The Shop · Free Tool
Chassis Build Estimate Calculator
Have you been dreaming of restoring your car but have no idea what it costs?
The chassis is the best place to start. Whether it's a Beetle, Dune Buggy, 356 Kit Car, Type 3, Thing, or Ghia — we've got you covered. Use this chassis estimator to build out your dream chassis and get a real sense of the costs involved. Simply click through the dropdowns and add each option to your total.
When you're ready, fill out your information below, send us your build options, and give us a call. Whether you're looking to jump-start a project that stalled out or start the journey on a brand new one, let us do the heavy lifting and get you your dream chassis.
Build it up
Build your estimate
Pick an option from a category below and click "Add" to drop it into your estimate. Add as many options as you need — the total updates as you go.
Nothing added yet — pick options above to start your estimate.
Opens your email app with the estimate pre-filled, addressed to us. Nothing is sent until you hit send in your email app.
This calculator gives a preliminary estimate based on flat-rate options only. It doesn't account for a chassis's actual condition, unforeseen rust or damage, or custom work outside these categories. We'll confirm final pricing with you after reviewing your build in person or over the phone.
After the estimate
Send it over, then call Brian
Email the estimate through and then talk it over with Brian, who runs chassis, fabrication and metal work direct. He will tell you which options actually make sense for your platform, what your chassis is likely to need once it is stripped, and where the queue stands that week. Drop-off is Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm Pacific at 811 W. Barkley Ave., Orange, CA, and Saturday by appointment.
Chassis, fabrication and builds route to Brian direct. For parts, orders and fitment, call the shop line on (657) 438-7002.
Estimate questions
Is this estimate a quote?
No. This calculator gives a preliminary estimate based on flat-rate options only. It doesn't account for a chassis's actual condition, unforeseen rust or damage, or custom work outside these categories. We'll confirm final pricing with you after reviewing your build in person or over the phone.
How does the estimate reach you?
The button opens your email app with the estimate pre-filled, addressed to us. Nothing is sent until you hit send in your email app. You can also print the estimate and bring it with you.
Which chassis does this cover?
Beetle, Dune Buggy, 356 Kit Car, Type 3, Thing and Ghia — the air-cooled Volkswagen platforms we build. If you're not sure which base build applies to your car, pick the closest and say so in the notes when you send it.
How long will the build take once it starts?
Thirty days or less once your build starts. Chassis are built in the order they are received, so the wait before we start depends on what is in the queue ahead of you.
What does the flat rate already include?
Every flat-rate chassis includes pan halves removed and installed via spot welder like factory, seat rails, jack points, battery hold-downs and seat-belt provisions fitted, throttle and clutch tubes inspected and cleaned, the fuel line pressurised and leak-down tested, threads chased on all mounting holes, and a cosmetic detail top and bottom. The full breakdown by platform is on the chassis work page.
I don't have a chassis yet. Can you supply one?
Yes — we keep chassis and German chassis parts on site. See chassis for sale and send the request form with the year and model you're after. If you are out of state, the bare-pan shipping reference covers what a carrier will ask for and how to get a freight quote rather than a car-hauler quote.
What the flat rate covers
Platform-by-platform tables for blasting, parts, labor and optional powder coat, from $2,350 to $4,050, plus the shortened-chassis process and the drop-off steps.
Chassis work →Need the chassis itself?
Chassis and German chassis parts on site — bulkheads, tunnel sections, torsion housings, frame heads, floor pans and heater channels — with a request form to check what's available.
Chassis for sale →Shipping it in or out
Weight and dimensions a carrier will ask for, why a bare pan usually ships cheaper as freight than as a car, and the questions to put to every quote.
Shipping reference →