oldgto

My kids have ALWAYS helped me with the cars, and they will have them when I`m "done" with them!
Jeff is 15 years old, has logged MANY hours wrenching on this Vette, and it will be his someday.The looks on his face make it worth every dime I spend on it!

Dan H.

Agreed!
I keep all my receipts in a binder. I don't dare go near it with a calculator..........

LAddams

Ive spent about 11,000 on my $6000 car does that count?

lurch59

Let's ask the question a different was-What multiple of the purchase price did you put in your car?

I've put almost 4 times into my car than what I paid for her. Now that's painful...

John Ulrich

Spend $30,000 on a new car and watch how fast that drops to nothing. A vette will always retain a better portion of your money over time.

redcruz1120

Thank you Redwing01 , I can't wait to post a finished picture, but I guess that time will never come because I've come to a conclusion that this is a never ending project for all of us here!!!

Raphiki

Anyone who buys a C3 as an investment probably already owns some swamp land in AZ and a bridge in Brooklyn. I will never add up what I've put into my car. It's a hobby. Keeps me away from drugs and nasty women.

shopman1

Guys, great participation on this thread. Glad to see that I am not the only one under water with my car and still going. I have $32K in it now and I have done all the work down to prime and the sealer. Had it shot in a body shop, did not want to shoot it my shop. Love doing the work man and glad I can do it. Worked in a body shop for many years starting in HS.
Thinking about fuel injection now. lol it never stops.
I stopped at a Vette restoration shop a few months ago, they had a perfect 72 on the lot. I asked just for kicks how much it cost to do that restoration, he said total price including initial purchase was $125K. Wow, glad I can do the work!

Keep up the good work!!

80Baby

I'm 2 years away from getting my '80 back on the road. It was supposed to happen this summer, but we moved last year and that cut into the time I would have spent on the car.

I paid $8000.00 for the '80 and it was a runner. To date I've invested $15G's. In 4 months I'm putting in a new 5-speed and crate engine; that's $11G's. After that paint and interior. I'm doing the prep work for the paint myself, I'll save a bit there, but I expect to spend another $10-$12G's after the drivetrain goes in. I love my '80 Vette. I have to.

Chinaski

The key to remaining sane with these old cars is not keeping track of how much you spend on them.


I'm getting ready to drop about 6 large on my '73

Smooth72

This is my hobby and I won't ever sale it. As said before I have loss a lot more money on my new cars. Others hobbies like golfing don't get a return on their hobby. I talk to golfers and they tell me how much they spend and I think all you get is frustration. I have a heavy customized c6 and I have a lot of no car people ask how much how much in it, I always don't know, don't want to know. Saving now to spend on my 68 custom.

canuck9

I bought my 77 originally thinking I'd have a few things cleaned up on her...before I knew it, I have gone full resto-mod on her...easily over $30k at this point. Wouldn't get that back anytime soon but I plan on having her a long time....as many have said, it's a hobby...always trying to make the car more 'perfect' to the picture in my mind. I love it!!!

Sunstroked

My 72 restoration is close to on budget. Only because I've made compromises. It's nearing completion, and paint is next. All told my total budget was 25k. I too have a folder full of receipts that I'm afraid to total up, easier to pretend. It has given me a lot of hurdles to get over, but a lot of satisfaction. I just enjoy doing it.

minitech

OP title is very generous, probably delusional.

30K for a 10K car more like it + or - we have all done that.

Just like most every hot rod or car build, sell it for less than the paint cost (For the very high quality paint jobs anyway)

BUT we get the fun and satisfaction of working on them. Priceless! Really unless you are trying to flip a car like this you should be in it for yourself and not the money.

Like a conversation I had with a coworker once about football team owners only making 3% on their money which could earn much more invested. He says "Yea, but in the playoffs it is no fun talking about which investments you have!" Life costs and it is worth it!

2kool

I don't think i'll ever make a profit off someting I build, I had a blast building my s10 383 blown stroker 700r4 and i narrowed a c4 rear end 4 in. had over 20,000 just in motor and built everthing myself. just bought a 81 corvette and can't wait to start losing money!!! i love it.

Priya

I really like that shade of red on your car Shopman1.

I've spent about 18,000 on my '79 and figure I'll spend around another 10k to get it to where I want it.


That's exactly how I look at it. I don't get how people think you shouldn't spend $30k on a car worth 10K when none of them question all the people who buy a new car for 30k knowing that down the road it'll be worth nothing. For me I want the nicest looking car out there and nothing new is even remotely in that category so I don't mind spending more than a new car costs on my exceptionally good looking old car.

The13Bats

vettebuyer ,
I had no idea you had the car that got me into vettes, well got me knowing what I thought the perfect vette should look like, a triple black 69 convertible, of course I just cant leave things alone, I want the flares and my big block but still, the "look" of your car makes me want to just put the right front clip on my 69 with the stock bb/lt1 hood too.....but your car, clue me in, there wasn't an lt1 in 69 was there? did you just dig the hood?

priya
18k for a 79... 28K total?
Correct me but couldn't a person buy one of those near no miles show room new 79's for 18K or less?

I love this thread but I gotta go start one on how cheaply did you build your car......

tfi racing

True,I'm gonna check out a ten year old Escalade that sold new for around 70K or so that now might be worth $2500(bad transmission).
I might have spent upwards of $20k on my worthless old 74 L48 vert,but I should still be able to get around 3/4 of that if I chose to sell it,you tell me which would have been the smarter purchase.

Vettereturned

I'm in the same boat - however, it's worth every penny to us as we enjoy the car most every weekend just cursing around.

lurch59

Do you mean cruising around, or swearing when working on your vette? Me thinks you had a Freudian slip.....