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And so it begins, '58 Biarritz restoration

Restorer32

By Restorer32
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TTR 5,000+ Points

TTR

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45 minutes ago, Restorer32 said:

Should take 1 year to complete. 

How many labor hours ?

Is this going to be a full (= everything looks, operates & works as good or better than new and car be driven 1000+ miles right after delivery)...

... or more typical "show car" (= just have to look good) restoration ?

Just curious.

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Cadillac Fan 2,500+ Points

Cadillac Fan

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5 hours ago, Restorer32 said:

Should take 1 year to complete.  Original colors were white with a green interior. 

Very cool color combination.   A 57 white/green eldorado was restored here in MI about 10 years ago.  Looked amazing as most were white/red.   Brought top dollar 

 

 

https://www.mecum.com/lots/SC0510-90277/1957-cadillac-eldorado-biarritz-convertible/

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TTR 5,000+ Points

TTR

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45 minutes ago, Restorer32 said:

It will be a full mechanical as well as cosmetic restoration as are all the full restorations we do. As to labor hours we will know when the project is completed.

Thanks.

Based on this ^^, I assume several thousand hours (+ materials). Cost of redoing brightworks alone in these types of cars will easily exceed mid-five figures.

 

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alsancle 25,000+ Points

alsancle

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2 hours ago, Restorer32 said:

It will be a full mechanical as well as cosmetic restoration as are all the full restorations we do. As to labor hours we will know when the project is completed.

 

Wow.  I'm happy to see that there are guys that still sign up for a full boat job on an a tricky car.   Does the customer have some sentimental attachment to this particular car or does he just want one done "right"?

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Ed Luddy 10,000+ Points

Ed Luddy

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Many moons ago I decided to spend my summer holidays getting my 1978 Fleetwood Brougham prepped for body and paint. A very good body man I knew was going to do the repairs and squirt it for me. This wasn't a resto, just a few small dings and respray.

 I had 2 weeks to remove chrome and trim, sand and tape. He warned me how much extra work a Cadillac took and he was oh so right! 

I would guess this 58 Biarritz is a 6 figure job around the $250k mark???

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TTR 5,000+ Points

TTR

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Last late-'50s American luxury car I did, the brightworks restoration costs ended up near 50K, but every little piece of aluminum, die-cast and stainless was re-done and to much better quality to OEM. And that was over a decade ago, but at least it brought most of it's overall expenditure back after selling for world record price (at the time).

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edinmass 25,000+ Points

edinmass

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On 12/24/2020 at 11:51 AM, J3Studio said:

Lordy … how long do you think it will take?


 

Easiest answer in the world.........as long as it takes. “For a fussy client”.

 

While a production car.......there was a fair bit of hand finishing on them. I always had a soft spot for them. Looks rather solid.......floors shouldn’t be difficult to repair. The most difficult part of the car.........the number of parts. Engine and chassis are easy. That thing has countless parts on the dash, cluster, ect. The chrome and stainless will be the biggest headache........Figure it to be five times the hours of a similar year Chevy. Any missing small trinkets will be difficult or fabricated. Fantastic that someone decided to do it correctly. Looking forward to seeing progress and it on the field. Best guess is the owner will be shy with publishing photos.......and I don’t blame him if he is. A post war statement car.......not too many of those being done from the ground up. It gets my three thumbs up award.......seldom given. 👍👍👍

Edited by edinmass (see edit history)
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14 hours ago, rwchatham said:

Brightwork costs are becoming insane , Just finished up  the chrome and stainless on my 59 eldo , came in right around 35 k ! 


True show chrome on a CCCA Classic can run 100k without thinking about it. 35k is certainly reasonable for a car with that much bling. 

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Ed Luddy

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There has been a 1955 Eldorado convertible for sale locally for 6 months needing restoration for under $20k Canadian and no one has bought it yet.

Been tempted to go look as I do know where a lot of chrome and parts are available, but they are "driver quality" at best. So I did some math and came up with around $80k to just get it on the road as a "Driver" with about a year's worth of very low paying labour. So when it comes time to sell it would generate about a -$40k loss!

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Ed Luddy

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58 minutes ago, edinmass said:


 

Easiest answer in the world.........as long as it takes. “For a fussy client”.

 

While a production car.......there was a fair bit of hand finishing on them. I always had a soft spot for them. Looks rather solid.......floors shouldn’t be difficult to repair. The most difficult part of the car.........the number of parts. Engine and chassis are easy. That thing has countless parts on the dash, cluster, ect. The chrome and stainless will be the biggest headache........Figure it to be five times the hours of a similar year Chevy. Any missing small trinkets will be difficult or fabricated. Fantastic that someone decided to do it correctly. Looking forward to seeing progress and it on the field. Best guess is the owner will be shy with publishing photos.......and I don’t blame him if he is. A post war statement car.......not too many of those being done from the ground up. It gets my three thumbs up award.......seldom given. 👍👍👍

Yes, that's what Bob the body man said "five times the hours of a similar year Chevy"

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Ed Luddy 10,000+ Points

Ed Luddy

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$_59.JPGThis 57 SDV was a $100k resto apparently. I didn't act quick enough to buy it. Another dealer did and is now asking $43,000. Far more than it was selling for. Still a major depreciation with probably less than 500 miles of post resto driving.

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rwchatham

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23 minutes ago, Ed Luddy said:

$_59.JPGThis 57 SDV was a $100k resto apparently. I didn't act quick enough to buy it. Another dealer did and is now asking $43,000. Far more than it was selling for. Still a major depreciation with probably less than 500 miles of post resto driving.


That  is because he picked a car with too many doors and a roof that doesn’t come down  , 

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J3Studio 5,000+ Points

J3Studio

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7 hours ago, edinmass said:

Easiest answer in the world.........as long as it takes. “For a fussy client”.

 

Oh, I understand that—I've watched some friends do "full boat" restorations of early Corvettes. I know it's hard to give an accurate time frame, but I was interested in what @Restorer32 would say.

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edinmass

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20 minutes ago, J3Studio said:

 

Oh, I understand that—I've watched some friends do "full boat" restorations of early Corvettes. I know it's hard to give an accurate time frame, but I was interested in what @Restorer32 would say.


I knew the answer he would give before he posted it.............time and materials. 

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edinmass 25,000+ Points

edinmass

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When restoring cars to show condition...........the numbers become irrelevant......they are what they are. Fit, finish, and operation are the parameters of a successful total restoration. The price is whatever it is. Kind of like three ex wives and alimony/ child support...........,you don’t want to think about the numbers.....just the joy of a great car when finished.

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Restorer32 25,000+ Points

Restorer32

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We sometimes forget that there are many, many old car guys and gals out there  who are not familiar with AACA and have never been to an AACA show  or any other show and have no interest in doing so. When we work for these folks we usually gift them an AACA membership and try to get them to Hershey or another AACA show at least once.  We showed a '60 Biarritz at Hershey 3 years ago that was in worse shape than this '58 when we started and yes we tell every potential client they can, in most cases,  buy a fully restored car for less than it costs to restore one.

 

 

 

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edinmass 25,000+ Points

edinmass

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3 hours ago, Restorer32 said:

We sometimes forget that there are many, many old car guys and gals out there  who are not familiar with AACA and have never been to an AACA show  or any other show and have no interest in doing so. When we work for these folks we usually gift them an AACA membership and try to get them to Hershey or another AACA show at least once.  We showed a '60 Biarritz at Hershey 3 years ago that was in worse shape than this '58 when we started and yes we tell every potential client they can, in most cases,  buy a fully restored car for less than it costs to restore one.

 

 

 

 

 

For many people, it's the journey that intrests them, not the destination. 👍

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John_S_in_Penna 25,000+ Points

John_S_in_Penna

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On 12/27/2020 at 9:58 PM, padgett said:

In other words, if you have to ask, you can't afford it.

 

Sorry, I must say that's a commonly repeated myth.

One man I know, for example, has had an annual income

in the $30,000,000 to $50,000,000 range.  I told him about

one old car for sale I knew he would like.  His very

FIRST question was, "What's he asking for it?"

 

It's certainly possible to be kind and modest while still

having an abundance--as you probably are too, Padgett.

No one ever got rich by going shopping!

 

Edited by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)
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