[csx289]

Very true. I have been restoring a 275 GTB/2 alloy body car for 5 years. You just can't call up NPD and buy parts for it - we've had to make 90% of what we needed. For example, the plastic defroster vent trim had warped from the sun. I had to have a buddy make a pattern on his cnc machine from billet, then we made a mold, then we poured a polymer into it, and finished the part off. I think about $1500 later I had 2 little plastic parts ! Another example, there is a special nut that holds the input flange on the transaxle, like on a nut on a regular pinion. $565.00 for this goofy 27.5mm nut from Italy! Just a comedy of errors, and we won't talk about having to make any body panels that are needed repair. The nice thing is that there is no "absolute" with these cars, no judging manual, no "they are all like this". So, when you restore one you duplicate what was there originally and if you can't figure it out, you guess and make it look right. Nobody can say it isn't so. A little artistic license if you will.

I remember having a Maserati Ghibli SS coupe, I think I paid about $20k for it, and went and ordered a parking brake cable. They asked if I needed a price, or if I just wanted it shipped. I thought, hey, how much can it be for a stupid cable, just ship it! Well, that cable was $2100. Needless to say, it went back and I had one made locally for about $80.00. Always and adventure.

The immortal glassy eyes always seem to buy the turd Ferraris and think they only cost $10k to restore. More like $10k for a valve job, if you are lucky. So yes, you are dead on - funny to watch guys pay $300k for a turd and another pay $400k for a gem. Who gets the better deal? LOL

Although I have to say muscle car restos are quickly catching up with the prices of finding correct and/or NOS parts and the labor being the same for these cars as anything else, i.e., paint is paint and it doesn't matter what kind of car it is.

The only exception and a reasonable one at that is people paying a premium for original unrestored cars that DON'T need to be restored. These cars should bring a premium over restored cars IMHO.

Colin