Before You Begin.....

[JB400]

A very good article for those thinking about restoring a car

https://journal.classiccars.com/2020/09/11/dreaming-of-doing-a-restoration-read-this-to-avoid-a-nightmare/

[Mytur Binsdirti]

That article is echoing what I've been saying for years.

Best line in the article....


If the car is a sub-$100,000 car, you are never likely to make any money on the deal and will almost assuredly be upside down in the car after writing your first check. Cars of this ilk never make sense to restore.

[armor64]

Very good read, I'm sending that out to a few friends for sure. Having done my 78 GMC and dads 51 chevy truck, I went into my 68 purchase knowing it would take years and a lot of work, most / all of which i was willing to do myself (cuz im cheap). Considering I bought the car when I was 29, a lot of people thought it was crazy considering most resto's cost 100k+ for nice work. my work is not the best, i don't care that I'll never win anything with it,  but I was able to get my dream car on the road for under 20k total invested so far. The plan from the start was a cheaper safe restomod, as i didn't want to attempt to go full factory parts finding with my basket case.  In 10 years if i can afford it ill redo the bodywork / get it done, and maybe find more OE style stuff,  but other than that I'm happy with it.

Some co-workers ask about them getting a project and what i think of *insert desirable car here*, and that on Barrett Jackson it sold for such and such. and that it didn't seem to hard how i was reporting progress each week. Then when I explain it was in pieces for 4 years (before the world ended in march 2020, only working on it on weekends), the parts hunting to complete it, then the many hours of welding and sanding, crawling under the chassis, they usually say they would want to "get it done" for them. Then explaining that a good shop or restorer will charge 6 figures for any real ground up, and a concours one way more, reality crashes down and the dream is usually dead.

I'll never begrudge someone attempting to realize their dream, but I know and warn people about how soul crushing it can be to not attain it. The current one a buddy is building is a 69 Fairlady z project he bought without thorough inspections, and hes hitting the wall with missing parts and costs creeping up, and is starting to talk about wishing he went a different route.

[RallyeMike]

That most people are delusional when starting a restoration and that a full-blown restoration is expensive I agree with. However, his position is that anything less than 100% restoration is a restoration and subject to poor quality is total hogwash. There are plenty of levels of restoration, not just total tear down/build ups. A less involved restoration that is balanced with preservation (where possible) can be much less expensive, just as responsible, and better in quality if not more so. We all know that most reproduction and replacement parts are inferior to anything original. The more originality that can be preserved, the better. Of course, this means starting with a solid and mostly complete car and resisting the temptation to fix what isn't broken.

[moparstuart]

That most people are delusional when starting a restoration and that a full-blown restoration is expensive I agree with. However, his position is that anything less than 100% restoration is a restoration and subject to poor quality is total hogwash. There are plenty of levels of restoration, not just total tear down/build ups. A less involved restoration that is balanced with preservation (where possible) can be much less expensive, just as responsible, and better in quality if not more so. We all know that most reproduction and replacement parts are inferior to anything original. The more originality that can be preserved, the better. Of course, this means starting with a solid and mostly complete car and resisting the temptation to fix what isn't broken.

totally agree   

[DAY CLONA]

That article is echoing what I've been saying for years.

Best line in the article....


If the car is a sub-$100,000 car, you are never likely to make any money on the deal and will almost assuredly be upside down in the car after writing your first check. Cars of this ilk never make sense to restore.

What I've been saying for years (decades) is that you buy/build/restore a vehicle that you desire to own if your a true enthusiast, that way any costs/time invested basically mean nothing to you....if your worried about investment, return, current market value, being "upside down", etc, etc, etc, then your in the wrong hobby.....

[ramairthree]

Yep.

If you have a basket case matching Daytona, Chevelle LS6, Ram Air lV Judge, 'Cuda convertible, Hurst Olds 442 or something to restore-
It can come out worth more than the cost of the restoration.

If you are starting with a run of the mill Charger RT, GTO, Chevelle SS, 442, etc. you might come out even.

Nine out of ten cars restoration will be more than the car is worth.

[Troy]

That most people are delusional when starting a restoration and that a full-blown restoration is expensive I agree with. However, his position is that anything less than 100% restoration is a restoration and subject to poor quality is total hogwash. There are plenty of levels of restoration, not just total tear down/build ups. A less involved restoration that is balanced with preservation (where possible) can be much less expensive, just as responsible, and better in quality if not more so. We all know that most reproduction and replacement parts are inferior to anything original. The more originality that can be preserved, the better. Of course, this means starting with a solid and mostly complete car and resisting the temptation to fix what isn't broken.

Troy

[John_Kunkel]

"Before you begin" go to the bank and get a few thousand dollars in $100 bills; then stand in front of your toilet and toss one bill at a time and flush...once you're comfortable with this, begin your restoration project.