Most expensive mistake you have made when restoring a car?

My most expensive mistake was to believe the body man when he said he washed off the coating on the metal stripped parts with water like I told him and like the stripping company had told me. He later admitted he didn't want to get water on the bare metal and used lacquer thinner instead. Among the parts that peeled after several years was the wood grained dash.

Charlie Stephens

 

Buying a car/truck sight unseen (except for photos which make it look good) and going by the opinion of the guy selling it.Bought two cars off the internet and both were a whole lot more rusty than advertised after getting them home.Rust free is supposed to mean there is NO rust.

 

I gotta agree with BJR. I wasted a lot of time and money on a rusty old ragtop, when I could have spent a little more on a more suitable candidate and maybe finished it. Oh, and getting married sure put a damper on it too.

 

after re wiring the whole car, rebuilding the generator for 12v. detailing(repainting) the fan, radiator, etc. i forgot to strap the battery back down when i took the car around the block.

the battery rolled into the fan bending the blades as it still turned. the fan blades then carved the shit out of my radiator and dumped coolant all over the place.

that was mega lame.

 

Having some local clown chop my '30 who was more interested in his new girlfriend than doing quality work. I have a great idea for revenge but I'm not going to divulge it here.

 

Patience is your friend. If you need stuff in a hurry, you're going to pay. It pays to plan ahead to allow yourself to find parts at reasonable prices.

My biggest mistake - Trying to build a car in Canada. Fucking expensive shipping and chrome prices, customs broker charges and 15% sales tax paid for with a dollar that's worth less.

 

Ditto!

 

When I first started, I bought about $2,000 dollars worth of parts from Speedway Motors. That was my most expensive mistake so far.

 

Amen-What he said-leave the rusty cars in the junk yard or at the swap meet-save up and get a better car-way cheaper in the long run

AA

 

Unlike drugs the street value of those parts was $23.50!

 

Amen there brother. After spending countless hours cutting, grinding, pounding, fitting, welding, grinding, and pounding just to end up with a patched up body. I've learned that a couple of days of windshield time is really a pretty good investment if you can find a good body or body parts a day or so away from home.
Be honest with yourself about the cost and requirements of your project. Buy all the parts that you will need BEFORE you start the build, this will save you the grief of watching your project sit while you wait for more money. Nothing wrong with working in stages either but define your goals, accumulate the parts and/or money then go forward.
It's nice to be able to get away from your project and get it out of your sight when you are tired of it or it will become a job and you'll resent it.

 

Biggest mistake on any car I've built is deciding not to take it down to the frame. Most of the time I figure I'll only go so far but I usually I end up at the bare frame and I would save a ton of work if I just put that in the plan up front.

I'll also echo the not starting with a better car - the money will be a wash in the end anyway once you start repairing things that could have been better to start with.

 

picking a non desirable model and putting to much money into it.

 

Originally Posted by BJR
Not starting with a better car. I should have spent more money up front on a better, less rusty body, then spent all the time and money later trying to fix the piece of shit I got for cheap


I seem to have still not learned this lesson!

 

taking a car all apart and not getting back to it for 4 yrs--at least I tagged and bagged everything and took alot of pics but there was still alot that I had forgotten and I forgot where I put some of the very special pts (like fuel injection distributor!) so they wouldn't get lost-took alot of looking to find them all-don't rely on memory !!
Lesson learned here for me--don't start one project, put it away and do another instead--much frustration

 

Teaching myself

 

Im either too cheap or too stubborn to learn from this lesson!

Stand back and look at the whole picture before fixing something. The "obvious" may not be the answer at all!
My '49 Ford had a case of drooping door syndrome. I spent a lot of time attempting to remove the door hinges (those screws can be stubborn) in order to straighten them. I asked a buddy who is a bodyman for some pointers. He came by and after about 5 minutes figured that my front body mounts were shot causing the cowl to tilt back, which allowed the rear of the doors to drop.
A few hours with a porta-power, some new body bushings and some welding/reinforcing of the floor and the doors have lined up great for the past 6 years.
Im sure glad now that I couldnt get those hinge screws loose!
Dont be too cocky to ask someone more knowlegable for their opinion!

 

sold it wish I had it back many times

 

getting started in the first place. that was my first mistake.

 

If you buy alot of parts in preparation for the build (like I did so I wouldnt have to wait for parts)

Make a list of what ya got so inna year when you realize you need that part you dont re-order it thinking you need it when it's really in your downstairs closet buried behind more shit...

Wearing the T-shirt...

 

sleep with his new girlfriend, thats good revenge! haha

 

Trusting Mike Bond. If you know him, you know what I'm talking about.

 

What, you don't like buying from Speedy's Chinese warehouse?

 

doing things with out knowing exactly how to do them.

 

I dont have alot of experience, but i completed my first full build last year (28 A Tudor). I think the first one is the biggest learning lesson.

I learnt:

buying parts to fit your schedule = more money, stock pile the parts before you start your build via swap meets and sales.

have a defined goal, and an idea of the end look and proformance of the car. Less chance of doing thing twice!

The make, and model of the project are usually a given but the condition is what deterines weather your restoring or customizing! if you plan to restore start with a great body. lots of custom mods may alow you to save by buying a rustier car because your going to build a new frame, chop, build new panels, etc.

The amount of tools and skill you have determines the cost to "do it your self". most garage mechanics know it takes more time to do stuff than shops because we don't have hoists, or large equipment. Whats your time worth?

The best way to save money is to know where to spend it. the guys on this site are a huge knowlage base on what parts to go cheep on and what parts are worth the money! (brakes, suspention and stearing... goes without saying are worth the cost for good quality!!!)

and lastly all projects cost more than you expect. if the costs could affect your financial well being don't start it...wait till the time is right.

have fun and teach someone your skills, or pass on some knowlage to others as you build it. Thats what Hot rod culture is!

good luck

 

Man, ditto on this one. I've got two gutted cars in the garage right now... going to take longer to finish them both. Should have left one and just taken care of the other.. then on to the 2nd. Oh well.. still lots of fun and occasionally I'll get bored with one and switch over to the other. Takes longer this way, but still fun.

 

The passage of time can be "expensive" too. I'm paying for not going for what I really wanted years ago. If you know what you want, go for it. Try not to get side-tracked with cars that you just "settle for". They'll eat up your money and life-time. Nothing wrong with having a car on the side, to enjoy while building your dream, but keep it limited. Make every effort to persue your dream, and accomplish your goal as early in life as possible. Then enjoy it, and make some memories.

 

Don't start with a rusty car.

 

"Most expensive mistake"..would have to be-not realizing your own abilities/potential. Very expensive to have work done, as you build your own confidence level/ability, you find that once you do it, it doesn't seem as mysterious, complicated, or difficult as you imagined. Soon you find that you take on more and more yourself. Far more rewarding to do it yourself..and yes, a Hell of a lot cheaper.