"So, what's wrong if someone wants to learn how to do body work and paint themselves, as well as building an
engine, installing a refurbished interior that's not perfect, rebuilding the suspension etc.?
Not all of us have deep pockets so we can simply write a check and get someone to ''restore'' a car for them and call it their own...........
There's no reason to belittle or undermine anyone about their efforts and their thoughts/dreams/enthusiasm.
I find that most of the fun is with rolling up your sleeves and jumping into a project, and learn as you go."
First I'd like to say sorry to those who felt I undermined or belittled their projects or work. It was not my intention and as I've said before I do respect work at all levels. I simply found issue in statement about how expensive paint jobs were a waste of money. I have deep respect for people at that level. So again, I'm sorry it seemed that way.
Second, I owe an apology to dgrill, I've hijacked your thread and made it a discussion about the polar opposite view points of the community.
So, thank you dartnut for your reply, I appreciate your passion and desire to "enjoy" your vehicles in your own way. As you've said it is a perspective. I can't speak for how people want to or do enjoy their vehicles. I have customers who are happy sitting around their vehicle collection and admiring the art of what they have built. But I also have people, like me, who like a good looking vehicle and don't care about resell value. If I mess it up over the course of 15 years I'll just rebuild it. It's not going anywhere. I'll love it, put the time in maintaining it and enjoy it in my own way.
Now, I won't say names but we have a customer at the concours shop who sells floor mats for vehicles. He's a rare exception, but, he drives two of his vehicles almost weekly. He's spent over 350,000 dollars restoring to concours. He flew out a DB4 that he had won at auction, told us he was tired of his friends winning best of show in this segment, told us cost didn't matter, restored the vehicle for Pebble, picked it up a couple days before the show, and drove it down. He does that with both his DB4 and a 365 GTB. The guy is eccentric and loves driving these priceless, rare vehicles. We've done well over five vehicles for him and are bidding on doing a certain rare Ferrari he won at auction recently. I found it to be quite an interesting and funny story, you see enthusiast at all levels.
