Is it possible that all the affordable project cars are now taken?

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St Augustine, FL 318, 10K.

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1970 Plymouth Duster - cars & trucks - by dealer - vehicle...
 
The deals are still out there if you just keep looking and be patient, there was a cream puff 4 door 74 valiant for sale near me for $2k. sat on CL for 3 weeks before someone just bought it.
 
Big Dad said:
Been some time since I saw something actually affordable that was worthy of time and effort to do it ( Dodge / Plymouth) all I have noticed lately is rotted, rusted, stripped out junk and all of it is priced easily 4 times what its worth, even 4 doors.
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Check with Dan the Man, we have been sending him great finds for months
 
It's just not the 80s anymore. I remember I wrecked Nova I had. That following Monday Kirk said "one of the guys at the shop has a 68 Chevelle". The following weekend Kirk and I were swapping the drive train from the Nova into the Chevelle after I laid 150 bucks in his hand. For a totally RUST FREE 68 Chevelle 2 door hardtop. It's just not like that anymore and never will be.
 
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So true RRR in my area A body Mopars started drying up in the scrapyards around the late 90s. it isn't like you buy one of these cars cheap and parts are cheap and plentiful Mopars now are real expensive to do right vs how cheap or sometimes free(318) parts were in the 80s till about mid 90s...anyone remember the late 70s gas crunch and v 8 cars were being unloaded real cheap...?
 
Factory optioned Muscle Cars are going to command a premium. Standard optioned cars of the era can be had for a lot less and modified.

When I was young and Muscle Cars were available to buy, or just used cars, it seemed like the old guys with Model Ts and like, ruled the shows and swap meets, and that stuff commanded high prices of the time. Now the old guys that could relate to the Ts are long gone, and the prices for that stuff hasn't kept up with inflation.

I imagine the same could happen with Muscle Cars to some degree in twenty years or so, but I don't care, I'm going to enjoy them while I can, and be happy with what I can afford, and not worry about the prices. Not everyone could even afford the top cars even when they were new, and that's why Hemi cars and the like, are rare and highly priced.
 
Outsder said:
Factory optioned Muscle Cars are going to command a premium. Standard optioned cars of the era can be had for a lot less and modified.
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You're right, but that's changing pretty quickly. Standard A bodies are really starting to command prices now. Even the early cars. They're getting hard to find in good shape now. Heck, in any shape.
 
Muscle cars will always be cool its just that era... the cars looked good made good power were cool and attracted the chics...:)

Look at anything from 69,then Challenger/Cuda hit the scene in 70 that was the pinnacle of style.
 
Dartswinger70 said:
Muscle cars will always be cool its just that era... the cars looked good made good power were cool and attracted the chics...:)

Look at anything from 69,then Challenger/Cuda hit the scene in 70 that was the pinnacle of style.
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I think 70 and 71 were really it. The 70 Cuda, the 70 Chevelle, The 70 Mustang. All those cars were really something. Even the Oldsmobiles, Buicks and Pontiacs. The 70 GTO for example, is my favorite body style across the board. Just mean lookin.
 
True what you say about regular cars getting pricey Rusty, but that also has something to do with 50 plus years, and related to your screen name, the equivalent to our issues about getting old, but in this case a metal based object age problem, RUST.
 
Outsder said:
True what you say about regular cars getting pricey Rusty, but that also has something to do with 50 plus years, and related to your screen name, the equivalent to our issues about getting old, but in this case a metal based object age problem, RUST.
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Well sure and I'd venture to guess that's the real reason. But the reason doesn't matter. Values are increasing. Why does it matter WHY?
 
Id say $5K and under now may get a rolling shell missing drivetrain and most of the interior maybe not even a title....that's what I see in my area ..you browse based on price but when you open the ad there isn't much there if its real inexpensive and too good to be true on price there usually issues like "lost title"
 
Dartswinger70 said:
Id say $5K and under now may get a rolling shell missing drivetrain and most of the interior maybe not even a title....that's what I see in my area ..you browse based on price but when you open the ad there isn't much there if its real inexpensive and too good to be true on price there usually issues like "lost title"
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That seems to be pretty accurate here as well.
 
Dartswinger70 said:
Id say $5K and under now may get a rolling shell missing drivetrain and most of the interior maybe not even a title....that's what I see in my area ..you browse based on price but when you open the ad there isn't much there if its real inexpensive and too good to be true on price there usually issues like "lost title"
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I traded my last Harley valued at ~$7k for my 74 Swinger slant six car. It was running and registered and came with some good bones. Compared to other trade offers it was a decent trade. I wouldn’t have paid more than $2,000 5 years ago.
 
10 -15 years ago, new trucks were $60,000 CAD more or less. My Duramax as example. Now they are over $100,000.

It is only logical that all others follow the market. Is it correct? That is not what I stated, I didn't say it is right. But reality is the used car market is just as inflated as new.
 
My wife recently said something like new trucks were 47 K I said try 80K :) this was after i sepnt some time rebuiling and bushing the rear suspension on my Ford Ranger I said "Most wouldnt do it but its a 4X4 truck you dont junk it because the sprong hangers rusted out..."
 
Dartswinger70 said:
My wife recently said something like new trucks were 47 K I said try 80K :) this was after i sepnt some time rebuiling and bushing the rear suspension on my Ford Ranger I said "Most wouldnt do it but its a 4X4 truck you dont junk it because the sprong hangers rusted out..."
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New truck prices are crazy, my 2017 ram stickered for 49K, two weeks ago I was getting the oil changed at the dealership, to kill time, walked around the lot, the same truck but a 2023, sticker price was 102K, WTF my wages have not gone up 50% in 6 years.
I am doing my best to keep the mileage low on my 2017, because it will be the last truck I buy new.
 
part of the problem is that everybody is concerned with ROI and a lot have a "what's it worth when i'm done" attitude.

that's where you get bread & butter 4-dr slant cars listed up at 12~15K. some dill hole bought a clean straight 66 val 4dr slant for a reasonable amount (say 3K), threw brakes, tires and a battery at it (2K), did a tune up and maybe some other BS for a G, and put exhaust on it for another 1K, so now they're 7K into a car that runs and drives pretty good and looks alright.

they're over it and wanna sell, figure they gotta make a profit. so it goes up at 10~12K
or they run the comps and can't discern the difference of a well sorted 66 val 2dr 360 w 8.75 and BBP discs at 19K being miles away from their wheezy clapped out /6 with a slip n slide juice box trans and 9" drums that you'd be scared to take out of town; but they price it at 15K

gone are the days of 1K drivers. there's still decent projects out there, it's just now they're in the upper price range: 10K for a car that's got the mechanicals sorted but needs paint and body and interior, or 15K for 68 dart that's ready for paint and everything else is done, but in exploded view.
 
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