Will the modern charger be a collectible ever?

[1974dodgecharger]

Just curious on opinions i used to know a handful of people who are saving the first super ee, first year srt, etc... With less than 2000 miles in storage.

[Indygenerallee]

I like the cars but I don't believe they will ever be that collectible. 

[1965gp]

It will- but nut to the extent a 2nd gen is.

For example- our 9 year old is dead set on getting a sublime Daytona like our old one the day she turns 16.

High school kid next door pulled up in a 06-10 RT with a SRT hood- I would bet when he is 45 he will want it back.

Still- I think there have been more made at higher quality so there will be more to choose from.

I would think similar to 3rd gen / 4th camaro/firebirds. Rare, special edition cars or rare colors will hold their value.

[Mike DC]

   
SRTs will probably have some collectability.   V6 cars will probably be parts donors.

Nothing made in the last 40 years will come near the muscle-era stuff in terms of collectability.  The circumstances just aren't the same. 

   

[polywideblock]

in 30 years time when all the 16 year olds are 46   they will be wanting  to relive their youth just as some of us have ,and they  will be looking to buy the "hot" cars from the old days (the one they couldn't afford back then)   

        so to some extent I say they will become collectable but only when they aren't common ,think how cheap and easy to get our cars were in the late 70's early 80's     that's how 2000 - 2010 cars are now to todays youth 

[ws23rt]

They may be saving something for their grandchildren but that storage must be kept up by someone over those years.  Some folks put these things in a shed and we know how that turns out.
A few examples of gems from the past may inspire the notion to have one of them when the future comes but what will they really have?   How well will the current cars survive time like the ones we talk about today?  
This is not a new thought and a look at history will show that a new car saved is a novelty and not an investment.

[Ghoste]

They could well be.  There could well be no fuel or an affordable way to own them by then too, who knows?  There was a time when the classic ones weren't collectible either.  As for saving them, I think thats a big waste, just get out and enjoy the car.
Ask the 25th Anniversary Vette buyers and last Cadillac convertible Eldorado buyers who stored them thinking they would get rich only to give up decades later to accept they were only worth what other used cars were.

[70 sublime]

It might be easy to go buy a brand new car and stick it in storage and hope it is worth more later
But why ??

You could take the same money $20-$30000 and buy a really cool vintage muscule car now and enjoy it now and have a better chance at it being worth more 10 15 20 years from now

[1965gp]

I agree- no reason to save them. Enjoy it, take care of it and hope it will be worth something in the end.

My dad and I have built our collection over the past 20 years  based on the theory that when a person gets to the point in life where they have disposable income they tend to splurge and want to relive their youth. Some guys buy a new corvette or mustang, others want what they remember.

In 2004 we bought a 79 Trans Am in solid driving condition for $1200 because it was still considered a 'trailer park Trans am'.

In 2008 we bought a 87 Saleen Mustang in the same condition- everything worked just worn for $2000.

67 Camaro RS convertible great shape $8k, 86 Iroc Z in mint condition $5k, 89 Turbo Trans Am Pace car $9k...

The list goes on and on- the fact is that these do just become used cars until you reach a point where people start to miss them and there are less on the road and the ones you see are in poor shape.

Two best examples are the fox body mustang and late third gen f bodies (GM). These cars were worth nothing. I had friends who literally could not give third gen GTA's away 10 years ago. Then at a cruise we saw a perfect red Iroc and we started thinking about how they had their own style, defined the 80's, blah blah blah. Now you are looking at 10k+ to get into a nice 87-92 third gen with desirable options. Same exact thing for the mustang- everyone moved on to the retro mustangs in '05 and forgot about the 5.0. Now you see restored examples showing up at cruises and an unmolested original 5 speed car is $8-15k

These cars will probably never be as popular as a 2nd gen charger- just too much history with that car to compete with. But a few years ago some might have said the same thing about the 3rd gen chargers- not near as rare or desirable (I turned down a nice one owner SE a few years ago for $4k) but now there is a significant market - and now aftermarket for them.

Like anything this hobby goes in cycles and like any investment will be effected by variables like the economy, interest rates, etc.

[myk]

   
SRTs will probably have some collectability.   V6 cars will probably be parts donors.

Nothing made in the last 40 years will come near the muscle-era stuff in terms of collectability.  The circumstances just aren't the same. 

   

THIS.  60's muscle cars developed a craze because people started to remember how they changed the world of cars forever; suddenly everyone had to have one since modern muscle cars in the 90's just didn't add up to the 60's.  Today, there's a thriving succession of generational muscle cars which means that nothing will ever be missed or forgotten. Take into consideration that our society is trained to focus on the newest and the shiniest there's no reason to develop a craze for last year's model.

That isn't to say that newer cars won't find loyal followers though.  Personally I love 90's Mustangs and F bodies and I know I'm not the only one...

[Ghoste]

And there was a car culture in the 60's unlike now, think of all the closed drag strips and multiple performance offerings from the Big Three.  Its easier for people to feel nostalgic for that.

[twodko]

There is no such thing as a modern Charger just
those 4 door sedans things. 

[Ghoste]

But there are Challengers, do the same answers apply to the question if its this car?  I think yes.

[moparnation74]

Any car has some value but they will not be valuable as the true classics.

Consider our economy.  The younger generations do not have access to well paying jobs as a majority.  For example, most of them rent a four bedroom house.  Then they rent rooms to their friends so they can maintain their lifestyles.   Even after that they still just maintain their lifestyles with little savings.  

In the end I enjoy my cars and love them.  To me they are not investments for retirement.  Over the years I have had family/friends pass away.  I have learned: Do not live for tomorrow live for today.

[ODZKing]

There's a modern Charger?   

[Lord Warlock]

They've made way too many of the new chargers to make the majority collectible.  A few special editions, the SRT8's and the hellcat charger will all be collected at one point, but there will be a long stretch where others will be able to find and collect the rare models as they depreciate.  The many will be the parts cars to keep the special ones around.  But I'm not expecting a return anywhere close to what the old muscle cars brought, A well optioned 2nd gen brings almost 10x its original sales price, the new chargers will be lucky to bring 1.5 times their price, after a 40+ year wait. 

I think the challengers will be more collected than the new chargers will be.  Maybe not to the same extent as the 60s cars were, but may be worth holding on to a few over the years.

The big difference today is that more people that own them have garages to store them in safely and out of the elements, and not shoved in a barn sitting on the dirt, or parked in a field.  The bad part is that far into the future, half of the electronics incorporated into the car will be out of date, difficult to find, and likely not working correctly.  It isn't like trying to tune a 440 with a carburetor and a distributor.  I'd expect the ecu's to go bad in 15 years, similar to the 90s car I kept so long.

[Ghoste]

The computers in the modern ones will be the tough part.

[Homerr]

Hellcat Charger = collectible
all other Chargers = parts cars for Hellcat Chargers

[Ghoste]

SRT's and Super Bee's will be too I think.  Perhaps even those Daytona ones.

[moparnation74]

Hellcat Charger = collectible
all other Chargers = parts cars for Hellcat Chargers

Agree completely! SRT's, super bees, Daytona's will carry the same values as the fox body saleens, cobra's, and SVT's from the 80's-90's, We love those rides but not everyone else does.

I cannot even imagine buying a new car and saying, "Let me store this because it will be more valuable than what I paid for it."  That is a pipe dream to utter disappointment.

[ramairthree]

I think each generation will see a surge of some collectability as middle age guys get the dream cars of their youth.
But that is a small market.

There is something special about that 64 to 74 decade though.

Part of it is the huge boomer age group and the dream cars of their youth.

But people older than that and far younger than that flock to the sweet cars of that era.

Yes, the average V6 Camry or Maxima will Eclipse will crush many of those cars, let alone the current RWD V8 coupes.

But there is a style, a spirit, something about that era of cars that has more collectability to it than any other decade.

[myk]

The computers in the modern ones will be the tough part.

I'm already having trouble in that area with my 90's muscle cars.  PCM's, BCM's and all of the various modules that micro manage the systems of a car that isn't really that different from its 60's predecessor are becoming more difficult and expensive to find. Not only that but small trim pieces are either discontinued or very expensive to purchase as NOS, 'repros or acceptable condition.  I can only imagine how things will be like for me and these cars in the coming years.

Why do I feel like its 1994 again as I searched for 69 Charger parts in vain?

[ramairthree]

Yeah, third gen B body parts compared to second gen, let alone 73/74 is rough !

[1965gp]

I agree there is something special about the 64-74 decade- could also include a few models just outside of that decade.

It was a fantastic time for America and the car industry.

We also have to thank Hollywood. They have used old muscle cars to personify the villains, hero's and overall cool characters in TV and movies for years.

I love the fact that the music videos my kids watch on nickelodeon are packed with 60's and 70's iron.

Just realized that the SRT8 charger has been in a few of those- maybe it will help its chances...

[myk]

Again, every car, no matter how seemingly insignificant will have a loyal following, no matter how small.  I have a friend who came of driving age around the late 70's, so in his mind a late 70's Charger/Cordoba would be his dream/throwback ride, and he would easily choose that over a 2nd 'Gen like mine...

[wingcar]

Buying a new car as an investment, with the possible exception of the new Hellcat is a waste of money.  There are other commodities that will get you a bigger return on your money.  For the same money, why not buy an older car that already has "collectability".  Why would want to park a car such as an SRT or Hellcat in the garage and save it for someone in the future to enjoy?  Enjoy it yourself...if someone twenty years down the road truly wants a car like yours, the mileage will become secondary if there are fewer to chose from.  (I don't see today's buyers of Daytona and Superbirds asking about mileage).  Plus, most individuals don't understand the correct way to place a vehicle into long term storage anyway and the end result is more often than not...less than desirable.  We've already seen many a Wingcar, Hemi and other collectable cars stored incorrectly and the end result.   
There is no guarantee that any of today's muscle cars will be that desirable in the distant future...and for that matter there is no guarantee that you will even be around to reap the rewards from selling your car.  So enjoy your car first and worry about its future value later.  Just my   

[HeavyFuel]

I put classic cars in the same category as Classic Rock (formerly known as just 'Rock').  It came on the air and never went away.  You can tune in several stations in any city that are dedicated to just that.  Listen to the new music that is popular today.....do you think that anyone will be searching the airwaves in 30 years for Beiber or Cyrus?

I don't even have to be in my Charger to enjoy it.......just looking at it gives me pleasure.  

Little bits of happiness every time it's in my sight.  There isn't a new car (at least one that I can afford, let alone work on) that even comes close.



Have a brother and we were talking about the Hellcat Charger yesterday, and he said that if he had $65K to spend on a 2nd gen or a Hellcat, he'd take the Hellcat in a heartbeat.  

My wife said that I could get a Hellcat if I sold my '68.    

[myk]

 
There is no guarantee that any of today's muscle cars will be that desirable in the distant future...and for that matter there is no guarantee that you will even be around to reap the rewards from selling your car.  So enjoy your car first and worry about its future value later.  Just my   

EXACTLY.  I don't even see myself being alive NEXT WEEK let alone wondering about the sort of moves I'd like to be making 10, 20, 30 years down the road.  It's an illogical cliche, but I say live for today anyway.  Personally, I'd rather arrive at the gates saying "yes, while I was alive I drove the snot out of my (insert car of choice here), and I am ready for judgement..."

[workworkwork]

What will the world be like 30 years from now. Lack of fuel? China owning everything? US having gone bankrupt? I still think you are better off buying a 2nd gen charger or even a 3rd gen if you like 3rd gens like I do. Enjoy it. I guarantee that if you buy a new charger now, 5 years from now you will have lost 10 to 15K whether you drive it much or not.

[Ghoste]

Buy what you like, if you like spending the money on something and hoarding it away the knock yourself out (and some do enjoy that).  If you enjoy the thrill of driving it though...

[bull]

No. Even if the car looked like a Charger and were desireable across the board, could you imagine trying to restore a modern car? Forty years from now trying to find an ECM, air bags, interior parts, wiring harnesses, etc.? It would be like trying to find bigfoot riding a unicorn. Would you pull a 2006 out of the brush and spend $50k to restore it? Not worth the effort on any level, unless you're nuts.

[Troy]

I don't have that much time left! It took nearly 20 years for the first muscle car boom to hit and about another 15 after that for the prices to really go nuts. The high dollar cars were (and likely always will be) the ultra rare versions that hardly anyone could afford when new. Of those, it seems that half or less are still alive (which is a way higher percentage than the less rare versions). I suppose that leaves us with SRT 6.4s and Hellcats. If I had one today I'd run it into the ground well before it became collectible (and I got old).

Troy

[ramairthree]

I disagree that the super valuable cars of today were not affordable to most new.

My dad worked part time as a mechanic in high school.  As a junior and senior he was driving a few years old tri power 65 GTO.
When he graduated HS he worked full time as a mechanic and bought a brand new 68 442.
Then took over the garage (one bay, two pump Sunoco) paying away at it from the guy that wanted to retire.
He ordered a brand new 70 SS 454 Chevelle.
He traded it like 6 months later for a new still on the lot 440 Automatic Daytona.
He paid cash for a 2 year old 69 Z28 as an extra car.
The 16 year old high school kid working for him part time bought the Z29 from him a year or two later.

Sure,
maybe a Yenko or some sure rare stuff 90 plus percent of people did not even know about cost more than the average buyer had,

but brand new top of the line stuff was available and affordable to the average guy.

A brand new Army officer could get a big block Vette, etc.

Your part time job in HS guy is not buying a two year old SRT.
The new HS grad with a full time job is not buying a brand new SS Camaro or GT Mustang.
Hell, the new Army officer or college grad is likely not getting a brand new Vette.

The cost to salary of a great car now is way more than it used to be in today's dollars.

[moparnation74]

Sure,
maybe a Yenko or some sure rare stuff

I believe that is what he was referring to.

[Lord Warlock]

Not many new army officers could afford new cars back then, my dad was a navy officer with a family and couldn't afford a new vette back then.  I do know that my charger would have stickered close to a new vette based on the options that are on it.  He did drive several hemi's and had a 63 300-J, which was probably the only new car I ever remember having in the 60s.  Didn't keep it long, my mom couldn't drive it.  The military was usually dreadfully underpaid during that era. 

As for the uber rare's like yenkos, most of us growing up at the time never even heard of them except in magazines, I never heard about yenkos till one was featured in car craft, I knew about Shelby gt500s, limited production hemi darts etc but there were some parts of the trade I was ignorant of back then, like Baldwin motion and Mr Norm's.  There were always areas of the hobby I could learn more of.  

[ws23rt]

They could well be.  There could well be no fuel or an affordable way to own them by then too, who knows?  There was a time when the classic ones weren't collectible either.  As for saving them, I think thats a big waste, just get out and enjoy the car.
Ask the 25th Anniversary Vette buyers and last Cadillac convertible Eldorado buyers who stored them thinking they would get rich only to give up decades later to accept they were only worth what other used cars were.

I recall reading about those saved vettes and eldorados. when it was a topic.   Since I was not much interested in those cars then it passed me by as being rather odd that someone would do something like that.

A friend that I've worked with over many years talked about a very low mile vett he had (not sure of the year-early sixties). He had it cared for in storage out of state and paid a good sum every month for it's care.  I asked him every so often about it and his plans for it.  He always said it was for later and would be worth it.
My friend is getting on in age and has health troubles that will not regress. He is in no place to enjoy his prize in waiting and likely never will. Maybe his family will get some benefit but he always told me the vett was for him when the time was right.

Procrastination is very human. So is nesting and saving for later. We all have some of that in us.  The trick is to figure out how to use and spend what we work for to match our expected desires and needs without their being anything left over at the end.

I like the old saying that my last check will bounce but for many spending their life's effort is something their kids will do for them.

[Troy]

I disagree that the super valuable cars of today were not affordable to most new.

My dad worked part time as a mechanic in high school.  As a junior and senior he was driving a few years old tri power 65 GTO.
When he graduated HS he worked full time as a mechanic and bought a brand new 68 442.
Then took over the garage (one bay, two pump Sunoco) paying away at it from the guy that wanted to retire.
He ordered a brand new 70 SS 454 Chevelle.
He traded it like 6 months later for a new still on the lot 440 Automatic Daytona.
He paid cash for a 2 year old 69 Z28 as an extra car.
The 16 year old high school kid working for him part time bought the Z29 from him a year or two later.

Sure,
maybe a Yenko or some sure rare stuff 90 plus percent of people did not even know about cost more than the average buyer had,

but brand new top of the line stuff was available and affordable to the average guy.

A brand new Army officer could get a big block Vette, etc.

Your part time job in HS guy is not buying a two year old SRT.
The new HS grad with a full time job is not buying a brand new SS Camaro or GT Mustang.
Hell, the new Army officer or college grad is likely not getting a brand new Vette.

The cost to salary of a great car now is way more than it used to be in today's dollars.

I guess your definition of "super valuable" is different than mine. The key word in my sentence was "ultra rare" so you need to be looking at values for cars like Hurst, Shelby, Yenko, Boss, Hemi, etc.

An example, a 1968 Charger 318 auto ($2,492) was reasonably affordable when new - although still a good bit more than a Slant Six Belvedere which was more than a base model Dart. Upgrade to a Hemi R/T and you'd add about 30%+ to the price tag on an already expensive car. Not everyone was convinced that an $800 engine upgrade was a smart choice when the 440 was plenty fast on the street. Today the Charger is worth way more than the Belvedere - but a Hemi 4-speed Charger is worth many times more than that. Mostly due to rarity. The Hemi cars will "pull up" the values of the lesser models when supply vs demand goes haywire but the lesser model value will also drop like a rock when demand eases.

Troy

[Mike DC]

 
Collectibility happens to specific cars with a VIN number or a rare backstory.  That kind of value exists because it cannot be manufactured again.  



A 318 car is worth what it costs to replace it, even though that might be $30k in some cases.  
People pay that much every day for brand new pickup trucks too.  It's not because new $30k pickup trucks are collectible.  You just can't buy or build another truck like it for any less.  


A 318 car cloned into a Hemi . . . is worth something like what it costs to have another one built just like it.  It's a lot more than the regular 318, but it's still just the replacement value.  Paying $70k for a flawless 318 Hemi clone sounds like a lot, but could you pay a shop much less to build another one like it? 

[ramairthree]

I disagree that the super valuable cars of today were not affordable to most new.

My dad worked part time as a mechanic in high school.  As a junior and senior he was driving a few years old tri power 65 GTO.
When he graduated HS he worked full time as a mechanic and bought a brand new 68 442.
Then took over the garage (one bay, two pump Sunoco) paying away at it from the guy that wanted to retire.
He ordered a brand new 70 SS 454 Chevelle.
He traded it like 6 months later for a new still on the lot 440 Automatic Daytona.
He paid cash for a 2 year old 69 Z28 as an extra car.
The 16 year old high school kid working for him part time bought the Z29 from him a year or two later.

Sure,
maybe a Yenko or some sure rare stuff 90 plus percent of people did not even know about cost more than the average buyer had,

but brand new top of the line stuff was available and affordable to the average guy.

A brand new Army officer could get a big block Vette, etc.

Your part time job in HS guy is not buying a two year old SRT.
The new HS grad with a full time job is not buying a brand new SS Camaro or GT Mustang.
Hell, the new Army officer or college grad is likely not getting a brand new Vette.

The cost to salary of a great car now is way more than it used to be in today's dollars.

I guess your definition of "super valuable" is different than mine. The key word in my sentence was "ultra rare" so you need to be looking at values for cars like Hurst, Shelby, Yenko, Boss, Hemi, etc.

An example, a 1968 Charger 318 auto ($2,492) was reasonably affordable when new - although still a good bit more than a Slant Six Belvedere which was more than a base model Dart. Upgrade to a Hemi R/T and you'd add about 30%+ to the price tag on an already expensive car. Not everyone was convinced that an $800 engine upgrade was a smart choice when the 440 was plenty fast on the street. Today the Charger is worth way more than the Belvedere - but a Hemi 4-speed Charger is worth many times more than that. Mostly due to rarity. The Hemi cars will "pull up" the values of the lesser models when supply vs demand goes haywire but the lesser model value will also drop like a rock when demand eases.

Troy

I agree on the Hurst Olds, Yenko, some very rare Vette engines, Baldwin, etc.
Most people did not even know about those. 

I misunderstood your use of rare to mean RTs, SSs, GTXs, etc.  (as in rare to see now vs. clones, etc.)

I am plus/minus on agreement on the Hemis.
The two I knew of,
one was a logger the other guy small machine shop.  Expensive, but then again neither guy had a wife or kids when they got them.

In my youth, some very high value cars today,
such as RTs, Ram Air GTOs, Judges, 442s, big block SS Chevelles, Road Runners, etc. were bought a couple of years old by HS kids with part time jobs and brand new ones driven of the lot by regular guys with regular jobs and wives and kids.
Even my old man with the Daytona.

Let's say today a Challenger RT is the equivalent of a 440 Charger, the SRT a Hemi, and the Hellcat the Daytona.

The same demographic as then is not driving one off the lot.

A 69 Z28 stickered for about 3200 bucks.
That would be about 22K in todays dollars.

In 1979, they stickered about 5700, again, about 21K in todays dollars.

When I used my enlistment bonus as the down payment in the 80s, the top of the line TPI Z28 or IROC was maybe about 12K to drive off the lot.  About 24K in todays dollars.

Basically, for decades you see the relative stability in today's inflation adjusted dollars- for a top of the line, standard factory performance car.

When I went to look at Z28s in 1998, the SS was a touch above and higher cost.  Either way, you were looking at 25 to 35K to drive off in one depending on the Z28 or SS and options to drive off in one. On average, say about 30K then or 44K in todays dollars.

Something really happened between 1988 and 1998.
That has stayed about the same, as in 2008 I paid 30K for my RT Challenger,
but the top of the line SRT would have been similar to the 44K in today's dollars and still is for a 392/Hellcat.

So, basically dollar wise,
and demographic wise,
the dudes driving off the lot in a new top standard offering muscle car from 68 to 88,
and they guys doing so from 98 to now, just are not the same group of guys.

The only exception I really see is the military, where young single guys living in the barracks, thanks to tax benefits and combat pay, are still able to drive off in new SSs, GTs, and RTs like new enlisted guys could get a 5.0 or IROC/Z28 back in my day.  (and keep in mind, money and inflation wise, it should be the SRT they are driving off in)


I am not seeing HS grads, hell, not even most new college grads,
being the guys driving an SRT or even an RT off the lot most of the time.



I consider today's GTs, SSs, RT/SRT cores basically the equivalent of the old RTs, RRs, GTXs, Z28s, SSs, GTOs, 442s, SSs, etc.

The Shelby, Hellcat, ZL1, Z28s are what I think of as the equivalent to the ones you refer to as the ultra rare Yenkos, Baldwins, etc.

[Ghoste]

I consider today's GTs, SSs, RT/SRT cores basically the equivalent of the old RTs, RRs, GTXs, Z28s, SSs, GTOs, 442s, SSs, etc.

The Shelby, Hellcat, ZL1, Z28s are what I think of as the equivalent to the ones you refer to as the ultra rare Yenkos, Baldwins, etc.

I agree.

[Mike DC]

 
A lot of factors have shifted the demographics of car buying older.  More expensive & elaborate cars.  Used cars lasting longer.  Everyone but the very wealthiest being poorer.  Cars becoming less of a fashion/social statement.  Etc.     

[moparnation74]

The majority of these "New" cars are financed.  So unless you whip 40k plus out of your pocket and buy it outright, you are paying some percentage more in addition to the price of these cars.  That are mass produced, last longer and depreciate quicker.

It is like buying baseball cards today, unless you get lucky and find that one special insert(Hellcat) all the other cards(SRT, RT, etc.) are just common much lesser value cards.

[wingcar]

A lot of this discussion really comes down to one thing...emotion.  Without it none of these "old cars" would have the value they do, or any value for that matter.  They would be just old cars to be used then discarded when used up.  It's the value each of us places on a particular vehicle because of our past experiences that makes them valuable.  Memories are a strong pull and they tend to play a big part in decisions we make.   

[ramairthree]

A lot of this discussion really comes down to one thing...emotion.  Without it none of these "old cars" would have the value they do, or any value for that matter.  They would be just old cars to be used then discarded when used up.  It's the value each of us places on a particular vehicle because of our past experiences that makes them valuable.  Memories are a strong pull and they tend to play a big part in decisions we make.   

Totally.
That is why there is a bump in the market once guys get the cash and buy the dream cars of their generation's youth.

The boomer generation is huge and that is part of the 64-74 allure.

However,
there is something else going on with that decade of cars.

I cannot say exactly what it is,
anyone with more information or that has read about it more,
please chime in,
it is very interesting for me to learn about.

Guys that are too old for them to have been the dream cars of their youth have loved and collected them.
Guys that are too young for them to have been the dream cars of their youth get drawn to them. (the crowds at car shows may be dwindling, but there are just less youth than boomers)

Want instant cool cred for a TV or movie character,
they get a classic muscle care era ride.

Want instant character development, the same.

A lot of younger interest in these gets smashed by the price on entry.

I was out driving my 74 (yes, it is a 318 RR, maybe I should get kicked off the Charger board because my everyday ride for 6 years has been a Challenger RT, not a Charger- and while I grew up as a kid in a Daytona- I actually do not own a new or classic Charger).  As a tail end of the era car, it lacks the muscle and cost me 3K to buy so it did not get parted out.  I have put about another 3k of gas tank, tires, front end rebuild, etc. into it- and it is barely a driver and looks like a trashed beater.

I have young guys asking about it like it is some 30K car and they wish they could get one.

I was out in my 69 GTO I paid 15K for as a driver- great mechanically but showing her age and NOM, etc.  A guy in a 6 year old new GTO that were selling for about 20K then was all wishing he could get one.  But it was less than his he did not even realize.

We seem to have scared a lot of the youth away from the market.

But the interest is there from guys that did not have that era cars as the new, dream cars of their youth.

[moparnation74]

We seem to have scared a lot of the youth away from the market.

[/quote]

They are not scared. They simply cannot afford it.

It is unfortunate our society/economy has done this to them.

I think of the thread posted here by Benfro, kid would give anything to get his dream of owning a 2nd gen.  He just simply could not afford it and maintain his daily needs.  

[wingcar]

I came of driving age right after the last of the true performance cars (they were not called muscle cars until years later) had stopped being produced.  However, the used car lots were full of them when I went looking for my first ride.  In fact my friends and I always made sure we checked out the back row of any small car lot as there was usually something of interest back there....it was a time of good hunting since all these car were still considered nothing more than used cars.  Car collectors purchased Duesenbergs, and such...the rest of us drove old performance cars!   Few "collected" old performance cars back then since they were made to be driven...and we did.  They were not meant to be parked in a garage hoping for its value to go up....who cared back then as we were just having fun with them.

[Troy]

I believe one reason our cars have ridden the collectible wave for longer than expected is because the bulk of the 70s, all the 80s, and the early 90s were incredibly disappointing for automobile fans. Not only were the cars incredibly weak, the styling was bland (if not outright silly) and the build quality was horrible. One could even argue that "real" performance didn't reappear until the last several years.

Kids can afford these cars. Unfortunately, kids don't want the ones they can afford. They want shiny and cool - not a rusty project that doesn't run (my first car was a $300 70 Challenger that my parents said I could have if I could make it roadworthy). These days parents will usually buy them something "safe" and "reliable" and the kids will destroy it rather quickly. That's if the kid has any interest in driving at all. I'm seeing more and more who would rather just use mom's taxi service until they're kicked out. I have nieces and nephews just getting to driving age/high school and it really saddens me. I don't think its harder for kids today - I think they are mostly spoiled and don't know how to do anything for themselves. Let alone work towards a long term goal. Too much instant gratification and a severe lack of responsibility these days.

Troy

[moparnation74]

Kids can afford these cars. Unfortunately, kids don't want the ones they can afford. They want shiny and cool - not a rusty project that doesn't run (my first car was a $300 70 Challenger that my parents said I could have if I could make it roadworthy). These days parents will usually buy them something "safe" and "reliable" and the kids will destroy it rather quickly. That's if the kid has any interest in driving at all. I'm seeing more and more who would rather just use mom's taxi service until they're kicked out. I have nieces and nephews just getting to driving age/high school and it really saddens me. I don't think its harder for kids today - I think they are mostly spoiled and don't know how to do anything for themselves. Let alone work towards a long term goal. Too much instant gratification and a severe lack of responsibility these days.
Troy

Correct, in relation to new cars.  I was only referring to classics.  I was also referring to the kids that lack mom/dad support.  Those that actually work and want a step up in the world along with some extras.

Remember the DreamCar thread posted by Benfro? 

[Mike DC]

 
Teenage kids can afford muscle cars?  Please.  Don't make me get out the AMD catalog and start quoting prices. 

And please don't expect teenage kids to want to bust their asses wrenching on the non-desirable models/years of old cars.  You know, the ones that none of us want to dump all our money into, either. 




Do we drive these cars all year round, all weather, etc?

Do we restore them while not having a beater to get to the parts-store and back? 

Does someone else buy us a big set of tools, a place to work, and a decent starting-point car to wrench on that is not rusted in half? 

These projects require a lot more than just a teenager willing to wrench on them and sacrifice a few things. 

[myk]

I don't even want teens to be able to afford muscle cars.  Matching a 40 year old car with a highly inexperienced driver and placing them on unforgiving modern roads full of reckless drivers is unfair to both car and driver.  Not only that, how is a busy teen with the attention span of a goldfish going to maintain that monster?  The ones that do will be the exception not the rule, and I would expect to see more junked classics as a result.  Let them play with the modern stuff if they have the money...

[ramairthree]

We hit the roads in our beater 500 dollar GTOs and stuff in the 80s.

[Troy]

Where did I say a teenager could afford a full restoration? I said a teen could afford one of these cars and that isn't incorrect. Heck, most kids I know don't drive nice cars even if they are newer.

Over the course of several years I looked at over 200 68-69 Chargers for sale in my area. Of course I purchased the ones that were nice (and priced right)! That doesn't mean the worse ones were destined for the crusher - just that I knew what I wanted to end up with and didn't have the time, energy, or money to fix a bad one. When I was a kid though I bought what I could afford and fixed what I could when I could. I drove lots of cars with rust so bad you could see through them and I spent all my spare cash fixing maintenance items on the weekends. All the while I knew they wouldn't be show cars - but I had a great time any way! Recently I had a 73 Barracuda (there's pictures here somewhere). Purchase price was $9k and the body was straight with new(ish) paint. That might be a bit high for most teenagers but if the car was worse the price would have been lower. I can run through Craigslist right now and pull up piles of drivable old cars in the $3-6k range. Not that I'd recommend it to anyone but there's even a '70 Challenger on there for $1,500. Is it pretty? No. Could it be drivable - and reasonably safe - for under $5k. Yes! Will it be pretty then? NO!!!

I honestly think I've hurt myself trying to complete "perfect" cars. I have lost so much quality "driving" time by working on stuff that I really don't care about. I can live with cracked/chipped paint, ripped interiors, missing trim, ragged carpet, misaligned body panels, saggy door hinges, dashes that only partial work, and bent bumpers as long as I can cruise the back roads with the windows down listening to the engine. I got a 70 Mach 1 for my dad and he doesn't want me to restore it because he'd be scared to drive it the way he does now. It's not all about how much money you can spend - it's having what really makes you happy.

Troy

[ramairthree]

The prices on full sized coupes in driver condition is on par with all the used accords and camrys and stuff Mom's want the kids to have because of air bags, etc.

It pains me not to have the room and time for all the Ford 500 fastbacks, Mauarder x100s, Grand Prixs, etc. you see come up at driver 6K or so prices.

[odcics2]

a few new pics