Just got my newly published catalog from Zip. Thumbing through it I started to roughly add up the costs to rebuild things like a rear suspension and interior. The prices will give pause to restoring many border line project cars and turn them into donors for the remaining fleet. To put upwards of $4K into replacing an interior could make the difference to some.

The cost may put some in garages and barns to wait for a better day.

 

I sort of agree with you. Just got my Zip catalog as well and parts for the steering column rebuild, a/c repair ( including a new evap.) as well as my 92 ( Black Rose ) needs paint... I mean geez by the time I'm done I could buy a new one .

 

I've restored a couple projects back from "the dead". Bottom line is that beside $ there are the intangibles that add to the value to consider; what is worth to you- the end product, the experience gained, the fun making a jewel from a rough stone? Then there is the pleasure of owning it and the "miles of smiles is worth something to be considered.

In the end, it comes down to $: what the buyer will pay and the seller will take in exchange. What cars "exactly" in the same condition are selling for in your area ...helps put a figure on it or, "ballpark" it. Beyond that and pricing the intangibles is left.

 

Cars are not "investments", that's for dang sure. I dump $$$ into my '96 because it's a cool toy. I don't expect to ever get a financial return, but I sure enjoy giving it TLC, tinkering and playing with it. I used to build lots of models as a kid. Now they're just bigger and I get to sit in them.

 

Yes, the parts are more expensive than the whole car in many situations. That's why it takes nothing to total these cars in a collision, so if you do put the money into them and drive them like most C4 owners do you might be surprised if it's in a collision and the check you get from the insurance co. is a fraction of what you have in it....short of a special policy.

 

That's where 'declared value' comes into play on your insurance. You & the insurance company come up with the value of the car ahead of time. If it gets totaled then you know what the insurance company will pay. It's available on most collectors insurance policies and may or may not be available on general insurance.

 

I don't think the C4 is alone here. Just about any project car is in this boat IMHO. Too many "fix and flip" car shows on TV have people thinking it's a profitable business venture.

 

After messing in the Harley World for a number of years, the C4 hasn't really been that bad. HD parts and accessories are outrageous, even for a little chrome cover....so coughing up some dough on the C4 doesn't bother me that badly.
One thing I DID notice....any plastic interior part that is susceptible to a sun-bake death seems very pricey.

 

I admit it, I watch those shows too. I also watch professional wrestling and every knows those shows are for real too.

The "least" done to the cars usually gives the biggest return, percentage wise. Unless you have a very special buyer already lined up, the more that's put into the car, the return goes down percentage wise....and when the car is given the shop mojo, i.e. the car gets rebuilt according to the shop owners personal tastes, at auction they sell for a loss.

On the other hand, there are some cars that have appreciated so much in value that a restoration is warranted, but, with some exception, they all seem to be high interest vehicles, which the aftermarket supports, from an earlier time when cars, especially the electrical parts were much simpler. Think early Mustangs, early Camaros and yes, early Corvettes.

 

Own it to drive it, not as an investment.

 

Keeping it a hobby and not looking for an investment makes owning any "classic" especially a C4 more pleasurable rather than regrettable.

 

 

Its not so much about an investment... its about having fun fixing up your ride because you want to and you like it.... Its about wanting go to a cruise in with something you can be proud of when you pull up with the rest of the cars.

Something I have always done is mixed new parts with very good condition used parts... no one can tell the difference and your wallet has something left in it when you're done.

 

I have the attitude that the money spent on most any hobby car will never be recovered. I do it for the self satisfaction of keeping myself busy with something that I enjoy.

I purchased a 1984 in 2011 for $3,300.00 and spent probably spent over $12,000.00 including the purchase price restoring it.

I just finished the restoration last month replacing the faded carpet with new flame red carpet set.

I rebuilt everything on the car except the differential which was ok except for resealing it.

I know I will never get my money back. I enjoyed every moment I spent working on the car. The only thing I did not do myself was the auto transmission rebuild.

Someday someone will get a like new 1984 Corvette for a great price and I will know that I kept one C4 from going to the scrap yard.

 

I am pleasantly surprised by the folks who put refurbing their ride above the cost of buying the parts needed to do the job which may never be recovered.

However, the term "parting out" is all too common in this forum parts for sale section. Its worthwhile to maintain the fleet but the number left is diminishing daily. On the plus side is the fact the model was made for 12 years so it will be around for a while...like the Model A.

 

I am in between the views of fixing up/restoring vs the cost/investment.

I like to fix mine up to the point of keeping a good performing car and looking good. Sometimes that is more money than I should probably spend on an inexpensive car.

I also look at it more realistically and evaluate what it costs vs what I want. In some cases the costs to fix up/restore/mod were more than it was worth. I had several cases I sold the corvette to get a different one that was closer to what I wanted. For example I sold my '88 A4 because I wanted a 6M and did not want to spend the money on a swap. I bought a '94 6M to replace it. Another example is that I had an '85 4+3 that I decided I wanted more power (and a 1 piece rear main), a 6M, the later suspension (and wheel offset), the later analog dash, and many other things. In addition I was going to need to do some repairs although the '85 was a very nice low mile car. To me the cost of fixing/modifying the '85 made it so that it would be less expensive and come out better to start with another car. I sold the '85 and wound up with a '96 LT4.

I also had a '70 LS6 Chevelle SS that was a show car. That was a money pit. There were a lot of parts, new ones and custom ones that all cost. Keeping it clean and detailed took a lot of time, so if I drove it it would take me a week to bring it back to spotless again. I never got much enjoyment from that car, but the costs were high. I would have enjoyed it more if I had not kept it up and drove it a lot more. When I sold it, I did get a pretty good price, but it was not good as an investment.

In short, do it because it is fun, or makes it the car you want.

 

Yep, been there, done that on rough tally of total interior restoration. If you were going for new dealership-showroom-perfect interior, it's gonna be 5 large worth of parts at least. Not worth it for a daily driver, to me. On the bright side, it's nice companies are finally making a complete suite of replacement parts for the C4.

So figure:

5K for interior resto
10K for a paint job (which I think is beyond silly but is the "floor" for some on here)
2K wheels resto with new tires
1K for weatherstripping redo and nickel dime bits

18 grand...no thanks, not for any C4 short of a ZR-1 restoration.

 

Some are stuck in the 80s when old vettes camaros etc were shooting up in value and could still be bought for a couple G...there was money to be made there;not any more
C4s, 5, 6 whatever are NOT those kinds of cars no matter how bad some people want to believe it. Stil the myth goes on...
see guys ordering colors and options on C7s they dont even like convincing themselves its "VERY RARE" and an investment good gawd! LOL Hey dreams are for free

LOL Did that once, poured untold amounts into one..other than looking pretty and sounding good it was still an unreliable slow pos;I hated it plus the stigma that went with it.
Wanna go for a ride, make sure you know someone with a truck and lots of spare time.
Not my idea of fun

 

The same thing could be said for old station wagons...seen the prices on those lately?

 

Restorations are most affordable when starting with a very good car that you found cheap ....few and far between. One break is most of the car is available. It's when you get a rare car to find out most of what you need has to be made. The costs are also why so many cars are taken apart never to be put together again. Just sit in pieces until sold off to get out of the way.