I have a 70 chevelle malibu that I've owned for over thirty years. Unfortunately, it has spent the last 15 years sitting out in the open waiting on some kind of restoration. It originally had a vinyl top and had rust around the front and rear glass when I parked it. Today, the front and rear glass are about to fall through. It has major rust in the trunk area, rear deck, and around the windows. When is a car too far gone? I don't have a clue what restorations cost these days. I don't think I could do any of the sheet metal work. Can anyone clue me in on how much it might cost to get this car restored? Could it be done in phases? Do restorers charge by the hour? I know the car will not be worth the cost of restoration. But this car has sentimental value and would be a keeper. Thanks......

Think of it this way, they make 90% of the sheetmetal for a 70 Chevelle. If the car means that much to you my advice would be to price out some sheetmetal repair. When you re-awaken after they wave smelling salts under your nose do some research on this site. There are many, many people who started out with no skill or experience what so ever and ended up with a nice finished product and did all of the work themselves. If you're gonna farm it all out then expect $10-15k minimun on body and you might get some paint on there for that much.

It's never too rusty, you should have seen my 69 Charger and not to mention my convertible. 5 years ago they would have been sent to the scrap yard.

time to look for a better car to start with.

Welcome to the team!
As far as when...that's strictly a personal decision. There are enough repro parts, and parts vehicles available today to restore your Chevelle.
Paying a body shop or a restoration shop will be expensive, labor will be anywhere from $50 to $100 per hour or more. Parts costs are on top of that. The car when complete will likely not be worth what you've invested, save those rare cars, that when restored correctly, carefully, by the numbers may return the restoration cost or in some rare cases more.
In general (not knowing your personal circumstances) you can do the restoration yourself. You can learn as you go, and you have just found an invaluable resource in the people that dwell here on this site. Perhaps you might share the experience with a son/daughter, grandson/nephew, and in doing so build a lifetime of memories.
If you choose to take on the project yourself, it will take you some time, whatever you feel like dedicating to it. Some people have accomplished their project in months, many over years. The cost of doing the project yourself will be much easier to handle financially.
The 70 Chevelle is a popular car, and with sentimental value added, it just might be the perfect past-time/hobby for you. It certainly will have been worth the experience when, after it's restored and your cruising in her, you can look back and see what you've accomplished. Good Luck with her!

Question : " When is a car too far gone (with rust issues) ? "

Answer : When it has a blue Ford oval on it !

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

.... calm down Ford guys and gals ! I am just teasing ! I am actually a huge Ford fan myself !

But seriously , I never think anything is ever to far gone ! Like the others before me have mentioned , they make 99% of the replacement parts for that car ! And even if they didnt , always remember .... Anything metal can be repaired !

Restore 'em ..... Don't crush 'em ! .....
......( unless its an import )

A member on Team Impala has my total respect for restoring what normally would never be touched. :bow:

It's on our quiet "little brother" site, impalas.net

http://www.impalas.net/forums/showthread.php?t=686

Recommended viewing for anyone who has respect for bringing the dead back to life.

This should answer the question about what's possible, but realistically you need to look into the total cost vs sentimental value. Metal work is rather expensive to have done if you are sending it out. Ask for estimates and price it all out. Be wary of someone who quotes a single price and no time - lots of stories on this site about waiting years with no results. Feel free to ask more questions as they come up here.

Yes, you can do it in pieces as time and dollars permit.


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If anyone happens to be registered on impalas.net, I"m sure he wouldn't mind hearing a few encouraging words about the project below. Tony shared a lot of photos with everyone.


http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r309/fleck1/hellbent4.jpg (http://www.impalas.net/forums/showthread.php?t=686)

I would tackle that car :yes:. I want to meet that guy with the Impala in person and shake his hand....damn good work.

Guys, this sure sounds like a lot more then just a quarter panel replacement, and that is a full task for a beginner. Seems that it would be much better to find a better car to start with. This isn't an LS6 matching numbers or anything.
I have done them all ways, but a nice beginning sure makes the odds in favor of getting it done a lot higher. Get it done and you MIGHT get a partial return on your investment. Don't get it done and you lose big moneytime. Take it to a shop and with so much work, the money, time, and patience will run out. You guys all know that. 99 out of 100 shops that take on such extensive work put it on the back burner, unless you are in there paying them $1000 or more per week.
The Impala convert is a fantastic job so far. The amount of time to get that far is unreal. It takes a real dedication to stick with it that long and it is only metal work so far. Who knows how long paint will last over so much work and whether it will ever look straight.

Having said all that, if your car is really special and the money doesn't matter, you can do anything. Being a little experienced in paint and body work, mechanical rebuilds and such, I think you should have your eyes wide open going in. Remember that nothing that bolts in is truly a "bolt in"! Re-doing a good car is a tremendous job.

I looked at every pic and post of that Impala... Amazing!!

Spend some weeks/months searching the web, this site, metalmeet.com, autobody101.com, etc. for clues and techniques.

It may not be worth it to farm out all the work, but hang out on the local Craigslist for a few months, get a MIG welder, practice for a few weeks on junk sheet metal, and see if you gain some confidence. Work on getting it right after grinding, etc. If not, sell the MIG and be done with it.

Look at prices for replacement panels and see what's out there. Some aren't.

Maybe farm some of the work out....

Its all harder than it looks and takes way longer than on the TV shows, but its possible.

Just some somewhat random thoughts in case you have the time.

Here are some pictures of the chevelle ss I restored,we changed ever piece of sheet metal on it the rust was so bad.
http://s189.photobucket.com/albums/z74/jimmytomlin/

and the Phoenix rose from the ashes.....:thumbsup:

Tin is cheap and easy too do just takes time and experience. Now if you have to pay for someones labor I would think twice.

That is just crazy impressive! An inspiration to anyone trying to tackle a restoration of any type.

if its sentimental I say go for it. Maybe try your hand on the smaller stuff first. You will know what you can do and can not do. Maybe farm out some of the stuff you dont feel comfortable doing.You might be surprised what you can do with a little practice.

I remember that thread. Someone else brought it up late last year. It reminds me of the Camaro guy that was posted here last week. Its nice to see people out there looking past all that rust and seeing something worth fixing up.:)

Nemesis,
I read your post very closely and I don't think the condition of the car is the issue. The real question is, are you motivated, wealthy enough, or skilled enough to do the work required. My assessment is that you are not motivated enough based on the fact that the car sat unrestored and unsheltered for 15 years and you let it continue to deteriorate. You said, "I don't have a clue what restorations cost these days. I don't think I could do any of the sheet metal work." So I will guess that you lack the skills and the money. I think the best thing you could do is sell the car to someone who has the motivation, skills, or money. Or let it sit for another 15 years.

I don't think I'll be restoring my chevelle anytime soon. I can protect it from the weather now. I have a building (not my garage) to store it in. I guess it can only go up in value (even though its not a SS). I plan on buying the different body parts I think I need before I start anything. Seems like you can get almost anything. I also have a big block 396 and a TH400 automatic to rebuild. I'm opting to have it restored by a pro. I'll get it on a trailer and haul it to a restoration shop to get some kind of bid. Maybe they can help with the body parts list. Thanks for the response.....