Restoration how much time?

its all about planning. if you can plan what to do once you have it apart and make all the right phone calls for parts, paint, cleaning, ect. you can have that done in a month depending on severity. I once stripped down a 316 in a weekend. next day had all the calls made for above mentioned next day. parts dropped off accordingly for repairs or paint when allowed. I then waited till I had all the parts and took a weekend to re assemble it. planning and dedication. Personally I dont start a project till the other one is finished.

Thanks for the input
my biggest thing is the funds to do it with i have i think 3 things now sitting and waiting for paint that i dont have the money for
when i start the money is put to the side for it but then the money is needed for some thing so i start some thing that does not need much money at that point and then i mave 3 or 4 thing sitting

Thanks

I never start a project unless I have the funds and the last project is finished because once I start I can't leave it alone and always figure extra $$$ for the surprise's. I can get the major work done quick but then spend a lot of time nit picking on the details. Winter is best because summer is too busy and when my boy's were small time was a big issue (and so was the $$$). Right now I have a Kawasaki liquid cooled v-twin "builder engine" waiting but no fund's to do it so I don't dare start on it cause it would drive me nut's to leave it partially finished.

sands said:

I have some GT i am working on. I have a 318 striped down to the frame. I have a bottom plow in primer. I have a 5B in parts and patching the tank. I have a tow behind bush hog changing the color on to JD. There are some other small thing too but the thing is i get into them and run out of time. I am married and have 2 young kids to help with. what i am getting at is how long do you think to redo a tractor from the frame up. All the metal work paint and repairs to get it done.

Thanks

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Time to complete a restoration is a function of money and free time. I am currently working on a 69 Camaro and it's beyond down to the frame, most of the sheet metal is missing from the car. If you look at the project from the complete picture it's way too big and expensive but if you break it down into small chunks it manageable and doesn't take food off the table. You should approach your 318 the same way. Budget some time in your life for it. I have to young boys my self, full time job, another degree I am pursuing so I know all about lack of time. I fit the Camaro in where I can and I do it where I can start and finish a small piece of it each time that way I do not feel like I am abandoning it in mid-stride. It's going to take me a long time to finish the car but it's what I do for my spare time not devoted to something else.

Now, for paint on your tractor, there have been lots of folks on here who have been successful at rattle can paint jobs. That's a good way to save $$ on a project. Are you trying to do a concours correct restoration and show this thing at Pebble Beach or are you looking for a nice looking tractor that will be used? If you are going to use it, then look for budget ways (not cheap, just fiscally smart/efficient) to complete the restoration.

Anyways good luck with your project. Stick with it. If you complete it, you will be among a small group of people who actually complete a restoration on something. I think that is a small population compared to the amount of people who actually start one. :trink39:

Bank on 2 years at least assuming you have the restoration money to do it, and based on your current time situation. here is the the equation:

1 Kid = 12 Months
2 Kids = 24 +- 6 Months
1 Wife = 6 Months

OR

1K + 1W = 18 Months
2K + 1W = 30 Months +- 6 Months

By the way, this is the equation for one tractor or project at a time, this does not account for multiple tangent projects like plows, sprayers, etc..

Glockem said:

Bank on 2 years at least assuming you have the restoration money to do it, and based on your current time situation. here is the the equation:

1 Kid = 12 Months
2 Kids = 24 +- 6 Months
1 Wife = 6 Months

OR

1K + 1W = 18 Months
2K + 1W = 30 Months +- 6 Months

By the way, this is the equation for one tractor or project at a time, this does not account for multiple tangent projects like plows, sprayers, etc..

Click to expand...

or you can take up the entire garage at one time and the wife will see you get the time so she can park in the garage sooner:trink40: slkpk

Since your in Fl painting this time of yr isn't problem as much as it is up here. Like the others said ONE project at a time. Multipule projects and you'll never get one done, well at least with me that's how it is.
Bugeting time and money is key and deciding just how much it needs and what is the end result your looking for, before you start. I stew on a project at least 6 months before I start so I'm straight on what I want. If you don't it'll be " I might as well do this or that " and WHAM out goes the budget and time line I set out with.
At this point if I were you finish the smallest and go from there.
Good Luck!

Well, I can whole heartily understand about kids, and family. We got to have guy time. I think of it this way: 80 per cent of the work in a restoration project comes from elbow grease.

A 10 dollar pack of 220 grit sand paper will go along way. For 8 bucks you can have 2 gallons of diesel fuel for cleaner. Never mind, I could go on with this.

Ok, just complete one piece at a time. Prolly the best and fastest way to get it done. What is important is that you are satisfied with the parts completed.

Dont wait for new paint to dry,... work on having the next parts prepared. You would be very surprized at what you can come up with in 3 hours a week.

Thats all, just a trickel. I do have a good amount of time in my resto., and would prolly have taken me about a year all togeather, with lots of slacking off in between.

You only got to do it once, so do it right, and have fun, enjoy it. Good luck!