Model Ts and As never really had throwbacks though. Sure there have been kits especially for roadsters, but they were never popular enough for a mass production. Muscle cars were and are so popular that they revived the Camaro and Challenger. Corvettes are a step up from muscle cars, so they will be fine as well.

 

Mopar's are still going up....

 

Investment accounts for the future. Four wheeled money pit for fun.

Unless you are talking about uber rare or exotic vehicles, cars in general are terrible investments.

 

Ugghhhhhhh!!! You still have to look at them though.

 

Actually they have come down as well with Hemi cars going for under $100k now.
I remember when 6cyl Barracudas turned into Cuda clone cars were bring insane prices at BJ.... not anymore

 

If anyone calculated "future value" when they went looking at new cars, none would ever be purchased! Why would anyone wanting a C3 (bought purely on emotional need) ever worry about future value [other than knowing it will be better than about any other vehicle]?

 

I used to say the same thing. Now think about it at times when I am faced with decisions as to how 'correct' or 'like new' do I want this? Problem is I'll never know what it's worth unless I try to sell it. I don't expect to make any money when I sell someday... Guesstimate possible future value vs money I have into it and ask do I want this bad enough to accept the possible loss. No science here, more of an emotional decision.

 

Most all of us, at least those who admit it, have the same thoughts. I've owned a boat for 22 years and have spent over six figures on it, and it is probably worth less than $10K now. I don't think I can put a value on the enjoyment that I and my family, as well as relatives and friends, have had out on the water. Granted, an old vette is a fairly selfish thing to spend the family money on. Yesterday I wrote out a check for $331.85 for having my original fan clutch rebuilt. Probably going to bother me for a while and think twice before doing something stupid like that again, at least until both my own and the country's economic situation improves.

 

Funny that you bring up your boat. That is how I got the funding for my latest C3. I purchased a 19-20 foot bayliner/bowrider in 06. It was an 04 left over, purchased new in 05. It had 19 hours on it, still under warr. I paid $9400 for it with EVERYTHING included(trailer/ropes/anchor/several life vests/flares/first aid kit/ fire ext.-everything.) My oldest is 18 now with a car. She hardley ever went out with us anymore. We put at least 250 hours on it. I just sold it 3-4 months ago for $8700. Not bad at all for a boat venture. I had 3 1/2 years of awesome family memories and pic's for only 700 bucks! I admit that is not the case in most boats. But C3's can be the same way. If you get it at a fairly low buy in price and keep it awhile and have fun, they don't have to be a drain on finances. You can get a fairly rebuilt C3 rubber nose for 9-13k. To me this is a fair price for a 30+ year old car that still looks good, and can be enjoyed. Just my opinion.

 

Yup, wife has been very patient. Not much in it for her or the kids.

I think about the same issues. Should I spend the $$ on an original part or buy a replacement. Assuming both work the same it's a question of how much is originality worth to me, will make much difference at resale... Or should I replace a part which is functioning OK but all the plating has worn off.... Replacing or repairing a part which is broken is an easy decision...

I'd love to have a boat but my wife has informed me I'd need to sell the Corvette if I want a boat.... Think I'll keep the car for now. I don't need to haul it to a road to drive it...

 

I want an Amphicar

 

Yea, or an Aerocar

 

i have owned corvettes since i bought my first one in the early 60's (a 63 split window cpe). i sold it in the early 70's to buy my next one, a 69 350/350 convertible and so on and so on, etc, etc. looking back (and of course hindsight is 20/20) wouldn't it be nice to still have them both (or even one, lol), but at the time, they were just older cars and i was "moving up". i have continued to own corvettes my entire adult lifetime (although the 63 was owned in my very early 20's). i have never looked at any of them as "investments". for example if you bought the highly prized (at the time) 1978 pace car at sticker (and while i have no idea how many were purchased that way, i'd bet dollars to doughnuts that most were purchased with a hefty dealer add on cost), and put it away untouched until now, you would have paid just about $14,000 sticker, today, 32 almost 33 years later, most are a stretch to bring 25,000.. using kitchen math, that represents any annualized return on your "investment" of barely over 2% (2.38 to be exact). even with the wild fluctuations of the later 70's and early 80's and the economic downturns in the later 80's, earlier 90's and even the last 3 or so years, if you put the money in a simple savings account at your insured bank, you would have averaged over double that return.

yes, i still buy corvettes and have a 78 pace car and an 04 ce convertible, but neither were purchased for investment, and the pace car isn't anything you would call original or even stock, but i can take it anywhere i want to go, not worry about it breaking down or misbehaving, and make it back home safely at the end of the day. that's why i bought it and built it the way i did. i drive the 04 every weekend and on the occasional trip and enjoy it just as much as when i first bought it.

investments, i don't think so....a big part of my life and my day to day enjoyment, you bet!!

 

I'm rather concerned about future values. With these idiotic new laws its not too hard to see a future where 20 yrs from now we are not allowed to drive our vintage Vettes bcus they "destroy the environment"

I'm trying to figure a way to buy a Vette out of USA so I have one for when it hits the fan here.

I see a bad economic collapse coming to USA soon. Cars are already cheap and will probably get a lot cheaper as people desperately try to buy food, shelter, etc. Buying vintage Vettes will be WAY down on that list.

Maybe 50 years from now you'll be able to drive them but you'll be forced to remove the engine and install a joke electric engine

 

Even when non gas cars are the only thing you can get new, people will still be able to drive their gas cars.

As for buying a 78 Pace Car new or other cars just to hold on to, there really aren't that many that have increased in value so much to justify it as an investment even before inflation is calculated. I own a 76 Eldorado convertible that I got a couple months ago, so I know this story especially well since a lot of people bought what they thought would be the last convertible and stored it away. I wonder if this would be one of those rare true investment cars had it actually been the last American convertible though. Buying a collectible car used when it is in the bottom of the appreciation curve or getting a good deal on something could prove to be investment worthy even if just slightly and there is always the fun factor as well.

 

Dr Porsche was quite the genius, sort of a 20th C DaVinci

He said that, paraphrasing here "once sports cars become obsolete people may still drive them on tracks at exposition events like people who race horse buggies today."

Question is where will we get gas when everybody has gone electric and will it even be legal to buy & sell gas ?

I'm buying a huge ranch/fortress in South America and go do whatever I want to do

 

You are a prophet. These old cars will have no value in 10 years.

 

USD will have no value in 3 years

I think in other countries the value may stay up but I fear if this green BS keeps getting worse its just a matter of time till gas cars all end up in museums

 

Presently, around here, 14 Nissan dealerships are rewiring in a big way for the electric car charging stations.

 

I believe a classic piece of Americana will always have value. Will they return to the values of a few years ago? Not in the short term, maybe never. Of course, if you are a buyer, that's a good thing, aint it. But 99% of our beloved Corvettes are lousy investments. I have always felt that the inflated prices ruined it for the true car lover.