DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

That is the difference; going to a specialist (ie Barry for shells) you would expect the very best skills and tools, the hand and experience of Barry aided by a Cellett for example and you pay willingly for that level of expertise, and the quality shows.
This is beyond the DIY guy, but he can do well, but not as well as such a specialist, but it is essentially free and at risk of a poor job unless you believe you can get a good enough job done.

He also gets the satisfaction that DIY brings.
Away from shells, look at the recent engine builds done with total success by careful people in their own garages.

Btw, I justified the cost on a couple of areas

1) I've had the car since '99 and it cost me 10k to buy

2) It is a matching numbers s targa of which there were fewer than 1500 built, so it is quite rare

3) I'd never done anything 'properly' in my life before and I wanted to get to my version of perfection

4) I want the car to outlast me and it just seemed right to do anything to achieve that

5) I really couldn't afford to do it, but when I was in, I couldn't afford not to do it. If I had known the costs upfront I would never have started. But I am sooooo glad that I did. It was a proper adventure

6) I don't care about the value because I will never sell it....but it did help with the man maths justification of it all

murph2309 wrote: 6) I don't care about the value because I will never sell it....but it did help with the man maths justification of it all

+1.
The only good thing about high values.
I also tried the "it will still be in good shape when it's time to pass it on to the children" line. Nearly worked with the FD, until she realised I'd need 3 Porsches in an inheritable state...

murph2309 wrote:
5) I really couldn't afford to do it, but when I was in, I couldn't afford not to do it. If I had known the costs upfront I would never have started. But I am sooooo glad that I did. It was a proper adventure

6) I don't care about the value because I will never sell it....but it did help with the man maths justification of it all

Which brings up back round in a circle to the original question .

Indeed.

No time = spend a lot with a specialist crew and maybe the cost will be covered if you sell. You get a perfect car and quickly.

Some time available eases the cost considerably in labour. Bit of a $$$ bonus when you sell. You wait a bit longer for the car.

Lots of time and skills = economy build with some compromises which are acceptable to you and ignore the Judges. Mega satisfaction at doing as much of it yourself.

Indeed James. Maybe the question should have been " i have X amount of cash, what will this pay for regarding rust repair and paint. ?
I think Stuart has lot's to think about. Most, not all of the posters in this thread are, or have just paid out most of the sums quoted.

These are not finger in the air estimates but the current going rates. Paint.? 200 hours seems to be the magic number. Yes, it sounds like a lot of money but everything will be trial fitted and unless you have done this dry fit yourself you will question the cost.

Head lights, indicators, quarter glass, rubbers, the list goes on and on. My painter informs me that there is only 50 hours spent in the booth.

My best advice... get your metalwork and painter guy's to give you a firm quote with a 10% contingency in writing. This is assuming the shell is in bare metal whilst they are quoting.

There are people that will try to double your bill during the build. If the chosen one's don't agree, move on or get your fingers burnt....!

What a great thread this has turned out to be. Thanks to all. A really interesting read.

inaglasshouse wrote:

murph2309 wrote: 6) I don't care about the value because I will never sell it....but it did help with the man maths justification of it all

+1.
The only good thing about high values.
I also tried the "it will still be in good shape when it's time to pass it on to the children" line. Nearly worked with the FD, until she realised I'd need 3 Porsches in an inheritable state...

I did get away with that one.... And that's partially how I justified buying the SC

murph2309 wrote:

inaglasshouse wrote:

murph2309 wrote: 6) I don't care about the value because I will never sell it....but it did help with the man maths justification of it all

+1.
The only good thing about high values.
I also tried the "it will still be in good shape when it's time to pass it on to the children" line. Nearly worked with the FD, until she realised I'd need 3 Porsches in an inheritable state...

I did get away with that one.... And that's partially how I justified buying the SC

Respect!

Quality Job, Quick Job, Cheap Job

Pick any two.

sladey wrote:Quality Job, Quick Job, Cheap Job

Pick any two.

Quality Job, Cheap Job ?

A 964 owner today told me he paid £3500 to repaint his car, metallic and a Targa 5 years ago. It looked great. (glass-out etc, all stripped/re-assembled by the shop)

Can £3.5K have escalated to £10K in 5 years?

Quality Job, Cheap Job ?

Equals slow job.

911hillclimber wrote:A 964 owner today told me he paid £3500 to repaint his car, metallic and a Targa 5 years ago. It looked great. (glass-out etc, all stripped/re-assembled by the shop)

Can £3.5K have escalated to £10K in 5 years?

I get quoted this quite regularly today.

If it's just a repaint in the same colour then it's perfectly normal to pay £3.5k now.

The £10k people are just taking the pi$$....it's just a 'ooh it's a Porsche i can charge anything' pricing policy....easy to try and charge it now as everyone who is a 'specialist' rolls the same figure out...

Take them a 10 year old audi and say it needs a full repaint and see if they try and charge you £10k...

911hillclimber wrote:A 964 owner today told me he paid £3500 to repaint his car, metallic and a Targa 5 years ago. It looked great. (glass-out etc, all stripped/re-assembled by the shop)

Can £3.5K have escalated to £10K in 5 years?

Perhaps so. In 5 years there might have been a lot of legislation changes regard hazardous waste disposal and venting of noxious fumes to the atmosphere. I don't know if governing bodies have to be joined or licenses need to be obtained but if so I would bet they are not cheap. Put that with increases to rent, materials, filtration system upgrades and labour rates and the rise in a professional paint job might be justified.
Sadly the time of the home (cheap) paint job might be gone as neighbours health and environment has to be protected, did you hear that Jason?