[Bob Bidonde]

The intent of my question re cost of a restoration is to rank the cost of mine with others. I think that the $60K plus cost of restoring my Victoria is not extreme, and I did all of the work myself except for the body work, paint and short block engine.



I started with a running car that had a poorly done prior attempt at a restoration. The cost of my restoration includes the purchase price of the Victoria which was less than $7K. Also the original wood in my car is in excellent condition, so it was not replaced.


Unfortunately, a bout with cancer prevented me from doing the body & paint work myself. That likely would have reduced the restoration cost maybe $10K.



I agree that it is wiser to buy a car that is restored in lieu of doing a complete restoration on a barn find. I also conclude that investing money into restoring antique cars is generally not a smart thing to do unless the car is extremely rare in some manner. I would also advise anyone planning a restoration to find out how much the finished product can be insured for.


Thanks all to those who contributed figures.