1958 Mercury

Q: I am tempted to take on a car restoration project with a nice 1958 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser. It is in average shape, has been garaged for more than 20 years, has some rust here and there, and interior work is needed, too. It seems to run good and only has about 95,000 miles. I’m wondering how much it will cost to restore? I can’t really do much of the work myself. — Larry in Florida

A: I contacted Melvin Benzaquen, president of Classic Restorations in Pine Island, N.Y., who has been answering restoration questions like yours for years.

Benzaquen says there is no real way to look at your Mercury and tell how much work it will need or how much rust damage it has until you start dismantling the car. A restoration shop should be able to give you a “ballpark” estimate based on its past experiences with your model of car. This is, however, an educated guess. You probably won’t be able to get an accurate price quote until the vehicle is ready for paint.