Expensive Donor?

156 at recent Bangers & Cash auction

Wow.

Did you notice the Dedra Turbo behind it? That had been restored over a couple of years, bodywork done, retrimmed, mechanical engine/box/suspension/brakes rebuilt and repainted. Sold for ?6800. Now that was a real bargain!

Guy

That's an odd choice of car to throw 25k at, getting restored....

Even if you threw similar money at "restored" GTA, you'd be fortunate to get anything like that back (in terms of what the car owed you, I mean). Each to their own though, spose.

Cheers,
Hedge

The guy who restored it is Kevin Plowman. He's done similar work with an Integrale and is now working his way through a Flavia most would have consigned straight to the scrap heap. He does it because he enjoys it and wants to save certain cars (Lancia) and not for the money. I think he sold it as it wasn't being used enough... Hope that never happens with my Beta!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hedge

That's an odd choice of car to throw 25k at, getting restored....

Even if you threw similar money at "restored" GTA, you'd be fortunate to get anything like that back (in terms of what the car owed you, I mean). Each to their own though, spose.

Cheers,
Hedge

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Let's be honest, these sorts of restorations are about getting the car right and not making money. I don't think you'll ever make money on jobs like these. Definitely won't if you are paying someone to do it and would even struggle if you did all the work yourself for most cars, unless it's something particularly rare and desirable.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Guy Mayers

The guy who restored it is Kevin Plowman. He's done similar work with an Integrale and is now working his way through a Flavia most would have consigned straight to the scrap heap. He does it because he enjoys it and wants to save certain cars (Lancia) and not for the money. I think he sold it as it wasn't being used enough... Hope that never happens with my Beta!

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Good on him, that's ace.

Cheers,
Hedge

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LPH_UK

Let's be honest, these sorts of restorations are about getting the car right and not making money. I don't think you'll ever make money on jobs like these. Definitely won't if you are paying someone to do it and would even struggle if you did all the work yourself for most cars, unless it's something particularly rare and desirable.

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I restored a 156 GTA SportWagon. Loved the whole experience & it was absolutely mint by the time I finished with it. Lost a fortune doing it all up & selling it but that didn't matter to me; it was so rewarding seeing & feeling how the car was after..

Cheers,
Hedge

Even if I got top book value for the Beta right now I'd make a loss on it. And I haven't paid the full paint bill yet nor rebuilt the engine and box or bought a new loom for it..... These things can't be valued in monetary terms, there's the blood, sweat & tears that goes into them too! It's the pleasure that we derive from saving something others deem futile and (hopefully) the joy from using them again before someone else gets to appreciate the car.

100% agree.

Cheers,
Hedge

On my Beta, the many thousands I spent having inner/outer sills/ , quite a lot of floor... even more rear archers, both inner & outer & more! oh, yes & rear window surround , oop's nearly forgot, passenger door, rear quarter crash damage, front cross member crash damage & so on... was the best money I ever spent on what was back in 2001 a ?400 pound car.

Offers over half a million would be considered briefly for the Beta... then dismissed!