2.4t rhd project on the bay now

[Nick Moss]

Solid floors? Great!

The only solid part of those floors is the sound deadening!

[Jonnydaz53]

So what's the jag worth finished in today's market, I have seen some big numbers knocking around recently but skiing ain't getting.

[coomo]

So what's the jag worth finished in today's market, I have seen some big numbers knocking around recently but skiing ain't getting.

it all depends who completes the resto.JD Classics, XK Eng etc.They ask want they want and tend to get it.Joe soaps garage resto,although of identical quality wont make anywhere near the same money.Thats what I was told by an E type dealer of 30 years recently.

[Jonnydaz53]

I tend to agree, restorations have become a brand within themselves. I think if the car moves within the right circles once completed the big buck punters will buy without blinking. But cars of similar quality done buy small restoration houses would never achieve the same levels or interest. I'm not sure if the car for sale is interesting enough for someone to put in to the big restoration shops.

My view is the car will not sell and will be re listed a few times as the seller will have to accept the reality the car may not be the golden ticket he may originally thought. Let's wait and see.

[911hillclimber]

But have restoration costs at the Big Names simply moved with the value of the cars?

When a good E Type cost £50K to buy a few years ago the cost to restore it 'fitted' with the market value.
Now the same car is worth £150K have the restoration costs also increased by 3 fold? I think this is the case with part prices.

I have recently found the small unknown body shops charge similar costs to Big Names for paint yet their overheads are far smaller, and have little reputation.

I suppose if someone will pay £150 for a car then the trade will take the opportunity to charge more to restore a project knowing the punter will pay £150k for a finished car.
Rebuilt, this T/sporto will be worth £100K when perfect.

Base cost is £30K (say) leaving £70K to pay for restorations before it is financially unviable.
If the value after restoration was £150K, I bet the restoration would still cost the difference, £100K. Increases in part costs contribute to this too.

Am I too cynical of the business?

[hot66]

Expectations are higher these days... you don't see many cars restored 20 + years ago that are still superb ( they exist but there will be many more that have rusted again or been scrapped due to poor workmanship)

You see a lot of 911 shells being restored now where you wince at the quality of the previous 'resto' work

[hot66]

Also, I remember when I did my show beetle ... one of the top names in Vw body and paint was charging me £11/hr .... but also back then what we're average wages etc etc

[911hillclimber]

Yes, fair comment.
This winter I will be getting my 911 repainted on the outside, glass-out etc, down to the metal.
I restored it in 1989 and I look at the patches I put in then and cringe compared to 'Barry Shells' but they are all very solid still. There were almost no panels available to repair floors etc then so much was sheet steel and a hammer/wood, but I was/am not as good as Barry.

Over that 27 years the car has been summer use only and only in the last 2 years has the paint deteriorated, some small bubbles on one (new back then) door skin and the bottom of one wing right down by the sill and one jacking point that moves if I use it...

The recent program of Car SOS and the Pagoda Merc was very revealing for patch and glass fibre and a master craftsman with the filler.
Some DDK 911 restorations have shown this 'method' of old days too.

[Martin s]

Having just spent 30k restoring a 912 in better condition than that - I would pass!


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[inaglasshouse]

Expectations are higher these days... you don't see many cars restored 20 + years ago that are still superb ( they exist but there will be many more that have rusted again or been scrapped due to poor workmanship)
You see a lot of 911 shells being restored now where you wince at the quality of the previous 'resto' work

Agree, that's exactly the point. Yes, the resto costs have risen to fill the gap, so that 150K cars are having 100K restorations. But that's not (only) the industry choosing to make money, it's also the choice of owners. Would I have said "concours" to Barry, and happily footed the bill, if a finished RHD S was worth 30K? Doubt it. It would still have been a nice job, but less nice. Nobody is being ripped off - the hours are being spent at a perfectly reasonable rate - it's a choice.

It does represent some kind of opportunity for those who are prepared to seek out the "commodity" parts and pay market rate for them. If you hand your car over to a big name for resto and pick it up at the end, yes, that will cost.
But plating is just plating, bolts are bolts, many parts can be bought cheaper without Porsche Tax (e.g. rear wheel bearings - E46 BMW).
And the labour intensive processes of stripping, cleaning, refurbing small parts, reassembly, electrics, etc are diy-able (and fun / educational).

Still not cheap, though, this resto malarkey. And back to the 2.4T Sporto in question - personally I find it hard to see how it would ever pay back at current values (even if the donor was really cheap).
It looks so awful, and the end result is not all that desirable.

[DEEMAN]

Sold for £30,200.
Hmm

[Jonnydaz53]

Well he must be happy with that, the £35k offer must have been BS

[Jonnydaz53]

Demean did you get it

[MT]

Sold for £30,200.
Hmm

Damn, £200 out.

Rather be the seller than the buyer.

[911hillclimber]

Not sure if this one example can be used to set the norm but £30K for a restoration project sets a new bar.
Surely a good, solid running early 911 with sound MoT etc is worth 3 times that?