Imperials as an Investment

[Imperial59crown@xxxxxxx]

I don't think the restoration of older cars should be done for investment, 
but rather for love of the automobile. In most cases the amount of money 
spent restoring the car, unless you do everything from chroming, painting, 
upholstery, etc., will be pretty close as to what you can expect to get for 
the car. In other words what you put into the car is most likely what you 
will get out, but you can't stop in the middle of the thing. Like my '59. I 
bought it fairly cheaply, and very cheaply compared to a '59 Cadillac, and 
I've got the better car, I know because my Dad used to own a Caddy back then, 
and it was a piece of junk! I had to put x amount of dollars into my Imperial 
to get it running again, almost what I paid for the car, but if I were to 
sell it today, I couldn't get much more than I paid for it, since it is not 
pristine. Then there is the market problem. These cars appeal to a very 
limited market, and it usually takes the right person at the right time in 
order to sell your car. I know a guy who has been sitting on a '59 Imperial 
in better shape than mine for over a year now, and he only wants $3,500.00 
for it! He doesn't really know what he has. So all in all, I think car 
collecting should not be considered as an investment, the only one it might 
pay off for is a grandchild generations removed, if the car stays in the 
family that long!
Bill '59 Crown