Where Are Our Cars Going

[Bob W.]

Re: Where Are Our Cars Going

William, That is a great idea. A lot of the younger kids would rather drive a 50+ year old Vette that rides and handles like 2018.We need to accept their way of thinking.

[Gene M.]

Re: Where Are Our Cars Going

John,
Your suggestions are an excellent positive way to address passing on interest in restored Corvettes.

Gene,
Not necessarily correct about resto trifive Chevy's bringing more than restored. Nice restored to original are going for as much or more than resto rods. Check your figures on auction sales. Same as NICE, REAL DEAL restored Corvettes vs chopped up restorodded ones painted in colors not found in nature. Some of this has to do with taste, something hard to define but exists. Like back in the day when leisure suits were big in some corners ,but at least some bucked the trend.

William
I don’t see where you get such data. Resto mod tri fives always bring more that stock restored. Some exception is rare 57 convertible or fuelie. But the rest definitely get bigger money as quality modified. Understand you have to compare like quality to like quality. But when done so the modified appeals to a wider audience and gets the bigger money. Tri five buyer today wants the modern high HP car with the 55-57 classic look. Too often junk is compared to quality. Don’t fall for that. No, you are dead wrong on this about tri fives.

Same for vettes again restored fuelie, big brake, big tanker, 425, 435 or COPO, L88, L89, rare color combination bring big money. But as for the run of the mill c1, c2 the modified high end resto mods gets the bigger bucks vs as if it was same high end restored original. True the prime unrestored cars are highly sought after. But that is a different conversation. And as for “chopped up restorodded ones painted in colors not found in nature” is not the type of car that makes a equal comparison in this discussion.

As a side note some “REAL DEAL” are far from what they appear to be. Many reproduction parts, replaced, restamped engines and paint that in no way or form looks original.

[William F.]

Re: Where Are Our Cars Going

Gene,
Read my post. I was specifically talking about QUALITY restorations, not "run of the mill." Also not talking about made up cars. As you say " prime restored cars are highly sought after." You made my point.. Also, you can Google Mecum and BJ auctions and see the facts on what sold for what.

[Darryl D.]

Re: Where Are Our Cars Going

The way I look at it the more that get resto modded the fewer original types will remain and there will always be people that want an original type so I don't think it will hurt the prices. No matter i will be long dead before that.

[Bill L.]

Re: Where Are Our Cars Going

I like the way you think!

And forget about non tar top batteries and quartz clock conversions as deducts.

[Bill M.]

Re: Where Are Our Cars Going

I wrote the first paragraph in Gene's post. I prefer a nut and bolt original car. but I draw the line when it comes to the impossible. I drove my son's 2010 CTS V once 100 mph radio on AC full blast and said to him If I can get in and out of the 2015 corvette like I do the 67 I am getting one. ( not fat, fake hips ) Man I love that car
Bill

[Gene M.]

Re: Where Are Our Cars Going

Gene,
Read my post. I was specifically talking about QUALITY restorations, not "run of the mill." Also not talking about made up cars. As you say " prime restored cars are highly sought after." You made my point.. Also, you can Google Mecum and BJ auctions and see the facts on what sold for what.

No, I didn’t make your point. You miss interpret run of the mill cars. Run of the mill is anything other than the convertibles, fuelies, black widows, cars out of the ordinary as in lesser production.

You stated “Not necessarily correct about resto trifive Chevy's bringing more than restored. Nice restored to original are going for as much or more than resto rods.” This definitely is NOT true. As I pointed out exceptions being 57 convertibles and fuelie. A restored stock 55,56,57 run of the mill say two door post is definitely NOT in the restomod dollar camp. Even the Nomads bring in better as restomods. In fact way more. You are not comparing like quality and type of car for like quality and type of car. Just looking down a sales list says nothing of any meaning to this discussion.

[Gene M.]

Re: Where Are Our Cars Going

I wrote the first paragraph in Gene's post. I prefer a nut and bolt original car. but I draw the line when it comes to the impossible. I drove my son's 2010 CTS V once 100 mph radio on AC full blast and said to him If I can get in and out of the 2015 corvette like I do the 67 I am getting one. ( not fat, fake hips ) Man I love that car
Bill

You make a good point on entry and exit not so good on the new stuff. It’s gonna be hard to beat entry and exit on a mid year coupe.

[Kenneth B.]

Re: Where Are Our Cars Going

William
I don’t see where you get such data. Resto mod tri fives always bring more that stock restored. Some exception is rare 57 convertible or fuelie. But the rest definitely get bigger money as quality modified. Understand you have to compare like quality to like quality. But when done so the modified appeals to a wider audience and gets the bigger money. Tri five buyer today wants the modern high HP car with the 55-57 classic look. Too often junk is compared to quality. Don’t fall for that. No, you are dead wrong on this about tri fives.

Same for vettes again restored fuelie, big brake, big tanker, 425, 435 or COPO, L88, L89, rare color combination bring big money. But as for the run of the mill c1, c2 the modified high end resto mods gets the bigger bucks vs as if it was same high end restored original. True the prime unrestored cars are highly sought after. But that is a different conversation. And as for “chopped up restorodded ones painted in colors not found in nature” is not the type of car that makes a equal comparison in this discussion.

As a side note some “REAL DEAL” are far from what they appear to be. Many reproduction parts, replaced, restamped engines and paint that in no way or form looks original.

You do realize that it cost 100,000.00 or more to build a high quality resto mod plus the cost of the car. These high end cars have all the latest engines ETC. Check out the price of Corvette resto mods that have older drive trains. Big difference in price. I will always put my money on original/restored cars to hold their value.

[Gene M.]

Re: Where Are Our Cars Going

Oh yea $100 grand could be small potatoes for the guy that just writes checks. Right again on the engines a lot of LS and big block high dollar with power adders keeps the flow of those checks a coming. Myself I don’t put money out as I do everything myself (lots of time) except engine machine work and plating. I guess I’m a hobbyist not investor.

But IMHO the unrestored excellent condition originals are where future collector will be putting their money. There are tons of restored cars but the all virgin stuff is far and few.

[Dick W.]

Re: Where Are Our Cars Going

You do realize that it cost 100,000.00 or more to build a high quality resto mod plus the cost of the car. These high end cars have all the latest engines ETC. Check out the price of Corvette resto mods that have older drive trains. Big difference in price. I will always put my money on original/restored cars to hold their value.

I have seen a couple of seven figure resto mods. It seems the sky is the limit

[Pancho T.]

Re: Where Are Our Cars Going

You do realize that it cost 100,000.00 or more to build a high quality resto mod plus the cost of the car. These high end cars have all the latest engines ETC. Check out the price of Corvette resto mods that have older drive trains. Big difference in price. I will always put my money on original/restored cars to hold their value.

I did a pre purchase inspection for a buyer on a restomod. The buyer had seen the car sell at BJ for $150K seven years prior. A high end dealer was the current seller. The car was listed for $119K. The car was showing 1,100 miles on the digital odometer. It looked new as well. The guy that I inspected the car for bought the car for $115K. With the sale was a very large collection of receipts. Receipts total was $172K. Not sure if that was all that was spent but there was no cost for the donor car. So sort of like a new Corvette after a short time the price goes down in a hurry.