I know, I know... do it myself. Problem is, I have this epic truck but lack the knowhow, initiative, time, or patience to do it myself.

I'm going to start gathering some estimates on a full restoration. I thought I'd ask you all what I SHOULD be expecting to hear.

I don't want to do anything fancy. Just want this old girl to look like she did when she came off the line in 1977.

It's a 1977 F250 Camper Special, 460 v8. Two tone green. Some rust, lots of dents. Most of the trim is there. Interior needs to be replaced. Engine is good, could use a good cleaning, dressing up, etc.

I could buy one already done up. Yes. But I've had her for about 4 years, and would rather pay more and get this one cleaned up.

Most of the pieces are here.

Any idea on what I'd be spending to have someone do it up right?
Can't figure out how to post a pic.

Thanks
Dave

 

Pic is my avatar. Small, but you can see what i'm working with.

 

The term "restoration" and "right" has a wide range of definition so you'll need to be more specific on what you want based on how the rig is intended to be used. There are restorations where it's a nice clean driver and then there are over-the-top RESTORATIONS where every nut, bolt, part, is OEM, NOS, period-correct, and uses no reproduction parts.

After you figure that out, then determine your budget because restoring a truck, especially as a farmed-out project, can easily run $30K to $60K due to labor costs. Does the potential cost match up with your goal?

Lastly, these rigs aren't rare so recouping what you spent and the value of what it could sell for will likely not match up. Will you be okay with that? Or be forever lamenting how much you spent?

There are things you can do to reduce some costs like disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly. That's an easy way to pay yourself at a rate of $90 per hour.... any high schooler with half a brain can turn a wrench and am sure you are capable of doing it too. Think about it... leave the difficult stuff to the pros and do the relatively mundane stuff yourself.

Here's a thread I created a few years ago. It'll give you a breakdown of the required steps and you can use it to estimate costs by system or group assembly.
Dentside Rebuild Guidelines: Step By Step

 

I agre...f you are not going show-quality, figure $25K to 35K as the baseline

 

If I figured up all the hours I have in labor on my truck to date, I'd be in the $10,000 range easily and it still has a ways to go. Even at a low shop rate of $65/hr I'd be up to another $10,000 pretty quick. Then you figure another $10,000 in parts/paint/etc, another $2,000 in motor/trans. Lets just say that building it myself has actually only cost me about $2,000 to date. By the time I'm done, not counting my labor as I see it as a hobby, not a job,, I'll have about $5,000 in it and it'll be worth 2-3x that. You spend $30,000 on a restoration and you'll be lucky if you can ever find someone to pay you anywhere near that.

knowhow - learning yourself on your own truck is very satisfying and not as hard as you think. These are some of the easiest trucks to work on.

initiative - make a list of things you would like done and a time frame to do it. You'll find initiative. Start looking online at more and more nice trucks, you'll start itching for yours to be done.

time - Do a little once a day, once a week, whenever. You'll find yourself working hours and not even realize how much time has passed.

patience - Non of us have that, that's what cussing/beer/blood is for. work on the engine for a while, then move to the cab. Don't focus on one thing and just have fun.

 

If you want it to look like it just came off the line, it is going to get expensive and fast. Shoot for a nice daily driver and do all you can yourself.

 

Well if your going to do this right, and based on the description you gave (I cant see the pics) ur looking at the following (based on my buddies truck) I could be off a little but not much I don't think.

Engine rebuild- $1500
Tranny rebuild-$700
Paint and body work-$7-12k easy unless you have some serious repair going on
Interior- ~Carpet $240
~Upolstery $500-700 (2 or 3 tone lariat seats $850 from my guy)
~Sound and heat proofing $220
~AC? Aftermarket $1300
~Door panels complete $220
~Weather stripping $250 (windshield to back window, everything)


Exhaust (urs rusted out?) $500 +mufflers
All new running lights and tail lights $50
Spray in bed liner $450-500

And then their is extra labor for instillation of the engine and AC and stuff so ur looking at againg like everyone else has said 20-30k. Im currently at 27k and need new engine, suspension, bed liner, and paint You gotta do it cuz you like the truck and plan on keeping it because you will most likely never get back what you put into it.

 

Nothing fancy, just look like it did when she rolled off the line.

Exactly like she rolled off the line - $50,000
Close to how she rolled off the line -$25,000
Kinda like she rolled off the line - $10,000

 

first things first you have got to stop using the word EPIC, every time I hear someone use that or BRO I just want to wash my mouth with buckshot. good god it makes you go from zero to douchebag in 0.3 seconds.

now with that out of the way in my opinion the cheapest way to do what you want is to find one done. its easier to change a little than to build a whole truck. as stated in your first post you are lacking time, skills, patients, ect it would behoove you to find one that is close to done and change small things you don't like carpet wheels ect. this is going to save you money in the long run.

let someone else who had big dreams and wasted his money fixing it (like me) and who had to sell it cheap . 8 years ago I was 14 grand into the truck and it still needed bed and paint the entire thing . I broke both of my legs and sold it for a whopping 4500 bucks. but had to pay the bills.

do it yourself I was 14000 looking at 20000 that was doing most everything except engine assembly and paint.
.
pay out right your talking 30k easy and a body shop will bang it out in a 6month to a year

anyways moral of the story is these trucks are not old enough and not popular enough with the right crowd(the crowds that has money to burn on 25000$ old cars and trucks) to get the money out of them after sinking big bucks into them. find one that's done and save tons and tons of money!!!! unless money is no object in which case send some my way

 

Your truck is not epic it is pretty much just a truck
this truck is epic:

 

I am going to have to say that you used the work correctly that time. I would have to say that when he built that truck it started a crazy new thing called monster trucks .

 

Anything worth bleeding for is worth fixing in my book!

 

I've really enjoyed owning a mostly restored truck the last 6 months but I paid to much and the guy before me paid way too much restoring it.

But myself paying too much, I regret it a little. If there's one thing I've learned from this forum it's buy a rust free one if you can.

 

Which will make it worth about 15K or less That is just the way it is. They say it is a labor of love... Like the OP stating "I could buy one already done up. Yes. But I've had her for about 4 years, and would rather pay more and get this one cleaned up." There is a price to be paid for that. No body pay's for sentimental value!

I have a 76 F250 4x4 that has been in my family since new. Trust me, I know the price of sentimental value!! All of the people in my family that have owned it have passed away. I could probably sell it for about a 1/4 of the money that I have in it, not counting me and my brothers labor. (My brother totaled this truck around 1982) We have had the frame corrected and then replaced as well as 3 cab's and 3 bed's. LOL

BUT, one cant put a price on the feeling one gets when they drive their beast down the road, playing music (place favorite song here) on the radio or CD thinking of their family and their truck! I feel that is is that worth the money.

Ps: I have pictures of my then 2 year old daughter standing under this truck, is was\is factory height, and she is now getting ready to drive it. Awesome I say.

I apologize for the hijack OP!

 

Thats so cool rider man