John & Donna.

Sent a text to Neil just in case he's not monitoring the forum.

For those that have ordered Banners, I will bring them on Saturday. Please pay with cash, that way it's easier to pass on to the CFO. I still don't have a bill but $35 per banner covered it last time.

Macca, you still want the Nulon?

 

A good attitude to have.

John (Racoguy) recounted one task with Herman that puts this into perspective. The rubber bellows that cover the wires in the door hinge had split. The new parts were barely $40. The time taken to fit them was 3.5 hours as it was akin to “putting a pig through a python”, requiring connectors to be disassembled etc. I’m very happy he did it as otherwise this is a 99% refurb and I know you Virgos will focus on the 1%.

I had a similar “cost” experience yesterday with an optician (aging eyes make it hard to focus at a very short distance). Rather than take one of the “free” AA member offers I coughed up $90 for an examination. I couldn’t believe how thorough the guy was, including retina photos. Value wise this was fantastic.

 

^^^^ Yes, I feel you Dave - well said. I haven't experienced this on a car as I stick to the formula of copying well-proven mod's as I don't have the budget for pioneering (and then re-paying for stuff-ups) .

But I have felt this when building rentals and personal houses - (but you add a zero). I too have had 'mental melt down' issues on details, especially when building the Mt Eden house, except that project had a tight programme and time cost a lot of money, and a car doesn't when you have a spare Pcar in the garage.

The thing I learnt from that project was to not get hung up on tiny details as you progress, as no-one but you will know they are there, as long as the overall design is cohesive and the quality is there - people read the whole picture and not tiny, specific details..... (edit: except Macca).

I now say this to my clients (with little success), I think they reckon I am trying to justify them accepting sub-standard work???..........

It is a great mind-set in saying you have a ‘Dave budget’ and not a Singer budget, the Singer budget is several times more and not fair to compare.

 

Yip. The bit where sh*t comes to shove. Been there a few times with the 993 and the outcome has never been perfect (to my Virgo eyes). Grates me as generally I have not gone the cost saving option on this car but rather tried t find the best work at a fair price (or sometimes even expensive).

Ive had two sets of seats done for the 993 in classic grey leather. Neither were perfect. The stitching n the buckets wasnt the colour I asked for. Ill put that down to language barrier. The classic grey leaver was a surface die with grain imprint like they all seem to now not a factory vat dyed nappa leather. There is a difference. My original factory seats by comparison are just sublimely built, executed with fine grain leather and spot on colour as you would expect.

Like much of the work on the car I learnt that its very hard in NZ to get everything done perfectly at reasonable cost let alone via a one stop shop. Even if you had the budget there is no 9M or Paul Stephens to do end to end top quality custom resto on these cars in NZ - not that I know of - maybe Racoguy (John) gets close I dont know. Ashley from Classic Car directed me to the best South Island guys and there is some world class talent in the hi end replica scene down there - they could do the work for sure but the que was long and basically you dont get a quote just a bill at the end - no problem if yu are recreating a F250 GTO and have a 900K budget of course!

The whole exercise taught me a few things. You either pay top dollar, have a car commissioned by a specialist who has a huge reputation in the field and get pretty much exactly what you want then go to work to earn the money to pay for it but sit back and know you are happy with the result....

Or you do it on a tight budget (like Dave has done), you get something that is 85% what you want and you either fix it latter or learn t live with it whatever nags you less. Youll probably never be 100% happy if you are fussy but such is life and you save $50K

As I learnt sometimes the hard way the middle ground doesnt work. You are better off choosing either of the above options IMO.

Its a personal thing. Having been through it to some extent next time Id likely choose to take a second job to pay the bill and get it done perfectly because I have problems looking at something that isnt right. Non lined stitching, poor pleats or folds dodgy trim, colour miss match etc. All annoys the **** off me.

However. You get over it. Today I have learnt that creating a patina is as much a creative/asthetic outcome as anything else. That's what I tell myself to keep myself sane.

The other problem - lets face it - even if you had the wedge to throw at a project like this and your a busy guy with a job and family - who is there to go to that can take the whole thing on in NZ and give you what you want - proven, guaranteed, inhouse skill set. machine shop or trusted out workers, who has other customer cars floating around you can look at etc???? Narda!

Thats why Id sell my GT3 & 993 and spec a Singer 4.0L tomorrow morning...if only they were half the price (Id pay $300K for one tomorrow morning if it were landed, including RHD donor and to the spec I wanted - unfortunately the reality is that same car is over $880K NZD landed with Singer today!). The Singer is the perfect do everything car for me - its a god looking bespoke and personalized/individual car I can use on road and track, DD and touring and own for life like my 993 is meant to be. It has modern systems and tech (shocks, engine management etc) , is a brand new car and has a power t weight ration similar to a newish GT3 so would keep me entertained a long while. I could definitely call that a keeper and for $300K it may sound expensive but for the pleasure it would give (and the low relative running costs) over the next few decades it would be an absolute bargain. Im a long term owner so it suits me - I dont itch for the latest thing.


I also get why Buba paid top $$ for the 3.2 Carrera. He could have bought one 20K cheaper. But what the point. Its a top example, good paint, low mileage, NZ car with great providence and little to do other than to enjoy and drive it. That 20K is money bloody well spent if you want a really clean 3.2.

So David, in apathy to your plight I think you have taken the right path. You have done a 150k build for 100K. Its not going to be perfect although over time Im sure you will work at making it better and better and most of all you will adjust your head so that it meets your wallet somewhere in between and you will be happy. The alternative is you could have spent more and been just as unhappy IMO! I think where your at is a perfect middle ground. Its not a RHD, matching numbers NZ new collector - its a modestly funded individual custom car. It will grow with you (if you keep it long enough ha ha) but its also a canvas to continually add paint to or change...

My 2c worth.

 

John. Yes will take the Nulon thanks.

 

Buba. All you say is good. But when it comes to design and detail - Dave has "queer eye for the straight guy" like Macca.

Been through it all my life.

Conclusion = you cant ever expect a person who doesn't suffer from the affliction t understand what it is like to live with the affliction.

Dont get me wrong - there are upsides. I have good taste in shoes and dont listen to crap music ha ha.

I built 5-6 houses up here. Average person doesnt even notice a wall that isnt rendered to a perfect 90 crease corner. I walk up to a wall and within 30m I can tell its not right and it bugs the Sh*t out of me for ever more.

For people like Dave and Macca its hard. Do it right or struggle with it not being quite what you hoped it would be.

There are three great savoys for the perfectionist = age:

Older - you mellow with time and let things go
Eyesight - you loose close vision so not lnger stress about small scratches yu cant see without glasses.
Alzheimer - this one needs no explanation.

Some people are busy running through life and some people just spend all their time drinking in the details (if they are very lucky they may even make a living from it). Being inflicted by aestheticism in this world is tough unless you have lucky enough to be wealthy or have a family stipend. Modern life forces a balance. Managing the balance is the clue to sanity for these creative type folk.

 

get a lightspeed Macca. won't have the interior and exterior jewel like detailing of the Singer but the mechanical package will match Singer and probably the gearbox better??

 

http://lightspeed-classic.de/

May need to google translate.

 

Dont get me wrong - there are upsides. I have good taste in shoes and dont listen to crap music.......

I thought that judgement was delivered by others..!

 

Lol! I did have "ha ha" in that sentence originally...

Anyway when you are inflicted you no longer care what other people like. You know your taste and that's all that actually matters. Creative interjection and challenges are always welcome tho.

 

Thanks Greame I'll check them out again. Red about them a few years back. Wasn't 100% they got the oft proportions right at that stage. However things might be different now or I may have mellowed with age.

One big issue with these total ground up recreations offshore is if you need to shop up and return a donor RHD car plus inbound costs you are in the hole for 90k before you start! LHD on a old chassis would be easier.

Shame the US postal service never used 911s!!

 

I'll be there, and co-incidentally I also let Neil know about it in a text yesterday! Hoping he can make it but it is fairly late notice for him.

 

Spotted this 911 enjoying the sun in Wellington on weekend.

 

Nice - NZ new 1976 911S.

 

Will do then