[COPO]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Any &amp; all opinions welcome &amp; appreciated.
Thanks</div></div>


You likely know most of this, but it is extremely unlikely you will make any money by restoring a non supercar even if you started with a free car. Parts and materials alone can turn out to be more than a finished car is worth even with no charge for labor. Once you add labor cost (your time or someone you pay) you will likely spend at least twice what an already restored car costs to purchase. Even when restoring supercars it is very easy to get upside down as parts, labor, and materials add up very fast.

I think most who go down the full restoration path do it for the love of the car / hobby, prestige, ego, other reasons as there is rarely if ever a financial gain at the end. When you take into account time value of money, or lost opportunity cost, then you would virtually always be at a financial loss regardless of the car except for very rare exceptions like ZL-1's, 71 hemi Cuda convertibles, or vintage Ferraris where the values are so high a smaller appreciation can cover the resto costs, but even with these exceptions, it is all about hitting the market timing right. The vast majority of vintage car appreciation can not even come close to what someone might get for investing the same money in a low fee S&amp;P 500 index fund the past 5 years.

If you're doing a quickie re-spray with inferior or repo parts, (lipstick on a pig) then that's another story, but a full concourse frame-off resto is a very expensive proposition. I seem to recall a board member recently that had a RA IV GTO with fresh concours resto and I don't know if it ever sold, but after running through an auction and being for sale for awhile, I think the market valued the car at about 50% of what he had in it.

Bottom line, unless you really love this car, have a trove of rare parts bought 30 years ago, and you have lots of free time, or buddies in the business that will work for beer, or just have unlimited cash, I seriously doubt you will break even on a restoration of a 68 L-78 Camaro documented or not.

With all of that said, sounds like a neat documented car and would be great to save it, but forget making money if you restore it. If you're looking to make a few bucks off a full resto, there is just no rational financial case here. if you are looking to make a buck, then flipping is the way to go. Buy it, invest nothing except a little clean up and selling it on quickly for more than you paid.

Before someone jumps on me, I have owned and still own some rare and desirable muscle cars of the era (2 Yenkos, 5 BM cars, and others) and personally know how much time and money it takes to restore a car properly. It is just not a money making venture except in extremely rare situations. I grew up in high school with these cars and just have a love for them, but they sure don't form any part of my investment or retirement portfolio. My last car purchase was a fully concourse restored one and I probably saved at least 50% versus buying a rough project and having the car done.

Free advice.............now go out and buy that car and get it done, it will be a mostly fun journey, but an expensive one.