Mecum Lot W202 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 Hurst Replica sold for $9,750 today. Look at it. Cosmetically I see a few things, maybe the paint isn't great, missing wheel well mouldings, but for the money you'd be crazy to try to clone one from scratch.

I'm as guilty as a lot of us. I did a complete restoration myself (& it was fun)

 

I agree, but one day I hope to do a frame off and make a pro-tourer or something like that. But if you are looking for a fun car to drive and enjoy, someone else s completed project is almost always the best way to go

 

You have a point. Unless you're doing the resto because you enjoy the work itself, you're better off buying a completed car. It's almost always a better financial proposition.

That said, I think most of us are too OCD to accept someone else's work.

 

I have a junkyard gem of a car that needs a sugar daddy with disposable income.
1 of 6,911 produced. Too cool to junk, but I don't want to throw 20k at it either.



Needs a driver's side quarter, a back windshield, a motor, brakes, tires, interior, pretty much everything lol.

 

Don't let that Imperial slip away! Someone will want it. I've wanted a car like that for years, but I don't have 20K either.

 

I just couldn't let it go into the jaws of the crusher at the local yard. I'm a big softy, and dragged its sorry carcass home with me for my neighbors to enjoy....er.... curse at.
I don't know what to do with it, but certainly don't want it to be crushed. It just sits here.

I turned on the headlights and put a strobe light & a smoke machine behind the grilles for the kids on halloween, but other than that, it hasn't served any kind of purpose other than scaring everyone, including myself and my wallet. We are scared of it as well.

If any of you fellas are looking to divorce your old lady, just let me know, and I'll rent it out to you for cheap monthly payments. Shouldn't take more than 2 months to work for you though.

 

It would make an awesome restomod with a modern crate hemi and 5/6speed. Oh there's that 20K again.

 

X2 on the OCD.

 

Considering that there's no such thing as a "Cutlass 442 Hurst", it's hard to build a replica of one...

In any case, maybe sanity is finally returning to the market.

To your other point, it is NEVER cost effective to restore a car. If all you care about is money, buy the best, most complete car you can afford. In my case, these are simply 1:1 scale model car kits. The fun is in the journey.

 

It's all about timing...it's also about sentimental value alot of the time. Many times tragic circumstances or hard times in life force untimely, unwanted sales of peoples treasures. That's life. Is it tough to make money on resto's?? Yes, unless u do all the work yourself, even then ur working for your money. My grandfather gave me my 65 when I was 13. Since then it's been a project car, still is a project car, and always will be a project car. It's never done in my eyes. And like any automobile ownership, along with it comes cost of operating, maintaining, repairing, and for some, modifying the vehicle. So u take the good with the bad, but I think alot of numbers u see these cars selling for are extremely circumstantial. For instance, I believe the stock just went up in the Shelby line of muscle cars. So u either play the game or u don't I guess.

Ur also talking about a replica...alot of people frown upon replicas. A numbers matching 442 frame off original resto would fetch decent numbers, and resto-mods are in a whole other category. That's in the eye of the beholder. Some rich dude will pay whatever he wants on that badass 442 with a big block, 6 speed transmission, large diameter wheels with completely modified suspension...just to say he has it.

 

Saw a rerun of that last night. I sometimes see what look like nice drivers slip by for pretty low $$$ since I guess many of their bidders are higher end collectors. About 20 minutes later a very nice real 442 went for about $35k. Not sure but there might have been a pace car in between those prices so I guess there was an Olds for all budgets that night. Better than their normal stream of vettes, camaros and chevelles - yawn.

From project to garage queen, ususally better off buying the best car your budget allows. There will always be that next little thing that needs attention, then the next, and the next....

 

I belong to the Forwardlook.net forum. There are people over there that would love your car. We actually have 1 or 2 parts cars at our yard.

 

Who cares about the money, look at the blood, sweat and tears we pour into these beasts.

I bought a pile of rubbish 3 years ago, but First time your car roars to life? Happier than a pig in sh*t let me tell you.

 

It's the journey man it's all about the journey hell, what else am I supposed to do with my disposable income? give it back to the government? hell no!!! restoring the 71 is my PTSD therapy!

 

Just drive em!
I hate worrying about parking lot dings and scratches in the paint.
I have an appreciation for cars where there owners cared enough to keep them in the garage for years to sell to a younger enthusiast.
I like to see fancy paint and perfect door panels,but what I really like is un restored originals.
Update the motor and suspension for a nice ride,but leave the body alone.
Dents and dings give them character.

 

I would just get it running, make it safe and just drive it.I think that Chrysler is real cool!!!

 

Here are pictures of the under 10K Hurst replica...




Looks fantastic

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_de...5&entryRow=329

 

I think you just said it best. I was looking at all the Olds that sold and it seemed like there were a lot of pretty good deals.

 

Looks like it'd be a fun car to drive. The fun would stop the first time some "Goold Olds Guy" felt the need to announce how "wrong" it is, but those types go away when you ignore them.

 

Over here "unfinished project", "needs finishing", or "a little work required" is mostly another way of saying "basket case".

Love the Imperial, a friend has a 2 door '63, not perfect, but driven often.

Roger.

 

Sometimes it's about saying you restored the car instead of "I bought it this way." Also I'm one that likes to customize the car to my liking. No one will build a car the way I want it.

 

Hurst clone looks like a good deal but those tips look ridiculous. I think I'd trip on them in my garage. I saw a few 442's listed as not sold so maybe the Olds money just isn't in the room this weekend.
The fact that the current owner let it go at no reserve maybe shows that there was more shyt wrong with it than you can see on TV

 

here here!

 

Looks like a perfect car to make a street/strip car out of.

 

Excellent example. I'm always torn between 2 worlds with these old cars.

Depending on my mood, and how sore my back and hands are..... I'd much rather drop 10k for that, than to drop 30k and roll around on the garage floor for 4 years.
BUT.....
If everyone only bought cars that were "done", which is the smart financial thing to do, eventually the stock would be depleted....and there would be no more "done" cars left to buy.

If that day ever happens however, and all the junks and spares have been crushed in the meantime....How are we going to make another one?

There is a reason you don't see "old" cars on the road very often. Much of that has to do with the fact that we throw everything away because it's easier to buy new.

The easy way out can't last forever. There has to be makers, and users. Just look at the U.S.A. national debt.

I have found myself into the building/restoration/wasting my money program for the last 3-4 years with my car hobby. I'm a builder, and that's something I can't deny or stop doing. It's comparable to a bad drug habit, and has similar results.
It's depressing to think about the wasted cash, but It's also a good feeling to be trading cotton for steel in small monthly payments.

 

X2, X2! Finding these cars that people have given up on, bring em home clean them up and fire them up...nothing better! The beautiful thing with a project car is it is up to ME how far to take it
Ted

 

a frame off restore is alot of work ,money, and time but when you sit behind the wheel of your new DID I DO THIS nothing feels better. i've had my 69 for 23/24 years now and it started from a cutlass on a 4x4 frame,now i have parts all over my garage and have to work on my other cars outside.i may get it finished in the next year or five,but oh what a feeling it will be to show it off.

 

I'm done with frame offs! I can get the same feeling with my daily driver, and the nice thing about it is, Oh yeah, I can drive it every day! Who cares if someone leans on it, or some moron opens the door to stuff a bunch of kids in it to get a picture at a car show, or ...

 

Many of us not only like the garage work on our projects and the satisfaction of resurrecting a ghost, but can't afford the initial layout of cash. I buy a $2500 project or maybe even much cheaper, and then put a little into it as I can because I don't have 10K sitting there. Sure, I might have more than that in mine when I'm done. The problem is, I don't want to take loan out on a hobby.