Please help me

My husband has always wanted to restore a 65 or 66 Nova. When we first married he had one he was working on but we had no shop so he sold it. About month ago he found one that he started on. He has the body, motor and all sorts of part. He was in a fatal accident last week and now I do not know how to proceed. I want to fix the car in his memory but I really do not know where to go from here. I have some money but not a lot. He has ordered some parts online and they are slowly coming in. This is the last thing I can do for him and I need some help.

I am very sorry for your loss.

I understand you wish to honour your husband, but please note often people restore or work on such cars for pleasure, and not money.

I do not want to suggest there is a price tag on your husbands memory, but possibly you may wish to save the money for a future rainy day. I would not have thought that your husband would want you to have a big financial burden to finish his project.

If you wish to pay someone to work on the car for you, it will cost you more money then the car will be worth when completed. If you wish to do this, possibly ask around your friends or your husbands friend for the name of a good mechanic. Usually the assembly of mechanical parts is pretty straightforward for a decent mechanic. These old cars are simple and straightforward to repair.

The real expense comes in bodywork. If th car is dented, rusty and with bad paint, you may be spending upwards of $10,000++ to do the whole car properly.

Financially, perhaps the prudent thing to do would be to sell the project, return the parts, if possible and get a refund. A magazine like Hemmings Motor News would be a good place to advertise such a project. A good look there might give you an idea about an asking price.

An alternative is if your husband has a good friend who may be interested in the project to buy it and complete it. At least it would go to someone who knew and appreciated him and would not be a burden to you.

My condolences on the loss of your husband.

I understand that you want to finish the restoration as a tribute to your husband. Please understand that this is going to involve ongoing expense (insurance, storage, upkeep, etc.). It will also need to be driven periodically to keep it in good running condition. If you're willing and able to make this commitment, then finishing the restoration may be a good idea.

If you decide to complete the restoration, one option would be to contact your local vo-tech school. The students in their program need projects to work on, and you could probably get the work done for the cost of the parts and supplies. The downside would be that it could take months for them to get the work done. Regardless of who does the work, please get a signed, written estimate before you commit to the project. Even with the most careful planning, please understand that these projects always go over-budget and take longer than expected. If you take the car to a private mechanic, find one that comes highly recommended by trusted friends, family, or co-workers. Ideally, you should look for someone who has extensive experience with Chevys of this vintage. While most mechanics are honest, every profession has some bad apples.

Whatever you choose to do, I hope that it goes well.

hello jennie, i will pray for your husband, as i do for everyone always.

Go to your local Trade school, talk with someone at the office, tell them you need to talk to the autobody "Teacher".

Explaine to this teacher what your situation is, Tell him you dont have much, that you dont expect much. Ask him is there anyway he could throw a paintjob on this car and add what little parts you have to it.

"They take jobs like this all the Time" i know because i used to go to Tradschool.

They will do you a cheap job, but it could take them 2 weeks are longer.