1992 Gt Vert Restoration...sort Of.

[danny g]

Ok, so I bought a 92 triple black gt convertible about a month ago and it was in driveable condition. But just barely. I rebuilt the entire suspension since the shocks/struts were blown and it had some aftermarket springs I didnt care for. I also put in new upper and lower control arms since one of the previous owners removed the bushings. Yeah....I know. Pretty crazy. The rear end was as loose as it gets.

I am not sure if you could call it a restoration. Seems like more of an intervention. The last owner had it sitting for a couple months. You know how that goes. One it starts sitting...in a couple years it gets really really bad.

So now that I have the car running well, registered and inspection/emissions passed it's time for a new top. A local shop that does top notch work quoted me $1400 for vinyl and $1800 for fabric. Those prices are a tad high. Especially the fabric price. The car also needs the hinge pins/bushings replaced and has a bunch of dings, dents, scratches and a poorly repainted fender. What do you think a fair price for a repaint, top, and hinge rebuild would be. These are NYC prices keep in mind. I was thinking of offering 3k cash.

Anyone have any opinions?

 

[chgovfk]

3k would be a great price - but there's a lot of work required in a repaint - I assume your not changing the color - plus you might as well spray the vert frame - while the top is off - if you really want to save money - you might consider taking the car at least in 'ready' for paint - take the headlights / tail lights out - molding's off- I had a 92 lx once / black - I basically took it apart - prepped it - took it to a 2nd tier bodyshop and just had them spray it (their booth was nice) - I bought the paint - but it still cost me around $1,800 - I had them do some prep work (1 bad fender ) - and spray the molding's .....it turned out ok for a DD.

 

[danny g]

Yeah, after researching some more I see that paint and top for 3k is a stretch. I paid 3k for the car which I thought was fair since it was rust free and I dont want to throw a ton of money into a car that would prob only get 5-6k on a good day if i sold it. Maybe I'll ask the guy to do the vinyl top, repaint the fender, pull a couple dents and put in the new door bushings for 3k. I think thats more realistic.

I really never understood the guys that spend 10k on a paint job. My neighbor restored a couple cars and got great paint jobs at maaco. He does all the prep work, removes all the trim and brings the car down ready to prime. I wouldnt trust maaco to do the prep though. That appears to be the most important part.

 

[91TwighlightGT]

I really never understood the guys that spend 10k on a paint job. My neighbor restored a couple cars and got great paint jobs at maaco. He does all the prep work, removes all the trim and brings the car down ready to prime. I wouldnt trust maaco to do the prep though. That appears to be the most important part.

Your definition of "great paint job" is probably not the same as mine.

If you don't understand why people spend 10K on paint, it is because you have never seen a 10K (or more) paint job.

You are correct that prep is extremely important, but it goes beyond just removing trim, etc. Jobs that cost 10K are very involved, with many man hours of blocking, very high quality materials, and more blocking after the clear is laid down to make an extremely flat, mirror surface. No area of the car is left untouched.

Would I get a $10,000 paint job on a street car? No, because it is going to get beat up by rocks, dinged at the supermarket, and exposed to harsh conditions every day. Would I spend 10K on a show car? Well, if you want to win, you probably will have to spend at least that much.

 

[chgovfk]

Yeah a $10k paint job on a street car is sort of pointless - a show car sure - I would pull the trim / block it / prep it - ( find a used straight fender on craigs list locally ) have him spray it all ( no color change ) you remove the top / spray the frame yourself - go vinyl - get done for around $3k - $4k maybe - it would look like a new car - especially if your detailed in all of the trim aspects part and prep......

 

[danny g]

I proably should have rephrased it. I have seen 10k paint jobs, but sometimes wonder if the car warrants that much of an investment. I like to own a car to drive it. This mustang is a toy for the weekends and is kept in the garage. Seems sort of pointless to spend more on paint then a car is worth. But to each his own.