I no longer participate nor get involved with any Forum platforms. For me, the reasons not to get involved in these platforms are many, but for the most part, such a decision was born out of the necessity to remain focused on my personal projects (although, I do admit that from time to time I do scan these sites). At a recent stop at Bring a Trailer (BaT), I ran into this 1956 ongoing Giulietta Spider auction; the commentary is without a doubt all over the board some of the comments can offer a wealth of insight. The ultimate wisdom is found by sorting out all the noise and following a path which can be very different from individual to individual.
Let me offer my personal take when considering a restoration project:
“Before anyone wishing to embark in the hopes and dreams of rescuing a classic car, they should do their due diligence far in advance. Make no mistake; these projects are costly, time-consuming and in the wrong hands, can lead to a complete disaster.”
“The challenge of the project does not lie within the car restoration in itself, but rather within the scope of the sources and resources. Failure to clearly articulate and understand the correct approach will ultimately lead to a disastrous outcome.”
I have read, and listened to personal experiences on car restorations and based on their take; I would have gone about it differently. Trust me; I have been a victim of unscrupulous as well as a fair share of the incompetent of so-called “professionals.” There is a lot more that I could say about dealing with car restorations but for now, let talk about my restoration.
Now, let me proceed to my particular restoration update: The initial project cost was a whopping $100 bill for the remnants of what was once a car. Approximately 500 hours later it is mostly done with about another 100 hrs to complete all metal work. Based on this information, we can project “what if” scenarios and cost analysis of the possible cost of similar restorations. Case in point, the 1956 Giulietta currently on BaT, which I think that the average price range for restoration work will be around $50/hr – $100/hr is fair game; where the shop with the greatest skill sets will command the highest labor cost/hr.
The other component to be considered will be to establish the “Source” defined as Who will perform the work? Will the owner’s decision will be made on Cost, Skill, or Knowledge?
How about “Resources”? As my latest trip to Italy confirmed, the quality of reproduction parts are not consistent, nor are the sources of these parts. In Padova, I ran into good reproduction parts as well as an ample supply of poorly made parts. As a result, I prefer to work with as many original parts and spend the money to either recondition or restore (Bite the bullet).
Although the car metal work is somewhat near completion, it is hard to believe that this was once a pile of scrap metal.
Projects like these can be fun, and spending money on such projects are no different than the money of expenditure on playing golf. At least for me, it is more about the therapy, and the desire for staying busy and creative that gives me happiness.
The Photo Album for this project
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