Any Advice/Tips on Project vs Finished Car?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Sep 12, 12 7:13 pm

Carl wrote:is this the car your looking at?

Thats the one Carl, but it looks like a money pit TBH. Not exactly cheap either. From what people are saying I'm going to hold out for a nice runner that I can make mine over time.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Wed Sep 12, 12 7:19 pm

Yes thats the best bet. Couple of Challengers if you fancy another?

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C331174

http://www.moparuk.com/forums/viewtopic ... 844#431844

Dave81 · Post by **Dave81** » Wed Sep 12, 12 8:30 pm

Buy a driver that needs work.........Thats what i did!

Its gonna take me years (and thousands) to get the car to where i want, but there is nothing else out there that i can afford to buy outright and i want a car that i've built (first one for me)!

The difference (and this is where i contadict myself) is, I had £5-£6k to get on the Mopar ladder. If i'd had £15k, i very much doubt i'd have bought a project car!

There you go no help at all...........

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Wed Sep 12, 12 9:52 pm

I bought a Mustang project... But it was mechanically good. It was the underside that was awful! But I can manage my way around bits of metal and paint. The same is not so with the mechanical side.

So I bought it knowing I could do what was needed. It took me a year, and I spent around a grand doing it. I made £11K profit, not factoring in my time!

I enjoyed doing it, but really should of kept it! BUGGER!

The day I finished it, I took it for an MOT in the morning, and in the afternoon. Mike Key was baning on my door for CA to do the 5 page article on it. Drove it for about 3 hours, then watched vanish on the back of Alan Carringtons transporter! DOH!

So, if you want a project, know where your strengths lay.

Oh and Pete put me onto a VW panel van once... That was scary when I got home and realised what needed doing. But was well worth the effort. It looked great finished!

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Sep 12, 12 10:08 pm

I've been lucky enough to make a modest 'profit' on all the quality American cars I've owned, but that's because my strength is in detailing. They have all been complete running cars, just needing tidying and getting things working again. I've gone soft in my old age, my days of crawling under a car with a wander light are over!

BTW Jeff that VW wing you asked me to pick up 6 years ago got chucked out this summer when I had my garage rebuilt!

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Wed Sep 12, 12 10:30 pm

Ha ha. Sorry I forgot all about that! Sorry! A LOT OF CHANGES SINCE THEN!—

Roger · Post by **Roger** » Wed Sep 12, 12 10:34 pm

Buy the best car you can, especially if you cant do bodywork yourself.

Really nice 70 Satellite in the for sale section. If i had my time again and didn't have a charger cluttering up the garage, id alrerady have bought it!

morgan · Post by **morgan** » Thu Sep 13, 12 8:07 am

Buy the best you can. You'll spend it in the end..

Mick · Post by **Mick** » Thu Sep 13, 12 9:15 pm

If you limit yourself to one or two high end models, you will always pay through the nose, or have to restore a heap. Those models, are even more costly in the states.
Personally, i like the majority of mopars, so for me, there's plenty of choice.
Good luck in your quest.
Mick

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Thu Sep 13, 12 9:58 pm

I have been chucking a similar thing around in my head lately.

My heart says yes, and my head says no!

It would deffo be a rat rod...... In primer, with a flake roof, rear top quarters, and some lettering and pinstriping!

sinny · Post by **sinny** » Fri Sep 14, 12 9:36 am

From my experience if you can't do the work yourself you're better off doing as others have said & getting the best you can afford & doing odd jobs here & there is needed.

I expected my resto to take 2 years...... I've just passed 4 & it's only now getting painted! Having said that this has been the best thing I've done! It's so satisfying seeing a car that was destined for the scrap yard coming back to life at your hands & once it's finished I'll know every single nut & bolt.
It can get frustrating & I'm now desperate to finish so I can get behind the wheel!

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Sep 14, 12 10:07 am

Only buy a project if you have either:

a lot of time, skill, some money

or

some time, some skill, more money

or

no time, no skill and a damned massive sackload of money

AND

You REALLY, REALLY want to do it.

Buy the best you can buy to begin with. You will get a good deal.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Fri Sep 14, 12 10:49 am

What you should ALWAYS do is very carefully add up the time and costs of getting a car to the standard you want.

Do it as accurately as possible.
It is amazing how it adds up.
We are all guilty of under estimating or just putting to the backs of our minds what things really cost and the time it takes to do things in reality.

When you have accurate figures the next thing you MUST do is then DOUBLE the figures.

Because no matter how well you plan restoring a car they always end up costing at least twice as much and take twice as long to complete.

sinny · Post by **sinny** » Fri Sep 14, 12 2:08 pm

Dave wrote:
When you have accurate figures the next thing you MUST do is then DOUBLE the figures.

Because no matter how well you plan restoring a car they always end up costing at least twice as much and take twice as long to complete.

My resto is proof of that!

autofetish · Post by **autofetish** » Fri Sep 14, 12 2:09 pm

sinny wrote:
Dave wrote:
When you have accurate figures the next thing you MUST do is then DOUBLE the figures.

Because no matter how well you plan restoring a car they always end up costing at least twice as much and take twice as long to complete.
My resto is proof of that!

Mopar Muscle Association UK

Any Advice/Tips on Project vs Finished Car?

If I had to do it all again I would: