I get to keep my arm and leg. They're ONLY doing the frame, nothing else. They've given me a quote before of ~$400, so I'm figuring ~$600.
Really, $600 for a straight frame is worth it. These are some of the best guys in the area, and were reccomended to me by many people (including a local car dealer, who is a cheap bastid so they must be cheap and do a good job).
I got a deal to get it hauled for $65 (each way) by a local junkyard owner on his roll-back. So ~$700 and I'll have her ready for nuts + bolts.
I know I'm spending more money than I planned... but inch by inch I'm getting closer.
They called today. Seems the DS rail was beyond repair. I went and got
a new rail section. Cost $100 from the junkyard. The shop quoted me at
$650 with straightening the PS rail and putting on the new DS one. I
won't be able to afford to bring her home until NEXT Friday
Costing more than expected, taking longer than anticipated... just like any project.
I'd help you but just be me touching it would almost automaticly add 1 year onto the rebuild. for some reason everything I do ends up being a huge project.
My Yota I bought is now going onto a month(or more) and the head is still not back on. I found out not only was the head gasket bad but the head was worped and pitted beond repair. Found a new head had it looked at, went to put it on just to find out some of the bolt holes holding the cam on were stripped. Brought it back to the shop had it fixed and its been in the back of my RUNNING FOCUS(sorry had to) sence monday. Hopefully It will come to life tomorrow andthan I can start on the interior and get it registerd andinspected next week. We'll see.
We won't talk about my 72 project truck that has been waiting sence 2000 for a restore and I got about 85% of the front end appart nevermind the rest of it.
And just last night I spent 2.3 hours installing a danm AC unit into me freekin condo.
But...... Its all fun right.... And a great way to kill some time... As long as you like doing it that is.
Yeah it seems like every time I turn around the project needs more $$.
I got the car thinking "I can have this thing done in a month". Now
it's like "I hope I can get it done by the end of the summer". Oh well.
Once it's done (which it never will truly be done- just in different
stages of completion) I'll have a Focus again.
So far it's cost me as follows (prices approximate):
Car- $1500
Radiator + support: $50 (got a steal)
Fenders: $135
Lower rad. support: $60
Structural bumper: $50
Bumper cover: $65
Frame section: $100
Gas to get all the stuff: $100
Towing: $165
Lights: $65
Grille: $25
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Total so far: $2315
I still have to get:
Fan: $45
Hood: $150
Hoses + belt: $70 (getting the kit from JCW with the blue hoses and belt)
Frame straightening: $650
Windshield: $300
Keys: $220 (streetkeys.com)
Motor mount: $50
Battery: $60
Other misc stuff (bolts, shit like that): $100
Tow home from frame shop: $65
_____________________________
Other stuff I need to get: $1710
Grand total: $4025 (aaaaagh!) I applaud myself for getting suckered
into this one. I probably could've gotten a running + driving Focus for
that I've got too much in to get out now.
I owe a little over $4900 on my sedan and thats what I want to sell it
for. Also there is a shop here and 90% of there work is fixing totaled
Focuses they get from insurance companies and they do a buy-here
pay-here 0% intrest, but he charges full retail as if the car was not
totaled.
But hey... You get the experience and if anything brakes you already
know how to fix it. Nothing like knowing a car so well that when you
hear or see(someone elses) somthing brake you crings and say "yep
that's $200" in stead of saying "woops. That sounded expensive"
That's very true. I probably already have worked on a lot of things
that most people haven't. How many people know how to take off their
radiator supports? I could probably remove the radiator in an hour now
instead of being afraid to even attempt it. Let me tell ya, taking the
fenders off was a MAJOR pita. When I get my new fenders in I'm gonna do
a how-to about it so people know how to do it. It took me forever to
figure it out- and I bent the hell out of them (they were already
pretty bent so no big deal) just trying to find all the bolts!
Regardless of the cost, I'm getting an experience that noone can take
away. This is my first true project- everything else was just practise.
The biggest thing I've learned so far is that you can't be afraid to
screw up. When you get that fear of screwing up, you stop yourself from
doing things you could easily do. If you screw up, you screw up! Buy a
new part and start over.
. for some reason everything I do ends up being a huge project.
(sorry had to) sence monday. Hopefully It will come to life tomorrow andthan I can start on the interior and get it registerd andinspected next week. We'll see.