Bought for $3700
Parts total $2650
Sold for $8000
If I tracked my labor at minimum wage, substantial loss.
Also have the XJR-R1 for sale. If get $8000 or close for her thinking of nice XKR.

 

bummer on the sale of the XK8 - considering my options as well with the Mistress. Best of luck with the sale of the XJR and in the search for an XKR

 

Buyer waiting when I got back from car wash. Lost side emblem in car wash. Hopefully they will find. Got home and buyer already there. He says looks great I’ll take it. I tell him he has to take a test drive.

 

Not one of those car washes with thrashing rollers, hopefully?

Richard

 

I can buy cars, but have a hard time selling and I think that's largely why. My first restoration project back in the 80s was a 66 Rustang 289 coupe and I carefully kept every receipt.
Bought for $700
Parts and supplies total $3,782.17
Sold in 1988 for $4,500
Profit $17.83
Worked out to less than a nickel an hour for my labor.

I made a little photo album of every little step so that I'd have that for people to flip through at the car shows and see how far the car came from derelict and I wrote down the financials on the back page. Big mistake! Don't ever add it up and write it down.

For every project car since then, I've only kept the receipts for warranty purposes on the major parts. For the most part I'm sure I've been losing money, essentially paying for the privilege of busting my knuckles. Its hard to let go of something you've spent so much time (and money) on. But I figure its like golf or fishing or any other hobby except that with those other hobbies, you don't have any asset to sell at the end to get even any portion of your money back and if you keep it long enough, the values may appreciate enough to at least feel somewhat vindicated.

 

Of course you need to factor in what it would cost to operate any vehicle that gets you from point A to point B. I've had my Jag over 11 years and put quite few miles on it. There have been expenses but it doesn't owe me anything. (I'm not giving it away though ;^)

 

But you have to factor in the knowledge and experience you gained. Both of which are very expensive commodities. How much would you have had to pay a school to teach you everything you learned while restoring that car? Think of it as an investment in yourself.

At least that's the way I justify this infernal hobby.

 

Not kind with thin strings but wide pieces of cloth. I usually hand wash but was in a hurry Usually get basic wash. Opted for works. I thing the spinning pressure washers for the wheel clean did it

 

I didn’t buy to make a profit. Just glad some +$ at the end. I throughly enjoy time in the shop. My daughter thinks I sleep walk to the garage to sabotage the car so I have something to do on the weekend.