Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Penman]

Hi
Chatting with people on the BOC it would seem that the costs of purchasing and refurbishing outstrip the final value of our cherished motors.
You will gather from this that I am disregarding the pleasure we get from them as it is generally something we can't put a monetary value on.

Do you reckon that you have spent, or will be spending, more on your cars than they are or will be worth monetarily?

Does allowing/making the car work for you, such as 47p2's Rover has, help appreciably?

[Job-Rated]

I'm pretty sure I'll never get all my money back on the Dodge, but that thought will be at the back of my mind when I'm driving it down the road or parking up at a show.
I think that's the rub - knowing it's yours & it wouldn't be like it is if it weren't for you. Now there's a pleasure you can't put a price on.
_________________
Don't run your fingers over my truck & I won't run my truck over your fingers!


http://www.loosechange-band.co.uk/

[Rick]

I think the general rule is that most full-on rebuilds will cost more than the resulting vehicle is £worth, especially if any of the work is farmed out to pro's.

But as J-R says, the 'value' of the end result is impossible to fully quantify as it isn't just about the financial return if you decide to sell it later. Its the fulfillment of taking on a ruin, that many would simply throw away, and returning it to the road once more. The more obscure the vehicle, the bigger the kick I reckon. I daren't estimate the final cost of my old truck (for practicality that had to be farmed out for most of the work), but to see it back on the road will be a big deal after owning and planning its resurrection for so long (since 1995).

I also get satisfaction from tracking down the rare spares needed to get it going again. Many many parts have come from the US, plus a NOS steering wheel that turned up somewhere in Australia. Searching for all these bits puts you in touch with some interesting people too (online and at shows, autojumbles etc), something else that you can't pin a value on.

Rick
_________________
Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop

[Old-Nail]

Of all the classic vehicles that I have owned I have had the most enjoyment from the 'condition 2' ones.

There is something about a car needing work that calls for greater involvement from the owner. The time spent attending and scouring auto-jumbles for that elusive part, or surfing the net for the latest developments in restoration technology is all part of the deal.

To completely rebuild and restore a vehicle yourself would I imagine introduce both new skills to the restorer (which can then be built upon) and familiarises him with a host of service and parts providers. It is a personal thing - a hobby, a challenge, and at times a passion which needs to be fulfilled... often as the costs rise and rise!

I think there's little doubt that it is financially better (or wiser) to buy a top notch ready restored vehicle that someone else has took the hit of the restoration costs, but that's like flying to Monte Carlo to stand at the finish line of the rally... nice, but you would have missed the journey, and sometimes that's where all the fun is!

[Uncle Joe]

I think the same as most others in this case. I doubt if I will ever get back the amount I have laid out on a car. I've usually got back more than I paid when I bought it, but this doesnt cover the costs involved. Especially if a nominal amount for labour is added.

One pleasure that I do get though when a job is finished is the amount of things that I have learnedin the process. Education is something that a value cant be put on. Sometimes, the knowldege is useful in other areas as well.

[62rebel]

except for a select few, most automobiles follow the law of diminishing returns as far as "investment value" is concerned. and to be quite honest about it, i think that investing in something that literally deteriorates before your eyes is foolish. that said; i own 4 "classic" cars, a 1952 Plymouth, a 1959 Ford Galaxie, and a 1962 and a 1966 Ford Falcon. i drive a Ford F150 to work. of these i consider the Galaxie the most valuable, but even if i sold it at top price today it wouldn't return what i have in it.
my relatives do not understand my attraction to old cars, and i do not understand why they need 4wheel drives to go to the grocery.

[pigtin]

My 10/4 cost about £2000 to purchase and restore in 1985, used by my

wife for shopping and as a 2nd car for around 17 years the running costs

were negligible.

During that time it took us to about ten shows a year and three foreign

holidays towed a caravan twice to the Dorset steam fair, and other joys

too numerous to mention. It’s getting a bit of body rust around the

bottom of the rear tub and a few other places, nothing serious and it is

still reliable transport.

In 23 years I’ve spent less then £500 on maintenance, most of that was

on tyres.

If I throw it away tomorrow I’ll consider I’ve had my moneys worth.

Don.

[ukdave2002]

If you place a reasonable cost on your effort, say £30 per hour, and assume some kind of depreciation for a car that is being used..

On my condition 2 Stag, yes because I only do repairs as required and could sell it for a bit more than I paid.

The 2 nut and bolt jobs; being the MGA & Morris 8 SE, not a cat’s chance!! It’s a labour of love!! They would both have to be worth about £30K each for me to break even!

Dave

[47p2]