Can I make a profit by restoring and reselling this old Ford?

[namc]

Looking for information on restoring this car

[West Peterson]

If you pay yourself 2¢ an hour.

[namc]

If i get the work done by someone else, what would it cost? rough estimate is fine. Im just trying to gather some preliminary information 

[JV Puleo]

At least 4 times what the finished car would be worth.

[Bhigdog]

Assuming you mean restored to original factory condition I'd say a rough ball park would be well in excess of $150,000. If you mean a customized first class street rod I'd say well in excess of $150,000.

In either case you would likely get about $30,000 if you sold it..........Bob

[ABear]

Unless you have six figures worth of uneeded pocket lint to pay for it, I doubt that it would be affordable to pay someone to restore it..

 

Whether you DIY or send it out, it will cost more to restore than what it will be worth for reselling.

 

Flipping GOOD cars is not easy or cheap, flipping cars in bad shape and or missing parts is bad business.

 

One doesn't take on these projects to make a profit, one does it often for sentimental reasons or they really like that car.

 

Those made for TV auctions make it look like there is gazzillions in money to be made flipping, the reality is that cannot be any further than the real world truth.

 

If your looking to turn a profit on that car, leave it as is and sell it as is.

[TTR]

Define "restored", i.e. one of the most mis-interpreted/-used terms involving antique/classic/old/etc cars ?

 

Proper "restoration" of most old cars will usually require at least several thousand hours of labor, regardless of who performs it + likely tens of thousands of $$'s in materials/supplies.

Anything less is not really "restored".

 

Edited May 16 by TTR (see edit history)

[West Peterson]

25 minutes ago, namc said:

If i get the work done by someone else, what would it cost? rough estimate is fine. Im just trying to gather some preliminary information 

Good to gather information. The bottom line is that this is a hobby, and the only people that make a profit restoring cars, are the ones doing the restoration... as long as they're good businessmen. This looks like a neat project, whether you intend to restore it back to original, or keep it as a street rod. But you need to do it because it's a hobby, not a means to make any money.

[Jack Bennett]

If you have solid employment now, say selling Cloverleaf Salve or magazine subscriptions, go for the restoration.

But,  DON’T quit your day job just yet.

Jack

[namc]

11 minutes ago, Bhigdog said:

Assuming you mean restored to original factory condition I'd say a rough ball park would be well in excess of $150,000. If you mean a customized first class street rod I'd say well in excess of $150,000.

In either case you would likely get about $30,000 if you sold it..........Bob

thanks this is the information i was looking for! i was thinking original factory condition.

[bryankazmer]

7 minutes ago, namc said:

thanks this is the information i was looking for! i was thinking original factory condition. 
 

 

You do realize that means finding another engine, yes?

[namc]

Just now, West Peterson said:

Good to gather information. The bottom line is that this is a hobby, and the only people that make a profit restoring cars, are the ones doing the restoration... as long as they're good businessmen. This looks like a neat project, whether you intend to restore it back to original, or keep it as a street rod. But you need to do it because it's a hobby, not a means to make any money.

good to know. thanks for the help

[mobileparts]

As the old line goes,that still applies ,

” The only way to make a Million Dollars in this hobby —- Start with two Million Dollars” ….. That certainly applies to this 2/3rds of a car —- particularly if you are paying to have it done —- and not doing the work / fabrication, etc. yourself…..

Edited May 16 by mobileparts (see edit history)

[George Smolinski]

1 hour ago, West Peterson said:

If you pay yourself 2¢ an hour.

That much?

[Jeff Deringer]

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-EdiXP87uE

Edited May 17 by Jeff Deringer (see edit history)

[pkhammer]

  A 1933-34 Ford Victoria is a pretty desirable car, but it would appear the one in the photos would need about EVERYTHING to be restored, which as others have pointed out, would cost a small fortune. It might have a good body which is a plus but how many of the original parts are missing? I'd say this is a good candidate for a hot rod, especially since it already has a Buick Nailhead in it. If you can buy it cheap enough, buy it a resell it as it is.

  If you want to buy and flip cars for a profit, it can be done by the very knowledgeable, but usually not by buying and restoring them. 

[namc]

Just now, pkhammer said:

  A 1933-34 Ford Victoria is a pretty desirable car, but it would appear the one in the photos would need about EVERYTHING to be restored, which as others have pointed out, would cost a small fortune. It might have a good body which is a plus but how many of the original parts are missing? I'd say this is a good candidate for a hot rod, especially since it already has a Buick Nailhead in it. If you can buy it cheap enough, buy it a resell it as it is.

  If you want to buy and flip cars for a profit, it can be done by the very knowledgeable, but usually not by buying and restoring them. 

How much would it cost to turn it into a hot rod/rat rod project?

[Angelfish]

If you like working on the cars it’s a fun way to learn.  If you’re in it for the money you will be disappointed.

 

The less money you put into it the better your margin will be.  If the engine turns, your best bet is to drop the oil pan, clean it, rebuild the carburetor and see if you can make it run reliably.   And that’s it.   You may be able to sell it as a running car for a little bit more than you have into it.

 

Please PLEASE do not rat rod it, it will have limited appeal and anyone who would have been interested in the original car will no longer consider it.

 

My brother and I had about 20 old motorcycles, we’d buy them out of someone’s back yard, clean them up, rebuild the carburetors, ride them for a while and sell them.   We pretty much broke even.   A hobby that pays for itself is a good thing, but it was not a money maker.

 

i restored a 1949 Ford truck.  If I were to sell it now I’d be lucky to get half what I have into it.  I’m on 1957 Buick right now and I expect about the same.  $50,000 or more to restore, maybe a $30,000 car on a very good day.   And the engine was already rebuilt when I got it.

Could be a fun driver, maybe see what you can do mechanically and run it for a while.

 

 

 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

I will say that would make a bangin' street rod.  70s style isn't my first hot rod choice (forget 80s up!) But I saw one of those 33, 34 vickies once big & little halibrands (true spokes a distant second choice), nerf bar bumpers, CA west coast rake, full fender  and sbc with a good rumble ..  The greyhound leading the way.  I thought that is the perfect street rod.  More comfort than a pure hot rod like a stripped roadster ..

 

[ABear]

3 minutes ago, namc said:

How much would it cost to turn it into a hot rod/rat rod project?

Most likely the same as restoring back to factory.

 

No one can really answer your question.

 

The last 4 yrs or so, pretty much everything costs at least 4 times more than it did just a few short yrs ago. Labor cost, raw materials costs have gone through the roof.  Cars tend to not appreciate in value, rather they depreciate. Only a few might appreciate in value depending on market desirability at the time of sale and that is a moving target at best..

 

For factory restore, you would have to source the correct engine and most likely transmission and other drive train parts that may have been butchered along the way..

 

Would not be unusual to spend $10K-$20K for engine/transmission/drive train there for either factory or resto-mod.

 

Tons of body work and missing body parts that need done for factory or resto-mod, with todays labor costs and the sheer amount of manual body work that needs done (hit that rust with media blaster and you will have a lot of swiss cheese to fix) you could easily rack up a thousand hrs in body work labor, what is your labor worth to you? Shops are going to charge $200+ per hr and even more if they have more than one person working on it.. Even just 1000 hrs of labor will cost $200,000..

 

And we haven't touched brakes, steering, suspension, interior or paint..

 

I see a lot of resto-mods for sale at my local car cruises, they ask a lot for them, but the same ones show up yr after yr still for sale and I would bet that at the asking prices those owners are taking a loss.

 

If you are looking at this car thinking you are going to make a profit by fixing and selling, please think again.

 

If you are looking to an entry level place to get your feet wet in restoring history because you like the car, then it might be a good place to start..

 

Very few on this forum will ever be able to say that they made back their money by restoring and selling..

 

Restoring and preserving automobiles as has been mentioned is a HOBBY, and like pretty much all hobbies, it isn't about making money, it is about doing and having fun with the hobby.

[Terry Bond]

2 hours ago, namc said:

Looking for information on restoring this car

NO!

[Rivguy]

I don't know your specific situation, but it's the guys that own a body shop, wrecking yard, auto repair shop, etc, that can make a bit of money moving cars. They have the knowledge and ability to do the work needed, the tools and equipment to do the work, the space to store and work on the car, and access to lower cost parts. For a regular guy, the best thing is to buy it low, invest NO money in it, and move it along and hopefully make a little money on the sale. Trying to make money on projects, you will make your money on what you pay for it. You make your money from the distressed seller who has to sell really cheap. If you want a restored car or street rod. build it. The value comes from all the years that you'll enjoy it.

[namc]

Thanks for all the good information. Im not going to restore it. The car is already in my possession and I have $0 into it. Im probably going to sell it as is. Any tips for pulling it out from under that shed? tow location, from the front or rear, etc?

[pkhammer]

41 minutes ago, namc said:

How much would it cost to turn it into a hot rod/rat rod project?

It depends on just how far you want to go with it. High horsepower, shiny paint, leather interior, etc will cost as much as a restoration. An old school hot rod with most work done by you can be accomplished on a fairly modest budget. You still won't be able to sell it for more than you have in it though.

Please don't make it a rat rod.

[Barney Eaton]

Obviously this is your first rodeo.

I was going to suggest you make a list of everything it needs....  just parts for now.  Then go online and put a price with each part. 

I think that will quickly show you just what you would spend on parts. 

The engine is a Buick.... but if you were going to restore to original....  do a search on what original Fords like yours are bringing and again it will tell you quickly the answer. 

Pulling it out of the shed.........put the chain around the axel.... if the axel comes out and the car stays,  call the salvage yard. 

[pkhammer]

Where are you located? Does the car have a title? A '33-'34 Vicky will get lots of attention over on "The Hamb" forum. That body looks pretty solid (need more pics) and may command a few thousand $$ as-is. I'd love to have one, but not in that condition. 

[ABear]

54 minutes ago, namc said:

Thanks for all the good information. Im not going to restore it. The car is already in my possession and I have $0 into it. Im probably going to sell it as is. Any tips for pulling it out from under that shed? tow location, from the front or rear, etc?

I think this is your best option and plan.

 

Think of it this way, if you sell it for $1,000 as is, then you have just made a 1,000% "profit" on your investment.

 

As far as towing out, unless you need the space, leave it there until sold as it is at least protected from the weather. Let the buyer figure out how to move it once they have paid you.. Then any damage that they do to the car is on their dime and not yours.

 

If you need it moved, then as mentioned, attaching to rear axle near the spring mounts would be a strong point to hook to..

 

Post some pictures as it is on facebook market place or "bring a trailer" and see what what folks are willing to spend on it.. I would have recommended craigslist but in my area it is a deadhorse from scammers and CL postings of vehicles are not free anymore because of the scammers.

[Peter Gariepy]

What's the year and model? (1934, 2-door sedan?)

What's the engine? (Buick?)

[1912Staver]

At the very least someone has already made big changes to the firewall. It's probably going to be a rod from this point forward. Body shell probably still has considerable value, { most likely a lot more than $1000.00, probably more like $5 K+  }  but we would need to see more photo's. The chassis is anyone's guess . If the engine swap was made by someone who knew what they were doing it is probably still savable. Great start, but only in the hands of someone who either has extremely deep pockets, or is a very capable person. If selling I would start at $5 K or perhaps even $6,500, depending if traditional rods are big in your area. The response you get will tell  what your local market prices it at.

 A few traditional build 33 / 34 's have sold in my area over the last year or two . Generally around $75,000 { Canadian } or about $50,000 - 55,000 $U.S. But that is for running , driving cars. Hard to build one with the right sort of traditional build parts for that price. Most rodder's these days are going to want to fix the firewall and put a flathead back in it. Otherwise it is just another 80's 90's style rod with an already saturated market. 

Edited May 16 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[TTR]

2 hours ago, namc said:

Thanks for all the good information. Im not going to restore it. The car is already in my possession and I have $0 into it. Im probably going to sell it as is. Any tips for pulling it out from under that shed? tow location, from the front or rear, etc?

If you truly currently have $0 in it, the most profitable outcome would be achieved by just walking away without wasting any time or $s on moving or towing it, etc. 

Anything beyond that will likely cost rather than provide profit.

 

P.S. I’ve been rebuilding, repairing & restoring vintage cars professionally pretty much full-time nearly 35 years and as an enthusiast/hobbyist over 45, not mention having had owned 100+ vintage cars and bought/brokered/sold +/- 1000 of them, so I speak/write from some experience.

 

To recap all, the pictured "Ford" will likely require at least couple of thousand hours of labor + at least $30K-$50K for parts/materials/etc to get her looking presentable, fully functioning, reliably drivable/operable (read easily sellable), i.e. 2000 hrs at $5.00/hr = $100.000 + $30K-$50K = $130.000 - $150.000, no matter which approach you take (original or modified to custom/hot/rat rod).

When all finished, you'll be lucky to get $25K - $30K for it.

Do you have $100.000+ to loose/waste ?

 

 

Edited May 16 by TTR (see edit history)

[namc]

1 hour ago, pkhammer said:

Where are you located? Does the car have a title? A '33-'34 Vicky will get lots of attention over on "The Hamb" forum. That body looks pretty solid (need more pics) and may command a few thousand $$ as-is. I'd love to have one, but not in that condition. 

Southern New Hampshire and im not sure if it has a title

Edited May 16 by namc (see edit history)

[namc]

39 minutes ago, Peter Gariepy said:

What's the year and model? (1934, 2-door sedan?)

What's the engine? (Buick?)

from here an another forum best i can say is its a 1933-34 Ford Victoria 2 door with a Buick Nailhead engine

[West Peterson]

I think you have your answer. If you can leave it in its present location, and your only goal is to make money, sell it where it sits. Do not spend one cent on moving it. As mentioned, let the buyer move it. Your profit margin is at its peak right where it sits.

[namc]

52 minutes ago, 1912Staver said:

At the very least someone has already made big changes to the firewall. It's probably going to be a rod from this point forward. Body shell probably still has considerable value, { most likely a lot more than $1000.00, probably more like $5 K+  }  but we would need to see more photo's. The chassis is anyone's guess . If the engine swap was made by someone who knew what they were doing it is probably still savable. Great start, but only in the hands of someone who either has extremely deep pockets, or is a very capable person. If selling I would start at $5 K or perhaps even $6,500, depending if traditional rods are big in your area. The response you get will tell  what your local market prices it at.

 A few traditional build 33 / 34 's have sold in my area over the last year or two . Generally around $75,000 { Canadian } or about $50,000 - 55,000 $U.S. But that is for running , driving cars. Hard to build one with the right sort of traditional build parts for that price. Most rodder's these days are going to want to fix the firewall and put a flathead back in it. Otherwise it is just another 80's 90's style rod with an already saturated market. 

someone else mentioned 80s 90s style hot rod. just out of curiosity what do you mean by that? what makes it that style?

[ABear]

10 minutes ago, namc said:

someone else mentioned 80s 90s style hot rod. just out of curiosity what do you mean by that? what makes it that style?

Stance of the vehicle, tire sizes, chop top and engine types, are all "styles" that have changed or evolved over time.

 

The problem of building a hot rod or resto-mod to a certain style or period is you paint yourself into a expensive corner with no way out without losing your shirt in the process. Other potential buyers may not like the changes you made, may not understand your changes and your changes may not be easily reversed or would cost even more to reverse than what the vehicle is worth. The buyers market gets really small if you make changes that put it into a certain period of time.

 

Narrowing the buyers market appeal means you now have a more difficult hard to sell item.

 

Time and costs are not in your favor if your main goal is to maximize a "profit", as it is right now, you have zero into it, trying to make it something to sell for more just means you poured more money into it in hopes of gaining more and it will end up selling for less than what you poured into it.

 

No matter though, for your purpose as long as you simply sell it as is, as this opens up your perspective buyers market, making a larger buyers pool will equal maximizing your sale price and yet you put no money into getting it sold. That is the absolute best way to go.

[ABear]

1 hour ago, TTR said:

To recap all, the pictured "Ford" will likely require at least couple of thousand hours of labor + at least $30K-$50K for parts/materials/etc to get her looking presentable, fully functioning, reliably drivable/operable (read easily sellable), i.e. 2000 hrs at $5.00/hr = $100.000 + $30K-$50K = $130.000 - $150.000, no matter which approach you take (original or modified to custom/hot/rat rod).

When all finished, you'll be lucky to get $25K - $30K for it.

X2!

 

Although, I think the $5.00/hr shop rate for labor is way low, a shop won't stay in business for long charging a customer only $5.00/hr but yet pay mechanics and techs $20-$50 per hr.

 

Last time I had a modern vehicle in a shop, the posted shop labor rate was $160 per hr and that was 10 yrs or a bit more ago. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if shops are charging $250/hr now days as most places can't find enough mechanics that want to work for 1990s wages.. A local tire shop I get tires at, can't find enough mechanics to fill out a 6 day a week business, they now are 5 day a week business and they pay their starting mechanics around $25/hr..

[1912Staver]

1933/ 34 Fords have been popular since the day they were new. And customized / hot rodded from that day onward. Many different "styles " over time . If you study them long enough the evolution becomes apparent. A circa 1938 , 34 Ford has a lot of differences from a circa 1953 and even a circa 1958. Mid 1970's onward they become  " street rods " rather than " hot rods " . The " traditional " look is very popular at the moment as is the related but quite different in many details "rat rod ". Traditional rods would typically be what a street driven car that saw some use at the dry lakes circa 1938 - 1953 would look like. Cars with the " street rod " look are currently not nearly as desirable. 

 Some of us on here have been following and learning about these cars for a long time. Often decades. . So it is probably not going to be something you are going to fully understand with just a quick  " in a nutshell " reading.

 Very few cars have been as popular as 1933 - 34 Fords over the years. You are a very lucky person indeed to end up with one that is as good a starting point as this one looks to be. Starting point cars are becoming quite rare. Production numbers on all 33 / 34 Fords are quite low. Most starting point cars that are left are very rough or even pieced together basket cases.

Roadster bodies are currently the only available re- production 1934 body. And they are approx. $18,000.00 just for the bare body shell. You can see how many 34 Ford projects end up costing over $100,000.00 to construct.

Vicky's are not everyone's cup of tea, but they do have a fan base. Number one would be a roadster , then a 3 window coupe , then a tossup between cabriolet and 5 window coupe. Vicky's would be next in the pecking order. Then two door sedans, four door sedans . Woody's are a whole different thing and outside the conversation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 16 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[bryankazmer]

14 minutes ago, 1912Staver said:

. Production numbers on all 33 / 34 Fords are quite low.

 

 

 

 

The  Victoria was a lower production body style, but Ford made 335,000 cars in 1933.  Packard 4800.  Pierce2250.

 

[pkhammer]

1 hour ago, namc said:

someone else mentioned 80s 90s style hot rod. just out of curiosity what do you mean by that? what makes it that style?

When I think of 80's-90's hot rods (street rods) I think of Billet. Billet wheels, billet mirrors, pedals, dash panels, valve covers, etc. And the paint colors! Easter egg colors with stupid looking graphics and tweed interiors. I think I just puked in my mouth a little! 🤢

[1912Staver]

I was mainly thinking about in comparison to other years of Fords. All makes took a hit on production during the depression, but  the high priced cars were drastically effected .

 

 

 

Edited May 16 by 1912Staver (see edit history)