Steves Auto Restoration Pulls Plug on 3 Window Coupe??

No offense,... But at the 30K I was quoted for just the main body at Autorama a few years ago, I was afraid this was going to happen...... Yes the body is awesome in every detail.... But considering it's the most expensive repo steel body out there, I could imagine a lot of guys looking at them and being very impressed (like I was) and then just walking on by. (IMHO)

 

I also hate to see any American company having troubles. The biggest problem I see is, there are ALOT of nice, complete, Hot Rods (and stockers) out there for $50k and less. I'm talking '32-'34 Ford coupes and roadsters too, not a less desirable model.

I've often wondered why anyone pay that for a body, even if they had money to burn. Just makes no sense to me. Lot's of things people do makes no sense to me though....

Either way, I hope Steve's is able to continue reproducing the needed panels to complete all the '33-'34 stuff being worked on these days. Alot of really cool ones are turning up lately.

 

100% of my respect goes to you and your staff.

 

I was reading in HotRod mag back in the fall that Ford was offering a repop 40. With current power, and creature comforts.

To me it seems That may be a direction to keep this priject alive...

 

A friend of mine wanted to go from a rumble seat to a trunk on his original body 34. Got a steves trunk & it did not have the same curve or fit as the body. He called & they knew about it & let him return it for 20-25% restocking fee. He then made the rumble seat into a trunk.

 

Sad to hear that but as someone who deals with the reality of high tooling costs on a daily basis, I have up to now been amazed that companies as small as Brookeville, Dennis Carpenter's, S.E.A. and others have even tried to take on that kind of up front money.
Did Steve's do the tooling themselves or did they contract that to a company like say Experimetal here in the Detroit area? I ask because the last time I was at Experimetal I thought I saw some 33-34 dies and parts.
If any company 'should' take this project on, why not have someone approach Ford's Jim Farley? He's a hot-rodder and marketing exec...

 

Interesting. These cars are now 79 years old and it's possible your buddy's car may have been "pretzled" in a rear end collison at some time in it's life. I know my ratty old 34, 5 window was an old roundy-round racer in the 50s and it was constantly wrecked before it was retired to a field. I put a pair of Steve's roadster quarters on it because the original 1/4ths were total JUNK!....so was the rest of the body except for the top and we replaced 70% of the top's metal.
Steve's rear panels [inner and outer below the decklid] and his body subrails were incorporated into the old body also. My body man had to do very little to get it all to fit...ok, the roadster 1/4s took a fair amount of slicing and dicing but they come an inch [or so] longer than coupe quarters. In fact, we had to do LESS fitting of Steve's parts than I had to do with original 34' 5 window ford-made parts!
Can't wait to fit my original 34 decklid between those primo Steve's quarters. We'll make it fit.

 

I've been in the hot rod industry for fifty plus years and based on other economic downturns in that period, there has lways been a solid rebound. In every other downturn, we could always depend on the 18-30 single guy with a good job to keep the hot rod industry going. That factor no longer exists in any meaningful numbers today and I'm afraid that this is the new normal.

 

This kills me to hear this. As a long time 34 lover, it's a heartbreaker.
A new, steel 34 3/w was like a dream coming true. I feel really bad for Steve as his stuff is top notch. I'm sure with all his passion for the 34, he didn't do the 34 just for himself. "He did it for us".

Though I dearly hoped, I always secretly doubted enough folks would step up @ 25-30 thousand a pop. I wondered aloud how many hundreds or thousands SAR could sell @ 15 thousand a shot??? The fast nickel vs. slow dime is a tough balancing act. Would it have made a return on the tooling investment, cover costs and still leave a decent profit margin?
Then you have to consider how many shots the tooling can produce before it's toast, especially if it's kirksite.

 

This is a shame for sure. It sucks, as a lot of hard work and money was spent on this project. I do not think the body's were priced too bad, our economy sucks, but even in a bad economy, guys are still going to have their toys. I planned to buy one, but I assumed they would be around whenever I was ready. However I am not in a position to just lay down 25k, but I would have bought it just like I did my 32's and that is a 2 or 3 year note at the bank. Some say it is crazy to borrow money to buy a hot rod project. The ones who say that will most likely die without ever owning their dream car. Not me!.....I do own mine, they have long been paid for now, and I am fairly young, and have 5 little kids at home. What seems funny too me is a lot of guys will sign their life to a 5-7 year loan for a new pickup, that doesn't hold it's value, and is a wore out piece of shit by the time it is payed for. But they won't even think or talk about borrowing money to buy a hot rod project, that will most likely increase in value by the time the note is payed off, I know one thing for sure, if I had to sell mine today, I would make money on them. I chose to drive a used beater and have my dream hot rods. I only bring this up as if more people would have financed Steve's body's, he might have been able to pull through this rough economy, I hope Someone with deep pockets steps up and produces them again.

 

"Past performance is not indicative of future results."
Meaning just because it used to happen that it will do so again. Too many people have lost too much and will never be able to have money to spend on hotrods again. The world has changed.

 

"Too many people have lost too much and will never be able to have money to spend on hotrods again. The world has changed. " Sadly this is true. Fewer folks now have ( or will ever have) the discretionary income needed to buy these kind of cars. Despite what we are being told, the economy is not getting better for the average Joe.

 

Not true, there is a growing number of folks, many younger who subscribe to Dave Ramsey's code.

 

WHAT A CRYING SHAME!!! Have known and talked to Steve at the shows for some time now, as fellow Oregonians, we have something in common. For those of you that have looked at his bodies, THEY ARE SECOND TO NONE!! You wont find a better body. EXPENSIVE, maybe, but not at todays cost to find a Henerys and spend thousands to get it up to todays quality and it still needs to be completed just Like SARs. Folks, I learned a LONG time ago, building a "QUALITY" Hot Rod isnt cheap, if you have to ask the price, then maybe its out of your price range!! Why do we see so many "POS RAT RODS"?? Price on "BARN FINDS" is out of sight for most folks, me included, ( been doing this since 52) I have the bucks but refuse to pay the over inflated prices. I know of several "GOOD BUYS", even liquadations, for completed Hot Rods but people just dont have the money now days and those that do have it, are hanging on to it due to the uncertain future of America!! Steve and MANY others in our hobby are having difficult times as is most of America. UNEMPLOYMENT AT AN ALL TIME, RECORD BREAKING HIGH!! NO END IN SIGHT!! I wish Steve and the other all the best in a continuing effort to keep their heads above water. Another quick note about financing your project (3 window body) talked to a friend in the banking industry about it, he said banks are not interested in unfinished car/boat/airplane projects. Too many times, the borrower runs on hard times, cant finish it, bank takes it back, auctions it at a great loss and so on, you know the story. He suggested private financing, unfortunately, extermely high interest rates!! I used to say "HANG IN THERE, IT WILL GET BETTER", I'm not so sure anymore!!

 

I wouldn't read into this latest post by Steve's Restorations that his business is faltering. I think he's got plenty of work, and people waiting for him to do their car. I think this was an area he wanted to expand into, but just realised there's not enough demand now to expand.

 

Same here...looks like now I will have to seperate my good one & find someone to louver it...
Sam

 

Gee, I hope so. However, I don't see it happening to a large degree. Many folks are struggling and just treading water.

 

Your right about this and I wasn't thinking when I suggested people should finance a hot rod just like a new car, For me getting money from my bank to buy a hot rod project is no problem, As I have built a very good relationship with them over the years. It was not always that way, I used to get turned down everytime I wanted to borrow money to buy something. But About 11 years ago a loan guy (now a good friend) told me about a personal loan for $1000.00 at 7% interest, Catch was the $1000.00 stayed in a untouchable account for the entire term of the loan. I took this deal for a year, and made all 12 of my payments on time or early, Basicly I was buying trust with the bank, (cost me $70.00 for the year) but was worth every penney and then some, As now (on a personal loan) I can get just about any amount I want to buy things that they normally do not loan money on. also if I was to advise someone who is interested in financing their dream hot rod project, find a small home town bank. They will take bigger risk than corp banks...

Also someone mentioned Dave ramsey, I think dave ramsey is great and he teaches common sense very well and has helped alot of people get out of debt, But Dave ramsey is not any smarter than my grandmother was, And you have to keep in mind alot of his teaching Says to "Do without things that you want and only worry about what you need" which is good advise, But not much fun!

 

Economics, politics, financial philosophy , secured loans , where's the traditional hot rod part ?

 

Maybe if Steve's built it to bolt onto an S10 frame.........

 

I have seen many ups and downs in the economy in my 50 years in the workforce. When things were slow I knew it was only temporary. I could see light at the end of the tunnel. I don't see that light anymore. Steve did the right thing in my opinion.

 

Are the 33/34 roadster quarter panels still being stamped

 

Why not ask them directly?
http://www.stevesautorestorations.com/

 

Ah,doom and gloom. Fact is, 10% unemployment is 90% employment. While many folks are hurting,there are still plenty of people who have money-there just are not plenty of folks with money who want to build a '34 Ford. I'm not clear what even the break-even point is-but if you made $5000 on a $50000 car and your development costs were only $500,000, you'd need to sell 100 cars just to get back to the beginning. I'd bet the profit wasn't that high on initial runs and the development costs could be a lot more. Dreams and practicality often don't mesh.

 

I have been collection 33-34 parts for forever. I am glad I found one. Once you find one more seem to follow.

 

Glad to see you found one. If more seem to follow, feel free to share the great fortune with another seeker of the unicorn. I would appreciate finding one myself!

 

Perhaps people with sizable means can become interested in developing a sellable product such as Steve did, but I believe the selection of models to bring to market seems to be limited to the "Iconic" Deuce. Brookville has made it work because the demand is there. The SAR roadster is high on my list but they aren't building those either. Wescott makes a wonderful product (Avatar) but the market has switched from being reproduction fiberglass to reproduction steel which is a shame for our hobby. The times have changed and I guess we must embrace change as for the better. Original products continue to escalate in value no matter what the condition so each of us will have to determine what makes us tick and move on. I hope SAR continues to build the outstanding vehicles which they are known for.