What does it mean to restore a vintage or classic car? What is different from repair?
We will thoroughly pursue the meaning of restoration that you can understand but do not understand, and we will introduce it in an easy-to-understand manner, including the advantages and disadvantages of restoration and matters related to purchase.
What is a car restore?
Restoration is a literal translation that means "RESTORE" = recovery, resurrection, and restoration. It is not a word limited to automobiles, but it means to bring things that are broken due to aged deterioration as close to new as possible.
In automobiles, there are models of genres called old cars, classic cars, and vintage cars. It refers to an automobile that has been manufactured for more than 50 years.
Naturally, since automobiles are made of iron, rust and corrosion will progress over the years, causing rot of the body, deterioration of the interior, and malfunction of the engine. Restoring = recovering, reviving, and restoring it by hand.
Automobile parts will be discontinued about 10 years after the new car is sold, and will be made to order after that, but it is often the case that car parts that are 50 years old are not available.
In that case, it is necessary to divert parts from other models or create new parts.
Regarding the body, in normal sheet metal repair, dents etc. are simply repaired along the body using putty, but it is not so easy work on old cars. The pain from rusting and corrosion of the body can be due to the loss of most of the body.
You have to return to the original shape without knowing the original shape of the body. The interior is a particularly difficult part to procure. Sheets and other items are made from the fabrics of the time using the sewing techniques of the time. The important point is how to restore them to the state they were in when they were new.
Cars that are restored by hand one by one have dreams of things that cannot be done by working with machines, and can be said to be a work of art that revives over time.
Difference between restore and overhaul
Restoration is described as recovery, restoration, and restoration, but overhaul means "repairing" the actual product. Overhaul involves disassembling and disassembling the failed part and repairing and replacing the part that caused the failure.
Actually, it is a used item, but it will be repaired in a state close to new. This is a big difference.
Restoration is not repair but recovery / restoration / restoration, so in extreme terms, it is the work of combining a large number of excavated bones to restore them to their original state.
Since the overhaul is a repair, only the broken part of the originally shaped object must be taken out, repaired and restored.
It's a bit difficult, but it might be easier to interpret that restore restores things and overhaul repairs things.
Advantages and disadvantages of restoration
There are some advantages and disadvantages to restoring an old car.
I will explain what it is like.
Benefits of restoration
・ A car that has been used for several decades will be closer to the state of a new car.
・ Currently, give value to worthless things
・ A sense of fulfillment that reproduces things that are difficult to reproduce
・ Higher rarity
・ Satisfaction with owning things that should not exist now
Disadvantages of restoration
・ Since advanced technology is required, there are few human resources and companies that can be restored.
・ It can be very expensive
・ It takes a long time to complete and it is difficult to predict.
・ Rarity value is limited to some people
・ The function as an actual car is inferior.
・ Maintenance costs are higher than ordinary cars
The above are the typical advantages and disadvantages of restoration, but the biggest merit is probably to "reproduce things that are difficult to reproduce" and "own things that should not exist".
The disadvantage is that it can be costly and time consuming.
It's hard to predict how long it will cost to buy a base vehicle, and in the worst case it may not be complete.
People with different values may wonder why they spend so much money and time. However, I think the reason why I want to restore even if I take such a risk is because I am obsessed with dreams and charm that transcends time and space.
What is the purchase price of the restored car?
Restored cars usually have a high purchase price because they have a high rarity value. However, in some cases, the value of a product is judged by supply and demand.
For example, if you buy a base vehicle for 3 million yen and it costs 5 million yen to restore it, it is not worth 8 million yen if there is no demand. I think some enthusiasts want to buy it for 8 million yen.
If there are about 20 ordinary cars sold in a month at a general used car dealer, how many restored cars can be sold? It's about whether one can be sold. It is unrealistic to put out 8 million yen and stock a restored car that you do not know when it will sell and there is a risk of breakdown.
It is safe to assume that the usual selling method, such as a trade-in at a purchase specialty store or a car dealer, will never offer a reasonable amount of money.
So how can you sell a restored car at a high price?
Have you ever seen a price board with "ASK" written on it at a used car dealership? ASK means to decide the amount by discussion in the sense of negotiating.
As I explained earlier, the value of a restored car is a value that only some people have. For those who don't understand its values, it's just a beautiful old car.
That is why "ASK" is used in stores.
If you know the value of a car that cost 8 million yen, I would like it to be 10 million yen.
It is difficult to sell at a reasonable price with the usual selling method, but I think that a specialty store that understands the value will offer you an amount close to the desired selling price.
However, even specialty stores may not even be able to buy it depending on how they are restored. If you cut the budget to restore too much, or if the contents of the restore are compromised, it may cost money, so the purchase price will drop dramatically. In order to have a restored car purchased at a high price, a proper restoration is a prerequisite.
The one-tail full restore of the Nissan Skyline GT-R (Hakosuka) in 1971 has a price of nearly 20 million yen, which is as high as 10 million yen.
I think the value of a restored car is not only the amount actually spent, but also the amount of money that includes the feelings and dreams of the person who restored it.
Therefore, when selling a restored car, it is recommended to use the "Bulk Car Assessment Site" registered by many purchasers in order to increase the probability of being evaluated properly.
In that case, I think the following sites will be helpful.
車一括査定おすすめランキング7｜車買取査定サイトを徹底紹介
Basically, the way to find the value of a restored car differs depending on the dealer, so it is a good idea to have multiple purchasers assess it.