Are you getting priced out of the Classic car market?
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- Опубликовано: 7 июн 2024
- in the last 25 years the classic car market has slowly been increasing in value but the last 5 years holy cow has it inflated...what is happening and who is buying these overpriced cars?
"Rich men use them as trading cards." You're absolutely right.
It is a club.
He is so right, I used to invest in cards and comics and it took a HUGE surge recently and now pretty much everyone is priced out of collecting. Now only the super rich use them as ways to "invest".
Saw it starting to happen to cars about 10-15 years ago, 70 Superbirds used to barely hit $100k fully restored. Then I started to see 383s sell for $250k, it just didnt make sense!
@@silentk59 Exactly. I just saw a 1987 square body Chevy Blazer sell for $76,000. I remember 6 years ago, you couldn't even give those away.
Those "Gas Monkey" type shows also ran up prices. People think the 70's crap rotting in a barnyard is worth gold.
Well, as the cars get rarer, people are going to be less inclined to drive them. These are $200k cars now....
@@lot2196 That guy is a parasite. He moves from model to model exploiting them for money and destroying them for real car guys. The effects are overnight. He started doing 70's and 80's f150s and now everybody is dragging them out asking $20k for them.
He's never turned a wrench in his life. His friend dennis collins has nearly single handedly destroyed Cj's and other Jeeps.
And real cars guys are dumb for supporting them. They worship these people as they ruin the hobby.
It’s a shame Barrett Jackson and mecum has destroyed the classic car market
Every Joe Blow thinks their '72 Malibu four door is worth gold because they saw a '70 Chevelle SS go for wild money on Buyit Jackass. Anybody that offers less is clearly trying to rip them off.
And I hate both for that,, it's all because of them the average Joe can't afford a muscle car that new, might of sat on a dealers lot for over 2 years before selling and now selling over seven figures. I would like to empty Chris Jacobs bank account and waste it on Shxt cars ( like every last Ford Fairmont) out there.
Internet and ebay too
Exactly
Its more the flippers
You are spot on, Chris.
Rich people buying these cars at Barrett-Jackson and Mecum have literally destroyed the muscle car market for the average working class person.
I hate that.
Great, Great comment. You are absolutely right. The Average working person can't afford to buy any of these classics. All the major auction venues ruined it for a lot of blue collar and other average people. Thanx for mentioning this major point.
@@BruceBiazzo-qp1rh I complained about that and got people telling me to "stop whining and work harder and you can afford a car." --- Doesn't matter if I can afford it or not, it's the overall hobby that's been destroyed.
Yes and No, Leroy Smith on Ebay thinking his half rusted out 70 Malibu 4 door roller is worth half as much as a completely done built 70 2 door SS Chevelle has done FAR more to destroy the muscle car market than Barrett-Jackson or Mecum ever has.
Cash for clunkers in 08 was the tipping point.
@@TheREALOC1972 I've seen a rusted out, nearly bent in half lincoln continental missing an engine and transmission, being listed for 12 grand on craigslist
Great presentation, lets face it, the problem with the over priced abandoned vintage tin has nothing to do with inflation, inflation fuels high prices of aftermarket parts, the problem is greedy people taking advantage of car enthuesiasts at the salvage level. They see the market value of a restored car and guage the salvage price from that. As long as suckers continue to pay too much, this trend will continue to escalate. I watched this coming for the last 66 years
You are 100% correct. The money people are willing to offer up is killing the muscle car/old car hobby. Pricing the people that love the car out of the hobby
The problem is that classics and muscle cars are now considered investments. Prior to a few years ago, cars were always a loss. You could never get out of them what you put into them. And we were all better off then.
People might havta start appreciating other cars besides Chargers & 'Cudas. But I guess they havta be told what's cool.
No such thing as "being priced outta being a car guy". You either is, or you ain't.
If you is, you find a way.
Just wait. The Boomers willing to pay that kind of money for these cars are declining in numbers. Within a few years the price of classic muscle cars will come way down.
I have no idea where everyone's been for the last 30 years, but this is old news.
It's caused by greed, wealthy Baby Boomers who are trying to relive their childhoods, and the auction houses who artificially inflate values, but all three are tied together. You also, where second generation Chargers are concerned, have the number of vehicles that the shitty TV show, Dukes of Hazzard destroyed.
It is even worse for vintage Harleys....scumbags profiting from selling heritage vehicles to the Asians.....
My advice to anyone looking to get into this.. .don't think of resale value. Get what it takes to get it on the road. Do little things from there to improve things. Remember if it works, sometimes that's good enough. I know what I've spent on mine and I'll probably never get that back. I don't care, I just love to drive it. I could and may upgrade stuff, but my measuring stick is how long will it be off the road. Guys like you Chris and others, motivate me to just drive it. The world needs to see theses vehicles driving..
Agreed on that 👍
buy a running car a small block v8 good gas mileage , automatic a/c , they all don't need to be G.T.O or nova SS 396
It’s not the resale value that’s the problem. It’s the price of entry.
@@CamaroAmx true
Agreed. My 88 f150 is just about where I want it and I've had it 6 years buying stuff and changing it here and there. So many want their perfectly restored car "now" yet can't afford it instead of enjoying it as is. If you can afford a project car in this market you're well ahead of the people who can't so enjoy what you have and build as you go!
Great commentary. I’ve been a car guy since birth, now middle aged. I think 15-20 years and all the cars we love are going to be worth a fraction of what they are today. Everybody knows they are cool, but to own one you have to have disposable income, time, space, access to parts and oh yeah, gasoline. Young people/young families don’t have this unless they were brought up in the hobby. After the boomers are gone, there aren’t enough car museums in the world to take them all. Am i crazy?
that"s exactly what is going to happen.
That is exactly what I think is going to happen. My 76 yr old uncle inherited a bunch of $$$$ 10 years ago and went out and got himself the fully restored cars he could never afford before(he has 3). When he passes he has 2 daughters that could care less about these vehicles; nor do I think the son-in-laws are car guys? These will end up back on the market with less and less people who have any 'connection' to this era of muscle cars !
I've been saying the same for a while.
But what you're forgetting about is the killing off of ICE. It is real. It is happening. If we could trust manufacturers to make bigger and better every year and that we would never run out of muscle cars and V8's I would agree with you.
But that simply is not the case. When they successfully kill off the production of these vehicles, the old ones will skyrocket in value. The V8 cars you think are worthless junk today are going to become very valuable in the future for this reason.
I'm 64, and have also been a car guy all my life. I worked as a professional mechanic for 37 years. Computer cars make me sick. And what I am seeing with a lot of these beautiful old classic cars is that they are being destroyed by younger people. They are putting new computer engines in them, huge 30" GHETTO wheels with no tires on them, and a number of other disgusting things. These cars mean nothing to them, so it doesn't bother them to chop them up. I believe that is what will eventually happen to all of them. Now, I've built several hot rods out of old cars, but I never started with really nice condition cars, and I always kept them period correct. I built them Rat Fink style, the way they would have been built back in the day. I am looking for a late '70s/early '80s car (Chevy Impala/Caprice 2 door) to build one last hot rod out of, and can't find one. Many of the '60s muscle cars were made out of just regular cars stripped down with big engines in them. I wanted to try that with a newer car.
You are absolutely spot on Chris. Before Covid, I was a highschool kid who went out and bought solid Dusters and 2 door Darts for 2k. Slam a RV 440 in them and enjoyed them. Sold them in 2019 to fund me going to college. Now I'm out, I got the itch to buy another one, and now people want 10k for a rusty shell of a 4 door dart. I can't justify that.
Not only that but, 4 door darts are very undesirable lol
Thank you Chris for being this up. I've been noticing this recently, people are not driving their cars anymore. Ive had my 70 Cuda for 26 years. I finally got it going and semi presentable. I took it to its first car show in years last year (Mopars in the park). For the largest mopar show in the midwest area, it was pathetic. There were only a handful of e bodies and the rest of the show was low numbers. When I take my cuda out and stop at a cruise night, I am the only e body there. People tell me how cool it is that is still drive my car....my car is a rat and should be driven. Its pathetic on how this hobby has become.
Also screw the flippers, they also ruined the hobby.
Barret Jackson those Guy's don"t help! Dean
What I’ve begun to notice is that the car shows are filled with the same cars every years. Usually it a grey hair who bought the car many years ago and kept it or his middle aged son who inherited it. There almost never anything new because people can’t afford them anymore. It’s the people who bought them when they were cheap (late 70s-early 80s) that held on to them that have muscle cars. The local big time car show used to be full of antique, classic and muscle cars, but I’ve noticed they started to let in customized more modern cars, like tuned cavilers and neons. Why? Need the numbers. And attendance ain’t what it used to be. The vendor section is getting smaller and now includes crafts and art more than car parts. Even major local auto restoration companies stopped coming (like Eastwood, which is only 20 minutes away). They used to have a big section (the car corral) for people selling cars. Used to be 20 or 30 cars in various condition for sale. The last 5 years, it’s more like 10 and the prices are nuts. Like “here’s an old 4-door late 50s car we pulled out of a bog. Got it running just well enough to pull on and off a trailer. We shot it with some primer (with a spray can, including over the rust holes) and painted a pinstripe on it and painted the steel wheels. We want $25k for it”.
how much is insurance? you been to cruising the coast? that wasn't bad but, i got bored as hell it' was all late 60s to 70s era, many many chevy trucks, camaros, a few mopars and mustangs, no flat heads no super old shool, no new stuff or imports either but, my god the trucks and camaros and new jeeps
@@soulcontractor1641Mecum is no better than Barret-Jackoff!
I am getting an old fart with grey hair and I am crazy: I drive my old cars quite often. I am shocked to see how less and less classic cars are on the road even in perfect weather and on weekends. In Switzerland where I live I know that there still are thousands of American classics til let's say 1972 around. But those cars hardly ever see the light of day. I do not understand why people who own very nice cars are hiding them from the world. They are meant to be driven!
I had a friend who would not show up on a very special car meet because the weather forcast said that there might be a thunderstorm in the afternoon!
On the other hand there are very few nutcases who show up in any weather condition in cars that are worth hundred thousands of $. One guy owns a former race car, a prewar roadster, a high priced car without a roof and he brings it to meets even if it is raining as Hell. And he shows up at many events for years and years.
Very few of those guys you see on those events ever used a wrench on their car. They let the big wallets help in maintaining their stuff.
Thank you, Barrett Jackson and Mecum. Prices started to soar in the 90s, due to the advent of those televised auctions. Now nothing is available for the people who started this hobby. Even those that are "driving their 401Ks" are getting priced out.
100% AGREE. TV auctions ruined the classic car/truck market for us long time car guys. I seriously want to puke when I see one on TV because I know it'll be total BS and not a factual representation of the vehicles value. Just another dunk rich dude on TV blowing disposable cash.
True to a point but in the 80s old rich guys paid up big time for preWar stuff you just didn’t see it on TV. But now they are all dead and there’s no demand for 1925 Buicks. The old guys with money now want the 60s/70s stuff and Chevy Tri5s. The bad thing about modern day is how fast information travels with cable tv and the internet and then the result is that everyone with a Charger thinks they’re sitting on a Goldmine.
Sat in a field for 20 years, worth $30k… throw in a $100k restoration and sell it for $85k at B/J … great investment!
Everyone watching these car restoration shows believe they are sitting on a gold mine.
Cars are still out there, you just have to go find them. This scammer who wants $25k for that heap-o-rust (and I rebuild stuff that is that bad) is either out of his mind or trying to make a quick buck off someone who has more money than brains. Here's some stuff I bought in the last ten or so years.
1965 GTO $1500 in 2009, LOTS of rust but its now my daily driver, the pearl blue one.
1968 LeMans $300 in 2014, sat in a Nebraska pasture since 1982, its now my street/strip/no prep ride.
1969 GTO $200 in 2021, its really rough but I have a parts car for it and I can buy most of the metal it needs for $2500.
1972 LeMans 2020, traded for a 1987 BBC I didn't need in my truck since it got a 6.0. It is parts for the 69 and 72 GTOs, probably the T37 too.
1964 LeMans, $400 slightly better than this Charger, its going to be a gasser with a Jegs chassis kit.
1968 Firebird $200, not much left, but just enough left to rebuild.
1965 LeMans $1500 a complete parts car with a very good interior for the 65 GTO picked up in Flint Michigan and hadn't been driven since 1982, its also going to be a gasser.
1950 Chevy 3600 long box, just brought it home in November for $1500, runs drives, doesn't stop, only has 60k on it.
Other cars I have had for decades, I never sold them over the years. When they got bad enough that keeping them as the daily was taking too much time or money, I parked them at the farm until I could get back to them. Now I am getting back to and rebuilding them. My dad left me his 70 Cuda AAR clone when he passed in 2020. Its the nicest and slowest car I have.
Yeah most of the stuff I listed above is beyond the skills of average people, but with some scrounging rather than buying new parts from guys who think stock intakes are worth $600 and other nonsense, they are rebuildable if you are willing to put in the time. If you want it already done, drivable, with show quality or very nice paint and a near perfect interior, yeah you are gonna pay for that.
You have to know people and you can laugh at those guys selling scrap metal for tens of thousands like I do. When I kick the farm and buy the bucket, you can try to get my daughter to sell you one of mine if you want. With luck I will have them all drivable by then, some will be nice, some will be ratty, but they will be very good mechanically.
The difference between me and you, is that I build what I want from whatever I can find, rather than wanting to buy something that someone else built.
My brother is an inspiration for me - he built a 71 Nova SS (real SS) into a bad-ass big block and drives it HARD.
I asked him if he had ever "top ended" it (how fast would it go). He said, "no, because the speedo only goes to 160 (KM/h) - 100 MP/H - besides, with a car like this it's not so much how fast it goes, but how VIOLENTLY you get there!"
5 years it took him.
Now he's managed to scrounge up an almost rust free 69 Camaro, which is really exciting to me because I view them as the prettiest car ever built. It's stripped right down and he's stroking a 6l LS that will run more HP than the big block in his Nova, but will drive anywhere (possibly exceeding the legal speed limit).
Most of the work done by himself / friends.
You nailed it on the “rich guys” and “trophies” comparison. Nailed it on the head. And sideways in the General Lee for an extend curve to your heart’s content is LIVING!!! Living my man.
I am one of those who was so priced out of the market that I gave up on it. 20 years ago, Novas and Dusters were what we lower-income people gravitated towards. They were affordable (even on my VA disability income). Now, even those are absurd. I'm seeing absolute JUNK- no drivetrain, no interior, no glass, no floors, etc- going for 3-5k for a freaking Nova. But what gets me for ALL of these muscle cars, is once you add it all up- buying junk at hyper-inflated prices, all the metal to fix it, the body work, the interior work, the drivetrain- all of this NOT INCLUDING LABOR HOURS- and you are at a cost that is higher than what they are actually selling for! The people who own the overpriced junk like to defend themselves by making comments like "ooh, the poors are upset." But the truth is- people like me know the difference between asking price and actual selling price- which is why you see the same finished cars sitting on Ebay for three year stretches. If you can't buy a junker and restore it to the point where you can at least recover 3/4 of what you invested, then what's the point? It is NOT a $75,000 car just because you are asking $75,000 for it. It's only a $75,000 car if someone is willing to pay $75,000 for it. And it's even more absurd to take a junk heap that's only worth it's weight in scrap and ask $20,000 for it just because it "could" be a $75,000 car once restored. My dream cars are Chargers, B-bodies, and late 60's Mustang fastbacks. But will I ever own one as a project? Not likely anymore. I guess I better V8 swap another S10 or grab another Fox-body before someone decides that they are exotics too...
Well, have a look at foxbody prices. They have gone through the roof as well. You couldn't sell a clean 5.0L for $4k a mere 4 years ago. Now they think they're worth $20k+.
You're right in that things are worth what people are willing to pay. Unfortunately, people are stupid.
@@borisjankovici662 We're not talking about clean, ready-to-ride cars here-we're talking about project cars. I can pick up Foxbody rollers for less than 1K, and driveable projects for less than 2K all day long.
To make the matter worse, that $20k pile of...barely-even-scrap-metal, is unrestoreable! As bad as that example is, you wouldn't be _restoring_ it - you'd be building a vehicle that _resembles_ a '69 R/T, very nearly from scratch.
@@NaruSanavai But slap the VIN tag on it and it will sell for $150k and be treated like a real RT Charger. Just like that guy who is building another Mopar on RUclips. It's worse than this one (WAY worse) and is going to 95% reproduction metal and almost no other part of the car is original. But it will sell for big $$$ as though it is authentic because of that dumb, 1/4" wide strip of stamped metal.
@@borisjankovici662 It won't if he admits to doing it.
Wonderful focus on a subject that needed ro be brought to light. I am 82 and went thru the 50's to the 70's when it was affordable and fun. Too bad for us. Many thanks!
For some reason my gut feels wet and keeps hurting, 😂 i do envy y'all though.
"Hehe, tough break kid. Had mine though."
You have certainly made plenty of good points. I’ve never been able to afford a Mopar so I’ve always been a Chevy guy, Chevelles are my specialty. The cars I was buying 10-15 years ago for $1,500-$8,000 and making better, playing with it for awhile and trading or flipping for something else are now $10,000-$25,000 which in my opinion is just more than I am willing to pay. I’ll just hang on to what I have and enjoy them for what they are. I’ve since went to a different hobby because I’m just sick of seeing what’s happening to this hobby. Heck I can barely afford to buy groceries let alone hot rods anymore!!
Keep buying garbage chevys that everybody else has and let us with the money buy the real muscle mopars
@@MidnightPolaris800 You entirely missed the point, which I’m assuming you’ve probably been doing for most of your life, you just aren’t aware of it. In a way I envy that ignorance.
I’m more than happy with my Chevys that I don’t have to refinance the house to buy specific parts for and the interchangeably is beyond awesome. But I have to agree, you totally missed my point. Even junk Chevys that are like belly buttons have skyrocketed out of the average Joes price range. You Mopar guys have always been a little touched when it comes to pricing them.
I’m more than happy with my Chevys that I don’t have to refinance the house to buy specific parts for and the interchangeably is beyond awesome. But I have to agree, you totally missed my point. Even junk Chevys that are like belly buttons have skyrocketed out of the average Joes price range. You Mopar guys have always been a little touched when it comes to pricing them.
I’m more than happy with my Chevys that I don’t have to refinance the house to buy specific parts for and the interchangeably is beyond awesome. But I have to agree, you totally missed my point. Even junk Chevys that are like belly buttons have skyrocketed out of the average Joes price range. You Mopar guys have always been a little touched when it comes to pricing them.
Same thing happened to the "vintage" guitar market in the 90s. Classified ads that read along the lines of "I buy old guitars." They all got flipped and the market exploded, and what used to be a useable affordable guitar became a commodity to be held onto to resell for profit instead of played. Usually by people that couldn't even re-string, let alone play a guitar. The Mopar "market" is nothing but rich people artificially inflating the prices of their overpaid shitwagons, and like you said -- the aftermarket parts to fix them are questionable. I've said it before - I'm glad that I bought what I have when I did (decades ago) and I use the stuff.
You're on it 1000%
It's utterly absurd how much prices have increased in even the last 12 months. Duster headlight bezels are a great example. Got NOS ones 3 years ago for $100 for the pair. Now? I see them listed on marketplace/ebay for $150 each!
Shipping has gone through the roof to add to the pain.
You nailed it on every point of the car hobby. It's down right disgusting how it has become. That hunk of junk isn't worth $2100.00 or even $210.00. Another part about our hobby that is a huge problem is parts. Local parts places have zero parts available. Let alone the "workers" there have zero clue on what they are doing there. Most all of those people that work in these parts places are completely clueless about cars and if it wasn't for their computer to look up what part I many need, they are lost. I have seen many of my older car friends stop with being a car fan/builders because of this and the cost of parts that are available. This shit is out of control. Places that have parts or make parts they charge a premium for their aftermarket "Chineseium" garbage. Some, very few aftermarket part makers do make a decent part but they are very, very expensive and made out of obtainium. Some of these brand name cars like Mopar, Pontiac, Buick, these parts places add on at least 10% on the price just for that brand name. This hobby is dying because of these parts places and manufacturing companies. It is also those little bits that are needed to complete a build that are not available that are making the hobby die. Chevrolet is the cheapest brand to buy parts for and build. Being that case that is why my 79 G body wagon is my toy.
rust junk parts at swap meets prices ...... 'its for a road runner or nova ss "
I did get a 68 impala 3 yrs ago, and drove it home, I got completely lucky to,still drive it daily
U both no nothing of the rebirth trade eh boi 😂
Same here in the U.K, prices for every part is stupid, lots of idiots asking top money for junk, too many people buy these rides just for the look at me, look what I got factor. I go to car shows and see trailer queens all over and then I speak to the owners that have no clue to what they've got other than how much it cost them. W@nkers with fat wallets. A real car guy will always have a good idea of what they've got and an even better idea of whats gone into it to get it where its at now. I've never owned anything but american vehicles and I drive them every day, it is living the dream, sometimes it not easy to do that here in the UK but I wouldn't have it any other way.
@@GMCBURBANin Australia we have the issue of Afghans and Pakistanis taking over the wreckers, anything Australian bult they immediately crush for scrap metal value and Japanese or European cars they do half cuts, stick em in shipping containers and send them off to the mid east or Asia. 4x4s like Nissan Patrols,Toyota Landcruisers and Hiluxs are carefully dissembled and also sent to the same destinations. The police and insurance companies estimate that majority of the non recovered stolen 4x4s of these models end up over in these countries via these people
This exact same thing has happened here in Australia a few years ago with the Holden Monaro and Ford GT Falcons ,way out of reach for the working bloke, and now even rust buckets fetch top dollar, the world has gone nuts EVERYTHING is overpriced .
When the price of a common salad lettuce goes up to $10 you know we have an issue.....cheers love your work..
100 percent correct on this one. For years i’ve wanted a 68-70 charger or 68 coronet since my dad had a few when I was a kid. Over 30 years later i’m realizing it probably isn’t gonna be in the cards. Currently building a late model Duster in the driveway and just making a cool driver car. Wish there were more affordable B bodies out there.
And it's a shame to have to say, feel lucky to have what you have. I don't see any of these vehicles prices coming down anytime soon. I'm lucky to have a couple of C body cars which I absolutely love.
Still, man. Dusters are cool!
@@robhargis6980 oh yea for sure, it was literally a bare shell when i got it though and have put a ton of work into it. Had no interior, no glass, no K frame or front suspension. Hoping to be done with it in the next few months. I have a short video on my account if you want to check it.
@@bradleylovej hell yea they are. They’re still one of my favorite mopars, but since I grew up around B bodies i’d love to have one someday.
@@Drivewaytohell Yeah, I get that. I finally got the Ws6 Trans Am that was cool when I was in high school. In black, of course. No other car would have been the same. It makes sense that you love your Duster but still want a B body
love the 70's GM colonnade cars- tuck the bumpers- add HP and these are very fun and very affordable!
Chris is fortunate that his interest and initiative got him all those Chargers before the market took off. I will add that my OER Tic-Toc Tach also stopped working soon after I installed it, and I haven't been to a show in years because all people do there is talk about money.
It's not just what most people consider "collector cars" that have gotten completely out of control pricewise. Pretty much ANYTHING from the '70s or older they want an absolute fortune for. Even 4 door sedans. I live near Phoenix, AZ, where there are a lot of nice older cars. And the prices are insane. I have a 1972 Ford Pinto Squire wagon. I bought it in 2001 for $800. It only had 37,000 miles on it, but had been sitting forever. Absolutely ZERO rust, no dents, perfect headliner, back seat was like new. It was a full option car, except it has a 4 speed transmission. A/C never worked. It has the original optional 13" Appliance 5 slot aluminum wheels, roof rack and body colored sport mirrors. Unfortunately, it had sat for so long that the engine, while it ran, had extremely low compression. The cylinder walls and rings had rusted, and were scored and pitted. So I put a new rebuilt long block in it. I did a lot of minor repairs to it, and cleaned it up good. It runs and drives great. The original paint is badly faded, and the woodgrain vinyl is peeling off. But all it really needs to look great is a new paint job and new woodgrain vinyl. The body is solid as a rock. No undercarriage damage. All the glass is perfect. I have been offered as much a $6000 for it. It's a PINTO!!! I'm still on the fence about selling it. It's really an attention getter.
I have been looking for a mostly rust free 1977-1988 Chevy Impala/Caprice 2 door. I haven't found a decent one yet, but what I have found were ridiculously priced. I am a mechanic, not into bodywork or interior stuff. I want something I can do most of the work on. Seems like most of them have been crushed. I have seen very few in salvage yards. If I ever find a nice one, it will probably be out of my price range. I never thought something so common and still fairly new would be considered a collector car. I mean, it's not exactly a tri five Chevy.
Preach brother. I don’t know but a hand full of guys under 50 that even mess with cars anymore. If you have a family it just isn’t in the budget.
There is a one-word answer that basically blanket covers everything you're talking about. It's called greed everybody thinks whatever they have whether it's cars or parts is sitting on a gold mine everybody wants top dollar for everything. Just like you pointed out I have seen so many cars with price tags that I would never think would even be possible as a selling price. And anything with a Hemi in it whether it's numbers matching or not is just insane. It's harder to put your hands on a Hemi engine now than it probably was in the 60s people have just gotten absolutely insane with what they think things are worth. My favorite car is always been the 69 Dodge Charger I'm lucky enough to have one and I thought about selling it sometimes because I don't have a lot of time to use it but I know if I do I'll never be able to afford another one. For me it's not about the money it's about the love of the cars but unfortunately very few people think that way they just think about how much they're going to make. And that's what I spoiled the whole muscle car market it's not so much about guys fixing up cars because they love those cars anymore it's about the profit margins involved
Well said Chris..I’m totally out of it here too in Australia..Cars that were $30-45 k are now $65-90 k!!!!
It’s absolutely ridiculous…..I’m being a little bit shy of what certain cars are really worth
,but what’s sad is half of these cars are never probably never driven!
Look at everything now,the gougers and scalpers are there raping our hobbies..😒
Keep up the great work and content Chris for 2024..Happy New Year brother🇦🇺
Totaly talking out of my Soul ! After 8 Years of Mopar wrenching, i could afford my first 68 Charger here in Germany... it was flooded. Still payed a hell of money. But well i build her up and will drive this year. This is what the ❤wants...😄😄 Big Thanks for your tips! Love your channel man🤘❤🔥
I just had a conversation about this the other day. People are pulling cars out the woods that anit worth nothing and asking $5000 plus
Been buying old cars for daily drivers since 1978. This is spot on. The prices ppl are asking for rusty junk are just nucking futz and I won't pay them. My last real deal was $500 for a 53 Packard 2dr hardtop with a seized flathead 8 and Flintstone floors that I found on FBM last Spring. Most ppl want something they can quickly get back on the road and flip. Few have the patience for long-term projects.
Today my daily driver is a 2011 Mustang because I can't afford any of the old ones and can't compete with the flippers. Painful af.
You are absolutely right, I seen a video not to long ago and the gentleman said he paid 22 grand for 53 Chevy truck cab basically and he had to make all new floorboards and had to find another set of doors. That's insane!
I just found your channel, this is the first video ive seen, and it was a great one to land on.
I used to be a car guy. I guess I still am at heart. I absolutely love cars. All kinds. 90s Japanese supercars? Yes, please. Muscle cars? Absolutely! I grew up with them. Italians? Oof, I just don't want the repair bill. But I've been priced out for years now. I always say, "Maybe one day..."
I turned my now 12 year old daughter into a car guy. She knows more about cars than the boys at school. Oil changes, tune ups, you name it, she can either do it, or she helps with it.
I turned 50 last week. My "one day" days are running out. We go to car shows, although they are getting fewer and fewer. We watch the auctions on TV, and talk about the cars. Some I grew up with, some her grandparents grew up with.
But I don't think either of us will ever get the chance of owning one of the trading cards... and it's sad.
A handful of years back I decided I'd like to import ( I live in the UK) a 69 Charger. I started saving every spare penny I could, but all the time, all the prices were escalating and devaluing my savings effort month by month. I tried to buy a selection of Chargers that were already here in the UK, but either the owners wouldn't sell them, or were asking ridiculous money for them. Conclusion ; I've given up and scrubbed the project off my bucket list. Thank you Chris for doing your videos which are very entertaining and interesting .
Its worldwide as well, im into motorcycles and thats gone even more insane especially when the country you’re from has a not so good exchange rate, bikes that were 6k not that long ago in my 40’s (now 62) are now 17-24k !!! Sure ruins it for the young ones trying to get into it. Love your outlook and honesty, keep at it.
Working on my 3rd ‘69 Charger. Crazy the difference in prices over the years
I'm a Pontiac guy and have a 1979 Trans Am. Well-optioned and somewhat desirable car in that it's a 400/4-Speed car in black. Just no t-tops (which I'm fine with). I got super lucky in that I only was able to buy it because the seller happened to reply to a post I made looking for feedback on another 1980 Trans Am I was looking at. This was around March of 2020 when COVID and mandated quarantine just started. Everything tanked, people lost jobs or were furloughed... good time to get a classic, but very brief. It's a solid, presentable older restoration and very complete. A little above driver condition with no rust issues. Got it for 20k.
Fast forward over 2021 and 2022. Well, we all know what happened during those years. Late 70's Trans Ams skyrocketed during those years, and yeah it's great to own one knowing that it has increased in value but I'm still sort of resentful seeing them parked next to Bentleys on lavish lawns when 2nd gen T/A's used to be cheap entry level classic cars. Conversations about them went from wrenching, driving, and working on them to speculating prices anr investing in them. It's like, are any cars safe from this market boom and these auctions where these Hawaiian shirt wearing old farts just wave their cash dicks around? At least Chargers have small sales figures ane performance heritage. I love late 70's Trans Ams with all my heart and would'nt dream of selling my '79, but the fact remains that 116,000 Trans Ams were sold that year, and even the 400-equipped ones were emissions-choked, poor performing, shoddily-built clunkers.
Parts have gone up a lot, too. A set of door panels are like $600, and that's not even Legendary brand... that's PUI.
It really is sad how unattainable classic cars have become. And parts? Don't even get me started. I'm grateful that the repro market does exist on these cars so that we CAN restore them to new (or even better than new) condition without having to rely on hunting for NOS, but still...
I dunno, man. It's tough out there, and I genuinely wonder what will happen when the people who scoop up these classics start to lose interest or even die off. I'm an uncommon niche enthusiast in that I'm a millenial with a vintage muscle car. I'm a minority, and the fact is eventually my generation will assume control of the economy and most of my generation can give two shits about these cars.
As a younger guy in the hobby (26), I once daydreamed of having a muscle car like a Roadrunner. But around 14/15, I realized cars like that were way too expensive for me to ever get, especially in the foreseeable future. It did turn me on to less popular cars (one of which is my current project), but it is still quite disheartening to see these “blue collar” cars are no longer attainable for the average person. I completely wrote off Mustangs, Camaros, Chargers, Challengers, Roadrunners, GTOs, Cutlass’, Chevelles, Barracudas, and others years ago and never looked back. Perhaps the biggest tragedy is that these cars are actually quite popular with my age group and younger, but most will never get to own one, and will probably end up disillusioned with the hobby.
Barrett Jackson destroyed this maket years ago when they started showing the auctions on Speedvision.
Pretty soon anyone with a clapped out 68 Camaro thought it was worth a 100 grand and the body shops just encouraged this thinking so they could just soak the client.
I hear you. Back in 2005-2018 I didn't make enough money to buy the cars I wanted. Had a '85 911 I paid $18k for an when the engine went I had to sell it for $10k and thought I'd be able to buy another a few years later once life got sorted out. That's now a $80k car. Now I make extremely good money and everything is unaffordable.
911s are another breed of cars from which prices have skyrocketed. They've been taking 5-10k every year since 2014.
In 2008 I went to the Netherlands to get a really nice 1972 911 Targa for a friend, he paid around 14000€ for it if I remember right. It was the price.
Now ? The car is 80000€, at least.
Your recommendation of staying on top of looking for the exact vehicle you want and being the first person to contact is right on. I spent three years scouring all of the websites every day for the exact Jeep Comanche I wanted. Eventually found one on Craigslist from a little dealer across the state that was unresponsive to messages. I found his website and shop phone number, called him directly and was able to buy the truck! It was reasonably expensive for the mileage, wasn't quite as rust free as advertised but easily fixed, but a very rare and highly optioned 90 Comanche Eliminator with a 5 speed manual and 4x4. It only happened because I looked for every ad that existed in any corner of the net.
You nailed it with this video. The reveal about how cheap these repro parts are compared to the retail price confirms what I’ve been thinking. They’re jacking prices up blaming it on inflation when they’re really just fleecing the customer. Jokes on them, I just stopped buying their parts. I’m a Firebird guy so parts are a bit cheaper but if it’s stupid priced, I ain’t buying. Luckily there are still cheap Firebirds out there that make good parts cars but my dream of buying a Charger one day is pretty much gone.
The idiot with the 21k VIN Tag will still have that car in 5 years but he will be asking 26K. Other people asking too much for their project cars likely haven’t restored one so they have no idea of the time and effort it takes to make it good driver, never mind a show car.
I bought my dream car, a 69 Charger, not an RT, juat a standard Charger, Green, with green vinyl top and green interior, 383 4 barell with automatic with my high school graduation money back in 1983 for $800 bucks. I fell in love with the 69 Charger after seeing it in Dirty Mary & Crazy Larry, boy was I pissed when they crashed it into the train. Anyway, I remember thinking she was rough, but she was complete plus she ran and drove pretty well. I did'nt have RUclips to educate myself back then but in retrospect, she was pretty solid. She needed a trunk floor of course, and everything that goes with it, lower quarters on both sides, probably both rear wheel houses and some work on the left front frame rail where battery acid had done its dirty work but the floors and rockers were solid needing only minor patches here and there. All the other sheet metal needed work but was repairable. Got in way over my head with big dreams and a non existent budget. Later sold her as a basket case project for $1500 bucks in the late 80's just to get her out of my dad's garage. If only I had a flux capacitor and could go back and slap my younger self upside the head. The upside is, the guy who bought her was much more capable of resurecting her than I was and I nearly doubled my money. I hope he did her right and she;'s still out there some where sitting in a nice warm & dry garage all decked out in her former glory. Great video Chris, Old Chargers Rule.
I'm looking for a new project now and it's making me feel like I should just take up bingo or something. I just pulled up some parts online to see what's out there and the prices are triple what they were just a small handful of years ago and you nailed it by saying you cant save as fast as inflation makes it worthless! It used to be 20large to buy and finish a good running car that would turn heads and get compliments but no trophy winner. I'm a chevy guy so for you Mopar guys that is probably 30k for you. And I don't know what the hell this other guy above me is talking about big block shit is disgusting expensive! I used to have machined then fully rebuild big blocks for 1500 to 2000 now you can't build one for under 5 grand! And all these people reliving their glory days of when they were young my ass! Car guys had them but these other folks that want to get into it they didn't have cool cars back then they had crap and just wanted what the one guy they knew had that made them jealous! I spend 1400 a month just on my garage that I keep my car and tools in because my fucking pos condo doesn't have covered parking and I can't work on cars in the lot and where do I store my tools even if I could? I feel like the only way to be into this hobby is if your rich and if your not you betterstart a RUclips channel and get a few hundred thousand subs. I dance for peanuts as a contractor as is the absolute last thing I want to do is put on a performance when I'm in my shop and spending the only time I have to myself. I work 80 to 100 hours a week so I get about 2 hours a week to spend working on my car, if I work 80 hours I get about 6 hours that week on my car and I'm exhausted all the time! People think i make good money but they don't have any idea how many hours I have to put in to barely be able to do this! Life is just hell right now in America! If your one of those bullshit job guys that doesn't do anything that matters but are somehow right in the middle of a field that would be a lot better off without you, then you make the money I'm supposed to be making since what you do is worthless but you weaseled your way in with your collared shirt and fancy piece of paper with words like streamlining and optimal efficiency. That's it man there are so god damn many bullshit jobs out there for worthless lumps of shit with college degrees to pretend they actually provide anything to anyone when all they do is make it more expensive and ensure the guy actually doing the work or making the product hasn't gotten a raise in the last 30 years! All those raises never got went to the creation of your bullshit job! Were all screwed is what it looks like. Until we can stand together and say no, not anymore god dammit! We will continue getting shafted! By the very people and things that rely entirely upon us for their existance!
Felt that brother :( keep your head up boss 🤙🏼
i agree with you on the prices. there was a magazine article a couple years ago about the new generation buying the new super cars and totally ignoring the classic cars. i have to agree. with up dated brakes, suspensions, engines, powertrain with a warranty you cant go wrong. basically unless your rich, you cant drive em everyday with the price of gas. i love the old cars but, 440's and such are becoming dinosaurs.
It's just not true. The people who are buying these classics are not boomers who were alive at the time. They are middle aged and younger people who were 15 from even being on the planet.
I bought a 73 challenger five years ago and I’m glad I found your channel. Lots of metal work to do and I think I’m going to daily it when it’s done
My uncle and I were just talking about this on New Year’s Day the car hobby is unaffordable to most people now.
You should see the Canadian prices 🙄 the rich collectors and television ruined this hobby, I liked it better when these cars were nearly worthless circa 1980s to 1998.
If I didn’t already own my Super bee I wouldn’t be able to afford one.
I have owned mine 38 years it’s not perfect but it’s fun and dear to my heart and I drive it even on the backcountry dirt roads.
If it gets paint chips who cares I fix it, blow it in and colour match it or whatever it takes.
Who cares if the motor has a lifespan rebuild it.
Long story short it’s a shame because the average person can’t own and enjoy a muscle car theses days.
same for me. bought my 70 Cuda about 23 years ago(needed full restoration but mostly complete) and finally finished restoring it about 3 yrs ago.. But there is no way I could afford to do another one today at todays prices.. its gone nuts!!
Makes me so glad I still have my 73 AMX. I’ve considered selling it several times because it needs so much work and I rarely have the time and have other obligations. But it’s gotten to the point that I could never afford to replace it. So I whittle away at it a little at a time when money and time allows. I paid $550 for it 2000 and daily drove it for 3 years after that. All I needed to do to get to daily driver status was a little brake work, a new battery, and rebuild the carb.
I could have bought a 68 Javelin SST in 2008 for $2500. It was rough but rust free and ran/drove. I still kick myself because I look for those every now and then just to see and no way I could touch one in that shape for less than 3x the money. Had I bought it then, I'd at least have had it and would have likely had it done by now or at least in better shape and been enjoying it. Took me 10 years after to get my truck. So 10 years of dreaming when I could have been driving.
A neighbor GAVE me my 73 AMX. It is a parts or major project car. 360 2bbl Auto. This was a couple of years ago.
Getting a free car, even a semi wreck, is every muscle car guy's dream. Witness Joe Dirt. I never thought it would happen to me.
In 1974 I had a 73 Javelin, Black with a cinnamon interior 360 Go package etc. loved it
@@paulwebber1657 I think mine is parchment. a sort of off white or cream color. I am missing the back seats. 🙄
Man you hit the nail straight on the head with this one. It’s ridiculous the price of these cars these days. I’m building a 68’ charger body swap and I’m definitely your average working guy trying to build my dream car. Great job on this video.
Great video and your take is spot on. I can remember 20 years ago a friend and I got into parting out old Mopars. It started as a way to finance our own projects because even then, some of the parts were either near impossible to find or crazy expensive. Cars like that Charger, while not cheap, were common place and could be had for a reasonable amount of money. We parted out a number that were in similar shape. There was no way that theses cars would ever see the road again but maybe we could help someone else who had one that could be saved and make a few bucks to help us get our cars back together. Whenever we did a swap meet, I would shake my head at some of the prices people were asking. I thought it was bad then, but it has gotten way worse. Recently started looking for a 2nd gen Camaro like the one I had in H.S. I miss that car and thought it would be fun to find one for my sons and I to restore. I can't believe what a total basket case one goes for. No engine, no trans, and needs everything.... $4500 and up. For a friggin Camaro!? I would have to dump $30 k into parts alone just to get it moving under it's own power. I would love another Mopar, but anything desirable is batshit crazy price wise. It has pretty much turned me off to the hobby. I just cannot afford to get back into it again at these prices.
I've been priced out of the market for decades
I bought my Charger three years ago and I’m so glad I did. I drove down to Virginia in an ice storm with my wife and a buddy to pick it up, I’d never be able to afford one today. It’s insane how much the parts went up as well and you’re right about the quality. Not to mention how hard it is to get certain things because of the Covid. Hopefully it corrects itself in the next few years.
April 2020, I went to a local dealership with the intent to buy an '02 C5 Z06. When the sales rep when to get the keys, I was surprised to see they had what looked like a Dodge Viper on the lot. When I got to the car it was actually a '97 Dodge Viper GTS with 12,498 miles on it listing for $38k. It seemed a bit on the higher side, to me, at the time, but I was sure I would never see another one of these let alone have a chance to buy one locally again. So, why not?
Post-COVID world prices for not only Gen-II Vipers, but parts for these things as well... even when cross referencing to the parts bin parts. Wholly crap, it is absolutely insane across the board in the automotive world now. I priced out a clutch slave cylinder for it at one point. Roughly $300 if bought as a Viper part, but only $48 when bought as a 1990's Ford F-250 part.
I do drive the car. If I'm paying the cost to register, insure, and maintain it... I'm not going to just stand in the garage gawking at it.
Hi Chris, Excellent video. I recall 30 - 35 years ago when gentlemen in the 55+ age wanted to have a Ford Model A. They were spending $30-$50K to bring them back to running order. Once these gentlemen passed on the market fell for the Model A. Dulcich or Freiburger may remember this when growing up. Muscle cars are in the middle of this cycle and will go on for a while until the prices return to sanity level. You really need to do your homework before buying a car from a Flipper or Auction.
I've pretty much gotten out of the hobby for the reasons you stated. I've been into Musclecars and drag racing since the early 80's when I drug a 65 Olds F85 home. It used to be fun buying a car cheap, getting it running, get it looking good, then drive it for a while until another car catches the eye. Now you pay waay too much for the rusted hulk and pour another $20k into it just to get it to drive! Once in a while a good deal comes along, as I picked up a very solid 47 Ford Tudor roller with a garage full of parts for under $4000!! This will probably be my last one, and I'll be looking for another hobby. So sad.
True true Chris. On top of the crazy prices, those of us up in Canada or anywhere outside of the US need to pay crazy shipping costs on top of parts prices. Luckily I've had my 70 500 charger for over 20 years, but now that I'm ready to start a meaningful restoration... Man it's expensive!!
Videos like this make me feel like I have no rust issues at, great video keep them coming
It's not just the classic cars. Sort of a segue here, I was looking at guitars on ebay, specifically the BC Rich Warlocks, and even the cheapie ones that would go for $50-$100 on craigslist 5 years ago were now listing at like $200.
Everyone is charging more for everything it seems. But hey, no more mean tweets. 🙄
I feel your pain. So much that I have to watch others with money build what I dream to do!
Nailed it.
It includes nearly every single car, no matter the brand, built before 1980. And it’s creeping deep into 80s cars, just the more popular ones for now.
A little while back i started getting nostalgia for the cars I owned in high school and thought about buying them again. These were $500 80s POS’s that you literally saw everyday in the late 90s. I changed my mind when I saw the prices. $25k for a Bronco II. $13k for a fwd charger. $10k for a turbo Daytona. It seems like in 15 years (or less), 90s cars will be going for crazy money. And you’ll be watching $50k 86 Buick Century’s going across the auction blocks. Classic car shows will filled with Cutlass Cieras and Luminas once the rich guys start buying Fox mustangs for $100k. The 60s and 70s muscle cars? You won’t ever see them but in museums and wealthy guy garages.
Our only hope is that the stupidly rich guys die and the next gen rich guys aren’t into them as much. People have predicted the muscle car boom will collapse in time, but it hasn’t yet in 25 years. The prices skyrocketed and only dipped slightly to big time law firm partner from the fortune 100 owner buyer from a couple of years ago.
thats why I bought a rust free K Car conv for next to nothing. I like it as much as any old car I ever had. I didn't buy it to impress the car show lunatics.
Great observations, Chris! I've been a car guy since I could crawl. And "decent" parts have always been pricey. But now, you get crap for double the money. You need a days worth of work just to research & find "good" parts. Never mind the price! I'm effectively priced out of the Hobby. I still love old classics...but I can't justify doing anymore builds. Unless it's for a friend or family-member... Or a "gift"! Meaning; I got something that's 80% solid & complete and 20% off the market price. I never thought I'd miss the "old days"? Sadly, I do. Desperately!
You hit the nail on the head, Chris. My first 2 cars I owned were '69 mustang fastbacks in the early 80's. They're my all time favorites but I got priced out of the fastback market years ago. I see complete garbage today listed for 25k. So recently I got the itch to get another Trans am and with the way the prices started increasing on them, I knew I had to grab one soon before I got priced out of that market too. I'd owned a '77 "Bandit" Trans am in the early 90's. Paid 300.00 for it with a blown motor. So I searched for most of 2023 for an affordable TA project . Any year between '70-'81 would do. Everytime I'd see one priced reasonably , it would sell immediately and then I'd see it reposted for sale the next week at a much higher price. I finally got an '80 in September and am now enjoying fixing it up. You just have to be patient and a bit of luck doesn't hurt either!
You Nailed it Chris , Great video man!👍👍Just enjoy what you do guys and dont worry about paint jobs and interiors. Fancy paint just causes anxiety. Get it running and enjoy driving it.. Hopefully this will help keep someone spirits up 👆. Hot Roding during the depression people made due with mixing parts up Ford/GM/ Dodge. It was a time Guys were Engineering hands-on stuff in barns and backyards. NO MONEY no Internet. I think us true car guys will be fine if we stick together. Thanks for reading this guys I hope this helps someone out.
Good video, Chris. All I can say is, do your homework. I've been following auction prices & finished complete cars are coming down. It's cheaper to buy a complete car than restore a rough vehicle unless it's a labor of love. Places like Maple Motors in Tennessee generally has a great selection reasonably-priced. Desert Valley Auto just aquire a bunch of clean Mopars. They had a 70 Charger that looked pretty good for 12 or 14 k, I can't remember exactly. This was less than a month ago. They're out there. I wish everyone happy hunting!
Yep prices are dropping a lot. Massive market correction incoming. These broke dick goofballs trying to flip rotten trash they bought for 1200 for 12k are in for bad time as they're bag holders.
Absolutely on point and has really been this way for awhile now. Honestly I think the bigger problem is the people that actually pay some of these crazy prices. No one is forcing anyone. Some are just too desperate to own some of these cars and that empowers the sellers to price them the way they do. Stop paying tens of thousands for a VIN and title and maybe things will cool off. I personally look all of the time and rarely ever come across something that I think is worth the asking price. As much as I'd like a Charger, I wouldn't even think about spending good money unless it was actually worth it
Good vid. Looking forward to some more build videos.
As a kid I used to enjoy car shows, I loved learning from guys that built their cars. How they did it, what it took, the clever ways they fabricated or restored things, and the engineering/mechanical tricks they used. But now I'm 23 and the last car show I went to (debating bringing one of my own cars) made me sick of car shows. I want a 68-70 chevelle, so I asked everyone with one about their car. They all said about the same thing... "What do you mean you can't find one? Pfft, No I didnt build it, guys build these everywhere for you! We bought ours 100% restored and it's $100,000+ now."
I stopped going to shows after that, I'd rather hang out with the old school guys that built them.
Its happening here in the UK as well, cars locked away because they are to valuable, cars are overpriced even undesirable models
Great video. I’ve driven muscle cars since high school in the 80’s and have seen several ups and downs…but am dismayed at the current covid-speculation price bubble we’re in. I daily a ‘73 Charger and ‘56 ford these days.
You hit it right on the head talking about this for the past few weeks everything's just getting out of sight out of priced and all the rich guys are just worn out this Hobby I'm trying to restore a 67 C10 and it's getting its defensive it's ridiculous I might not be able to finish it thanks for bringing this up thank you sir
Priced out years ago! I believe prices will drop 30% in the next 5 years and keep dropping. Next gens don’t want them as much &/or they don’t have the funds.
Ive been into Chevy since the 80's. I like em all too, but the small block Chevy is cheap so it was for me. By the late 90's I couldnt afford a Camaro or Chevelle so it was no emmissions needed 60's pickups. Hard to find anything running for under 10k. Picked up a great Bel air and drove it home....I look out in more rural areas where prices are better than the Phoenix metro. I love the LS craze as well because I can get big block stuff for good prices now! Great points Chris!!
I'm a Ford guy but I've noticed that too. Everyone wants LS and you can get screaming deals on everything else (I'd rather have the old stuff anyways... Who doesn't love a 454 or even a 350 built right)
It’s almost the best time for Chevy guys! 25 years ago a 400 SBC was hard to come by but now they sell for less than they did back then. Same with 454s. Now 409s and all W motors are still insanely expensive.
@@OldBeaterGarage Just paid $100 for a standard bore 4 bolt 400 block, traded the same guy a 350 4 bolt even up for another 2 bolt 400 block, Dirt track guys want them bad and can't use a 400. I love them and want to make the SBC great again because there's no replacement for displacement and a little N2O! You are spot on. Weird how things change. Had a dozen big blocks in the late 80's, nobody wanted them, then they tripled in price so I sold some. Now you can buy them at early 90's prices and I thank the LS craze which I have a 99 Camaro hardtop with one and love it just like my old school stuff.
@@gregcampbell3064 Absolutely!! I have a sb400 sitting on a stand that Ive had for 20*+ years. I sold my 64 pickup and kept the drivetrain....looking at roller cam and finally getting my dual quad on it.
@@OldBeaterGarage Im building a 63 Riviera...try a nailhead for prices, Damn!!
Chris you have perfectly hit the nail on the head with this.
I live in the uk and I’m only 26 years old.
It was my dream from the age of 13 to own a class American muscle car when I was older and I use to look through eBay and selling sites then write down , document the prices and specs of them. As the years went on prices just doubled but i settled for a first gen Monte Carlo in the end because I couldn’t afford a decent challenger ,charger , road runner or a chevelle. 😢
You can do a lot with a first gen Monte and they are rarer than Chevelles. Especially in the UK. I like British classics better than American but we don't have any here in Canada.
Nothing wrong with a first gen Monte. Great looking cars.
I feel lucky to have what I have. A couple of C body 4 door cars. The '72 Fury III I picked up in 2005 for $800. The condition it's in now, comparable C bodies are going for anywhere in the $3500-$5500 range. I'm luck I got it when I did. Of course I've done work to it and have about $3500 in it. My '71 Newport was bought August of '22 for quite a bit more than my Fury, but I'm happy to have it because it's sure to appreciate in value. I'm always on the lookout for project cars and trucks because I love rescuing old Mopars. But with the literal insane pricing on rusted into the ground junk, sad to say I'm done.
The car rebuilds, custom shows like GMG on TV did it too. By the time we find the car we want, it might have been flipped 3-4 times already.
They say used car prices went up 40% after covid.
I bought my 97' Honda Civic about a yr ago, for $2,700, 146k documented Miles, all options,1.6 vtec AC,,cruise, power sun roof, pw,..etc an unmolested car.
And I see the same cars with 200k+ miles, beat up, for $3,500 $4,500, many other models I see for 5k,6k that need engine work, trans..etc it's ridiculous.
I'll usually look for chevelles, and I see the same thing, they have become priced WAY out. Minimum $10k for a malibu that has a cheese grader body,...but it's complete. No engine no trans....but it's a classic. Yup, makes me sick. Wish I would've had the sense to grab a bunch of them years back while the prices were reasonable. The other thing that annoys me is the guy who'd tell me, "yeah I wish I could drive an old car like you do, but I just can't afford it". mind you, this was like a decade before covid , but then that same guy buys a $50k brand new truck with all the creature comforts. He couldn't drive an old car...because he chose not to drive anold car.
It was bound to happen, as the cars we like become fewer and fewer the price goes up. A lot of the cars have rusted away and the few worth saving have already been restored. The sweet spot for affordability is 20 to 30 years old, which would be early 90s to mid 2000s. I have a 72 GMC I restored but I only have it because I bought it cheap in high school and never sold it.
When I was in high school muscle cars were a dime a dozen. We bought them working part time at a fast food place and still able to fix them up. Nowadays you have to be able pretty well off just to buy a piece of junk. Thanks Jackson Barrett for killing off the middle blue collar working class dreams to just dust in the wind!
Supply and demand. More people have disposable income and are fighting over a finite amount of classic cars. Simple economics.
I have always admired your work and appreciate your videos that show how you bring these cars back to life.
This video really makes me appreciate my cheap 78 nova! I feel bad for you mopar guys.
I'm 51 years old and I'm terrible with money but I've been fortunate enough to have owned a ton of amazing cars. I am now priced out of the market. I don't know if I will ever own another one.
Dude we are exactly alike all the way down to the trophy cars and my daily driver is a 67 Chevelle SS that I have had since 1983 and although being a 100% Chevy guy on race day I’m a equal opportunity muscle car guy. I was wondering what was going on but now even more curious as where it’s all gone end up ✌️and keep on Rockin those Mopar No-Par Hotrods lol only kiddin. Be glad we collected what we got when we did👍
Chris , I used the sell wheels at thr major Mopar swap meets , The Wheel Guy from Indiana. Before 2020 I was selling repop steel Mopar wheels for $125 each and that was competitive with Jegs and Summit. Now I see them at approximately $180 each. I know steel prices and labor costs went up and , but wow , not that much. Almost glad I dont sell anymore and have to deal with the compliants from customers.
Saw that car and thought the same thing. Almost did an episode on it myself. The prices reflect the lower value of the dollar due to artificial inflation. We can't legislate prosperity by paying unskilled labor 15-20/hr. The market will adjust.
They been saying that for 25 years when a 70 hemi cuda broke records by selling for $1 million. They’ve dropped a little. It used to be you had to be the head of a fortune 100 company to afford them. Now it’s just a partner at a major law firm.
I mean have you seen the chargers you have yourself that you call projects still?
You nailed it Chris. Still finishing mine and I am afraid to know exactly how much has been spent.
It's so disheartening, today's society is crap, I'm so glad I found my `68 Charger when I did, back in 2000. Central Cali ..I found a 'daily driver' "complete " `68 base charger nothing special, but it's still a charger !, what made it special was Zero rust, great cond. The guy gave me everything he had with it, left and right complete doors, rear bumper, left and right rear tail lights complete front grill, electronic ignition distributor, dash pad, and a bunch of other stuff, all of this was "extra parts"
And for the best part ..I got it all for $700 the guy drove it to my house when I bought it, I guess those days are long gone right?
Love your videos
We’re getting priced out of every hobby. Whether you’re thing is cars, camping, collecting, concerts, sporting events there’s a pretty good chance it’s extremely overpriced
I’ve gone to liking and looking for the cars that aren’t as desirable, for some reason I see something in them. I went from looking for one thing, I had the money but I was definitely in the bottom, beater end for what I could afford. I saw something else that really caught my eye and jumped on it. I’m glad switched gears.
Me with the Ford Taurus, and the Geo Metro.
$10k gets you a mint 4-door ‘72 Malibu while you can’t even get a driver 2 door Chevelle for twice that. A ‘77 Cordoba still is a B-Body just like a Charger and a runner is what $5500?
thats how I ended up with my K Car convertible. I love it.
@@North49191 I been really looking into an Allante
I have been pondering this since the late 60's . I have owned most of the cars in my dream list by careful trading and clean living ( joke) . The situation is a mirror of the 1980's classic car bubble where anything old was suddenly brinng huge money . A correction is coming,hang tight everyone!
I so agree. 20 years ago I bought a gas tank for my 71 Torino GT for $180. This year its $700. And the quality sucks. Sad... great video. It needed to be said.
I got out of building cars a long time ago. One reason was I lived in CA and CA started to get rid of junkyards. That is where I got most of the parts I needed to build my hot rods and "Kustoms". I had been building cars for a lot of years. Started in the early 70s. I have built over 200 cars in my day. Got of cars in the late 90s. Back then, car prices were getting over the top. The parts were getting harder to get with the close of so many junkyards.
It was a sad day when I sold my last hot rod 1950 Chevy truck. I gave that guy all the extra parts I had for the truck at a bonus. Now I look at car prices, I cannot believe what people are asking for JUNK! I scraped better cars than I see today.
But I, too, think that TV shows have made it to where a lot of people think that junk is valuable! Unreal what people are asking for stuff! The sad thing is there is someone out there with more money than sense and will pay the price for the junk!
The way the government is trying to pass law's oh home built cars, I don't think it will be much longer before a lot of cars will have to go to the crusher. There are a lot of states now are making it to where all old cars have to go through a heavy inspection before you drive it on the streets. My son lives in one of the States. If a car does not pass after the second time, the car will be tagged as not streetable. It then has to be taken to a scrapyard. They will give some money for it, but not all that much. It is now junk, and you will get junk price for it.
But any way, There is no way I could ever get back into cars. I can remember when I could get a brand-new Carb for $12.00 now that same Carb is like $600 to $800 if not more! I could buy a whole car back then for what they want for a Carb now.
At least I got to live in as time of cars when it was awesome to build them and not have to take out a loan to make a car. A time when Hot Rods and "Kustoms" were king and guys would get together and help each other out.
So many things are now gone. Hope you can keep your dream going.
great vid...very true about the rich guys...and most are assholes...narcissists who show off their shop full of trophies...but average Joe can still participate by owning old, patina oddball cars and pickups...
I have an Auto Trader from May 1983... unbelievable how affordable nearly all makes once were. It's outrageous today. I'm 61 and most cars were in reach back in the day. Flip burgers and drove a cool future classic lol
true ...1988 saw a one owner grandma 1968 road runner a/c automatic , add said never left the county ,bet she drove to church on Sundays real fast
I remember those days "affordable" muscle cars.
Good day. I flipped cars when I was in my 20s. In 1994 I switched to Harleys. No towing. A 2 car garage. I flipped them for about 30 years. If we ever have another recession. I plan on buying 100 of them. Smitty in Vegas.
This is the best video I've heard in a long time that tells the story of so many people that would like to get in the hobby but just cannot du to the cost !!!
Pre or Post COVID ? B.S. !!! post-Biden or pre-Biden...
I envy guys like you and what you've accomplished, but I'm kinda glad I've just been a dreamer for the past 25-30 years. I've only had one project car. A 63 Impala 2D HT that I bought for 500 in 99. I tore it apart then gave up and sold it. I've saved a ton of money over the years 😂 But i can't afford anything anyway raising 2 kids and stuff.
100% right on the spot Chris! I could have bought a 68 Cornet 500 for $11,000 at Pigeon Forge 7 yrs ago. A very nice car for the price and I could have drove it home to Ky. Now, they are just crazy prices for a pile of rust. 55 Chevy is the same. Bought a roller for $10,000 in 2013. Now, 11 yrs later, I'm only 3/4 done and have $20,000+ in it now. I'm not trying to flip it. I just want to drive it, and the prices of parts and quality are 💩! I hope things turn around in favor for us car loving guys! Very nice collection you have by the way!
Ahhhh love the duster man!!! That was the OG demon👍🏻 knew a guy who had a 70 duster with a 340 and it was gold sounded so good!
After totalling my old beater this Xmas I was forced to start looking for a used car and couldn’t help but notice that the total cost of purchasing a ‘new to me’ used vehicle I typically stuck to most of my life is getting me almost exactly half of what it USED to buy. I’ve always tried to keep my car payments under $500 a month with a total price of no more than $15,000 but now it only buys me vehicles that are almost twice as old (5-8yrs old) with almost double the kilometres 150,000-200,000km) it used to get me! I remember I used to get so excited when it came to buying a ‘new to me’ used vehicle but this last car I bought was the most depressing experience I’ve ever had having to accept that somewhere along the way, I simply got old and our economy just continue’s to get worse here in Canada under the Liberal reign of arrogant incompetence, lies, stupidity, greed, hypocrisy and utter corruption 🤮 #FJT #FckTheLiberalNDPRegime #NotMyBananaRepublic
I bought a 1966 chevelle ss 396 4 speed project car 10 years ago for $5000. I've been working on it on and off ever since. I have it running and collected all new chrome and interior parts for it. I am planning to have it painted this summer. I have about $20000 invested in it .
Hey man I don’t think ray charles would buy that pos. I’ve got a 69 that I thought was bad now I feel much better about it. Great rant loved it.
I'm a victim of this. A dozen or so years ago I had to sell my hobby car (a very worked 1966 Corvair Monza coupe) because we needed the money and I had a standing offer on it from a friend. He gave me "book value" for it; I forget offhand which collector car handbook it was, but it was a reputable name. Their valuation was in line with the prices in the club magazine. Well, other expenses came up over the past several years, so there was no way for me to replace it. A few years ago, I got to the point where we thought that I could start looking at what was available. That's when I found out that asking prices for similar cars had nearly TRIPLED! Cars like the one I sold for around $5k were priced in the mid-teens! There was no possibility of spending that kind of money for a toy. I had a very hot engine and a 4-speed in it (5.0 Fox bodies were no challenge at all) and a suspension more suited to autocross than street driving (and I liked it that way!). Today, $5,000 will buy a 4-door with an automatic that needs upholstery and paint. I may be getting older but I'm not ready for a Grandpa-mobile just to have another Corvair. So you hit the nail on the head. I've been priced out of the hobby.