Cost is the first question on almost every restoration call, and no one can state a classic car restoration cost in one sentence without seeing the car. What we can do is give you the range for a full frame-off restoration and explain what moves a project within it, so you can read a quote critically when you get one. The factors below run roughly in the order they hit a build: what the car is, what has to happen to the metal, how it's finished, and what turns up along the way.
We've been restoring vehicles in Sherman for more than 25 years. Sherman is a short drive from Dallas-Fort Worth, and the same factors apply whether the car comes from Grayson County, the Metroplex or somewhere else in North Texas. Every build is quoted individually after inspection.
How much does a full frame-off restoration cost?
A full frame-off restoration, where the body comes off the frame and every system is taken apart, inspected and rebuilt or replaced, typically runs from $100,000 to $300,000. That is the only dollar figure we publish, and it applies to full frame-off work only. Where a project lands in that range depends on rust and metalwork, parts availability, finish level, issues found during teardown, and any changes to the scope. The rest of this guide takes those factors one at a time.
The range is a planning frame, not a quote. For outside context, one insurer's overview of body-off restoration describes a typical project as costing in the neighborhood of $100,000 and often more than the finished car would sell for. That is worth thinking through before you start: a restoration is usually a decision about what the car is worth to you, not what it would bring on the market.
Why can't one car's price predict another's?
A restoration isn't one job. It's bodywork, paint, mechanical, electrical, interior and trim, each with its own labor, and the hours in each depend on the car you start with and the standard you want to finish at. Two cars of the same year and model can need very different amounts of work because of what's under the paint and how each owner plans to use the car. Labor hours drive the total more than parts do.
How does condition and rust affect the price?
Starting condition is the biggest single variable. A solid car that has lived dry needs far less than one that sat in a damp barn or a field. Surface rust on a panel is a sanding job. Rust through a rocker, floor pan, cowl or frame rail is a repair job, and what you can see from outside is rarely the full picture. That's why we inspect before we quote.
In my experience, rust behind the rear wheel arches and in the floor pans is where a budget goes. North Texas adds a second kind of wear: sun and heat are hard on paint, dash pads, rubber seals and wiring insulation, even on cars with little rust. Both show up in the quote, and neither is fully visible until the car is apart.
What happens in a frame-off restoration?
Knowing the sequence makes a quote easier to read, because each stage carries its own labor. The body is lifted off the frame so that both can be stripped, repaired and finished separately, including the areas you can't reach with the body on. Teardown comes first, with the parts bagged, labeled and documented. Then the body and frame are stripped to bare metal, often by media blasting, which means using an abrasive to remove paint, filler and rust. Metalwork follows, then bodywork and paint, then the mechanical systems and interior, and finally assembly.
Teardown, metalwork, paint, mechanical and upholstery are all done in-house, so the car moves from stage to stage under one roof. Every completed labor task is photographed, and the photos appear in your client portal.
Why are metalwork and bodywork the biggest block of labor?
Metalwork and bodywork are usually the largest block of labor. Cutting out rusted steel and welding in new metal, correcting old accident repairs, stripping layers of filler, and getting panel gaps and body lines straight all take hours that don't show in the finished car but decide how good it looks. When you compare quotes, ask what metalwork each one assumes, because the answer shows which hours are in the number. Bodywork is done in-house, so it's estimated from the car in front of us rather than from an outside shop's number.
Paint and finish level
Paint cost is mostly preparation, not product. The gap between a good driver finish and a show finish is how many times the surface is blocked, primed and refined before color goes on, and how much of the car (door jambs, underside, engine bay) gets the same treatment. Decide the finish level early, because it changes the work upstream of it too. Paint is done in-house; here's more on our automotive painting work.
How do parts availability and rarity change the cost?
Popular models with a deep reproduction market are the easy end: panels, trim and mechanical parts can be ordered. Rare, low-production or orphaned vehicles mean hunting used originals, repairing parts that can't be replaced, or fabricating them. Some owners want NOS parts, which are original parts that were made decades ago and never installed. They cost more and take longer to find than reproductions. Ask early which parts are available and which would have to be made. It affects both cost and schedule.
Mechanical scope
Engine, transmission, brakes, suspension, cooling, fuel and wiring can each be refreshed, rebuilt or replaced, and that choice moves the total. A car that runs and stops safely may only need a sorted-out refresh. A tired drivetrain, original wiring and worn suspension add up quickly. A modern powertrain is a different scope again; see our notes on engine swaps and conversions. Mechanical work is done in-house, alongside the body and paint.
Upholstery and interior
Seats, door panels, carpet, headliner and dash pad are all hand work, and materials and pattern complexity change the hours. Re-covering a bench seat in a correct pattern is a different job from a custom interior with new foam, stitching and trim. Upholstery is also done in-house; see our automotive upholstery page.
What are discovered issues and change orders?
Every older vehicle hides something until it's taken apart. The question is what the shop does when it finds it. At Texoma, if an approved task runs out of time, or we discover something that expands the scope of work, we contact you and get a change work order approved before continuing that labor. You see the new scope and decide, and nothing is added silently. The same goes for "while we're in there" requests from the owner: they're welcome, and they're documented as changes.
How should you budget for what teardown reveals?
A teardown can reveal rust and other hidden damage, and scope can grow as a result. A sound plan leaves room for what is found, so set your budget with space above the first number rather than at it. That is planning guidance, and it holds for any restoration of an older car. Every scope change is approved before work continues, so the budget stays in your hands.
When does a driver-quality or frame-on build make more sense?
Frame-off is the right call when the frame and floors need real repair, when the car is rust-heavy or incomplete, or when you want a show-level result. It is not the only good answer. Frame-on, where the body stays on the frame, is the right call when the frame and floors are sound and the goal is a car you will drive. A well-built driver you can finish will give you more than a show car you stretched for and can't complete. The trade-offs are covered in frame-off versus frame-on restoration.
Deposits, payments and seeing the work
We take a deposit, and the amount varies by project. Whatever shop you choose, it should explain its deposit and payment schedule up front and show you where the money goes. Here, every completed labor task is photographed, and the photos appear in your client portal, so you can follow the build without driving to the shop. For more on what to ask any shop before you commit, see how to choose a restoration shop.
Those photos have a second use. Bring a Trailer's restoration guide recommends keeping invoices, receipts, parts lists and photos from before, during and after the work, because they help show a future buyer that the job was done properly. How a restored car is valued and insured is a separate conversation, so confirm coverage with your insurer.
Cost, finish level and time move together
Labor hours are also calendar time, so the same factors that set cost set the schedule. As rough ranges: a driver-quality restoration, or a solid car needing mechanical and cosmetic work, typically runs 6–10 months. A full show-quality restoration runs 12–18 months. A frame-off restoration of a rust-heavy or incomplete car runs 18–24+ months. Every build is quoted individually after inspection, and parts availability and discovered issues can move the timeline. The full discussion is in how long a restoration takes.
See the range of our work
We've worked on everything from tractors to Airstreams. To see finished builds, look at our 1965 Ford Mustang restoration, the 1971 Buick Riviera restoration, the 1984 Ford Bronco rebuild and the 1977 Airstream Sovereign restoration. Use them to decide what finish level you want, then bring that to the quote conversation.
How to get a real number
Be clear about your goal before teardown: a car you'll drive often, or one for the show field. Write down the finish level you want, the parts you know are missing, and any problems you have already seen. Then let us look at the vehicle. Our classic car restoration page covers what we take on. When you're ready, request a project consultation or inspection and tell us about the car. You'll get a quote built from what we find, not from a formula.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a full frame-off restoration cost?
A full frame-off restoration typically runs from $100,000 to $300,000. Rust and metalwork, parts availability, finish level, discovered issues and scope changes decide where a project lands. Every build is quoted individually after inspection.
What makes a classic car restoration cost more?
Rust repair, rare or fabricated parts, a show-level finish, a full mechanical rebuild and a custom interior all add labor hours. Labor drives the total more than parts do.
How long does a restoration take?
A driver-quality restoration, or a solid car needing mechanical and cosmetic work, typically runs 6–10 months. A full show-quality restoration runs 12–18 months. A frame-off restoration of a rust-heavy or incomplete car runs 18–24+ months. Parts availability and discovered issues can move the timeline.
Do you take a deposit?
Yes. The amount varies by project, and we explain the deposit and payment schedule up front. Every completed labor task is photographed, and the photos appear in your client portal.
What happens if you find more work during the restoration?
If an approved task runs out of time, or we discover something that expands the scope of work, we contact you and get a change work order approved before continuing that labor.