S4ordie

Almost true

hmmmmmmm.... restoration costs can be significant on any low production car. I recently sold my 1966 Sunbeam Tiger (international Rootes Trophy winner) that was restored eight years ago. It was and is still considered by many to be the best stock example of the car. Total costs breakdown were about $90k to include purchase price. This was a crazy rotisserie restoration. These cars are inexpensive to restore because their use of very common Ford drive train components. I drove that car to most every car event and competed and often won against the trailer queens. I loved that little over powered car but you wanna know the best part? The car itself was just a car but the friendships that developed from the restoration process will be life lasting and that car though now in the corral of a serious collector (300+ cars) is still known as "Dan's" car.

The money I am investing in both of my 928's is significant, but I can tell you the trust and friendships that are evolving between Greg Brown, Paul Champagne, Ron Ruff, Mark Anderson, Roger the Dodger, and the many good people on this forum, is priceless. When you own an obscure car you have the great fortune to interact with less common but genuine people. I like that.

So how much will I have invested in my cars when they are finished? More than I thought to be sure. Will they ever net a positive ROI? They already have.

jwillman

So how do you define a bad example?

RKD in OKC

My older brother spent 7 years doing a complete frame off, down to bare metal restoration on a, get this, full size 1972 Chevy Beauville 3/4 ton window VAN...that he had rolled on a hunting trip. He was living in an apartment and did the whole restoration in a storage unit. It looks real nice, but it's a 72 window van and he put it back stock with the bench seats no custom stuff at all?!?

Gosh, I hope it's not genetic.

morganabowen

It's an addiction!!! Hello, my name is Larry and I am a 928 addict And for my next project a Jag XJS

UKKid35

The money I have spent bringing my car from 'project' thru 'cam belt failure' up to 'grand tourer' status is dwarfed by the money I have spent on fuel.

tmpusfugit

and then there is my buddy who decided to restore a 1948 Chevy 4 door sedan. New everything, looks great, he has over $60K in the foolish thing, but is still a '48 Chevy 4 door. I asked him what he thought he could get out of it if he put it up for sale...he says "oh, about $7000". He says he would do it again, he took it for a 3500 mile trip in it last summer, he loves it (why I don't begin to understand) . He is happy and he can certainly afford it. He just did a '49 Chevy truck the same way (completely stock) and is now off working on a '70 Buick Rivera. He had one comment for me and it was "I bet my Chevy truck is a lot easier to work on than your 928"! Ouch! Think he got me there...

Of course he also mentioned his wife refuses to go with him in either the '48 car or the truck....maybe he is thinking better than I originally assumed? A week or 2 of peace and quiet?????

dr bob

Shirley,

Your support network profile will change dramatically with the Jag. As much as I love the cars when they are right, the electrical and especially the fuel injection issues on those cars can be almost overwhelming. Buy one that's already correct, pickle it carefully, put it in storage. Put a big picture of it in your home garage, tell your friends about it, etc. Cheaters' practical shortcut: Take a picture of someone else's car, do a little photoshop magic to change the plate to your favorite saying, blow the image up to poster size plus, and hang THAT in the garage. Tell your friends about it, and have al the joy and bragging rights without the storage or maintenance nightmares.

Buy a 930. It's what you really want, and it will be way less costly at the five-year mark than ANY XJS.


My too sense...

Hold On

OMG!! Run as fast as you can in the other direction!!!! I Have done the resto route on an E-type and a 12cyl. XJS . I would not wish that level of frustration on anyone. Both beautiful cars to look at, and a delight when right, but Dr Bob has the proper solution. Take pictures and lie about it. My 928 even with its problems is a dream come true compared to those two English monsters. I swear thats when my hair began turning grey and falling out.

Rob Edwards

On topic: After refreshing the GT (not a restoration at all, really, just a thorough mechnical going-thru), and re-doing the entire drivetrain on the GTS, I'm gong to plead the 5th on restoration costs, on the advice of my attorney. . Didn't do any of it for resale, just for the fun and cameraderie of it. It's just a hobby that happens to have checked off a box on the bucket list.



Off-topic/Larry: Have you spent any time in an XJ-S? I have a pseudo-uncle with one, have driven it once or twice- it's a boat. Drives like a boat, requires wood polish like a boat, costs like a boat, and is worth what a used boat is worth.

And besides, who's gonna put it straight when something goes wrong with this?

VehiGAZ

I mostly spend the time and money on restoring/refreshing out of love and respect for the model - to make it as good as it can be, whether for myself or the next owner or whoever gets it when I die.

Some of that time and money is also spend just to learn/use/perfect good skills. For my current interior refresh & stereo install, I have used FIVE different adhesives - so far! - and I expect at least one more will come off the shelf and into play before I am done. I have used at least 7 different Dremel tools, plus every type of pliers I own, plus 4 different types of electrical connector. I have used a vinyl repair kit for the first time. I have learned what the right consistency of JB Weld looks and feels like. And I now know almost every inch of my interior too.

Modding, on the other hand, is just for fun, plus satisfaction of the urge to engineer and/or tinker.

john bono

When I went to pick up the Euro OB, the owner begged me to take his XJS at the same time. It takes a certain, special kind of someone to tackle both a 928 and an XJS. Specifically, that special kind of someone that enjoys dropping a sledgehammer on his toe.

VehiGAZ

I'm trying to get our "free" sailboat into good enough condition this year that someone out there would be willing to take it off our hands, even if it has to be for free.

It's good - in a way - to know that it would be worse to be stuck with an XJS !!

auzivision

I bought my 928 to get through a mid-life crisis or at least have something cool to drive to my 20th high school reunion. I keep it because it has become a hobby. Learning how what makes it run is very satisfying. Dollar per smile it’s hard to beat!

robot808

Aaaaahhhhh, Schmoopie!!!!!!

WallyP

I must be doing something wrong...

I sold a nice '76 XJS, red/saddle/chrome wires, shortly after buying my first 928. In three years, I had two problems.
Rear brake hose turned into a check valve holding the rear brakes on - cheap, easy fix.
I did fight an intermittent misfire for several months - be driving along and suddenly I would be at 30-40 mph with really rough running. In a few minutes, it would clear up. Never died on me. I was whining about the problem to a friend who ran a junkyard/auto electric rebuild shop, and he said, "Bring me the alternator and I'll fix the problem." Say what?

I took him the alternator, and after a $20 rebuild (I got discounts!), the car never misfired again. Loose diode - he had read about it in one of his professional rebuilder mags...

Now, the XJ6 transmissions were a different story!