Future Collectibility Rant
 

Why does every hot new car have to be RARE? Why is everyone so hot to get a 1 of 1 combo? Barrett Jackson pricing, that's why. What today's generation of muscle car buyers need to understand is that their cars will still be quite common 35 years from now. The reason the 60's muscle cars are rare is that they weren't well built to begin with and got trashed and crashed. Back then, the cars were parked outside and driven hard year round. Shade tree mechanics modded all the time. Some better than others. No one thought to save it. Just make it faster, put a CB radio in it, upgrade the 8 track to cassette, install Jensen speakers, and try to hold off the rocker panel rust. Not the case now. We have our summer daily driver, our winter daily driver and our garage queen that sits under a cover in a climate controlled garage with Sta-Bil in the tank, Mobil 1 in the engine, and a battery charger hooked up to it. Only trained dealer mechanics working on it. I'm seeing the same mentality in the GT500 forums. Most owners think they have a $150,000 car in 2047. My guess is that half of those cars will have less than 50,000 miles on them and will have never been in the rain. They won't be rare, they'll still drive like new, and they will be affordable.

And those who have the hot cars want all production to cease immediately and those who don't have one want to buy it at invoice. There, I feel better now. Time for my warm milk and cookies.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

You are absolutely correct. Nobody thought to save the 60s and 70s musclecars back in the day. They were just cars and people drove them hard like they were meant to be driven. That’s what made them legends on the streets. Additionally, the highly collectible Mopar musclecars that we know today were not big sellers, which made them rare.
My hope is that people will drive the new Challenger and create a new legend. Please don’t let them sit in garages in climate controlled plastic bubbles waiting for the day that it will become a collectible. Drive them and enjoy them!

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

The 08 that we are first in line to get will be driven a good bit but it won't be a daily driver. It will be more of a car that me and my dad will take out and have fun with (go on cruises in the north georgia mountains, go to car shows, ride around town). We won't be trying to keep it to sell it for a large amount 30 years from now but we won't be racing it every weekend either. I plan on buying a black 09 SRT-8 with the 6-speed for myself and put a procharger d1sc on it when i have the money. That will be the car that i drive all the time and beat on.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

That's probably when I'll start thinking about looking to buy. ;)

I'm glad you guys are out there who have the money to buy these things new. I've never paid more than two grand for a car in my life; I can't fathom spending the equivalent of two thirds of the value of my house on one! Forty grand plus for a car... better you guys than me.

Of course that's easy for me to say, I have my '70 to enjoy... which sits comfy cozy under its blankie in my garage 350 days or so a year.

It does seem, though that the things sold as "collectibles" end up being not (you should see how many Beanie Babies are piled on my kids' beds); it's the normal, everyday things that get used, abused and chucked that end up rare.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

The way you word it is harsh. But it is very true. In all reality now days cars would have to be handed down threw 2-3 generations before it MAY be worth any more than what we pay. Partly because more and more people are taking care of them as if they are collectable now. I am just as bad. I ordered the 04 GTO I had before production started and it was 1 of 366 made in the color and trany combo. It never seen snow, rain or bad weather. This time ya I may spend same money but IT WILL BE A DAILY DRIVER. I spend that kind of money I will be enjoying it and get my moneys worth. And now that I live in AZ instead of WI we can drive it every day. The hard part will be getting the keys from the wife so I can have my turn. lol With her leaving for work before I wake up I think I may get stuck doing my driving on weekends. :( Run to store for milk be back in a hour or two. :eek: We don't have a lot of money but we don't do a lot of stuff other people do like movies, going out to eat (not even fast food), hunting, fishing, sports, bars or drinking so all the money other people spend there we put into our cars. For me it is a good trade off, but thats our choise we don't have anything agenst the other stuff just just not our cup of tea.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

I think the reason why that it is this way is that mainstream people have moved away from wanting performance cars that look good and look for other cars instead. The Civic sadly has taken over the position as the youth's dream car (and I'll never understand why partly because I don't want to understand why[:'(]). The Camaro and Firebird were dropped due to lack of popularity at the end of their run. Mid-sized coupes are now becoming an endangered speice (pardon my spelling) with the G6 being the last domestic one. Many people have left cars in favor of SUVs, "Crossovers," trucks, and other more expensive, fuel thirsty segments over cars because of reasons of safety, preference of the ride of these vehicles over cars, and so forth.

I think that the top of the line versions will be the ones that are valuable down the road. I also think a few flops will become valuable down the road. I expect that the Magnum will become worth a lot down the road, Neon SRT-4s as they didn't have a very long run, possibly the Crossfire SRT-6s as they did not have a long run, 2nd gen AWD Eagle Talons, Stealths, Vipers naturally, Shelby models, etc.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

Growing up, the cars I wanted was either Javelin, Challenger, and Barracuda. My dream cars were the Delorean, Bricklin, and Lamborghini.

To want a Civic is just bizarre.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

To me those make sense. There were excellent cars and they actually had something neat called performance as well as excellent styling. The Civics are just lame. The only ones that have anything noteworth are the Si versions and that isn't even that great either. I think my generation has a serious issue with having very bad taste, especially what they do to them (all that excessive body cladding, weird lights, oversized rims, a dozen i-Vtech stickers, and most of the time nothing was done to the engine other than a coffee can sized exhaust system which makes it sound like an angry weed eater[:'(][:'(][:'(]). It's just wrong I tell you, wrong![:@]

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

Agreed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![sm=admin.gif][sm=exactly.gif][sm=icon_ladiesman.gif][sm=thanx.gif].

But I cant blame them, In my household we never had a performance vehicle. Anything that was considered sporty was equated with high performance. So a sporty civic can be like a muscle car to them. I dont think there is anything wrong with having a civic, its nice, affordable, safe, fuel efficent, etc. And to mod one (with more than a exhaust and a intake), is admirable, but it just seems strange to me. Too many people have them, I want something unique.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

Excellent thread, I could not agree more. People that are buying these cars with the intention that they will hold or gain value need to look at recent history. Any recent "collectable" car or limited edition car - Vipers, late model Mustangs, etc seldom are selling for as much or more as the original buyer paid. (Of course there are a few exceptions, but they are the exceptions). Retailers and marketing people are trained to sell collectability and they chuckle as they send you down the road. I think we will be surprised what is actually collectable decades down the road - Magnums, SRT 300C, SRT Jeeps, etc, etc.

As much as I would love a new Challenger, the safer financial bet would be to spend 40K on a nice 70's vintage car. I do hope the new Challengers sell like hotcakes, I hope they make about 50,000 - 100,000 of them in the next 2 - 4 years so that I can buy a used one in 2015 for under 10K and have a new street / strip hot rod car.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

We really haven't had any performance vehicles either. The Intrepid is pretty much the most performance focused vehicle we had. The reason why I say this about Civics is that they take an average looking car and make it look gawdy, sound terrible, and do pretty much nothing to help it in the performance department, then I hear these people go and trash my car saying it is a piece of junk and is no match for their fast Civic:eek: I get tired of teaching these air heads a lesson. They need to spend less money and time on making their cars look gawdy and spend more time studying cars so then they will learn that adding this junk does NOT make the car faster.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

RLSH700, Right on Dude. I refer to them as fart cars. I find nothing wrong with tuners as long as folks have produced a rice burner w/ some cajones; but I take exception to the application of some pimp tint, a dopey chain saw sounding stove pipe looking exhaust and nothing my unmodded little econbox can't handle.

As for people looking to invest in cars as a financial vehicle; BJ shows people having success, but I agree with the sentiment that the biggest ROI on a car should be visceral experience and that deep rich baritone resonating from the pipes, the company of your father/son/wife as you go out for a long drive without distractions and just hang BS no distractions (computers, 1000 channels on TV, house projects, etc).

Mine will not be a daily drive (I would find it impractical to incur 30000 miles a year). It will come to work on sunny Fridays and it will take the family out on drives from time to time. It'll be used just enough to get therapeutic value out of and to keep running in good condition. Maybe haze the tires from time to time!;)

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

I have owned my 71 Challenger since 79 and my 70 GTX since 81. I bought these cars because they were affordable and powerful. I kept them because they were affordable and powerful. And a blast to drive everyday.:D I would always get the MPG question and when you don't make a car payment, you have money for gas. They were easy to work on and you could beat on them and they would hold together. I drove them the way they were built to be treated. But they had the oil changed every 3000 miles with good old 20w-50 and a nice tune up every 25000 miles or when a plug fouled;) Now that I have kept them, I get the reply... man you were smart to hang on to those gas hogs, they are worth a mint. But they were practical for what I needed and I had fun every time I went out in them. They don't hit the streets every day now, but when the weather is nice and I feel the need to exceed, I hit that distictive Chrysler starter whine and its on:) Keep it on the road, thats what I say... have fun in them and let someone else figure out what its worth when I lick all the red off the candy. I think you can't put a price tag on the enjoyment you will get when you drive them.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

In defense of the rice rodders, I wonder if the street rodders of the 50s got the same complaints we're giving the rice rodders now? (Why on earth would you want a Model T???) Some of you more experienced members may be able to answer that one.

While I would never even buy one of the cars they're modifying (let alone spend that much money on one), as the newest facet of the hobby I have to give some respect to ones that are well done.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

Good point Plum70rag. I often think these are the kids tweaking they're rides and driving them irresponsibly like my dad did back in the dizzy. I was speaking more to the ones who don't get any more ponies out just more noise and goofy crap strewn about their rides. If they have a fast car...they have a fast car and that's good.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

Thank you! LOL! That's an interesting name, maybe I'll have to refer to them as that as well in the future.

I think I will probably drive my Challenger on the same days and occasions.

Plum70Rag, I have respect for the one's that have actually modified them power wise, but I don't have respect for is people who just do over done visual effects with nothing done to the engine then act like their so tuff and better than anyone else. It just doesn't look right and I don't care for their attitude (especially since they logically have nothing to back up that attitude).

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

I only live 5 miles from work so mine will be a daily driver. Lots of show no go here 5" tacs, window post extingishers and 90HP ROFLMAO I will love rolling up next to them. We do have a lot of sleepers here also I respect them all the money in drive train.
Not sure how many changes I will be able to make due to fact I am going for the non SRT 5.7 and the life time warrenty. Have to see what all I will be able to do without voiding warrenty.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

Well, good luck to you on that. I hope that turns out well for you.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

I rushed in on my 04 GTO and wished i waited a bit after the 05's cam out.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

That is why I'm not necessarily in a hurry to buy the first one that hits the floor. I think some more updated and more significant engine offerings will be found in the Challenger before long and at a lower price.

RE: Future Collectibility Rant
 

Yep, my thoughts exactly. At first I was thinking end of 08, then January-ish 09....now July 09 I think is going to give the best view of what's behind and ahead and make decisions in the best directions. "Patience, Padwan"