to buy a fixer or original, restored Z

[Zpeed]

hey guys, i've got a delima..

Once again i am looking for a Z car. 2 seater, i want a 75 or earlier

i'm not sure if i want one that has a little bit of rust here and there, and needs a restore, meaning new suspension, respray, interoir etc etc, not a proper restore, but but something that will cost alot more in the end, but it will be mine etc, (hope you guys understand my point)

or should i spend the money in the first place and get a Z that already has the work done to it, that is ready to go basically... maybe minor work needed but nothing that will take the car off the road for a few months etc

my main point of this post is, people say many things about a car to get it sold, and i don't want to spend the money in the first place then a year down the track find rust comming up again and having to do what i wouldve done if i just bought a cheaper project in the first place...

(hope you understand what i mean, ive been panel beating all day and am tired and flusted)

[tanny]

The sentence where you say that "it will be mine" says it all. When you restore it yourself, it has to mean a lot more to you. But then again, if you have the money, it would be nice to avoid all the hassles and buy one already done. Let's see: she loves me, she loves me not, she loves me............. :classic: Victor.

[drunkenmaster]

Very few are done properly, and if they are, they are rarely sold.

Think of the reasons you sold the purple car, the things you knew as the owner and no one else did (there is always something). Then imagine they all have things lurking beneath like that. Think about those out there bogging up some rust and respraing over the original paint and claiming a ground up resto and commanding that sort of price, and people are buying them.

Thats why i did it myself.

[Murph]

That's a hard one. I'd be inclined to go for one that's had the hard work done....BUT....I'd want to see the proof. Eg, photos of the car in bare metal. It's a bit of an ask and might take some time to find one that fits the bill.....but it'd be worth it in the end.

[Zpeed]

yer as you said drunken master, im scared that i'll buy one that is patched up in the wrong way...

i got one lined up, thats why im asking that needs some TLC, but looks like a keeper, but not sure if its a good idea, as im 100% sure i'll be spending 50% more on it than what i would be if i bought one thats already done etc

[seerex]

Kinda funny I have a close case of both , got one and have tinkering with it for over a year now just got it running right but still needs brakes but only paid $450 for it but I love it dearly just for making it "MINE" so to speak but it need lots of cancer treatment , and now i just got a rust free 42000 mile 2 owner 71 thats very clean and will be getting painted and completed in under 2 months we hope after getting ti this week. I love both aspects of what you are looking for but if nothing else try and get a good rust free or close to it, that seems to be the biggest cost in repairs not motors or other stuff and as well if you have someone else do the body work or paint it makes the bill easier on the wallet , good luck

[Rusty1]

Good luck, it can be a tough choice, sometimes you have to be honest with your own motivation/finances/ability etc. There is nothing worse than a dismantled project sitting in your garage for years because you bit off more than you could chew. I don't think that I would risk a complete resto, that's why I chose a car that could be done in stages, now I just need to get started......

Rusty

[EScanlon]

If your intent is to buy a project for your hobby of restoring vehicles, AND you don't mind the amount of time, money, effort, money, hazzles, money, and did I mention money? Then by all means, buy a fixer upper. You will have the satisfaction of knowing you corrected an IPO's mistakes, and can then take pride in any admiration the car and the work done on the car receives.

If your intent is to get a car you can drive around immediately, and have people stare at it for it's good looks, and you have the money, then just buy it outright. You'll have the satisfaction of driving a classic sports car, that has been putatively restored. How truthfully it has been restored will usually show up in the price. (Although we can make the argument of the cleverness of the ad or the glibness of the sales person. Then again, if she's wearing a miniskirt and has legs.....)

The point is to stay away from what you do NOT enjoy and stick with what you DO.

2¢

Enrique

P.S. NOBODY, and I mean NO ONE should buy an old car as an investment. The vehicles that truly do pay back the money invested in them to achieve their sales price are few and far between.

P.P.S. If you buy a "restored" vehicle now, you can drive it for a few years, and then do your own restoration, but at least now you'll have the complete car (hopefully).

[MickieB]

I've personally gone for a fixer upper. And i would now say go for one that is already driveable, and fix it up a bit more yourself. I hate seeing the car sitting there and not being able to drive it. It really really gets to you after a while.

[Murph]

Well get to work then!

[260DET]

Well get to work then!

Yeh get to work Mickie, stop wasting your time around here

[MickieB]

Haha, i can't! We're in the process of moving house, and mum said if i got a half pulled apart car she'll just get it sent to the dump. So once we've moved i'll be right in to it!