midyearvette

not to totally disagree with you but tubbed out pro streets are just not that practical, and they never were. strictly show pieces and when some were actually put to the test on long hauls like the hot rod power tours, many of them ended up on the side of the road. the craze used to be the "4 link suspension", made for drag racing. that term is rarely used these days due to the practical side and is eye candy to some along with blowers sticking out of the hood.
when it comes to vettes, c1 and c2's, the iconic styles lend themselves to enthusiasts with a ready made platform to express their individual tastes, especially when some frown upon a non factory car....times are changing.
they will always be worth good money depending on how they are modded. it's hard for anyone, except for the purists, to look at a well done restomod and not like it .
i think in the long run, the value of the "correct" cars will shrink. the good news for the resto's is the "correct" platform is not a basis used for the value of the modded ones and the younger generations while showing some interest in originals, will not cough up or believe the prices some are paying for originality into the future....jmho....

i would take most colletta cars, well done, over an original anyday.....

Frankie the Fink

Folks lean over my original 61 to take pictures of the 62 restomod that Mike built when I park beside it on Saturday nights.

cv67

Thats funny actually

Id take the Restomod A body I got over how it was stock any day of the week. Faster handles great stops well and doesnt feel like a boat.
What will it be worth to someone someday is never a thought got better things to think about. Stock vettes are nice to look at to see how they were in the day but bore me to hell. Slow and look like everyone elses but to each his own.

Some guys are in this hobby for the wrong reason


Its supposed to be fun ya know?

Rzepka_r

I'm biased as well, since I'm building one, but I'm not sure if I've ever, while doing so, sat and thought or worried about "someday" relative to the value of it..

I think conversations, like this, always come up when a hobby/enjoyment, for some, mix with the idea of investments, for others...

My GTO sums it up for me - I have a lot of money in the car, but I've also had it close to 20 years.. If I take the total cost and divide it by the total years I laugh and feel very blessed - it's like a tiny yearly "rental" fee for all the fun and education I've received from having it.. I'm okay if it's worth nothing to anyone else today, because it's worth 20 years of so many things more important than money..

I don't plan on selling the covette when it's done, but if I would, I'll take my total dollars in it, subtract out what I got from the sale and then look at what it "cost" me for three or four years of fun, learning, time enjoyed with existing and new friends, etc...

I'm building what I'm building because I really enjoy doing it, not because I'm worried about if I'll make any money by doing it..

Jere said it best - "People need to remember that fun is in the moment, not in the future"

Preservation of a classic is an interesting thought as well, it's possible that 50 years from now not a single person will care about the originals or the restomods - so if you are "preserving" anything it better be because YOU enjoy it...

Thanks,
Rich

Revfan

Not a big fan of these threads that cause a rift in the Corvette Brotherhood. Everything has its place I guess and it takes all types.

Realistically, they will all be rest-mods at some point if they are going to be on the road at all. If not, we will have to see them in a museum.

Low Rider

I look at my resto 57 vette much like I look at my golf clubs.....they are both for fun not for an investment. My 57 was built to drive and it sees about 2000 miles a year, every time I drive it is fun time.
The car has air, complete leather interior with aok seats so you can actually sit in it without your head touching the roof, a five speed trans so you can drive it on the highway, rack and pinion steering so it is safe to drive at speed, air ride suspension because they look way better lowered that stock height and the ride and handling is much better, disc brakes all way around so it stops, 18 and 17 inch wheels and radial tires 8.5 and 9.5 inches wide mostly because I can and I like the way they look......
I built the car exactly like I wanted it and to drive it and yes it has been in the rain and probably will be again. The car is a real pleasure to drive and draws a crowd at the local cruise night.
This is a fun sport .....let it be fun and don't get to caught up in what it is or will be worth. My used golf clubs probably won't be worth what I paid for them either.

bigearl56

This past summer I got the "Boat Bug". Started looking at 28-33 footers. A $300,000 boat is worth about $100-$150 thousand in three years. I paid $53,000 for my '06 Coupe and I guess I could get $25-$28 thousand today. Point is "If you wants to play, you gots to pay". Having said that I have loved owning and driving cars since I was 16 and that was 51 years ago. Outside of a few that I flipped I have never mader any money on cars but, I have fond memories about owning and driving them. The future is the future so lets all appreciate what our brothers do, be it stock, modified or complete resto.

Happy Thanksgiving
Earl

65silververt

Here is my take. I am 35 and while i started out doing restorations, i would much rather build and have a restomod. Sure, original cars are neat, but they require a lot of maintenance and are finicky at times, not to mention, if you are just a buyer, you never know what you are getting or what has been done to the car in the past. Did a professional build the engine, or?

Anyway, all of the people around my age are much more interested in restomods than in originals.
One more note and this is a bit odd, but over the past year I have noticed that the age group between 22ish-30 do not seem very interested in old cars. However, the generation below them, those in the 15-22ish range seem to be very interested in antique muscle cars. Im not sure why this is, but that is just what i have noticed. Perhaps it is because the rice burner/fast and furious group are the ones that are now in the 22-30 range.

mudbone64

Though not all "restomods" and "pro-touring" builds are created equal, I must say if they are built with conviction they can be very, very enjoyable. My issue is today's technology is tomorrow's old school. You're so 2010 if you don't have the new LT1. Isn't new technology the point of attraction for "restomods"? If it is then building a restomod in 2012 means you're going to be building it again in 2015.

I doubt people will at some time in the future will look down their noses at restomods in their relation to "original" builds. I do believe potential buyers of restomods will be wanting 2015 technology in 2015, not 2010-2012 technology while classic "original" builds will always be the benchmark.

I suppose we could look at like this. When an original car or a car that has been built to something that closely resemebles original specifications goes to auction what will the guys on the block say about it? Will they say "oh look, this '66 has all of the proper date codes and is wearing it's original colors.? When the restomod crosses the block I believe they'll say "judging by the later model engine and brakes it looks like what we have here is a car that was built in 2012 with the latest technology available at the time but that was a few years ago".

It seems I am a walking, talking, typing contradiction. I'm currently building a '64 with disc brakes and am planning a T5 tranny. It seems I don't even know which side of the discussion I'm on.

Tossin

I am only two years your senior and do not fall into the "all" category.

To address the initial question, everyone has their likes and dislikes. That's all there is to it. I will keep my car as original as it was given to me (75%+ original). I enjoy doing the work on the car.

I like restomods, the originals, and everything between. Even if it's not something I would do to mine, I can appreciate the work that went into the car.

Hell, according to some of the opinions here, my car is heinous because the tail lights have been frenched and the third light was added.

To me, it all boils down to this: if it's your car, do with it what you wish. I have no right to tell you what you can and cannot do to it and anyone who starts telling me what to do with mine will just be met with a smile and a nod.

Beach Dude

I'm just short of the 1/2 Century mark, Lucky enough to have a Pro street car and a Budget Restomod (Factory frame, LS motor) You can bet something else will come along that will be the new thing to do. Enjoy your car, if down the road, you want to update it or build another, that's part of the fun.

John McGraw

Will restomods be frowned upon someday? What do you mean someday, there are people who frown upon them now!

There are always those who have to look down on other people, so they can feel better about themselves, and that will never change!

If you go through life worrying about whether your ride will be "IN" at a any given time, or what it might be worth in the future, then you probably should not own anything but a new car, so you can always be following the current trend.

I build cars the way I like them, and not to please others, and could car a less whether somebody frowned upon it or not. A lot of us have been building cars all our lives, and have avoided all the fads of the past, just to be popular. I build restomods, because they are usable, drivable, cars that harken back to a day when cars had style, without all the technical deficiencies, of a car from that era. To answer an earlier question, yes, I will probably update the drivetrain on some of my cars, when something better comes along. That is the whole allure of building a restomod, you can maintain the styling of a classic Corvette, while enjoying the technical innovations of today.

I avoided Pro-Street because it was not a logical thought out choice for a usable car to drive. I have avoided Rat Rods, because the whole movement is really about style over substance. I have seen guys faux paint fiberglass bodies to make them appear as if they were old, rusty steel bodies! I am not knocking either of these styles, but they just ain't for me.


Regards, John McGraw

tjschraf

I think they will eventually not be worth as much. The ls engines will be out of date and it will be an old power train in an even older car. Period correct power trains even if not matching will be more sought after in my opinion

LoneStarV

I disagree. The LS engines aren't going out of style and in fact continue to improve along the same design. Eventually look for lawmakers to continue to pass idiotic automotive laws that run the V8 right out of existence anyway.

Lou64

As one of the forums younger members, I thought I might chime in on this. I just turned 30 and got my 64 from my wife's family who didn't want the car. There are certain things I like to have modern (like my stereo ) but I also like thinking about what it was like driving the car back in 1964 when it left the dealer, or in 1972 when my father-in-law bought it used. Even though I like today's pop music and even the rap crap, I usually only listen to classic tunes when I'm driving it. I love the fact that the carburator is finicky and I am the one who has to figure out how to fix it (with this forum's help of course). I love the fact that it doesn't handle like my 05 Acura. I love that its hot and doesn't have A/C and has crank windows, and no power top or steering or any such nonsense. Its just a car, in the raw.

I know others my age don't agree with me because they smirk when I tell them it doesn't have those things. I just say that these are the things that gives an old car character. I am probably a bit nostalgic because the car is a family heirloom, and don't get me wrong, I love a sweet looking restomod, but as others have said...they will go out of style and need updating, while an original car is always original.

However, it is YOUR car, do what you want with it and don't look back. Just don't expect your restomod to be in style forever, that's just .

tjschraf

I am 22 and agree with the above. I appreciate the finnicky aslects

70mph@2200rpm

Good for you, at 22, the mechanical gymnastics required to maintain these older cars should not be an issue.

John BX NY

Who's making money selling restomods ? They command high prices because there's tons of money in them...thousands in engines and custom frames, high tech electronics and awesome paintjobs.

Most guys are happy to get close to what they have in it in parts...the many hundreds of hours in labor are usually compensated in single digit labor rates...

AZDoug

Didn't you mean to say "lack of style over substance"?

Doug

jdk971

as john says, who cares? build the car like you want it. jim