[SpazHairlip]

Ok, I need a little advice here. Let me give you gives the run down. I have a 90 GT Convertible fully loaded. It’s been sitting for about 3 years without moving an inch, although it has been covered. When I last drove it, she ran pretty good, had 110k miles, was mostly stock, didn’t have a spot (and still doesn’t) of rust, has some holes in the top and needed a little leatherwork. Now I’m pretty sure the old pony is going to need a lot of love to get her rolling again.

If I wanted to restore the vehicle (crate motor, tranny, disc rear end, suspension, etc) and have it done by a good mechanic (I just don’t have the time anymore) what kind of costs are we looking at? I’m looking for 300-340 HP, some good performance, nothing crazy like gold plated hoses lol, etc. Just a ball park figure here (8k, 12k, 20k) because I know it all depends on what you put in.

The flip side of the question is, should I just cave in and buy a 2005 GT?

[sanitarium16]

I would definatley cave in and buy a 2005 GT

[Fiat Freak]

Different year, different make, different model....yet all too much the same.

Restoring any car cannot be done without a whole lotta time, energy, and money. The more you farm out to someone else, the more money it is gonna cost. And, no matter how much you do, there is always just that much more that you want to do; and s'long as there is money left in the budget, it will be done.

So, how much will your project car cost to "complete"? that much more than you are willing to spend.

Over the past 10 years of owning a drivable resto-vehicle, I've found that my $4,000 initial investment has totalled over $12,000; and I haven't touched the engine yet. Each year, I spend $5-800 in further enhancements, improvements, or restorations. I easily have over $1,700 in mind for near-future projects that don't include paint.

If you want to proceed with this project, I'd recommend doing it yourself. If you don't have the time, you won't appreciate the cost needed to hire someone else to do it. I guaruntee that by the time you've paid someone else to do what you ultimately want, you'll exceed the cost of a new GT.