Project Car Budget Planner (Spreadsheet + PDF)

Every project car costs more than the first number. The ProjectDaily Project Car Budget Planner helps you find the real total before you buy, put the jobs in the right order, and track every dollar, return and month, so an overrun is a decision you make early, not a surprise at the end.

What's inside

• 15 pages, US Letter PDF, with 6 clear illustrations: the hidden-costs iceberg, comparing the same part from two sources, Safe → Reliable → Nice, the core return loop, a spreadsheet walkthrough, and a printable core return tag

• The Real Cost of a Project: the costs nobody puts in the ad (shipping, core charges, gaskets and hardware, fluids, tools, tax, title and registration, insurance), plus a hidden-costs worksheet and a 10–20% contingency calculator

• How to Price a Part: where to look, new vs. reman vs. used, comparing by part number, and a price comparison worksheet

• Written shop quotes: what to ask for, plus a quotes log

• Phase Planner: Safe → Reliable → Nice, with every job tied to a budget line and a "before it's driveable" column

• Budget by Category: 14 categories with budgeted, spent and left, plus a totals check

• Line items, a purchase log, and a receipts, returns and core refunds log with return-by dates

• Monthly cash-flow tracker and a "save up for the big ones" list

• Filled-in example from a real ProjectDaily build (a 1989 Toyota Pickup engine swap), with rounded numbers shown as an example, not a price guide

• Core return tags to fill in, print and zip-tie to the old part

• ProjectDaily Tips throughout

Three formats in one download

• Spreadsheet (.xlsx, included with the download; opens in all the popular spreadsheet apps): totals, phases, cash flow and charts calculate automatically. Tabs for Start Here, Budget, Line Items, Phases, Summary (budget vs. actual by category, and spending by phase), Purchase Log, Returns & Cores (return-by countdown), Cash Flow and the pickup example. Starts with clearly labeled example data; clear it and add your own.

• Fillable PDF: type into it on your phone, tablet or computer.

• Low-ink printable PDF: for a pen, a binder and the bench.

It's for DIY builders, restorers and anyone bringing an old car or truck back to life, and it works for any make and model.

Instant digital download, for personal use. All sales are final. Download trouble? Email info@projectdaily.tv. All dollar amounts are example data, not a price guide.