General car/truck value and future increases...discussion

[70cst]

Originally Posted by Already Gone

Station wagons are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Full size 60's original Chevy Wagons I think are a good bet. As loaded with options as possible and there were quite a few made with 396 and 427's.

Good point

[rcrahn]

Great thread which is a topic of conversation across many forums these days.....
My opinion the average guy should not bank on buying cars cheaply (10-20K range) and making a profit. Can it happen? Yes, but it's risky and not always a sure bet....
Having said that are there some nice vehicles out there today in this poor economy, absolutely.
Case in point...
A guy I know owns a machine shop/engine building/auto service place. About 3 years ago in walks a lady who owns an all original unmolested 1965 GTO convertible. The original owner was her late husband. She wants the car refreshed. $130K later it is refreshed and looking spiffy. A complete frame off.
Sadly, car is driven maybe all of 200 miles and sits in garage because she has become ill. Later she wants to sell the car, needs $. After a parade of tire kickers/lowballers it finally sells - $45K.
Best advice - look for a situation like this, purchase after someone else has dumped all their money into making it perfect......

Some of my personal favorites....Pontiacs and Datsun Z cars

[68gmsee]

Don't invest in old cars/trucks as income. As others mentioned -too risky.
Unless you're lucky and happend to get a good buy and sell it at a profit you won't make a living doing it.

If you're intent on buying an old classic buy one that you will enjoy and can pass it on. If you make a profit, good, but if you don't you still enjoyed the vehicle.

Also, as mentioned above, for resale purposes buy as completely original as possible and make sure you have someone with the expertise check it out thoroughly. High dollar buyers/investors don't want to buy someone elses modifications. It may not be to their liking no matter how nice it looks.

[Ackattack]

Yeah, I wouldn't buy vehicles as an investment.

However, if I was going to, I'd be looking for stuff that is going to be hot in the future. Not what is hot now.

For example (and maybe these are already hot....but maybe a little cheaper than the 60s muscle cars):

Turbo Buick GN / Regals
'89 Turbo Trans am
Syclone/Typhoon
Supercharged (2nd gen i believe) Lightnings
SRT10 Dodge pickup
Cobalt SS (maybe....kinda a stretch for me)
Possibly a early 90s 454 SS pickup
WRX STI
Mitsubishi Evo

Though I didn't buy it for an investment, I think my G8 will be worth money in the future. I mean they only made ~50,000 of them total in the 2 years they were made. And it was the last year of Pontiac. If I were a real collector, I'd get the GXP model with a 6 speed and LS3.....but I bought it as a daily driver.

[Cole Trickle]

Good responses......

Just something that I had been thinking about. Believe me I have done ok buying misc. cars,trucks,etc... and selling them.

I'm not an emtional buyer and always look for the deal. If you shop craigslist or other venus at times you can score a deal and turn a profit.

I keep wanting to jump into the stock market or invest with a professional. My biggest concern is this market is unstable (I don't think its getting better ) and you can always be jacked by your investor.

I have a hard time believing that you couldn't buy a couple clean C-10's today at a distressed sale and not turn a 2-5K profit a peice 5 years from now.

As far as modern cars I don't think they will hold up and become collectors items like the old school muscle cars.....There will be exceptions (ferraris,lambos,zr1 corvette , boss mustang, zl1 camaro)

[weaintscared]

Well I started with a $750.00 truck


http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=468622

[rcrahn]

Originally Posted by Cole Trickle

Good responses......

Just something that I had been thinking about. Believe me I have done ok buying misc. cars,trucks,etc... and selling them.

I'm not an emtional buyer and always look for the deal. If you shop craigslist or other venus at times you can score a deal and turn a profit.

I keep wanting to jump into the stock market or invest with a professional. My biggest concern is this market is unstable (I don't think its getting better ) and you can always be jacked by your investor.

I have a hard time believing that you couldn't buy a couple clean C-10's today at a distressed sale and not turn a 2-5K profit a peice 5 years from now.

As far as modern cars I don't think they will hold up and become collectors items like the old school muscle cars.....There will be exceptions (ferraris,lambos,zr1 corvette , boss mustang, zl1 camaro)

Well, seeing how you are in S. CA you are already well ahead of 90% of the other guys in the game. The supply of cars is nicer. The downside is there are miilions of other guys with the same notion you have.
As far as the stock market, I'd be especially careful now. QE2 is ending soon. In the past foreign investors have funded the US deficit and more recently (last 3-4 years) it has been the FED. With quantitative easing coming to a close very soon the question is, "Who is going to step up to fund our deficit"? US households? No way! The stock market run in the past few months has been sustained due to QE2.



And watch video from late March 2011 discussing what is coming.
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily...80715-415.html

Sorry to hijack thread.

[ChevLoRay]

Originally Posted by weaintscared

Well I started with a $750.00 truck


http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=468622

Uh, mine started at $3K. I'm now over $10K into it. It's a good thing that when I got it, the wife said, "How much will it cost for it to be done?" I told her, "About the same price as a new truck." So far, I'm still doing okay.

I have a friend, who probably has one of the Holy Grails of automotive collecting....a '32 Ford Coupe, with a '48 Mercury flathead, equipped with all the go-fast goodies that nobody wanted in 1965. It's drop-dead gorgeous in black, with a black/white interior, wide whites and checkerboard flipper hubcaps. It's a time machine, for sure and it's worth a lot more than he has in it. But, he also had a pair of deuce cabriolets...one original, the other a street rod with a 265/39 top-loader tranny; a '32 Rockne coupe, a pair of Bantams, one coupe, one roadster and a sports car that I can't currently recall the name, but it was built in '54, powered by a TR-2 engine and looks a lot like an Austin Healey. Oh, it's a Doretti.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

Uh, mine started at $3K. I'm now over $10K into it. It's a good thing that when I got it, the wife said, "How much will it cost for it to be done?" I told her, "About the same price as a new truck." So far, I'm still doing okay.

I have a friend, who probably has one of the Holy Grails of automotive collecting....a '32 Ford Coupe, with a '48 Mercury flathead, equipped with all the go-fast goodies that nobody wanted in 1965. It's drop-dead gorgeous in black, with a black/white interior, wide whites and checkerboard flipper hubcaps. It's a time machine, for sure and it's worth a lot more than he has in it. But, he also had a pair of deuce cabriolets...one original, the other a street rod with a 265/39 top-loader tranny; a '32 Rockne coupe, a pair of Bantams, one coupe, one roadster and a sports car that I can't currently recall the name, but it was built in '54, powered by a TR-2 engine and looks a lot like an Austin Healey. Oh, it's a Doretti.

But - Ray - it's the Holy Grail now, but what about 20 years from now? 40 years from now? All the old guys who loved those are dying off -

that's how I stole my '31 A Coupe (restored to original) when I got it in the mid 1990's. Nobody else wanted it.

I have early 60's Pontiacs, including my Dad's unrestored 4800 mile '65 GTO (currently worth more than my house). I'm concerned that as guys my age (about to turn 50) die off that the value of these muscle cars are going to tank as well. It's already worth about half what it was a couple years ago, based on a similar car that sold two years ago and again this year.

Fortunately, I'm not in it for the money, either, but I'd like for my kids to do ok with it after I'm gone (in about another 50 years )

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

I have a friend, who probably has one of the Holy Grails of automotive collecting....a '32 Ford Coupe, with a '48 Mercury flathead, equipped with all the go-fast goodies that nobody wanted in 1965. It's drop-dead gorgeous in black, with a black/white interior, wide whites and checkerboard flipper hubcaps.

...I'd love to have one like that, btw....

(lol)

[ItsRandy]

1969 C10 - $500, new drivetrain - $15,000, bodywork/paint - 500+ manhours, driving something YOU built and unlike anyother - PRICELESS! As an investment? Not advisable.

[don t. - 72gmc]

JMO....
..Lots of good thoughts on this thread, variety of opinions that all make sense.
..How long do you plan to hold this investment? I would think a $10-20K ride would need to sit for many years b/4 it pays off. I do not expect the current economy(next 5 years) to support an average of 5%.
..IF this is what you want to spend $'s on, one word....survivors. Specifically cheap, mostly well preserved, survivors. They are only original once.
..Do you plan to drive, actually use, your investment? Have a plan to protect your $'s.
..patience.
..my 70 GMC has appreciated in value only because I bought it at a good price. Investment was not my primary reason for the purchase, I needed a weekend truck. I did my homework, searched for a long time b/4 I pulled the trigger. In this case, I know, I got lucky(grin).

Good luck...don t. ...

[LEEVON]

I'm with the crowd that old cars are NOT good investments. If you are looking to justify spending some dough, do it for the hobby that way you won't be dissapointed when you don't make any extra. There is no math that will convince me that speculating on muscle cars, then storing and maintaining them for long periods will yield a predictable return.

I have a good friend...his father is a banker (take note of this!) and he sold the family farm then started buying up a stable of rare muscle cars (mostly mopars), trucks, motorcycles, etc. then stashing them everywhere around town with the idea that would be a good retirement plan!!!? Remember I said he is a banker? Well this all started about 2004 or 2005 and he is now ready to retire...completely upside down and highly regretting the whole thing. It's really bad in terms of total dollars. To make matters worse he turned his hobby against him so now what's left?

[lakeroadster]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

... it's the Holy Grail now, but what about 20 years from now? 40 years from now? All the old guys who loved those are dying off ........

Certain iconic cars will always have a following... ever spent time over at the Hokey A$$ Message Board? New "old guys" are signing on every day, just like on this website.

I'd venture to say that more than half of the people on this website were not even born when there current project truck rolled off the assembly line.

Classic styling is timeless and therefore so will be it's appeal to the automotive enthusiast.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by lakeroadster

Certain iconic cars will always have a following... ever spent time over at the Hokey A$$ Message Board? New "old guys" are signing on every day, just like on this website.

I'd venture to say that more than half of the people on this website were not even born when there current project truck rolled off the assembly line.

Classic styling is timeless and therefore so will be it's appeal to the automotive enthusiast.

I sure hope you are right...

K