Time and patience

I have been seeing a lot cars being restored these days. Some classic ones and some not so old ones. For the classic ones, a lot of them are ground up restorations. Meaning the car is completely disassembled; the car is just a shell. And the tinsmith repairs all the dents and rusted portions of the body. I have seen shops recreate body panels from scratch and you would swear it was original once it is installed and primered. Some are lucky enough to have a donor car or have replacement panels. A question that usually comes up is to what extent should a restoration go? For some, it has to deal with memories and emotions. If the car brings back memories of childhood or being in college, then that would hard to put a price on it. Or as some wives or girlfriends say, “our loved one is going through another childhood phase.”

How much would a restoration cost? Hmmm... personally speaking the level of craftsmanship to be done should be at least showroom quality or factory specs. Why? For one thing, the car is being given a new lease on life, and bringing it back to its former glory is part of it. Much of the labor would be devoted to making sure the alignment of all the doors, hood, fenders and body lines are correct. How much again? (note: paint and parts not yet included)