Future of Late (75-79) B-bodies ?

[d9103365]

that's interesting what you said about 4 doors..but now that I think about it, very true. The younger generation does not have the same stigma about 4 doors as us older guys...and they are becoming more popular.

 

[Ron H]

Interesting comments about prices going up even pre-75. This is contrary to some others (and on the forum) saying older classic/muscle cars are going to be a glut as older boomers and some of those left from pre-boomers die off. The traits of millennials are opposite the prior two generations wanting urban life with everything in their world from work to play within a few blocks. Sounds terribly confining and stifling to me but then I'm a country person. Hmm...owned a 76 and 80 Cordoba way back when and never thought about them as disco cars...

 

[Matthew Maloney]

All I can say is WOW. Comparing a Cordoba to a T/A? All cars can be collectable. Some will bring in more money than others. The availability or replacement parts does make a difference. In the mid to late 1970's the insurance industry killed off most muscle cars. It was the heyday for Disco so what's wrong with calling the late 70's cars disco era cars? You know whats sad from those days? In 1979 the top HP car was a Corvette, 2nd CAR was a Chrysler Cordoba LS-300. Both were the only American cars produced with true dual exhaust.

And the funny thing about that was the corvette was what a 150 hp 350. The 1979 lil red express smoked the 79 vette in the quarter mile back then.

 

[monaco66coupe]

When people discover the 75-79 models they won't be interested in the original drivetrains. The next group will realize all the wrecked Chargers with 5.7's in them can easily be Installed in the 70's cars with all the vendors out there selling kits. No more anemic 318's,360's and 400's. I have considered it myself. Not in a 60's car, but I can't rule out converting my 77'. A light weight drive train pushing an easy 450 HP in a Magnum or Cordoba,,,, That would be one hell of a car!

 

[WileE]

Well, that brings up a debatable issue. What would someone prefer to do with a late 70s b-body ? Assuming a solid, well-kept specimen. Leave the original drive train as-is ? Modify/upgrade the traditional way ? Swap out for a current version hemi ? To what extent would either choice of modifications be worth it ?

 

[monaco66coupe]

The way I see it is many young people love 70's cars. they just want them modern. That tech was the basement before things turned around. The future is the fun part to anticipate. The 75-79 models rode nice, and handled well. they were just dogs. Fix that, and it could be the hotrods of the old days being souped up.

Think positive!

 

[rumblefish360]

The 75-79 models rode nice, and handled well. they were just dogs. Fix that, and it could be the hotrods of the old days being souped up.

Think positive!

Trying to do just that now. Swapped a (5.9) Magnum into my Magnum.
Has a nice ring to it.

 

[Matthew Maloney]

NOT MINE

There are a few SS22L9R cars at this place:

http://www.amsnos.com/UVL.aspx

They got em listed as cordobas too. Prob dont even know what they really are. Most salvage yards dont know or really care. They make money off what they can sell off this old stuff, then look at scrap weight. Usually when the steel prices go up it becomes a crush fest. I been picking off this old 67 barracuda at my local yard. Still had a bunch of good stuff on it. I went back w a floor jack and some cribbing to get the V8 K and motor mounts, it was gone. I found it flat as a board on a pile of other cadavers. Car sat there for years as i slowly picked it clean. I just posted pix of a 78 magnum xe in my local boneyard. Car is pretty clean. I had a 77 charger SE years ago. 1987 it was. Nice car. Red with white leather bucket seat interior. Half vinyl top, Rallyes, console with auto trans. I added power windows out of a cordoba. Actually was really easy to do. Was a 400 car, i dropped in a 440, ditched the lean burn. I wish i had that one back.

 

[TNTsMAG]

I just posted pix of a 78 magnum xe in my local boneyard. Car is pretty clean.

Did it have a good RR stainless wheel opening trim by chance???

 

[Matthew Maloney]

Check my thread about the car with pix

 

[YY1]

78 LRE beat the corvette.

Last year 1/2 ton trucks weren't required to have cats.

That's why the 78 is more desirable than the 79.

That and the bird bath hood.

I dig the quad square headlights on the 79, though.

 

[Northeast300]

And the funny thing about that was the corvette was what a 150 hp 350. The 1979 lil red express smoked the 79 vette in the quarter mile back then.

The 1979 Corvette had 190hp, my '79 300 has (had) 195hp....just enough to have bragging rights as the highest offered horse powered car for 1979 LOL!

 

[rt-man]

The average hobbyist is priced out of the muscle car market, therefore if they want to participate in the old car hobby, they will have to set their sights on a more affordable car.

'68-70 prices are absurd. I had a '70 Charger, insane prices now. I have an average budget, that's why I've gone '72 and '73. Its not my retirement investment, its my h-o-b-b-y.

On a tangent, not being an economist, I think prices will start coming down for 'average' cars over the next 15-20 years. An average car for me is a bench seat, column auto, base engine, clean car. The owners will start dying off, their kids will not be interested in waiting a year for stupid money, they'll look to sell quick to get $$. The concern will be if they sell to a reseller (Duffys, Coyote Classics, etc) or just let it go to the open market. $30k for a Roadrunner, when it was a throwaway car back in the day, is a shame for the average hobbyist

 

[beanhead]

Problem with the later stuff in CA is smog.. 75 and later anything is required to be smogged, and any modifications to the emissions equipment/engine/exhaust/etc is strictly verboten..

 

[Paul_G]

Problem with the later stuff in CA is smog.. 75 and later anything is required to be smogged, and any modifications to the emissions equipment/engine/exhaust/etc is strictly verboten..

Does that apply even if you have collector insurance? Here in Arizona, and when I was in Indiana too, if we had a classic insured with collector insurance there were no emissions test required, regardless model year.

 

[d9103365]

Problem with the later stuff in CA is smog.. 75 and later anything is required to be smogged, and any modifications to the emissions equipment/engine/exhaust/etc is strictly verboten..

Unfortunately, that's what happens when you live in a communist state. Move back to the U.S.

 

[d9103365]

Does that apply even if you have collector insurance? Here in Arizona, and when I was in Indiana too, if we had a classic insured with collector insurance there were no emissions test required, regardless model year.

There's no testing in my state for those cars either, but its still illegal to cut the cats off of any post 75 car and no shop will do it.

 

[beanhead]

Unfortunately, that's what happens when you live in a communist state. Move back to the U.S.

Set myself up for that one I did! And NO, I will not puss out and let the lefties just have it...I know it's hard for people to grasp but there's still way too much good stuff here...even if you can't hotrod a 1978 cordoba

 

[beanhead]

There's no testing in my state for those cars either, but its still illegal to cut the cats off of any post 75 car and no shop will do it.

What's funny, is TECHNICALLY you aren't "supposed" to alter any emissions-affecting parts anywhere in the US on 68-newer.. (thanks o-bama!) and 66- newer in CA...but I don't believe any states enforce that (even here)...appeasing the greenies for their votes that's all. Have you guys been on summit's site lately? IF you're buying engine/exhaust stuff and you answer their little emissions questions (honestly) the site kicks you out with a 'sorry!' So everything I buy is for a '65 plymouth'....

 

[WileE]

There's no testing in my state for those cars either, but its still illegal to cut the cats off of any post 75 car and no shop will do it.

Just do it yourself