"amigo enjoy one of my frying pans,and yes it is part of a collection".

 

I have a 74 as well which I feel gives me some special insight to be able to answer the real question you were trying to ask.

In short, yes, you can go ahead and add nitrous now.

 

I don't think you know what collectable even means in the first place?
A 74 LTD 4 door will never be collectable, but a vette pic is next to the word collectable in the dictionary!
I guess since they made model Ts by the thousands they aren't "collectable" either?
There again dispute that "74 BB, 75 convertible, 78 Pacecar, or the 82 "collector" edition" is not "collectable" ?

 

1972 or thereabouts was the end of the muscle/performance car era due to smog and mpg restrictions. My opinion is an original post 72 car may take a long time to appreciate in stock form. A nicely updated car will appreciate faster, as lots of people are looking for a weekend toy to drive. They want performance, a nice paint job, and a nice interior with everything working.

My logic/opinion is counter intuitive to restoration and numbers matching. Restoration and numbers matching have their place with performance variants and limited editions. The rest will gain value by making them more fun to drive, nicer to look at, and more comfortable.

I think the price point and performance values can be derived from the V6 and V8 Camaro. The V6 is $25k with 300hp, the V8 is $30k with 430hp. If an updated 74 is selling for less than the V6 but has the performance of the V8 an argument can be made that it is a good deal, lol. "Honey this car is a good investment", lol.

An original post 72 car, will have a low compression v8 with less performance than the V6. Not attractive in my opinion. 74 Corvette with LS4/auto was 275hp. For $2k-$3k that 454 can be turned into a good motor, add an OD transmission and it will be nice on the hwy. Add some improvements to cooling, steering and suspension and it's well on the way to a higher resale value.

 

any car can be a "collectible". you just have to find the "collector"

 

While anything can be collectable, and the '74 can fall into that category, certainly some cars are more collectable than others and thus that can determine how the market (as driven by the collectors) values the car.

One measure might be how quickly a certain Corvette has appreciated to be equal to the price of a brand new Corvette. Certainly if a collector is driven to pay more than the price of a older corvette for an newer one, it must have some utility in the market beyond what one can get from a new Corvette (like upgraded performance, a warranty, electronics, etc.) in favor of nostalgic styling, historical significance, etc. Comparing to a new Corvette also eliminates the effects of inflation.

For example, the 67 435 was generally as valuable as a new Corvette as early as about 1980. This means that the car took about 13 years to accomplish this. How many C3s can state this? --- Certainly any solid lifter big block can claim the potential for equal value to a new Corvette. Some LT1s as well - but that's about it. Is this the definitive definition of "collectability", certainly not, but it is a definition.

 

Throw in a worked Big Block in place of that matching numbers motor and your off to a good time! Just hold onto that original block..... Do what you'll like and do what you'll enjoy.... Just dont count on ever being able to sell it to pay for your kids college tuition.

 

EXACTLY!
The first thing that popped into my mind when I read the OP`s question was, "Collectible to WHO?" There are a LOT of different collectors, in a LOT of different price ranges. Lamborghini, Dusenberg, these are out of my price range. Are they "collectible? Yes, but not by me! AMC Gremlins or Pacers, are they "collectible" Yes, but not by me!
Everybody has SOMETHING they love, and gather as many of those items as they can. My wife is a Coca-Cola nut, we have so much Coke stuff in the house that the National Coke museum would be proud of us!
I have a "collection" of vintage radiator caps from the late 1920s to mid 1930s. Some people never even heard of such a thing. Are they "collectible"? Yes, to me they are.
SO, is a 74 Vette "collectible"? I`m sure it is to somebody. Maybe not to the guy who has a hundred Rolls Royces, or the housewife with a gazillion jars of buttons, but it is to somebody.
The true definition of "collectible" depends on the "collector", don`t you think?
col·lect·i·ble/kəˈlektəbəl/
Adjective:
(of an item) Worth collecting; of interest to a collector.
Noun:
An item valued and sought by collectors.

 

I agree.Well said.

 

I don't want to get pulled in to defining collector or not, but I do see the post smog C3's appreciating in value.
There are 2 reasons I can see the demand and price going up. Demand increases when the age group get's old enough to have discresionary income for spending. Also, the muscle cars are so expensive that people will be looking for less expensive options. Smokey and the Bandit TA's, late 70's Camaro's, '73 body style Chevelle's, El Camino's and Monte Carlos. I think will all appreciate and become much more desirable.

 

who cares?

 

 

Most every car will be 'collectable' after 50 to 100 years from date of manufacture. Can you wait that long?

Check out some of the old 'collectable' cars that go to auction. Would you really have bought them some of them, when they were new and had the money?

I personally do not care if my 'NCRS' (Not Correctly Restored Stingray) is considered 'collectable'. It is what I wanted - today!