How nice is too nice? Or how much is too much?

Bmachine

Bmachine

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Recently, I was talking to a friend of mine who has a stunningly restored and updated 2002. Seemingly no expense spared. I was admiring her car but later in the conversation, she said she was almost having second thoughts about having brought it up to this level. She said “it is now such a jewel I am often afraid of driving it around. Sometimes I almost wish I had left it rougher around the edges so I could drive and enjoy it more without feeling stressed about it“.

I think most of us face this dilemma sooner or later. At which point is the money we spend on our car causing us to hesitate actually driving it. There is huge money being poured into these projects, and, unless you have unlimited funds for potential repairs, it’s only natural to becoming more and more nervous about subjecting this hard earned money to potential damage.

Of course, for some people the restoration of the car to better than new is the primary goal. It becomes a garage queen. Which is fine for some. But if your main goal is to be able to drive a beautiful piece of art and engineering whenever the fancy strikes, this becomes a constant balancing act. Do you go for the perfectly adequate $10k paint job or should you go for long-term value with the $20 or $30k one? Etc... I think we have all seen people who got caught in a spending tornado, and who ended up with a stunning car that they could no longer afford to keep or even drive much anymore.
 
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in my humble opinion don't go with the almost adequate paint job, you will always kick yourself for not doing it right. i would opt for the middle to upper middle. the majority of the extra goes into 2 things - 1st the materials and 2nd, the labor (prep, sanding, blocking + polishing). you will see a noticeable difference between the 10k and 20k paintjob - the orange peel will disappear, the paint will last longer / look better for longer. the 20k to 30k is a point of vanishing returns ... but then the creep starts, rechroming / repolishing all of the metalwork. all new rubber, all new everything. my suggestion is to make it really nice, leaving reasonable original parts and spend the money to make the mechanicals perfect so it is extremely reliable.

on the other hand, if money is no object, go all in, you will never regret it.
 
Drive it like you stole it!
5 years, 4000 hours, $60000 in parts and finishing and mine is driven every week.
Insured with Hagerty for $125000.
Don't own a trailer, never will.
What fun is it to have a car in a garage that no one sees except you?
The fun is driving and sharing with friends.
 
I always wanted to make my 2002 into a 2002Ti with the dual webers,cam,etc. Then it needed A/C to drive here in South Fla. and I have the Clardy system still in the box that I bought 30 years ago. I also have most of the German parts already that make it have the European look. I started to think that spending $50 K for a complete restoration will give me a nice $25K car. Why not spend the $$ on the car we 2002 owners always wanted-a CS ? Because my car had some slight paint damage on the trip from Hawaii to Ft.lauderdale,Hagerty gave me 5 different shops they recommended. Once you have a car at a restoration shop and not a paint & body shop,they find everything that needs to be replaced. Many of those items were critical and never would have been found in a PPI. The work has been worth the expense and effort because it would have taken me years to do the same. And I want to drive the car and not just look & work on it in my hot,sweaty garage. That's where I work on my boat & fishing tackle! The CS is almost finished.
 

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Drew, she’s looking great. Take a little black paint and touch up the plastic grommet where the hood release cable exits the fender, it appears to be Turkis.
 
No car you own should exceed 1% of your net worth, nor 0.01% of your country's GDP.
Then you can drive it with no regrets or fears.

Bmachine said:
I think most of us face this dilemma sooner or later. At which point is the money we spend on our car causing us to hesitate actually driving it. There is huge money being poured into these projects, and, unless you have unlimited funds for potential repairs, it’s only natural to becoming more and more nervous about subjecting this hard earned money to potential damage.
Click to expand...
 
i think of the same thing.
Arde said:
No car you own should exceed 1% of your net worth, nor 0.01% of your country's GDP.
Then you can drive it with no regrets or fears.
Click to expand...
dang 1% of net worth.... that's definitely not me. but i guess that's where insurance comes in?
 
When I first brought my E24 home I took it apart to paint and upholster. I then found this wrong and that wrong and since it was a Euro import, mucho rust. 12 years later I am in it 2x what it is probably worth maybe a little less. My answer to myself is, regardless of the quality of the restoration I did, I may as well drive the hell out of it and enjoy her
 
To be completely honest here, I added up what it cost to restore, Vern my, 1973 2002Tii when he was all done, it was over $125K. 7 days after delivery I drove from my home in Maine to Eureka Springs Arkansas for the Mid America '02 Fest & back some 4K miles & put 20K on him in 2018, another 15K in 2019.
 
2 1/2 years restoring the ‘67. Put the finishing touches on it and left the next morning for the East coast and O-Fest. Put 4500 miles on it in 2 1/2 weeks. Drove it quickly with a bunch of 02s in the twisties and 85-90 on the interstates...over 100 with a particular New Orleans character.

It’s a special car to me, for sure. I got the best paint job and everything else that I could afford. Zero regrets and I still drive it all the time.
Ed Z
 
I learned recently that hagerty doesn’t cover incidents that happen when the car is street parked.

maybe that will go into contributing the decision:p

EDIT: I clarified this with Hagerty. I probably misunderstood the first time. This is the direct quote from the representative that I just chatted with:

"We have flexible usage on our policies, so long as you aren't storing it over night on the street and it is only while you are out and about that is fine, but then when you get home it would need to be stored in the garage"
 
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Nice is subjective, too nice is also subjective. It’s sort of a silly question to some degree. Ow if you ask how much is too much car when it comes to the value of your car, that is also subjective. Do you own a $250,000.00 house and have a $125,000.00 hobby car? As Arde pointed out. It comes down to what you are comfortable with.

I had a pretty nice e9. After completing a 5 year restoration, blood sweat, tears, and $$$ like so many of us have done I drive it. 14,000 km in 2 years, up and down the California coast, 3 racetracks and an 1,100 mile car rally with HBChris, Stan, and a few other not so inoce t bistandards. I kept on top of all the cleaning and maintanence and the car looked as good as when I finished the restoration. I also would drive it to work and take customers home in my car.

if you’re going to be too paranoid to drive it then go buy a Prius.
 
I agree with Mike. In the last fifteen years I have probably driven over 50K miles, there was downtime during the paint and body work and when I installed the b35. It will need paint this fall and a new windshield. I have rock chips that i got driving nine years of Targa California events that I wouldn’t change for the world. Drive it and enjoy it.
 
My Bavaria is a 20 footer.
I drive it all the time. Why else have it. I don’t have a museum. I’d drive it everyday if it fit in my daily work. But building contracting, landscaping, and grounds maintenance doesn’t fit the car.
Oh.. and 20 footer means that from 20’ back it looks good..... the further you get away from it the more perfect it gets!!!!’ Lol
 
Chri
HB Chris said:
Drew, she’s looking great. Take a little black paint and touch up the plastic grommet where the hood release cable exits the fender, it appears to be Turkis.
Click to expand...
Chris--That grommet was probably blue when they stripped out the engine. Thanks for the advice. They did paint all of the brake line holders black.
 
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