JMortensen Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 And then the person who buys your car complains about how everything was done wrong. One person's "done right" is another person's "hack job". Yeah, but my opinion is the only one that matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slow_Old_Car Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 And then the person who buys your car complains about how everything was done wrong. One person's "done right" is another person's "hack job". Very true lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillZ260 Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Two really good arguments here, but it seems to boil down to two camps (for me anyway) I like to build I like to drive Don't get me wrong, I love my Z and driving it, but what I cherrish most is that I dismantled and re-configured this car to be what I wanted it to be, and it started up and drove when I asked it to. It's hard to describe what I felt when I drove it around the block the very first time, but after that it hasn't been the same. I guess for me, it's really about making something and getting it to work, and I guess I wouldn't have learned that without going through this process. That's pretty hard to put a price on, when you think about it. I find myself looking for another project to build, always SOMETHING to build. Projects don't necessarily need to be a cars for me either, right now I'm doing some remodeling at my mothers house, its new and challenging work, eats up my time, but only her bank account Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psdenno Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 I've experienced both sides of the coin more than once - restored a project car myself and bought someone else's completed project for less than half of what they had in it. There's merit to both ways and it all depends on how you like to spend your time and money. If you're handy with tools and have the work space, live the dream and restore a car. Just don't plan on driving it and basking in the glory of appreciative bystanders for a while, perhaps a long while. On the other hand, if you want to drive the car anytime soon, buy one that someone else has completed as I did with my Porsche - bought it, washed it, entered it in a national show, and won 1st place. Can't put a dollar value on that warm fuzzy feeling. A year ago, I pulled the '71 Z that I bought new off the showroom floor out of 15 years of storage. It took about a month to pour more money into it than it cost when new. My son and I are still working on the body work and interior as he prepares to get his driver's license. Can't put a dollar value on that feeling either. Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudypoochris Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 I am paying to learn and I am learning a lot for very little money. I now have skills and abilities I never would of had if I hadn't pursued making this automobile in the way that I have. Just like when I take a new job, I am getting paid in money, yes, but if it is a really good job, the payment I am getting in knowledge is worth the cash easily ten fold. That and the car is built exactly the way I like it which is obviously a plus, since it is exactly what I want in every way. If it wasn't, I would change it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zgeezer Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 The doctor is right. For me it's the journey, not the destination. I want a great high performance car, sure, but even more I want to satisfy this need I have to resurrect things that have been abused, abandoned, discarded - with my own hands make them strong again, beautiful again, better than ever. Any idiot can buy things, but precious few can create them. It brings me pride to be one of them. Would you rather meet the guy that built the car, or the one who bought it? Heck, people spontaneously smile when they see my car; they come over just to talk, just tell a story, share some memories and shake my hand. That's something fantastic. There's nothing else I do in my life that can make strangers happy at a glance. I've been working, changing, selling, buying, bull shitting, drinking beer, laughing, and finding new friends all around my Z for the last 11 years. This might be a record for time down without the wheels turning. My brother has build, ran, and sold three sub 10 second Falcons in the same time. However, this is my high school shop class that I couldn't take.... way too much effort to stay on the college bound track. There is not a single part on my Z that I haven't duplicated twice: and they are all stored in my garage, their garage, under my wife's bed, under my bed, in the kids' room and in various dresser drawers. My jewelry drawer has, and this is for real, two sets of cheap cuff links, two american flag lapel pins, one service club pin, two really cheap watches and.......... 12 different Z insignia I've found in different JYs. 240, 280, 260, hood emblems and one complete set of emblems for a '70 240. It is the journey, the friends you meet, and the lies you can tell. By the way, I have many reasonably good 240Z grills and would be willing to talk trade for one eight spoke 14 inch mini-mag wheel [sorta like PanaSports, but were one of the more popular dealer dress up options in 1970's.] g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Well you could try another hobby, like hookers and coke. Only thing is with the latter you may end up with your health in bad shape, as well as the finances Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strotter Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Well you could try another hobby, like hookers and coke. Only thing is with the latter you may end up with your health in bad shape, as well as the finances Don't do it man! It might lead to a career in politics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 One reason for building it yourself, which so far has gone unmentioned, is knowing what to do when your hobby-car breaks down. If I bought some one’s immaculate high-hp V8 conversion, at some point is would break – and then what? Would I be fully aware of the maintenance issues, the troubleshooting, the tuning, the personality of the car? My great Z frustration for many years has been the simple matter of troubleshooting and tuning my engine. It would have been no different and no easier had I bought a V8 Z, a classic Camaro/Impala/Mustang/Barracuda/AMC, or even a late-model tuner car. I like to tinker and to build, I take pride in my ideas and enjoy at least attempting to nurture their execution in practice, but I’m hopelessly careless. I’m a “vision†guy, not a “details†guy. I can’t tune an engine because I can’t pay attention to the little things that make or break it – nor have I mastered the mere “details†of the mechanic’s art. It takes a particular maturity to render due diligence to the seemingly mundane. So far I have not developed that maturity. The other problem is time! I’m not a rich man, but I definitely have more money than time, and I would gladly pay a shop $80/hour to get my car running reliably – if I could find a competent and trustworthy shop that wouldn’t soak me, wouldn’t goldplate the job, would stand behind their work and would look out for me on my next maintenance disaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buZy Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 I like the idea of a never ending project........ Me too! Ya got to love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie05 Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Yasin, just think of the road bike $15,000 can get ya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primadonna z Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Because of time constraints, and to ultimately reduce my cost of ownership I do things a little differently. I search out a car that will make for a good platform for full restoration. I look for a vehicle that is ulitimately what I would want to own finished. One that someone has spent the time, and money adding the expensive features that I would spend a fortune on if I was to start from scratch. Properly researched, and the willingness to wait for the right car to become available, outstanding cars exibiting these qualitys can be bought for a fraction of their original build cost. Now you have a solid foundation to rebuild the car with your own personal touches, and additions to make it yours. This concept allows you to do the rebuild in substancially less time, and $$. No waiting for the money to come in for the big ticket items, properly selected most of the goodies should already be on the car. This allows you some time to spend the time on detailing aspects of the build to fit your personality. In the end I know every nut and bolt on the car. and have the satisfaction of the build. I'm enjoying the car from behind the wheel, trust me it's a lot more fun. To make a point, in the last three years I have completely rebuilt 2 cars. Both cars were heavily modified when I bought them and were great platforms for me to take them to the next level. I am in awe at the years of work that went into these cars prior to my ownership, but I have brought them to the next level. There will always be new things that I want to do, or change. But isn't that always the case with long term ownership? Even today 1 car is always apart having changes made to this or that. The beauty is 1 car is always together so I can still get my fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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