Why are Fieros worth more when they're no longer Fieros?

[pgackerman]

Why are Fieros worth more when they're no longer Fieros? 

For example: https://jacksonville.craigslist.org/cto/d/kissimmee-ferrari-f355-spider-red/7156140850.html

[GTRS Fiero]

You mean unfinished projects?

[pgackerman]

Not necessarily.  Lambo, Porsche, and Ferrari kits.  Even MERAs.

Zingers(?  The large 80's coupe looking thing).  Three seat Predators, etc.

[GTRS Fiero]

This particular kit isn't terrible, but unfinished....

[Fierofool]

When we were building kit and replicars, we would take a VW Beetle, put a 7 or 8 thousand Dino, MGTD or other body on it and it would go for twelve to 15 thousand.  There's a lot of money and work that goes into a conversion. 

We sold a Dino 246 Replicar to a businessman who wanted it so as to make him appear to be a successful business owner.  He said no one would know it was a VW when it was in his driveway or parking lot. 

[GTRS Fiero]

If we suppose that you paid a grand for the VW, plus the $8K kit (I'm guessing that does not include labor), that is only $3-5K for the labor.  You could do the conversion in under 50 hours?  Then subtract a good paint job.

Never done a conversion, myself.

[Fierofool]

All bodies came with a gelcoat finish.  Just like a fiberglass boat.  No paint job needed.  We often bought VW's for under $500.  It didn't matter what the body or interior was like just as long as the pan was good.  Everything but the pan and running gear was scrapped.  In the early to mid 80's, $3-5K was a good profit. 

Sometimes Melanie, Melissa, Tim and I would go for a day drive through the countryside.  We were always looking in yards and back yards for a VW.  Many would be parked when they had problems.  Just like happens with Fieros.  They could sometimes be bought for a hundred or two. 

I bought the VW that I built my car on for $40.  The girl that owned it was delivering pizza when it suddenly began billowing oil smoke and even filled the cabin with smoke through the heating system.  She didn't have the money to repair the car and it got parked.  The body had some dents and rips in a fender and the interior was ragged.  She set the price, not me. 

When we removed the engine, we found that the oil cooler, which is in the fan shroud, had blown an O-ring seal and was blowing oil down on the cylinder head.  There was actually nothing wrong with the engine. 

I only paid $2000 for my kit.  The owner found that it was more than he was capable of doing.  He thought it would be a bolt-on and go kit.  So, I started out with $2040 in the car. 

[GTRS Fiero]

How many hours did it take to do the conversion?

Yeah, I guess $5K was more money, back then.  Two weeks ago, there was an issue.  The company tried to fix it on their own, but was unable to do so, so called various people.  Eventually, they called me.  Having dealt with such things before, I had little interest in a repeat, and this was not a client of mine.  I quoted the company $3K to fix, if done that day, but add $1K for every day after that.  They told me I was nuts, and hung up.  Yesterday, they called, and said they wanted me to fix it.  Sure, but price is now $7K.  I told them in cash, just so they didn't reneg.  They sighed and agreed.

Around 5pm, it was not looking good for my chances of success.  They made me a double-or-nothing bet.  I told them cash.  About 8pm, we had a fix, but were having trouble implementing it.  An hour later, success!  9 hours of work, $14K.  But that is not every day.  Usually, things go the other way, where it takes too many hours to do a simple thing.

[Fierofool]

It was about 3 months, including a 3 week hiatus to spend time with my daughter.  We worked in the evenings after our regular jobs, and on weekends.  Just 2 of us.  So it was actually just a little more than a 2 month period, but not full time. 

Even though a rebodied Fiero might bring more than a stock bodied car, it usually doesn't return what's invested in it.  For example, the AD355, similar to what's pictured, I believe, was easily more than $10K, unpainted. 

[GTRS Fiero]

Yes, most swaps bring much less than what it cost to do the swap.  People often buy working swaps for slightly more than stock, and skip all the trouble of sorting out a swap, sourcing parts, etc.