Spending 30 dollars to repair a less then 3 dollar kit

[junkyardjeff]

Drug out a Mustang II that I built around 78,I must have started tubbing it in the 80s after the pro street craze hit and enlarged the rear wheel openings hoping to get some big slicks to fit. 30 years later I want to build it as a stock Mustang since I picked up a V6 motor and those rear wheel opening are just not right,well I find a unused body and some extra parts on Ebay and including shipping I will have spent almost 30 dollars to get a new body for this model that I doubt I payed 3 dollars for originally but now I might finish the tub job on the one body and build a race car out of it and have one that is close to stock too.

[vamach1]

It happens but not to worry as the complete kit might have cost about $40.

Edited December 13, 2017 by vamach1
Pic

[Ace-Garageguy]

Neither of these were worth 50 cents when I got them, and I'll have well over $100 in each (not counting my time) when I'm done...

 

[junkyardjeff]

The one I built in 78 is a MPC and the one I am getting might be a slightly newer MPC version,I could not blow up the picture and hope the one I am getting has the stock bucket seats since mine had the race seats and who knows where the stock seats went. I was suprised that I still had the instructions.

[iamsuperdan]

Just like real cars! Guys that buy cheap old cars, and then spend far too much on them to get them the way they like!

I've been guilty of that, both in modelling and 1:1.

[Snake45]

What cost $3 in 1978 would cost $11.21 in 2016.

Also, if you were to buy exactly the same products in 2016 and 1978,
they would cost you $3 and $0.76 respectively.

[Ace-Garageguy]

6 hours ago, iamsuperdan said:

Just like real cars! Guys that buy cheap old cars, and then spend far too much on them to get them the way they like!

I've been guilty of that, both in modelling and 1:1.

We have a guy in the big car shop right now who's rapidly closing on having a $50,000 6-cylinder dead-stock '62 Falcon. I'm honestly glad he loves the little car so much, and she's going to be a real sweetheart, but that's a lot of jack to spend on a car that sold new for $1900.

[High octane]

7 hours ago, iamsuperdan said:

Just like real cars! Guys that buy cheap old cars, and then spend far too much on them to get them the way they like!

I've been guilty of that, both in modelling and 1:1.

Well, it's only money and we can't take it with us.

[High octane]

17 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

We have a guy in the big car shop right now who's rapidly closing on having a $50,000 6-cylinder dead-stock '62 Falcon. I'm honestly glad he loves the little car so much, and she's going to be a real sweetheart, but that's a lot of jack to spend on a car that sold new for $1900.

$50,000? WOW, that's a scary thought for that car.

 

[Tom Geiger]

I think we've all invested in a brand new kit for parts to restore some busted up old body we found in a dealer's junk box.

[gtx6970]

19 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

We have a guy in the big car shop right now who's rapidly closing on having a $50,000 6-cylinder dead-stock '62 Falcon. I'm honestly glad he loves the little car so much, and she's going to be a real sweetheart, but that's a lot of jack to spend on a car that sold new for $1900.

I did a bunch of work for a local shop that built a 1971 Challenger convertible for a client a few years back .

When I walked in I told shop owner this was the wrong car to be paying someone $65 an hour to have done, ( car was rough and just a 318 2 bbl car )  I'll bet the owner had close to 150K in it when it was all said and done.  Car was dang nice, but not $150K nice.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Just now, High octane said:

$50,000? WOW, that's a scary thought for that car.

Yup. Fresh engine, new factory-look interior, new windshield and most exterior aluminum trim, both bumpers chromed, extensive bodywork (she wasn't rusty, but had been bashed around...a lot), very nice paint (not perfect, but better than OEM), brakes and suspension all rebuilt, wheels blasted and painted, new tires, new OEM-style wiring harness, etc...it all adds up, especially with labor on even a low-end, simple car being at $100 / hr.

[Ron Hamilton]

10 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Yup. Fresh engine, new factory-look interior, new windshield and most exterior aluminum trim, both bumpers chromed, extensive bodywork (she wasn't rusty, but had been bashed around...a lot), very nice paint (not perfect, but better than OEM), brakes and suspension all rebuilt, wheels blasted and painted, new tires, new OEM-style wiring harness, etc...it all adds up, especially with labor on even a low-end, simple car being at $100 / hr.

I can only figure that a lot of that money was for sentimental value. I saw a raggedy '63 Falcon Sprint Convertible last week, and thought how much would it be to bring it back to life? Same thing in models. I have an old Jo Han glue-bomb 62 Chrysler 300H Convertible, which has been cleaned up, and is ready for primer and paint. Counting the Modelhaus and pieces from the parts box. have at least $50 in it, without paint and detailing. If I did not see Steve Guthmiller's 300 from a year ago, I probably would not have bought it, as I have a derelict '62 Hardtop that I was going to turn into a convertible. Opportunity knocked, and I took the plunge.

[High octane]

17 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Yup. Fresh engine, new factory-look interior, new windshield and most exterior aluminum trim, both bumpers chromed, extensive bodywork (she wasn't rusty, but had been bashed around...a lot), very nice paint (not perfect, but better than OEM), brakes and suspension all rebuilt, wheels blasted and painted, new tires, new OEM-style wiring harness, etc...it all adds up, especially with labor on even a low-end, simple car being at $100 / hr.

A $100 / hr. is not bad, however the investment in that type of car seems way overboard to me. I could see spending that kind of money on a classic muscle car or drag car, but not on a stock '62 Falcon with a 6-cyl. engine. To each their own I guess.

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 minute ago, High octane said:

A $100 / hr. is not bad, however the investment in that type of car seems way overboard to me. I could see spending that kind of money on a classic muscle car or drag car, but not on a stock '62 Falcon with a 6-cyl. engine. To each their own I guess.

I've never met the owner, but like Ron said, there must be an emotional attachment. 

But hey...where can you go buy a virtually new '62 Falcon?

And he sure won't see many others that nice.

[Tom Geiger]

Agreed, sentimental attachment.  Ask the owner and he'll probably tell you it was his parent's first new car and he was brought home from the hospital in it when he was born.  Or another similar story.

I know a guy in New Jersey who has a big old 1960 Plymouth Belvidere 4 door sedan with a slant six in it.  It was his fathers car and he has fond memories of growing up in that car.  He's not a guy of means, but he keeps that car pristine and garage kept, and puts little dollars into it as he can afford.

Edited December 13, 2017 by Tom Geiger

[Ace-Garageguy]

4 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

Agreed, sentimental attachment.... It was his fathers car and he has fond memories of growing up in that car...

One of my post-retirement projects will be a full on restomod of the '63 Olds convert my mother bought new, that I tracked down in Texas back in "96 and hauled back up here. Good thing I can do it all myself, 'cause I sure as jell couldn't afford to PAY to have it done. I figure about $15-20K in parts and materials, and a few sublets like chrome. 

[junkyardjeff]

Should have looked it over more closely,it came with bigger rear wheel,opening  since its a tubbed version and i was wanting a stock body. Looks like I will have to restore my body and build this one as it was made.

[oldcarfan]

Restoring something that you have had so long is like nursing an old friend back to health!