Current musclecar market

[Professor Fate]

As noted, it depends on your perspective.
Nice cars have gotten outrageous, and they've generally sunk a lot of coin into them to get them "nice", and they think they should get out of them what they've put into them... (HAH!)
Project cars/parts cars got ridiculous because everyone thought they were sitting on a gold mine since they saw what one on BJ went for... but it seems like prices are beginning to drop a bit now as sellers/speculators are beginning to realize that their rotted out 4 door Maverick isn't really worth the same as a Boss 429... And project cars are beginning to drop since there's fewer and fewer people willing to or with the ability to take on a project of this scope- after all, there's no "app" for it.

 

[dust44d]

There is an ad for a guy offering up to 90K for a 71 Demon with no replies. I guess the market if soft.

 

[davescuda]

There is an ad for a guy offering up to 90K for a 71 Demon with no replies. I guess the market if soft.

Is it a four-speed? I have a customer looking for one. He has 100,000.00 to spend

 

[1MeanA]

Project cars going down in price, finish cars going up in price. There’s always the exception

That's not surprising looking at the cost to restore these days. I don't think I would tackle another one at today's prices.

 

[dano]

Yes
Economy in general.... people are tapped out.

Real estate taxes > high, insurance > high, young people can't afford to buy a home, groceries > high, gasoline really not coming down.

Can't afford a house and next you can't afford to rent either. People not going out to eat like they used too.

Credit Card Debt per individual is at an all time high.

Brace for a housing market crash again like happened in 2008. Likewise the hot rod classic car hard assets are coming off their peaks now too.

Glad I did my playing around when I did. Like playing musical chairs, you want to have a place to sit down when the music stops.


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^^This. The gap between the have and have nots is widening and the middle class is dying. I was at car show a month ago with my 79 year old dad and he stated how "there are not many young adults" I told him not many can afford these cars or this hobby and when you can't make a living wage you certainly are not going to be looking at $20k-up toys when you can't even rent a shitty apartment.

 

[barbee6043]

Sooo, Dusters that wouldn’t have gotten $50k a few years back are selling for $100k at auction, but the classic car market is soft?

Another Big Money Duster

We today, in general, we live in a world of the haves and the have nots. The middle class is shrinking every day. The collector car auctions are where you find the haves! Money people. Their Wall Street account keeps gaining big time.

FB Marketplace is home to the have nots! The guy trying to pay his auto insurance on his daily, the guy that wants to buy a him he can not afford, groceries, rent, dog food.

There are way more old car projects for sale in Marketplace every day, and few sell and only the ones priced right and a model with some following.
So when a guy asks IF the market for classics is shrinking, just look at the average prices from year to year at Mecom, BJ, sell thru %, and that tells you want the $ guys are doing in general.

The bottom cars, rough and even better projects, drivers needing a lot, what is their pulse??? Go to Marketplace and "bookmark" 3-4 dozens cars for sale at what would look like NOT stupid prices, and see what are shown later, as sold , in a week, a month or 4 months.

Mid range cars, as in "amateur" restos, mainly to be found here in the for sale thread, look at what is shown as sold and did actually sell, not where a guy dropped the listing and gave up! Or FB groups for certain makes and models. Asking prices mean little, what counts is what is actually PAID!

Hardest cat to sell is the roller, parts missing or taken apart and in 3 dozen boxes.

Easiest to sell is a complete and solid ish driver, prices RIGHT! Especially if a model in demand and not one of 4 dozens silly priced 4 doors'

Yes Covid screwed the pooch on a lot of things ( many many things!!) and how the gov' ment with their infinite wisdom handled it all.

$ people always love bargains, that is why they tend to have $. They only buy the high end models, they look for restored cars at pennies on the $ compared to what the seller has invested (invested????). Screwing a fellow $ guy is OK! They call it investment banking!????

The low end $ guy can not afford much of anything. It costs to much to build a project, and he can not raise $10-12000 for a nice ish driver. But, there are still guys out there that can raise the $ because they maybe sold something, it must be a decent complete builder, and they have the desire and can afford parts at O Reilly and Rock! That car better be worth the $ or it will not sell. 95% of the projects listed for sale either never sell, of the silly priced is finally dropped by 300%!!

THe middle $ guy is the person with enough $ to buy a "nice" car, and not a 70 hemi Cuda, and he wants generally what a middle guy wants, his sights are realist, like maybe a 340 Duster. He is a middle class man, (or woman), at a stage in life, where he can afford say a $20-25000 car. But he wants his $ worth! He has to shop hard.

Just my thoughts (some of them!).

 

[ir3333]

I guess it depends on what you consider high or low price. Lots of high asking prices but are they selling?

 

[Mike69cuda]

A bodies were stagnant for a long time. I think the prices on B and E bodies have gone crazy, so A bodies look more desirable.

I think it is the same thing that has happened to the real estate market. The lower end of the market has been jerked up hard. Much more that the higher end. I have a little rental house that has probably doubled in value since Covid. Our own house has gone up, but nothing like that.

What goes straight up will usually come back down. I think higher end classic cars will fall, and that will drive down prices on everything.

Just an opinion….

 

[TF360]

It's really based on the type of car. Chargers went through the roof a few years back and are still high. Our A-bodies are having their time right now ( think Duster, 67-69 Dart and Barracuda, even some love for the 66 Fish), but I know there are some popular Chevys and fords on the decline. That being said, a popular Classic in #1 unbelievable condition can fetch 100k now, and that's all the Muscle Cars we love with the right engine, color, trans, etc.

 

[dust44d]

He wants a FC7 4 speed and has 90k+ to spend and no replies. Looking to buy not sell

 

[340wedge]

I think it's a few factors, the economy, cars being way over priced and demographics. In today's traffic older guys would rather be in an AC equipped new Vette or Challenger that brakes and handles. Young people want new muscle, pick ups and foreign and it's only us diehards that still love the old cars, or have a sentimental attachment that is willing to sink big money and time into machines that are light years behind the modern stuff. All combined people are starting to opt out. Spend 35K on a used Hemi Challenger or 35k on a 1971 Challenger with rotted floor, quarters and needs paint and a rebuild.

 

[toolmanmike]

Project cars going down in price, finish cars going up in price. There’s always the exception

The price of parts, paint and materials, and labor make it happen.

 

[MMissile]

The audience gets smaller, daily. All us old farts are dying...and youngsters don't even want to drive.
Gonna be some cheap muscle in the near future.

 

[1MeanA]

The audience gets smaller, daily. All us old farts are dying...and youngsters don't even want to drive.
Gonna be some cheap muscle in the near future.

I think so although these things tend to go on longer than you think. If I look at the demographic at the local car shows I'm on the younger side and I'm 62.

 

[abodyjoe]

Gonna be some cheap muscle in the near future.

when?? have heard that for well over a decade and it hasn't happened yet.

the other one people were saying was that the oldheads were selling off and buying modern muscle because warrenty, all the creature comforts and tired of playing professional parking at shows.

 

[abodyjoe]

I was at car show a month ago with my 79 year old dad and he stated how "there are not many young adults" I told him not many can afford these cars or this hobby

i've been saying that for many years.. this hobby isn't for the young kids anymore. maybe mustangs, modern challengers and imports but not classic mopars.. too high of a buy in for junk, way too high parts prices and just not as much out there as other makes and modern muscle..

 

[dust44d]

actually over 2 decades....

 

[LO23M8B]

A nice professionally painted rust free straight vehicle is still worth some coin. Even if it's all professionally assembled without a motor I would pay a premium for it. Especially fastbacks, convertibles and anything special. Usually if you start with junk you end up with junk. There are a few exceptions but not many.

 

[LO23M8B]

Ones with all the pieces attached are special in their own right.

 

[LO23M8B]

Is it a four-speed? I have a customer looking for one. He has 100,000.00 to spend

You guys up east just have too much money. And anyone selling to one of you should get ++premium price!

 

[Dartsun]

I'm 44 and goto most the local car shows. I'll drive my Mopar there and just park in the parking lot. As of now I'm not interested in sitting at the car show, showing my car all day, I'll just hang for a bit grab some food and leave.

 

[66jim]

Cars are still being bought mostly by big money collectors. Average Joe can barely afford to keep the roof over his head

 

[MopaR&D]

when?? have heard that for well over a decade and it hasn't happened yet.

the other one people were saying was that the oldheads were selling off and buying modern muscle because warrenty, all the creature comforts and tired of playing professional parking at shows.

They (baby boomers) are predicted to be the oldest-living generation in history, they'll be keeping their beloved high school dream cars until death or offering them for sale at stupid prices.

It's already happening with housing, they're selling their homes they bought for five figures in the 70s and 80s to high-paying property investment companies offering a million-plus instead of, ya know, maybe passing it on to their kids that can't find a decent home they can afford.

Obviously I'm making a generalization, they aren't all bad but the trends are there especially with the wealthy ones.

 

[Demon John]

It's soft if I'm selling, and high if I'm buying.....

That seems to be my experience. I like to say I'm a charter member of the "Buy High, Sell Low Club". Doesn't matter if it's a car or a lawn mower.

 

[toolmanmike]

The audience gets smaller, daily. All us old farts are dying...and youngsters don't even want to drive.
Gonna be some cheap muscle in the near future.

I am pretty happy where I'm at with my two. Not in too deep with either one.