Hello & Seeking Restoration Info

[KEG MPG 84]

Hello! We are Kevin & Mary & we are proud owners of a full-size 1984 GMC Jimmy that we want to have fully restored. We live in the SoCal area in Kern County and are looking for a good shop that is capable of doing a complete resto of our truck, inside & out. We are willing to travel if necessary to have this completed. We hope to get some good leads and info from this forum! Thanks for any help y'all can provide!

 

[Ricko1966]

Hello! We are Kevin & Mary & we are proud owners of a full-size 1984 GMC Jimmy that we want to have fully restored. We live in the SoCal area in Kern County and are looking for a good shop that is capable of doing a complete resto of our truck, inside & out. We are willing to travel if necessary to have this completed. We hope to get some good leads and info from this forum! Thanks for any help y'all can provide!

I hate to be the one to tell you this,it would be cheaper to buy a very nice,done truck,then to pay someone to completly do yours. I would not be surprised to see $50,000.00 or more in your truck.

 

[Mr Clean]

I agree with @Ricko1966 it will not be cheap to have a shop completely restore. You being out in Ca. It's going to be 15k more than a shop here in the south. Unfortunately any decent shop will stripe it down, replace everything that is wrong with it. Any body parts that need to be replaced will be from the after market world, that never fit without some work. You will never get out of it, for what you have in it. I would be guessing, but you are going to be in 75K for a complete restoration of a Jimmy/Blazer.

 

[legopnuematic]

Welcome from Missouri.

 

[WFO]

Welcome from the Texas Panhandle.

 

[peats]

My k5 has been in the resto shop since Halloween. Without driveline or interior work ,It will still be 40k+ just to give an idea of what things cost these days. That shop only charges $85/hr.

 

[Sad Sack]

from Nebraska.

 

[Sad Sack]

The guys above are all correct, would be cheaper to pick up one already done via auction house or classified ad but if money is no object then git er done!
Go to cars shows and ask around on who did their body and sprays.

 

[CalSgt]

Welcome from California too…

Sorry not much help in directing you to a shop.

What overall condition is this thing in?
What is your expected outcome from a “restoration”?
What is your budget?

Depending on the level of work you’re looking for I’d suggest starting local and expanding from there. You will probably be better served choosing several shops to complete the job.

Body shop
Upholstery shop
Mechanic

Paint and body will most likely be the most time consuming part, some people wait years for their body and paint to be done. If doing a full Concourse level restoration you could have the body bolted to a rolling dolly so the chassis can be completed separately and be done before the paint.

ETA:
I’m about $25K into my concourse level resto-mod with all free labor. Only labor I paid was $800 to upholster my seat and door panels.

 

[ss454elco]

I just finished up my 84 K10 pickup. New 454 and TH350, all new brakes w/hydraboost, basically everything new, and I stopped keeping track at $25k. The body work and paint added another $15k. I'm over $40k with my free labor. BUT, I love my truck! It's the closest thing to a brand new 84 K10 you'll find. Just an FYI for you going into this. My truck started out as cab corners, rockers, bed replacement and a paint job. $8k estimate. Good luck!

 

[Old Guy Bill]

Mine was just a rebuild... not even close to a restoration...
I love it but I spent too much on it.
I've got a friend that has over 50K in a Dodge Challenger resto that he hasn't seen in three years... it's at a shop in the north west somewhere.

 

[KEG MPG 84]

I hate to be the one to tell you this,it would be cheaper to buy a very nice,done truck,then to pay someone to completly do yours. I would not be surprised to see $50,000.00 or more in your truck.

Thanks for your response. We are fully aware of the expected cost of this resto and have been planning it for some time. We are very prepared and the expense is worth it for us.

 

[Sad Sack]

So deep pockets, ok, hang out at car shows, auctions to find a reputable shop in your area by asking around. Good luck in your adventure and keep us posted on the progress.

 

[ali_c20]

Welcome from Austria. I really would like to see some detailed pics of the work the shop does when you find the right one. To get an insight of their work quality.

 

[peats]

Not only does a restoration take a long time depending on the shop, their backlog could easily be a year or more. My wait was 14 months.