70s muscle cars V electrics

carl

carl

True Classic
I was watching the latest Mecum auction (yea, I was a tad bored) and I see all these $60,000 to $100,000 Chevelles SSs and 69 Camaro SSs with big blocks and massive 450 horse power and I keep imagining one of these owners pulling up to a stoplight and a pimply kid driving mom's electric car pulls up next to him and when the light changes the kid just destroys the 70s icon in a drag race. But in reality those 70s icons probably spend 99% if their time in the garage or a rare cruise night. And the pimply kid....is really clueless on what's going on around him and is checking his influencer status on his phone when the light change.

Is anyone keeping their phone in the rolled up sleeve on his white T shirt instead of a pack of cigarettes?
 
For the most part it seems the the 70's muscle cars (especially the rare ones) have been bought up by collectors (investors) who keep them tucked away in a climate controlled environment. I don't see many on the road anymore. Since their value is in a large part based on nostalgia, I would expect the prices of these cars to soon drop (if not already) as the people interested in them are dying off. A Tesla will easily beat most (if not all) of those old muscle cars. I don't challenge any cars in a drag race with my X. It will easily be humiliated by a mom in a minivan. On twisty roads however...

No smokes or white T-shirts for me. I find the X too cramped to hold smokes (or a phone). Owning a an X and a white t-shirt are mutually exclusive, the T-shirt is quickly blemished by oil, grease, antifreeze or anything else the X is leaking.
 
I would say, at least in the states that is, I have seen a trend where others don't seem to respect people's private property and in some cases will go out of their way to damage it for some reason. I personally would love to have a couple of really nice cars to daily drive, but I am too worried about parking anywhere and finding damage from people who just don't care. For instance, the other day I was at the Dr's office, and I watched this person trying to park and just mash in the front of another car. They slowly backed out and drove away as if nothing was wrong. I provided my cell phone video to the person who came out to a mangled car. So, back to Fiat/muscle car content, that is why I keep having issues about restoring the paint on my 74. I am afraid I would get it all nice and shiny, and some jack wagon will come along and destroy it. Ok, that is my rant for the day...

Personally, I have always been a fan of the Bandit Trans Am and would still rock one. Close second is an early 60's ford ranchero.
 
I have my eye on a sweet 1969 Mustang presently on BAT. It brings back the memories of the green 69 Stang I had in my 20s. Since I spent all my car money and wifely goodwill on a K swap for the 85X, I am not having too difficult of a time withholding a bid.
 
Yes, the electrics are very, very quick. The difference is in the experience. Those of us of a certain age that grew up around over cammed, over carbureted, open header, ground pounding big blocks, hemis, side oilers, or insert your favorite here, find that a mash up of a cordless drill and a laptop does not a visceral experience make regardless of how quick their 0-60 time might be. All cars are different. My X can carve canyons like no muscle car can, but it can't pull the front wheels off the ground while melting the rear tires either. Two different experiences. Both are fun, and real car guys appreciate both. I marvel at the performance of the electrics, but the excitement level, for me at least, is not all that compelling. Once you've effortlessly gone 0-60 in 2 seconds, the want to do it again and again is not real high on my bucket list. Yes, there are lots of muscle cars in the hands of collector/investors, but if you roam the streets of So-Cal on any day, it won't take long to spot more than one example sharing the road with you. Those of us who grew up in the '50-'70s have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel so values will certainly decline substantially as boomers head off to that big drag strip in the sky. That is what happened to '20-'50s vehicles that once brought massive money and now struggle to even find a buyer at any price. So goes the automotive circle of life. If you're young and want to build equity in your automotive portfolio look to '80-2000s Japanese performance cars. Since nostalgia plays an outsized role in value, look to see what each successive generation couldn't afford in their youth and you'll likely be able to spot the next big thing.
 
I totally agree with your age V value of older cars explanation. You will probably never see an article to that point in the Hagerty magazine.

While I certainly appreciated the muscle cars I was never into them. My first car was a brand new 67 850 coupe, probably less torque than a 427 Vette starter motor. I went looking for VW bugs to drag race, then drifted into auto crossing where underpowered funny looking cars had a venue to compete in (Fiat 850s, VW bugs, first gen Corvairs, two stroke Saabs....we were a vicious class.
 
beezee said:
the 70's muscle cars (especially the rare ones) have been bought up by collectors (investors) who keep them tucked away in a climate controlled environment. I don't see many on the road anymore. Since their value is in a large part based on nostalgia, I would expect the prices of these cars to soon drop (if not already) as the people interested in them are dying off.
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yes and no. As long as Hollywood/Netflix keep using these icons as shorthand for tough/cool etc, new fans are generated. Do you ever see 60s music dying out?
 
Maybe, but there will still be a steady decline...
 

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Values will hold up outside US. The cars are just so rare out in the rest of the world and so iconic. And movies - think John Wick - have massive impact.
 
Any other BoostedBoiz fans here on Xweb? They are young Honda guys, but bought a wrecked Tesla Plaid last year. They stripped it down to just the front clip and made it into the fastest Plaid in the US. Then they cut the rest of the Plaid's body off and grafted the body of a Honda Odyssey onto the Plaid's chassis. All for fun and to create the ultimate sleeper. They named result is named the Plaidessey. :)

This is an hour long video covering the project, but you can skip around if you don't have an hour to kill.


They also have a turbo charged AWD 1000hp Odyssey named the Rowdyssey.

 
Steve Thomas said:
yes and no. As long as Hollywood/Netflix keep using these icons as shorthand for tough/cool etc, new fans are generated. Do you ever see 60s music dying out?
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I don’t hear 60’s music much on the radio anymore. The local classic rock station bills themselves as music from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. There was that new Beatles song but I don’t think that counts.
 
I have been reading too many westerns. Apparently a one horsepower horse can fill it's tank at any grassy area, will come to you if you whistle to it, you can use the saddle as a pillow at night and they make better guard dogs than dogs.

This has nothing to do with 60s music which has nothing to do with electric cars drag racing classic muscle cars.
 
JimD said:
Any other BoostedBoiz fans here on Xweb? They are young Honda guys, but bought a wrecked Tesla Plaid last year. They stripped it down to just the front clip and made it into the fastest Plaid in the US. Then they cut the rest of the Plaid's body off and grafted the body of a Honda Odyssey onto the Plaid's chassis. All for fun and to create the ultimate sleeper. They named result is named the Plaidessey. :)

This is an hour long video covering the project, but you can skip around if you don't have an hour to kill.


They also have a turbo charged AWD 1000hp Odyssey named the Rowdyssey.

Click to expand...
BoostedBoiz all the way for several years. I have contacted him when he was still in Co with Brent about possibly helping me boost up the B in my car. Their costs were actually really good, but getting the car there wouldnt be easy.

odie
 
Different strokes for different folks. There's nothing wrong with electric. They are FAST! So if you want to go fast, in a 1/4 mile, they are a good choice. But if drag racing isn't everything to you, there may be better choices out there?
For me, styling is very important. Very much more important than 1/4 mile times. And there are many, many, cars that have intoxicating styling. For classics: is a S1 Jag E-type better styled than a 266 GTO Ferrari? Are either better styled than a '70 Hemi 'Cuda? I agree that prices for some cars will decline as the old folks who have a nostalgic attachment to them die off. But other cars will retain their value. Yes there are price bubbles, but there are some cars that will continue to appreciate in value. Sadly, I'm pretty sure I'll never live to see the day when folks are dragging perfectly good 250 GTO Ferrari's to the junk yard because they "just aren't worth it anymore".
 
I was having this conversation with my son too. He couldn't understand why someone would pay so much for a muscle car that is only going to be dented, scratched or worse in a parking lot. I told him this was the equivalent of a rare coin someone was going to lock away until it was time to sell again.

What got me at that auction was a Porsche 914 that was a "no sale" at $35,000.00!!!
 
In the not so terribly distant future when all cars are full electric and gasoline is a controlled substance, the price of gas powered cars will drop to scrap value except for the few that are kept in museums and personal home dens (after knocking down a wall to get it in.

That is, until cold fusion is viable and something the size of a shoe box will power any car.....for nothing.

Hey, it's either I practice my pessimism or go outside in cold weather and shovel snow......again.
 
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