Thank you for your honest reply and for welcoming me to the forum.
I understand your point, and perhaps my original message was not clear enough.
I am not looking for someone to restore two cars cheaply at any cost, and I certainly do not expect a professional to work illegally or avoid paying taxes. I fully understand that a registered business has costs, taxes, labour, materials and overheads.
I am simply trying to find a serious and passionate BMW specialist in Romania, recommended by people from this community, who might offer a more reasonable price than a large professional restoration company.
The two cars are:
BMW 2000 CS
BMW 2002
Both cars are complete, but require extensive restoration, including bodywork, rust repairs, paint, mechanical work, brakes, suspension, electrical work, interior, seals, etc.
The €35,000 is my target budget for the restoration of both cars, but I am not assuming that this automatically includes every part or every possible additional repair.
I am perfectly prepared to purchase the necessary parts myself, especially if this allows me to save money. I am also prepared to do a significant amount of dismantling, preparation and reassembly myself.
What I am looking for is therefore not simply the cheapest person.
I am looking for the right person.
Someone who loves old BMWs, has already restored cars of this type, takes pride in his work, and can tell me honestly:
“This can be done within your budget, but these items will have to be done by you / purchased separately / postponed.”
And if the realistic cost is €40,000, €45,000 or more, I would rather be told that honestly from the beginning.
I am also aware that Romania is part of the EU and that the cost of living has increased considerably. I am not coming to Romania thinking that everything should cost a fraction of the French price.
My main reason for asking the Romanian BMW community is that I trust recommendations from people who have actually seen the work of a restorer, much more than advertisements on the internet.
So if you personally know someone who has restored BMW 2002, Neue Klasse, 2000 CS or E9 models and whose work you genuinely trust, I would be very grateful for the recommendation — even if that person is not cheap.
Thank you again for your honesty. This is exactly the kind of discussion I hoped to have when I joined the forum.