"I'm getting out of MoPar" threads.........
People that buy and sell for profit only are driving the prices up.
There's a key here in this sentence that's been repeated a few times in this thread.
Yes, the "investors" do drive up the prices, but, they also drive up the interest in the cars. If it wasn't for a perceived value, you wouldn't find manufacturers tooling up to reproduce parts. The more demand, the more parts that are produced and the more affordable the parts. It's why you can buy almost anything for a 57 Chevy and practically nothing for a 65 Ambassador. (Did they even make a 65 Ambassador?). It's a double edge sword to be sure. It's also why Mother Mopar appeals to a lot of us. Not everyone has one. So what appeals to us also works against us. It's still ten grand to paint your car whether it's a 69 Chevelle or a 69 Dart. It's that 500 dollar complete quarter for the Chevy that makes the difference.
I will never completely get out of Mopars or the hobby. I have however dialed it back quite a bit.
When I first got into it I was a kid with a pretty fun Charger. We actually "CRUISED" our cars on weekends. We did the stoplight bravado. We engaged in less than sanctioned competitions on frontage roads. (Used to be some nice ones out by Lawrence Welks).
Now, it's more about going to some parking lot, park or fairground and setting up a lawn chair behind your prized possession. Cool for an hour, yawn for a day. There are no longer any dragstrips close by. So to actually get to one and do some grudge runs or T&Ts is like planning a weekend at a sanctioned event. Lord knows I would never test anything I have recently done to my car in a empty industrial complex on a weekend. :finga:
I work on my stuff for me now. When I want. Doing what I want. I help friends out when they need or want it. I go to the local gatherings occasionally to see friends. If I happen to see a car that is interesting to me, then it's a bonus. If there is a lawn chair in the back of my car, you can be sure I'm going fishing.