parkerracing

I think on the money side, don't look at how much you'll make (because unless you're taking a small block car and trying to forge an L88), you won't. Rather, look at losing LESS with a car that is unique vs a new one. Anyone can buy a new Corvette 60k. Drive it off the lot, 50k. Keep it 7 years, 25k. PLUS finance charges.

Buy a C3 driver, 15k. Put some money in it over the same 7 years, 15k (?), (obviously NOT a frame off). Sell it for 15-20k. Except for the inital purchase in many cases these are bought/sold/fixed with available CASH. No finance charges. So which car is the better "investment"? Looks like the C3 to me. And you can't put a price on smiles per gallon./:\

RIO68

wgarneau

I agree too, but at the same time for those of us who either don't have the skill level to restore a car correctly, or who just don't have the inclination - buying one already done will cost a fraction of what it costs to restore one.

I also think if you crawl around a restored car and get under it you can pretty easily tell how well it was restored.

Anyone know the percent of cars that get disassembled for restoration that never get assembled again? It's not so hard taking them apart. That I DO have the skill level for. It's the putting back together part that most people simply cannot do.

Plus buying someone else's completed project frees that person up to start a new project...

PhilaScott

Just like you appreciate the originality of this car, any future buyer would too. Sometimes, an unrestored original is worth more than a less than perfectly executed restoration.

Sounds like you spend some time cleaning it up underneath and doing the intricate cosmetic clean-ups all around to get it ready for judging OR I'd say leave it alone and go buy car #2 that really needs the sweat equity.

Sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone.

Faster Rat

I try to avoid generalizations, but in this case you are probably right...I just never thought of it quite that way. Being an old muscle car guy, I am really not a Corvette guy. I worked on many different cars in the late 60s, personally and in service garages, but NEVER on a vette. They were owned by older rich people who took them to the Chevy dealership. Things change and yet stay the same.

wgarneau

Come to think of it..this is my first Corvette too, so I'm more of a muscle car guy myself...

Droop

Everyone brings up good points..i have restored a 1961 and a 1963 these were mine. This was back in the late 60's and early 70's and i help my friends do there's as the years moved on. I have not done a restore in a long time. The only way i would do these vehicles if the original parts could be found. Back then they could...now i don't know. My 1970 is not lacking much. I have had luck in finding the replacement parts, but it's is getting harder. There is more junk out there more than you can believe.. I guess the term is "knock offs". The day of going down to the chevy dealership to buy original parts are gone and has been gone for a long time. Dboz brings up a some good points. The quality of the restores of today i believe are lacking due to the parts replacement that has to be done and the people that rebuild assemblys for these cars. I have always done the restores as labor of love for what i call "the corvette generation". There is a lot junk out there and what i call "ghost corvettes". These are the ones that the only thing left on the vehicle was the serial number plate and that was put on new fiberglass. Nothing original at all. Everybody brings up good points. That's why i like this forum and website. You guys made me think of what i should do...as my wife said "you have an old friend that lives in your garage that you want to keep and take care of". Droop P.S. SEND ME A MESSAGE AT E-MAIL ADDRESS SDRURY1@TAMPABAY.RR.COM AND I'LL REPLY WITH SOME PHOTOS.

Dose11

Hey hey hey...We ALL want to see the photos! Post em up!

joewill

how to post pics...... C'mon guys.. .no excuses.. this is easy...


http://forums.corvetteforum.com/help...es-thread.html

24695bob

I agree and in many cases worth more then a fully restored car....

I never really understood "owning" Survivor cars as they normally look a little worn..and tired BUT they have tons of value as benchmark cars that are still exactly as they left the factory...

You can restore a car many any times but a survivor car is original only once...

Bob G.

wgarneau

I don't know that they left the factory 'worn and tired' though LOL!

I think the reason they are more valuable is that any car can be 'restored' but once you start replacing parts a car can never be 'original' again. Each car that gets restored represents one fewer 'survivors' out there.

I don't know that I'd want a survivor only because each repair - and even general maintenance - can make it less valuable. I want to drive mine.

But to each his own!

BBCorv70

An article which addresses this very question.

http://www.bloomingtongold.com/inc.p...Restoreitornot

builder

I agree. I tell my buddies when we are out and about and they start b!tch!ng about the cost of gas or whatever, "It's recreation. If money is not the object here. It's the fun."

They never seem to think twice about blowing $50-$100 for booze.

Faster Rat

I doubt many are, only the desirable and collectable rare ones. I saw a '67 435 convertible sell at BJ for over $300k that was supposedly the most original and correct example in existence. For the rest of us, our run-of-the-mill C3s are just old cars. Do you have any examples of a true "Survivor" award C3 being worth more (money-wise) than a fully-restored NCRS Top Flight twin? There may be those who are grateful to you for letting them look at it, but that is about as far as it goes.

When I first got my original, survivor-type car, I took it to Dave Walters (30 year special award Bloomington Survivor judge) and asked him if it would qualify as a "Survivor" and he said it might. I asked him if it should be left alone or restored and he said it was up to me to make that decision. He loves to show his clients my car and points out the original paint, which still looks pretty good. My wife says she likes the patina...of course she still thinks I look good.

Here are before and after pictures of my engine compartment. Which car would you rather drive around in and lift the hood at the local car shows? Kind of a no-brainer for me. If I had to drive around a worn-out, nasty old car...just because it is "original"...I would rather not have one. When you have to fix everything that doesn't work, un-do all the Bubbas, replace bad wiring, stop all the leaks, clean all the rust and grease...it is awfully hard NOT to end up re-painting, re-plating and re-chroming all those surfaces before putting things back together.

Tim H

If you can't do anything to it then just sell it or hang it on the wall.
I wouldn't want it around because everyday something could break and cost money to fix and lose unrestored value.

Paul Borowski

...if it's that nice enjoy for what it is, drive it & maintain it.

...why restore it when it sounds like it doesn't need it? That's what I'm doing with my 49Kmi 1974 Corvette that I bought in 1989 with 26Kmi on it when I bought it.

...my '68 convertible was just the opposite, some stuff needed to be redone. Didn't restore it, fixed up what it needed(paint, convertible top, some interior & engine compartment work)and now enjoy it "the way it is". It has 132,000mi on it. Had 88K when I bought it in '88.

Makonut

Sounds like a great car. To be honest, I have a base coupe also and with it you try to decide how much you want to put in it. Abase coupe is not a really potential investment car.
But you have a really tough decision. There are 2 schools of thought. Some lean towards a car being totally original. Some lean towards a top flight car that looks like it just rolled off the dealership floor.
You will have less expenditures if you go for the original route. Just upkeep on what you have.
But if you go the dealership new route, you will pump a good bit of cash into it. For the most part you will probably never recover the amount of money you spend on a full resto.
So I suppose the safest way to protect your original investment would be the all original general upkeep route.
It really is up to you. I would venture to guess that most of us that even do a not complete but very nice reto probably end up with a car that we have more in than it is actually worth.But when youget hooked on these cars and truly develop a deep passion for them, that is usually the case and you do not complain all that much

wgarneau

If I'm not mistaken, an all original 'Survivor' car has to be **** in being original. You can't replace the seat covers, the carpet, the wheels, the rotors, the calipers, or anything else. You have to rebuild anything that breaks using the original parts, and you can't paint your car.

That can actually cost more... Not the paint part - but the rebuilding rather than replacing part. And you have to go to a specialist before you repair anything to make sure you don't destroy the Survivor status due to your repair.

Faster Rat

We just might get to test this hypothesis, at least with the highly collectable cars. This '69 L88 unrestored "Survivor" coupe with all the credentials, as well as the "interest" of the National Corvette Restorer Society, is on the Mecum auction block in October. Who knows, maybe it won't even make the reserve.

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_de...gn=DA1011_S106

The previous high sale for a '69 L88 coupe was $446,250 at Mecum in October 2007. This red car was restored to NCRS National Top Flight and Bloomington Gold standards. I know, 4 years have passed, but the cars are as similar as they get. Stay tuned, will keep you posted.

http://www.corvetteblogger.com/2007/...at-St-Charles/

Paul Borowski

...I've put three(really four)cars through the Bloomington "Survivor" Program. Car must be able to complete a 20mi road trip, be at least 20yrs old, be at least 50% or more "original" in four judged categories. Exterior(paint, bumpers, glass, etc.), Chassis, Engine Compartment & Interior.

...I did my current '74 twice(in '94 & '04), my old Yellow 1980 L-48 4spd car w/83,000mi and my old Silver 1968 43K mi coupe in 2003.

...am going to take my '74 back in 2014. Can't be very many Corvettes to have three "Survivor" Awards in a 20yr period by the SAME owner. This is the plan if all goes well.