Value of frame off restortion
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 467
From: Stockbridge, Georgia
Value of frame off restortion
I am doing a frame off restoration on my 1962 Starfire convertible. In order: repaired floor pans and trunk pan; removed frame and he it powder coated; I'm now in the process of removing years of undercoating and painting the clean body bottom metal.
Here's the question....How much will a frame off restore increase the value of the restored Starfire and does OCA have any type of verification process to prove that the work has been done?
I've been taking pics along the way.
Thanks Dennis
Here's the question....How much will a frame off restore increase the value of the restored Starfire and does OCA have any type of verification process to prove that the work has been done?
I've been taking pics along the way.
Thanks Dennis
Last edited by dennis_30281; Oct 3, 2016 at 06:35 AM. Reason: Add word
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 15,116
From: southeastern Michigan
I don't think any entity, including the OCA, "certifies" in any way the type of restoration a car has undergone. I also don't think there is any automically-added value to a car that has undergone a frame-off restoration compared to a like vehicle that hasn't.
In the end, a car's value is determined by what it has always been determined by: condition, desirability, and rarity. The condition level ("good," "excellent," etc.) a car is in is what matters, not how it got to that condition. A low-mileage original '62 Starfire convertible in excellent condition that has undergone no restoration and has had only routine maintenance done to it can be just as valuable as a '62 Starfire convertible that was originally in poorer condition but has undergone a frame-off restoration to bring it back to like-new condition. I think many people would rather have the former car, rather than the latter. It's a matter of preference.
Now, when you go to sell a car that has undergone a frame-off restoration, you certainly want to mention this in the ad copy (and include lots of photos showing the process) as it certainly is a strong selling point, but I wouldn't assume that the fact of this automatically adds any particular amount of value.
Remember the oldest adage in the old-car hobby: you don't restore a car because you expect to make money or recover your investment. You restore it because you like it, you like the restoration process, and you want to own a car that you have restored. It's a hobby, not an investment.
In the end, a car's value is determined by what it has always been determined by: condition, desirability, and rarity. The condition level ("good," "excellent," etc.) a car is in is what matters, not how it got to that condition. A low-mileage original '62 Starfire convertible in excellent condition that has undergone no restoration and has had only routine maintenance done to it can be just as valuable as a '62 Starfire convertible that was originally in poorer condition but has undergone a frame-off restoration to bring it back to like-new condition. I think many people would rather have the former car, rather than the latter. It's a matter of preference.
Now, when you go to sell a car that has undergone a frame-off restoration, you certainly want to mention this in the ad copy (and include lots of photos showing the process) as it certainly is a strong selling point, but I wouldn't assume that the fact of this automatically adds any particular amount of value.
Remember the oldest adage in the old-car hobby: you don't restore a car because you expect to make money or recover your investment. You restore it because you like it, you like the restoration process, and you want to own a car that you have restored. It's a hobby, not an investment.
Last edited by jaunty75; Oct 3, 2016 at 09:03 AM.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 467
From: Stockbridge, Georgia
I don't think any entity, including the OCA, "certifies" in any way the type of restoration a car has undergone. I also don't think there is any automically-added value to a car that has undergone a frame-off restoration compared to a like vehicle that hasn't.
In the end, a car's value is determined by what it has always been determined by: condition, desirability, and rarity. The condition level ("good," "excellent," etc.) a car is in is what matters, not how it got to that condition. A low-mileage original '62 Starfire convertible in excellent condition that has undergone no restoration and has had only routine maintenance done to it can be just as valuable as a '62 Starfire convertible that was originally is poorer condition but has undergone a frame-off restoration to bring it back to like-new condition. I think many people would rather have the former car, rather than the latter. It's a matter of preference.
Now, when you go to sell a car that has undergone a frame-off restoration, you certainly want to mention this in the ad copy (and include lots of photos showing the process) as it certainly is a strong selling point, but I wouldn't assume that the fact of this automatically adds any particular amount of value.
Remember the oldest adage in the old-car hobby: you don't restore a car because you expect to make money or recover your investment. You restore it because you like it, you like the restoration process, and you want to own a car that you have restored. It's a hobby, not an investment.
In the end, a car's value is determined by what it has always been determined by: condition, desirability, and rarity. The condition level ("good," "excellent," etc.) a car is in is what matters, not how it got to that condition. A low-mileage original '62 Starfire convertible in excellent condition that has undergone no restoration and has had only routine maintenance done to it can be just as valuable as a '62 Starfire convertible that was originally is poorer condition but has undergone a frame-off restoration to bring it back to like-new condition. I think many people would rather have the former car, rather than the latter. It's a matter of preference.
Now, when you go to sell a car that has undergone a frame-off restoration, you certainly want to mention this in the ad copy (and include lots of photos showing the process) as it certainly is a strong selling point, but I wouldn't assume that the fact of this automatically adds any particular amount of value.
Remember the oldest adage in the old-car hobby: you don't restore a car because you expect to make money or recover your investment. You restore it because you like it, you like the restoration process, and you want to own a car that you have restored. It's a hobby, not an investment.
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 4,532
From: Chi-town
^ +1
I elected not to do a frame off as my frame was nothing more than dirty, saved a ton of time and money (I don't show the car much just drive it). What I can also add to the comment is that the car will never be worth as much as the moment before you drive it out of the body shop. I restored mine because I wanted to. Each year it gets a bit more wear and patina and that's just fine with me. I'm impressed and appreciate anyone who takes on a frame-off restoration, just remember to enjoy the process and eventually the car!
I elected not to do a frame off as my frame was nothing more than dirty, saved a ton of time and money (I don't show the car much just drive it). What I can also add to the comment is that the car will never be worth as much as the moment before you drive it out of the body shop. I restored mine because I wanted to. Each year it gets a bit more wear and patina and that's just fine with me. I'm impressed and appreciate anyone who takes on a frame-off restoration, just remember to enjoy the process and eventually the car!
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,210
Frame off is a subjective term. Just because one performs a frame off, which is really a body off, doesnt mean the work done was high level. Ive seen absolute crap restorations that were frame off. The easy part is getting the body off, what you do next is hard.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 467
From: Stockbridge, Georgia
Oh, I don't think that I'll worry about OCA events. I'm just looking forward to the smiles and thumbs ups that I'll see at local car shows. Dennis
Thread Starter
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Posts: 467
From: Stockbridge, Georgia
The frame did come off easier than expected and your right getting the undercoating off is going to take months. Dennis
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 12,655
From: Evansville, IN
As I remarked to a fellow Olds buddy about my 442's timeline. "I plan to restore it here in the next ten years, then drive it to OCA nationals and have them tell me everything that's wrong with it."
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,796
From: Rowlett, TX
TK-65 is correct in that it is a body off restoration. You are either pulling the body off the frame or I guess the frame out from under the body. The term frame off never make sense to me.
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