Billruston Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Do They?, some of the projects that has sold on milweb and eBay? I love finding an old barn find ww2 vehichle etc, just seems to have alot more character to it? What's your opinion Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulob1 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 restoration costs can rarely be recovered....for this you need something like a bit of german ww2 gear...maybe the cvrt's were up there for a while but nowadays prices too high for restoration ever to be worth it in the short term... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 ww2 armour is where the money is due to rarity and more importantly historic value, if you can get hold of a carrier from Canada for the right money that would be a good place to start as they are a doddle to restore and the parts are plentiful, expect to pay £12k with shipping put £8k into it and you've got something worth £35k+ and they're great to drive :cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billruston Posted October 29, 2013 Author Share Posted October 29, 2013 Ww2 armour is the one I love imagine finding a originall panther in a barn ? As you said rick one of the reasons I enjoy and love ww2 armour is the history of it and the era it was in. But finding a carrier project is so hard,that one in noway looked a good start. Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels v Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 (edited) The one in Norway was sold to the UK Edited October 29, 2013 by Niels v Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big ray Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 I suspect that the only person making any money would be the one selling the project, some of the prices are quite frightening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billruston Posted October 29, 2013 Author Share Posted October 29, 2013 Considering what a Sherman tank project makes now days! A few people said in the 80's you could buy a running project at 8k, now a restored ones worth the best part of 230k? Mad times but ww2 armors going up by the day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willyslancs Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Considering what a Sherman tank project makes now days! A few people said in the 80's you could buy a running project at 8k, now a restored ones worth the best part of 230k? Mad times but ww2 armors going up by the day! we were offered a flame thrower Sherman years ago from the states, wish we had it now!!..got a pic somewhere.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billruston Posted October 29, 2013 Author Share Posted October 29, 2013 Would love to see it mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Do They?, some of the projects that has sold on milweb and eBay?I love finding an old barn find ww2 vehichle etc, just seems to have alot more character to it? What's your opinion Bill. I kind of think projects do Bill. If you had a good supply of them I think there is a good business to be had. If you look at a Jimmy for example it's going to cost you £2000 just to put NDT's on it. That's just over 25% of the value of GMC's so not much room there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singaeger Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Yes you can make money from restoration projects. But only if you dont count in your time. For example my heavy armoured car has taken over 1500 hours of work so far. It drives and is on the road but is still not fully finished. If i costed my time at £15 an hour (cheap for an engineer/mechanic) and added to this sum to the purchase cost plus the cost of specialist fabrications etc. Then that roughly brings us to the achievable sale value. So in essence what i have and am happy with is: A hobby that is both enjoyable and is in the long run, self finanching. I could alternatively play golf, bird watch or chase women....these would certainly cost me a great deal. With no chance of seeing my money again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billruston Posted October 29, 2013 Author Share Posted October 29, 2013 It's mad what it all costs but sometimes it's apart of the fun to restore it your self. Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferrettkitt Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 It's mad what it all costs but sometimes it's apart of the fun to restore it your self. Bill. It is part of the fun to do it yourself. More than likely you couldn't afford to have it done by someone else and would you want too? If it breaks down and you have rebuilt the vehicle your more likely to know how to repair it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WCMatt Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 we were offered a flame thrower Sherman years ago from the states, wish we had it now!!..got a pic somewhere.. Was it an M4A1 with duckbill track extensions located in Virginia? Knew the owner & the vehicle quite well...... Selling a restoration project ie: a vehicle that is in some phase of being restored is a PITA. I've attempted to sell off some in the past with no luck. Wound up finishing the resto & selling it as already done. Like others have said, you'll never recoop your time in the project but then again, this is a hobby isn't it? ' least I keep telling myself that! When I'm finished with a restoration & I've made the decision to dump the vehicle, I usually use that lump of cash from the sale to purchase the next MV & repeat the process. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whittingham warrior Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 The only people to make money besides the dealers is the widow of the dead enthusiast........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Yes you can make money from restoration projects. But only if you dont count in your time. For example my heavy armoured car has taken over 1500 hours of work so far. It drives and is on the road but is still not fully finished. If i costed my time at £15 an hour (cheap for an engineer/mechanic) and added to this sum to the purchase cost plus the cost of specialist fabrications etc. Then that roughly brings us to the achievable sale value. So in essence what i have and am happy with is: A hobby that is both enjoyable and is in the long run, self finanching. I could alternatively play golf, bird watch or chase women....these would certainly cost me a great deal. With no chance of seeing my money again. I think you've summed it up pretty well, jeeps are a case in point, we all huff and puff at the cost of them but if you are doing a proper job and restoring to factory spec the margin not including time is around the £2k mark on a £14K finished and advertised MB/GPW, I'm assuming here you do all your own work with the exception of engine machining. 25 odd years ago when when I used to restore complete vehicles for customers I vividly remember a telephone conversation with a jeep parts supplier (now no longer trading) after a reeling off a long list of parts needed for a restoration the guy said to me, 'How long did that just take you to read that lot out and how long will it take me to box it it up and send it to you? (The answer was about 10 to 15 minutes in total) he went to ask me then 'How long is it going to take you to bolt it all on and wire it up and spray it and mark it' ?. The moral to this little story is that even today with the relative high price of jeeps there is still no margin to be had restoring to sell........it's far better selling a box of bits or if you can get them at the right price as projects in from the states. I think this is a general truth with the exception of armour, anything German, and a very few rare allied wheeled vehicles however finding a market for these can be difficult and exclusive. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billruston Posted October 29, 2013 Author Share Posted October 29, 2013 I wouldent want anyone else to restore my vehichles. We all hate dealers right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rog8811 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 My experience goes something like this. Road/show ready vehicle I purchased a Gaz 69 all up and running, found a couple of jobs to do on it but sold it for what I had paid when it was not keeping me occupied. Barn find project Ser 2A Land rover purchased as an abandoned project, spent many hours and lots of money getting it rebuilt and back on the road for the first time in years. Sold it on as a well sorted vehicle for less than I had paid out... not by much but still a loss, this is of course ignoring the hours I put into it. Out of the above the Landie was the best one for me as it fulfilled my need to tinker.:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Rippingham Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Well I had my 666 for sale on milweb a while back which is 99% complete but needs completely restoring for 4k. There is one on milweb at present for 27k! I'm pretty sure I could make a profit!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg 00 EA 07 Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Hi I am restoring a Ferret and unlikely to get a return for some years. I am off the opinion that you must love what you are doing and that you are a custodian of a vehicle. Keeping it going in memory of those that used them for real. Please see the task as a joy and not a fast buck. My opinion only of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billruston Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 If the vehichle is complete and hardly missing anything then you haven't got to spend huge amounts, it's only when they missing bit that are valuable, my k9 dosent ow me alot but iif I was going to put 4 bran new tyers on it would cost me nearly a grand, bits like that are what start costing alot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catch 22 LBDR Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 (edited) Depends how you measure wealth. I bought a Morris Quad wreak with my Dad when I was 15, over the years there was very little done on it. But now I spend one day a week working on it with my dad, we spend more time drinking tea and chatting than we do work, but that's quality father son time that you cant put a price on. If my 9month old son ever gets a taste for oil and olive drab then I hope we could carry an a new family tradition. My Ferret was got as a kind of pension plan, I had great fun restoring it, taking it to shows (with my Dad) and talking about it to other enthusiasts. (I have even inspired someone to go out and get a project Ferret of there own). Eventually, when I am too old and..er....fat. I will sell it and probably make my money back. much like a pension only far more fun. Can you make money? Yes. If you know what to buy, can get it at the right price and (unfortunately) cut corners then there is money to be made. The term "restoration" can cover everything from a paint job to a ground up rebuild. The former will make you money and the latter will cost you. This brings me nicely onto something that has brothered me for a while. "Planed obsolescence". This is where a part is designed to fail after a certain amount of hours or time. New old stock wartime Jeep parts were built to last, to keep going when you need it most, now you can buy a new part across the counter made in 2013 to modern EU standards. So when you buy a fully restored Jeep as an investment what are you really buying? A 1945 chassis with 2013 working parts designed to fail. Sure your water pump on your Go Devil will last just as long as the water pump in your vw pasat, but your NOS water pump, made in 1942 will keep going. My point is what might save money now could cost money in the future and in my opinion diminish the hobby's future. Call me a hopeless old romantic but I think you are far better off getting something you love, be it green or otherwise and putting your heart and sole into it. Edited October 30, 2013 by Catch 22 LBDR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WCMatt Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Call me a hopeless old romantic OK.............I'm going to do it, You're a hopeless old romantic! :cool2: Matt & I happen to agree with you.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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