Classic Cars

[Phills14]

I'm not in the market now but I hope to buy a classic car sometime in the next 2-3 years. I don't want to break the bank but $10-15k is not unreasonable to me.

I'd like it to be a convertible. Any thoughts?

 

[inliner311]

I'm not in the market now but I hope to buy a classic car sometime in the next 2-3 years. I don't want to break the bank but $10-15k is not unreasonable to me.

I'd like it to be a convertible. Any thoughts?

Depending on the area you live in, it might be worth the extra money to go to the South or west to get a rust free car. Even a little rust is a on going nightmare for an older car. The only way to get rid of rust is to cut it out and weld new panels in the effected areas. I'd even stay away from cars that are from beach areas because of the spray from the ocean.

What is your definition of a classic car? What decade(s) are you looking at? Are you looking for a domestic or import?

 

[LennoxLewis]

I would try to hit up local auctions when you decide on getting one. You can get some pretty good deals, especially if there is work needed.

 

[DJTJ]

Depending on the area you live in, it might be worth the extra money to go to the South or west to get a rust free car. Even a little rust is a on going nightmare for an older car. The only way to get rid of rust is to cut it out and weld new panels in the effected areas. I'd even stay away from cars that are from beach areas because of the spray from the ocean.

What is your definition of a classic car? What decade(s) are you looking at? Are you looking for a domestic or import?

Avoid the south. The West is where it's at. Dry climates save these cars.

Do you know a lot about cars? If something goes wrong, can you fix said car? My dad has collected since I was a kid, and if there's one thing I've learned, if you can't fix it yourself, it gets costly. He used to have his own shop when we lived in Ohio, but now doesn't have the space to do the work.

 

[inliner311]

Avoid the south. The West is where it's at. Dry climates save these cars.

Do you know a lot about cars? If something goes wrong, can you fix said car? My dad has collected since I was a kid, and if there's one thing I've learned, if you can't fix it yourself, it gets costly. He used to have his own shop when we lived in Ohio, but now doesn't have the space to do the work.

I agree the west is where he should look for a car. The cars in the south will be better than the North or Midwest though, unless you find a garage queen.

Another problem is that interiors get cooked in warm weather and those end up being some of the hardest parts to find. I'm not sure where the ideal location to find a car is because you want it dry but also where people will use their garages. That rare interior color that you love becomes a love hate relationship if you need to find interior parts.

I also agree that if he is planning to get a older car, to start working on his own car now. It will get expensive and you have to find the right mechanic to work on it, if you can't work on it yourself. Even just reading forums for the cars you want will help know what will potential go wrong and what it involves. Usually the cars that give people headaches to repair are cheap for that reason.

Also with convertibles you have to remember that the cloth tops have to replaced every 10-15 years. As someone who has worked extensively on all his cars, I would rather tackle a hardtop convertibles mechanical issues than have to mess with a soft top. If I was looking at a soft top, I'd be looking for ones with the optional hard tops like some of the old Mercedes and BMWs have.

 

[Phills14]

I know shit about cars and how to repair them. I'm really not sure what I'm looking for. The muscle cars from the 70s look cool but I can easily see myself going with a Mustang from the 00's.

 

[inliner311]

I know shit about cars and how to repair them. I'm really not sure what I'm looking for. The muscle cars from the 70s look cool but I can easily see myself going with a Mustang from the 00's.

The 70s muscle cars will keep going up in value which makes alot of them just hard to buy in the price range you want.

As for cars from the last 90's and early 00's. If you are looking just at American cars I'd look at the C5 Corvette and the GTO. I like both of them and in 2-3 year is probably when the C5 Corvettes will hit their floor on price then climb their way back up in 4-5 years after that. I think the GTO could possibly be a good investment because the relatively short time they produced them for the US market.

I'm mainly into Japanese and German cars. I could give you a big list of import cars I'd like to get that should have potential to be fun now and be worth alot more in the future.

 

[Phills14]

The 70s muscle cars will keep going up in value which makes alot of them just hard to buy in the price range you want.

As for cars from the last 90's and early 00's. If you are looking just at American cars I'd look at the C5 Corvette and the GTO. I like both of them and in 2-3 year is probably when the C5 Corvettes will hit their floor on price then climb their way back up in 4-5 years after that. I think the GTO could possibly be a good investment because the relatively short time they produced them for the US market.

I'm mainly into Japanese and German cars. I could give you a big list of import cars I'd like to get that should have potential to be fun now and be worth alot more in the future.

Awesome man. I'm not locked into American cars. What are your thoughts?

 

[inliner311]

Awesome man. I'm not locked into American cars. What are your thoughts?

The BMW M3 from 2000-2006 was the almost attainable dream car for alot of people who are in their 30's now. I don't think they have hit their floor yet but are close. I've seen the previous generation go up in value in the last couple years. In 2-3 years it might the perfect time to buy one. People love that body style combine with the handling and performance. It has potential to be a real good investment.

I also think the BMW Z3 will have a pretty good following. They are pretty dirt cheap right now and they have a unique style. Same goes for the Audi TT.

I've always wanted a Supra or a RX7, I don't think I'd get one unless I found one that needed alot of work. They are too overvalued to what they are now. I think the 3000gt twin turbo or the 300zx twin turbo from the 90's will be the ones that you can get into cheap and they will gain in value over time.

I like the S2000 also if you want a convertible. People really like the motorcycle like engine, it has a crazy redline. People seem to keep them in good condition and in the garage.

I would jump into a 1998-2004 Porsche 911 right now if I had the money. I think they have hit their floor and will only go up in value. I always thought the 80's 911s weren't going to jump in value but they did recently because that age group started to come into money. I always thought they were ugly and people think the 996 is ugly too. I think it will be the one people will buy if they can't afford the 964, 993, or 997 but want a modern 911 with power steering, etc.

 

[KI4MVP]

I have to say when I saw the thread title I sure didn't expect the topic to be about cars from the 2000s.

 

[CleveRocks]

Cars are an expensive hobby if you cant do your own work.. my dad owned an MGB but he worked on it most days to keep it running. He was shade tree level 1000.. My Father In Law owns a 1938 Ford Phaeton. Lovely Gangsta car and it's a total babe magnet, but it is drivable less than 30% of the time. He does not do his own work, ( but could) and it's a money pit.

I personally think muscle cars from the 70s suck. 60s was a better era IMO.. but you might find a Dodge Charger to be fun and maintainable..90s cars Toyota, maybe.. Z cars from the 80s ..

 

[inliner311]

I have to say when I saw the thread title I sure didn't expect the topic to be about cars from the 2000s.

I didn't plan on steering the conversation that way but the cars people tend to desire are the cars that they wanted as a teenager. The best time to buy those cars are when they just become old cars to the people who own them and haven't truely reached classic status. Classic cars usually start when they reach 25-30 years old so if you buy them at 20-25 years olds you most likely buy them at the floor of their market.

Cars are usually a terrible investment but if you try to be forward thinking about it then it might turn out to be a neutral or slightly profitable investment.

 

[KI4MVP]

This is more along the lines of a classic car

The first Ford Mustang owner kept the car. It's now worth $350,000

Tom and Gail Wise disagreed about whether a broken-down car should be stored in a family garage for 27 years or sold for junk. He insisted they keep it because, he promised, one day he would find the time to fix the vehicle himself.

It was her skylight blue convertible Ford Mustang, purchased at age 22 in 1964, that their family of six drove for 15 years.

One day, it just stopped running. And there it sat until Tom retired. When he started hunting for car parts on the internet, he discovered a story about someone with a similar car who claimed to be the very first Mustang owner, with a purchase date of April 16, 1964.

“Tom came to me and said, ‘I think you bought the car a day earlier,’ ” Gail Wise recalled. “And, sure enough, he went down to the basement and found the receipt and the owner’s manual. Sure enough, I had purchased the car on April 15.”

They called Hagerty Classic Insurance, experts on collector cars, and learned a paper trail was essential.

“We had everything,” Gail Wise said. “We didn’t know it was anything special. But we kept the new car invoice, the registered owners manual. Tom’s a saver.”

So now, as Ford celebrates production of the 10-millionth Mustang, Gail Wise is back in the spotlight. She was at company headquarters last week and, from Thursday through Saturday this week, her Mustang will be on public display in Royal Oak, Mich.

“It’s like being a movie star at 76,” she said with a tiny laugh. “I felt like a movie star at 22 when I bought the car. I mean, that was 54 years ago and we’re still talking about it.”

clip

The new third-grade teacher was living at home with her parents on the northwest side of Chicago and sharing her father’s red and black 1957 Ford. But she had accepted a job in the suburbs. So Helen and Cleadis Brown agreed to lend their daughter money for a new car and they headed over to Johnson Ford on Cicero Avenue.

“I told the salesman I wanted a convertible and he said, ‘I have none on the floor. Come into the back room, I have something special to show you,’ ” Gail said. “There were two Mustangs, one was a hard top. And he didn’t even bother to show me that one. He lifted the tarp and I knew that convertible was for me.”

Back then, new cars always came out at the end of September and Ford wanted to shock the world with an April reveal. The company had distributed Mustangs to dealerships around the country so salespeople would have something to show when Lee Iacocca unveiled the car at the World’s Fair in New York on April 17, 1964.

“This was two days before, and it was all top secret,” Wise said. “But he sold it to me. I drove out of that showroom with everyone waving at me and asking me to slow down. TV ran a lot of advertisements for Mustang but they never showed the car. They just showed the logo and said, ‘It’s coming.’ For this to be out in April was a really, really big thing. People were so happy, giving me thumbs up, even the police. I don't remember having the top down, so it must've been cold. I wanted to keep driving, but I only had to go about 3 miles to get home.”

She married two years later, bought a home and used the Mustang as a family car with four kids.

“You just didn’t go out and buy new cars,” Wise said. “Tom was using it for work. We could fit three kids in the back seat and I’d hold the youngest on my lap. We would go to McDonald’s and eat in the car. And then one day, he pushes it into the garage. I wanted to get rid of it because we needed space for children’s stuff. He kept saying, ‘It’s my retirement project.’ "

He built an addition onto their two-car garage for the Mustang.

“When I was young and single, I enjoyed driving that car,” she said. “The highways were brand new. We had no traffic and you could fly. The first time I saw that Mustang, I thought it was so sporty, with bucket seats and a transmission on the floor. Usually sports cars were expensive, and I could afford this car.”

Now the fully restored (but not altered or modified) classic pony car that cost $3,447.50 is worth $350,000 to $450,000, according to Jonathan Klinger, spokesman for Hagerty in Traverse City.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...ustang-discovers-car-worth-350-000/983144002/

 

[inliner311]

This is more along the lines of a classic car

The first Ford Mustang owner kept the car. It's now worth $350,000

Tom and Gail Wise disagreed about whether a broken-down car should be stored in a family garage for 27 years or sold for junk. He insisted they keep it because, he promised, one day he would find the time to fix the vehicle himself.

It was her skylight blue convertible Ford Mustang, purchased at age 22 in 1964, that their family of six drove for 15 years.

One day, it just stopped running. And there it sat until Tom retired. When he started hunting for car parts on the internet, he discovered a story about someone with a similar car who claimed to be the very first Mustang owner, with a purchase date of April 16, 1964.

“Tom came to me and said, ‘I think you bought the car a day earlier,’ ” Gail Wise recalled. “And, sure enough, he went down to the basement and found the receipt and the owner’s manual. Sure enough, I had purchased the car on April 15.”

They called Hagerty Classic Insurance, experts on collector cars, and learned a paper trail was essential.

“We had everything,” Gail Wise said. “We didn’t know it was anything special. But we kept the new car invoice, the registered owners manual. Tom’s a saver.”

So now, as Ford celebrates production of the 10-millionth Mustang, Gail Wise is back in the spotlight. She was at company headquarters last week and, from Thursday through Saturday this week, her Mustang will be on public display in Royal Oak, Mich.

“It’s like being a movie star at 76,” she said with a tiny laugh. “I felt like a movie star at 22 when I bought the car. I mean, that was 54 years ago and we’re still talking about it.”

clip

The new third-grade teacher was living at home with her parents on the northwest side of Chicago and sharing her father’s red and black 1957 Ford. But she had accepted a job in the suburbs. So Helen and Cleadis Brown agreed to lend their daughter money for a new car and they headed over to Johnson Ford on Cicero Avenue.

“I told the salesman I wanted a convertible and he said, ‘I have none on the floor. Come into the back room, I have something special to show you,’ ” Gail said. “There were two Mustangs, one was a hard top. And he didn’t even bother to show me that one. He lifted the tarp and I knew that convertible was for me.”

Back then, new cars always came out at the end of September and Ford wanted to shock the world with an April reveal. The company had distributed Mustangs to dealerships around the country so salespeople would have something to show when Lee Iacocca unveiled the car at the World’s Fair in New York on April 17, 1964.

“This was two days before, and it was all top secret,” Wise said. “But he sold it to me. I drove out of that showroom with everyone waving at me and asking me to slow down. TV ran a lot of advertisements for Mustang but they never showed the car. They just showed the logo and said, ‘It’s coming.’ For this to be out in April was a really, really big thing. People were so happy, giving me thumbs up, even the police. I don't remember having the top down, so it must've been cold. I wanted to keep driving, but I only had to go about 3 miles to get home.”

She married two years later, bought a home and used the Mustang as a family car with four kids.

“You just didn’t go out and buy new cars,” Wise said. “Tom was using it for work. We could fit three kids in the back seat and I’d hold the youngest on my lap. We would go to McDonald’s and eat in the car. And then one day, he pushes it into the garage. I wanted to get rid of it because we needed space for children’s stuff. He kept saying, ‘It’s my retirement project.’ "

He built an addition onto their two-car garage for the Mustang.

“When I was young and single, I enjoyed driving that car,” she said. “The highways were brand new. We had no traffic and you could fly. The first time I saw that Mustang, I thought it was so sporty, with bucket seats and a transmission on the floor. Usually sports cars were expensive, and I could afford this car.”

Now the fully restored (but not altered or modified) classic pony car that cost $3,447.50 is worth $350,000 to $450,000, according to Jonathan Klinger, spokesman for Hagerty in Traverse City.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...ustang-discovers-car-worth-350-000/983144002/

Everyone would agree with that but @Phills14 wants a car in 3 years that will cost 10-15k. Pre-1975 classic cars will all be out of that range unless it's a real project car.

There is a hole in the performance aspect of cars after 1975 because of catalytic converters being mandatory. There are some nice looking cars in the late 70's and 80's that are just slow because they couldn't figure out how to make power with a catalytic converter.

I personally think the mid 80's to the early 90's are some of the ugliest cars ever made across the board. There are some exceptions but the vast majority were boxy and odd looking. The styling didn't really come back until '92-94. That why most of my suggestions were from the mid-90's to the early '00. I think it's just a better era to get into if he wants to hold on to the car long term like the lady in the article you put up.