Page 1 of 3

Restoration prices?

Posted: Mon 20 Aug 2018, 10:12
by RASSIE
Any help on the going price to remove an V8 engine, spray body complete and paint engine, fix all oil leaks and the unforeseen??
It have to be a reliable car when complete!
Open to any advice from members.
Rassie.

Re: Restoration prices?

Posted: Mon 20 Aug 2018, 13:40
by First V8
Rassie you more than anybody should be able to answer that question . There are so many variants to a restoration project that a fixed price will never work . If you have a hourly rate and then the cost plus factor on parts that will give you the price . If you gave a fixed price and you encounter snags on the way you would inevitably take short cuts on the other work to be done .

Re: Restoration prices?

Posted: Mon 20 Aug 2018, 16:32
by Rynothelion
But what would hourly rates be?

And surely a painter would give you a price on painting a car, dependent if you change the color or not..?

Re: Restoration prices?

Posted: Mon 20 Aug 2018, 21:43
by RASSIE
I am not sure how to charge as I were never into the hourly rate game! I start to think I make Tooo nice??
My wife's Merc cost R.2000 for 1 Hour work and part to fix. A 5 min. drive and it went back to them as it still got stuck on the road. Only a week later we got her back with R.500 fuel gone?
As I am not into the market for the money and plastic cars I just need good advice? I still need to pay BILLS but looking at new car prices I am way down the line and petrol and food prices is out of control. Customers think I am still 30 years old?? The body only last so long but the brain are superior. :cry:
When I was a lecturer and an electrician I were more street wise! Since I got out of all small cars I got no idea about hourly rates and all the fancy things. This is the reason for asking.
I know the job, but crime, workers quality and weather do play a role.
How do a garage and panel shop charge is what I need to know? I know I do spend way to much time to make nice but Australia and New Zealand told me how to restore a car!!
Please any advice is welcome!!
Rassie.

Re: Restoration prices?

Posted: Tue 21 Aug 2018, 08:40
by ZA Perana
I actually did an exercise from an accounting point of view regarding this for a venture I was contemplating. In essence you need to evaluate each potential car.

Draw up a list of obvious work and quote on that but add 20% for unexpected costs. Break the list down to

1: Body
2: Engine
3: Stripping
4: Re assembly

Then apply a base rate per hour to the estimated number of hours, again allow for extra hours for unforeseen. Critically require the customer to pay 25% of the total cost up front to give you some initial cash flow to work with.

Re: Restoration prices?

Posted: Tue 21 Aug 2018, 19:12
by RASSIE
Thanks for the feed back ZA Perana!!
I asked a friend who is working as an auto electrician and got a shock as he told me R.550 is the electrical flat rate per hour.
A mic, stick and gas welder charged me R.100 per hour welding my cars and I was shocked. It was using my tools! It was a good deal it seems?
Now I do understand a bit more! No wonder I am super busy. :oops: 8O
I am just very upset how members do not respond to a simple question as I did ask??
Seems every member just look ???? :?: :(
I did expect more info??
As I am selling many parts on facebook my account was also on hold. I do think a hacker got into it???
Rassie.

Re: Restoration prices?

Posted: Tue 21 Aug 2018, 20:14
by ZA Perana
RASSIE wrote:
Tue 21 Aug 2018, 19:12
Thanks for the feed back ZA Perana!!
I asked a friend who is working as an auto electrician and got a shock as he told me R.550 is the electrical flat rate per hour.
A mic, stick and gas welder charged me R.100 per hour welding my cars and I was shocked. It was using my tools! It was a good deal it seems?
Now I do understand a bit more! No wonder I am super busy. :oops: 8O
I am just very upset how members do not respond to a simple question as I did ask??
Seems every member just look ???? :?: :(
I did expect more info??
As I am selling many parts on facebook my account was also on hold. I do think a hacker got into it???
Rassie.
I think the key is you never really know how much work a car is going to need so what I suggest is you inspect first with the client, point out things which are obvious and things which are less so but fall into a "maybe" category. When I did a detailed cost analysis for a client on this I found that estimates at the beginning of the project need to be higher because never were there not cost over runs in some area or another.

My advice to you is to NOT get caught into a trap where the client puts unreasonable time pressure. Additionally you need to agree an up front payment system, a car sitting idle is taking up space which prevents you doing more work, on the analysis I did I found this bottle neck effect was ultimately very costly.

At the end of the day Rassie, you have vast knowledge on Fords, knowledge most don't have so when a client brings a car to you he isn't only bringing it for your skills but also your knowledge and its difficult to put a price on knowledge.

Re: Restoration prices?

Posted: Tue 21 Aug 2018, 22:28
by First V8
ZAP i agree with your statement . Bayley Cars here in Jetpark do work on cars whether building a complete car or restoration and bill the customer monthly for work / labour and parts used . If its not paid no further work is done and your project stands . A mate of mine builds game viewing vehicles on new of old chassis cabs and before any work takes place the WHOLE amount is payed . My business ( not vehicle related ) does installations on hygiene dispensers in bathrooms and kitchens and payment is UPFRONT for the complete installation . We have minimum charge of R750 or if more than 10 dispensers its R65 per dispensers . Repairs to hand dryers is R450 per hour plus parts used . The workshop that looks after our fleet of cars chargers R450 per hour or part there of plus parts .

Re: Restoration prices?

Posted: Thu 23 Aug 2018, 07:13
by Burnthosetyres
How long is a piece of string?

My Porsche Mechanic R550 an hour
My V8 mechanic R450 an hour

But there are so many hours in the day....
Who pays when they have a 7 Min Smoke break or go to the loo or talk 25 Min to you who just popped in to say hi!

Swings & roundabouts and needs to be fair

Panel shops these days some charge per panel. It’s a minefield

Re: Restoration prices?

Posted: Thu 23 Aug 2018, 10:21
by Scorpionman
Burnthosetyres wrote:
Thu 23 Aug 2018, 07:13
Panel shops these days some charge per panel. It’s a minefield
That is true. Got some quotes from Dean vd Walt to do metal work on my Alfa. He gave me separate quotes for the fender repair, sill replacements and boot floor replacement. Price per job - you pick what you want to be done. Obviously all the jobs added and the price is a bit better.

He also gives you a leed time on how long a certain job will take. You are also booking your car in a time slot a good few months ahead. Dont want a shop full of cars that you cannot work on. You bring your car as he is finishing up on a previous job.

It is a minefield out there as BTT said.