Restoration cost

[Patrick L.]

There is nothing like driving a car that you have built yourself.
end quote



Yep !

[burner31]

If you have to ask...you can't afford it.

[hangarb7]

I will also say that I got this advice early on when I was looking for my Model A. Don't expect that if you spend a lot that the car will be maintenance free. Even a completely restored car can have surprises. I opted for a $13K car that was poorly restored but not exactly botched. It looked fair and ran pretty well but I have been tinkering since I have owned it. Runs better than it ever has and it has a long way to go to be perfect. But it is reliable and FUN.

Hope you are not discouraged because this is a great hobby and the support is fantastic.

[miff]

I don't want to know. All I know is that you can throw hundred dollars bills at it and it catches everyone and wants more. I did a frame off on a 1930 deluxe ,side mount , rumble seat roaster. Now I am building a 1931 boatail speedster from the ground up . It's a hobby and if you have one why not two. No way I will get my money back . For me it's the joy of doing it. Good luck and enjoy. Miff

[BlueSunoco]

Like miff says...... and besides when you get old the lawyers and medical industry takes all of what you worked your entire life for anyway, if your health goes bad.

Best to die broke like when you first came here!

[Patrick L.]

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Best to die broke like when you first came here!
end quote



When I die I'm trying to plan it so I have $1 left to my name and let everyone fight over it.

[TerryH]

I am probably one of the few guys here who has no desire to restore a Model A, but my hat's off to all of you who do! I am also one of the few to go out, find, and buy, a very nicely restored and correct 1930 Town Sedan. The seller did all the work himself, except the engine and paint. After I bought the car, he was nice enough to send me all the receipts. One night, for fun, I went through and added them up.....the total was far more than I paid for the car, and he had spent nearly 10 years on it. After 8 years, and driving it several times a week, and on several tours, the only money I have spent on it has been for upgrades, such as HC head and Mitchell OD.....it was re-built and restored properly....not fine point, but very nicely. The point is, for those of you who do not aspire to restore, it is possible to find a very nice, properly restored car for far less than restoring one yourself. You just need to look very carefully and choose wisely!

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

To ALL,
That Phaeton has a BEAUTIFUL engine room! Whatever your car's like, even a ROOKIE, with careful preparation, masking, painting, etc, can have an ENGINE & COMPARTMENT, that looks that GOOD! I've seen "SPRAY CAN" firewalls, that RIVALS the FACTORY NEW look! AND, spray can wheels, that are mistakened for POWDER COATED !
Bill W.

[Dennis Pereira]

Wow my project has cost me around $ 5000 so far I think with a lot of horse trading and another $ 5000 should have me driving to town I hope . I have a drawer full of receipts for small parts maybe when I add it all up I'll be shocked . I need glass / upholstery / And Bumpers maybe some different rear fenders . Engine work is done I hope and I'm working on the brakes . All paint and body and assembly will be by me .

[burner31]

I searched, and finally bought a '31 town sedan so that I could work on it, restore it to my judging standards, not others, and I needed another project car to keep me busy, I'm almost done with my '57.
It's not about the money or time, it's all about the pleasure of the work...and of course...the driving.
With any luck I'll have a few more years of work on my A before it's done.
After that...I'll have to get a bigger garage<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

[Tinbasher]

Here's a different way to look at it. My father in-law loved to golf. I figured over 40 years he spend 300,000.00. He enjoyed his hobby. At the end he tried to sell his clubs. Couldn't get $65.00 at the garage sale. But he enjoyed what he did.

John Poole

[Rowdy]

DJS, here is another thing to consider in the form of a very short story.

Just prior to being diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 36 I had bought my delivery body, procured a chassis and most of the major parts and had it all bolted together. I got it running afew days before my surgery while I was in bad shape physicly and likely not much better mentally at the time. It was a good feeling at a highly stressful time.

After my surgery many friends and family stopped by. For most of them it was amusing that here I was looking at a bleak and possibly short future, but I had to take them to the garage and fire it up for them. My uncle looked at it all bolted together in its rusty condition and was in shock when it fired up within 2 revolutions with the starter. If for not having the A and having plans for it in the future I may have given up at some point while doing chemo and radiation. What is that worth in dollars? Rod

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Tinbasher

Here's a different way to look at it. My father in-law loved to golf. I figured over 40 years he spend 300,000.00. He enjoyed his hobby. At the end he tried to sell his clubs. Couldn't get $65.00 at the garage sale. But he enjoyed what he did.

John Poole

I could not agree with you more! We read here about people sweating over "did I pay too much". They forget the years of enjoyment ahead of them.

If you are restoring an A for profit 98% of the time you will lose.

[C26Pinelake]

Originally Posted by Tinbasher

Here's a different way to look at it. My father in-law loved to golf. I figured over 40 years he spend 300,000.00. He enjoyed his hobby. At the end he tried to sell his clubs. Couldn't get $65.00 at the garage sale. But he enjoyed what he did.

John Poole

Heh John. At $7500 a year he played some pretty nice courses! Wayne

[BlueSunoco]

Originally Posted by C26Pinelake

Heh John. At $7500 a year he played some pretty nice courses! Wayne

But, that includes scenic beauty and wild life fun

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by C26Pinelake

Heh John. At $7500 a year he played some pretty nice courses! Wayne

The way I play golf, someone needs to remember to factor in at least a 12-pack of balls & tees for each round I play.

Heck, the last I heard, a 12-pack of Titleists were over $30.00 now. Better add in the price of owning a cart too, and the battery maintenance that goes with owing one. Tournament fees factor in too.

Some might suggest fishing as an alternative hobby, ....but the last I checked, Cabelas & Bass Pro were raking in the profits off of their Sportsmen customers. Buy a boat and all the gear to go fishing and see how much that costs. Sell those items a few years down the road and see what you lost.

Originally Posted by Patrick L.

I'm curious and didn't want to hi-jack a previous thread.

What would you figure the cost would be on a 'correct restoration' that would include doing everything.

I have purposely stayed out of this to read other's thoughts but ironically I have been working on a magazine article ( -which I may just produce a video instead) outlining just what is involved and the $$ associated with doing a restoration. The costs really are not as great as one would think in my opinion however the educational expenses for the Restorer is where the money is spent.

[CarlG]

I have way more invested in my '31 Model A pickup than I do in my Lincoln Aviator.

[burner31]

It's not an investment to make a profit, it's a "fee" for living.
Small price to pay for the enjoyment returned.

[Jeff/Illinois]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

The way I play golf, someone needs to remember to factor in at least a 12-pack of balls & tees for each round I play.

Heck, the last I heard, a 12-pack of Titleists were over $30.00 now. Better add in the price of owning a cart too, and the battery maintenance that goes with owing one. Tournament fees factor in too.

Some might suggest fishing as an alternative hobby, ....but the last I checked, Cabelas & Bass Pro were raking in the profits off of their Sportsmen customers. Buy a boat and all the gear to go fishing and see how much that costs. Sell those items a few years down the road and see what you lost.

I've never been able to find a 'cheap or inexpensive' hobby. Maybe walking around the block but really nice shoes can run a couple hundred bucks. Besides that is boring.

It all depends on what and how much you get into it. I used to do a lot of competition high power rifle shooting. Politics aside, lately THAT is pretty expensive even doing your own cartridge reloading. Big Govt. trying to make it too expensive, guns and ammo both, to make them go away. Same w/ trap shooting I'm told.

I dabbled in coins some as a youth. Price of rare coins today is thru the roof! Silver dollars that used to sit on the counter of the local coin shop in a bowl for 5 and 6 bucks take your pick, in the 1990's are 30 bucks each and up now. Good Morgans run double and triple that and over $500 for decent Carson City mint dollars. Plus VERY very good Chinese fake coins are flooding the western world, fooling even the experts. Buyer beware.

Petroliana---- globes -pumps -signs way high compared to 20-25 years or so ago

A buddy dumped his Studebaker last year said 'I'm done w/ old cars' and got into bicycles. What ever floats your boat but the other day he was quoting prices of the better bikes and WOW they were some serious coin. Not cheap and he did admit lousy resale value after you owned them awhile. And that's to ride a bicycle. Boring.

Heck, my neighbor lady has collected cookie jars of all things since the 60's, and she tells me what THEY cost today to get into that hobby. Yikes

Friend from high school fishes. Serious bass fisherman. We won't get into that. Big money also. BIG money the way he goes at it.

SO, the days of 'cheap' anything are gone. I only hear 'good' things from the people who are selling and they comment 'do you believe THAT? I wouldn't have paid that for (whatever) but I love selling it.'

If you like it and enjoy it pony up the money and don't look back Time is going by pretty fast none of us will be around all that long here anyway. And besides, it's hard to 'fake' a Model A Ford!!

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Minerva was a 1996 "restoration" of an Early '30 Std. Coupe, I refined her "restoration", drove her for 8 years, put LOTS of miles on her & almost doubled my investment! ---(NOT counting my labor, of course.)
The only sublet work was painting her lower body stuff & fixin' a L/F fender that I "buggered" up myself!
Bill W.