I’ll chime in on restoration shops, I believe many times the prices seem high because everything is easy from your desk, or your lazy boy. The people complaining have probably never worked with toxic chemicals or done physical labor, they see a part time gardener or ditch digger getting low hourly pay and assume everyone who works with their hands should too.
I personally had isocyanate issues from paint and can’t work with it anymore. (So I know that possible cost) As much as the prices will kill me to pay, when the time comes, I also understand just how much work goes into doing a car correctly. It’s not just the labor, it’s the knowledge , it’s the tools , it’s the storage, it’s the real estate to do it all and it’s the time chasing parts. Even myself I forget just how much time goes into it, because when it’s your own car some of that is already covered because it’s your home or your business expenses your already covering, plus parts chasing is kinda fun (well not for me but for some) a restoration shop has to roll all that cost into each car
That being said I have seen some absolutely outrageous prices (for a regular guy to pay) thrown out by some restoration shops, plus you’d be upside down even in a very valuable car. For some money isn’t an object and that’s where those prices come from the cost to KNOW a guys reputation and know how it’s gonna come out and not be sold or stolen, or in auto body jail is well worth being upside down. Give it a few years the market will catch up anyway, right.
So there’s a little of both out there I guess depends which person you are what category you fall into. The old saying holds true there’s an azz for every seat nothings changed it always has and always will suck for those without the coin for the finer things in life and high end muscle cars have turned into the finer things in life.
I’m just happy I bought mine in the late 80s and early 90s just wish I’d bought all the parts I needed then too. Still glad I raced the heck out of them though.
That’s my .02 cents and it’s probably only worth .01 at best ��
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