"Going to restore it someday"--NO YOUR NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With each passing moment, it gets more and more expensive to restore a car. From the parts to assemble it, the price of the refinish materials, the cost of the labor(if you can't do it yourself),etc., It's all going up, up, up.

So, this goes out to the people who are sitting with some project car rotting next to the garage, either with or without a tarp over it(speeding up the decay with the greenhouse effect). Unless you win the Lotto, or get some type of career change that finds you rolling in more money than you had yesterday or today, YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO RESTORE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you couldn't afford to restore it last year, or five years ago, and still can't afford it TODAY, guess what....your never going to be able to afford it. It's kinda like waiting to be ready to have kids. If you waited until your ready, you would never have them.

I recently priced some refinish materials for a project I'm building, I priced the same Epoxy primer I bought and used 2 years ago, and I was totally shocked that it had doubled in price....again., and I get it at cost, as my best friend is a paint rep for Axalta(formerly Dupont).
Look at the prices on the repro tires, totally unacceptable and out of reach for the average joe. I'm afraid Mr Coker, and Mr Kelsey are going to price themselves out of business one of these days, they've both priced their products too high for this cat.
Car batteries...cheap low cranking amp battery is $100 for entry level, and they go up from there.
The inflation rate of the parts and materials is outpacing hourly wages in a big way.

So, as I was saying, if you don't already have all your restoration parts purchased, your refinish supplies purchased, the labor money set aside(if you can't do it yourself), YOU ARE NEVER-EVER GOING TO RESTORE IT!!!!! Sorry, Truth hurts. Sell it to someone who has the money and ability to save it, after it sits too long and goes to crap, it's not any good to anyone.
Oh yeah, don't advertise it as "easy restoration", there is no such thing. And don't tear it all apart, sandblast and paint the frame, and say "all the hard work is done", that's a BS line as well.

 

I guess we've all heard the "I'm going to restore it someday" speech from the owner of a rotting car. It's pretty frustrating when we witness a car decaying.

My best friend's brother has a '71 Cuda that he bought from a back yard where it had been rotting. We thought he would restore it, instead he has stored it in two different barns or outside for the last 23 years and it's now even worse, actually much worse than when he got it. Sad part is that he is a very rich individual and could afford to pay for the best restoration in the nation, but instead he lets it rot away while claiming "I'm going to fix it up someday." It's a really odd looking car with the lime green paint, white billboard stripes, a black vinyl top, go wing, and a black bench seat interior. It's a sight that would make a glass eye shed a tear.

 

I know where there is a 70 GS 455 convertible harvest gold white top and guts numbers matching and sitting in a yard when I asked about it I got the line. Now its sitting on the floor pans and the frame is in the mud. There is about 300lbs of old clothes, curtains and coats in the car fillingit to the top. I bet that stuff is full of mice. I quit driving by it cause it was making me ill. Alos a local guy here has a 70 Superbird thats wrecked in the front a 440 car that would be an easy payday. IF he had someone offer 50k for it he might show it but we all know it will cost twice that much to restore it and then you have a 100k car.

 

I'm one of the guys that's been restoring a car for the last two decades! It's finally done (well almost) and I'm looking forward to driving it. It's restored at a very high level and by all rights the car should be in a museum. However, time waits for no man as the saying goes, and life is slipping by. I'm going to drive it (carefully) and enjoy it with my family. So, I echo the author sentiments. I've seen many a car sitting under a tarp rotting away only to be old by the owners estate after he passed. What good comes from that?

 

I know were there is a 67 427 4 speed impala black with red interior..... just sitting I told the I will give you mine which is complete and nice and some cash........NOPE.....

 

Right now, ALL my cars are just for parts. People should realize when it turns into a rotten parts car. Keep the decent cars that you are going to "restore" inside.

 

When you knock on the door two years later to see if they want to sell that rotten musclecar and you notice that they haven't fixed that broken hinge on the screen door that was that way two years ago when you first inquired....chances are the car didn't move to the top of the "to do....I'm gonna fix it up someday" list either!

 

My car sat unmoved for 4 years before I got started. I turned down offers and people said the same thing to me. Granted I do know the type you are describing (I know where a real deal numbers matching GTO judge is sitting in the back of a barn!), but just saying some guys do get to them eventually. I just had to deal with school/marriage/career first.

 

I think the first two posts on this link are prime examples. The second is obviously heart wrenching to see for us Buick guys.

http://www.carsinbarns.com/new235.html

 

I am hoping to be restoring a Mopar for a friend of mine here soon. His grandfather "also a close friend of mine" had the car back in the late 80s and sold it to his son-in-law in the early 90's who drove it for a short bit and parked it. Since then it sat in a damp garage for a couple yrs and was then moved to outdoor storage in the mid 90's where it has sat since uncovered. The fella's kids have grown up, moved out and since then he moved and his son bought his house where the car is parked. The son now has a very good career as well as his daughter. He gets angry anytime anyone mentions moving the car, blowing the tires up and talking of selling is forbidden. The father has plans of restoring the car someday after he retires but the son knows that by then the car may be too far gone and he also knows his father knows nothing of restorations nor has a place to do it. So, the son and grandfather were talking one day of hiring someone to restore it as a retirement gift from the son/daughter and i asked if they had found anyone. Next thing you know i am explaining what i do know about Dodges, how i would go about the restoration and where i would be doing it. I have since met with the son to look over the car, gave a ballpark estimate and i am now in the process of going through the numbers of what i know for sure it will need and what i also recommend be done so the son and daughter can better budget for the restoration.

I went and looked at it and it is a 68 Dodge GTS 340/auto all numbers matching with exception of the truck lid being replaced at one time. The car is all there except one GTS badge for the trunk. The interior is porked from too much sun. The engine still turns over by hand and the body is still decent. It will need patch panels for the front fenders, rear 1/4's and one rocker panel. Floors are questionable and the unibody rails still look ok but wont really know until the car is stripped and turned over. I have known the car myself since the grandfather had it so i told the son i would give him a break on the labor but to expect to spend at least $20k. The number didnt bother him at all and all he asked was would the car be worth the money put into it. I told him any restoration is a labor of love and rarely does the value ever exceed the cost of restoration. But i also mentioned this was monetary value, what is the value of childhood memories and seeing his parents faces when the car was presented to his dad at his retirement party?

I hope to be starting on this car this fall/winter and will be putting it back to all stock/original from factory. Thankfully the son/daughter both know their father would never get to the car so they hope to relive childhood memories of riding in the back of the car with their parents.

 

Some people thrive on the attention they get from guys like us trying to buy their cars. If they ever sold, no one would stop and talk to them anymore. So it's not for sale, or it is for sale at some ridiculous price that goes up with each passing year.

 

Dude you are spot on with everything. :gp:

At $211.00 PER TIRE for an F70-14 Red line it's no wonder. Even the wealthiest F.A.S.T or PSMCDR participant, at some time or other, must ask themselves, is this insane?

 

Yes,Insane! Not even in the realm of reality. It is kinda like gas prices, they charge us these prices because they know they have a monopoly,and they can charge whatever they like.
I hate to say it, but a little friendly competition from a Chinese tire manufacturer at a realistic price would be most welcome. They are making most of our tires anyway.:Smarty:

 

The 69' Chevelle in my sig was one of those cars that someone kept saying that they would "fix up someday." It took several years of pestering, but I finally got my hands on it this past February. I have been gathering parts as money allows. I have already done more with it in the past three months than he did with it in seven years time. I expect it to take me 3-5 years to complete. I'm not wealthy, and I don't always have time to work on projects. But, I eventually get things done.

I know of a 68' Z/28 that has been sitting since the late 70's. It will eventually be a pile of rust. Supposedly it belonged to a family member who passed away, and they would rather it sit and rot than sell it. (That makes no sense to me! Why keep something around that makes you sad every time you see it?)

 

In case you haven't noticed all tires have gotten more expensive in the last few years not just the reproduction tires. Its based on oil cost which has gone up a bunch since 2008 .Paint supply's are higher for similar reasons everything costs more go grocery shopping if you dont believe me.

 

I am one of these people

 

Every delivery we receive at the grocery store that I work at (www.hollywoodmarkets.com) has a separate $25-$35 FUEL SURCHARGE tacked on the bottom line of every invoice. Wait until the Obamacare health care costs go in full effect next year (45% increase in cost per employee) along with a possibility of a $10 per hour minimum wage and you'll be looking at paying $3.99 for a can of Green Giant Corn and your steaks will be about $25 per pound.

I couldn't afford to restore anything at that point. :rant: :rant:

 

Your correct on that frank. can we all say thanks Obama

 

everytime i stop and try to buy a car they tell me they are going to put it on ebay or they saw on just like it on mecum or barrett jackson and they are going to want top dollar

 

Thanks TOM..... Now I'm REALLY depressed... excuse me while I go kill myself !!!!ou:




Hey.... is this a ploy to get a new project cheap??:grin: