Dumb Question Monday- What do you think it will cost.....

[viperman]

Hi All, I was going to do all this myself, but thinking about it, my age, size, and patience level, I am thinking about farming this out. I want to add vintage air, dakota digital gauges, and a new dash pad. I may go autometer gauges with a new insert, but not quite sure at the moment. I got a quote for 3500 for vintage air all in, what do you think the gauge install and dash work will cost...we are talking mostly labor...The gauges and pad run another 2K or so, .......we have wiring, sensors, etc...Ideally, this could all be done at the same time...to make each step simpler...Thanks for the insights
JR

[Tsaints1115]

Seams a bit steep.

[minendrews68]

Seems a lot steep.

[vette427-sbc]

What kind of car? What kind of motor? Where are you located? What “level” of build is the car? Tons of variables to give an accurate idea of what it will cost. Big difference between throwing in a vintage air and some wiring so that it works and spending the time to nicely install everything. Bulkhead connectors, tweaking or making hardlines for better fit, etc. I love vintage air stuff. It probably fits the nicest out of many other aftermarket parts Mfgs. But there is always tweaking or modifications needed to make it fit your car specifically. That’s where the time (aka, money) comes from. 3500$ doesn’t sound bad at all to install a front runner kit, lines, condenser, dash unit, controls, and fill the system. I’d guess another $800-$1000 to install the Dakota gauges and dash pad assuming the shop is around 100/hr

[viperman]

Great points..1969 camaro convertible. BB ...Car is clean, nice cruiser, not a high dollar car... I am in PA, close to Trenton, NJ. If it was in and working well, along with the dash and gauges, I'd be AOK..I do like the vintage air 3 know controller... JR

[badazz81z28]

Just labor? I VA kit is about $1200 and having it installed takes time...charging the system etc. A complete set of autometer gauges is $1000 too! Is he charging by the hour or by the job? Have to consider people are making a living doing this work....$75-$100hr!

[BK2LIFE]

im sure forthe 3500 you can probably have the whole job done. But if you goto a high price place, such as a barrett jackson repair shop, 5 or 6k easy

[csouth]

Hopefully that $3500 includes the cost of the unit? I know people do this for a living, so I'm not knocking what they feel their work is worth. If you don't have the time or motivation to do it yourself, farm it out.

[csouth]

im sure forthe 3500 you can probably have the whole job done. But if you goto a high price place, such as a barrett jackson repair shop, 5 or 6k easy

I know some high end builders and they don't charge based on the fact they have built SEMA cars, their hourly rate is competitive with what it is for our area.

[OldTimer]

Well... I've just finished putting in Vintage Air in my 69 BBC Camaro, and yes, the kit is around $1200 but inevitably you start spending up from there. Go with the EZ-Clip hose end upgrade ($) and get the correct tool ($) to crimp your own hoses. Depends how fussy you are going thru the firewall, I opted for a DSE steel cover panel ($), then fabricated my own bulkhead trim. Whomever does it is going to have to spend time ($) masking the fenders, hood, and front upper valance because you have to take the hood, fender, and fender liner off to get at the old heater box bolts. I didn't like VA's steel plate brackets for the compressor and I also wanted the compressor on the passenger side so the hose drape over the engine was minimal. That got me thinking about a serpentine setup but my budget wouldn't allow for a VA Front Runner ($2500) plus the cost of the VA, so I went with a low budget billet setup that was about half the price. Once you think serpentine ($), you think eFans ($) and a better radiator ($). Also tossed the 60 amp alternator and went with a 150 amp PowerMaster ($). Oh yeah... the serpentine uses a different PS pump so all new hoses with -AN fittings ($). Are you starting to see a trend here LOL?









A couple years ago, I installed a set of custom SpeedHut gauges ($) and a Classic Dash insert ($). I knew the VA was coming (wife's gift to me) so I installed the OER AC dash pad ($). Couldn't stand the old fashioned huge steering wheel so I installed a MOMO ($).



LOL... what I'm getting at here is that while it all sounds simple enough, these cars are like starving teenager. We keep feeding them and it slowly adds up. I'm doing all this by myself, and 2020 has been mainly me in the garage in my spare time with nobody else save of a couple of hours where my son stopped by to help me remove the sheet metal one weekend, and then replace it the following weekend. I don't bother counting the hours anymore, I'm having a ball working on my car. But just think about it... a typical shop will charge $100/hour and putting 100 hours into these 50 year old cars is nothing.

I think $3500 for a VA basic install is very fair if that includes the unit. I've hear its a $2000-$2500 in labor alone plus small parts needed. Add $2500 plus more labor if its a front runner. I think my gauges/dash parts alone was about $2000, and Ive probably got well over $1500 in the radiator/efans/custom shroud and pwm controller. If you have the time and ability to do this stuff, do it because then you know what's going on under the hood, dash, etc.. Have to admit its scary writing this as I start thinking about all the small parts involved that we don't anticipate. I'm guessing all these Mods ran about $10K in parts alone. I'm not done yet, but I'm close. I'm finishing up the rewiring around the battery, alternator, core support loom, starter. Hope to crank her up real soon. Next is new buckets and the POSI rear with discs LOL!

Mike