Rebuilding a G-body is a tough slog whether you're modding or restoring. In either case, you can't ever be doing it for the money. They're not worth it in general. If you get an elusive GNX, maybe, but that's it.
"But I can get $25K for it!" Ok, so what? $25K isn't in the "collectible" price range.
Let's say you bought it new, even. And kept it in pristine shape. Oh, I don't know, say you really splurged and spent $18,000 in 1987 money on (fill in G-body of your choice here). Likely, you got a loan on 10 grand of that, and in 1987, you were looking at an easy 7-8% loan interest rate, and that's if you were lucky, and I'm being generous too. So over 3 years, you paid back about 1200 in interest, making your total purchase 19,200 for that G-body. Sunk cost.
But going by most "collectible" pricing structures, you have to AT LEAST hit the inflation-adjusted MSRP or above. Sure, you buy it for 19,200 and sell it for $25, you THINK you made 5800 over the sticker price. Think again.
Your "new" adjusted MSRP (with interest) is now approx. $43,500. Yep, you saw that right. So you decide that $25K is a good price, you just LOST money. Because that 25K when compared to buying power in 1987...it would equate to around 11K. So even if you sold it for 25K, you'd be losing 8200 in 1987 money. Which is around 18.5 today.
This is simply one way to view it. Others view it differently. But in either case, you're looking at real dollars here in this example. So unless you're getting over $40K for your G-body, it's still very likely less than paying sticker for a new one if you could set the wayback machine to 1987.
Even if you could get the owner to GIVE you this 442 (which would be great), and you put an easy 15-20K into it, you could get your money back MAYBE. But not the time you spent working on it. There's always that one guy out there that's been pining for a white/gold 80 442 all his life and would pay dearly for one. It'd be like that "Where's Waldo" search and find, though.
This is not like finding a 68 H/O barn find. Well, it is, but the find is not worth near as much simply due to demand. Even though the production numbers are close, which would you rather stumble upon to fix up from the ground up, a 68 H/O or an 80 442?
1980 442s are rare and desirable to most G-body enthusiasts. But they'll never make an owner rich by selling it. Especially if you have to bring it back from the brink first.
G-body people rarely fix up their cars for the $$. It's about how your G-body makes you feel when you own it, crank it up, and start driving it down the road.
"But I can get $25K for it!" Ok, so what? $25K isn't in the "collectible" price range.
Let's say you bought it new, even. And kept it in pristine shape. Oh, I don't know, say you really splurged and spent $18,000 in 1987 money on (fill in G-body of your choice here). Likely, you got a loan on 10 grand of that, and in 1987, you were looking at an easy 7-8% loan interest rate, and that's if you were lucky, and I'm being generous too. So over 3 years, you paid back about 1200 in interest, making your total purchase 19,200 for that G-body. Sunk cost.
But going by most "collectible" pricing structures, you have to AT LEAST hit the inflation-adjusted MSRP or above. Sure, you buy it for 19,200 and sell it for $25, you THINK you made 5800 over the sticker price. Think again.
Your "new" adjusted MSRP (with interest) is now approx. $43,500. Yep, you saw that right. So you decide that $25K is a good price, you just LOST money. Because that 25K when compared to buying power in 1987...it would equate to around 11K. So even if you sold it for 25K, you'd be losing 8200 in 1987 money. Which is around 18.5 today.
This is simply one way to view it. Others view it differently. But in either case, you're looking at real dollars here in this example. So unless you're getting over $40K for your G-body, it's still very likely less than paying sticker for a new one if you could set the wayback machine to 1987.
Even if you could get the owner to GIVE you this 442 (which would be great), and you put an easy 15-20K into it, you could get your money back MAYBE. But not the time you spent working on it. There's always that one guy out there that's been pining for a white/gold 80 442 all his life and would pay dearly for one. It'd be like that "Where's Waldo" search and find, though.
This is not like finding a 68 H/O barn find. Well, it is, but the find is not worth near as much simply due to demand. Even though the production numbers are close, which would you rather stumble upon to fix up from the ground up, a 68 H/O or an 80 442?
1980 442s are rare and desirable to most G-body enthusiasts. But they'll never make an owner rich by selling it. Especially if you have to bring it back from the brink first.
G-body people rarely fix up their cars for the $$. It's about how your G-body makes you feel when you own it, crank it up, and start driving it down the road.
