The thing with cars is this – unless it’s a unique classic model, the value of any car depreciates with use. If you buy a new Ford Focus from a dealership and drive it away, the value of the car could drop by 40% the second those wheels hit the floor. Cars don’t always make wise investments. They are fun and unique purchases, but if you are looking for a return on investment, you might want to look elsewhere than new cars. Homes, funds, treasuries, stocks, property and bonds could do with your money with you want something back other than revs and a ride.

That being said – just because you can’t get heaps of money back from cars doesn’t mean you should avoid them if you are passionate about them. Renting a new car has benefits, and you can get rundown models of famous cars that you can restore for your own pride and joy, rather than cash. Some cars might not be available over in the UK, and you want to be super unique – sometimes, you might just want to work on a car with some tools and some GNJ Motorsport car parts because it is what you enjoy. To each, their own.

Now – the Ford Mustang is finally arriving on UK shores after fifty years cruising the open roads of the States. From Route 66 to Rotherham, the Mustang is here. Starting at just under thirty thousand, you can actually get a Mustang for yourself to cruise the motorways and A roads of the UK. That Mustang though? It’s new – and that’s great, but is it THE Mustang? The one that made the name synonymous with raw power and open roads? Perhaps not.

You can definitely get a classic Mustang in the UK – and not many of the models, due to the rarity and status of the brand, have fallen apart. However, if you do shop around, you might find a model that needs a bit of love. What that means is that the price will be lower and you get a chance to do some work – which is the goal here. Of course, you can certainly import a Mustang from the US – but it will be costly and it will require a huge amount of work – unless you’ve got a massive stock of savings you are willing to spend, you might want to avoid this step. You’ll have to pay for the car, tax, import and the work required to make the car suitable for UK roads (if you intend to drive it – of course​).

Then you need to restore it. Restoration is hard work and it can go wrong. If you use poor tools, the wrong parts and bad knowledge, your restoration project will fail, the car might be ruined. This means a big waste of money and time. However if it is done right, the results won’t just be amazing, they will be unique. While people can cruise around in their new Mustang, you’ll have your own version. The original version. Your version.

[ad]