1933 Studebaker

[pflaming]

A local acquaintance / friend found a 1933 Studebaker four door sedan that sat for over 50 years. It is a complete car. We met today and I asked what his plans were for that car..  He will have a company build a new modern frame with all the modern amenities V8, PS, PB, AC, AT, modern suspension, etc,etc.  To my way of thinking he is making a mistake to modernize this car.  Will it lose its value with these changes?  I'm not judging but I am curious. The attached pic is near to the style.

 

The second pic is Andrew Worthington's fully restored early '30's MOPAR. He took us a ride through Des Moines, IA in it, great fun. I like what Andy did. 

[desoto1939]

My statement is to bring it back to original. You do not see these cars and it is a great touring car.  But if he wants to go real modern it is his money to do with what ever he wants with the car he is the current owner.

Rich Hartung

[bamfordsgarage]

On June 28, 2017 at 10:56 PM, pflaming said:

A local acquaintance / friend found a 1933 Studebaker four door sedan that sat for over 50 years ... He will have a company build a new modern frame with all the modern amenities V8, PS, PB, AC, AT, modern suspension, etc,etc. ... Will it lose its value with these changes?  I'm not judging but I am curious...

It will certainly lose all its value as an antique car, it simply won't be one any more.

To have the planned work done commercially, and properly, will cost far more than the realistic resale value of the completed street rod.

We don't know what condition the car is in now, but assuming it needs pretty much everything restored, that, too, would cost far more than the realistic resale value of the completed restoration.

The only way your friend can retain the current value of the car is to sell it for his purchase price — now. If he waits a year or two the opportunity cost of his investment $$ is lost, plus the cost/hassle of storage etc.

Otherwise his choice is between an expensive car that looks sort of old (aside from wheels, tires, stance, colour, interior and glass) and drives much like a new one, or an expensive car that actually looks and drives like an old one.  

The latter is certainly my preference but then I'm always willing to trade off a significant degree of comfort and performance for the vintage experience (ie just got back this afternoon from a 400 mile round trip in my '24 Ford T speedster to go dirt-track racing).

[RobertKB]

On ‎2017‎-‎06‎-‎28 at 10:56 PM, pflaming said:

A local acquaintance / friend found a 1933 Studebaker four door sedan that sat for over 50 years. It is a complete car. We met today and I asked what his plans were for that car..  He will have a company build a new modern frame with all the modern amenities V8, PS, PB, AC, AT, modern suspension, etc,etc.  To my way of thinking he is making a mistake to modernize this car.  Will it lose its value with these changes?  I'm not judging but I am curious. The attached pic is near to the style.

 

The second pic is Andrew Worthington's fully restored early '30's MOPAR. He took us a ride through Des Moines, IA in it, great fun. I like what Andy did. 

What your friend will have is a very expensive new car with an old body. I would never consider it an old car and I don't believe it should be licenced as such. As mentioned above, I would rather have the old car experience. Love the Plymouth pictured!

[Plymouthy Adams]

what to heck with assigned money value, what concern is it to the owner if you like it or would never buy it, evidently it is WORTH IT to the owner to go the route of his choosing.....folks it is a wide open hobby for those to choose and do as they deem fit....even if it is never finished and goes to the crusher in a few years, again you must remember it was his to do as he wanted, not so much as to what you would want......am pretty sure if you folks was to pay for the way it should be done in your eyes, you may convince him to sway to your thinking....but don't count it, then it would not be what he wanted...