Any one read the article in Hot Rod about the $5 Million 'Cuda. When will it end? Come on people they are all just cars. I, like everyone else here, loves the popular cars of the past, but the more it gets out of hand the more I lean toward the not so popular ones. The main reason I love the classics as much as I do is to be different from the crowd. I’ve been like that my whole life. I’m on the look out for the right 4 door mid 60’s classic, if for no other reason than to be different.

Don’t build a car to suit someone else’s dream. Build it to suit your life, budget, and style. If a $5 Million ‘Cuda does it, then good for you. On the hand a six cylinder 4 dr Nova may better suit the drive to work and make it easier to put the 3 year old in the back seat.

I’m stepping off the soapbox now. Hope I didn’t offend anyone, if so I’ll gladly listen to your rebuttal. Drive Happy!:waving:

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[color=black]Don’t build a car to suit someone else’s dream. Build it to suit your life, budget, and style. If a $5 Million ‘Cuda does it, then good for you. On the hand a six cylinder 4 dr Nova may better suit the drive to work and make it easier to put the 3 year old in the back seat.

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Everyday for about 2 months now I pass by a 1974 2 door Nova sitting in a parking lot with a for sale sign in the front window. The sign says it is a 6 cyl and I can see it is an automatic. It still has painted steel wheels and just the baby moon hubcaps with the bowtie in the center of them. They want $2,500.00 for the car.

I cannot see any rust/rot on the outside and the body is pretty straight looking like it has never been redone. If you like chrome bumpers this car has them, and they sure are big. Hard to get used to looking at them after seeing the ones on my '69 Camaro.

If I didn't have so many vehicles now I would consider checking into this car for a driver and then maybe someday down the road fixing it up....

It's neat to see those prices, and it also makes me glad I'm not a Mopar nut...because I'd be in for a life of crime. ;) I don't build, wrench or drive (rarely, I really enjoy wrenching more) for anyone but me... But right now I can still find somewhat affordable Camaros (this is actually a surprise for me), and the rotted out wrecked and otherwise used up models that I dearly love (even more than a pretty show car, man I'm SICK) have some value to others (BONUS!)...

When I had no money in college I wrenched on what I got free (or at the local police auction, nearly free) so I can't say it's a desire that's limited by money...

I can positively say that even if I happened to become wildly successful (ha! ;) )I'd still be passing up the front rows at the used car lot to find the stuff that's headed to the auction (or crusher!)... I love the F-body (at least 67-92) and luckily the General made lots!

For me it's not about being different, it's finding that loose screw behind the steering wheel...

This subject comes up from time to time here. I personally think the high prices are terrible. Yeah right now the Mopars are commanding big prices, but, the Chevys are not far behind so watch out.

I have already taken the step to "try" to be different. I just can't see paying close to $10K for a project. When I started playing with cars a decent project cost you $500-$1,500 (no engine or trans). To me it's not all about money, I too like to wrench and modify. The "popular" cars are starting to be worth so much that modifying them is not always a good idea anymore (money wise).

The whole hot rod thing started as a "poor" mans "way of life". If you wanted a cool car and didn't have money you had to make due with what you could afford. You modified it to stand out and be cool (or at least show your personality, cool or not). I say it is/was a way of life not a trend or fad. Now it is becoming more of a status symbol more than a way of life. I think this may be happening for a couple of reasons. I always said I will drive and build hot rods no matter how old I am. Well now some of the guys that grew up with not so much money have "made it" and now they are chasing their dreams from when they didn't have money (nothing wrong with that).

You just have to evolve like in the past you find something that not many other people want or think is cool and make it cool. Either that or pay the price.

Once the "hobby" became big business this is the only thing that could happen.

I remember the straight-edged guys in high school that would bad mouth the guys with cool muscle cars. They couldn't fix their own car to save their life! Now these same middle-aged rich guys are willing to drop six figures just to drive the cars they could never build themselves when they were young. Imitation is the best form of flattery!

I remember the straight-edged guys in high school that would bad mouth the guys with cool muscle cars. They couldn't fix their own car to save their life! Now these same middle-aged rich guys are willing to drop six figures just to drive the cars they could never build themselves when they were young. Imitation is the best form of flattery!


Well, said...but again if you can afford it and it's what you want more power to you...

I personally enjoy "budget minded coolness" if that makes sense ( I just made it up)!! which is what Hot Rodding is/was as already mentioned.

I'd love to hear some feed back from some of the members here with mega dollar cars. I know there are a few. I just like hearing all the angles....

I always wanted to be rich enough to be a 'Chrysler Guy'. :D

Well… I think buying a beautiful car and building a beautiful car are two different levels of something or other. Sort of like the difference between marrying a beautiful woman and having her for life and buying a beautiful hooker to take to a party…:p

It's not necessarily all Mopars that are commanding big money, mostly the Barracudas of the early 70's. It is said that it's close to impossible to find money for them.

it almost getting where only the rich can have classic cars

The Super Bees and Daytonas have commanded top dollar for a long time. Anything original with a Hemi is worth big bucks.

Yo're right it's not all Mopars and the Cuda/Challengers with 440's are knocking down good money too.

Either way you slice it, the hobby has changed and will continue to until it is either no longer cool to drive an old car (not likely going to happen in our lifetime), or until there just are no more left and/or they are too expensive for most people to afford (we are pretty close to that point).

Either way you slice it, the hobby has changed and will continue to until it is either no longer cool to drive an old car (not likely going to happen in our lifetime), or until there just are no more left and/or they are too expensive for most people to afford (we are pretty close to that point).

I had been away from the hobby since I sold my 67 back in 1990. I was totally shocked to see where the prices were when I decided to get another 67. I looked for several months, and had reserved myself to the possibility of going across country to find one that "might" be worth the asking price, or finding one on life support and saving it. Buying one already done was not an option. I paid 4000.00 bucks for mine, and when family and friends come by to see it, they say "this is what you got all excited about?" I'll admit, right now it looks like hell. Most people (I am including current First Gen owners) have no appreciation for the effort it takes to install a new trunk and frame rails on one of these old beasts. IMO, likely the hardest part of the project. The rest for me is mostly cosmetic and swapping out old for new.

As I ground away the metal from 38 years ago, I often wondered if the guys building these had any idea just how far we would go to keep them alive, and more importanly, on the road.

well i was just offered 6 million for my camaro z/28!.yep,i turned it down. .. just kidding! i really think it's all a hype,just to raise prices.i would like to see proof....thats krazy..5 mil.?? but,if it is true then i will pull my 5-hemi cuda convertables with 0 miles on them out of the barn!

The whole thing seems to be a case of people with more money than sense. The "value" of muscle cars skyrocketed in the 80's also. They eventually came back down. Car values, or what people seem to be willing to pay, and housing values have increased exponentially lately. I think that someday it has to retreat some. I wouldn't want to be someone that spent a ton of money on cars or a house and then see it worth 10%, 20% or 30% less in a few years.

Well… I think buying a beautiful car and building a beautiful car are two different levels of something or other. Sort of like the difference between marrying a beautiful woman and having her for life and buying a beautiful hooker to take to a party…:p
Nice idea.........LOL, but, which hooker?

FWIW- there are still good deals to be found. I was at a swap meet two weeks ago and while leaving, there was a guy standing by a 73 340 4-speed 'cuda with a for-sale sign on it that he had taken as payment for some construction work. It was rust-free and complete and he was asking 10k. I didn't have cash or a flatbed with me so I called my buddy to see if he wanted to go in on it to make some quick cash. He called the guy back on his cell phone an hour later, and he had sold it to a guy at the meet for $8500. I shoulda wrote out a check before I left.
Also found a red/black 70 SS 396 Chevelle in the paper the week before in original paint with all original parts intact including factory 8-track and cowl induction air-cleaner for $7500. It needed restored, but still was a steal. I couldn't get to the sellers house that a.m. due to my daughters soccer game and obviously it was gone by the afternoon. You win some and lose some.

If you keep looking deals are still out there.

sicsd8,
That is my whole point. Not all that long ago neither of the two deals you just mentioned would have been considered "good" or even "fair". While both car may well have been wort the asking price "today" which is what this whole thread is about the prices going up. Neither of those cars sold new (if I had to guess) for that much let alone in need of repair and over 30 years old.

I guess it just depends on how you look at it.