$1,800

[Patrick N.]

Re: $1,800

Define "old cars."

Currently, Corvettes in the 15 to 35 year old age are very affordable. They're probably older than what you're calling "old cars...in the day."
As the solid axles and midyears did then they have little "collector" value right now and for various reasons there are very few of them that are rare.
However, there still isn't a lot of interest in them and I think its for a variety of reasons.
The price is not the only issue - go check out what it costs to buy a nice used Honda, Acura or VW and you see the "younger generation" driving these every day.

Patrick

Exactly. Just look at some of the values for C4 and C5's. They are very affordable right now.

If I were looking for investment grade cars today- CRX, Integra- all day long!!!!! These cars are hot, affordable and getting gobbled up. That cuts across the grain of Corvette, but that said, import cars have the same formula- affordable, fun go-fast cars with plenty of cheap parts around. they are the new hot rods. Who know's, maybe another 40 years from now electric cars will be the hot ticket. Hammer down, 500K for a Chevy Volt?? Anyone??

Back on topic, I remember back in the 80's growing up in Trenton someone was asking in the 40K range for a C3 L88 and thought that you'd NEVER get your money back out on that deal- who in their right mind would drop that kind of coin for a car, they were insane!

[Bill H.]

Re: $1,800

I don't know anything about the car, but my daughter will be a junior at Shippensburg next fall.......................

(Sorry, proud father and you don't see Shippensburg mentioned too often here.)

Tom

Congrats, Tom.
All of our car shows were put on at the University. I was a design engineer for Ingersoll-Rand in Shippensburg back then.
But I do like where I live now a tad better (10 minutes from Lake Tahoe).

[Jim S.]

Re: $1,800

Different car. This is the blue 63 HARLEY EARL styling car. BOB GOLD called me and offered me the car at 40. I said no and bought my 64 B/P Race car. The DOMINO PIZZA king (forget his name but he had a lot of nice cars) bought it and then the values skyrocketed.

James,


I am not sure if this is the one "Tom Monaghan" bought or not . I wanted the 63 Harley Earl car badly, and was bidding on it at Barrett several years ago when Tom outbid me on it. DUH !

If memory serves , I think I stoped A $40 K , and it didn't go for much more ! Then a few years later he brought it back to Barrett and it went for well over a 100K.

Jim

[Kenneth B.]

Re: $1,800

Define "old cars."

Currently, Corvettes in the 15 to 35 year old age are very affordable. They're probably older than what you're calling "old cars...in the day."
As the solid axles and midyears did then they have little "collector" value right now and for various reasons there are very few of them that are rare.
However, there still isn't a lot of interest in them and I think its for a variety of reasons.
The price is not the only issue - go check out what it costs to buy a nice used Honda, Acura or VW and you see the "younger generation" driving these every day.

Patrick

I am not going to hijack this thread any more than I have but I was talking about Hi performance Corvettes that the top would go down that were well built & anyone could work on. The 1977 to 1992 were cookie cutter cars with low performance for the most part & parts are hard to find for all the electronics. Thank God that GM got back to making great Corvettes which are better than most other sports cars & cheaper. I think that is what the new generation will collect.
KEN

[David G.]

Re: $1,800

James,


I am not sure if this is the one "Tom Monaghan" bought or not .

If memory serves , I think I stoped A $40 K , and it didn't go for much more !

Jim

Jim, Assuming that we are still talking about the car that started this thread, at on point Tom did own this car. I am sure that he paid a lot more that 40 k for it.
After Bob gold bought the car, he did a beautiful $$$ restoration on the car, and the next time I saw it it was displayed at a MAC-NCRS show in Williamsburg, Va. The car was displayed in a banquet room and it was covered with a car cover. Bill Mitchell was the guest speaker and apparently he had not seen the car for many years, because he almost didn't recognize it. I am not sure when Bob sold the car, but about 15 years or so ago, I heard that it was in the Ray Nicholson collection in MI. (unconfirmed) Anyway, I am glad that the S.O. car survived.
Dave Gray
Carlisle, Pa.

[Patrick H.]

Re: $1,800

Ken,

You're changing your argument. One minute you say that they're not affordable, then you change your criteria to convertibles that are easy to work on.

I am not going to hijack this thread any more than I have but I was talking about Hi performance Corvettes that the top would go down that were well built & anyone could work on.

No, you said:"In the 70'S & 80's COrvettes were cheap even at the wages paid then & were cheaper than new cars."
I then noted that there are plenty of inexpensive Corvettes in existence.

You then said: "If you got lucky once in a while you could find a rare Corvette to buy reasonably."
and I noted that there aren't many rare Corvettes in the 73-96 era.

You then mentioned: "Young people for the most part can't afford the old cars like we could in the day."
and I pointed out how many of the imports that the young people drive cost more than a used 15-35 year old Corvette.

The 1977 to 1992 were cookie cutter cars with low performance for the most part & parts are hard to find for all the electronics. Thank God that GM got back to making great Corvettes which are better than most other sports cars & cheaper. I think that is what the new generation will collect.
KEN

I don't disagree with your last point at all. There's not a huge reason to go for a late C3 or a C4 Corvette when for not a lot more money a C5 and C6 are far nicer cars.

Anyway, I still don't think that the cost of the used Corvettes has much to do with why younger people don't own them.

[Michael M.]

Re: $1,800

I bought my first used vette in 74, a 68 427/tri-power conv for $1400, 18 years old and what the heck did I know, other than it went fast straight. Back when we had gas lines at the service stations buying gas on odd/even days, you could bairly give a HP car away. Gee, remember the good old days.
There here again Zo6 427 FI LS7, goes fast straight and handles, just need the gas lines.
Have we gone full circle?