Overhaulin' with collectable autos

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?

Your opinions appreciated.

-KM

 

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.

HB

 

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.

Ted

 

My opinion is the same. They should have restored the manufactured engine to
make it 'stock'
..Value is decreased.
John

 

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.