Monday, December 16, 2019

Of The Cost of Old Cars

During a recent discussion amidst friends, the statement was mentioned that someone had seen a 1970's Chevy Camaro in a parking lot for sale for about $15,000.  This branched out into an entirely separate discussion about the first car that everyone had driven, which had all been 1960s to 1970s models (which should be some indicator of our age).

Which got me to thinking - so off I went to the InterWeb to search for what I consider the classic car, the 1966 Ford Mustang:



Turns out, you can get one of these beauties, moderately restored with a 289 or even a 302, starting at $19,000.  Now, that rather seems like a lot (to me) for a car, but when an average truck is starting around $30,000 with much less of a life span and not nearly the value or a commuter car around $15,000 which has no intrinsic desirability beyond getting you from one place to the other, suddenly this does not seem like such a bad deal.

It is a pipe dream, of course - a toy, perhaps even that mythical "Mid-Life Crisis" event I keep hearing about.  In reality, these things tend to sit in garages and are only driven on special occasions (they are talked about far more often).  In terms of use, it is no more and no less than any other automobile.

Here is the odd thing that struck me.  I can see a scenario where I would spend the money to purchase a Mustang.  I cannot see the scenario where I spend money to buy a new car.

Call me a fool. Call me impractical.  Such a car brings back happy memories (two of my cars were straight six 1966 Mustangs, one red and one yellow).  And they are fun to drive and fun to look at in a way that an aerodynamic box is not.

Realistically of course, none of this will never happen.

But then again, you never know.

6 comments:

  1. There are worse things to be than a gear head, TB. :)

    The old farts around here all have Vettes. They’re hilarious. They drive them a couple hundred yards down the street... or around the corner to their buddy’s place... and then out come the lawn chairs. They plunk down in the drive way with their beers and they chat the day away.

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  2. I had a '65 Mustang with the straight six. Not fast, and absolutely primitive by today's standards. And SO much more fun to drive.

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  3. Glen, that sounds about right. They are as much for looking and talking about as they are for driving.

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  4. Reverend, they were more fun to drive, were they not? The only reason my little Mazda5 is fun is that it is a standard transmission. Without it, driving is literally pushing the gas and brake and steering a bit.

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  5. The 66 will still start after some catastrophe knocks out the computers of the newer vehicles.

    And it is much more user reparable than newer vehicles, too.

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  6. Linda, the repair aspect is a great point. I could actually do work on the '66. I cannot really do anything at all on most modern cars.

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