The other night, I watched *Overhaulin'* on TLC. They rebuilt a 1967 Dodge Coronet, adding a crate fuel injected HEMI and a bunch of other nice bits in the process.
They did an excellent job with the paint and everything else.
At the end of the show, I asked myself the question: "Isn't much of the collector value lost when big changes like these are made?" Is a collector car worth more restored as stock, or can the same or greater value be attained with changes like these?
Yes. It's no longer a "collector" car, but a "modified/hot rod".
A good frame-off, correct restoration keeping the car as stock as when new will always be worth more than a jack job like what happened to that Coronet. Those TV shows are produced for one reason only...to sell parts, just as "Monster Garage" was created to drum up business for one of the worst custom bike builders in the country, Jesse James. All looks, no quality.
Yes, but then the values for each are market driven. Collectors like rare stuff or common stuff. Movie studios go for vintage stock stuff. Hot rods have a big following.
I wouldn't mind at all if Chip fixed up my 62 Chevy Belair Sports Coupe, but I'd really like to have a lot of the input as to what they actually do to it. I'd like to keep the factory paint/interior scheme, the 409 engine, door handles and trunk lock, and no booming sound system for me thanks.
An original '62 Bel Air with a 409 is VERY collectable if the numbers all match and it is mostly original. I wouldn't change a thing from stock on that. Is it a 4 speed or a Powerslide?
It's just like they sang about, dual quad, 4 speed, positraction....409
Thank you for not calling it a b*****top. I HATE that name.
Numbers matching........bah! too purist.....original........not as in off the floor, but it's all there as much as any 60's street rod would be. Even got 925 and 926 exhaust manifolds.
When you take a plain 318-V8 or 225-6 cyl base car that has no collector value RE; an original 383/440/Hemi It makes a difference I had a 67 Coronet powered by a 360. A modified one IF done right will still be worth $$$ NEVER what a Hemi RoadRunner would be worth A completely restored original Road Runner may be worth $50K An original factory #'s matching HEMI equiped RR adds $150-200K to the value
Hot Rods are usually almost completely worthless from a market value. The reason is that people build hot rods for personal play toys, and customize them to their own tastes. The entire point of the exercise is to express ones' individuality through the project.
Now, imagine for a second, the next guy who comes along and wants to build his own hot rod to his own individual taste. He doesen't want to buy something that was built to someone elses' tastes. If he's out there shopping for a built-up hot rod, he's mostly looking at it as a rolling parts basket. And additionally, for every completed and functioning hot rod for sale, there's a dozen other project ones that are half-completed and the owners have given up on them.
It's a common mistake to think that there is any kind of relationship between a collector and a hot rodder. A collector generally is looking for an investment, or they are looking for a very specific vehicle. They aren't looking at the vehicle as an expression of their individualism - after all they probably already have a garage full of the exact same specific vehicle already that they are collecting.
There are very few people out there shopping for hot rods who have such an incredibly weak desire to express their own individualism that they would be totally happy with someone else's idea of what a hot rod is supposed to be, but there are a few, and they can get some incredible deals.
Generally, the value of a quality car is decreased with all modifications. However, there are exceptions. If a street maching is really excellent quality overall, and particularly if somebody famous built it, it can be worth more than a beautifully restored original. That's not happening to me. I may be smarter than Boyd Coddington, and better looking, but my name's not Boyd Coddington, so my attempts at modifying cars don't increase their value.
Now, please note: Overhaulin' is neither of those quality things. The cars are built in one week. ONE WEEK!!! The fact that they were on TV would boost their value, but the actual work is going to be pretty weak for show car purposes. The reason they slap crate motors in them is speed. There's no restoration going on there, any place on the car. Overhaulin' is certainly increasing the car's value above what it was at the beginning of the show, rotting under a tree.
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