How much will (x job) cost? I charge $40 an hour for labor to restore an old car at Gunner's great Garage. Parts and contract labor are additional. I read that the average cost of labor for all repair shops throughout the country is $76 an hour, but we still charge an honest $40 an hour and we don’t round up the hours.

What we don’t know is how many hours a job will take. Even an old flat rate book from the era of the car won’t tell us, because such books do not cover saving old bolts, blasting them and blackening old bolts in a mild acid bath. They don't allow for hours on the laptop searching the Internet for parts or making a dozen phone calls. They don’t factor in painting/powdercoating parts.

You get the point.
I work at almost half price, but restoration takes time and patience. The time is $40 an hour. The patience is free, but adds to the time.

If you want to restore a car cheaply, we’ll be happy to give you free advice. Actually, it’s easy. Start slow, learn as you go, invest in tools and do a little bit on a car every day. If you do, you’ll eventually get it restored and you’ll save a bunch of money.