Thinking of a classic/antique project vehicle

[Motorcycle Mike]

I am thinking about buying myself a classic/antique project vehicle.
It would likely be at least 25 years old, and it would likely be in less than perfect condition as it is a project that I plan to work on in my garage.

Anyone here have experience with such a thing? How much would I be looking at for insurance so I could at least drive it to the mechanic or bodyshop if I wanted something done that I can't do in my garage?

What are the typical rules involved with having classic/antique insurance? Less than how many k/year? What can it be used for exactly (trips to mechanic, trips to shows, how about trips to friends/hobbyists who can help fix it?)

 

[Stewart]

yo...tommy don't waste your money on this type of a hobby, the labour will out way the cost of parts if the parts are still avaibile. one man's junk is another man's....you know the drill.

 

[nobbie48]

Somewhat tongue in cheek I make a suggestion if you haven't travelled this road before.

Buy an baffed old gas lawnmower at a garage sale and restore it. It will teach you a lot about rechroming, part sourcing, rust restoration, electrics, wrenching, paint and dealing with weird looks from sane people.

In the end you will have taken a $20 dollar lawnmower, spent a thousand dollars and months of your time on it. You can then sell it for a hundred dollars. For a bike add a zero. For a car add two zeros.

When you are finished you have to accept that someone will get a rip off bargain when the time to sell arrives. If that doesn't bother you then go ahead.

One of the lessons you will learn is that sourcing parts is knowledge based. When you are 99% finished and only need a piece of chrome trim or an emblem you may find that after months or years of searching that the item doesn't exist. There are no spares.

I spent years going into every antique shop I came across trying to find a set of Eastlake night stands. When I went into a shop in Sarnia and asked the owner he checked an old Eastlake catalog and it turned out that Eastlake never made any. I ended up making Eastlake style units. This included having special router bits fabricated. My search time was wasted time because of my lack of knowledge.

Go to a a few vintage shows and talk to the restorers. Do you want to hang out with a bunch of OCD cave dwellers?

I've restored some boats. Different medium, same lunacy.

Re the insurance, I'm not sure if you are talking cage or bike but I've seen clauses in the antique auto stuff that limited usage to parades, travel to shows and road tests. If you have a tool kit on board any drive could be a road test. Car / bike shows are all over the place in the summer. However the insurance companies don't hire idiots so don't push your luck.

 

[Tripletrouble]

The previous posts, whilst being somewhat realistic don't look at the whole picture. If money is a major motivator then finding a recently restored bike where the owner is moving on to his next project is the best bang for the buck. If on the other hand you look at it as a hobby and get satisfaction from taking a rusty non working piece of junk and returning it to former glory over a winter or two then it is well worth the time and effort.
If you are considering taking it to mechanics and bodyshops then how much are YOU restoring it?