Complete or Restore?

[1969 Dodge Charger R/T]

Hello,



Should I buy a Charger that is complete or that one that needs to be restored ?

[1969chargerrtse]

Hello,



Should I buy a Charger that is complete or that one that needs to be restored ?

It all depends on you. If you have the funds there is no dopt in my mind now is the time to buy. It almost always cost more to restore an old car than what it is worth. Depends on condition etc. If your hands on and want the work than buy something in need. Each case is different. Good luck.

[Charger 1]

There is an argument to be made both ways.  In my opinion, though, the bad thing about buying one that is already 'restored', is you don't know what is under the paint.  Was the body work done properly or was rust and holes just covered / filled with bondo and then painted.  It is nice to have the car stripped to see what really is or isn't there and then follow along as it is repaired correctly.  

[duanesterrr]

I am sort of in the same boat.  I have decided to go halfway in between the two.  I am looking for a car 10-20k that is solid and in running condition.  I plan on driving it for a couple years as-is when I buy it.  After that, if some body work and paint needs to be completed I will do that work on my own.

The completed cars often price themselves out of my price range.  The complete restores are too much of a task for me to take on (and probably too much $ as well).

[nvrbdn]

the other alternative is the guy that had all the intentions of restoring and 6-7 years into this it is half done. the parts are mostly purchased, just need alot of assembly. you can save alot of money and time on one of those and finish up the resto the way you want.

[tan top]

    what the other guys say  

this not ment so sound as it sounds !  but  can you do the restoration your self ? or any part of it ?
depending on buying a car all done , whos done the work ? how good was it done ?
there are horror storys of guys buying restored cars & ending up with  bondoed up shiny pile of S**T  , if your not sure what your looking for  , take a guy with you who knows stuff & or  post pictures here too

[B5charger]

If you don't have any or limited experience with restoration then I'd say get a driver (or whatever you can afford), since there will be plenty of jobs on it for you to tackle.  If you get a basket case, it may be too overwhelming and you might lose interest/confidence.  There is always something that you'll want to replace or change or improve on a car that to others may look "finished".  What I'm trying to say is: don't bite off more than you can chew.

[charger_fan_4ever]

Unless the driver is wearing original paint same story applies. Who knows thats underneath ? I agree you'd ned to buy a car that has been completly redone and lots of pictures to document it or else a project. Most of the drivers in the 10-120k range require as much work as a car in a box.

Best bet is to buy a project from the south. That way you you might only need to deal with rear window/trunk rust. East coast cars usuallty need 1/4's, doors, fenders,rockers you name it its all rusted.

[bull]

When I bought my 68 I wanted one that was done but could only afford one that needed a total restoration. Looking back now there's no doubt in my mind that restoring one was the only way I would get one because saving the money, bit by bit, and restoring it bit by bit, created a situation where the progress was visible. If I were just putting money aside to buy one outright it would never happen because it would just be money in the bank rather than a physical project in the garage. I know myself and my situation well enough to understand that.

That said, however, you'd be money ahead if you were able to buy one that's finished or close to finished. But the thing is if you go that route is that you have to really watch what you're getting and who you're getting it from. There's no foolproof way to do that other than to get to know the people in the Mopar community and figure out who can be trusted.

So basically it's a matter of knowing and understanding yourself and your limitations/strengths and making wise decisions based on your conclusions.

[duanesterrr]

  what the other guys say  

this not ment so sound as it sounds !  but  can you do the restoration your self ? or any part of it ?
depending on buying a car all done , whos done the work ? how good was it done ?
there are horror storys of guys buying restored cars & ending up with  bondoed up shiny pile of S**T  , if your not sure what your looking for  , take a guy with you who knows stuff & or  post pictures here too

I will definetly be posting pictures here when I find my car.

[Mike DC]

                            

YOU WANT THE BEST CONDITION SHEETMETAL THAT YOU CAN POSSIBLY GET.  


Drivetrain swaps, suspension changes, interior work, even paintjobs . . . all that work pales in comparison to a rustbucket.  Nothing will make you broke and drag out the completion of the car like a bad body.  

[hemi-hampton]

If you can find a restored car or original car thats has all original sheet metal & all original spot welds (like my Charger for example)  thats the way to go. Anything else is like playing Russian Roulette. LEON.

[Ghoste]

Get it complete.

[404NOTFOUND]

If you have to ask, you probably need to go complete. Try to get a car with lots of pre and during restoration photos.

[FLG]

Bottom line, unless your doing all the work yourself and were not talking a major resto car that needs everything, your always gonna come out on top buying restored. But you need to make sure it was done properly or your going to have to do it over again.

Id say the best of both words is a solid car that might need minor attention, but nothing major and that is relatively unmolested. The small issues leave some haggling room, and if it hasnt been messed with much than it generally will be a straight forward fix.

If buying a car that needs work, expect to change out all the suspension components, fluids, brake components, fuel system, carburetor, ignition, clean all wiring connectors and possibly repair or replace a harness here or there. That will get you a safe reliable car, than you can worry about making it look nice.