Restore. An art out of passion. No guaranteed investment.

Restore. An art out of passion. No guaranteed investment.

Of course a restored classic is worth more than an unrestored one. Or not? Restore. Is that worth it? Or not?

To start with the latter: Is it worth it? If you weigh it according to the emotion and usability of your classic, the answer is a resounding "YES!" If you look at the matter purely from an accounting point of view, the answer to the same question is almost always structural, and just as heartily "NO".

A classic dealer once said it: "Your restoration is your loss and my profit."
With a serious restoration, the number of (paid) man-hours is that the final amount often (far) exceeds the realistic market value. And in order to achieve a good result, hours do not have to be cut. A smart view of the matter to outsource the restoration to a 'low-wage country' is, according to experience, subject to gambling laws.

The craft skills in such countries are often there. The craftsmanship is therefore good. But in practice the local standards are often so far below our requirements that your restoration abroad only works well if there is a (Dutch) supervisor constantly on the spot. A 'cheap' restoration 'there' that 'has to be done once again' is suddenly not that cheap anymore.
That is, for example, the reason that David Nieuwenhuis of DN Restorations from Poland came to the Meern.
If you weigh it according to the emotion and usability of your classic, the answer to whether a restoration is justified is a resounding "YES!" But only if you have done your homework in advance and have made crystal clear agreements with your restoration company. Moreover, there is a nice broad playing field between doing everything in-house and outsourcing everything. And if, for example, you are faced with the purchase of a project, it is nice to know that the final amount of the restoration of a 'pretty nice' car is about as high as that of what many people see as a 'wreck'.
We already know a number of classic enthusiasts who have entered the restoration track full of passion, but with little knowledge and experience. They started doing the things they could. And learned. And so a bunch of people have grown from ignorant to quite handy to technically well informed.
Those people all reported that working with the hands had brought them not only a piece of skill, but also peace after their busy work. Restoration is therefore a form of therapy and meditation.
Under the money (t) line then the trend is that an unrestored car in excellent condition is worth more than a perfect restoration.

But when your classic is ready for the next quarter of a century, you have made an investment in happiness in life. Not in something as ordinary as money.

photos DN restorations