When my bother graduated high school in 1971 he had saved up a little over $4k. He had his choice to either buy a new 'Cuda or go to college. He had his dream car picked out and ready to order. Lime green with billboard side call outs. 340 4speed black interior. But he chose college (which he has never used. He was in auto parts for years then worked in a mill) I wonder which choice he would make if time travel was possible. Good info. Thanks.
If you invested $4000 in the S&P 500 at the beginning of 1971, you would have about $823,364.74 at the end of 2023, assuming you reinvested all dividends. This is a return on investment of 20,484.12%, or 10.64% per year.
The average gearhead can no longer afford these cars . The majority of them now end up in a rich guys collection where they are rarely driven if ever .
Good video, Tom. Re: the ‘68 Charger, it had my pet peeve: an R/T stripe on a non-R/T (and I wouldn’t feel any better if it was a ‘68 stipe installed correctly). May as well have a big “Dodge” decal on the quarter, too - that’s what people did to their four year old Chargers back in the day.
hi Tom - the light green 1968 charger with dark green vinyl top and dark green interior appears to be close to what my old 69 car looked like originally. Not very good looking to me but they sold green a lot back in the day. I knew with a 318 (and other issues) my car was never going to be worth a lot so I made it into what I liked. In a future video I would like to here your opinion on marginally valued cars - when to stay as stock as possible and when to make a car the way you want.
I cant wait to see the follow up videos. I started watching the auctions in 04 and by 07 barrett had manipulated the market to line there pockets and scams were going on in the parking lot and we know that guy. Like jamie and i say the dream car is runs and drives and not a trailer queen show pony. Thus my cars are toys i play with. Thanks for the input on this vid. You know the game well.
The discontinuation of the shaker scoop on the '70 Challenger I believe was caused by customers complaining about glare of body colored shakers in the sun. They switched to the flat black afterwards.
A lot of debate on that one. What I’ve heard was it was related to the hood not having crush zones and in a crash the hood would go through the windshield.
Hi Tom. First time viewer of your videos here. I was led to believe Barrett/ Jackson was the gold standard in car auctions. I noticed you have a Washington plate on the wall and wonder if you are local to our beautiful state. Anyways, great video and a true Mopar fan here with Cudas and Challengers being my all-time favorites. Had a '67 GTX ragtop with a 440 mag auto and a '70 Cuda 383 4 speed in my past. Would love to have the Cuda back. Take care and I will plug into more of your offerings.
New electronics just go bad over time. Also since none of this stuff is OE you are at the mercy of the company who made the parts. If you buy a fuel injection kit, the computer goes bad and the car won’t run, and the company goes out of business? Then you are up a creek from trying to fix it. Also when something like that happens you are usually stuck on the side of the road.
G'day Tom, Really really appreciate the time & effort you & your brother put in regarding action results & what is a red flag etc. Finally a channel I truely trust regarding auction results in the States something very hard to do in Australia. It is funny how yesterday on Social media there was a article regarding Aussie Muscle Cars & how they have come off the boil severely in the last 6 months. Great video thoroughly enjoyed it. Cheers Louis Kats 👍
Tom Hi from up here in Alberta! Great video. Thanks for your insight. The wife and I have been at both auction houses and have found that the atmosphere at Mecum to be a little more comforting. Unfortunately, we could not attend either this year but watched them both on TV and we are of the same opinion that you are, that the better MOPAR’s showed up at Mecum. What does that tell you? Anyways, good observations and we will continue to watch for your commentaries. Cheers!👌
You are 100% correct about Barrett. Every year less about the cars and more about the show. Drunk bidders overpaying on almost everything and distorting market values. I've been to Mecum and Barrett auctions and the Barrett cars are usually worse in person than on TV.
Another great video there Tom keep them coming I have a question on the shaker bubble is there any method to the madness of color?? body color, argent. blackout,, what is the method to the madness there.. that is the shaker Dome>>?? seen so many that are way different .there's no method to the madness that I can see!!! Can you shed some light thanks and keep the videos coming
As a future muscle car buyer, I'm really hoping the market drops? I would like to see the success of Mecum and BJ really decrease as far as muscle cars go.
Interesting video, and good job on catching some of the tell-tale signs of things not quite right. Any of these cars are nice though, and one way to look at it is that cars that aren't as good that sell for less can be a good purchase for someone who is able to correct the mistakes. It's kind of nice to hear that the market is cooling down a little, like you said the crazy prices are not sustainable. The Airtemp decal on the windows of the GTX is interesting. Here's a theory - maybe it was a factory screw-up? Maybe someone on the assembly line put the decals on by accident. Or, maybe it's not even a Hemi car? Maybe it was a 440 AC car that someone made into a Hemi car? Or like you said, the windows could have been switched out from a different car.
You need to watch what you say as to not perpetuate misinformation. Starting in 1970 a Charger RT did NOT come standard with wheel well moldings. I saw all kinds of glaring mistakes on those resto on those Mopars which tells me they were restored by shops that really didn't know the cars. That white Superbird had the wing brackets painted white when they were all black originally. The purple Challenger had the hood latch painted purple.
I wonder how many owners of these high-end rare cars are well-heeled Mopar fans VS just Investors that just look at these rare cars the same as stocks or bonds. Maybe thst would explain some of the less than 100% accurate vehicles?
@ For sure. But B-J and Mecum pump up clout chasers and make them pay extra for “auction fame”, and thus skew the prices up beyond what they’d normally be.
Now Is The 2nd Worst Time To Sell Cars At Auctions !!!! Barret Jackson, Mecum, & The Other 3, Maybe 4 ,There's 6 Basic Famous Auctions, No Matter Which 1, Now Again Is 1 Of Worst Time To Sell Cars !!!!....
When you have champagne taste on a beer budget this stuff is just eye candy. I see the same person buying multiple cars. The rich have taken over the hobby and they're not enthusiats, just investors. Who can afford really afford any of this unless you're willing to re-mortgage your house and I know that's how some people are able to buy one of these cars. One of the biggest rip offs was the Black Ghost Hemi Challenger. What a scam.
Anyone who spends $577,000 for a 1971 'Cuda is either really dumb or has more money than brains. I lived through that era and those cars were rust-buckets and junk, and worth maybe $1900.00 used at the time. The car world has become ridiculous and a playground for only the ridiculously rich and no longer a possibility for the rest of us gear heads out here.
The cowl blackout has always been a pet peeve of mine, no true Mopar restorer would miss that. Love these series of videos. Thanks Tom.
Totally, just little details that are easy to get right.
Nice catch on the airetemp sticker! Like you said you cant unsee it
Isn’t it funny how you just can’t unsee something like that?
Agree! Cowl and radiator support blackout being a peeve of mine too.
When my bother graduated high school in 1971 he had saved up a little over $4k. He had his choice to either buy a new 'Cuda or go to college. He had his dream car picked out and ready to order. Lime green with billboard side call outs. 340 4speed black interior. But he chose college (which he has never used. He was in auto parts for years then worked in a mill) I wonder which choice he would make if time travel was possible. Good info. Thanks.
Man that would have been an awesome car
Would have been a great retirement plan to keep one of those cars
If you invested $4000 in the S&P 500 at the beginning of 1971, you would have about $823,364.74 at the end of 2023, assuming you reinvested all dividends. This is a return on investment of 20,484.12%, or 10.64% per year.
Good stuff, looking forward to the follow ups.
Thanks for watching!
That was fantastic presentation. I found the financial information great. I subscribed. Keep up the great work!
The average gearhead can no longer afford these cars . The majority of them now end up in a rich guys collection where they are rarely driven if ever .
Good video, Tom. Re: the ‘68 Charger, it had my pet peeve: an R/T stripe on a non-R/T (and I wouldn’t feel any better if it was a ‘68 stipe installed correctly). May as well have a big “Dodge” decal on the quarter, too - that’s what people did to their four year old Chargers back in the day.
hi Tom - the light green 1968 charger with dark green vinyl top and dark green interior appears to be close to what my old 69 car looked like originally. Not very good looking to me but they sold green a lot back in the day. I knew with a 318 (and other issues) my car was never going to be worth a lot so I made it into what I liked. In a future video I would like to here your opinion on marginally valued cars - when to stay as stock as possible and when to make a car the way you want.
I guess it's a matter of personal taste, but I actually like the green color. But just about any color looks good on a Charger.
I cant wait to see the follow up videos. I started watching the auctions in 04 and by 07 barrett had manipulated the market to line there pockets and scams were going on in the parking lot and we know that guy. Like jamie and i say the dream car is runs and drives and not a trailer queen show pony. Thus my cars are toys i play with. Thanks for the input on this vid. You know the game well.
Great video. Thanks Tom
Thanks for watching!
Great video Sir!
Thank you!
That was interesting, thanks.
Thanks for watching!
Serious metal mopar guys.
The discontinuation of the shaker scoop on the '70 Challenger I believe was caused by customers complaining about glare of body colored shakers in the sun. They switched to the flat black afterwards.
A lot of debate on that one. What I’ve heard was it was related to the hood not having crush zones and in a crash the hood would go through the windshield.
@@rocketrestois that because the reinforcement around the hole would make the hood too rigid and not “foldable”?
@@mattskustomkreationsthat is the common thing people think
Hi Tom. First time viewer of your videos here. I was led to believe Barrett/ Jackson was the gold standard in car auctions. I noticed you have a Washington plate on the wall and wonder if you are local to our beautiful state. Anyways, great video and a true Mopar fan here with Cudas and Challengers being my all-time favorites. Had a '67 GTX ragtop with a 440 mag auto and a '70 Cuda 383 4 speed in my past. Would love to have the Cuda back. Take care and I will plug into more of your offerings.
We are in Olympia, Washington.
Great Video, Thanks. Please let me know about the electronic issues on Resto Mod cars. Why are they prone to failure after 10ish years?
New electronics just go bad over time. Also since none of this stuff is OE you are at the mercy of the company who made the parts. If you buy a fuel injection kit, the computer goes bad and the car won’t run, and the company goes out of business? Then you are up a creek from trying to fix it. Also when something like that happens you are usually stuck on the side of the road.
Fender tag screws on an E body SB black-oxide or body color?
One is painted other bare
G'day Tom,
Really really appreciate the time & effort you & your brother put in regarding action results & what is a red flag etc.
Finally a channel I truely trust regarding auction results in the States something very hard to do in Australia.
It is funny how yesterday on Social media there was a article regarding Aussie Muscle Cars & how they have come off the boil severely in the last 6 months.
Great video thoroughly enjoyed it.
Cheers
Louis Kats 👍
Tom
Hi from up here in Alberta! Great video. Thanks for your insight. The wife and I have been at both auction houses and have found that the atmosphere at Mecum to be a little more comforting. Unfortunately, we could not attend either this year but watched them both on TV and we are of the same opinion that you are, that the better MOPAR’s showed up at Mecum. What does that tell you? Anyways, good observations and we will continue to watch for your commentaries. Cheers!👌
People like reserves I think is the lesson. Also Mecum has done really well with muscle cars lately.
the charger with the stripe and the large rt badge isnt that incorrect?
Yes emblem means it was originally stripe delete.
You are 100% correct about Barrett. Every year less about the cars and more about the show. Drunk bidders overpaying on almost everything and distorting market values. I've been to Mecum and Barrett auctions and the Barrett cars are usually worse in person than on TV.
“Lifestyle” auction is Barrett’s tagline and apt.
Good video...Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
Another great video there Tom keep them coming I have a question on the shaker bubble is there any method to the madness of color?? body color, argent. blackout,, what is the method to the madness there.. that is the shaker Dome>>?? seen so many that are way different .there's no method to the madness that I can see!!! Can you shed some light thanks and keep the videos coming
It’s kind of all over the place. Really early red cars got red bubbles but not for very long. Most 70’s got argent and most 71’s were black.
Wasn't too long-ago Hemi Cuda 4 speed convertible, were getting over 2 million.
Convertible is a different ball game from a hardtop
As a future muscle car buyer, I'm really hoping the market drops? I would like to see the success of Mecum and BJ really decrease as far as muscle cars go.
Sir you mention a charger earlier
Interesting video, and good job on catching some of the tell-tale signs of things not quite right. Any of these cars are nice though, and one way to look at it is that cars that aren't as good that sell for less can be a good purchase for someone who is able to correct the mistakes.
It's kind of nice to hear that the market is cooling down a little, like you said the crazy prices are not sustainable.
The Airtemp decal on the windows of the GTX is interesting. Here's a theory - maybe it was a factory screw-up? Maybe someone on the assembly line put the decals on by accident. Or, maybe it's not even a Hemi car? Maybe it was a 440 AC car that someone made into a Hemi car? Or like you said, the windows could have been switched out from a different car.
Possible…it’s just a flag to me. Needs more investigation. I have several customers who buy from auctions and made a pretty good living fixing them.
It seems Mopars do not do as well at BJ vs Mecum and other auctions.
Tough to say this year because Mecum Mopars were much better than Barrett this year.
Early cars had the VIN on the pan rail not on a pad like the later cars...
The door scoops are incorrect on the '70 Charger. Nice car but not factory correct.
On the 70 Charger R/T? Those are right if it’s that car.
You need to watch what you say as to not perpetuate misinformation. Starting in 1970 a Charger RT did NOT come standard with wheel well moldings. I saw all kinds of glaring mistakes on those resto on those Mopars which tells me they were restored by shops that really didn't know the cars. That white Superbird had the wing brackets painted white when they were all black originally. The purple Challenger had the hood latch painted purple.
I wonder how many owners of these high-end rare cars are well-heeled Mopar fans VS just Investors that just look at these rare cars the same as stocks or bonds.
Maybe thst would explain some of the less than 100% accurate vehicles?
Well when rates were basically zero you saw a lot more speculation, now lines of credit are closer to 8-9% you don’t see as much.
I swear when they advertised that white bird before it went to auction it was touted as an unrestored original. Are you sure it's the same car?
They had two white hemi birds one was better than the other.
@@rocketresto The only one I saw was the one they were claiming was unrestored.
Love your vlogs I was wondering have you heard from Mike Volts who use to be part owner of Rocket 🚀 Restorations ?
Mike used to be my business partner here at Rocket but he sold his part of the business to me years ago.
one born every minute
Whatz day wort once we turn the planet to glass.... as Jamie would say. "hummmmm".
The prices are really depressing for true car guys who are not bling and clout chasers.
High end cars are really expensive.
@ For sure. But B-J and Mecum pump up clout chasers and make them pay extra for “auction fame”, and thus skew the prices up beyond what they’d normally be.
Dennis Collins cars didn't do well.😒
They where built from the factory that way
Now Is The 2nd Worst Time To Sell Cars At Auctions !!!! Barret Jackson, Mecum, & The Other 3, Maybe 4 ,There's 6 Basic Famous Auctions, No Matter Which 1, Now Again Is 1 Of Worst Time To Sell Cars !!!!....
There are a lot of hacked cars out there
or they open the hoods for like two seconds.
They do some but not enough. Mecum makes a point of it.
The stock market is what sets the prices on the muscle car market. These millionaires get all their wealth from the over inflated stock market. …imo.
Stop the madness
Overpriced
When you have champagne taste on a beer budget this stuff is just eye candy. I see the same person buying multiple cars. The rich have taken over the hobby and they're not enthusiats, just investors. Who can afford really afford any of this unless you're willing to re-mortgage your house and I know that's how some people are able to buy one of these cars. One of the biggest rip offs was the Black Ghost Hemi Challenger. What a scam.
Wish I had a champagne budget but with you on beer budget.
😂😂 sky Rocket $$$for own a " big bad Mopar" 😅😂😂 , and the Daytona of 3 millons are nuts .
Top end of the market is insane right now.
Anyone who spends $577,000 for a 1971 'Cuda is either really dumb or has more money than brains. I lived through that era and those cars were rust-buckets and junk, and worth maybe $1900.00 used at the time. The car world has become ridiculous and a playground for only the ridiculously rich and no longer a possibility for the rest of us gear heads out here.