Decisions of the shifting demographic.

"Grindintosecond" (Grindintosecond) 12/22/2018 at 10:34 • Filed to: None

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The car guys before me were folks bo rn in the forties like my dad and uncles and their friends, who were and still are into the 50's Elvis age cars, some early sixties stuff; really not too far into muscle cars. But what about us in our own middle-age 40's? Is a 57 Thunderbird still desirable? Does it still check your boxes? What are your thoughts?

The 55 and 57 chevvies are still favorable for muscle car builds platforms but stock? Showroom fresh? The prices are slowly going down as the enthusiasts are aging out. I ask because I have a standing offer on a 57 T-bird, with porthole top, v8 + manual. Not the desirable Y-code. Original - Not perfect (paint needs a respray). But I find myself with a like for the design and the history of the piece, but leaning towards a meh over the car as a whole because I didn’t grow up with it as a wow piece of now in my life like the 50's kids did.

I’m interested. I like old things. It’s a nice ride. But I wonder if everyone else feels the way I do about these classics.

ihm96 > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 10:48

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Honestly as a 22 year old, I kinda can’t wait for when people start devaluing all the 40s and 50s cars so they can be affordable for me to snag up lol. I had a 1963 Corvair and it was amazing. Time machines may not exist, but a car can somewhat do the job. Every time I drove that car I felt special and even though it wasnt at all quick in a straight line it handled well and was fun as hell. Speed is all relative so I usually can have fun in cars of any era

jimz > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 10:51

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I’m right in that age bracket, and I hate ‘50s cars. Garish, ugly, over-chromed pieces of junk. Thanks to the Malaise Era, we were still kind of clinging to muscle cars since there were still some around. also, thanks to modernization like fuel injection, GM and Ford were re-igniting muscle cars as they ramped up the power output of their V8s in Camaros, Firebirds, and Mustangs.

on the bright side, if you do  like ‘50s cars, their values are surely going to tank within the next decade as the moneyed Boomers die off.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 10:57

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I think this will continue to happen, and with newer cars as their original demographic ages out. It happened with pre-war cars, its starting to happen with 50's stuff, and it will eventually happen to the muscle cars. Truly exceptional examples of really special and rare things will continue to command a premium, but I think most stuff will end up coming back down to much more reasonable prices once the demand just isn’t there anymore.

I get it. I  respect lots of classics, but that doesn’t mean they make my heart go pitter patter in any special way. I could see a spot in a future driveway for a nice classic like you describe, but I wouldn’t pay through the nose for one.

My bird IS the word > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 11:11

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If it’s cheap enough, i’ll buy it. I’ve got a hankering for a 59 cadillac convertible, a gigantic 40s buick, and a chrysler new yorker town and country convertible. Thunderbirds are pretty nice too.

Basically, old convertibles.

DipodomysDeserti > jimz 12/22/2018 at 11:17

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“ Garish, ugly, over-chromed pieces of junk.”

Wait, don’t you own a Harley?

I kid, I kid ;)

jimz > DipodomysDeserti 12/22/2018 at 11:20

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touche.

tho mine’s got almost no chrome

f86sabre > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 11:21

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I’m 44 and all over the place. I like pre-WWII stuff for the history and design. First and second gen T-birds and Vettes are nice. I really enjoy our classic 90 Mini, which is basically a product of the early 60s. Muscle cars do very little for me. I don’t get the love for the 70s and 80s cars with a few exceptions such as some Datsuns . A lot of the cars were POS. There is some cool stuff out of the 90s here and there. I love my 03 Evo for its garish enthusiasm.

What is catching my eye now as far as collectibility are small cars. Small, low displacement and basic. Not sure why. They are just interesting to me. 

Grindintosecond > My bird IS the word 12/22/2018 at 11:24

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An And that's what i do like about it. Convertible. But i would prefer the second generation with 4 seats and the cool cat eyed front end. Cause a family of for cant roll in a 2 seater for ice cream.

fintail > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 11:52

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I like some 50s cars, but the stereotypical tri-Chevies don’t do a lot for me. Maybe a Nomad in the right colors would be cool, but there are endless amounts of cars I would buy first.

I think old T-Birds are a decent deal for the amount o f style they contain .

ranwhenparked > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 11:59

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Yes, as someone in my early 30s, I’ve always been much more attracted to the 1930s-1960s era of car design than anything later.

I can certainly appreciate a lot of ‘80s and ‘90s cars, especially the last generation of great American land yachts and the Japanese bubble cars, but they don’t do it for me as much.

But, I’m weird. My ideal classic car would be a ‘40s Chrysler product with a flathead 6 and Fluid Drive, preferably a suicide door sedan with either Prestomatic or Gyromatic.

To me, the ‘40s are a nice middle ground. More modern and usable than something from the ‘30s, with a lot of the nicer features of ‘50s cars, but with more understated styling and tasteful, not excessive, chrome use. 

WilliamsSW > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 12:03

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I was born in 1968, so I grew up during the peak malaise era. As a result, I really love cars a bit older.

I love 5 0s cars, but the 60s are way more desirable to me. Since I’m never going to own a fleet, I’ll never buy a 2 seat Tb ird, but I do appreciate them. I absolutely plan to buy a 60s era car in the next few years, though - probably after the fluff comes out of the prices.

Good luck, and give us a full write up if you get it!

nermal > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 12:22

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I think the “ muscle car” generation has peaked & is starting to decline. The next up to peak will be the “cocaine” generation. 80s Porsches / Lambos / Ferraris.

After that will be the 90s Japanese cars - Supra / 300zx / Eclipse / etc.

The key is to look at what kids aspired to have when they were teenagers , but can now afford when they’re 40+ yrs old.

lone_liberal > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 12:37

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I like them but like you say they’re more of my dad’s thing. If I was in the market for a classic car  I would probably choose something else but if I was given one I’d definitely keep it. 

E92M3 > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 12:44

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It’s true, the generation that lusted after the early birds is dying off. My father passed this year and left me his 56 TBird. When he was kid, he fell in love with them. Only lawyers and doc tors had them, but he told himself “one day I will own one”. In 1981 he finally acquired his “ dream car”. I can remember when his car was worth $30k, but there are so many of them, and people that grew up wanting one are dying off. I’d value mine at $15k today in it’s p resent condition. A really nice one can be had for $25- 30k. Even coveted Amos Minter restored birds are down in value. They used to be worth a $100k or more , but you can buy one for $70k today. I wouldn’t expect values to rise, except for fuel injected or other rare examples.

However, ev en though there’s a ton of them, 50's and 60's automobiles are from a timeless era. My favorite 2 decades as far as design, and I think even younger people will al ways appreciate the designs from that era. I would of never bought one on my own. There’s other vehicles I would of picked over it, but I’ve grown to like it more and more, and i t has sentimental value to me now. It’s a fun to drive, primitive sports/luxury car. You look out over it’s l ongish nose, t he steering wheel is in your lap, and you sit right in front of the rear axl e . It kind of reminds me of the S2000 recipe in some ways. Hard to call it a spo rts car by todays standards , but in it’s day it definitely was.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 12:48

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I still like them, however brake, suspension and transmission upgrades would be made. 

Grindintosecond > E92M3 12/22/2018 at 14:50

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How’s youre setup? Y-code? manual or any of the desired bits? Or just a T-bird? The one I could get is all there, not a y-code. but complete. Probably still a fun driver. I’d have to go over the brakes I think if I was to drive it in the mountains here.

Grindintosecond > f86sabre 12/22/2018 at 14:54

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Got my mini program starting early next year as soon as it’s warm enough to start stripping parts off the shell. But after it, there’s a list of potentials all over the place including this t-bird, or even potentially a ferrari 400/412 (If I go against the potential E-type ...what the hell am I thinking. ) . Who knows, but it has to have a good feeling that drives me to actually drive it. I’ll have to drive this bird next time I visit home and see how it makes me feel.

Grindintosecond > nermal 12/22/2018 at 14:56

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So what do the teenagers desire today? Focus RS’s and STI’s.....especially when the ta riffs kill off focus sales here.....hmm...

Grindintosecond > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 12/22/2018 at 14:58

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I think good gas shocks and brake updates would be all I need. Seeing how we unknowingly depend on that 3rd brake light so much today, I’m weirded out about driving anything old with tiny brake lights in back.

LongbowMkII > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 15:47

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Teslas 

wafflesnfalafel > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 16:16

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They are beautiful, but I’d personally prefer a conservatively restomodded 62 , or 65 Riviera if I was going for that kind of iron.

bubblestheturtle > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 17:56

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Sweet Baby Jeebus! I need to older guys that like these to die off, so the prices will drop and I can get one!
Is that selfish? It sounds selfish.

Die-Trying > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 17:59

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so much of the decision would have to be centered around what YOU NEED for the car to be able to do in order for it to be a fun car for YOU...... if you need it to be real quick, youre going to need to upgrade the driveline, engine and transmission. if you need it to handle corners, thats g oing to be pretty near everything under the car suspension wise....... but if your idea of fun is slowly cruising in traffic, and getting slightly outrun by just about everything modern on the road, but the adventure is of driving older stuff is what you are after, it would probably be what you are on after........ you just have to be VERY HONEST with yourself, while you are deci ding what you need from the car. you might just be buying a pretty shell when you figure out what all you have to replace for the car to “do it” for you...........

E92M3 > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 18:35

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It has the 312, and the Ford-O-Matic. Which is fine with me, I live in Atlanta and there's always traffic. The brakes are the factory drum brakes all around (no power brakes). If I lived in the mountains, I'd probably think about switching the front to discs.

Grindintosecond > LongbowMkII 12/22/2018 at 19:10

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Waiting for hot-rod teslas, windings rewound with different gauge. Super- capacators for “nitro” on the strip.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 20:44

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yeah. I keep trying to figure out how to make a descreet 3rd light. Ive had a couple time people come to  a screatching halt behind me cause they didn’t look down to my bumper. 

Grindintosecond > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 12/22/2018 at 21:59

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I ve seen some use those LED rope lights across the top off the window trim on the inside. A bit on the cheap but at least works better during flat light.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Grindintosecond 12/22/2018 at 22:33

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I’ve heard of a couple of the ebay specials melting in hot sun

but these from daniel Stern have gotten good reviews. 

duurtlang > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 12/23/2018 at 04:17

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I’m interested in this as well, for my tiny taillight Peugeot isn’t all that visible either. It being a convertible makes third brakelight placement a bit tricky though.

Grindintosecond > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 12/23/2018 at 12:20

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OH i like that. I’ll go get one for the mini.