Hello! i just discovered Club Hotrod while digging around for discussions on Hotrod Values. Im aware that its an entirely subjective topic.
Can one of you Guru's tell me how an intelligent person would approach building a custom classic?

More specifically, I see alot of cars go under the gavel at auction. Some fetch their true value, some a little less, some more, and some ALOT more. whats cool about keeping an eye on the auctions for a gauge on custom car values is no craigslist nazi ever asks "is it still available?" whats not cool about it is I cant for the life of me figure out why the heavy hitters pay 10's of thousands for one car, and only a few thousand for another.
Another example would be at the big car shows, where top prize carries a hefty check with the trophy. Maybe six to ten incredible builds competing for 10K$--- how can you tell who SHOULD win?
I ask, because I am almost done restoring my 51 Pontiac sedan... only to find out that the last 6k, i'll never see again. no, its not a labor of love. Its a money pit, with a raging fire at the bottom.
I want to build another classic, more of a hotrod custom for the sole purpose of selling at auction. I'd like to throw 15-20k at a hardtop in my driveway... and expect to fetch 30k at auction...
How do i best spend my money to best insure a good price at auction?

For instance, if there are 10 categories for potential customized features. how would they be listed in order of importance?

Is drivetrain and HP/Handling more important than Paint and Upholstery?

Are Ragtop Sliding Sunroofs more important than a gigantic stereo system?

Is Bling&Chrome more important than interactive gadgetry?


I've been looking for a clue for a while now- i guess im not sure where to look to learn what any custom rodder should learn before dumping piles of cash into a hole that might not cough it back up someday.

any, and i mean any advice is welcome. thank you!