Is this a rich man's hobby?

C

Commander Toasty

Member
Boats, airplanes, collector cars ... all for the rich - right?

I wonder how many of you think having a Model A is a rich man's activity?

My car is in great shape, and yet I am constantly ordering things for it. Hundred dollars here, fifty dollars there ... adds up to a few hundred a month. Then something major comes along like an engine and there goes three grand.

But on the other hand these things are darned cheap to maintain. And I just paid four hundred bucks for a fluid change in my Mercedes transmission. I could do a new radiator in my A for that!

A modern car tune-up is very expensive, a modern car oil change at a one-stop is forty bucks. Compared to modern cars, even with constant repairs, the A looks pretty economical to me. But friends always remark how much money it must cost me to have such a 'toy'.

What do you think?:rolleyes:
 
It may or may not be a "Rich Man's Hobby"...it all depends on just how mechanically inclined one is to restore the Model A or any type of vehicle.

For me, doing chassis restorations is a fun thing to do however can not do the engine or radiator repair which is costly.

Body work...forget it, at least for me...some can do it with no problem, some may not.

Save $40.00 and change your own oil and filter (problem here is that a lot of people live in the cities and do not know just what to do with the oil and filter once removed so they go and have it done...quite different here on the farm). Tune-ups...some can, some can't.

Is it a rich mans hobby? I would have to say yes.

I wonder just how many guys have bought a Model A, or other cars for restoration, only to find out the "expense" in getting something restored such as plating, engine overhaul, etc. then deciding to quit and just letting the project sit for years in some cases.

Hmmmmmm.

Pluck
 
If you are capable of doing alot of the work yourself it is very affordable. Older restorations are not badly priced much of the time. If you have to try to keep up with the latest and greatest it can get very expensive. Other than some bodywork issues I can do most of it myself. With that said over the years I have bought many thousands of dollars worth of tools and equipment and hopefully in the future I can buy more. Rod
 
Poor people think anyone with exra money is rich. As far as having an old car I think the model A gives you the most for the dollar. Fords built in the following 10 years are priced beyond what the average person can afford.
 
Like any hobbies it takes cash. I'm doing all of my own body and paint learning as I go. The same with mechanicals. The only problem I see in the near future is upholstery I'm not to sure How that will go. a learning experience for sure. This forum is always a big help when I need it.
 
The less a fella can do himself the richer he has to be to get it done. A hobby is a hobby. Some do it for the challenge of doing it and others just collect stuff to play with.

Kerby
 
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To have a driveable A, No. The money it takes to keep it up is off set by reduced beer intake and fewer nights out (other than cruse ins).

Restorations, can go either way, let me take that back the answer is still no as I have not heard of anyone one having to have a new part cast for an A.

Brent can state the difference in price to restore a Model A to show condition with a missing head and say a Marmon with a head missing.

For the rich No not really.
 
Cheaper than my ex-wives and not nearly as tempermental. Seriously, the Model A is car for all incomes as it can be enjoyed at whatever level the owner wants to take it to.
 
Rich is subjective. To me I'd have to say airplanes is a rich mans hobby.

Model A are not. You can pickup a nicely restored A for 12k. Some people spend that on wheels and tires.
 
When you compare the price of parts between an "A" and a modern car, the "A" is a bargain. I'm newly retired and just getting by on my savings and SSI, so I'm far from rich. I could not afford to be restoring my 29RPU, if I had not sold a few cars that I had little money in. I have to do everything myself, from engine to paint, but I would not have it any other way. There is great comfort in the old car hobby, when you can tour and know that whatever may go wrong, you know how to fix it.
 
"..... having a Model A is a rich man's activity?" Not for me, otherwise I would never be able to have one. It all depends what you mean by "having" one. If you can't rest unless it is original and perfect then it will cost you high bucks. If you can be comfortable with one that drives dependably, has a few dents and old paint, useable seat covers, etc. and just want to take it out for a Sunday evening drive for your personal enjoyment, then no it is not just for a rich man.

In fact, you might even be able to have three of them.
 
All a matter of attitude. A "rich" man throws money at a hobby to have the best right this very minute. A prudent man slowly learns to do it himself (with a little reciprocal help from his friends).
 
pdora said:
All a matter of attitude. A "rich" man throws money at a hobby to have the best right this very minute. A prudent man slowly learns to do it himself (with a little reciprocal help from his friends).
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So, a "rich" man doesn't enjoying wrenching on his car?
 
I am by no means a rich man by the way most people define "RICH" I do and my wife have good jobs we are very lucky and extremely lucky with full paid health care at our jobs but we have always paid as we go, Wife says that I am just "TIGHT" but we have no car payments and our house will be paid for in less than 5 years and both of us just turned 42 and 43 so I think we are doing fair, BUT! we have done WITHOUT!!! a lot of times not trying to keep up with the Jones and the most important thing of all especially after me surviving cancer we both have our health! But as far as the car costs go there again what is rich? my 4000.00 A Tudor with what I thought maybe 1500.00 total in parts, paint. interior etc. has turned into now going on 11000.00 and I have done all and I mean ALL the work myself and still not finished. So yes and no, YES it will take more than you planned on spending and NO it has been some of the best times I have had laughing with my wife and time together with her and I have met a lot of great new people and made so many new best friends "PRICELESS" so if that makes me rich so be it, but I have never seen a hurse pulling a U Hall down the road in the end. Robert DeBord
 
You don't know how good we have it! With my 63 Corvette roadster, add one or two 0s to the Model A parts price. For example, a restored bare frame $5,000-6,000. Replace drum with disc brakes, $3,000, put in rack and pinion steering, $1,500, replace carb with throttle body fuel injection, $2,000, new set of knock off wheels, $2,500... I'd say the hobby is for those who pay income tax, the top 25%+ who make $66k or above. Surprising that the top 25% starts out so low.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/250.html
 
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I say as time goes on it is[ a rich man's hobby or any hobby]. Nothing is getting cheaper , so one to restore a Car today must have some extra cash to spend. Just the other day we were talking about this issue. My friend who restores parts said he ordered a handful of parts[a hand full] $38.00 and a $15.00 postage bill. Parts are going up and fast but what else is new[Goodyear tires -black walls were $98.00 a couple of year ago $150.00 today ,,thats more then my daily driver.. Paint, even if you do it yourself [paint price,sandpaper,primer, reducer ,hardner, 1 stage/2 stage] what ever you use is going up. So the price of a restoration even if you do it by yourself is not going to be cheap.People do see it as a rich man's hobby. How many times do you hear the first question is" Boy this must cost you alot of money.Skip is right too on the unemployment figures. They are at 17% and higher.At a time there's a house $550.thousand it is now below $350.00 [NewBern N.C.]
 
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Jeff/Illinois said:
I look at a Model A Ford as a 401K. It will do a lot better than the stock market OR your piddly 1.5% in a CD at the bank (they sure are cheating us,heh?) plus it is a heck of a lot more fun than a print-out with a figure telling you how much 'money' you have.
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The demographics for demand for Model As doesn't look so hot as the 70-80 year olds who own many of them are dieing off. At least the economics are better than buying a new car, down 50% in 2 or 3 years.
 
Depends on how you define "rich". I have a wife of over 40 some years, 11 kids and 14 grandkids. I am "rich". I also have an old Model A that I have had since the early 50's that I got around to rebuilding after all these years so I could take my grandkids for rides. Yes I guess I am "rich" but money does not enter into it all!
 
:mad: it can be if you are not capable of doing most of the work your self, upholstery and engine rebuilds especially, go to the club meetings buy the books, go to any seminars near you, ask questions and ask if you can help on another guys A when hes working on it, doing this you can mostly get the cost down to the price of parts, dont be afraid to ask questions and get your hands dirty, buy a good air compressor,one with at least a 40 gallon tank, a harbour fright $100 pressure fed sand blaster, a hydralic jack, good jack stands, decent set of tools, a couple of oil catch buckets and a ton of grease rags and go at it:cool:
 
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