WOW!! after reading your thread and all the responses,i too am rethinking how fare i want to go with the restoring of my buick..not that i didnt understand that its costly and time consuming but that (how much is a dream of) and than reality sets in on how much time is left in life that thats where ill spend all my extra time at doing a great project car and all the other projects that life throws at you are pushed to aside..not to mention the house,wife and (grown)kids needs.. I guess i forgot to mention that i have many project cars that ive been buying up over the years and have that internal thought that, i cant wait to get started on this car and then move on to the next..well ive only scratched the surface with the buick wildcat and some of the others are still just waiting,waiting there turn to come back to life and be enjoyed agian. If i were you i would push forward and finish the car before you buy another and another as i have. Ive dug a hole that i dont think i can get out of but i havent given up hope yet, just waiting on the lottery:Brow:
May I add a few random thoughts?? A frame off is a lot of work. It will also cost more than you think. If you are in this to make money, find another hobby (stamp collecting perhaps). That being said, once you gut the interior, pull the front clip, pull the engine/tranny, rebuild the suspension laying on your back, what is left really?? The bottom of the car, body mounts and fuel/brake lines As long as you have the room for two cars (the shell and the chassis), rebuilding the chassis is much easier with the body off. Also, you should change all the brake lines and fuel lines just for safety (they rot form the inside out), and that is much easier with the body off. I think the problem is once you see your freshly painted/powdercoated frame and chassis, the rest just isn't good enough and that is where the money creeps up. You start plating things properly, finding the correct parts, detailing, new bolts, new clips, it costs a lot in 10.00 increments. The last 10% correctness of a project will cost you 100% more, the last 5% will cost 100% more than THAT. Is it worth it to you? Not many know the difference, and the general public certainly won't if you like to go shows. But again if you have the body off skimping now would be silly IMHO. Also do you prefer driving the car or working on it? Everyone is different, if you really enjoy working on the car then it won't be too bad, if you would rather drive the car then keep it well maintained and enjoy it. Its a great way to learn how to do some mechanical work, because things will break along the way and you can do lots of small projects as you go, then maybe someday blow it apart and do the whole thing, and at that point you will have already done many of the jobs before so its much easier. The frame off on my vert cost way more than I planned. I love these cars despite all their issues, and I don't regret it one bit. However, my back alley is gravel and I cringe every time I hear a rock bouncing off the chassis or underbody, and I find myself avoiding puddles too My hardtop, on the other hand, was only ever a body on type thing, and I much prefer driving it because the bottom is already a mess with the leaks, grease, chips etc it has seen over the years I've owned it (I don't drive in the rain or snow). Less worry, but not nearly as impressive at shows (people look under my vert and go "holy f***!"...LOL...) but I don't build these cars for anyone but myself. Only you can decide if its worth the effort. Also, if you are mechanically inclined, there isn't too much that will get you in real trouble in these cars. be careful with the springs, heavy parts, use lots of support and jackstands and **think** about what you are planning to do and how you will go about it. This board is a fantastic resource as you can see from the replies in this thread, use it to full advantage. Best of luck, and keep us posted.
