect to the bushings, seals, tie rods, shocks, etc., they're relatively easy fixes. However, if the car is not running, it might be a good idea to tackle that first, and get on the road.

Ralph

 

[Art Jett]

There is no way I would have let someone blast my frame with the body still on the car. He would only be blasting a portion of it. I cleaned mine up without removing the body, but it was in great shape to begin with. I feel this guy sees some easy money in you. His prices seem way too high.hnoes Art

 

[smorrismi]

Thanks everyone for all the awesome and "diverse" opinions!

Let's backtrack a bit if I could? What "range" would everyone have for just having the brakes completely redone from head to toe? I've had one response that the materials would cost well under $500. My concern with this amount is how can it only cost that much? I went through a friend and had them quote me rotors, calipers, pads, seals, bearings, and lines and it came to $450... this was at cost also because he's a distributor. But there's a lot more to go with a master cylinder, complete lines, etc. When the person who wanted to do the job quoted me $1200-$1500 and most of you mentioned it to be too high, is there anyone out there that could give me a ballpark range? $1000? $800? $600? Any thoughts would help me with my negotiating the price in the future. Thanks again everyone for all your great help and answers! There's a lot to think about!

 

[fine69]

Thanks everyone for all the awesome and "diverse" opinions!

Let's backtrack a bit if I could? What "range" would everyone have for just having the brakes completely redone from head to toe? I've had one response that the materials would cost well under $500. My concern with this amount is how can it only cost that much? I went through a friend and had them quote me rotors, calipers, pads, seals, bearings, and lines and it came to $450... this was at cost also because he's a distributor. But there's a lot more to go with a master cylinder, complete lines, etc. When the person who wanted to do the job quoted me $1200-$1500 and most of you mentioned it to be too high, is there anyone out there that could give me a ballpark range? $1000? $800? $600? Any thoughts would help me with my negotiating the price in the future. Thanks again everyone for all your great help and answers! There's a lot to think about!

If you're at all mechanically-inclined, you can save a ton of $.
Here are the prices VB&P offers for brake kits. They are a reputable company... I've used them and am a satisfied customer. CAC members also get a discount.

Corvette Brake Kit
http://www.vbandp.com/detail.aspx?ID=285

They currently have their "Corvette Rotors & Pads Kit" on sale for $179.99
http://www.vbandp.com/detail.aspx?ID=840

Of course, the parking brake is a bit different. It is truly a pain, and takes both mechanical skill and patience to rebuild. I consider my replacing my parking brake system (shoes, cable, handle, and stainless steel parts) and getting them functional as a "Rite of Passage" into the frustrating and rewarding world of Corvette restoration.

Ralph

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

What "range" would everyone have for just having the brakes completely redone from head to toe? I've had one response that the materials would cost well under $500. My concern with this amount is how can it only cost that much? I went through a friend and had them quote me rotors, calipers, pads, seals, bearings, and lines and it came to $450..

Now we're getting somewhere. The term 'complete brake job' can be very nebulous- ask 10 people what that includes and you'll get 12 answers . You now mention 'bearings'- which has nothing to do with brakes. Rear wheel bearing replacement on a C2/C3 Corvette is a very specialised art and can cost up to $300 per side depending on what's 'wrong'.

You also mention replacing rotors- there's a 99% chance that yours do NOT need replacement, not to mention the side complications that can crop up if the job is not done correctly.

Once again, are you sure any of this work needs doing, or is the garage just trying to help you feel better by spending money?

 

[smorrismi]

You also mention replacing rotors- there's a 99% chance that yours do NOT need replacement, not to mention the side complications that can crop up if the job is not done correctly.

Once again, are you sure any of this work needs doing, or is the garage just trying to help you feel better by spending money?

I wish I was mechanically inclined! Actually I'm the type of person who can work through things technically with some guidance. But, and my wife agrees, the brakes are what makes the car stop... let's have someone "professional" handle that part.

Ok, so I see I did save close to $300 on the quote from my friend. But that takes us back to Vettehead Mikey's comment about rotors being usable. Unfortanatly I'm not sure if my brother-in-law realized I might be able to keep the rotors I had on. They have some pretty bad surface rust, but how do you tell if they are keepable??? I would personally say they are, but I don't know what shops do to make them usable again. Any way I could take pictures so you guys could give me a little "insight?" I would assume throw them back on with the new pads I have and go from there.

As for how the brakes are working. Right now the brake peddle won't budge. HOWEVER... the parking brakes are in perfect working order. So I won't be touching those as far as I'm concerned.

 

[GTR1999]

I'll throw in my .02 as well.

Brakes:
I use Muskegon for brake systems when needed. One thing you should know is just about all the vendors use Lone Star calipers, that are rebuilt GM's with SS sleeves. Go to Muskegons site and you'll find the current price on a complete kit- should be about $400. If the rotors are missing the rivets then someone was in there so you have to mic them up. range is 1.215-1.250" I toss them at 1.220 min. Next you have to find out how they are going to install things? are they going to dial in the rotor runout to under .005"( I set my under .003") Are they going to replace the hoses? What about the PB setup?

Rear Bearings-
Rebuilding cost depends on who does them and how they do them. The ones I build runs about $375 each but that doesn't include new arms,rotors, or spindles if needed. The bearings are set to .002 +/- .0005" USA Timken bearings are used. BTW, this is not a solicitation for work I'm just informing you so you can ask questions to your guy.

Differential
These can be rebuilt several ways, from the very common and lowest cost( $500-$600) to custom blueprinted better then any stock unit (up to $2k) or even drag race 12 bolt setups (3k-5K)

Front suspension and steering
Again, what is done and how it's done. Rebuilding the suspension with the common kits( chinese parts) is cheap but then so are the parts. Lower ball joints failing under 10k miles is a good example. Using MOOG brand parts 3x the price. I just bought MOOG ball joints and idler arm~ $205 compared to $165-180 for the full chinese kit. MOOG parts are no comparision to the imports. Steering boxes,you can find them all day long on ebay and vendors. Based on what I've seen, read, and was sent to correct I wouldn't use any on a wagon let alone a vette. A custom box with new gears is in the $500 range alone, add a rag and you're over $600.

Exhaust, Frame prep and paint( no welding?), suspension bushings in the strut rods, shocks, and misc parts - $700-$800 or more?

If using the best parts,custom rebuilding, and installation $7,500 may not be far off. Using the cheapest common parts, doing average rebuilds and maybe cutting some corners it could be much less in both money and quality.

I can link you to a lot of info on doing most of these jobs. Out of respect to this forum I won't list it here. If you want it,
PM me and I'll get you there.

As mentioned learn asmuch as you can on the work and how it is done and can be done before making your decision. Some guys "marry"their cars so cost is not a concern only the best jobs is, others get into a money pit they'll never get out of.

Good luck, if you want to talk it over. PM me and I'll give you my number.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

I'm not sure if my brother-in-law realized I might be able to keep the rotors I had on. They have some pretty bad surface rust, but how do you tell if they are keepable??? I would personally say they are, but I don't know what shops do to make them usable again.

All rotors have surface rust the first time the car sits in the rain. It's meaningless and will clean up with first application of the brakes or a bit of elbow grease and a wire brush.

If they are not heavily gouged (extremely rare on a Corvette) or under minimum as GTR mentioned then put them back on in the original position. Original position is extremely important to avoid runout problems.

 

[smorrismi]

Thanks! I have all the rotors sitting next to their original spot... just in case!

 

[red70vette]

I think you should find out what you need to get the engine running and the transmission operational. I assume the goal is to have a car you can drive and enjoy. The drivetrain is the most important aspect of that goal. If not you are going to have $7500 invested in a car that won't go anywhere without replacing the engine and transmission. You need to have a plan as to what you want this car to be and work toward that goal setting priorities along the way.

If you are going to send out all your work and rely on a shop to do your restoration you are going to have to have very deep pockets. Unless the car has a great deal of sentimental value or is extremely rare you would be much better served to sell it and buy one from someone who has already done the restoration. You can find a very nice recently restored 69 in the low 20's and you can start driving and enjoying it tomorrow. The path you are on will make your restoration shop rich and you will spend $30K and 2 years doing it. Take a piece of paper and write down what you think the car needs and what it will cost to get it done. IE:
undercarriage- $7500
Paint- $7000
Interior- $2000
wiring $1500
Tires- $800
engine- $2500
Transmission- $1500

Sell the car for $10K buy one restored for $22K you spend $12K and drive tomorrow.

 

[67HEAVEN]

Sell the car for $10K buy one restored for $22K you spend $12K and drive tomorrow.

 

[fine69]

Sell the car for $10K buy one restored for $22K you spend $12K and drive tomorrow.

So there you have it! Case closed.

 

[Fast Freddie]

man i sure wish somebody would throw money at me someday.... some of the prices i read on here dang near cause me to pull a fred sanford...

 

[smorrismi]

Some advice even for everyone else.

man i sure wish somebody would throw money at me someday.... some of the prices i read on here dang near cause me to pull a fred sanford...

LOL... everyone has had some great input and thanks.

The car has much sentimental value. My father was supposed to give it to me when I graduated from college... unfortunately he died before ever getting that far. And due to other problems he had, it sat and sat and now it's in serious need of some TLC.

anyhow... my advice for the day... if your ever in doubt of a shop, ask the surrounding businesses what they think of them. Chances are, they would have known one or more persons who have done business with them. I called the fish store next to this guy... he gave me several numbers to call about the business. Turns out this guy loves money (go figure). Apparently, from 3 different sources, he charges WAY too much for his work.

 

[67HEAVEN]

Apparently, from 3 different sources, he charges WAY too much for his work.

erd:

 

[GTR1999]

Interesting and good idea. Of course going with the lowest price may bring some unwanted problems as well. Given the fact of the family related value with this car I suggest you keep it if you can and work on it. Maybe learn as you go and take your time. It would be a very big investment in both time and money but if you stick with it and reach the end you'll be very pleased you did.


Good luck

 

[smorrismi]

I've called several places... two of which specialize in corvettes. One person went as far as to give me a break down of everything and had a lot of knowledge based on the questions "GTR1999" aka Gary directed me to. Plus fair prices about a third of what this other person was quoting me. By the way, this person told me my car would be worth in around 80K when it's all done. Gold paint???

I'll keep everyone in the loop when I find out more.

 

[Ragtop19sixty9]

restoring one myself 1969 ragtop

I have one down to bare frame and sandblasted frame and ready to start putting back together ( someday ),lol. I've had this car sence 1977 and been garage kept for 22 years,just starting it now and then,drive around the yard and back in garage ,it has a bad frame on it from northern salty roads. Looking forward to finishing it one day

 

[6880 Mike]

...Just to give you an idea of what kind of person he was, he ... drove with me over to my house to get a better idea of what price I would looking at. ...

Careful here. He now knows where you live and where your '69 is parked. Hopefully, she's in the garage.