[LawnboyKS]

Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

Just something for discussion, since another member brought up the idea of restoration of a Lawn Boy for hire. How much do you think Rick would change to do something like Bald-Guy, cityboy, or Lawnboy77 has done? (just for examples of what I consider excellent restorations, not to ignore others)

I've watched the show since it started, and some of the prices he gets seem INSANE, in my opinion.

If one went to him with a specific model, and took him pictures of what it SHOULD look like when finished, say a 6253.

Do we have any members in the Las Vegas area even? Would be sweet if someone just took one to him for fun. Lawn mowers in general in that part of the country would be few and far between, being in the desert there's not much mowing going on!

 

[bwdbrn1]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

Don't know about an LB, but if I remember right, didn't he charge one guy something like $6,500 to do one of those little three wheeled Bantam tractors, and it was even disassembled when the guy brought it in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YrxpdKvgvE

 

[LawnboyKS]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

Don't know about an LB, but if I remember right, didn't he charge one guy something like $6,500 to do one of those little three wheeled Bantam tractors, and it was even disassembled when the guy brought it in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YrxpdKvgvE

Yeah, I remember that one. I think he said he had to "add on a little extra" to the cost because it was totally disassembled too.

I've watched other shows where people tell what it costs to get something restored, like a pedal car for example, and I hear numbers like $300 to $600. Then Rick gets one to restore and he throws out $3,000! I wonder what he charged BEFORE he became "famous".

 

[Bilko]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

I often wonder about his prices myself. While I know he is in business to make money some of his prices seem very high. One thing I wonder is if they just through out those prices for the show, but actually have a real price they charge the customer. That would be a neat job to have just to see all the different things brought in.

 

[Small Fry]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

If you took a LB to Rick's it would come back with a crome handle and wheels, blade, etc. Just that puts the cost over the normal in the crazy zone.

 

[LawnboyKS]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

If you took a LB to Rick's it would come back with a crome handle and wheels, blade, etc. Just that puts the cost over the normal in the crazy zone.

True! But you can request it be restored to "original" just like it rolled out of the factory. I see them do more of that than anything.

 

[Austen]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

You have to remember though that it is a business so he has to pay his employees for their time, materials that are bought for the project, sometimes outsourcing specialists, paying for their time etc which all eventually adds up in the end.

I do sometimes wonder if he'll ever get an old lawnmower in to restore and what he would charge to do it.

 

[davidg]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

also keep in mind that his high prices come in when he has to make a new part to OEM spec because the original is NLA and there are no used ones to be found. anyone that spends the cash to have a LB professionally restored would almost be a fool to actually USE it, cause it's just going to get messed up again!

 

[LawnboyKS]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

Also a good point!

It cracks me up the number of "toys" people have restored for THOUSANDS of dollars that they claim they are going to give to their 4 year old kid to play with! I bet they re-think that before they even get home with it!

As for restored mowers, I think many that guys have done on here are "too nice to ever use" as well. I like to do a restoration, but I'm not going to make one PERFECT to the point that even running it is going to mar it. I'd rather have one that's "pretty" but I still feel comfortable using. I don't have room to build a display rack, behind glass, for some of the museum pieces that I've seen turned out on here! Though I'm not saying I wouldn't mind having that! Some day, some day...

 

[grnspot110]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

True! But you can request it be restored to "original" just like it rolled out of the factory. I see them do more of that than anything.

Like the IH pedal tractor he restored last week with "Fire Engine Red" paint, incorrect lettering & the rear tires on backwards? :banghead3

That owner asked for back to original paint!

He charged something like $2800 for it!

Also, about the Bantum, if I wanted an engine restored & it came out smoking as bad as the Bantum did, I'd expect my money back!!!!!!!!!

They do a lot of good work, but screw up some of it too! ~~ grnspot

 

[Lawnboy77]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

What network is this show on? Sounds like another good show that I have been missing. I agree with you guys, restoring machinery is very expensive, take for instance the classic car restorations, I watch cars on the Barrett-Jackson auctions go for money that barely covers the expense to paint the machine, much less all the rest of the overhead that goes into restoring a classic automobile.

 

[Dude11]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

Also, about the Bantum, if I wanted an engine restored & it came out smoking as bad as the Bantum did, I'd expect my money back!!!!!!!!!

They do a lot of good work, but screw up some of it too! ~~ grnspot

I was just impressed that it pulled that guy--At his size,I was waiting for the wheelie.:trink40:

 

[grnspot110]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

What network is this show on? Sounds like another good show that I have been missing. I agree with you guys, restoring machinery is very expensive, take for instance the classic car restorations, I watch cars on the Barrett-Jackson auctions go for money that barely covers the expense to paint the machine, much less all the rest of the overhead that goes into restoring a classic automobile.

I see it on History channel! ~~ grnspot

 

[The Commercial King]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

You have to remember though that it is a business so he has to pay his employees for their time, materials that are bought for the project, sometimes outsourcing specialists, paying for their time etc which all eventually adds up in the end.

I do sometimes wonder if he'll ever get an old lawnmower in to restore and what he would charge to do it.

Another thing is he acts like he knows everything about an item . But in reality there is probably countless hours of just research to make an item original or close to.

 

[esnb74]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

Like the IH pedal tractor he restored last week with "Fire Engine Red" paint, incorrect lettering & the rear tires on backwards? :banghead3

Glad to know I wasn't the the only one that noticed all that stuff. He hand lettered it when he could have bought the decals. It would have been original like the customer wanted and looked much better.

 

[Hugh-SS/16]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

I like Ricks work (for the most part) and I like the show, but I have seen many members on here who do better work.

 

[s10lowrider1994]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

I like watching the show and he does some cool stuff but he's not that good at what he does. He cuts A LOT of corners and outsources all kinds of things that most restoration shops can do in house. Dont get me wrong he and his crew have talent, it just seems that the price and execution of the task dont always match up. Anyway I love watching him give the price to customers because you can tell he's full of poop sometimes. It's like he has to convince himself and the customer that it's worth what he estimates to do the job.

I'd be tempted to take him a LB if I lived in Vegas though as I'd like to see the price and if it was reasonable I'd like to compare his work to mine and some of the other resto guys on this board. I'd bet some of us garage dwellers would give him a run for his money.

 

[Austen]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

Another thing is he acts like he knows everything about an item . But in reality there is probably countless hours of just research to make an item original or close to.

That too. It always kind of reminds me how Rick on Pawn Stars gives all the history about the items he gets in as well.

I'd be tempted to take him a LB if I lived in Vegas though as I'd like to see the price

Yeah, I've always thought along those same lines too and have wondered just out of plain old curiousity what he'd charge to redo the Speedway.

 

[Kbeitz]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

Kinda make you want to open up a shop back east... Big bucks...

 

[Cat385B]

Re: Who watches "american restoration" (Rick's Restorations)? What would he charge?

Kinda make you want to open up a shop back east... Big bucks...

Don't go with a business or a shop first, find a camera crew to start. Like Jason stated, wonder what he charged 'before'. He wouldn't have a business if he started out charging what you guys are describing. Chalk another one up to 'more money than brains' department.