Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

Tweet

Don,

I did a complete tally on every nut and bolt I bought for my A-bone sedan. It was completed in April, 1986. I may have missed a couple of hundred bucks, but I even recorded the late night trips to the corner gas station to pick up a filter or bulbs, etc. There were even entries for freight charges. The spreadsheet was broken down by subassembly. Each subassembly has all the costs for that sub. For instance, the engine cost consists of the purchase of the engine, machinework, accessories, etc. The Body consists of the original body, plus glass, running boards, sheet metal, bolts, etc.

Here's the summary:

Body 4,971.79
Engine 2,306.49
Frame 1,824.97
Running Gear 2,593.73
Suspension 1,855.49
Interior 1,456.51
Misc 622.25
Paint/body 1,524.26
Wiring 387.34
Total $17,542.83

I did virtually all the work myself except for the soft top, upholstery and final paint spray.

Seems cheap today, but, it I remember correctly, it was considerably more than a loaded Monte Carlo or similar car in 1985.

You can check page 2 of my gallery for what $17.5K got me back then. . .