Are 68 69 and 70 Chargers becoming unaffordable and non existing?

[chargerbird]

My first car was a 68 charger and I was 15 1/2 when I got it.  Had to wait 6 months to be able to drive with a permit.  I have had several over my life and the last one I bought was about 10 years ago.  Still have the 69 Charger, but I have been searching for a solid 68.   I have been off this forum for a few years but I notice less and less chargers for sale and less 68.  You still see more 70 chargers.   What will happen to them in the next few years?       

[AKcharger]

They ain't getting cheaper that's for sure

[Mike DC]

    
Go shopping with $100k.  You will find cars all day long.  

Sorry to be flippant but it's the truth.  The era when people junked a workable 2nd-gen Charger has been over for 25 years.  The supply has only gone UP since then, as more rough cars have been restored back to complete status.  There is no car shortage.  There is only a shortage of cheap ones.    

             

The cars are more expensive than ever because they reflect the money being spent on them.  A car does not keep existing for decades unless somebody spends money to keep it that way.  Garage storage, insurance, etc.  

And that's just the costs for leaving it alone, never mind working on it.  When you find a surviving Charger that was built with a 318 and green paint, it probably isn't a green 318 anymore.  That 440 swap and the black paintjob all cost money too.  It all contributes to the prices.  

[Kern Dog]

This car was $250 in 1994.

[Kern Dog]

This car was $1700 in 2000:

[chargerbird]

I agree and its sad to see ... its gone from a hobby to how much can I
get for it today at Barrett or another auction house...

[Lennard]

According to many milenials on Fakebook... and I quote: "you can get muscle cars for cheap when the boomers (owners) die off."

[tan top]

According to many milenials on Fakebook... and I quote: "you can get muscle cars for cheap when the boomers (owners) die off."

thats not the first time i've heard a certain generation say  that  !!

[Lennard]

According to many milenials on Fakebook... and I quote: "you can get muscle cars for cheap when the boomers (owners) die off."

thats not the first time i've heard a certain generation say  that  !!

I've read that many times over the years and I hate that kind of attitude.

It's not about how bad you want it, it's about how hard you're willing to work for it.

[Mike DC]

  

I've read that many times over the years and I hate that kind of attitude.

It's not about how bad you want it, it's about how hard you're willing to work for it.

That attitude exists because of basic math.  

The boomer generation is 20% of the US population, it has 80% of the wealth, and it's nearly the oldest demographic now.  
   

[jefferson]

yup sure are.

look at the prices second gens are fetching for online now.
Almost 70-100k for a complete car.
Nuts.
Most selling in Aus range from 140-160k AUD the last few months, which is what? 100k US?
crazy.

[Lennard]

 

I've read that many times over the years and I hate that kind of attitude.

It's not about how bad you want it, it's about how hard you're willing to work for it.

That attitude exists because of basic math.  

The boomer generation is 20% of the US population, it has 80% of the wealth, and it's nearly the oldest demographic now.  
   

Boomers didn't get that wealth from sitting on their asses waiting for the older generation to die so they could get what they want.

[INTMD8]

thats not the first time i've heard a certain generation say  that  !!

Same here. I'm still waiting for all the cheap Duesenbergs but haven't found any yet 

[Mike DC]

Boomers didn't get that wealth from sitting on their asses waiting for the older generation to die so they could get what they want.

Things you can count on in this world:

1.  Death
2.  Taxes
3.  Older generations saying young people are lazy punks.        


The fact is that boomers currently have most of the wealth, most of the classic cars, most of the interest in classic cars, and they are older.  It's just good sense to guess muscle cars will be cheaper when they are gone.  And for a young person, it's good financial sense to postpone big unnecessary toy purchases for a while.  What is wrong with any of this reasoning?      

[Mike DC]

          

Same here. I'm still waiting for all the cheap Duesenbergs but haven't found any yet  lol

1971 Hemi Cuda convertibles probably won't become cheap just because boomers are gone.  They have collectible value.  


But a 1973 Barracuda with a 318 VIN . . . that's a different question.    
 

[Kern Dog]

Boomers didn't get that wealth from sitting on their asses waiting for the older generation to die so they could get what they want.

  F A C T.

[70 sublime]

Any classic car is not going to be less money when the boomers that have them now die off and the estates sell them off

They might not keep going up in price as much as a different newer car that becomes the next best thing to have

How much did a new 1969 Dodge Charger cost when new ? $5000 ?
How much does the same 2021 new Dodge Charger cost today ? $50 000 ??

The second gen Charger will never cost less money than now but it might look cheaper when a brand new Charger ( or what ever car ) average new price is $75 000

[INTMD8]

         

Same here. I'm still waiting for all the cheap Duesenbergs but haven't found any yet  lol

1971 Hemi Cuda convertibles probably won't become cheap just because boomers are gone.  They have collectible value.  


But a 1973 Barracuda with a 318 VIN . . . that's a different question.    
 

Yes but I thought we were talking about cars that have collectible value.

[Mike DC]

 
I say "collectible value" when cars have a valuable VIN (or some other history).  

The vast majority of muscle cars don't have VIN value.  They are only worth the price of buying/building another one like it.  

In some cases the replacement cost might be $100,000+.  Or an owner might demand $150,000 even though the replacement cost is only $100,000.  But the value is still set by the replacement cost in the broad sense.  Nobody is gonna pay $3 million for it.  

[b5blue]

  The category of cars that you own but don't really NEED or USE much is so rare for most. The internet completely overhauled the used car market and that is what you see now. The ability to sell anything to anyone anywhere finds buyers with the most money. So yea 2nd gens are never to be "affordable" again. 

[AKcharger]

Oh! this might be fun:
- 1st '70 (white) bought Oct 1981 for $350 running and was my high school car...sold in 1986 for $300 I think
- 2nd '70 (B/O) bought 2002 for $500 ($250 for title and $250 back storage)..non running abandoned in storage lot... sold in 2019 for $35,000
- '72 bought 2004 for $2500 non-running but complete and $500 more and it was on the road again...still have it apprased April at $35000
- 3rd '70 bought in Aug 2020 for $31,000 running but needed paint and TLC...appraised in April at $67,000 (after mini resto)

[RallyeMike]

The last Charger I sold was a 1970 383/727 column shift bench car for around $3300 in 2001 or so. It was a complete driver, original paint, numbers matching, green x3 with pretty moderate rust. I thought it was a fair deal at the time. That $3300 was the highest eBay bid, so I think that is pretty reflective of the car's value to people. Not long after that, the prices started to take off.....

Prices are not "becoming" unaffordable. They have been so for quite some time, though of course, affordability is relative to one's disposable income.

[Mike DC]

               
A lot of it is inflation of the currency and higher costs of doing everything.    


It's completely normal these days to spend $70k on a new pickup truck.

Your local cruise night is full of cars with $15k engines.  

It's normal to spend a couple thousand bucks on a used modern V8 from a junkyard or auction.  

The body shop bill for a big resto can easily hit $30k.  The shop will probably spend $5k on the paint & materials.    

[hemi-hampton]

               
A lot of it is inflation of the currency and higher costs of doing everything.    


It's completely normal these days to spend $70k on a new pickup truck.

Your local cruise night is full of cars with $15k engines.  

It's normal to spend a couple thousand bucks on a used modern V8 from a junkyard or auction.  

The body shop bill for a big resto can easily hit $30k.  The shop will probably spend $5k on the paint & materials.    

A Friend of mine Charges $30k just for a paint job & doesn't include any body work. LEON.

[AKcharger]

A Friend of mine Charges $30k just for a paint job & doesn't include any body work. LEON.

I was going to ask how much you charged for the RR you did