Russo & Steele
- Thread starter LHP3RD
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link to the car:
http://www.russoandsteele.com/collector-car/1966-Sunbeam-Tiger/9851
IIRC this car was on ebay a couple of times.. think they were asking somewhere between 55-60 IIRC.. was a fresh resto.. and i think randy had said he had seen the extensive work carried out to remove rust during the resto?
http://www.russoandsteele.com/collector-car/1966-Sunbeam-Tiger/9851
IIRC this car was on ebay a couple of times.. think they were asking somewhere between 55-60 IIRC.. was a fresh resto.. and i think randy had said he had seen the extensive work carried out to remove rust during the resto?
AHudson777
Silver forum user
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Wow. That, my Tiger brethren, appeared to be a heck of a buy.
If someone GAVE you a Tiger and your next stop was a restoration shop worthy of the job, the bill would be more than that. Amazing.
If someone GAVE you a Tiger and your next stop was a restoration shop worthy of the job, the bill would be more than that. Amazing.
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Them Costs
From a restorers focal point, those man-hours invested to do a job correctly add up incredibly fast & painful. When you consider that the goal is to gently save the dead and make it all new again, very few can afford to outright hire the job done. Which is why we have so many part-time projects stored in cubby holes around here. Every now and then the owners can free up some of the kids college funds and we move ahead a bit. Occasionally a marraige will fail in mid project leaving the Rootes critter in limbo . . . . . . . . . . .
From a restorers focal point, those man-hours invested to do a job correctly add up incredibly fast & painful. When you consider that the goal is to gently save the dead and make it all new again, very few can afford to outright hire the job done. Which is why we have so many part-time projects stored in cubby holes around here. Every now and then the owners can free up some of the kids college funds and we move ahead a bit. Occasionally a marraige will fail in mid project leaving the Rootes critter in limbo . . . . . . . . . . .
TigerBlue
Gold forum user
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Value added or Elephant in the room
Buy a complete, recently restored car you really like!
I think you may have to compromise some on what details you think make up your ideal Tiger and change them later or not?
You will save a ton of money.
It is not the economy. As the dear 0ne said. Craftsmanship is very expensive. No way around that and if you cannot compromise or do it yourself you will pay. Start to finish you will have more invested than the car is worth to anyone else.
Buy a complete, recently restored car you really like!
I think you may have to compromise some on what details you think make up your ideal Tiger and change them later or not?
You will save a ton of money.
It is not the economy. As the dear 0ne said. Craftsmanship is very expensive. No way around that and if you cannot compromise or do it yourself you will pay. Start to finish you will have more invested than the car is worth to anyone else.
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100% on the money... the trick is to buy a car where there is good documentation of whats under that paint and how it was done.. or from a well known restorer who you know will have done it right... the various personalisations will cost peanuts in comparison to bodywork.
russo and steele
if you take a look at the photos of my restoration of a rust free but dented body, i can tell you what it takes to restore a sunbeam even if it is an alpine. the front suspension has been rebuilt and also the rearend and springs along with many other things. he doesn't work every day on jobs such as this so it all started in march of 2009. when the body is done they will paint it,install the suspension,crash pad,windshield,windows and top frame. the interior has a SS kit ready to snap in and the engine,trans, all mechanicals and hydraulics have either been rebuilt or replaced with new including a new wiring harness. when done i'm sure i could have bought a real nice tiger. but we will know what is under the paint.
if you take a look at the photos of my restoration of a rust free but dented body, i can tell you what it takes to restore a sunbeam even if it is an alpine. the front suspension has been rebuilt and also the rearend and springs along with many other things. he doesn't work every day on jobs such as this so it all started in march of 2009. when the body is done they will paint it,install the suspension,crash pad,windshield,windows and top frame. the interior has a SS kit ready to snap in and the engine,trans, all mechanicals and hydraulics have either been rebuilt or replaced with new including a new wiring harness. when done i'm sure i could have bought a real nice tiger. but we will know what is under the paint.
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Pro-Con-Pro-forever
Can't express how many times I've started the lecture with newbies who show up with the family rust bucket, some dollars and the dream. Mixing money and emotion is close to fools play, but we've all been there. The expressions on the faces after the initial tear down shows what's really hiding under the paint creates denial and a "firm" request for an "estimate" (ain't possible and won't happen). Most projects die or get postponed at this point. The incredible man-hours and talent to bring the body back from Mom Nature's grasp is financially crippling. The rest is nuts & bolts, but still man-hours, paid for or personal. In the end, whether months or years, that first good ride thru the gears as the bugs are worked out brings an expression of calm & emotion (I see it every single time). Life's short, so eat some ice cream once in a while . . . . . . . .
Can't express how many times I've started the lecture with newbies who show up with the family rust bucket, some dollars and the dream. Mixing money and emotion is close to fools play, but we've all been there. The expressions on the faces after the initial tear down shows what's really hiding under the paint creates denial and a "firm" request for an "estimate" (ain't possible and won't happen). Most projects die or get postponed at this point. The incredible man-hours and talent to bring the body back from Mom Nature's grasp is financially crippling. The rest is nuts & bolts, but still man-hours, paid for or personal. In the end, whether months or years, that first good ride thru the gears as the bugs are worked out brings an expression of calm & emotion (I see it every single time). Life's short, so eat some ice cream once in a while . . . . . . . .
russo and steele
back in 1994 doug started on the wife's old alpine. when it came back in the nude we found many holes under the lead plus many other problems. he told us to find him a rust free car and we would start from there. rick at SS found us one that belonged to a customer of his for about 18 years. he drove it every day, but appeared to be rust free which it was. one thing none of us knew and i found out from a conversation with the previous bay area owner was that it had been crashed in 1970. when doug started to pull the front crossmember, he found a bent left front frame rail that was never fixed. what they had done was to cut the fender and sheet metal off and installed a new fender. they also elongated the holes in the front crossmember to line everything up to the frame rail. it drove great! everything on the front came loose and welcome to the frame rack. time we didn't expect but anyone that knows the wife's blue car knows doug did it right! i have to agree with randy that anyone that wants a firm estimate to restore a car might as well forget it and drive it. the car we are restoring now had doors and trunk that we thought could be better. money we didn't expect to spend but we found better. just like the fender repair section we bought from randy rather than work the dents out and spend time repairing the holes someone drilled many years ago to secure the filler. all the unexpected pays off in the long run but there always is something else that pops up before you're done. even though he termed the new harrington a nice body i tell the wife he hasn't started on it yet.
back in 1994 doug started on the wife's old alpine. when it came back in the nude we found many holes under the lead plus many other problems. he told us to find him a rust free car and we would start from there. rick at SS found us one that belonged to a customer of his for about 18 years. he drove it every day, but appeared to be rust free which it was. one thing none of us knew and i found out from a conversation with the previous bay area owner was that it had been crashed in 1970. when doug started to pull the front crossmember, he found a bent left front frame rail that was never fixed. what they had done was to cut the fender and sheet metal off and installed a new fender. they also elongated the holes in the front crossmember to line everything up to the frame rail. it drove great! everything on the front came loose and welcome to the frame rack. time we didn't expect but anyone that knows the wife's blue car knows doug did it right! i have to agree with randy that anyone that wants a firm estimate to restore a car might as well forget it and drive it. the car we are restoring now had doors and trunk that we thought could be better. money we didn't expect to spend but we found better. just like the fender repair section we bought from randy rather than work the dents out and spend time repairing the holes someone drilled many years ago to secure the filler. all the unexpected pays off in the long run but there always is something else that pops up before you're done. even though he termed the new harrington a nice body i tell the wife he hasn't started on it yet.
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Out shined a whole bunch
There's a couple of ancient restorers near me who do the early 20's -40's stuff in a quality fashion to be admired with your mouth open. Neither one is much for conversation above an occasional grunt, but what rolls out of their shops always stops traffic. I happened to be within earshot when a stubborn customer kept digging in his heels for a firm dollar cost. He was defeated when the old buck asked him to define the difference between "repair" & "restore"?
There's a couple of ancient restorers near me who do the early 20's -40's stuff in a quality fashion to be admired with your mouth open. Neither one is much for conversation above an occasional grunt, but what rolls out of their shops always stops traffic. I happened to be within earshot when a stubborn customer kept digging in his heels for a firm dollar cost. He was defeated when the old buck asked him to define the difference between "repair" & "restore"?
Mo Money
I have had three cars go thru complete nut and bolt rotisserie restorations, and I lerned that if you ask for an estimate, take the dollar amount and double it to start, and triple the time to finish
It is something that makes no sense, it is pure passion, and the crazy thing is I'm looking for a good Tiger body to start another
I have had three cars go thru complete nut and bolt rotisserie restorations, and I lerned that if you ask for an estimate, take the dollar amount and double it to start, and triple the time to finish
It is something that makes no sense, it is pure passion, and the crazy thing is I'm looking for a good Tiger body to start another