Discussion
I've owned & driven US cars for over 30 years now, but just in the last few months, prices seem to have gone through the roof. I'm not talking Roadrunners, Superbees, Shelbys and the like; they have always fetched a premium, but 'ordinary' metal, like, for example, 70's Impalas, 70's/80's Cadillacs and the like, which are appearing on eBay with ridiculous prices.
It seems entry-point now is around £15k for anything half-decent. Run-of-the-mill pickups seems to fetch £12k up, no matter what condition. Even unmolested, and until recently, unloved, '73 Mustangs are looking for £25k. I know there's a difference between what's asked and what's realised, but some vendors are really pushing it.
And don't get me started on 'barn finds'. For some reason those words give the seller carte blanche to sell a pile of rusty junk for a price that would have bought a nice '69 Mustang a few years back.
Oh for the days of matching-numbers 455 Firebirds for less that £2k...(my first US car, a few years back).
I suppose someone will blame Brexit/Covid, but come on...
It seems entry-point now is around £15k for anything half-decent. Run-of-the-mill pickups seems to fetch £12k up, no matter what condition. Even unmolested, and until recently, unloved, '73 Mustangs are looking for £25k. I know there's a difference between what's asked and what's realised, but some vendors are really pushing it.
And don't get me started on 'barn finds'. For some reason those words give the seller carte blanche to sell a pile of rusty junk for a price that would have bought a nice '69 Mustang a few years back.
Oh for the days of matching-numbers 455 Firebirds for less that £2k...(my first US car, a few years back).
I suppose someone will blame Brexit/Covid, but come on...
newsatten said:
The reasons behind any prices is totally academic,
If you think its to pricey dont buy it!
Simple...........................................................................
The biggest irony is that there's plenty of lower end American Cars, and that's doing them a disservice coz they are only lower end as most buyers aspire to a more trendy sporty type car,
Monte Carlo's , Le Mans, Satellites etc, all pretty much the same as the SS /RS type motors but command far less money,
Don't get me wrong, I wasn't moaning, just curious. And as you say, it's kind of forced me to look at different models. There's a lovely 60's Impala on eBay at the moment, something I wouldn't have considered a while back. And now also seems to be the time to scratch that itch for a '66 Bonneville 2-door, something I've fancied for years. If you think its to pricey dont buy it!
Simple...........................................................................
The biggest irony is that there's plenty of lower end American Cars, and that's doing them a disservice coz they are only lower end as most buyers aspire to a more trendy sporty type car,
Monte Carlo's , Le Mans, Satellites etc, all pretty much the same as the SS /RS type motors but command far less money,
I'm glad that I did the Corvette/Mustang/Camaro when I was younger, but they seem to be everywhere these days. And there are still bargains out there. I bought a lovely '55 Chevy 210 a few months back (albeit a four-door...) for £13k, possibly being joined by a similar condition '56 BelAir soon. Now would seem to be the time to stock up on unloved models/variants to give me something to enjoy in my dotage.
FIREBIRDC9 said:
I don't think what you are describing is limited to American cars.
Its happening across all scenes.
And you have the investment brigade to thank for it.
I used to be in the Japanese scene and it was happening there too.
This is where I was coming from in my OP. I just don't get it. Sure, some cars are deserving of their 'collector' status (either real or perceived) due to the fact that they were truly great cars, or because of exposure in media etc, but it seems any old pile of sIts happening across all scenes.
And you have the investment brigade to thank for it.
I used to be in the Japanese scene and it was happening there too.
te is now deemed 'valuable' for no other reason than it's age.I guess I'm just annoyed that I didn't fill my garage with Impalas, Galaxies, LeSabres etc while I had a chance. But I refuse to pay the asking price for some of those, speculation or not. For now, the 'hobby' has gone out of our hobby. I'm glad I enjoyed it whilst I did though.
newsatten said:
Whilst I agree to most of the above
It's just a fact that things increase in price as the years pass,
Almost all the cars were talking about were just daily drivers , nothing particularly special, and as such not particularly valuable, which is why we could afford to buy them!
Super cars are and always have been stupidly expensive,
And so it remains,
Buy your car now , money is cheap ,
Get your foot back in the door so to speak,
There's still plenty of sensible priced cars for sale ,
Not at 3K but it's 2020 not 1990!
Just got to move on !
It was more a comment on the fact that prices seem to have gone stratospheric in the last couple of years. I know you can still find decent cars for good money. Like I posted earlier, I got a lovely '55 Tri-Chevy for £13k recently. But £25k for a run-of-the-mill, average condition, nondescript motor is just silly money.It's just a fact that things increase in price as the years pass,
Almost all the cars were talking about were just daily drivers , nothing particularly special, and as such not particularly valuable, which is why we could afford to buy them!
Super cars are and always have been stupidly expensive,
And so it remains,
Buy your car now , money is cheap ,
Get your foot back in the door so to speak,
There's still plenty of sensible priced cars for sale ,
Not at 3K but it's 2020 not 1990!
Just got to move on !
Been for sale for ages. Unsurprisingly.
https://www.cmvautomotive.co.uk/used/cars/dodge
as much as I love a supercharger, I'd say that's easily £30,000-£40,000 overpriced.
https://www.cmvautomotive.co.uk/used/cars/dodge
as much as I love a supercharger, I'd say that's easily £30,000-£40,000 overpriced.
newsatten said:
Some great moments to remember there, thats the fab part of the life long love affair with these fabulous old cars,
Right i think its back to topic time, ie Why So High??????
Think this may answer the question lol............................
Twenty Two Thousand and Four Hundred and Ninety Nine Pounds FFS.............................................
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/28009462...
Edited by AdeTuono on Tuesday 22 September 06:21
roscobbc said:
Whilst on the subject of injection - if you were building-up a hot rod you'd just have to use this........wouldn't you?
http://www.nsra.org.uk/newforum/showthread.php?808...
Sort of related; a mate of mine is putting this TVR lump into a Mk2 Jag. Old-skool velocity stacks are an unbeatable look.http://www.nsra.org.uk/newforum/showthread.php?808...
P5BNij said:
AdeTuono said:
Welcome back OP! That's a corker... got any more pics please...?Expanding on my original post from 2 1/2 years ago, prices seem to have stabilised somewhat, if not actually fallen back. Since then I've bought a couple of motors, one a '66 Pontiac Bonneville which owes me around £15,000 (and which is provisionally sold), one a Checker NYC cab which I paid £10,000 for, but going on for bodywork and paint this week, and should bring the total outlay to around £15,000, and a '29 Model A pick-up, which I also got for £15,000. I'm hoping that my refusal to pay more than £15k has helped stabilise the prices of 'our' cars and sent the speculators scuttling off to snatch up s
tty old '70's UK-market Fords! 
I'd still pay good money for a '69/'70 Mustang though; my remaining bucket-list car. 351 in red/black please...
ratrod 2 said:
Now that is a bit of me, just look at that interior so 60's America.
I 've always had a soft spot for one of those huge 65/66 Bonneville's coupe with the stacked headlights and rear spats,
They also have those lovely Poncho rims, They just never come up.
Mine did, earlier this year. I 've always had a soft spot for one of those huge 65/66 Bonneville's coupe with the stacked headlights and rear spats,
They also have those lovely Poncho rims, They just never come up.
ratrod 2 said:
AdeTuono said:
ratrod 2 said:
Now that is a bit of me, just look at that interior so 60's America.
I 've always had a soft spot for one of those huge 65/66 Bonneville's coupe with the stacked headlights and rear spats,
They also have those lovely Poncho rims, They just never come up.
Mine did, earlier this year. I 've always had a soft spot for one of those huge 65/66 Bonneville's coupe with the stacked headlights and rear spats,
They also have those lovely Poncho rims, They just never come up.
you were lucky finding one .
Edited by ratrod 2 on Wednesday 4th October 13:11
Harking back to the original post, is it just me who thinks this is a tad optimistic? I mean, it's quite nice, but £84,000!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196059576435?mkevt=1&am...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196059576435?mkevt=1&am...
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