im so discouraged about my restoration and lack of qualified resto shops.i am about to pack it all in.

[stang32]

so, i have had a 68 conv in various stages of resto since around 2004. ( its going to be a 68 shelby conv clone) the car has had the inner rockers, torque boxes. 1 piece floor pan, 2 new 1/4's, new tail panel, and the car was stripped and now in epoxy primer. i had the structural work done years ago and it was not until summer of 21 that the rest of the metal was done( floor pan) now the car sits on a dolly back in my garage, previously on a rotiseree in my driveway. i have spend the past year & 1/2 looking for a shop to take this project to the next stage. panel fitment, prep and paint. but i have been striking out everywhere i look. most people are quoting me ridiculos money without even seeing the car, others are stating they are 2 years booked and also can't give me a price.
back when i did my last 65 gt i had so much more free time on my hands, worked 9-5 and free on weekends so i was able to do most of the work, except paint. now i run my own business and im lucky if i have sunday free.
i am in connecticut and i have lately been branching out to shops outside of the tri-state area to find someone reputible who has been established long enough to make me comfortable with leaving my car 100-2000 miles from home.
i feel beaten down and am almost at the point of selling it all and be done with it. lord knows my wife would not mind if that were to happen.

 

[KBMWRS]

Sorry to read about your travails. There are certain categories of car guys. I'm surmising that you were first in the "I love classic Mustangs" and knew you could restore one. So you became a guy that "loves to work on classics". Well life took over and now you seem want to be in the "I just want to enjoy them" category.
I've known guys that once they finished a build they sold it. Others don't have the facilities or maybe the talent to work on them. I'm in that one. I get some work done (not me) on my car each year. It drives and a yearly update on an item seems a nice pace.
Now you....at your point in life maybe you should sell what you have and buy one that is drivable and restore/replace at your leisure. Either by yourself or a shop. Full restoration as you now know costs more than a completed car in most instances.
It is a tough call to make giving up on something. It all depends on what you want in the end....to work on it yourself or enjoy it when its done.
Or both...but you already made that decision.
Good luck.