Value out of car!

R

robert shreveport

Senior Member
I have a car I may or may not ever finish as probably a lot of us. I know I will never get my money out of it. If I get a third of it I be lucky. I guess it is that way with all, the muscle cars too. Mine is a 31 2-dr. Paint and body work is where the largest portion went to, then engine, then the other mechanicals. The more you can do yourself is the best way to get more value out of your investment. Just the way it goes!
 
robert shreveport said:
I have a car I may or may not ever finish as probably a lot of us. I know I will never get my money out of it. If I get a third of it I be lucky. I guess it is that way with all, the muscle cars too. Mine is a 31 2-dr. Paint and body work is where the largest portion went to, then engine, then the other mechanicals. The more you can do yourself is the best way to get more value out of your investment. Just the way it goes!
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Welcome to the club. Just make sure you carry a high agreed ins value just in case.. at least double your investment
 
Do you have proper documentation to register it? A number of restorers found out their cars were not able to be put on the road as they did not have sufficient documentation after finishing the restoration.
 
Our hobby is more a labor of LOVE than anything. The enjoyment you receive from restoring or driving your "A" is more priceless than the $$$ you get if you sell it.
 
Yes have it titled in my name previously, drove it for 5-6 yrs. Wish in a way I would have left it like it was. Old original looking, but sloppy driving.
 
robert shreveport said:
Yes have it titled in my name previously, drove it for 5-6 yrs. Wish in a way I would have left it like it was. Old original looking, but sloppy driving.
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This is one reason I like the idea of keeping the car drivable as it's being restored, and fix all the mechanicals first. Then decide if you want to do the full frame off restoration, or just keep driving it as is.
 
Tom's reply #6 is about the best mechanical advice to maintain devout interest in one's Model A.

Another of part of Tom's greatly thought out Model A Apostles' Creed, (when asked years ago on how to keep up the Model A interest), is to do something Model A every day with our restorations ..... even if only 5 minutes a day ..... doing nothing Model A leads to totally ignoring and forgetting about working on our Model A's where we will finally never finish.
 
With me it has not been about the money spent or the value at a sale. The ones that I have invested countless hours to restore, if ever sold, will be after I leave this world. The reward has been working on them with my son and grand kids. from the start I knew they would never be worth what a muscle car would be, and that is the reason I restored a couple of classic Mustang fastbacks and sold them to fund the Model A fever. I have never enjoyed driving any muscle car including 63-67 Corvettes, 60s Hemis, all manner of hotrods to name just a few as I have driving down the road in a Model A with my daughter, son, wife or grand kids, the rest are nice and fun, but not the same as the As. Your mileage may vary...
 
I'm in the same boat with my 28 tudor. I was hoping to get .50 cents on the dollar. No luck. Instead of accepting an extremely low ball offer, I think I'll just donate it to Disabled Vets. That way it will do them some good and I'll have the peace of mind knowing that I didn't directly give someone the benefit of all the money and work that I put into it over the last ten years.
I will get a small tax break on it. I'm sure they will sell it for what ever they can get out of it. I still have a 30 Phaeton in show quality shape and a street rod to keep me busy.
 
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Our hobby is more a labor of LOVE than anything. The enjoyment you receive from restoring or driving your "A" is more priceless than the $$$ you get if you sell it.
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My take on that is I have friends who play golf-0 return on investment except for enjoyment
a couple of friends who build model airplanes and fly them, again, very little return on investment.
So in that case, think we are all way ahead, even at getting 1/2 back or whatever..........

are you having fun yet?!
 
robert shreveport said:
I have a car I may or may not ever finish as probably a lot of us. . . . .Paint and body work is where the largest portion went to, . . . .
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I have a '28 four door sedan (not an A) that's been in pieces for about 35 years (stoopid me!). I face the same issue. I wonder if I should restore the mechanicals and chuck the body back on, so that at least I have a driver. Unfortunately, the body needs new woodwork and has some (repairable) rust at the bottom of the cowl and around the air vent).

I just want to enjoy driving it. Is this a silly idea? (I'm not fussy about having a car that looks daggy).

Has anyone else done this?
 
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Hoogah, get that chassis running and slap the old body back on. The "survivor" look of a car is in right now. And thank goodness, my 30 barn car gathers a much larger crowd at a cruise night then my really pretty roadster. Get in and drive! Jeff
 
It is so easy to go over my wife could tell you that .But I feel it's the love for the car,and that smile on your face when you are driving down the road is worth every penny .
 
Since my "A" I have acquired my 55 and her 67 Camaro. The A was my first and has something special in it, memories of my first mentor Mr. Chuck who could fix about any problem with the A on the side of the road. Drove it to work and everyone on the parking lot knew who owned it. Drove it home after work at 12:30 AM with dim lights. Rode my Mom-in-Law in it. Went up to Petty Jean Mountain in it, with5 friends and their cars. Mine looked the worst but didn't have a minutes problem. And got almost 20 mpg. Drove as fast as the slowest car wanted to go. Bought it in Waco and man delivered it to me for $150.00. My girls were young then. He unloaded it and took us all for a ride showing me how to drive it. Youngest girl Katy thought that was a blast. Lot of memories. Mr. Chuck has now passed on. Life "IS" slowly making it's cycle. I'm retired now, some friends are gone or moved on and other things keep getting priorities such as elderly parents. Some people that are and have been my friends always say live for today, tomorrow is not quaranteed. I am, and am not a subscriber to that philosophy. Their nearly broke and I have the future set aside. Have my good health, am limber, slender and enthusiastic about my old cars, just let priorities get in my mind. Anyone else have this in their life?
 
robert shrevport: it's like I'm looking in mirror! Life is short, but I am prepared for the future. Jeff
 
I had an A long ago, a 55 more recently. Many cars over the years, this is my theory. It costs money to bowl. It costs money to golf. It costs money to hunt. I don't do any of those. I have been lucky, I have broke even on every car except two.
 
Hoogah said:
I have a '28 four door sedan (not an A) that's been in pieces for about 35 years (stoopid me!). I face the same issue. I wonder if I should restore the mechanicals and chuck the body back on, so that at least I have a driver. Unfortunately, the body needs new woodwork and has some (repairable) rust at the bottom of the cowl and around the air vent).

I just want to enjoy driving it. Is this a silly idea? (I'm not fussy about having a car that looks daggy).

Has anyone else done this?
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Hoogah, woodwork is always a huge job.

I think best to just get it together again and put it on club rego and drive it.

You were probably young and stupid when you pulled it apart with rose coloured glasses on.

Patch it, drive it, then it wil be out of your daily looking at it in the corner in bits.
 
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