Stationed Overseas and Want to Restore 66 Stang for Wife for 25th Anniversary

Timmy2

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Jul 31, 2020
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Hello Forum,

I am over in Japan and have my wife’s first car that we moved and kept through our marriage. Next year is our 25th anniversary and I want to restore the pony to drive next year when back in the states on vacation. As I am overseas, I need to contract or pro-shop out most, if not all the work and am not rich. I am not worried about all original numbers car and this is more of a restomod type fix.

Currently have a 2+2 Coupe, 200CI Motor, C4 tranny, Drum brakes, was vinyl top hard roof, bubbling in rear QP’s, passenger seat is gone, window gears do not work…. But it does still run and move.

I am waffling on the motor….

I know rust and body need some work.

I want to also do the following for sure:

Upgrade the tranny to have AOD

Upgrade to 4wheel disc brakes

Add AC to car

Modern wire harness for whatever I put in it

Upgrade all lighting

Power window and doors lock

Hydraulic shock, not springs for hood & trunk

New interior

New glass

Paint (w/GT Stripes)

Install better fuel tank or rear fire wall (my wife will not drive it after realizing they do not have them and read it could burn you or a baby, I am not kidding)

Remote start, and potentially an electrical shock option if a rioter got to close.

The car is near Seattle, WA and I have a budget in mind, but just not sure where to start.

Ideas are helpful and I will research this further.
 
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I might start here: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Classic+Car+Restoration&find_loc=Seattle,+WA


You're going to have to have to call each of them and see which one can pull off whatever you have in your head.

Is this going to be a restoration or a resto-mod? What kind of power does it need to put down?

Most importantly: What kind of shape is it in? You got any pics? You got any car buddies in Seattle?


What's your budget? We won't tell. It's only us and the global internet :shrug:
 
I might start here: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Classic+Car+Restoration&find_loc=Seattle,+WA


You're going to have to have to call each of them and see which one can pull off whatever you have in your head.

Is this going to be a restoration or a resto-mod? What kind of power does it need to put down?

Most importantly: What kind of shape is it in? You got any pics? You got any car buddies in Seattle?


What's your budget? We won't tell. It's only us and the global internet :shrug:
I am looking at pics shortly. I do have car buddies back home, but we all work and not sure we can do it ourselves. I am looking for restomod/restore. I want to go to a V8 and get decent power (300+ Hp) and safe. I do have about 15K to get moving on it.

Thanks for the link. I am watching CJ Pony Part Videos all day and looking at parts and building a spreadsheet on cost. I am already over my budget and I haven't done paint or body work.
 
I am looking at pics shortly. I do have car buddies back home, but we all work and not sure we can do it ourselves. I am looking for restomod/restore. I want to go to a V8 and get decent power (300+ Hp) and safe. I do have about 15K to get moving on it.

Thanks for the link. I am watching CJ Pony Part Videos all day and looking at parts and building a spreadsheet on cost. I am already over my budget and I haven't done paint or body work.

Not to mention labor. Well, it just so happens that we have a few experts lying around:
@horse sence @Davedacarpainter wake up and earn your keep :D
 
Restoring one of these cars isnt what it used to be price wise ,parts have gone way up and labor is out of the park . In the good old days when paint was only $40. A gallon ,and that was paint that lasted for years ,i could paint a car body work and all between 700 - 1000 dollars . Last time i priced paint it was 1,000 a gallon ,and that is water based here ,and labor was like 175 an hour . Yeah ,its gone crazy and the common guy like us will find it just to much i hate to say .
I am able to do almost everything on my cars except bore the engine block and it still takes a small fortune for me to get one finished.
I couldnt give you a guess at the cost of a finished project because i havent finished one in some time . I recently sold my entire collection ,well all but two ,to by the property next door .
 
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Restoring one of these cars isnt what it used to be price wise ,parts have gone way up and labor is out of the park . In the good old days when paint was only $40. A gallon ,and that was paint that lasted for years ,i could paint a car body work and all between 700 - 1000 dollars . Last time i priced paint it was 1,000 a gallon ,and that is water based here ,and labor was like 175 an hour . Yeah ,its gone crazy and the common guy like us will find it just to much i hate to say .
I am able to do almost everything on my cars except bore the engine block and it still takes a small fortune for me to get one finished.
I couldnt give you a guess at the cost of a finished project because i havent finished one in some time . I recently sold my entire collection ,well all but two ,to by the property next door .
I appreciate the feedback and I am finding my memory of previous costs and today cost were very much out of alignment.
 
Not to mention labor. Well, it just so happens that we have a few experts lying around:
@horse sence @Davedacarpainter wake up and earn your keep :D
Appreciate the help. I did some parts searches and looking at help to repair, and realized I am to poor to play in the high end resto game and well enough to do that I want to try to get half way there. This is something else to figure out.
 
It didnt used to be that way ,i used to be able to restore my own cars at not much more than 5000 ,it has pretty much tripled now and paint and body is the biggest taker ,i used to be able to buy the primer ,paint and clear for under 400 ,the paint alone can be as much a 3 times that now ...its kind of sad