If you are considering restoring a classic car or classic luxury limousine, the following FAQ may be helpful.
What is a classic car or a limousine?
There is no universally accepted definition.
Some people trying to sell a 10-year-old car in poor condition might call it a “classic.” This will be more of an attempt to increase the selling price than anything else.
Very generally, most people would consider “classical” to mean:
- A car that has a limited life and has become very popular and rare, even one that is only 5-10 years old;
- any vehicle over 25-30 years old;
- Any vehicle that is more than 25-30 years old but after 1920. Most vehicles prior to 1920 are called “antiques”.
Be careful not to get caught up in overpaying for something because the seller unilaterally decided it was “classic” or “vintage.”
Is any car repairable?
In theory, you could take for example one Ford Model ‘T’ bolt and build a car around it. there he is! You have restored the “T” form!
The real question should be – “Can you restore any car economically and sensibly”? The answer is no, you can’t.
There are three aspects to this;
- Don’t think you have any chance of getting the car back and making a profit on its resale. About 99.9% of people who try to do this end up losing a lot of money trying;
- If your car’s bodywork and subframes are gone, it can still be restored but you can also build a copy from zero cost. Restoration costs are likely to be astronomical;
- Remember, if most of the car is gone, your final product work will likely be highly criticized or even dismissed by experts as “inauthentic,” “compound,” or a “sad marriage of disparate pieces.”
Bottom line – be wise about what you do.
What is the value of a restored car?
Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of trying to evaluate this based on reviewing what other people are asking for recovery examples on EBAY or similar forums.
Often this method is completely useless.
Many websites online are full of restored vehicles that are, quite simply, not for sale. This is because the owners paid way too much for them to start with, spent a small fortune on restoration and then added 50% on top as their profit margin. Then they get shocked when the car doesn’t sell.
If you use that as a guideline, you will suffer.
The only way to check a car’s market value is to try to find examples of restored models that have actually sold and how much – not to get hypnotized by looking at what other people unrealistically ask about their cars.
Can you find classic luxury limousines for sale?
Yes, they exist. Some luxury limousine providers, Sydney and elsewhere, sell their vintage cars – if they own them.
There are other specialized websites that may help as well.