Ecomomically best restoration?

[AMC RULES 36,961]

I just saw this statement posted to another thread here on the forum...

"That was a 551. A money pit if you wanted to restore it but certainly worth $50"

...and that got me to thinking. Humm...

What would be everyone's thoughts as to the best choice of tractor to restore, in relation to monies invested, vs. the finished resale value?

:thanks:

[can whlvr 991]

where im from it doesnt seem to matter,we dont get any round hoods,well one a year,but ive seen prices all over the map,i think a newer one would be easier and cheaper to get parts for,and because its newer some would think its worth more,but i think it depends on where you live and the supply of tractors,if theres lots of c series in your area it would be cheaper to but one and get parts for,tricky question you came up with but a good one :thumbs2:

[SousaKerry 500]

Considering the sheer amount of time that you can put into one of these and what they sell for when finished I do not believe that any tractor would have a profit margin. That being said are we talking complete tear down sand blast to bare metal and repaint and rebuild everything? That kind of restoration is never going to be profitable.

But on the other hand if you just want to bag the engine and tires and rattlecan put new stickers on it and flip it, that may actually pay but the customer isn't getting much other then a pretty paint job. A lot of that depends on the condition of the tractor going into it.

I've seen a lot of equipment sitting on dealer lots over the years that was brought in pressure washed and repainted to make it look pretty but look under the paint and everything that can be wore out is. My own Dad needed something for an employee to do last winter so he gave him a paint brush and pointed him at his small fleet of tractors, they all look good from a distance but they still have the same problems they had before, just they are shinny now.

[rmaynard 14,948]

I found the 1977 B-100 to be about the simplest to restore, and easiest to find parts for, but in the end, I too don't think that you can ever get your money investment back if you sell it.

[Rooster 191]

And you never get your time back!

Restore one you like, if you don't want to keep it, restore one some one else wants !

With that said..

The older tractors TEND to have less "stuff" on them and are less complicated. newer ones are some times easier to get parts for.

[Martin 2,130]

i would think that it would be more about how thorough a restoration is done and what sort of condition it is to begin with, rather than what model/year it is. the basket case is going to take a whole bunch more cash and time than something that has led a sheltered life.

sure some of the models have items that are harder to come by, but if you start with something that is in reasonable condition and complete, that is really going to help more on the dollar front. most basket cases will require replacement of a bunch of stuff, or major time and money to fix what you have.

i dont think the money invested vs finished resale value is something the enthusiast (most of us) really care about, or want to think about, when considering a model/year of tractor. i think its mostly a like or a want that decides what we end up with, or what tractors we get into. if it was about the investment, we would be doing something different......

i dont even want to sit down and add up what i have in both of my rebuilds $ wise, the time invested doesnt matter because its a hobby, something to enjoy......

thats how i feel anyway........

in relation to the 551, if thats what you really wanted, you would put the money into it. thats not to say that a bunch of parts wouldnt be replaced along the way though......

[AMC RULES 36,961]

I was also thinking about the value of say...an early round hood in original, as found condition vs. a full on resto.

I'm curious as to how much the present condition effects our overall perception of value of select models.

[bowtiebutler956 649]

Craig, I don't like this subject! When I think about all the blood,sweat,tears, and the amount of dieting my wallet did during my horse's resto, and then I look at what its actually worth, it makes me want to cry. But that's OK, I love my !

Matt :flags-texas:

[Martin 2,130]

I was also thinking about the value of say...an early round hood in original, as found condition vs. a full on resto.

I'm curious as to how much the present condition effects our overall perception of value of select models.

i think most would have the opinion that a early round hood, original in good to excellent condition would trump a resto every time, especially comparable condition. once you mess with them, they can never be the same again.

i would choose a good to excellent condition original over a restoration, to me the original is worth so much more.......

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,059]

I would much rather have an all orginal (unrestored) RJ vs. one that has been restored...and I would pay more for the original one too !

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,059]

Which one would you want more and be willing to pay more for? I know what I have into each one....

[wallfish 16,017]

I agree.

[neil 2,398]

I would without dought pay a lot more money on an original than a rest , besides the originals are rarer because there iisnt another one the same which makes it one of a kind.

although i would pay good money for a good restoration also

spose its all about preference to the individual JMO

[dennist 139]

I must be really weird, because if you put all Stevbo's tractors together I would have to say a nice restore would be coming home with me.

[AMC RULES 36,961]

Maybe not completely done Steve, but all of them look to be restored to some level, correct?

Maybe just the engine, wheels, or paint?

They're all gorgeous examples of our early history. :thanks:

[Ken B 3,116]

Steve, I'll take the RJ with the electric start Clinton, I'll give ya twice what ya paid for it. I'll be up after work!

I'll take an original RJ or Suburban that is in decent original condition over a restored one any day. Once it has been restored they often look like any other restored tractor out there, they all start to look the same. Patina is something that can't be duplicated so I'd pay more for that. Don't get me wrong, some original tractors are beyond the nice old patina stage and a full restore is really needed and I've fully restored a few RJ's in my day.

I have seen some of the newer 3, 4 and 5 series tractors go for pretty good money in restored condition. I think some guys might be willing to pay more for something they are actually willing to do some work with. The trick is to find a decent tractor mechanically (for the right price) that only needs cosmetic work.

[AMC RULES 36,961]

Patina is something that can't be duplicated so I'd pay more for that.

The trick is to find a decent tractor mechanically (for the right price) that only needs cosmetic work.

Nicely said Ken. :thumbs:

[VinsRJ 721]

It looks like this thread has migrated to an original vs restore conversation.

To answer your question, from my perspective, a early round hood is your best bet to get the bulk of your restoration dollars back. Various square hoods do hold value but..... basically any resto is a loss in some form. Now if you score the basisc tractor for a good price or even for free, then the return on investment is greater.

Now for my opinion on original vs resto..... I would agree that a "nice" original is the way to go. But I find no enjoyment in a pitted bent up original just to say its "original". I have a couple originals which are boarderline. Next no one has taken in account for the level of resto. There are thousands of bondo repaints with new decals out there which on the surface look great but are still junk. Then there are those restos which have been done with care and vision to get it right. There is a world of differnce between the two.

[Herbl 10]

This conversation is debated with Classic Car buffs daily and there is no real answer except what do you prefer. Classic Car's have different classes to handle these issues, the AACA has the restored classes (just of the show room floor look) and the preservation classes (as original condition as possible). As far as restoration costs, Ken B pretty much hit it on the head, find one as good as mechanically and then do the body work. An old time car restorer told me that it's very hard to make money at a totally restored car, you first have to know the worth of the restored car and then try to figure how much it will cost you to get it there.

Herb

[wallfish 16,017]

Most people don't buy restored tractors. The fun part is doing the restore.

One of my money pits is a 400

tractor - $150 which was a decent deal

belt guard - $65 they go as much as $100 now

original controls - $90 plus I had to buy the cables to go on them, repro can be bought for 1/2

ID plate to cover controls - $40

Steering gears - $40

Tool box and fenders - $50 got'm cheap

Decent Kohler K91 - $100 - got that cheap too

Pulley and belt - $20

Gas tank - $50

Plus more in smaller misc parts and maintenance stuff

The tractor is now 100% complete but not worth what I have into it unless it's parted out

This was all bought over time as I could find the parts plus shipping on some stuff.

That's what I meant by a " Money Pit"

I would probably do it all over again since I like to work on them and have fun hunting and finding the parts.

[Coadster32 793]

I honestly don't think there's money in restoring uless you get them for free and someone pays you to restore it. Even if you buy low and sell high, you're time is worth something. If you find a really nice condition original, probably wouldn't restore it. If you have a basket case, then redoing them, imo, is the way to go. Honestly not many people actually restore them to oem condition, they bring them back and make them their own. (As I have done). I happen to like lights on my 854, but it's not restored. I like wide tires on it also, but that's not oem. At that point, it's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. I certaily could get my money back, but not my time. Most people do it for the act of doing it, and not for profit. Some people do such an awesome job in repainting, they look better then oem, but WH didn't come this way either. A huge amount of talent among the many RS members, but true restoration is far and few.

[Rooster 191]

Original Vs Restore...since were taking a consensus.

I like both, yes, a restore looks like every other tractor out there.....they all look great!

On a restore, I wont go for 100% original...face it, there are some things they got wrong in 1960! I like it to look "period correct" .

old iron reused in a slightly different way, is still preserved!

I love a good original as well however...

This is notr a good original!

ROFL

[AMC RULES 36,961]

Maybe not that one, but I'm thinking this one could be a good canidate.

[bowtiebutler956 649]

Very nice Craig!

Matt :flags-texas: