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how much should i pay for a full restoration on my 1971 dodge charger?
- Thread starter richard c
- Start date
superb9006
New member
That will depend on the condition of the car now and what it will take to restore it. Plus, you will want full documentation on the car in order to get your money back out of it.
But if you just want to restore it to drive, here are some things to look for as far as what it will take.
These cars are notorious for rusting. Especially the floors. So pull the carpet back and look in the drivers and passengers floor pans. Pull the seats to do this as they rust at the braces as well. Take out the seat belts and look for rust holes at the bolt holes.
The aprons also rust extensively so look there as well. Mostly at the seams of the fire wall. The lower A pillar below the hinge, the inner rocker, wheel wells, trunk floor, rear body panel where the bumper mounts, and especially the frame rails. The place to look here is right in front of the upper control arm mount along the bottom and side. Poke at this area with a screw driver. If any of it isn't solid, this will have to be addressed as well. If it has a vinyl top, expect the windshield and back glass pinch welds to be rusted through. And the rear deck panel as well.
These cars were also painted on the bottom so if your going for that original look, the car will have to be put on a rotisserie. But like I said, it all depends on how nice you want it or how original. I work at a shop that specializes in Mopar B bodies and some owners want all factory bolts as well. The suspension painted correctly, the motor the right color, the list is endless.
And don't forget all the trim, rubber, bushings, bumpers, interior, brakes, lines, fuel tank, original wheels and tires...
Some people forget these items and blow their budget on the body and paint. It takes them years to pay for the work and then save to finish it and the car is sold just to get it out of the garage.
On average, the restorations we do run between 15,000 to 25,000 and that's just the body and paint work and some assembly. But, they are all originally restored and show winners.
But if you just want to restore it to drive, here are some things to look for as far as what it will take.
These cars are notorious for rusting. Especially the floors. So pull the carpet back and look in the drivers and passengers floor pans. Pull the seats to do this as they rust at the braces as well. Take out the seat belts and look for rust holes at the bolt holes.
The aprons also rust extensively so look there as well. Mostly at the seams of the fire wall. The lower A pillar below the hinge, the inner rocker, wheel wells, trunk floor, rear body panel where the bumper mounts, and especially the frame rails. The place to look here is right in front of the upper control arm mount along the bottom and side. Poke at this area with a screw driver. If any of it isn't solid, this will have to be addressed as well. If it has a vinyl top, expect the windshield and back glass pinch welds to be rusted through. And the rear deck panel as well.
These cars were also painted on the bottom so if your going for that original look, the car will have to be put on a rotisserie. But like I said, it all depends on how nice you want it or how original. I work at a shop that specializes in Mopar B bodies and some owners want all factory bolts as well. The suspension painted correctly, the motor the right color, the list is endless.
And don't forget all the trim, rubber, bushings, bumpers, interior, brakes, lines, fuel tank, original wheels and tires...
Some people forget these items and blow their budget on the body and paint. It takes them years to pay for the work and then save to finish it and the car is sold just to get it out of the garage.
On average, the restorations we do run between 15,000 to 25,000 and that's just the body and paint work and some assembly. But, they are all originally restored and show winners.
the price of getting one restored is going to be based on the condition its in now,and we cant determine that without knowing what all it needs done and what all needs to be replaced,i can tell you this we just spent around 25 grand on a 70 model challenger to restore it,the more usable parts you have the less the restoration will cost regardless of who does it,we had some of our work done and did the rest our self,and we still got around 25 grand in to it,but it looks as good today as the day it rolled off the show room floor,good luck.