opinions - 93 GTS blk auto 23,000 miles - fix up or part out
#106
Just an interesting quote from another forum.
#107
Hey guys..... Catching up on postings this morning. I have been in Buffalo for the last few day for work. Not too bad of town, but definitely a depressed area.
Ok so the conclusion is that I will definitely not part the car! I have decided that I may sell the car if the offer/price is right. In the meantime I will continue to work on the car and make improvements to bring it back its rightful life and place on the pedestal.
I am going to start with the mechanicals and make sure everything is solid there. Timming belt, trans, brakes, diff, etc,etc.... Thinking I will plug away at thin interior a little at a time, as I do the mechanicals and exterior.
Also if anyone has any new thoughts or ideas in getting the title made road legal, I am open to any and all thoughts or ideas.
Ok so the conclusion is that I will definitely not part the car! I have decided that I may sell the car if the offer/price is right. In the meantime I will continue to work on the car and make improvements to bring it back its rightful life and place on the pedestal.
I am going to start with the mechanicals and make sure everything is solid there. Timming belt, trans, brakes, diff, etc,etc.... Thinking I will plug away at thin interior a little at a time, as I do the mechanicals and exterior.
Also if anyone has any new thoughts or ideas in getting the title made road legal, I am open to any and all thoughts or ideas.
#109
Unfortunately this car can never be registered again in Canada with it's current title and the VIN no longer exists with the MTO so it must go through the import process again, and with it's title it will only be admissible into Canada for parts.
The following brandings are a no go for Canada.
Junk, scrap, parts, parts-only, dismantled, non-repairable, destroyed (destruction), irreparable
#110
People like me, you must be one of the pinhead ladies at the courthouse who hassle you about 30 year old trailer plate just so you can feel important. So tell me again why you can pass title on a 1/2 million dollar John Deere combine with a bill of sale written on toilet paper, and they can not make some modest common sense adjustments for a 30 year old car that might only be worth $600. For Christ's sake why should you need anything more than a Sheriff's inspection, proof of ownership and a waiting period to get a new title on this old of a car?
BTW, I have some time on a Gleaner, but that was a long time ago in a land far away.
We're having fun here, right?
#111
I'd like to draw a distinction between restoration and perfection. What we have seen recently is perfection, people starting with a very nice car and making it perfect and exactly as they want it to be. Restoration I have yet to see, all the below average cars get a treatment I call, fixing up, one of those $6k paint jobs and some new hoses. Makes me think of those guys who list mileage not on the chassis, but since the motor was rebuilt by putting in seals and rings.
#112
FYI on the 6k paint job
I'd like to draw a distinction between restoration and perfection. What we have seen recently is perfection, people starting with a very nice car and making it perfect and exactly as they want it to be. Restoration I have yet to see, all the below average cars get a treatment I call, fixing up, one of those $6k paint jobs and some new hoses. Makes me think of those guys who list mileage not on the chassis, but since the motor was rebuilt by putting in seals and rings.
#113
Dito that, I can get a similar job here for about 6k as well with a great shop that had done work fir me in the past. Although I could easily roll up to a shop in the city and pay 10. When these shops see a high end car roll up they see $$ in your eyes!
#114
#115
Not the sharpest tool in the shed
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#117
Danglerb wrote: "I'd like to draw a distinction between restoration and perfection. What we have seen recently is perfection, people starting with a very nice car and making it perfect and exactly as they want it to be. Restoration I have yet to see, all the below average cars get a treatment I call, fixing up, one of those $6k paint jobs and some new hoses. Makes me think of those guys who list mileage not on the chassis, but since the motor was rebuilt by putting in seals and rings."
Danglerb, the reason you can say that is you have NEVER seen the '91 GT that Earl Gillstrom truly brought back from the dead to showroom condition about 9 years ago.
Earl spent essentially a year on this Zermatt silver car that had been totaled by insurance companies three times - one crash, one engine fire, and once when it came off the rear of a roll back truck that was transporting it and was hit in the rear by a car at a toll booth.
EVERYTHING that was damaged in any of those incidents was removed, replaced with new cables, parts, etc. The ONLY thing I believe a concours judge might find that is not perfect is the HVAC controller, where he installed an '88 version, rather than buy the '91, as he wanted to be able to shut it off instead of going to recirculation. Anyone who knows 928's and sees this car for the first time is VERY impressed, as I'm sure you would be. Earl is retired, so had the time to "do it right", and the interest/knowledge as well (worked at a Porsche dealership early in life, was a race car mechanic for a while, and spent many years as a highly rated IBM computer technician).
I do, however agree with you that 95+% of the "restored" cars are really repaired, not restored.
Gary Knox
Danglerb, the reason you can say that is you have NEVER seen the '91 GT that Earl Gillstrom truly brought back from the dead to showroom condition about 9 years ago.
Earl spent essentially a year on this Zermatt silver car that had been totaled by insurance companies three times - one crash, one engine fire, and once when it came off the rear of a roll back truck that was transporting it and was hit in the rear by a car at a toll booth.
EVERYTHING that was damaged in any of those incidents was removed, replaced with new cables, parts, etc. The ONLY thing I believe a concours judge might find that is not perfect is the HVAC controller, where he installed an '88 version, rather than buy the '91, as he wanted to be able to shut it off instead of going to recirculation. Anyone who knows 928's and sees this car for the first time is VERY impressed, as I'm sure you would be. Earl is retired, so had the time to "do it right", and the interest/knowledge as well (worked at a Porsche dealership early in life, was a race car mechanic for a while, and spent many years as a highly rated IBM computer technician).
I do, however agree with you that 95+% of the "restored" cars are really repaired, not restored.
Gary Knox
#119
9 years ago a 91 GT is a car that should be saved if it could be saved, still is, but not done that often or well.
Regarding the $6k respray, I'll believe it when I see it. A $24k respray is far more involved than pulling parts and sanding, but could be the practical differences don't show up until a few years of sun and weather.
#120
Now that I think about it...have you tried calling a body shop? The reason I ask, is that I went to a body shop here in Portland that works on Porsche's and other high end cars. They had a brochure of their work and they took a completely totaled (and I mean TOTALED) 996 turbo, stripped it down and started over again. The car was amazing when they were done. It must have been a destruction title at worst.
I would think if a builder, a body shop or even those guys that buy wrecked cars out of the scrap yard and rebuild must be able to get a title somehow. I'd start with calling a high quality body shop and if they couldn't help you, call another, then another... If that comes to a dead end, call custom car builders and see how they do it.
I would think if a builder, a body shop or even those guys that buy wrecked cars out of the scrap yard and rebuild must be able to get a title somehow. I'd start with calling a high quality body shop and if they couldn't help you, call another, then another... If that comes to a dead end, call custom car builders and see how they do it.