The cost of a car

[Chris "drooze" Wertman]

If someone told me 2 years ago what it would cost to build the DP Ida said they were nuts, after a year of research and lining up items I called it within 10k the Old man didnt believe it.

When working on it one day he looked up and me and said "You know if Ida know how much this would cost, and he paused. I still would have done it but Ida been better prepared"

I have decided to turn my 72 into a GT car, we have engines and trans reday for the DP car, so, andmy 72 Chally will never be worth more than about 15-17, its a 72. But I figure about 10 with me doing all the work cage paint, brakes, rear. Thats less the motor cost etc.

But TIME is Money, if you can packrat stuff for years, you can do it cheaper, no doubts, but if you want it NOW well, then everything comes at retail and expidited prices, I figure 5 months to build the 72 GT , 1 month cage, 1 month paint, 1 month Chassis, 1 month screwing around getting this that and the other, and 1 month finish up.

But when Im done what will I have ? Well a 72 that will be able to run SSGT with 2 different combos we have, a car that with the 318 and a different hood (I have) can run Stock, a car that with a tune and the spool out can run down to our Drive in, and a lot of fun, to me that will be worth far more than the sum of the parts, finished with a motor ? Still only about a 20k car, but well......Ill have immesurable fun doing it all with my own 2 hands.

Guess the balance sheets are enjoyment==$ , $==effort in some cases.

Originally Posted by Robert Swartz

Well, I have to admit something. When I first started this as an idea. I traded a few posts on here about the cost of building this 1979 Firebird as a stocker. Some of you guys threw some pretty hefty numbers at me. Being an old hardhead, I refused to believe it would cost near what many said.

I'm adjusting my vein of thought! Basically, this car has only been moved from the original owners garage to mine and other than collecting pieces, nothing has really been accomplished. I've already spent $3200.00. Now, I'm going to say for cast off parts and swap meet junk, I've aquired some decent parts, a few new. I haven't even scratched the surface of this project yet.