In a message dated 1/31/05 5:02:54 PM, owner-healeys-digest@autox.team.net
writes:
>
> That may be, but Healeys aren't worth $90,000. and just because it might
> take $90,000 to build one to "concours" (better than factory) standards
>doesn't
> make it so.
>
> I love Healeys but anyone parting with that kind of money to acquire one
> either knows nothing about the cars or money is merely not a factor in the
> purchase. Or put in simple terms, the guy's a nutcase.
>
Accepting Dave's numbers as accurately reflecting what it really costs to
have a frame-up restoration done properly on a turn-key basis, to understand
that
$90,000 isn't an unreasonable price, you need to take into account two
factors: First, Kurt Tanner has become a known quantity, almost a brand-name
for
high-quality, no-excuses/no-problems restorations, the kind of guy you'd want
to
send your basket case to for restoration. Second, Barrett-Jackson does attract
the high-rollers, for whom $100,000 is not an unreasonable price to pay for a
fun car that can be driven on the highway.
Put the two together, and essentially what you have is a way for that
high-roller to buy a fresh, reliable restoration without going to the trouble
of
finding his own candidate and having it shipped to the restorer. Instant
gratification with no risk. Pretty good deal for that kind of person.
For the rest of us, we should be happy that we have the skills and resources
to do a lot of our own work (a lot of that 1000 hours of $100/hour shop time
is spent doing grunt minimum-wage work -- for example, I spent 20 minutes the
other day getting one nut and bolt fastened between my tranny case and engine
on my MGA; a highly skilled professional probably would have taken the same
time!)
And because we have a reasonable amount of skills, and are willing to do our
own work, and/or redo someone else's badly done work, we trade dollars for
risk and uncertainty.
If you're willing to accept "daily driver" quality, and/or willing to deal
with problems as they crop up, you too can get a Healey for $25,000
out-of-pocket purchase price.
Thank goodness there are two levels to this market.
Cheers
Gary
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