Restored vehicles

[Sebastian21]

It is asked how much it cost to restore a vehicle. It costs between 40000 to 100000 dollars. In the last two years I have bought two "restored" vehicles. I got two pigs with lipstick. On both vehicles nothing was done correct. Amatures did both. I had to rebuild every single thing. They did everthing wrong, from using three different size main bearings, wrong gasket material, and the one single item using the the wrong bolts. All of them use cheap hardware bolts where grade bolts are necessary. If you want it done correct you have to pay a skilled mechanic to do it right. You have to know what after market parts are correct. Often aftermarket oil pumps are better then factory while other pumps are junk. If you do not know your parts you project will turn in to a pig with lipstick. When I get done the vehicle is factoy new with ever single part inspected. When you try to sell it you lose money as you never get what you have in it.

[51 CJ3]

I don’t see where 3 different main bearing sizes are a problem as long as they are the correct size for the location being used. There is no point in turning parts down to a smaller size when it isn’t needed. As far as the other items, it helps to look at something before you buy it. I’ve been bitten a few times because my lust to have overrode simple common sense.

[51 CJ3]

... and the one single item using the the wrong bolts. All of them use cheap hardware bolts where grade bolts are necessary...

I agree this is a bad thing but what got me to come back was: Where do you find out what grade to use? Using a grade 8 in place of a grade 5 or vise versa really isn't any better than using cheap ungraded hardware.

I am reminded of a homebuilt aircraft accident I heard about several years ago. A couple of guys ran into some trouble in the air and struggled to get the airplane safely on the ground. They discovered the grade 5 bolts they used to hold the wings on were bent so they elected to install grade 8 bolts. The next time they had trouble, instead of bending, the bolts snapped and the resulting crash killed them both. Airplane hardware is a bit more critical than jeep hardware but I feel there is a good point to that story.

[pelago]

I am a novice in this endeavor, the last things i worked on were two old vehicles in the 60's long ago. 1935 ford pick up and 1932 Graham Paige to be precise, did not finish them and went into the Marines and my mother sold them.....
However, I have tried to accomplish a rebuild of my M38A1 correctly, a frame up restoration, and all parts and pieces are correct, lots of new suspension, new pumps, new carb. the enigine is back in the frame, and it was running when the vehicle was last used a while back, and i feel it will start up and run fine..... my total outlay for pieces and parts and the two jeeps that i obtained for those pieces and parts including all new items is 4596.86 us dollars, all labor with the exception of sand blasting and removing old u joints from drive shafts all done myself