Is it just me?

[RustyRed]

I've been looking at a couple of different cars lately and noticing something.

It seems in this market the values are down and you are almost better off buying a car that is in pretty good shape to start with instead of the one that's been sitting in someone's field for years. Seems like the really trashed out "projects" are still going for a couple of thousand. By the time you replace metal, paint, build motor, redo suspension, rebuild tranny, look at the rear end, etc, etc you would almost be better off finding a running driving car that needs a little tlc.

Is it just me or what?

 

[crustycurmudgeon]

I thought that was always the case.

Frank

 

[AzPete]

Yep.....for sure.....unless you want the thrill of building one.

 

[gtscode]

I thought that was always the case.

Frank

I agree and that was my first thought.

Yep.....for sure.....unless you want the thrill of building one.

I wanted the thrill and it was nice to spend the money over five years as opposed to one large cash outlay. I have learned a ton about my car and have restored or replaced every single nut, bolt and wire. It has been hard but rewarding and frustrating as hell all at the same time.

All that said I would never buy a rough car again!!! The market is to good for decent cars. I like the mechanical stuff I hate paint.

 

[RustyRed]

I agree and that was my first thought.


I wanted the thrill and it was nice to spend the money over five years as opposed to one large cash outlay. I have learned a ton about my car and have restored or replaced every single nut, bolt and wire. It has been hard but rewarding and frustrating as hell all at the same time.

All that said I would never buy a rough car again!!! The market is to good for decent cars. I like the mechanical stuff I hate paint.

The Mustang was rough when I bought it...been fun and learned a lot but it would have probably been cheaper to just buy one that was pretty close to "done"...not that they are ever really "done", LOL!

However, locally I have seen one Trans Am that needs pretty much one of everything and the guy still wants ~ $3,000 for it. I've seen cars that are not show cars but really decent drivers going for ~ $8k. By the time you do metal work, paint, build motor, build transmission, completely redo the interior, deal with suspension, etc, etc you would be way better off buying the driver and then fixing little things here and there.

 

[DEL65]

Coincidentally, here's a great opportunity to pick up a completed car:
http://www.stangfix.com/testforum/index.php/topic,9845.0.html

 

[RustyRed]

Coincidentally, here's a great opportunity to pick up a completed car:
http://www.stangfix.com/testforum/index.php/topic,9845.0.html

I haven't even been looking at Mustangs to be honest.

Really see zero point to buying another '65 / '66 coupe...why would I want basically two of the same car? Fastbacks and convertibles seem really expensive to me or they are super trashed out one of the two. I've even seen a few fastbacks that were trashed out and expensive.

The one car I've really loved since I was a kid were the older Trans Ams. Been looking at those more than anything else.

There has been a Fairlane or two that I've considered going to look at.

If I wanted a real project....I know where to find a '57 Fairlane with rebuildable 302, etc for about $1,300. I drive past it several days a week on the way to Aikido, about 10 minutes from my house basically. Metal on it appears to be solid, but right now it's totally stripped down. I believe if I read something right that they have most of the interior but it's not in the car now.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

If I had the money and space, I'd love to pick up a fox body to play with while I rebuild the 68. Not to mention the wife has already said no to me buying another car.

 

[RustyRed]

If I had the money and space, I'd love to pick up a fox body to play with while I rebuild the 68. Not to mention the wife has already said no to me buying another car.

Wife is fine with me buying something to play with...only debate is do I store alternating one car at my buddy's place and keep the other here or keep them both here which requires her giving up her side of the garage. She seems fine with giving up her side of the garage so I keep thinking I better find something fast before a change of heart there :lol

Just haven't found the right car yet.

Last night at the local cruise in I saw a really nice '80 Trans Am and the guy is trying to sell it. The issues are its the 4.9 and I'd rather have a 6.6. Other issue is he is asking several thousand more then I'd like to pay.

Saw another one at Nifty 50's a few weeks ago. Been trading text messages with the guy but haven't gone to look at it. I'd like to talk him down a little but it is a '79 with T's. Not a show car but not a bad car either but I didn't look at it "that close" when I saw it at Nifty 50's.

A while back there was a '70 Mustang for sale locally that looked pretty good with a four speed. I wanted to go look at it because the price was right and it's different enough from the '66 coupe but just couldn't get free to get to that side of town in time.

 

[AzPete]

Just what you need...

http://panamacity.craigslist.org/cto/2022790382.html
OR SALE IS A 1968 FIREBIRD, IT HAS A NEW BIG BLOCK 400 WITH A FEW PERFOMANCE MODS, NEW INTERIOR ETC... IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME 8505414675

 

[RustyRed]

Just what you need...

http://panamacity.craigslist.org/cto/2022790382.html
OR SALE IS A 1968 FIREBIRD, IT HAS A NEW BIG BLOCK 400 WITH A FEW PERFOMANCE MODS, NEW INTERIOR ETC... IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME 8505414675

It would be cool...if it weren't in Florida :drool

 

[AzPete]

Buy it and Midlife and I will take care of it form you....

 

[RustyRed]

Buy it and Midlife and I will take care of it form you....

I'm sure you would...do I seem like that big of a sucker?

Actually, there was a really nice 6.6 liter with T-tops '79 on ebay that the auction ended today...went for under $10k. It looked super nice and fairly unmolested / original.

I thought about bidding on it but I am generally very skeptical about buying online without seeing the car in person. If I had known someone in that area that could go check it out in person I would've been all over it.

 

[AzPete]

See....two of us locally can check out the one I posted....what more do you want?????

 

[RustyRed]

....what more do you want?????

ummm....you guys not disappearing with the car / money. You do live in an RV... :lol

 

[AzPete]

ummm....you guys not disappearing with the car / money. You do live in an RV... :lol

:wm? :sad We would keep you updated on the cars location.....at some point in time, we would pass close to you so you could see it...

 

[RustyRed]

Do we have any members from Stamford, CT on here?

A guy had a pretty nice about '77 Firebird with T-Tops for sale on e-bay that didn't make the reserve, I didn't even bother to bid on it. I had asked him some questions about the car while the auction was still going. He sent me a message today that he would be willing to lower the price some. Not that he's given me a price, keeps dancing around the subject and replying to call him. I replied the other day that if he wasn't giving me a reasonable guess at what he wanted to get I wasn't wasting my time / money on a long distance call.

Really nice looking car from what I can tell from pictures. The down side would be a 305 under the hood but that could be changed in time I suppose or just run with that for gas mileage concerns.