MASCOT May - June 2003

Pig in the Middle

Bill Haverly

Broadly speaking there are three options when buying a Roadster to restore. At the bottom of the scale are the Non-Runners. They come in 3 basic states of disrepair. First, the working car which was laid up years ago with a major fault or serious MOT failure, and which now requires a lot of money to fix. Second, the
exposed, rusting, semi-dismantled vehicle with parts missing found in a farmyard or back garden. And third, the biggest headache of the lot - a totally stripped mass of bit and pieces. Imagine having a second hand jigsaw puzzle without a pattern and you have some idea of the task ahead. There is a lot of false romantic appeal surrounding some of these sad cases particularly in the way they are glamorised in the popular motoring monthlies under captions like "Rust in Peace", "Finds and Discoveries" and the most euphemistic of all "Junkyard Jewels". Harmless fun perhaps, and clearly the cheapest way of getting into the old car market, but even with many of the required skills and a mattress full of money, seeing a restoration like this through to the finish can be a daunting and frustrating business. Invariably there are missing items and often some parts that are fitted may not even belong to the car, while any major repairs to the wood frame can make even the healthiest bank balance wilt under the strain. These are just a few of the pitfalls that await a keen restorer. So much for the downside, but in the non-runner's favour is the rock bottom price and the great satisfaction of overcoming all the obstacles and bringing a wreck of a car back on the road again.

At the opposite end of the market are the Runners. These also come in various guises - the top concours, the well restored but needing some tidying up, or the neglected car needing a lot of repair and attention to keep it on the road. There is something to suit a range of purses in this selection, but it might be worth bearing in mind the old school of thought which advises buying the best possible car that can be afforded, with the view that, in the long run, money will be saved.

In the middle of these two extremes can be found some very interesting and potentially good buys. These cars will normally have had a great deal of restoration work already done. Usually this consists of chassis, engine, drive train, steering and most of the mechanical fittings, which will also have been overhauled and painted. Then, for differing reasons, the project runs out of steam and the half completed car is put up for sale. Maybe it's a loss of enthusiasm when the restoration starts taking a great deal longer than anticipated, costing more than anticipated or finding problems that were not anticipated. I know from my own experience that a house move mid-restoration will certainly stop progress for a while, but sometimes momentum will dissolve altogether as a job loss, some family set back or a twist of fate leaves the car restoration project forever stuck in the mud. However, sometimes it is simply the realisation that the restoration has become a bottomless pit - a lot of good money may have already been used on rolling chassis, but kept in check by DIY labour. But from now on professional skills requiring serious cash are usually needed to complete the job - chrome work, upholstery and trim, soft top/tonneau and a decent paint job do not come cheap, and that assumes the wood frame does not need too much attention. Otherwise, without the help of a friend with woodworking skills another couple of thousand at least can be added to the bill. After doing the sums, the restorer finds that to continue would put the car way beyond its market value, and decides to pull the plug. This is the classic "Pig in the Middle" situation, overspent and only halfway there, with little hope of ever recouping the outlay.

Potentially there are some good deals to be made in this scenario. The cautious buyer will be aware that, as a non-runner, the provenance of the engine rebuild. gearbox, back axle and brakes will have to be taken on trust - a good bargaining point. Even so, from these three broad approaches to buying a Roadster, the most tempting is the "Pig in the Middle" option. Taking over a restoration with half the work done at less than cost gives you a great head start. But .take care to thoroughly check the quality of the work already done, and be on the lookout for any ulterior motive for the sale. Make sure that finishing cost plus sale price do not exceed the market value. And if at the end of it all there are still lingering doubts, don't forget the old saying - "If in doubt, leave it out!"

Aunty says: "Sound advice from Bill, which could be applied equally to most vehicles bought for restoration. But do not the majority of non-professional restorers do it more for the satisfaction, with little or no thought of ever selling their pride and joy, let alone making a profit? In which case, are not repair costs and market value more the preserve of Insurance Assessors than Historic Vehicle enthusiasts?" Please et us know your views on this - Ed.