rant: old classic cars prices

[Paul G]

Where I am in Arizona I see cars with perfect bodys, with dings and dents of course, just no rust to very minor rust, from the 70's on up and still on the road. No quarter panel replacements needed, no floor pan replacements, etc. I would love to haul some of these back home to Chicago and sell them to people who like doing restorations, just cant get clean cars to restore.

I could imagine driving some of these cars to cruise night in the summer, and selling them easily.

Lets see........ diesel pick up, six car trailer ?  

[6spd68]

Hate to say it, but people have caught on to what we're doing and are wanting their fair share.  My suggestion it to move the age limit of the cars you enjoy working on and flipping.  I'd start looking for anything mid 80's to mid 90's instead.  Besides the obvious Camaro and Mustang, there are T birds, Cougars, Cutlass's, Mark 5's, and several other cars that offer themselves up for being acquired cheap, and yet can still be fun to work on.  Several ideas that work on our cars work for these newer ones as well.

So you're saying I should hang on to my 87 Turbo Coupe w/ the 347?  $$$

[green69rt]

Somebody already said it.... most of us would not call our cars "investments", at least not while sober.  So I have never thought of my car that way.  It's just fun for me.

I do see a lot of discussion of "market value" of our cars.    I have a hard time believing there is a "market", there are people that buy and sell but most of us only buy one or maybe two in a lifetime and there are darn few of us that own one or want one so if there is a market it's dang thin.  If you could go somewhere on any given day and look at 10 Chargers and pick the one you want then maybe there would be a market.   But sales one-on-one don't qualify.   We can try to guess how much a car might bring but it's never going to be a "market" price.

So the price of our cars and peoples expectations of the values of the cars will go up and down for no reason that I can figure out (except when a movie uses one, then watch out for a while!)

[Ghoste]

Great point.  I worked too long in the classic car auction business and sometimes forget that to most of the buyers (including myself) its a hobby with a one or two car purchase over their life.

[1974dodgecharger]

I personally do what u guys have said i buy, grade, then sell to do another project car.  Right now I'm thinking coronet.