Cost of restoration

[HZSandman]

Adding it all up it would have been a better idea to buy Dan from Ocean Groves fantastic Green HZ Van which sold for $37,000. Best one I have seen.

Not nearly as much enjoyment and feeling of owning the whole process and the finished van.

[Blocker]

Not nearly as much enjoyment and feeling of owning the whole process and the finished van.

That's exactly right for me anyway the joy of the process and yes having to pay for it as well.

[mook]

I don't know if this is going to help, but my feeling is that if i spend good money now on paint and panel its something that will last a lifetime if well cared for. This is good as i don't have the skills or time to be able to chip away at that aspect of the restoration.

So I am opting to spend less on everything else that i feel that i am capable of doing and slowly restoring or replacing individual parts once the car is up and running. I hope this makes sense. But it doesn't hurt to spend a bit on exterior bling. You don't always have to open your bonnet..

Also be prepared to take your time especially when it comes to finding the right parts for the right price.

eg i found my two rear GTS chrome 15 x 8 rims on ebay for $140 NEVER FITTED and in new condition.. Then when i had to get the fronts made they were $280 each plus the cost of the two original rims.

Also when selling items on ebay be very clear (photos as well) with your listings, make sure they end at a convenient time eg sunday arvo. and answer all questions, and help where possible to arrange delivery. You want that part that you are selling to look as good as possible. EBAY isn't all bad.


At the end of the day you want something that you are proud of and happy to drive around but not be to paranoid to ever take it out. as thats what it is all about!

[GTS]

I'm up around the 20 - 22K mark so far but I have 99.9% of what I need to finish it and cant see any other big expenses coming up other than rego and CTP. I think...hope...it should be on the road for around the 25 - 26K.

[ozbox]

the wb van had 40 k spent on it over 10 years wiuth the owner doing most of the labour..it was a clean clean van to start with..most money was really spent on the running gear and chrome and leather...


the hq sandman cost me 2k back in 2001 and still looks the same but i have collected mostly nos parts for it..i believe it owes me around 12 to 15k as it is now which is complete and ready to start restoring..my value on restoring the hq sandman back in 2001 was 30k...the wb van i bought because i knew how much had been spent because i sold him most of the goodies and i also knew that i could not build it for anywhere near what i payed for it but could wreck it for more if i cant get 20k as a resale..

i have customers that have scrounged and saved and spent more on petrol that there engines to do a resto cheap which is around 15k and 5 years of searching for cheap correct bits and then i have customers that do little work and dont look for parts but get me to find the right bit and there budgets are genrally 40 to 60k...

[HZSandman]

PS

All the prices I put up include postage when bought on EBay. The only thing I did not include was the cost of petrol to get some bits.

total cost less funds gained back through selling bits is $38,902.96.

Still need to tidy engine bay, chrome front bumper and that's about it. Pretty happy all in all. Could have done it cheaper with more experience. Could have spent more for a body off resto but that would have been silly when a lot of work had already been done when we got the van.