Socratic question of Pantera restoration.

This is an easy one.

It's the same reason that anyone puts money into anything. Someone has an attachment to it, for whatever reason. Call it love, call it what you will, but it pretty much boils down to that. To some folks, value is subjective, to others, it's objective.

Why does someone like myself buy one of these things after 32 years? Surely, I could get a lot of new car for the money I just spent. In my case, I'm realizing a childhood dream and if I feel that the dream is worth the price that I pay for it, then so be it.

Just my 2-cents worth.....

I have to agree with Panterahunter here. A pantera is not a rational purchase. It depends on where you're at and what you're in it for. I know lots of guys who enjoy the rebuilding and as soon as their finished sell the car at a huge loss and then go buy another POS. I suppose it's better than dope, golf or a mistress. The other side of the coin is guys who drive the car 1 tank of gas a year and are afraid to wash the car with a hose because they think the car is going to disappear like the Wicked Witch of the West. I think there's room for eveyone here. That's what makes this whole thing fun.

"OK, here is what makes no sense to me at all. You read all the time where a car says full rotiseerie restoration, over 100K dollars spent..."

That's usually just parts and paint. Add a value of about $70/hr shop labor and most cars have a lot more invested than $100k. Most of the cars I know with that have another fifty grand in sweat and toil alone.

Owning cars is both a decision made of desire and money. Desire because you buy what you want. Money which is a balance between what you are willing to spend and what you want to get out of it financially in the end. The balance of these two is always a struggle.

If your interest is only money, you buy cars which can be bought and sold for profit. If your interest is only what you desire then profitability does not come into play. I think most of us fall some where in between.

It would be nice to buy cars you can put some money in, drive, sell and make money. That would be a perfect world. For many of us building and creating a car makes us feel like we have created something that is our own. If I go out to a golf course, at the end of a day, I feel it is a day wasted and I have nothing to show. If I go out and build on a car, at the end of the day, the week, the year, and eventually the end of the restoration, I have something tangible I have created, with my ideas, my desires and is mine.

Money well spent? Often no. At the end you have a car worth less then the $$ put into it even without the labor. Quite often, people either hate their car when done, are tired of their car, or are already dreaming of something else when done and sell the car at a loss.

Is the money spent that bad? It depends on your situation and your life interest or goals. Some one who just want's to keep it running has different goals then some one with grandiose ideas of creation. Me for example. I am finishing up a restoration of an MGB which will take me a total of 3 years and $30K when done (plus $5k prior value). What will it be worth? Probably $15-20K. If I sell it I am loosing say $15K. That comes up to about $400 per month. How much are green fees for golf? How much are movies and popcorn I missed? etc.

I don't ever plan on selling the MGB but it is my work, my idea of what I want and it's my creation. What is that worth. Here is the construction website:

http://www.rc-tech.net/MGB/



Gary

I tell you what I don't understand is when people buy a car, take it to a shop, say Boyd codingtons, say "Build me something" then show up at the car show and say "This is mine, I had it built". That I don't get.

Well good then. We are all in complete agreement. We are all irrational fools who are ruled by lust rather than logic. I was beginning to think it was just me.

quote:

I am finishing up a restoration of an MGB which will take me a total of 3 years and $30K when done (plus $5k prior value). What will it be worth? Probably $15-20K.

That's it? I'll BUY it!!

Your MG looks like an incredible car.

Josh

LOL, I didn't say I would sell it for that. I just know their not worth much; less then what I have put in it for sure.

Actually If I turned a blind eye to the fact that it is a "colectable car" I think I have turned it into a car that would be a great daily driver. Gm 3.4L V6,Camero T5, fuel injection, rear disc brake conversion, coil over front suspension, modern shocks, new everything from the gas tank to the trim screws, new updated servo controled watervalve, servo controled heater door, new aluminum radiator, New brake system with double flairs (not the bastard English bubble flair), Wilwood MC, and on and on. It should be a car I could put 100K miles on with minimal trouble and with good gas mielage, as well as good performance.

It is no Pantera though!

Gary

quote:

Originally posted by DeTom:
Well good then. We are all in complete agreement. We are all irrational fools who are ruled by lust rather than logic. I was beginning to think it was just me.

Kepp in mind detom, THAT"S OK! There is nothing wrong with that. I have seen guys in other hobbies trying to justify different more expensive equipment. In each point they made I pointed that the cheaper one does that..and more. They were so dissapointed. I said wait a minut, it's a hobbie, disposable income, not a business. Do what you want to do. It doesn't always have to be the most logical choice. There is a "fun value" in there somewhere.

Also, keep in mind I think some one can take a $15k Pantera, restore it with minimal upgrades and make a little money (or at least not loose their shirt). There is a difference between a restoration and restoration with "CRAZY" and "Awsome" upgrades. You can re-build a cleveland for $3-5K or you can drop in a $25K Jaw dropper, add some turbos and another $15K in shop labor to make it all work.

Second, when I was looking for a car to restore, I was looking for a $15k car wrather then a $25K car. If you are going to do a total restoration, the amount of work and money involved is pretty much the same.

quote:

Originally posted by DeTom:
Well good then. We are all in complete agreement. We are all irrational fools who are ruled by lust rather than logic. I was beginning to think it was just me.

DeTom it IS just you
Personally, I feel the time money and effort spent on my Pantera is better spent, then let's say, spending a $150 a hour for a shrink It keeps me from going postal.
My 2 cents

Comp2 gets it!!! That's what it's all about.

Now i have to vote for him or DeTom for best post of the month. DeTom still ahead, tho.

quote:

Originally posted by jeff6559:
Comp2 ... him or DeTom for best post of the month. ...

I like both Gary & DeTom, however, with all due respect to Gary, anybody who admits to having his way with his Pantera, like a scene from Deliverance, has to get the votes, not just for the month, but perhaps the entire decade.

Thanks Gary. It is also important to never make your hobby your source of a living. You will come to hate your hobby once you turn pro. I found that the hard way on a couple of hobbies of mine. Completely ruined it for me.
There is an old alpha remeo volarcia for free to a good home. I see it everyday twice, on my way to work and the way home. I have been really good so far and have not stopped the car to write down the phone number, but I don't know how much longer I can hold out.

quote:

I feel the time money and effort spent on my Pantera is better spent, then let's say

Sorry Mark, tried using that "Sure keeps me out of the strip bars" argument with my wife. It doesn't buy me any brownie points at all.

quote:

anybody who admits to having his way with his Pantera, like a scene from Deliverance,

Let's keep what is said on the board, on the board. SOrt of like that vegas commercial.

Your Pantera will never tell DT.

quote:

Originally posted by DeTom:
Thanks Gary. It is also important to never make your hobby your source of a living. You will come to hate your hobby once you turn pro.

Agreed! Also, as far as having you way with a piece of equipment, I would wrather have my way with a piece of equipment then for the piece of equipment to have it's way with me. That's when it gets bad.

G

quote:

Originally posted by comp2:
...as far as having you way with a piece of equipment, I would wrather have my way with a piece of equipment then for the piece of equipment to have it's way with me...

I take my last comment back Jeff, it IS a toss up between the two of them! eek! lol......

too much Gary! that was a good one.