How much did your build cost?

[IRUNHRD]

I am thinking about building a FF car, though not sure which model yet. I am sure most people spent more or are spending more than they anticipated. I don't want to get into the "money pit" syndrome. I know some build their own motors and do their own bodywork; so that is a factor. However, I am looking for a general ballpark. What did you spend or what do you anticipate spending and which model are you building? Please help, I (and mostly my wife) really need to know before taking the plunge.

[TDSapp]

I am currently building a 33 Hot Rod and I told SWMBO that we would probably spend around $45K on the car from start to finish. That includes paint and everything. I think that so far I am still on schedule with that plan.

I am currently a couple hundred short of $21,000 and still have stage 2 to buy. The big items I still have left are

Exhaust $1,000
Stage 2 $10,000
Wheels and Tires $3,800
Body and Paint $10,000


That puts me at $44,800 and I know there will be other little things. Mind you that I used a donor motor and transmission from a car that I already owned. So add quite a bit more if you are going to buy a crate motor and transmission.

http://hotrod.sapp-family.com/budget/

If I keep it within 5% of my original budget I will be happy and so will SWMBO.

[SingleMaltWSKY]

This can be a tough one to answer. I think you can probably budget for the big things - cost of the kit, drivetrain (if new/crate etc) or if you have a donor. Wheels/tires as well as the paint/body work could also be budgeted if you have someone else performing those tasks.

The tricky part is all the little stuff. How many times have I or my father gone to the hardware and/or fastener and/or tool-shop and/or metal supply store and walked out with a 3 digit bill? COUNTLESS. (I have in fact stopped counting)

There is also the dreaded "might as well" syndrome. If you're building your dream car and you realize you have a choice between a middle of the road part/solution or a premium solution.......it takes a LOT of self control to purchase the middle of the road solution.

my 2 cents.

[edwardb]

There is no "general ballpark" in my opinion. Only ranges, and they vary widely. $1000 salvage engine or $15000 (or more) custom engine? $2000 DIY paint or $10k+ (or more) high end custom? New build or donor? What options, including rear suspension, brakes, wheels, tires, transmission, the list goes on and on. That's the same answer I give at shows and cruise-ins when I get the inevitable "How much did it cost?" questions. I give the cost of the kits and then the rest is up to you. Your best bet is to spend some time putting a budget together with your specific build ideas and goals. That's going to be a much better barometer of your cost versus a bunch of us weighing in on our costs. Having said that, I can state with some confidence it will likely end up costing more than you originally budget. Even if you're really disciplined and stick to your plan, the little stuff adds up.

[Clover]

There is also the dreaded "might as well" syndrome. If you're building your dream car and you realize you have a choice between a middle of the road part/solution or a premium solution.......it takes a LOT of self control to purchase the middle of the road solution.


I just ordered a kit and feel like the above cannot be overstated. I got a nasty case of "might as well" syndrome. I have been saving for this project for years and have spent a lot of time day dreaming about my build and what I will do with it when I am done and how proud of it I will be. This car is something I am planning on holding on to for a long long time, so I want to do it right and I am guessing a lot of builders feel similarly. When I was deciding what to buy, I consistently ended up deciding on nicer and more expensive parts. To help with this, I bought while Factory Five was running a sale for 50% off options when spending over a certain amount. I actually ended up with just over $12K in options, so the sale saved me just over $6K. I am going with a new Coyote crate motor, AC, PS, IRS, am doing body work but paying for a shop to paint it and am expecting to be between $45K-$50K.

[myjones]

There are a couple of surveys on the two forums that have a pretty good set of honest responses for each type of FF kit.
They show a good range of what was spent, mostly by guys that have the car done/driveable at this point. As with any
streetrod you can push the budget quite a ways with one off or custom changes and high end paint jobs but the ranges
shown on the survey are pretty honest/reliable information. They are a more real world number than the estimates shown
on the Factory Five Racing website. HTH
Dale

[Big Blocker]

I have to go along with what EdwardB said above - "There is no "general ballpark" in my opinion. Only ranges".
Seeing as how mine is 15 years old and the base kit (no complete kit available back then) cost $10995, I can, with some confidence say; I spent 30K back then. But, that's 15 years ago money and 15 years ago prices on "up-grade parts".
It easy to spend 60K on a Roadster if you want every little mod and extra that's available and get a "show quality" paint job. The car can be built for low 30's if you have a drive train w/ rear end. Bare bones "donor" builds come close to that figure if planned out right.
Set yourself up with a build plan of what you want and how you're going to use the car and stick to it - don't let this, or any other forum spend your money for you, they will given the chance.

All that being said, I'm still spending money to do yearly mods to my car - "These cars are never done" comes to mind.

Doc

[Bob-STL]

..... However, I am looking for a general ballpark. What did you spend or what do you anticipate spending and which model are you building? Please help, I (and mostly my wife) really need to know before taking the plunge.

I built a Gen 2 Coupe.

Complete kit 21,000
Engine, trans 14,000
Rear end 3,200
AC/Heat 1,000
P/S 500
P/B 500
Seats 900
Wheel 1,200
Tires 1,000
_________________

43,100 Sub Total
plus

Paint 12,000 (approx)

On top of that, I had Mark D come and help a lot, so throw that in there. Also, I bought a lot of little things along the way.

At some times, I dragged my feet financially to spread the cost out.

Bob :D

[Jazzman]

Far more than I originally intended, but I am happy with the result. I kept records of every dime spent, and I did a lot of customizing and upgrading. I went with all new everything. My yachting friends tell me "a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into!". These cars can be the four wheeled corollary to that maxim. If you allow your project to "creep" and have a learning curve to pay for (I had both!), the cost can go up substantially. Know your target build and costs before you jump in. (Or just know that we are all here to help you go over budget with confidence!) At the end of the day, build what you want and enjoy the process. It is a great ride!

[Jeff Kleiner]

Here's very general ballpark figure but I've done it more than once for customers---

If I assume you are doing the assembly using a Roadster complete kit with 3 link rear, a carbed Ford Racing crate 302/306, T5 trans, rebuilt rear end, nice wheels & tires and no out of the mainstream options you'll be in the 32-34K range driving in gelcoat. Paint by an FFR experienced professional will add $6-10K depending on where you are and what you want to end up with.

You can reduce that a bit by harvesting and rebuilding/rehabbing components from a donor or of course go the other way and wind up well above by going wild with mods and upgrades.

So...the answer is "it depends"!

Jeff

[mike223]

Part of the answer depends on how fast do you want to build?

Need the complete kit + motor + tranny + rear end + tires immediately? That generally equals paying full retail price (now).


Willing to work on it at a slower pace + shop ebay + craigslist + pullapart as you need specific items?

Or more importantly as you identify what it is exactly you want? (+ avoid buying the wrong stuff)


It can make a big difference if you take the time to shop + it spreads the costs out further too (fewer big lump sums).

[flynntuna]

Most of the responses have come from the roadster owners. Being an 818 builder, the cost like the other responses mentioned can vary depending on what your goals are. The 15k that FFR advertises while with a great deal of luck with the donor parts can theoretically be done, a more realistic budget is in the 20-30k range.
I bought my project partially started from another builder. I got the car and a lot of donor parts for basically the cost of what the kit and shipping would have been. That saved me a lot of cash so I can add a lot of upgrades. My main parts needed to buy are the computer, wireing harness, tires, and exhaust. All in I think I'll be in for 20-25k.

[IRUNHRD]

These are all great responses and very helpful. I appreciate the time everyone has taken to answer my question. If more people would like to chime in, I would appreciate that too. One thing is for certain is that the FFR community is so invaluable and also an incredible group of people. No haters, just people with a passion and a willingness to share. Reading posts from the FF forum this last month has made me want to pursue building a car even more than before. I am in the process of building a 21' mahogany boat and nearing the completion. I wish I had a community like this for support and information. BTW, it has cost me a lot more $ and time than anticipated but I went "overboard" on the build (pun intended). Thus my reason for asking the question, "how much...?". With the boat, unlike the car, I started from scratch with just a set of rudimentary plans.

[Jazzman]

These are all great responses and very helpful. I appreciate the time everyone has taken to answer my question. If more people would like to chime in, I would appreciate that too. One thing is for certain is that the FFR community is so invaluable and also an incredible group of people. No haters, just people with a passion and a willingness to share. Reading posts from the FF forum this last month has made me want to pursue building a car even more than before. I am in the process of building a 21' mahogany boat and nearing the completion. I wish I had a community like this for support and information. BTW, it has cost me a lot more $ and time than anticipated but I went "overboard" on the build (pun intended). Thus my reason for asking the question, "how much...?". With the boat, unlike the car, I started from scratch with just a set of rudimentary plans.

I had no idea how accurate my "boat is a hole in the water" comment was! As you have probably noticed, if there are no photos, it may or may not have happened. :cool: We would all love to see photos of the boat you are building. That is another project I have seriously considered. I would love to talk to you about this project. Please post some photos!!

[lance corsi]

My 818 is over $40k now and I still need to fab my intake/turbo system & exhaust and paint! BUT I have everything I've ever wanted in my car, including good fuel economy(hopefully)! Project creep.

[wirenut]

I'm Building an 818 and this is where I am currently:

Kit delivered $14000
Donor Delivered $8000
Engine Rebuild $5000
New Turbo/injectors/ect $3000
Seats/belts $1000
Tires $1000
Paint/wrap (Coming) $3000
New tank $600
Wire Harness $2000
Misc $3000

So most likely a little over $40k. Could it be done cheaper? For sure. Would I be happy with it? Probably not. Hey its just money right?? (Don't tell my wife any of this :p )

[sbhunter]

Mine is a Mk4, coyote, IRS with all options FFR offered except wheels and tires or chrome plating on anything. I ordered most of Breeze's inventory and many aftermarket upgrades. This is an example of near the top of what you could spend just by checking the boxes. I am not including body and paint which should be the only big ticket item left.

1. complete kit with most upgrades on sale = $27,000
2. coyote, tko, clutch, bell as a kit = $13,000
3. wheels, tires, upgrades = $4,000

I set my budget at $55,000 for the finished car and I think I'll be close. Again, this is all new parts and most options checked. I went into this project with no intentions of trying to sell it or ever get my money back out.

[Gumball]

From my experience, a fairly accurate appearing old-school roadster will be in the $50s due to cost of components that would normally be used for restoring one of the original cars - more if you have someone do the bodywork.

Modified cars or cars built to FFR plans using base-kit and donor or complete kit can run the gambit from mid-$20s to "sky's the limit."

[mike223]

It can make a big difference if you take the time to shop + it spreads the costs out further too.




Here's a perfect example:

Speedhut very reliably runs a black friday sale - 20 or 25% (25% I'm pretty certain).

Got to have your gauges now, or can you work on something else for now?


There are many things you'll do better than that on if you have patience, and choose carefully.

[Joel Hauser]

I think this is a great question. I built a MK4 roadster, and got it on the road last year. I haven't kept good track of the cost, but estimate I have spent a total of $25,000...so far. But I don't expect to spend more than a few hundred dollars more.
I started with the basic kit, which cost $14,000. I spent $2000 on a really crappy donor car. I paid about $2000 on engine machining (boring the cylinders round, cleaning up the heads) and engine parts from summit. (new pistons, rings, bearings and crankshaft, etc). tires were about $400 from tirerack. I painted it myself, but the paint and primer were about $550... automotive paint ain't latex! I'm using dolphin brand gauges, which were $260 for six gauges, and look great in my opinion. I bought headers from factory five, which cost about $600. I broke my windshield installing the visors. That was stupid, and cost me $600 to replace, I think. I bought a manual steering rack from factory five, which was about $250, I think. And there were dozens of things that cost between $10 and $100 each, like a new MAF, new O2 sensors, back up lights (for old VW beetle); bumpers (also for an old VW beetle); new gas tank; brake pads; lower control arms; cold air intake kit; spark plugs; baffles for the side pipes. Shortening the drive shaft cost almost $300. And don't forget the tools, like the engine hoist and engine stand I'll probably never use again. And I had to rent a truck and trailer to bring the car home from the FF factory; and rent it two more times to tow it to the weigh station and the State inspection station.
But in the end, I'm in for about $25,000.
If I were to do it again, I would start with the complete kit. It would have been nice to start with clean new parts, rather than spend hours cleaning up so many of the donor car parts, only to find that I needed to replace them anyway. Also, start with a good, working donor car, not a piece of junk that doesn't run. It may cost a little more, but it will be a much smoother build knowing that your engine, transmission and differential are in good shape.83583
Joel

[Sparkie]

Hey Tim, Your build thread is great. I also plan to build a 33 Hot Rod, so I think you are paving the road ahead of me. Most of the wife-budget anxiety is already managed. (For over 2 years, I have been saving for a FFR kit and I almost there.) However, I need to guard myself from a contagious "might as well" syndrome.

[mike223]

And don't forget the tools, like the engine hoist and engine stand I'll probably never use again. And I had to rent a truck and trailer to bring the car home from the FF factory; and rent it two more times to tow it to the weigh station and the State inspection station.




And here are more things to consider.

Who are you, what do you do?


Worked up through the build process to: I've had every individual bearing, shim, nut, screw in my hands. Including the engine, transmission and rearend.

Gave me the confidence and (complete) experience to rebuild the auto transmission in the wife's Suburban over this last winter.

2001 Suburban, 4L60e.

$3500 for someone else to fool with it, $1800+ for a reman exchange - or $200 in parts cured it - Many thanks to youtube (choose your videos carefully)...


What exactly are you never going to use again, what is going to continue to work for you the rest of your life?


It makes a big difference.

[Flyguy561]

I agree it can be all over the place with what you want to spend. I asked the same question 5 years ago when I built mine because I was a low budget build. I got a base kit, four link, rebuilt the donor engine, trans, and rear and carefully bought other things I needed including using E-bay and Craigslist. I did everything myself including paint and body work in my garage and took my time and got lots of advice. Two years and just over $26,000 i was driving a nice car I was proud of. Now as I can afford it I am doing some upgrades here and there. I think as long as you are happy with your outcome it it doesn't have to be a $50,000 show car to enjoy if your budget doesn't allow for it. Just build what you can and enjoy the crap out of it! Nobody on here cares what you spend just that you have a good time building and driving YOUR car.

[GoDadGo]

Just crossed 40-K when I had to replace my block.
Is it worth the money?
To me it is!

https://youtu.be/IGYtX-3p7xk

[otto halstead]

I built a MKII donor build that came in at $29,900.00 with my wife and I doing the paint. It came out really good, and we drove it everywhere. Unfortunately it was totaled so I’m building a MKIV now. Outlays to date are right at $23,000.00 and except for paint, I’m pretty much done. Drivetrain and a bunch of options came from my MKII. Kind of a donor build using an FFR MKII as a donor.

[IRUNHRD]

Be glad to share pics with you when I have some worth sharing. My wife keeps after me to log the build with pics but I just don't make the time. This project has been an incredible process and more about the journey than the destination. I build furniture and this is a very large piece with a motor!

[CdnCarNut]

This project has been an incredible process and more about the journey than the destination.

For many here, truer words have never been spoken. I could definitely buy a completed car for the same or less $$$ that building my own. I want to build the car. That's why I am here.

To bring another perspective, if you live in Canada, add about 20% to all the numbers you have read here. That's not including the exchange! We Canadians get soaked on everything once it crosses the border. The big ticket items are not so bad, but all of the little bits that need to be ordered get extra tax/handling/shipping or we have to go through the Canadian distributors who want to add their big profits on top of this. Good thing I live near the border, so I can get stuff delivered to my US friends and then bring it across myself.

[Crawleyscobra]

Ditto... it's more about the journey than the destination. I've had mine for 10 years now, been driving in primer for 3 years. I'm almost done, but already planning more upgrades in the future. I have probably went 30% to 40% over my initial budget estimate. As I built, I kept coming across mods and upgrades that I wanted. It all depends on what you want yours to have and look like.

[WarDamnEagle]

I have a pretty good idea on what I have spent so far, and I have not painted yet. I used a donor and will do all the paint myself. I figure I will end up $20k

Another interesting question for everyone is what have you bought for this project that is not part of your car?
-Rivnut tool
-Pneumatic rivet gun
-lizard skin application gun
-new paint gun
-sewing machine
- new low profile floor jack
-Weather pack crimping tool
-fancy eastwood brake line flaring tool
-power probe
-parts washer

[shark92651]

Just a ballpark of what a fairly nicely equipped MK4 complete kit will all new parts and Coyote/TKO powertrain costs. My kit is pretty much maxed out similar to the 20th anniversary Roadster, even taking advantage of the 50% off accessories, I am probably in at about $41K so far, but I have pretty much ordered everything I need at this point - give or take a few odds and ends. Add a nice paint job and I'm pretty sure this build is going to be around $50K

[RR20AC]

Just priced out what my anniversary build kit cost today on the order form. Everything included minus the door panels, emblems, custom mats. Total price was $36500. During the anniversary kit sale I paid $32500. Quite a bit was added like electric steering, fuel injection, race tires and a few other parts. With Jeff Millers body and paint, I’m in for about 70 thousand. Always dreamed of getting a factory five and had saved for it. Just worked out at that moment for me to get this kit. Not sure it could be done for much less. Maybe build the engine myself. I think Forte charged roughly $1600 to build and dyno test it which a first time builder might have had problems with. All n all, very happy with #18.

[cgundermann]

I built mine including all transportation costs & paint for nearly 60K. It could be built for much less and I really didn’t spare much expense. It was a basic kit, but I upgraded with all new parts and only refurbished the rear axle, front Cobra discs, Mustang pedal box & front spindles. My motor, G-Force T-5 and Pro-M Racing EFI & ECU was nearly 20K...

Chris

[Mark Joy]

I finished my 33 hot rod build last October and kept track of the cost very closely. Total cost was $42,416.84
The only thing I had was the engine (SMC 406 cu in) which was out of a dirt limited late model that I had to "de-tune" for the street. Different cam, heads, carb, oil pan and a few other goodies. I bought a brand new 700R4 transmission from a local speed shop and a refurbished Ford 8.8 read end from MP Auto out of south Carolina that builds rear ends specifically for Factory Five cars. I picked the ratio and it came with brand new Moser axles. I built this car working just weekends in the third bay of my garage in a little over 2 years. Because room was at a premium, I had to order the stage 1 & 2 kits separately which added to the shipping costs. One place I feel like I really saved lot of money was that instead of spending a fortune on a paint job, I went with a vinyl wrap and it turned out good enough that my car was chosen as the Jan 2018 picture of the month car in this forum. The vinyl wrap shop also did a beautiful headliner, covered the dash & rear interior panel in a carbon fiber wrap that looks fantastic. The entire vinyl wrap shop bill was just a tick over $4500. I plan to take my car to the Huntington car show so if you're in the area you can see it for yourself. -Mark-