What is Happening to our Hobby ?

[js27]

As most of you know I sold both my cars and parts in the last 2 years due to health reasons.. I am Moparless for the first time in 30 years. I found that I do miss my cars but know it was the right decision for me and my wife. Thinking of retiring next year I thought it would be great to have a project to work on. I started looking for decent drivers to enjoy. No OE 100 point cars. Just something I could jump in and enjoy the hell out of. I came across a local guy selling two 69 Dodge Dart Swingers 340's. One is a GTS. The Swinger 340 is a running car with a 70 340 in it. This car has bondo in both lower quarters and the trunk looks like someone POR 15 it. It is a auto on the column with a bench seat and was painted several times. Not a bad car but needs work. The GTS is a original paint and from what I can tell all original sheet medal car. It looks straight and rust free except for surface rust on the top due to the vinyl top being baked off. I ran a magnet down both sides and it stuck everywhere I put it. This car is pretty cool. It is numbers matching motor and trans. It is a triple black car-stripe delete-Power Disc Brakes-Power Steering-Air Conditioning-All tinted glass-chrome sill molding. It is also a column auto but with bucket seats. Fender tag and Build sheet are present. This cars needs to be saved and restored. Granted I have been out of the loop since I finished the resto on my  70 Vert Challenger R/T in 2001. I started pricing out some stuff and was just in shock over the prices of stuff today. I added up the price of the car+$7,500 TO 10,000 for paint-$1,000 for a complete exhaust--$1,000 for all new brakes system ( Booster-lines-calipers--)-500.00 for new fuel tank and lines and sending unit--I have no idea how much to re build -re place the air conditions system--$ 2,000 for Interior and Vinyl Top--Then another $ 5-7,000 for rebuilt motor and trans--$1,000 for new bezels and lights--$300 for a front end rebuild kit--$1,000 for tires--Another couple of hundred for new wiring harness-and another couple for new bumpers and on and on. I figure doing all the assembly myself I would have around $ 30 to 35,000 in a car that would probably be worth $ 35,000 when done. A triple black  Mr Norms GTS-440 car just sold for $88,000 at Mecum last week. So my question is being it cost the same to restore a 6 cylinder or 318 car as it does to do a big block or 6 pac car that will sell for way more when done are we going to lose all these great cars because it cost more to restore than they are worth. I am not talking about buying to flip but buying to restore and enjoy but when time comes to sell --we take a loss. What do you all think ? Are we going to loose these cars due to the restoration cost ?
JS27

[Cudajason]

I think there will always be guys that look at this as a hobby and know they are not investing in these cars. 

Yes I think we will continue to lose some of them, but there that are guys that will restore a car like that for what it is and not the money they could make off of it.

Jason

[1 Wild R/T]

I think your paint estimate is gonna wind up low... DAMHIK... 

[6Pack70]

Today,  you need to love the car you're pumping money into and continuously block out how much money it costs to achieve your results. It's a personality thing.  There are people who are creative builders, restorers, artists and completists.  Then there are people who do no work, or very little, on cars and find enjoyment in buying things that meet their expectations and they are complete and done.   If you always worry about what a car will sell for if needed years down the road, a restoration project might not be the right thing to buy.  I fall in love with a car, become slightly obsessed with it for a few years, restore it as best I can with the money I work for..... then if I find another rare and desirable  car in nice condition, I try to trade up to that car.  I try not to sell because I know from previous cars it's hard to get every nickel back. The restorer usually loses. 

[RUNCHARGER]

You gotta love the cars. It's like being in love, you can't try to make sense of it.
I know project cars cost more than buying a done car, having said that, how can you look at that GTS in the photo and not want to buy it and make it perfect?

[Burdar]

  with the above four posts.

That black GTS will cost as much to restore as an E-body. There are a lot of extra trim pieces on those cars that aren't cheap.

[jt4406]

I have watched, over the years, it slowly become NOTHING but "how much can I make" or "can I get my money back". Practically NO ONE spends money to fix up a car just to enjoy (seldom used term any more, no longer applies I guess) without worrying about "getting my money back". It just makes me sad. However I do know one old guy (I'm old, but he's got a few years on me) that fixes his cars up just to hot rod and enjoy, to "hell with what it costs" and enjoy them he does! My hats off to Donnie, he and I both remember when "these cars were a lot more fun when they weren't worth nothing". Just my .02.   Jess in ky

[RUNCHARGER]

As for "lesser" models, they make great cars to modify although I think even a totally restored 318 or slanty car will hold more interest in the future than they have in the past. This is an age old problem, I bought a 1964 slant 6 Savoy from the original owner around 1995 and was all set to Hemi, 4 speed it. When I pulled up the floor mat and  seen the floor pan was absolutely mint I knew there was no way I could cut it. We need the heritage of the bread and butter cars as well.

[anlauto]

  I think your numbers are a little low...I would suggest go out a buy a newer Challenger, maybe even a used Hellcat....That will likely solve those Moparless blues, much easier then pouring tons of sweat and money into another old car

[RUNCHARGER]

Just remember that new HellCat or ScatPak is going to drop $10k value when you fire it up and drive it off the lot.
It's a personal decision but I will not own a car that I don't drive (and that includes hammering on it), on the other hand we have raised the standards of restoration so high that people "make them too nice to drive". My answer for that is make it as nice as you can, drive it and renew it at some point if it bugs you.
Bottom line is enjoy the dang cars!

[6Pack70]

For the past 3 years, I've been blocking out how much time and money it's taken me to from this.... to this.  And I'm still not done with the engine. Lol.  Point being... I love the car.

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Lots of good comments here for sue but ol' BIGS gonna throw in 

I will NEVER get my money back out of NIKKI..... NEVER. But I build her the way I want her and that's it. And there's still things that she "needs". TFB, she's not for sale anyway. I quit counting recipients years ago.  Obviously this could change.... I could drop dead and then it really wont matter.

Secondly, I really believe the "want" on allot of these cars will fade over time. Hell I've shredded better cars than some of the one's currently being restored. I remember when 59 Caddies were doing $250k......... what happened...?. DEATH. Same as model A Ford's. It hasn't hit our cars yet, but anyone who thinks it wont.....   

Yes there will always be "that car". But it all fades over time. When all of us "boomers" are gone, most just wont give a crap. Find something to enjoy NOW. Don't worry about this "numbers" nonsense, as we get older were not numbers matching either.

[6Pack70]

 .... 100%

[ec_co]

i'm dumping the same $$ into my slant 6 e-body (kinda funny reading your price breakdowns - every single one I was like "yup, that's what I'm spending too"), but it certainly won't be worth anything close to a v8. but I don't care, they are cars and meant to be driven. I either dump the same $$ into something newer and not enjoy it as much, or semi-restore the '70 and love every minute of it ..... I'd rather daily the '70 myself.

[js27]

Y'All have great comments-but most of you miss the point. I LOVE Mopars since 1967. I have owned several and restored several B-Bodies-2 E-Bodies and 1 A Body. I like them ALL. I always liked the 68-69 Swingers. I owned and restored a 70 340 Swinger back in the late 70's. I sold my last cars and made a very nice profit on both cars because I restored them 20 -30 years ago when things were affordable and lucky for me the prices increased dramatically over the years. When I did my 67 GTX back in 1992 I didn't care about cost because I want a brand new 67 GTX and I built it. My point is that today the prices make it near impossible to restore a car unless you can do ALL the work yourself.  Yes I think this Dart is a super cool car and is not a basket case by any means and would love to save it. After selling my cars I have the means I could buy it and send it out and have it professionally restored but there is no fun in that. So how many cars are just going to sit in the fields or barns and simply rot away because people can not afford to restore them ?
JS27