Would you buy it?

[Corvette.Jeff]

Hi all, i recently came across a 1964 impala(the real car not the model ) and a 63' Biscayne, At first the guy wanted 1,500 each for the two, i got to talking ot him a little bit and got him down to 2k for the two. Both cars would need complete restoration from bumper to bumper, top to bottom. So i ask you nice folks here this, do ya'll think its a good deal? i dont have any pictures(i always forget my camera) but the body's are straight(hard to find a straight 64'!) no major rust, the impala has a small block and im not sure what the biscayne has in it. But what do ya'll think? i only ask here because the impala section of my regular car forum recently closed.

Thank you,Jeff

[Guest Mustang3.8]

I say go for it! That's a once in a lifetime deal. I got that when I only paid $400 for my '83 Mustang GL.

[old-hermit]

2K for both, buy em. Make sure the titles are in order. You can always part them out.

[Harry P.]

I agree, 2K for both, buy them. Get them fixed up to the point where they run reliably and have fun driving them.

But restoration? Top to bottom, bumper to bumper? I guarantee you it will cost several times more than even your highest "guesstimate". Like Mark said, resto parts ain't cheap. And when you consider what it's going to cost to rebuild a car by buying everything part by part, even if you do ALL the labor yourself (highly unlikely), you'll more likely than not wind up with a car that's worth less than you spent on restoration. A decent paint job alone will run you several grand if you want a quality job, not an Earl Scheib special. How many times have we seen an ad that reads something like this: "For sale, $20,000 OBO, restored, $40K in restoration, too much to mention."

My rule of thumb: If you want an old car, buy one already restored. That way the previous owner(s) took the financial hit. And you've saved yourself months, if not years, of aggravation and money spending. Just my 2 cents...

[Peter Lombardo]

Be careful….Do you have a place to keep the cars, out of the elements until such time as you are ready to restore one or both? Perhaps you can restore one and either sell or “part out†the other to help with the costs involved. And yes the costs will kill you. Only restore a car if you plan on keeping it because like others have said, you will never get your investment out of it. You could lose as much as $15,000 to $20,000 grand if you do a crazy top to bottom restoration and then look to sell it, so be sure you want to keep it.

I am in the home stretch of completing a complete restoration of my 1977 MGB. I purchased the car in 1992 for $3,000. It ran well enough that I could drive it around on nice days but always wanted it to be “customized†into the car that I wanted it to be.

5 years ago, I took it off the street and “gutted†her. Now, an additional $17,500 dollars later I have the car I wanted. One of the great things about it was that much of the work (not the slight body work or paint) was completed by my son and me. It has been a great “father and son†project, and once I am done with it and gone, he will get the car along with its mate, a restored 1960 MGA that we have.

So you see, I have $20,000 into this car and I could never sell her for anything even close to that. Sure, it is beautiful with a custom burgundy pearl paint with chrome bumpers (all MGB’s should have chrome bumpers) and tan leather interior and a completely rebuilt “up rated stage II†engine, but before you jump into a restoration, be sure you know the pit falls and costs associated with it.

I am about ready to begin a model of this car, painted with the same paint that is on the real car. The kit is a right hand drive car (British version) and I have to convert it to a US spec. car, this should be fun.

[Mike Chernecki]

I have 10 years and $15,000 in my 1962 Nova convertible and no end in sight. I would not bother if either car is a 4 door, be different it was a pair of '64 Imapalas then one could be used as a parts car. Make sure all the trim is complete, some is impossible to find. It took 15 years to find the handle for the rear sliding windows for my Uncle's '65 Chevelle 2-door wagon. My neighbor is currently restoring a 1929 Chev for next to nothing, but this car was mint and 100% complete.

Edited June 16, 2009 by Mike Chernecki

[Rob Hall]

Yes, restos can be quite time consuming and expensive. A friend bought a '70 Mach 1 back in early '02, was found in field, rough, relatively rust free, hadn't run in years. $60k later, and it's still not finished...

[Corvette.Jeff]

Without seeing pics to go by, I can't say for sure, but here's a few things to consider before buying them.

You didn't say if the Impala was an SS or another model. As a rules, a "plain Jane" 64 Impala isn't very collectible, nor is a Biscayne. Also, are both/either 2 door hardtops, post cars, 4 doors...?

Can you afford to restore them? Restoration parts, (be they repro or NOS), are not cheap, & the cars could become money pits very quickly.

If the Impala isn't an SS, are you willing to accept that if you do restore them, they likely won't ever be worth the time & money you put into them if you ever chose, (or had to), sell them? I'm not putting them down, for I love full size Chevies from 1960-1970 or so, I'm just looking realistically at the potential market for them.

Have you checked other areas besides the bodies? 63/64 full size Chevies have rust issues in the floorboards, (I've known several people that restored them & I know what they went through. Also check the frame rails, quarter panels, (especially the inside), for rust &/or repair work.

While the initial cost may be low, the cost of parts needed, (not things that you can get through the dealer or NAPA & the like, but trim pieces & such), to complete the restoration, or parts having to be restored can be prohibitive. Some trim pieces are not available & if they are damaged, they have to be retored by someone that specializes in such work, & they don't come cheap.

Restoring a car can be fun, but it can also nickel & dime you to death over little things.

Yea i know about restoring cars, i restored most of a 83' datsun 280zx turbo in my carport by myself at age 15-16, when i got it it was completely gutted barely had a engine and was missing the front fenders and had a huge rust hole in the firewall from a battery leak, the only reason i got that is it was free and it was a "fairlady"(japanese spec.) it found its way all the way back to japan!

I left out a few things about the impala, yes its a four door(i love four doors) i didnt check the floor pans but they aren't that hard to replace, it has all the trim, its a base sedan, the only thing really missing is the drivers side window which the 63' Biscayne has and im not to worried about resell value, I've owned three cars in my life and only sold one. i will have a place to store once we figure out where my dads being transferred to. I may have over exaggerated about the level of resto needed lol, to the best of my knowledge all it needs is new tires, new lights all around(not the lenses the bulbs) new fluids( its got a v8 ) and a quick run down while its on a lift.

im sure if i do get them ill end up either parting out the Biscayne or selling it whole. Im not really to worried about a title if he has one great but if he doesnt i can get one, in Texas you can get a bonded title, thats where you have to wait i think two years and if no one claims it you get it. Plus I'll do what we did with my old z, you search the Vin# for the last registered owner then ask them till you can either find the last person that owned it legally, or if they're deceased contact their family to make sure its not stolen.

[Eshaver]

Jeff, as the former manager for a towing company in Dallas years ago. you're probably better off hunting down a title from someone who sells titles . Yes I did say sells titles . Look in Hemmings Motor News , they have them in the services section . The Hasle you generally get at the D P S station along with your " Bonded " title really arent woth the hassle . With a clear title on that old of a vehicle in Texas , youm can walk throught the linelike " Regular " folk . Just MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE AND I MEAN NO BODY ever wotea DEMOLITION TITLE on that ride ! I they did , you are screwed period , end of story ! The only way around that is to dissemble both rides and carry them either to Oaklahoma or Louisiania , preferibly Missisippi and reassemble them In Missisipi then in 1963, all they had were Bills of sale , no title ! I actually wound up having to do this once and it aint worth what we did to pull it off again eiter , especially no 4 door ride!

If they were S S or convertables , I would agree with some of the comments Harry said . To me a Fordoor is too many doors . I don't know where in Texas you are , you mightwant to contactme at my personal E-mail at edshaver @ymail . com I know people in the Dallas Fort Wort Worth area and I probably could line you you up with the area clubs. I also kept up with a couple of salvage yard operators . Now if yer in Houston , the Cement swamp, I dare say you gonna see a rust free ride . At night , I used to watch my tools rust on my bench at night cause of the humidity !

HEY LONG LIVE KINKY FREEDMAN AN THE TEXAS JEW BOYS BAND YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ed Shaver

[Guest Davkin]

They don't buy and sell titles, that would be illegal. They buy and sell "historical documents"

David

[diymirage]

Be careful….Do you have a place to keep the cars, out of the elements until such time as you are ready to restore one or both? Perhaps you can restore one and either sell or “part out†the other to help with the costs involved. And yes the costs will kill you. Only restore a car if you plan on keeping it because like others have said, you will never get your investment out of it. You could lose as much as $15,000 to $20,000 grand if you do a crazy top to bottom restoration and then look to sell it, so be sure you want to keep it.

15000 to 20000 grand ?

that is 15-20 million dollars

you could have bought pontiac for that kinda cash

(the brand, not just the car)

lol

id say buy it man, toss em in a shed somewhere and sell them when the market goes up