Thought I would share a story of a restoration:

[67 GT350]

Years ago, I bought a car, it was a basket case! It needed everything!

It began like this, a Body Shop owner came over to my house, where he looked it over and gave me an idea how much it would cost to do bodywork/paint. To which we both agreed that he could start anytime. We got a date for picking up the car and taking it to the shop.

The car was dissembled and the body sat in his shop for about 6 months, to which he called me one day and admitted that the metalwork was over his head, he told me he had an idea. There was a guy in our town who was a fabricator for one of the NASCAR race teams and he was at his shop looking over the car where he stated he could do all the metal work it needed, I agreed to it and transported the car to his shop. His work was fantastic and attention to detail was top notch and he did the work in about 6 months....(remember this, we are at a YEAR now).

The car was brought back to the 1st guy, and to make a long story short, it sat, untouched, for about 4 years plus a few months, we will call it 4 years. (remember that, now we are up to FIVE YEARS)

I pulled the car out and brought it back to my house, I was done with him. Maybe another 6 months went by and I found another guy who said, if all the metal work is done, I can finish it for you, at this point all the panels were lined up very nicely, easy! RIGHT? The car was delivered to his shop, where it was dissembled and where the welds were and other areas it was cleaned up. The body guy then called me and said, "I lost interest in doing the car for you, come and get it out of the ship, BTW you owe me $#%&@.00 (remember this we can add up the time to SIX YEARS).

The car was back at my home where no panels lined up anymore, it was just a sad looking rust free car! I thought of giving up and just getting out of it, but I did not. Some might say, "It will get done, when it gets done!" "The whining and moaning is getting old on this topic"  "Feel free to take it and do it yourself"... Family members would come over for Christmas Eve dinner and see the car in the basement and ask how is the car coming? Friends would as the same. I was so bothered that I almost traded a 65 Shelby GT350 FAKE for it, but I didn't. I am sure that many who came over to the house thought, "Ha, he will never get that car done."

Then I found a restoration shop in our area, they came over and looked the car over and said, yes we can take it and finish it, even take care of the mechanical work, in other words, I would be able to drive it home from their shop! How refreshing! After 2 years of it sitting, they told me they were is some sort of "trouble" and needed to clear out the cars in the shop, they brought it back along with about 20 boxes of stuff. They had it for 2 years. Just to add, I did not find out until a few years later that I was missing many unique parts to the engine, and had not recourse due to the time. (remember, we are now at EIGHT YEARS)

In about 3 years, I thought I would call a guy who restored many cars over the years and I knew of his work first hand, I was not sure he even did that anymore. He told me he does work for people that he knows and that he would do my car. I should have just thought of him in the first place, but thought the cost would be way too high. (The real cost was not just paying the money to the right guy). Anyway, he picked up the car and in a little over a year, it was done! (SO, total restoration work was just over TWELVE YEARS). I will be always thankful for this person who said he could do it and he did!

It is very good to be: patient, PERSISTENT, and keep asking questions, (Where is this? Where is that? Why is this not further along? When can I expect it?). It worked out and the car is now finished....I thought of this story as I am patiently, persistently, AND have been asking, When we can expect the 1967 Registry?

[Bigfoot]

Enjoy driving it.

[deathsled]

That is a great story of persistence. I get motivated when I read stories like this. That car is an important part of your life that traveled along with you while your personal life motored on and waited to be finished. That day eventually arrived.

[shelbymann1970]

Have you posted before and after pics yet? I decided to learn at a young age to restore these cars and farming out what I needed to. My 70 vert was my longest time frame tearing apart the car in 1996 and effectively finishing it for the 100 years Ford show in 2003. Outer body and paint was what I waited on but painted my engine bay, underside and trunk in my attached garage on a rotisserie(1st and LAST time doing that).  MY 68 only took me a couple of years buying as a basket case Dec of 2006 and done by summer of 2009. Nothing like a finished fresh car. Enjoy. Gary

[Side-Oilers]

67 GT350:  I learned the hard way, like you did.  Lost a lot of parts, time and $$$.  All those cars you see in shops that are pushed up against the walls and never seem to move...that happened to me, a long time ago. 

I vowed "never again."

So, when I had my KR brought back to life after about 30 years of sitting, I found a local muscle car resto shop that got great reviews.  Met the guys, and told them that I have owned a ton of muscle cars, restored several, and that I understood what it takes. 

My first question was: "When do you have time in your schedule to do this car, start to finish?  And I mean working on it every possible day."

After they looked at their calendar and gave me a date we agreed on, I said that I will be coming by the shop at the end of every week, to see what had been accomplished.  They were okay with that.  (They ought to be okay with it, but you know how cranky some shops are.)

It got so that I was going by every few days, and became friends with the owner and the Ford-loving tech who was exclusively doing my car. 

They eventually let me work on the car with him, when I wanted to, as I had proven to be a "dream customer" who understands what it takes to restore a classic car: I know my sh!t about the cars I own. I can knowledgeably turn a wrench, help troubleshoot problems, and will search for hours online for parts.  I'm a nice and reasonable guy.   I understand the challenges of running a shop.  I pay on time.  I even buy lunch occasionally.

Then end result is that I got my car done to my liking, pretty much on-time (the usual problems with parts shipments, etc.)  In the years since, I have taken four of my other cars to the same shop for varying levels of work.  Always the same best-possible outcome.


I've remodeled several houses over the past 30+ years.  The exact same things for a happy outcome apply there.  Go to the jobsite every day.  Get to know the guys, not just the contractor.  Understand the process. Follow along with the work. Pound a few nails. Troubleshoot with them.  Help with the solution.  Be a reasonable guy.  Pay on time.

That's what's always worked for me.

Yes, there will still be unforeseen problems, delays, cost-overruns and frustrations. But, at least you're 100% in the loop and not just the hapless check-writing victim who wonders why is it taking so long. 

Congrats on persevering and making it out the other side.  Please post some pix! 

[tonys_shelby]

Thanks for telling your story and it does also give us something to be thankful for that we found people along the way to help us with our projects. I also have had to be persistent with a couple shops to make sure things were good to get completed ( Shelbyman1970 knows what im talking about) but it works.

[Royce Peterson]

Just to be sure that people understand - body shops are great at doing bodywork. They don't do well at disassembly or reassembly or restorations.

Way too many people bring totally assembled cars to body shops for restoration. This normally results in severe disappointment and wasted time.

[Greg]

Unfortunately, the lesson you learned is one that a lot of folks learn.  It starts with WOW, I'm not paying $100/hr to have my car done when Joe Blow (insurance body shop) can do it for $40/hr.  The shock of the high $$$ makes a person seek alternatives and thats where the trouble begins. 

I don't think its a "I'm cheap" mentality but "man, the price variance is to great not to at least give them a try".  Unfortunately, the insurance body shop guys are "turn and burn" and thats how they make their money.  A lengthy restoration is not their forte but they "want to" because they are car guys.  Always stick with a specialist even at the higher cost.

I am glad you got it completed and happy with the result. 

[kkupec02]

Glad you finally got it done. I empathize with you

[oldcanuck]

It is very good to be: patient, PERSISTENT, and keep asking questions, (Where is this? Where is that? Why is this not further along? When can I expect it?). It worked out and the car is now finished....I thought of this story as I am patiently, persistently, AND have been asking, When we can expect the 1967 Registry?

Yes, there will still be unforeseen problems, delays, cost-overruns and frustrations. But, at least you're 100% in the loop and not just the hapless check-writing victim who wonders why is it taking so long.

I'm no rocket surgeon, but ..... I can't help but thinking that there is a moral to this story......

[FL SAAC Team Leader]

Simply put THAT SUCKS and this happens to often. May I add improvise, adapt, and overcome. Possibly neutralize

[shelbymann1970]

My experience was an eye opener and would never recommend having a shop perform a complete nut and bolt restoration as opposed to buying a car that was already finished. It's really not worth it unless for sentimental reasons.

While I never had a shop do a complete resto(I farm out some paint and body work and engine machining) I am also leery of buying a car completely done. When my car is done and I oversaw it I know what went into it as I did most of the work. Can you trust all of the shops out there that their work is always done right? We know the shops pretty much that do them right but how many horror stories of cars not being done right and not long after the resto the ugliness shows through? Gary

[roddster]

All I get out of this is why I will never drop my car off anywhere to get some serious work done.
Like that old commercial "I'd rather do it myself".

[67 GT350]

My experience was an eye opener and would never recommend having a shop perform a complete nut and bolt restoration as opposed to buying a car that was already finished. It's really not worth it unless for sentimental reasons.

While I never had a shop do a complete resto(I farm out some paint and body work and engine machining) I am also leery of buying a car completely done. When my car is done and I oversaw it I know what went into it as I did most of the work. Can you trust all of the shops out there that their work is always done right? We know the shops pretty much that do them right but how many horror stories of cars not being done right and not long after the resto the ugliness shows through? Gary

I think it comes down to know your restoration shop....

[shelbymann1970]

My experience was an eye opener and would never recommend having a shop perform a complete nut and bolt restoration as opposed to buying a car that was already finished. It's really not worth it unless for sentimental reasons.

While I never had a shop do a complete resto(I farm out some paint and body work and engine machining) I am also leery of buying a car completely done. When my car is done and I oversaw it I know what went into it as I did most of the work. Can you trust all of the shops out there that their work is always done right? We know the shops pretty much that do them right but how many horror stories of cars not being done right and not long after the resto the ugliness shows through? Gary

I think it comes down to know your restoration shop....

+1  luckily there are top shops in the Shelby community for all years of Shelbys. Those here pretty much know who they are. My hobby has always been tinkering with cars. I enjoy putting cars together and knowing that I had a major hand in the finished product. As of right now I have been restoring(media blasting and restoring) many parts for a good friend's 68 Shelby. It will cut down on his resto costs a lot. His engine is now done by a local noted engine guy who does it at home and a good friend of his will handle paint and body work out of his shop. Gary