Lost the faith

[JK240]

Hi guys,

Some of you here will know I have a 510 project that has been ongoing for the last three years, so I just thought I’d let you know that I had a huge setback with this particular project this last week.

After being originally let down by a friend who was helping me with it, I decided to go for it properly and it has been with a restoration company now for about 12 months who’ve stripped it and it’s been acid dipped and they’d started repairing the metalwork, and good work it was too. However things seemed to be slowing down and despite messages from them to the contrary work wasn’t going to the pace we’d agreed or expected. and I did start to wonder what was going on as the updates and photos stopped coming

Then, even though the last message I had from the firm was on the 13 March telling me things were progressing well, on Monday afternoon I got an email from an insolvency company and the firm have gone into liquidation

Thankfully most of the expensive parts I’ve amassed for the rebuild are still at home, but the shell, running gear and all that goes with it are at the company workshop. The liquidator has assured me they will be returned to me on Monday afternoon next week and I did manage to get access to the workshop to make sure everything was there and he hadn’t sold it off before going bust, which could easily have been the case.

However I’m afraid that’s the last straw for me and this car.

I've sunk more than enough money into it that I’ll never get back so I’m gonna cut my losses and sell the lot for parts either as a whole if possible or most likely in dribs and drabs.

I’m proper gutted tbh, I had a proper vision for this car and have some lovely and some quite rare parts but I can’t keep chasing this dream anymore. I just dont have the funds or the inclination to take this any further.

I realise this is the Z club, but I know some of us have had and still have more than one Datsun in our lives so I'm compiling a spreadsheet of parts I have amassed over the last 3 years, and there are some nice bits among them. Indeed I do have some interest in some of them already from the small UK 510 community.

If anyone is interested in seeing it when I've finished it send me a PM and I'll let you have a copy and if anyone is looking for a partially completed project with pretty much everything there to make a great litle car I'm open to offers for the whole package.

Onwards and upwards, eh!

Cheers,

JK

 

[Mr Tenno]

Gutted for you. As someone who's had several major setbacks with my orange Z I really feel your pain.

Hope the sale goes well and generates enough funds to get you back into something you can drive and enjoy.

 

[Alphabettispaghetti]

Sorry to hear that. Really sad news.

The obvious question is........... is it not worth finishing now you've put so much work/effort in?

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Oh no Jonathan!

Since being a member of this Club I've heard of so many stories like this. I also watch 'Grand Designs' and similar things happen in the building trade.

I think with classic cars (and bikes) if you can do it yourself then that is the best way. If the job is too big then like Liam, employ someone reputable to do a short sharp job. If the agreement is to fit it in between jobs that never seems to end well.

I hope Ian is 'on top' of his car with the restorer.

However even doing jobs yourself can have it's drawback - mainly timescale and some of us don't have the time. Again I know people who will probably never drive their cars. Hence why I have a classic motorbike to tinker with (was riding it yesterday) and not a Datsun project.

Thanks for the 'heads up' and let's hope it saves other people from the same fate and 'wakes' us up.

I don't want to pry but what is the financial situation with your shell? Have you paid 'along the way' or could you be hit with a bill?

I would think Datsfun (Preet) might be able to help you in some way.

 

[JK240]

Sorry to hear that. Really sad news.

The obvious question is........... is it not worth finishing now you've put so much work/effort in?

No, not anymore. As I said, that's the last setback for me with this, I'm done.

JK

 

[JK240]

Oh no Jonathan!

Since being a member of this Club I've heard of so many stories like this. I also watch 'Grand Designs' and similar things happen in the building trade.

I think with classic cars (and bikes) if you can do it yourself then that is the best way. If the job is too big then like Liam, employ someone reputable to do a short sharp job. If the agreement is to fit it in between jobs that never seems to end well.

I hope Ian is 'on top' of his car with the restorer.

However even doing jobs yourself can have it's drawback - mainly timescale and some of us don't have the time. Again I know people who will probably never drive their cars. Hence why I have a classic motorbike to tinker with (was riding it yesterday) and not a Datsun project.

Thanks for the 'heads up' and let's hope it saves other people from the same fate and 'wakes' us up.

I don't want to pry but what is the financial situation with your shell? Have you paid 'along the way' or could you be hit with a bill?

I would think Datsfun (Preet) might be able to help you in some way.

No bill expected Rob, I paid in a kind of payment plan installment for work to be done, but I've paid for more than actually has been done and that cash is gone with the firm unfortunately.

I've already reconciled myself with that, and despite not being a wealthy man, I just need to forget that bit and realise what I can from what I have left.

JK

 

[richiep]

Ugh, so sorry to hear this JK - what a disaster. I can understand how you've got to the point of just wanting to draw a line under it. Such a pity for the car if it ends up being parted out. Here's hoping it goes in a form that someone takes on the completion.

All this kind of crap is why I am doing everything on Dixie bar the exterior paint job. Total control. The major downside is the timeframe. I've now given up on a firm completion date/year. It'll be done when I've got the time and can afford it. Once I've finished doing the Upol Raptor undercoating some point in the next few weeks, it'll be moved into Carcoon storage at the barn so I can rotate the red Z and Celica at home. Likely won't get painted this year tbh.

Hope that once this episode is over with you find something that you can just enjoy.

 

[Robotsan]

Horrible mate. Heard too many horror stories like this and I guess with the economy like it is we might hear more unfortunately.

I've lost big sums (from my POV) of money in investments that went south in the past, and it's an awful feeling having to swallow it and move on.

But things change and money comes and goes - so maybe have a break from the car thing, then hopefully like Richie says maybe you'll get into something else (be it a classic car, a more modern car or not a car a at all!) that you enjoy.

 

[chrisvega]

Sorry to hear this JK.
I remember how excited you were when you bought this car.
100% empathise with you.

Been there myself over the years a couple of times despite having been around classics for 40 years and knowing my way around more than a little bit too! Unfortunately the garage/resto.trade has more than it's fair share of bullshitters/incompetents/rip-off merchants/charlatans quite a few of whom don't seem to have the same conscience as most of us do!

I had a similar situation with a 260Z, gave it to someone who talked a very good game and had supposedly restored a Z previously to a decent standard. The car had been in his so called 'workshop' quite a long time with little progress and dubious invoices/work done (covid was a convenient excuse of course). I started to get a bad gut feeling I'd made a huge error of judgement. Sure enough, I then got a call late one night from an insider telling me to get the Z out as trouble ahead. I had to use subterfuge and practically break in to retrieve the shell and as many parts as I could find that were spread around the bombshell of a unit. Sorting out the mess he created was a major hassle and made me lose faith with the industry and dislike the car. Fortunately it is now with a fantastic honest and reliable guy whom I trust 100% to finish the job really well.

Weigh up how much it will cost you to complete and the value of the restored car versus what you will get for it unfinished. You will probably find it hard to sell it in bits for anything like the money you have in it. Ask Preet what the market value would be of the finished car versus what you have in it now/have to spend to complete before making decision.

 

[Alphabettispaghetti]

Hi

thats it, surely you're over the hump now, so getting it done leaves you in the best position? what sort of value would it be as is?

 

[Kieronpollock]

Sorry to hear this JK.
I remember how excited you were when you bought this car.
100% empathise with you.

Been there myself over the years a couple of times despite having been around classics for 40 years and knowing my way around more than a little bit too! Unfortunately the garage/resto.trade has more than it's fair share of bullshitters/incompetents/rip-off merchants/charlatans quite a few of whom don't seem to have the same conscience as most of us do!

I had a similar situation with a 260Z, gave it to someone who talked a very good game and had supposedly restored a Z previously to a decent standard. The car had been in his so called 'workshop' quite a long time with little progress and dubious invoices/work done (covid was a convenient excuse of course). I started to get a bad gut feeling I'd made a huge error of judgement. Sure enough, I then got a call late one night from an insider telling me to get the Z out as trouble ahead. I had to use subterfuge and practically break in to retrieve the shell and as many parts as I could find that were spread around the bombshell of a unit. Sorting out the mess he created was a major hassle and made me lose faith with the industry and dislike the car. Fortunately it is now with a fantastic honest and reliable guy whom I trust 100% to finish the job really well.

Weigh up how much it will cost you to complete and the value of the restored car versus what you will get for it unfinished. You will probably find it hard to sell it in bits for anything like the money you have in it. Ask Preet what the market value would be of the finished car versus what you have in it now/have to spend to complete before making decision.

Yes Andy who’s doing Chris’ car did mine, defo recommend him for anyone looking for a restorer with intimate knowledge of the early Zs

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Jonathan, are you going to advertise it on here with the various options/scenarios?

If not where?

I think you should try to keep it all together in the first instance because it could make a good project for a 510 enthusiast or retro rally/race competitor.

When I sold my first 240Z I priced it at what I thought I could break it for - that was a big mistake because I undervalued it. Of course that was a running car.

 

[Mr.G]

I hope you are able to sleep on it again and wake up with the energy and will to continue.

Understood though if you've had enough, and I am sure a good home will be found.

 

[Bazzateer]

Such a shame. I too have been let down with the resto of my Sunbeam Imp Sport. I'd love a 510 but no money/space.

 

[JK240]

Thanks all for the messages of support, but I am done with this particular project now. And although I could summon the energy and the will perhaps, I'm not in a position to chuck probably the same amount I've just lost and potentially even more after a dream.

I've already had some good offers for some of the parts I have at home and a couple of people are interested in the whole thing, so when I have the car back at the storage I've got for it I'll see if I can get it moved on. It may take me 6 months to a year, maybe longer and I'll get myself something else when this is all over I'm sure but for now its adios Datsun.

@Rob Gaskin I probably won't really advertise it here in so much as a full blown ad, this thread is enough for anyone with a passing interest to get in touch with me and if I've anything that I think would be more Z specific I will put it in the classifieds, then there is always eBay, Facebook Marketplace and the various Datsun groups on there that I follow, Ratsun for the US/ Canada guys and I might even have an Autojumble stand at Leighton Hall in July if I've got enough stuff to do that, that might be fun

As for undervaluing things, I know the market I think and won't sell less than it's worth, no point and I'd rather keep it till someone genuinely want to pay what its worth rather than some profiteering vulture trying to nick stuff whilst I'm down

Onwards and Upwards,

JK

 

[Paul_S]

Really sorry to read about this. I've always liked the 510 and was waiting in anticipation for your thread to be updated.

I hope this all ends as well as it can and all the grief is soon a distant memory.

 

[Albrecht]

However I’m afraid that’s the last straw for me and this car.

What a sh*t outcome. Our hobby is supposed to be fun. Your deep disappointment is tangible. Really sorry to read this. I thought your project was going to be a stunner...

Wishing you better luck in finding and dealing with the people who might take it on.

 

[JK240]

What a sh*t outcome. Our hobby is supposed to be fun. Your deep disappointment is tangible. Really sorry to read this. I thought your project was going to be a stunner...

Wishing you better luck in finding and dealing with the people who might take it on.

Thak you Alan, I too thought it would be a stunner and was prepared to take the time for it to be such, just not to be though

 

[Ian Patmore]

A pity JK, I feel your sorrow. It's hard doing a project, money being swallowed in time, parts, work and to keep the motivation going.

I know, as I am in the same position, with more gone into parts than most do on a whole restoration, and I haven't even started the bodywork... But I have a vision....

Good luck with where you go with it and any future projects.

Oh, and I have some NOS 510 parts....

 

[johnymd]

Very sorry to hear this. Wishing you all the best with the sale. It will make a great project for someone.