At different times there have been threads on here regarding what we do with and how much we spend on or pro-cars. There is a very interesting discussion in the "For Sale From Other Sites" thread on another part of this board. I put this here, in this area, because I wanted everybody to be able to have input.
We are all aware that several members here have very nice cars that they have put large sums of money and effort into only to wind up with a car that they will never to be able to recoup their investment from. Please understand I mean absolutely no disrespect to anybody or their vehicle with that statement. It's just fact. We've all heard it said many times....."we buy a car for $ 7 or 8,000 dollars, put another $12 to 15,000 in it all to wind up with a very nice $ 12,000 car", the numbers all subject to change. You get the idea.
I know in our case we have a very nice, unrestored "64 Superior Cadillac Combination that wins prizes in shows because it is a "survivor" car. According to a couple of the car shows that I watch, "survivors" are worth almost as much as a well restored vehicle.
Our car has a very, very nice interior that needs very little work at all. Mechanically it is in very good condition. It has new tires, the carburetor has been rebuilt and it has been verified to be a 42,000 mile vehicle by two mechanics. It needs a very minor exhaust leak fixed (probably a manifold gasket) I intend to have the master cylinder rebuilt and the wheel cylinders replaced as soon as my mechanic can fit it into his schedule working around the cars "appearance" schedule. These things will be done soon, no worry about cost.
The exterior of it is in pretty good condition, it is a very strong 5' car (looks real good from 5'). It has been repaired on the drivers door and left front fender, probably from a minor collision, trust me the work could have been done better. The paint is very slightly "orange peeled" and the shade of white is just a whisker off in those areas. There are some areas that are starting to show signs of trouble in the distant future.
We have debated having the car "made over" and maybe repainted a different color. We're thinking a color where gray and silver meet with a tint of blue added. That is the very dark end of silver and the very light end of gray. That would really make the interior "pop". I've been thinking about changing the single Beacon out for two 175-D Beacons on the front corners of the roof. Two big things about having all of that done is the whole debate about "rebuilt, refurbed, repaired" that would arise. Such changes may not be acceptable to some folks. If we do all of that, we lose our "survivor car" status and become just another redone car. The other big thing is that it would have to happen at the confluence of time (shop time) and available "extra" money. At our age that gets to be a concern!!! Retirement is looming on the horizon!!!
There, I've put it out there. Please lets entertain an informative discussion. Love to hear what everybody's opinions are. Thanks for the time.
We are all aware that several members here have very nice cars that they have put large sums of money and effort into only to wind up with a car that they will never to be able to recoup their investment from. Please understand I mean absolutely no disrespect to anybody or their vehicle with that statement. It's just fact. We've all heard it said many times....."we buy a car for $ 7 or 8,000 dollars, put another $12 to 15,000 in it all to wind up with a very nice $ 12,000 car", the numbers all subject to change. You get the idea.
I know in our case we have a very nice, unrestored "64 Superior Cadillac Combination that wins prizes in shows because it is a "survivor" car. According to a couple of the car shows that I watch, "survivors" are worth almost as much as a well restored vehicle.
Our car has a very, very nice interior that needs very little work at all. Mechanically it is in very good condition. It has new tires, the carburetor has been rebuilt and it has been verified to be a 42,000 mile vehicle by two mechanics. It needs a very minor exhaust leak fixed (probably a manifold gasket) I intend to have the master cylinder rebuilt and the wheel cylinders replaced as soon as my mechanic can fit it into his schedule working around the cars "appearance" schedule. These things will be done soon, no worry about cost.
The exterior of it is in pretty good condition, it is a very strong 5' car (looks real good from 5'). It has been repaired on the drivers door and left front fender, probably from a minor collision, trust me the work could have been done better. The paint is very slightly "orange peeled" and the shade of white is just a whisker off in those areas. There are some areas that are starting to show signs of trouble in the distant future.
We have debated having the car "made over" and maybe repainted a different color. We're thinking a color where gray and silver meet with a tint of blue added. That is the very dark end of silver and the very light end of gray. That would really make the interior "pop". I've been thinking about changing the single Beacon out for two 175-D Beacons on the front corners of the roof. Two big things about having all of that done is the whole debate about "rebuilt, refurbed, repaired" that would arise. Such changes may not be acceptable to some folks. If we do all of that, we lose our "survivor car" status and become just another redone car. The other big thing is that it would have to happen at the confluence of time (shop time) and available "extra" money. At our age that gets to be a concern!!! Retirement is looming on the horizon!!!
There, I've put it out there. Please lets entertain an informative discussion. Love to hear what everybody's opinions are. Thanks for the time.