Where is our vintage car market headed???

[1912Staver]

There are however quite a few 1916 - 1930 cars that are in danger of being lost. Almost any car from this period has extensive body wood. And with few exceptions many of todays survivors need attention to the wood. The cars of this period are for the most part not in very high demand, and do not generally command prices that will justify much restoration. Many get dismantled, the owner realises what he is up against and the car becomes parts or rod / rat rod material.  In any event it is generally lost to the vintage car hobby.

 

Greg in Canada

[padgett]

Morgans also.

[nick8086]

I had a reasonable slice of disposable income, but that has been gradually chipped away over the last 25 years.. me too..

 

I am in the top ten taxed states..

 

Nov 8th is tomorrow.. 

 

 

 

 

[padgett]

Central Florida has one of the lowest overall costs of living in the country. It is easier to live here without AC than in the north without heat.

 

I will be very surprised if anything is decided tomorrow but is nice to be able to go to the library again.

Edited November 8, 2016 by padgett (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

If you are looking to get rid of a Morgan with bad wood I will happily make a run down to Florida to pick it up.

Around  here ;and nearly anywhere in the world, people happily rebuild Morgan's starting with little more than a I.D. plate and an engine block.

 

Greg in Canada

[hidden_hunter]

can't wait for a cheap duesenberg or doble

 

I could be waiting a while...

[alsancle]

4 hours ago, hidden_hunter said:

can't wait for a cheap duesenberg or doble

 

I could be waiting a while...

 

I would love to see a Doble go through a public auction.  I predict there would be a feeding frenzy.  Although maybe the steam would scare the traditional high end buyers?

[Steve_Mack_CT]

AJ how many Dobles exist?  I read somewhere it is in the single digits.  This I think from my 1970s AQ "World of Cars" I believe.

 

On Morgans I doubt any will be lost due to the wood framework in the near future anyway.  Despite the prewar look, these fall squarely in the postwar sports market which is performing pretty well.  Attend any vintage race or event that features these types of cars and you will see plenty of young collectors.  These cars are well supported, not unlike the MGs of the same era, but a little larger and more powerful.  Not arguing that wood is a non-issue, but that the demand is a bit higher, the solution exists, and one can either go it alone or chose from a few known shops that specialize in these cars.  The wood reinforced frame on the early cars represents a lot of labor to fix, but at least not impossible to duplicate plans.  

[mercer09]

Although maybe the steam would scare the traditional high end buyers?

 

 

dont think so. The Stanleys pull a pretty good price and the high end buyers can generally afford "helpers" or mechanics to do the grunt work.

 

Havent seen a Doble for sale in forever years!

[hidden_hunter]

I was more being facetious, the ultra high end will always have a market - I suspect the area that's going to be hit the hardest will be the bottom to mid market  

[Guest]

Most replacement wood pieces can be ordered from the Morgan factory.

[BUICK RACER]

On 11/5/2016 at 9:37 PM, Larry Schramm said:

I think that next year I might bring the '84 VW camper to one of the shows.  It is now 33 years old.

 

When I bring the Buick truck,  the common question is what year is you Model T?  To the general public, I think everything prior to 1920 is a Model T.  Especially if it is black.

But the truck isn't black???

 

[Larry Schramm]

8 minutes ago, BUICK RACER said:

But the truck isn't black???

 

 

The hood, radiator and the fenders are black. 

[Guest marchi1]

As probably one of the younger guys to respond (still early 40's) there are a few problems with the classic car hobby/antique car hobby/collector car hobby and some of them have been addressed already but to rehash and cover my points and give you guys something to think about:

 

1) Cost-many of the vehicles in order to even get into a rusted hulk is still a few thousand dollars, and that doesn't even count the cost of what it will take to slowly work it into something even resembling a "nice" car that's no where close to being a show winner

 

2) Availability- when was the last time you saw one of the cars listed above at a reasonable price that a younger person could obtain?

 

3) Desire-This is something that no one really has mentioned. What mad the 50's car so desirable...the group that was buying them wanted them, as the "collector" age moved up and a new crowd is introduced the genre of cars has slowly moved up and is why the 60's and 70's car are now getting harder to find at a reasonable cost?

 

4) Emotion-many of the classic cars there is some sort of emotional tie in, you saw it as a kid, mom and dad had one, whatever it is, without that tie in there is no reason to get one. Now if grandpa had one may get you in the door, but isn't going to get you invited in for dinner

 

5) Generation-This is one that no one thinks about. When you start reading about the more recent generations they would rather have a laptop or a cellphone than a car. How do you convince that person that buying a car that they have no connection to is a good idea, let alone something of value?

 

6) Interest/education-How many kid can work on these cars, shoot I am 40 and barely remember carbs and points. Yes I have a the tools, and even have a vacuum plate so I can balance dual carb set ups, but most kids don't want to get dirty and work on cars unless they have that mentor in their life that shows them how to, again this leads into the how do you get someone interested in this. Also leads into maintaining the car. many times maintaining a new car is a bind on the budget that many people have a hard time affording let alone the cost of rare or hard to find classic car parts (i.e expensive).

 

I can see where restoration shops can be busy, but the cost to restore those cars, and in many cases maintain these cars is quite an issue. I personally have three "fun" cars, but none are older than 1998. Part of it is where I live finding it is a challenge, the other is that what I am currently interested I kind of walked into. What will the next car be, the wife and I are talking something from the 70's or 80's but those were the cars when we were kids that were desirable. Would we like to go 60's or 70's yeah as that is what I grew up on, but again she has no connection to them and is what we played with my dad when we were kids (actually had a 50's lead sled).

 

The other thing is that I could restore a car, but bringing something back to stock is something that most anyone can do, have the ability to modify/tweak to make it my own is my style. That's why it is hard for me to get one of the beautifully restored cars only to know that I want to change it, and thereby destroying all the value.

 

Just my thoughts. I think it will consider but will constantly be shifting...but when you get into the 80's it is even harder to find stuff that has the collectability.

 

[padgett]

I resemble that remark. Must admit that the last time I had a car from the fifties (and had about a dozen) it was in the 60's. In the 70's and 80's it was cars of the 60's and 70's. About every 10 or 12 years something interesting would come along & would buy one. Except for a Pontiac in 72 that was to replace a 70 GS Buick that was T-boned by a Mustang.

 

Today the herd (below) ranges from 1970 to 2012 (all from the last century are over 25 now). Half have manual transmissions. All have AC. None are 100% stock (but only one needed a sawzall and cut-off tool). Guess I never wanted a coffee table.

 

Agree the target is always moving and the club needs to move along with it. Generations tend to herd together. Is amazing the disparity found at the AACA site, started for the Reattas but this is a lot of fun. Know I have distractors, I usually just outlast them.

 

Are a lot of interesting cars out there, some at bargain basement prices, just need to be constantly trolling.

[The Continental]

On November 3, 2016 at 3:51 PM, trimacar said:

Let's look at this in tier levels, based on units needed to acquire a certain vehicle.

 

8 figures....Cars in this class, are in a class of their own, and the people who buy them are too....there's appreciation for works of art, which these cars are, but one has to be able to write such a check with little affect to the bank account

 

7 figures....There'll always be "pride of ownership", so the high end cars will always have a home with the affluent, some who love them, some who appreciate history, some just keeping up with the (wealthy) Joneses

 

6 figures....some very successful people here, who, as in 7 above, may love them, or love the effect that ownership has on other people, still rarified air for most of us hobbyists....As a side note, I've also seen people buying cars in this range who were fairly average Joes, middle to upper middle class, may have had some cars for a long time that were well bought then sold and borrowed to get that one car they'd been thinking about for ages....for those guys, it's love and family support and the pleasure of owning a great car they've admired for years....

 

5 figures....well, going to split this one

     -high 5 figures, see 6 above, or someone who just absolutely loves a certain car and stretches to acquire same (see 5, just not quite as fluid with assets), we're getting down to enthusiasts willing to risk some serious bucks (to them) to own a piece of history

     -low 5 figures, well, now we're in the range of just about anyone who has a steady job and owns a home.  Just about anyone (with those two stipulations) can come up with low 5 figures if they want to, and they want a collectable car.  This range is probably 80% of more of all collectable cars, so a very important part of the hobby. Very important....

 

4 figures....some nice low end collectables here, lots of fun for little money....and if you think you need to spend a lot to have a lot of fun, look at Model T guys, and the tours they do, and the MTFCA forums.  Tons of fun on the cheap.

 

3 figures...forget it.  Project cars in the 3 range, parts cars or rough,  as are some in the 4 and 5 range, and unless highly desirable, with the cost of restoration, they have a hard time finding a new home.  The cost of restoration these days, even doing it yourself, put's these cars in a "labor of love" category.

 

So yes, there's a market out there, and it still seems healthy, within limits.  Time will change things, of course, and I do believe that right now, there are a LOT of large collections that are owned by fellows that are well up in years, and unless they make arrangements to put cars in a museum, the next 10 to 15 years will see massive amounts of heavy iron hitting the market.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice points. However I would expand some on condition as well as price on lower end cars. A car in #4-6 condition as well as not preferred specs might be fodder for being redone. So really this could apply to any tier. However to some extent a $500 project car could still have been the same 20 years ago. The world's nicest 1978 Ford Granada is only going to be worth so much and a 1953 Chevrolet truck that is a project won't be worth a lot, but there are still a ton of people looking for them to put back on the road. Plus someone might take that 1978 Ford Granada that is cheap regardless of age and daily drive it too.

[mercer09]

Plus someone might take that 1978 Ford Granada that is cheap regardless of age and daily drive it too.

 

 

 

In NJ they just passed a law that any pre 1995 car needs no inspection.

 

so my 93 taurus with 50k original miles is my new daily driver. was going to sell it, nobody wants it and so it is the default vehicle here and now.

[LINC400]

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2016 at 7:52 PM, marchi1 said:

As probably one of the younger guys to respond (still early 40's) there are a few problems with the classic car hobby/antique car hobby/collector car hobby and some of them have been addressed already but to rehash and cover my points and give you guys something to think about:

 

1) Cost-many of the vehicles in order to even get into a rusted hulk is still a few thousand dollars, and that doesn't even count the cost of what it will take to slowly work it into something even resembling a "nice" car that's no where close to being a show winner

 

2) Availability- when was the last time you saw one of the cars listed above at a reasonable price that a younger person could obtain?

 

3) Desire-This is something that no one really has mentioned. What mad the 50's car so desirable...the group that was buying them wanted them, as the "collector" age moved up and a new crowd is introduced the genre of cars has slowly moved up and is why the 60's and 70's car are now getting harder to find at a reasonable cost?

 

4) Emotion-many of the classic cars there is some sort of emotional tie in, you saw it as a kid, mom and dad had one, whatever it is, without that tie in there is no reason to get one. Now if grandpa had one may get you in the door, but isn't going to get you invited in for dinner

 

5) Generation-This is one that no one thinks about. When you start reading about the more recent generations they would rather have a laptop or a cellphone than a car. How do you convince that person that buying a car that they have no connection to is a good idea, let alone something of value?

 

6) Interest/education-How many kid can work on these cars, shoot I am 40 and barely remember carbs and points. Yes I have a the tools, and even have a vacuum plate so I can balance dual carb set ups, but most kids don't want to get dirty and work on cars unless they have that mentor in their life that shows them how to, again this leads into the how do you get someone interested in this. Also leads into maintaining the car. many times maintaining a new car is a bind on the budget that many people have a hard time affording let alone the cost of rare or hard to find classic car parts (i.e expensive).

 

I can see where restoration shops can be busy, but the cost to restore those cars, and in many cases maintain these cars is quite an issue. I personally have three "fun" cars, but none are older than 1998. Part of it is where I live finding it is a challenge, the other is that what I am currently interested I kind of walked into. What will the next car be, the wife and I are talking something from the 70's or 80's but those were the cars when we were kids that were desirable. Would we like to go 60's or 70's yeah as that is what I grew up on, but again she has no connection to them and is what we played with my dad when we were kids (actually had a 50's lead sled).

 

The other thing is that I could restore a car, but bringing something back to stock is something that most anyone can do, have the ability to modify/tweak to make it my own is my style. That's why it is hard for me to get one of the beautifully restored cars only to know that I want to change it, and thereby destroying all the value.

 

Just my thoughts. I think it will consider but will constantly be shifting...but when you get into the 80's it is even harder to find stuff that has the collectability.

 

 

 

1 and 2, There are plenty of reasonably priced cars out there. Maybe, not your dream car, maybe not perfect show cars. But you can find a nice driver condition car easily for under $10,000, maybe even under $6,000. 1970's and 1980's luxury cars are nice buys that can be found in this price range. If you are willing to get a 4 door instead of a 2 door hardtop or convertible, you can find plenty of 1940's to 1960's car in this price range too.

 

3 and 4, Yes, generally people generally collect what they grew up with. But that is not always the case. There are no too many people still around that would remember a 1930's or earlier car new. Yet they are still being collected.

 

5 and 6, True

 

Also, why do cars have to be modified to be "your style"? Actually most cars I see at cruise nights are modified, not stock. Very boring to see yet another flat black primer car with Chevy 350 and Ford 9" rear end with oversize wheels and flames. IMO, this makes the car less unique as people can do that to anything. My car is bright aqua with an aqua velour interior. Many people think it is custom paint and upholstery. Not only is it the original color, but it is the original paint and interior. Some people have even accused me of lying about this even the I have the factory brochure showing it this way. Another guy I know has a 1971 Buick Riviera. Some people think it has custom bodywork even though it is 100 percent stock because they have never seen anything like it before. So if you want something unique, buy something unique and leave it stock instead of doing all the typical mods that just make it look like all the rest

[auburnseeker]

On 11/10/2016 at 5:02 PM, The Continental said:

and a 1953 Chevrolet truck that is a project won't be worth a lot, but there are still a ton of people looking for them to put back on the road.

I wouldn't discredit the value of those trucks.  Especially in the North East.  You can view my thread on selling mine and see.  I had 3 guys with cash in hand and a trailer ready to roll when my truck hit the market.  The first guy took it and I pulled the bottom of 5 figures for a truck that was very solid and drove wonderfully,  but cosmetically needed to be completely redone. 

[Joe in Canada]

52 minutes ago, auburnseeker said:

I wouldn't discredit the value of those trucks.  Especially in the North East.  You can view my thread on selling mine and see.  I had 3 guys with cash in hand and a trailer ready to roll when my truck hit the market.  The first guy took it and I pulled the bottom of 5 figures for a truck that was very solid and drove wonderfully,  but cosmetically needed to be completely redone. 

Here is a very busy shop that moves a ton of parts out the door. Bill has a pickers out west he buys from and then trucked to him in Ont.  Trucks of this vintage are in demand. Good parts have a good return on your investment like his cabs that bring up to $4,000.  http://www.billstruckshop.com/47-55used.html

Edited November 12, 2016 by Joe in Canada (see edit history)

[Xander Wildeisen]

Tell Bill to move to Idaho. He would OD on truck cabs here.

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

In my opinion I think anyone interested in owning collecting or driving old cars should not look at them as rising assets. Most old cars cost more than the owner will get when he sells it if everything is tallied into the cost of owning the car. Of course there are exceptions but not usually. The real value of the old car is in the fun of working on it and driving it and maintaining it. 

[Xander Wildeisen]

There is a business side to classic cars as well. If they were not assets you would not have classic car dealers, builders/restoration shops and auction houses. I have cars I own, and that is my hobby. I will loose all of my Labor when I go to sell. I know that, I enjoy the cars. And more people would if some things on the business side would be talked about. Fishing is a hobby, and there is a massive industry behind it as well. The classic\custom\street rod\hot rod industry is massive, and full of great people who do great things. You would not think twice about buying that new Cadillac for 50K if that is what you wanted. If you spent that same 50K on a 47 Cadillac convertible. I wonder which one will hold it's value????????? That is called a asset. This hobby\industry can only go up, as long as you have good people in it trying to make it better.

[padgett]

To me the amazing thing is that in a world of change you can take a 1917 Ford and gas it up at a modern gas station. For under $2/gal. (this morning). That is the one parameter that makes the whole old car hobby possible. True, rubber items in fuel systems need to be changed for gasohol but they exist from Amazon even.

 

Did go to Cars and Coffee this morning and was the usual hoard of rice burners, a few Ferrari/Lamb/Rolls/Bentley. Oldest cars were a '60 dual quad 'vette followed by a 65 Corvair. My  '93 GTP seemed to be next, then a gaggle of Mustangs.

 

And around Orlando, that is the way the hobby is going.

 

 

[John348]

I would rather have coffee at my house and look at my own cars, almost seems like sitting in a used car lot to me

Edited November 14, 2016 by John348 (see edit history)

[The Continental]

On November 11, 2016 at 5:58 PM, auburnseeker said:

I wouldn't discredit the value of those trucks.  Especially in the North East.  You can view my thread on selling mine and see.  I had 3 guys with cash in hand and a trailer ready to roll when my truck hit the market.  The first guy took it and I pulled the bottom of 5 figures for a truck that was very solid and drove wonderfully,  but cosmetically needed to be completely redone. 

 

I'm talking more in lines with a truck out of a field. Not sure what yours looked like, but what needs cosmetics to some could look perfect to someone else especially in regards to a 1953 Chevrolet truck. People are faking patina nowadays. 

[auburnseeker]

That's almost what mine looked like.  Faded paint,  a little surface rust,  tired chrome but fresh mechanics.

 

[mercer09]

. People are faking patina nowadays. 

 

they are?  no way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

oh the humanity...........................................................!

[Xander Wildeisen]

It is funny that people will age or antique the finish on stuff to make it look older and more desirable. But they will also stretch their face to the point of the wind tunnel look, in a attempt to look younger.

[victorialynn2]

I'm an outsider but would like to give my perspective of your hobby and speak to possible lack of interest in the "younger" generation. I am 51, so not so young. 2.5 years ago, I had to take over responsibility for my father's collection. I live 2000+ miles away, but my father had Alzheimer's much worse than anyone realized and a 1 week visit turned into 2.5 years "so far". 

 

I have posted in various forums to ask for help. I have been surprised when I describe cars like a 1930 Model A, 1924 Model T, 1961 Rampside, 70 Bronco, etc., that there are always people who caution me that these are not even high "5 figure" vehicles. My gosh, they are beautiful and worth 10k+ and I have sold from 10K - 25K. If people in your hobby don't think these are "valuable" then this is surely a 1% hobby in my eyes. That is just my perspective and I don't mean any disrespect, but I can't even afford to keep these cars for free. I don't even have the space or money to store them. In fact, the cost of liquidating these cars is bankrupting me. This is not the same hobby I remember my father enjoying when I was young and went to car shows with him. Partly because a lot of us can't afford it, but also because the cars are now highly modified and it just doesn't feel like an "everyman" hobby to me anymore.

Edited November 17, 2016 by victorialynn2 (see edit history)

[padgett]

In the UK see "wormholes".

 

Youth is not an issue for me, is more important that a lady understands my jokes.

 

err, high five figure is over $50K and more for the glitteratti. Don't think even my Judge could make that and it is more of a heirloom. Last interesting car I bought (Qualifies for AACA, DOHC 6, 5 speed manual, 4 wheel disks, runs good, no rust, very near stock, 47 built) was low four figures.

 

So they are there. I just focused on your Corvair because that is the one I understood of those mentioned & thought I'd mention the good and the bad. My tastes just lean more to a Corsa (had a 180 hp Fitch Sprint turbo I bought for $500, my 140hp was lots better for autocrossing).

 

Hobby is changing, always has been an evolution. Remember when my GTO was "too new" for the silver streak set. Have decided that my next 'vert will be a retractable. Kids have what they can afford just like they always have, only real difference is that since they have destroyed their hearing with 1000 db boom machines they need a laptop to tune a car. Also are more likely to look for parts on Jegs, Amazon, or eBay than the local FLAPS or recycling center.

 

Do think you are doing a remarkable job liquidating something you have no real interest in & don't pay attention to the curmudgeons, too bad you are a left coaster.

Edited November 17, 2016 by padgett (see edit history)

[victorialynn2]

25 minutes ago, padgett said:

So they are there. I just focused on your Corvair because that is the one I understood of those mentioned & thought I'd mention the good and the bad. My tastes just lean more to a Corsa (had a 180 hp Fitch Sprint turbo I bought for $500, my 140hp was lots better for autocrossing).

 

Hobby is changing, always has been an evolution. Remember when my GTO was "too new" for the silver streak set. Have decided that my next 'vert will be a retractable. Kids have what they can afford just like they always have, only real difference is that since they have destroyed their hearing with 1000 db boom machines they need a laptop to tune a car. Also are more likely to look for parts on Jegs, Amazon, or eBay than the local FLAPS or recycling center.

 

Do think you are doing a remarkable job liquidating something you have no real interest in & don't pay attention to the curmudgeons, too bad you are a left coaster.

If you are one of the members that mentioned that, please don't think I'm pointing a finger. I was merely stating that I am surprised how many people have given me the impression that the cars my father has are not a big deal and that translates to me that the majority of collectors have much more valuable cars. 

And I want to be clear, I very much appreciate all the help I have received from members here. Thanks also for the kind words.

Edited November 17, 2016 by victorialynn2 (see edit history)

[nick8086]

9 minutes ago, victorialynn2 said:

If you are one of the members that mentioned that, please don't think I'm pointing a finger. I was merely stating that I am surprised how many people have given me the impression that the cars my father has are not a big deal and that translates to me that the majority of collectors have much more valuable cars. 

And I want to be clear, I very much appreciate all the help I have received from members here. Thanks also for the kind words.

My wife tells me this every day .. I over price stuff.. That is why it does not sell..

 

or  I  just want to keep it..

Edited November 17, 2016 by nick8086 (see edit history)

[CarNucopia]

1 hour ago, victorialynn2 said:

that there are always people who caution me that these are not even high "5 figure" vehicles. My gosh, they are beautiful and worth 10k+ and I have sold from 10K - 25K. If people in your hobby don't think these are "valuable" then this is surely a 1% hobby in my eyes..

 

One unfortunate thing about our hobby is that some people seem to think others don't participate "correctly". It can be based on the amount of grease under your fingernails, or how much your car is worth. But for the most part, I think people around here are pretty open minded, even if they like a spirited debate every so-often. As this relates to your Corvair not being high 5-figure car, I think you may have missed the point the other poster was making. His advice was to be careful not to put too much money into it because of it's value. As he put it: "you could easily end up spending more money than you can get back." And as anyone who has been in this hobby for a while will tell you, it's real easy to do that. In fact, I have a four-wheeled monument in my garage dedicated to all my fallen dollars. 

 

Edited November 17, 2016 by Buick64C (see edit history)

[victorialynn2]

18 minutes ago, Buick64C said:

In fact, I have a four-wheeled monument in my garage dedicated to all my fallen dollars. 

 

Haha, yes, I have heard many stories. I guess some collectors put more money then they are worth so they can enjoy them the way they want them. Kind of like when I spend too much for a purse I guess.  

I am not restoring any of these cars but have put a few dollars in them to get them running only. 

[kgreen]

22 minutes ago, Buick64C said:

As he put it: "you could easily end up spending more money than you can get back." And as anyone who has been in this hobby for a while will tell you, it's real easy to do that. In fact, I have a four-wheeled monument in my garage dedicated to all my fallen dollars. 

 

That pretty much sums up the antique/special interest/vintage/collector car hobby.  This is no investment.  For that I am glad.  When this hobby becomes an investment it will become overly expensive and exclusive.  Think about the household "stuff" hanging on the walls of a typical Cracker Barrel.  That stuff has an inflated value because its purchase can be considered an expense thus tax write-off.  before that "stuff" got popular it was priced at less than half of what the Cracker Barrel corporation is now willing to pay for it.

 

Another thing:  I think it is really cool that Victoria Lynn is involved in this hobby.  VL, I hope you can at least keep one car for your person use and enjoyment!

Edited November 17, 2016 by sixseven (see edit history)

[victorialynn2]

28 minutes ago, sixseven said:

That pretty much sums up the antique/special interest/vintage/collector car hobby.  This is no investment.  For that I am glad.  

 

Another thing:  I think it is really cool that Victoria Lynn is involved in this hobby.  VL, I hope you can at least keep one car for your person use and enjoyment!

My father actually has made quite a lot over the years in this hobby. When I look at what he paid for some of the cars I've sold, I'm very surprised. He made a lot when I was growing up too, especially with Corvettes. He knew what to buy and held them a long time. 

 

I loved going to old car shows/swap meets and driving in parades growing up. I even got to drive my favorite Corvette (58 Convertible) to a few. He had a '63 split window, but I'm sorry, that '58 was it for me even though I knew the other was more valuable. I'm just not a mechanic so it's impractical for me to own one. However... dad's favorite is a '57 retractible, in beautiful condition and complete. I currently consider it an emergency fund since I've depleted my savings and haven't been working to wrap things up for him. I need to have something for final expenses and to afford to be in Tx and finish this process. If things work out, I may keep it. Too me it's a boat, but it also has the sexy lines of the 50's cars I love and it's special because it is special to my dad. He still remembers it, and considering he doesn't remember much, that says something. 

 

The '58 Corvette:

 

Edited November 17, 2016 by victorialynn2 (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

Over 20 years ago a guy stopped in my garage looking for a buyer for a mid- '60's car he bought and wanted to sell. He said he had paid about $2,000 for it and had around $4500, total tied up. "All he wanted to do was get his money back". The car needed paint, plus, plus. It was a Falcon two door hardtop. And not close to a $5,000 car from his description.

 

I asked if he had a new car. He said "Yes, a new Olds."

"Do you keep it in good shape?"

"Oh, yes, it is just like new."

"How much was it?"

"About $10,000."

"Do you expect to get $10,000 for it when you sell it?"

"Why no, it depreciates."

"So you got this old clunker and spent $3,000 on it, unfinished. And you bought a new car and maintained it well. You expect to lose money on the nice one and get your money back from this unfinished one, half in primer, you decided wasn't worth putting any more in?"

"Well, I don't need to talk with some who has your attitude!"

 

The Falcon sat in his front yard with a for sale sign for 3 years. We would drive by and I told my Wife it was the perennial car for sale. It was dragged next to the garage and the grass has still not grown back. The car was covered with a plastic tarp that lasted a few years then formed a veil over the car. Once I drove by and saw a big racoon crawling in the open window. One day the car was gone, leaving another bare spot on the lawn.

 

The owner died and had left his body to science. The doctors were surprised to find his skull cap screwed on. They opened it and couldn't identify what was inside, but they knew someone had put it in there. One thought it was ignorance, the other said probably stupid. They agreed there were no usable parts. And returned the remains to his Wife, who was responsible for his final expenses. I heard she was able to get it done for the $1500 they got for the nice Olds.

Bernie

 

 

 

 

[padgett]

I had a split window and would rather have the 58 myself.

 

If into purses you need to come to Orlando. We have a Prada outlet.

[John_S_in_Penna]

21 hours ago, victorialynn2 said:

I was merely stating that I am surprised how many people have given me the impression that the cars my father has are not a big deal and that translates to me that the majority of collectors have much more valuable cars. 

 

My big theme is that the old-car hobby is affordable fun.

Many, many times, outsiders looking in to the hobby 

think that it's above their budget, because they see

TV auctions of $100,000 cars and don't realize

that many nice collector cars can be found for

$7000 or $10,000.  And even asking prices in ads may

be unrealistically high, furthering their disappointment.

 

Victoria Lynn, most people in the hobby aren't well-off.

If they are advising you that cars' values are modest,

it may because they think that newcomers have high

expectations of value.  They aren't saying that your cars

are undesirable.  Even a 1976 Chevy Chevette

is interesting and can be part of the hobby!

True enjoyment can't be measured by dollars.

 

Edited November 17, 2016 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)