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CSfan

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Anyone know of this CSi?:

I'm really trying to estimate the finish cost. Any opinion would be greatly appreciated. I've restored a few Porsche's in my lifetime and know for a fact everything always go over budget. I'm just trying to gauge a realistic starting point and budget from there $. Last thing I want is to have a project sit around which I hate. I'm just addicted to finishing anything I start and not let it sit around. This is the sellers reply:

The CSI is ready for a body shop to paint although here is a breakdown of what is needed to finish>>>

Complete paint job >$1,800 This is about mid-range for a driving car, no higher than $2,500.
New windshield. $225
New rubber seals,
doors hood >> $150-200 Many are making this seals again.
Interior carpet kit. Cheap
Headliner Cheap
New seat upholstery
if you change it >>> $1000 Many are selling OEM leather kits some from Germany
Total $3,025

Miscellaneous Max low $3,500
Paint shops>> Max high 5,000


All the above is the work of a good body shop only.
By the way, where are you located?
If you are serious and you want to call me after 2:00pm>>
Bob Morgan
805-566-9154


I've also included his number just encase anyone else is interested. (No offense Bob , If your reading this)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...00524552579&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:MOTORS:1123

If the link does not work the EBAY ITEM number is: 300524552579

(I've also e-mail Carl Nelson for a guesstimate but have not heard back yet)
 
Paint job depends on the condition of the car before starting. Mine, as an example, had some minor/moderate rust, and I got a stripe painted on. This totaled out to be ~7500$. Granted, it is a superb paint job, but that should give you an idea depending on how far you want to take it. Just the paint was ~3k.

Windshield varies depending on how original you want to be. I've seen them go for up to 500$.

Rubber seals are where the guy is on something. I've spent more than 1k just on rubber. Doors are ~400$ each, full windows are ~500$/side, trunk/hood seems to vary.

Interior carpet kit cost varies heavily with where you get it. The only guys that come to mind that are still making carpet for the E9 is World Upholstery or Gahh. Mine was ~250$, although I got it years ago at this point.

The rest of the interior is a bit of a wild card since we don't get to see it. Any idea what the wood is like? Bad wood is another couple k to fix, unless you do it yourself. Is it an AC car?

I'm sure the others will chime in with additional observations.
 
There was a long thread about this car somewhere, IMHO he paints a rosy picture of what it would cost to bring this car up to nice drive and show condition, my thought is with some of the unknowns involved it could cost several to 4 or 5 times whats he's qouting to finish this.
Ernest
 
In my opinion you need to more than double the high estimate. There are lots of parts but how many of them are in a condition that you could just hang them on the car? For example:

windshield 500
door seals (all, 3 per side) 840
front w/s seal 165
vent window seals 70
bumper rub strips 220
hood and side grilles (black) 370
hood/trunk seals 180

Over $2300 w/o tax and this is just for starters. Great basis to start with but much left to complete.
 
CSfan said:
Anyone know of this CSi?:

I'm really trying to estimate the finish cost. (
Click to expand...


Agree with all the above comments.
It depends on what you want the finished product to look like ?
If you want it to Shine glitter and sparkle I say easy $20 to $25k...
If you don't mind cheapo paint, used Ebay interior, old chrome and putting back old parts maybe 5 to 7k ? Maybe less ?
If the body shell is as good as advertised then you have an excellent foundation to work with. For about 40k you stand to have a MINT RUST FREE COUPE in your choice of color and interior finish.

PS.. To the seller...You did all that beautiful work and then represent the car with crappy scans from old pictures !! ......For Gods sakes man, Post some proper pictures of that coupe .
 
CSfan said:
I'm really trying to estimate the finish cost. Any opinion would be greatly appreciated. .... here is a breakdown of what is needed to finish>>>

Complete paint job >$1,800 This is about mid-range for a driving car, no higher than $2,500.
New windshield. $225
New rubber seals,
doors hood >> $150-200 Many are making this seals again.
Interior carpet kit. Cheap
Headliner Cheap
.....Total $3,025

.(I've also e-mail Carl Nelson for a guesstimate but have not heard back yet)
Click to expand...

CSfan:

With all respect, those numbers are way way low. Prices like the ones you propose haven't been available since that CSi was new.

Painting a car for $2,500 just isn't going to happen. Go to an automotive paint store, and get a quote for just the materials needed for a complete repaint: primer, paint, reducer, handener, clearcoat. That alone will consume most of your budget before accounting for any labor.

As HB Chris wrote, e9 rubber is quite pricey.

Headliner, carpet - cheap? Well, yea, the materials are cheap, but the experienced hands needed to install them are not.

Also add to your budget all of the incidentals needed to put any car back on the road: tires, belts, hoses, exhaust, alignment, fluids, etc. etc. None of these are that much by themselves, but add them all up and you will be surprised. Buying a car piece-by-piece gets expensive.

The ebay seller wrote: "Once finished for less than $25K ....". Actually, I will agree with him that it is possible to put a presentable e9 on the road for $25K - you just can't do it by starting with a partially-finished car costing $19,750.

By all means talk with Carl Nelson. Peter Sliskovich too. Their prices will represent the other end of the spectrum, but they do have a lot of experience in restoring e9's.

Note that the ebay auction ended with no bids - this illustrates something about economics of classic car restoration. Unfortunately, no matter how much you have invested in a project, and no matter how much the car would be worth completed, unfinished projects just don't fetch that much. As a seller, you have to either complete the car before attempting to sell it, or accept that you are going to receive far less than the amount you have sunk into the project.
 
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Conversation Piece!

Hi:
I also have a conversation piece,a 66 2000CS parked in my garage for the last three or more years while my 2009 BMW 128! sits in the bad New England weather.
I,like you thought that I could take a rust free body and complete a restoration for under $10K.WRONG! I am about 80% finished and I have over $15000 into the restoration cost. The only outside work has been the paint job, two rebuit calipers and fine tuning of the two carbs which I have yet to know the cost. The engine and tranny bebuilt,all mechanical work and dash redo were all done by my son. The interior of the trunk and the two rear belt moldings were polished by me. The original seat fabric was found in Germany and cut to the original pattern by me. I than sent the two front seats to a upholstery shop and completely redone for $800 and the rear have yet to be done,estimate $500 for the rear. Complete new front and rear suspension. I did replace the floor pans just because of surface rust. The front left wing belt trim was new and because I had 4 or 5 extras I was able to make the two doors and turn and trim the ends of the left front belt molding to fit the front right wing saving quite a bit and all for being new. The two bumpers must be rechromed and most everything else is ready for reassembling. I forgot to mention that I met a person who had just scrapped a 2000CS and had a complete carpet set still in the box and also a complete OEM rubber set that contained everyrubber piece needed along with two enamel piller roundels brand new. All this plus many other parts and he wanted them storage space and said he did not want any thing for them. I would not take any of it without compensating him so I wrote a check and forced it on him.
I did not mention the first 2000CS I started and after about $5000 in parts etc. I ended up using for a parts car. This $5000 is not included in the $15000 mentioned above.
No, there is NO WAY a car that old can be restored for any less than the amount that I have listed and have it so you can be a proud owner.
Harry
 
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