Reality Check: The Collector-Car Market Has Reached Correction Territory

[Ron H]

I had fond memories of Julie Andrews. I think Ed might have spoiled it.

Ed DID spoil it. I'll never be able to look at Julie again like I once did..

 

[68BabyBlue]

Ed DID spoil it. I'll never be able to look at Julie again like I once did..

I wish I could unsee that…

 

[SlingLow]

I had an idea along the resto when I was dropping money I knew I’d never get for it. Wasn’t in it to sell it – just make it the way I wanted it. My guess, I’m around 15-grand more than I could expect to sell it for. Meanwhile enjoy driving it as I like it is the objective.

Before restoring it, already having it 15 years, wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it thinking of getting another ride. Decided I’d try selling it in a car corral, was in nice shape being a CA car and had already put $5k in it. Paid $5.5k for it putting up a price of $12k knowing it was worth every dollar. Guy leaves me a Vmail saying he’d give me $6k and to call him back. I didn’t. Hour or so later when returning to my car the guy walks over to me kinda peeved asking why I didn’t call him back. I said you really expected me to call you back with your offer, your kiddin right?

Gotta love people like this. But guess I can’t fault people who have the nads to make the heady lowball attempts. I’ve heard of incredible deals some guys have snagged that left me envious.

I make stupid low offers but I expect a no and am not bitter about it. I appreciate getting a response and let the seller know so. If they don't respond, I know why. Every once in a while you're in the right place at the right time and you get to steal something without jail time.

 

[moparedtn]

 

[moparwacko]

View attachment 1563647

Hope this is all a big misunderstanding Ed, or is it Edwina?
We all know you've mentioned a lot of surgeries in the past, and having some parts removed.

But please for the love of all that's holy, don't do an auto tranny swap on Fred.
If you yank his stick out, it will require a name change - Winifred.

 

[moparedtn]

Hope this is all a big misunderstanding Ed, or is it Edwina?
We all know you've mentioned a lot of surgeries in the past, and having some parts removed.

But please for the love of all that's holy, don't do an auto tranny swap on Fred.
If you yank his stick out, it will require a name change - Winifred.

It was just a meme, sheesh. What, I can't have some fun too?
To allay your concerns, however - rest assured, my "meat and two veg" (homage to the late Benny Hill,
RIP) as quite intact, if not the same age as the rest of my chassis.....
Reminds me of a recent CAT scan result, though - in which one of the attending radiologists remarked in
the notes that the "patients' scrotal contents are remarkable for his age".
Well, damn right it is doc - how the hell else you reckon I'm still standing?
Wife got a chuckle out of that part of the report, anyways...

Eh, the remark about neutering Fred i.e. 727 transplant was borne out of some dusty frustrations, really...
the car would not be the mechanical equivalent of me if it weren't:
a)old and feeling it
b)Frankensteined together and missing many original parts
c)packing a fairly hefty gearset (if not accompanied by the biggest gear lever known to man, anyways).

Prognosis of myself and Fred is the same - this is as good as it gets and constant repair/maintenance is
required to slow the accelerated aging occuring.

 

[torredcuda]

I wish the market would completely crash as I don`t plan on ever selling either my Barracuda or road runner and then maybe I can my dream AAR `cuda for $10k or less. I`m not holding my breath though, muscle cars will drop in value eventually except for the high end ones - they will drop but not as much.

 

[Hey-O]

I have invested in almost everything, but, cars. I was out to dinner with friends the other night and someone asked how much my Coronet was worth.............. I said, about a million smiles. It's musical chairs, so don't get caught without one and left standing. If you have more than one, I hope it's for fun, because it should be. I just don't trust these kids to have the money to invest in an old car that's a pile of useless rust that someone thinks he can get 20 thousand for. Old people with old money, may dry up, they will for sure die................

 

[68BabyBlue]

I have invested in almost everything, but, cars. I was out to dinner with friends the other night and someone asked how much my Coronet was worth.............. I said, about a million smiles. It's musical chairs, so don't get caught without one and left standing. If you have more than one, I hope it's for fun, because it should be. I just don't trust these kids to have the money to invest in an old car that's a pile of useless rust that someone thinks he can get 20 thousand for. Old people with old money, may dry up, they will for sure die................

It is interesting to compare the long term returns of traditional investments such as the stock market or real estate with price increases of our beloved Mopars. Even the most valuable specimens get beat over time. The fun factor - that's a different story.

 

[dadsbee]

I look at it this way. My cars aren't an investment, they will be a one dollar transfer to my Wife or kids. This will either happen before I kick it or if I do go before I expect they automatically go to the Wife for free and she can then distribute them.

No matter how much they may depreciate by the time they decide to sell them they won't lose anywhere near as much money as they would have if I left my RSP intact until I die like my friggin Mother did and we then lost 54% of it to the government.

I am currently withdrawing mine on a yearly bases at just enough $$'s that personal exemptions wipe most tax requirements and then just enough more $'s that I'm only handing about 12 or 13% over in taxes each time and then convert the withdrawal into a vehicle and paying bills. The way I look at that = it allows the vehicle to depreciate 40% before they'd be in a loss.

 

[Cranky]

Dang, spend a couple of days doing holiday stuff and miss out on 2 1/2 million new posts!!

 

[Hey-O]

It is interesting to compare the long term returns of traditional investments such as the stock market or real estate with price increases of our beloved Mopars. Even the most valuable specimens get beat over time. The fun factor - that's a different story.

The long term is there if you bought it in the eighties for nothing compared to today. I'm not interested in paying 100 thousand to a million for a car that I think will eventually run out of investors as interested people run thin. I hope I'm wrong. Some people don't understand when they say they're not in the market, that their 401k, pensions, health care are all invested in it. Yes, we all are invested, and we should all hope for the best. Cars are a niche market. Just my opinion.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Prices of nicely completed cars will still continue to be high due to the high cost of restoration and parts. The days of $3,000.00 paint jobs and $12,000.00 restored big block cars is long gone.

 

[Ron H]

Like a lot of us car guys in my age range and older, we had some cars back in the day that would be worth a crazy fortune today. I had a ’70 Cuda vert, BB 4-spd I got squat for trading it in for a new (demo) ’73 Challenger 340 in early ‘74. That year Cuda is about the #1 car I’d like have today, I go back and forth a bit on what my absolute favorites are and not only mopars, having a definite top 5 list. Some were smart enough to hang onto their old rides or get them when they were still cheap. I went early B having an affection for them from family history when I was still in grade school.

I was looking at nicely done cloned Cuda vert for $70 grand. Lol, one of the lower priced ones to be found today and just about to buy it; but thinking while I could fork out for it, stopped. Can’t bring myself to paying that kind of cash having once owned one, a real one, I let go for 1200 bucks. My project car days are over letting that boat sail when I had the chance doing other rides. No regrets, then there are some.

 

[Cranky]

Like a lot of us car guys in my age range and older, we had some cars back in the day that would be worth a crazy fortune today. I had a ’70 Cuda vert, BB 4-spd I got squat for trading it in for a new (demo) ’73 Challenger 340 in early ‘74. That year Cuda is about the #1 car I’d like have today, I go back and forth a bit on what my absolute favorites are and not only mopars, having a definite top 5 list. Some were smart enough to hang onto their old rides or get them when they were still cheap. I went early B having an affection for them from family history when I was still in grade school.

I was looking at nicely done cloned Cuda vert for $70 grand. Lol, one of the lower priced ones to be found today and just about to buy it; but thinking while I could fork out for it, stopped. Can’t bring myself to paying that kind of cash having once owned one, a real one, I let go for 1200 bucks. My project car days are over letting that boat sail when I had the chance doing other rides. No regrets, then there are some.

How bout a 70 Challenger 440 RT vert that was pretty much fully loaded in plum crazy? Bought it around 83 and my wife at that time hated it. It ran good but was a sure 40 footer as the paint was dull and the car was fairly worn but everything was still there. The exhaust system had patch work on top of patch work but it still ran a 14.20 on street tires.

 

[Ron H]

How bout a 70 Challenger 440 RT vert that was pretty much fully loaded in plum crazy? Bought it around 83 and my wife at that time hated it. It ran good but was a sure 40 footer as the paint was dull and the car was fairly worn but everything was still there. The exhaust system had patch work on top of patch work but it still ran a 14.20 on street tires.

That happens to be one of my top five and nothing wrong with that color. Only thing I didn't like about my Cuda was the mustard yellow color...it grew on me...just the wrong way.

 

[Cranky]

That happens to be one of my top five and nothing wrong with that color. Only thing I didn't like about my Cuda was the mustard yellow color...it grew on me...just the wrong way.

Had a 71 340 Cuda in Sassy Grass with the billboard....and that grew on me too. The only thing I didn't like about the car was the white gut but with the way it ran and handled, the gut was easily over looked. Kept that car for 15+ years and still kick myself for selling it. Got lots of negative comments on the color for a few years and then all that died away.

 

[Ron H]

still kick myself for selling it

I’m a conservative sort with colors; but plum crazy I liked. First new ’70 mopar I spotted in the flesh was a plum crazy Cuda gleaming under the street lights. Oh the envy..

I know that feeling of kicking yourself for letting a car go…we must shop at the same butt-kicking boot store.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I'm not much of an E-body person, but I could go for one of these .....

 

[XS22J8R]

I got one Mopar I’d like to sell and one (for now) on my list of cars I’d like to buy, so if all the Jim Cramers of vintage car values are correct in their predictions, and are more accurate than Cramer, I guess it’s a wash for me?
My Challenger convertible, my Magnum and my high school T/A will be on the market at some point. At an estate sale, where I won’t be around to see what they bring, thus I don’t care!