Spider restoration

[FiatJim]

I read the post from a lady back in 2007 looking for someone to restore a car for her hubby,.. she didn't get an answer until 2008 - so, I hope I have better luck. I am very interested in getting my 1972 spider professionally restored. Now, I don't mean fully tricked out,.. just taken to the shell, fully sanded, primed painted sealed,..

I'd appreciate any referrals. I'm in central NY. The car ran, but the brakes are shot and the tranny needs a clutch, so it will need to be transported to the shop. Then I hope to drive it home when its done.

Jim

[azygoustoyou]

What do you think something like that would cost?
Here's my post. http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6625

[PENNEYTOM]

Probably more than what the car will ever be worth, which is a shame as besides being a kick to drive, they are probably the most beautiful styled sports car ever. The so called "collector" sources do not consider them classics, therefore, not "investment" material.

[azygoustoyou]

Well if they were. I probably couldn't afford one. I did mine for the love of it.

[FiatJim]

Yeah, I've been wondering about cost, too. Yep, I understand that I'll never get the money back in a future sale price,.. but I'd like to get it done for me. And the occasion rides withthe Missus!

BUT, there is just no way I can do it by myself and the other, daily runner keeps asking for attention.
I did look at a site in Canada, but I'm not sure how crossing the border would work.

[FiatJim]

What do you think something like that would cost?
Here's my post. http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6625

Yep, that's what I'd like to have done. (A man/kid can dream can't he?).

[rocky]

Values for these cars may not justify a restoration, but so what. I never thought about how much my Alfa Romeo GTV would be worth when I bought it and restored it. It took several years so the financial impact wasn't so great. And I'm certainly not concerned with the value of my Spider either. I'll just do the work on it and enjoy the car as it was meant, on fast, long drives on fun roads.

My Alfa has become more valuable through the years and is now worth more than I have put into it. But I wasn't counting on that. I wouldn't sell it as it is a beautiful, fun, fast car. And my wife loves it. My wife also loves the Spider. So, the point is not to be concerned with the value but to put what you can afford into the car and enjoy it. As I write this, however, my Alfa is at a body shop waiting to see whether or not it can be saved. I was rear ended by a 17 year old girl in a Jeep Cherokee. The insurance company may consider it a total loss. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Just my .02. Thanks for listening.

Greg
'77 Spider
'74 AR GTV (I hope it gets better)

[katsi]

If you really want to spend the $, just go to an auto body shop. Have them weld in new floor pans or have them fix the old ones if not too destroyed. Most of us did this ourselves and we just don't show others the actual repair or speak of it. Rust stopped and still stong = don't ask don't tell. Tell them to fix any rust spots on the rest of the body and give her a good paint job (that is if the shock towers and steering mounting points are still good). After that, find a mechanic and bend over . Or, do the repairs yourself. I think you will find the latter more enjoyable, rewarding and obtainable than you think. I knew nothing of these cars when I started and now I'm a pretty decent Fiat mechanic. Not the best but so far, I've been able to keep her on the road. With the help of everyone here and my local FLU of course.

My true advise, look online and find a group of guys and gals local to you. They are there - just look. They will be more than willing to help you out.

[baltobernie]

If you can accept that your restored Spider will never be worth more than a fraction of what you've invested, then my next question will be, "What do you intend to do with the restored car?". If you want to win trophies at car shows, then not only will you not be able to drive the car very much, but your restorer will have to source and refurbish every part originally installed on a 1972 Spider.

So let's assume you don't intend to compete with show cars, but want a real looker that runs great. Maybe a "resto-mod" that looks original, but has updated electrics, suspension, brakes, and enough horsepower to safely traverse modern highways. From a strong, straight shell and many reusable interior parts, I'd figure $15,000 ─ $20,000

[azygoustoyou]

I plan on taking my car to shows. I also plan on driving it. I did all the work myself and saved a lot of money. It's still on the rotisserie and almost ready for paint. I decided to add up the receipts for kicks to see what I have in it. I told the wife when I first got it I wouldn't put no more than about $4500 into it. The receipts add up to more than $6000. I still need to buy tires and paint. I figure I'll probably have to put another $2000 into it. Boy that went quickly.

[FiatJim]

I was expecting $6k-$8k. But you're right: I want to make sure the body is solid, rust proofed enough to make sure it'll stay that way for a long time. I was thinking that in order to make sure, I would have to strip the body bare and rebuild from there. I'm looking for a nice, solid daily driver (not showroom quality). It seems like the best way to go is to strip it down myself and find a professional shop to do the prep, rust proofing and paint.

[mdrburchette]

Bernie's in the ballpark with his figure. You have to realize how labor intensive a car refurbish is. We owned a paint and bodyshop for years before changing direction and getting into what we do now. Paint and materials are expensive and so are the tools necessary to perform the job. I have over $10k of receipts for my 72 and we did all the work. We didn't restore is as a show car, but it's won it's fair share of awards and I drive it every chance I get.

[77Spider]

Hey. I'm right in the middle of my '77 restore.... It's a humbling experience! Before I started I thought I had enough answers.... now I have more questions! My first suggestion would be to decide is it a driver that looks good and is functional or are you going car show, all vintage, top notch kinda thing. Just a paint and body scenario could cost from $2,500 to $10,000!

I started with a budget. Around $7,000 I am 3/4 of the way done and my new projection is running $10 - $12,000 I believe I am getting very good work for what I am paying. Still the market may only pay 1/2 to 2/3 of my cost should I want to sell. To me that is OK. I love the car. It gets comments everywhere I go. It's fun! So for the extra 3,4 or 5K I over spend may come out to maybe $400 per year over the next decade of driving. Nothing for what I have. Cheap entertainment!

One other thought on values is that FIAT is making its US comeback with the year bringing back the 500 mini....... if its a hit like the Cooper the FIAT name may regain some of its interest. I still have a hunch at the prices you can get one now for it may be a bargain, a real bargain.

Just remember in the car game you usually do not get out what you put in. I went to Barret Jackson last week in Costa Mesa. I saw 40, 50K resto jobs selling for 20, 30K's........ if you want to save money buy a finished vehicle!