Local shop to finish Cobra?

[twobjshelbys]

Kits of all kinds are based on the premise that your labor is free. I built a couple of Heathkit color TV sets way back when. Even if I took my labor from unpacking to sitting in front of the TV watching it (it had fabulous color becuase I dialed it in myself) at a rate of the 1970's minimum wage, I would still have been money ahead if I'd just gone to the local place and bought a TV set. You need to carefully weigh the expense of hiring someone to finish the kit who is certainly going to charge you an hourly labor rate far more than minimum wage. If he doesn't then he's not doing the work and is having some high school kid do it instead and the quality, even if he is supervising, will show it. You will be paying a premium price for a commodity build. It's the same logic that says those $100,000 frame off restorations of classic cars are always better bought finished than doing it yourself. You are highly likely to be money ahead in abandoning the kit and buying someone else's kit already finished (or stepping up to a higher grade product for the difference).

(I know that the experienced folks were already thinking this but I know what a horse looks like when I see one.)

[joyridin']

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

Kits of all kinds are based on the premise that your labor is free. I built a couple of Heathkit color TV sets way back when. Even if I took my labor from unpacking to sitting in front of the TV watching it (it had fabulous color becuase I dialed it in myself) at a rate of the 1970's minimum wage, I would still have been money ahead if I'd just gone to the local place and bought a TV set. You need to carefully weigh the expense of hiring someone to finish the kit who is certainly going to charge you an hourly labor rate far more than minimum wage. If he doesn't then he's not doing the work and is having some high school kid do it instead and the quality, even if he is supervising, will show it. You will be paying a premium price for a commodity build. It's the same logic that says those $100,000 frame off restorations of classic cars are always better bought finished than doing it yourself. You are highly likely to be money ahead in abandoning the kit and buying someone else's kit already finished (or stepping up to a higher grade product for the difference).

(I know that the experienced folks were already thinking this but I know what a horse looks like when I see one.)

I just got into an argument on a Facebook page about this very thing. 1967 GTO for $9500 that needed a trunk pan and floor pan, complete interior done along with the dash needing refinished, all new brakes and lines, didn't run with wrong engine, and paint, but looked in decent shape. I guesstimated $15k if you could do all the work yourself and at least 2-3 times that if you had to pay somebody. It was laughable reading all the people reply on how I was crazy it would cost that much. Newbies...I can buy a really nice 67 GTO with a 4 speed for $25-35k and drive it to a car show on the way home!

[hauss]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

Kits of all kinds are based on the premise that your labor is free. I built a couple of Heathkit color TV sets way back when. Even if I took my labor from unpacking to sitting in front of the TV watching it (it had fabulous color becuase I dialed it in myself) at a rate of the 1970's minimum wage, I would still have been money ahead if I'd just gone to the local place and bought a TV set. You need to carefully weigh the expense of hiring someone to finish the kit who is certainly going to charge you an hourly labor rate far more than minimum wage. If he doesn't then he's not doing the work and is having some high school kid do it instead and the quality, even if he is supervising, will show it. You will be paying a premium price for a commodity build. It's the same logic that says those $100,000 frame off restorations of classic cars are always better bought finished than doing it yourself. You are highly likely to be money ahead in abandoning the kit and buying someone else's kit already finished (or stepping up to a higher grade product for the difference).

(I know that the experienced folks were already thinking this but I know what a horse looks like when I see one.)

I was a high school kid once and a dam good mechanic. Just depends on witch high school mechanic.