scrappie

Talking to an old friend the other day about our early 70s Oldsmobiles and as we get older he brought up a good point that had me thinking. We love these cars and it seems to be something we treasure and treat as valuable investments, which they are. I met this friend of mine probably 15-16 yrs ago when I sold him an OIA hood. Since then he has invested lots of $ and time into his car which is truly spectacular. As we were reminiscing, he wondered about the future of these cars and the hobby in general. He has kids in their 30s and I have kids in their early teens and he wondered if the future generations will like these cars and value them like we do? He mentioned a while back when Model A's and stuff were really popular but now not so much anymore. He then said its because all the people who had memories of these cars and loved them are now deceased. It got me to wondering if there is a time when we get into our later years and pass on does the desire and value of these cars die with us? My son who is 13 couldn't care less about these cars and tinkering, he would much rather play Xbox or buy some sneakers. I think about my cars and leaving something for my kids to either enjoy or keep as an investment maybe but it got me thinking about the future of these cars and their value. Once we are gone does the desirability and value of these cars go with us? Will the next thing be 80s and 90s vehicles that our kids grew up in, crossing the block at Barret Jackson for big bucks? Just kind of made me think that what is valuable and desirable to us may not be the same to future generations ? What do you guys think? I could go on and on but Ill just put this out there.

rcorrigan5

My dad left his rare '31 Ford Model A two-door phaeton, as well as his somewhat rare '35 Ford 4-door phaeton, to me. Although I grew up with the '31 and thought I wanted to keep it, the car sat for a year and I realized I had no interest in it. But, because of its rarity (and also somewhat so with the '35), I sold them at what I thought were pretty good prices ($44K for the '31, $42.5K for the '35). So, even though I didn't want them, there are still people out there that do. I suspect the number of people out there that want the older cars is dwindling, though.

I have a '68 4-4-2 convertible and a '69 4-4-2 convertible. I have a 37-year old son that, so far, hasn't expressed any interest in either car. He seems to like the Subaru Imprezas with the hood scoops, wind wings and tires that have no sidewalls.

I'm guessing, but I believe the cars that are kept all stock and are somewhat limited in production might still have a good market 20-30 years from now. I also believe the modified and customized cars will keep on bringing a good price as well. But it will probably be that our sons won't be driving them!

Randy C.

bw1339

The market is full of 60s and 70s cars. Car shows are full of "muscle cars". Interest in these cars is generational and likely future generations will not choose to spend as much of their money on these cars as we do. Haven't prices for '55-'57 Chevies plateaued already?

I think it will be the same as the Model T, pre-war or 1940s car market. Supply and demand. It's sad, but it's life.

Koda

My theory is a car will enjoy 70 years of popularity. When the kids and teenagers who grew up with their parents' cars die, so does the interest.

Model Ts, from @1920, are dead and died in 1990.
Model As, from I guess the 30s, died in 2000s.
40s cars died off in 2010.
50s cars and the vaunted tri 5s will die off in 2025 or so.
1970 muscle will die off in 2040 or so as the guys born in the 70s start dying as well.

Peak value will hit once the majority of gear heads realize that time and energy are now more important to them than money. That will come when they retire here in about ten years.

Gerald Nickels

All of the above. I sold my two Cutlass's a 70 SX all original and a 70 Cutlass W-31 both for #20K ea. Now I only have a 65 Cutlass I'm poring my last time in it. I sold the cars cause I only drove them like 4 times a year.
Gerald

Fun71

I remember back in the early 90s one of my uncles sold his perfectly restored '41 Chevy for under $5000. I thought the car would be far more valuable, but I guess it's all about what value a prospective buyer (or the market) places on a particular vehicle at a particular point in time. Who's to say what the future will bring regarding Oldsmobiles, especially the non-performance ones? I guess the W-Machines will hold value as they are "special", then 442s, but the run-of-the-mill Cutlass will likely be unappreciated by the masses.

RetroRanger

I somewhat disagree w Ken aW30 and a 442 are just cutlasses and a faux faux 2 is just as good as a 442.

I do agree there are some people that can and will recognize the difference and pay a premium for correct car, I think the marjority of interested parties will be happy w a cutlass "like dad used to own".

Additionally the flood of powerful, good handling and reasonably efficient modern muscle cars like mustangs, Camaros, and challengers along w 13 second family cars will further limit interest in " old junks" like our cars.

rand5204

I have put a lot of thought into this topic recently as well. My 23 year old son who grew up around my passion for old car has absolutely no interest whatsoever in my cars. In his case he's not interested in cars at all. He views them as nothing more than a tool to get him where he needs to be. He is perfectly content to continue to drive the car we gave him a few years ago and shows no desire for something "better"

I am now just a few years away from retirement. I have come to the conclusion that, when I no longer have the physical ability, or the financial resources to do the things I am truly enjoying doing now, I will simply sell it all and add the cash to my retirement and eventual estate. He would have no clue what to do with one of my cars anyway so I will just relieve him of the burden. It's actually pretty disappointing.

vette442

I have a significant fleet of cars and this train of thought is exactly why mine have all remained nice drivers after 15-18 years of ownership. I'd love to have them all repaired and repainted but since I'm knocking at the door of 50, the thought of dropping another $8-15K into each car pains me since that may be money thrown away when I get to be 70-75 and let go of them.

My 6 year old niece has seriously laid claim to my SX and my 14 year old nephew on my wife's side also has shown a lot of interest in the cars, so there's hope!

Terry

Koda

Now I don't have kids, so I don't have the father's perspective. My grandfather was a civil engineer and passed away with 7 cars I believe. He appreciated vehicles. My father is a retired dentist and appreciates cars and did much of his own work on them. My dad grew a connection with me and vehicles, being the oldest son, which he did not really do with my little brother. As such, my brother only likes old cars because of the hipster irony trendiness some have, and doesn't even know what a carburetor is, and we all here talk various fuel circuits in carbs all the time. I think part of it is the connection a father makes with his son, and I think other things hurt that that are around today, like smartphones and gaming systems, as well as a "proud to be incapable of fixing something" society.

RetroRanger

My kid recognized 2002 bmw model not year, coming up the road earlier this year, I asked how'd you know that, the reply it's one of the cars in my game ! So there's that

As far as the proud to be incapable comment....sad but true

Fun71

Interesting as that is the way I have always regarded them. Back in my day you'd swap a built 455 into a Cutlass and could beat a 442 or W-30, so they weren't anything really so special.

This is what I was thinking as from a lot of what I see at local shows and read on forums, my impression was that folks are fairly snooty about W-cars / 442s vs regular Cutlass.

budg

I think theres a whole lot to nostalgia in regards to the collector car. I always wanted a Ford Mustang because I never had one, but when it came down to it , I wasnt willing to pull the trigger and opted instead for the lowly 72 Cutlass.

The reasons are since I didnt have any emotional attachment tothe Mustang I wasnt willing to pay the price for a nice one. The other reason is when I first got married to my first wife a friend had given me a 72 from Florida because he thought that mechanically it was trash. As it turned out it was in better condition than expected. My Dad and I worked on that car . We brought it up to speed mechanically, did the body work and painted it. It became a very reliable driver for over 3 years. My Dad passed away last week , but he will always be there with me every time I work on and drive my 72 Cutlass.

Koda

I'm not sure I deserved an eyeroll. I'm a gamer myself, but I had and have a good relationship with my dad, and part of that is growing up working on cars. The games aren't the problem, just like they aren't the problems with mass shootings, it's that they provide an easy way for parents to not do things with, teach, and pass on interests and skills, to their kids.

RetroRanger

Lolz eye rolls not for you but they way the car was recognized. I forget the exact comment I heard after but it was something to the effect of that car doesn't handle that great

Koda

Ah, now I see.

11971four4two

A nice NOT restored car would be my first choice..

Cool options v8 4speed 442 etc better yet
Buyer beware. Educate yourself (from more than 1 source) LOL

Buy gold silver or bank if you need investment advise

turbobuickltd

There are a lot of factors involved in the future price of Oldsmobile's well any old car for that matter. Some great points have been made. It will always boil down to supply and demand is the simplest form when it comes to value. Unfortunately I feel the hobbies biggest hurdle is how we have allowed our young generation to be removed from the mechanical aspect of industry. For over 30 years the mantra has been College or University. Trades are hurting and a lot of knowledge is being lost. The car culture is not front and centre as it once was in society. The interference of politicians and educators has crushed the car culture for the young guys and gals. Oil is bad, the earth is heating up or cooling down or what ever they preach to us from day to day. I believe the values will be good for a while but when the kids of today have the money for a sweet ride they won't have the desire for it. The iPhone XXIX with be the priority.

costpenn

Like that timeline. Once the kids of parents who had a new car become too old to enjoy/maintain them, the decline begins- slowly at first - then drops precipitously.

shiftbyear

Realistically, yes 60's-70's muscle cars are getting overshadowed with a changing market. But nothing turns heads on the highway or gets more thumbs up than a vintage musclecar.

Rustbucket2

my wife gets all my stuff, it's hers anyway, what's mine is hers, and what's hers is hers. right! I do have a friend that has awesome cars 67 GTO conv, 67 corvette, and a 66 nova. his son wants nothing to do with them. He wants BMW, or lexus. power everything, he doesn't what old cars, and he will not work on them. He told his dad that's why he is going to collage , so he can have new cars, that other people will fix for him. My friend is crushed , and now his cars set in his garage, even he doesn't drive them much.

olds 307 and 403

I definitely agree on the last part. The 70's performance cars would keep up and beat the 5L HO cars in the 80's and 90's, only the GN and other special cars were faster. Now stock, not even close with a 1/4 of the gas mileage. Add in emissions concerns, they really might just sit in special collections.

Tedd Thompson

I was hearing these same comments in the sixties and seventies. There will be a market for all kinds of car muscle or other wise, it's different strokes for different foks. Have you tried to buy a Model A or T body lately? The rat rod rage has the 20's- 40's car priced out of site and I haven't seen anyone giving away a Duzy or vintage Packard because the market is dead.

I drive a vintage 50's ride and at times it's almost dangerous what people will do just to get a look at your car.The interest is still out there just changing going back in time as well as to the newer cars There is just one hell of a lot of people out there that have different ideas on what they like.When and if I build another car it will probably be a mid thirties 4 DOOR or a older sports car, Yes I'm still confused in my seventies. As a young en you couldn't give away a 30's 4 door they were holding up a river bank in the woods.Not so much now. I bought a Bug Eye Sprite for $500 bucks back in the day doubt you could by a rear end for that today. There a market for everything, just take look on Ebay.....

I don't worry about values dropping much.I just play with my iron and enjoy the hobby. Someone will do the same when I'm gone if I keep the old girl up and presentable... Lost in the fifties .... Tedd

Gary M

bassinguy

I agree with 11971four4two. I have a good reliable 65 Cutlass 2 door post v-8 factory 4 speed with buckets. It is not a show car as I did not want one. If grandkids (5) of them happen to scratch it or while driving I get a rock chip,so be it. Grand kids might get a sore butt ,however they will alive.LOL Drive them and enjoy them. My youngest son (34) is building a 66 nova right now. Bassinguy

Koda

One blip that I will mention is that 70s muscle might live a BIT longer than the 2040 cutoff I predicted for popularity because 80s cars suck, for the most part. I mean, even a G body Cutlass, nice handling, classy looking, good driving, comfortable car that it is, has no *****. Once you put a 403 in them, all is fine though. So, 80s cars might not suck the popularity off the 70s cars, the way their predecessors did. So we may a 70s->90s car jump in the interests.

I need a 1942 or older car for the Newport Hill Climb. Hrrrm.

Weezer

Someone in the thread mentioned that the lack of focus on educating today's youth in the trades -- spot-on. I think we will start seeing a move back to that, and the sooner the better. I have two boys, ages 14 and 11, that both lack the wrenching ability that I had at their ages (and that was and still is nothing to brag about, I'm pretty limited in what I can do or will attempt). However, when I started working on the Starfire last summer, they were both eager to come out and help, asking repeatedly, "Can I do something?" It might have been only to turn a socket a few times, but I showed the patience and let them help. I scavenged a push mower from the side of the road 2 years ago, and told them that if I couldn't get it running, then it would be theirs to take apart. I had them help take off the carb and gas tank, which they happily did. However, they were both sad when it started, because they really wanted to tear it down!

70-442-W30

This is exactly right. I grew up in the era of GTAs and GNs. Not much I loved about those cars. Tell me what good ever came out the the 80s ...possibly nothing...and early 90s in the domestic market besides the Viper and the ZR-1. Anyone out there collecting anything else in those eras are into it for the nostalgia, not for the performance. So the true muscle cars of the 60s and early 70s might live a decade or two longer from a desirability standpoint. Of course some of this depends on the availability of fuel.

oldcutlass

To be honest, I'm not going to worry about it any longer. The hobby in my family dies with me, what ever happens happens.

zeeke

As for the value of these cars, I believe the days are numbered. Less and less people notice them or care for that matter, when they see them, but on a personal note I could care less. There are a lot worse habbitts we could have.

As for kids wanting to be involved with trades, kids today have a new meaning on "work smarter not harder". 30 years ago it meant come up with a plan then do your job. Today it means get as much as you can with little effort. Kids didn't come up with this, lawyers and doctors have been doing it for years. When lawyers get involved, seldom anyone wins but lawyers. They convince people it's in their best interest and string them along until the well runs dry and the court system is on board with all of this. Doctors are not much different. When I was a kid doctors solved complex problems, today they treat you with drugs. When one isn't working or has a bad side effect they switch you to another. They pop into a hospital room say hi, how are you? Then bang out your insurance.

As for skilled trades, they've been demoralized. To go into the trades is beneath them, yet nowhere else will you find a more consistent group of people with something we used to value in our society...INTEGRITY! And unfortunately, even there it's diminishing. Back in the day you could be proud of a job well done now it's all about bottom line and when it doesn't work out they blame the working man.

20 years ago when I told people I was a Firemen they gave the polite sneer because they were junk bond dealers and hedge fund managers taking from peoples savings funds and would never work for that little money. When they abused that to the point of exhaustion and the bottom fell out they looked at me who took the lower paying job with a pension as the problem. Yet these very people were responsible for those funds collapsing.

Sorry to get off topic, but it explains why today's kids have no interest in going into a trade, which ties into mechanical ability and interest in the hobby.

jcdynamic88

zeeke,x2,that was an extremely acccurate rant and imo not off topic.jc

Gary M

scrappie

Right on Zeeke, I worry about my kids and their future say if things go to **** and they need to earn some money doing anything. Work ethic is hard for me to find in today's youth and the instant gratification mentality just drives me crazy. The technology and social media is crippling. Any of you guys see that movie WALLY? It is animated I think by Pixar? Has a good message for the kids....and adults.

budg

We are definitely living in a different time. I work in the trades and make great money , but it’s hard to find younger guys that want to execute hard work. The few guys that have come thru don’t seem to want to do the work . They don’t want to spend 5 years to get to the journeyman level, they want it yesterday. Many seem to have a sense of entitlement instead of paying your dues. I think “social media” is really anti social media. But that’s just my opinion.

Koda

Most corporation no longer reward hard work. They have quotas for certain types of people to promote, and they want mindless concurrence over intelligent debate. Why work hard for no recognition? IF I can make it, I'll be 51 with 25 years in. I could work another 15. I will not due to their treatment.

budg

I guess being 59 and looking at retirement in a few years I have a different take. I work in the trades , but work in a Fortune 500 company. I work hard to put food on my table.I dont NEED validation to work hard. My continued and steady employment is my reward. Many of our fathers and grandfathers were treated way worse than us, but they continued to go to work because they wanted something better for their kids. Mostly I take pride in what I do . At the end of the day , that is my reward . It doesnt matter if my company gives me validation or not. There is always companies out there that will reward you for your hard work.

Koda

I perhaps should seek employment elsewhere. I have been pulling about 700 hours in overtime each year for the past few, and worse probably this and next. When you get to that much time invested of your life each year, you need more than "my work is my reward." Layoffs, for white collar engineers, are deemed to be not politically correct, so, what you do is hire only for the minimum condition, then overload your engineering team with whatever else is above minimum. You make way too much money, but you sold your life to do it.

Weezer

I read these posts and see where you guys are posting from, and can't help but wonder wtf happened. We lament the lack of manufacturing jobs, but where we still have those jobs, the companies have a hard time keeping positions filled. I've been in the Akron, OH (and Massillon & Canton areas), and have seen all the abandoned / shuttered plants. I see them in Detroit and Pontiac. Not so much in Flint and Saginaw anymore, because they've torn them all down, but my friends that work in automotive plants are always telling me that they have a steady stream of temps coming and going. It's little wonder that the OEM's hire staff as temps now, so that they can weed out the folks that are too lazy to handle it. Hell, I see it at my company's plants in Mexico, and I'm sure now that I've switched business units, I'll hear the same thing about our plants in the US.

We have certainly had too much of a shift of wages from blue collar to white collar, especially the higher up the mgt chain you go. I guess all we can do is to try and raise our kids to not feel entitled or to take the "just good enough" attitude towards work.

oldcutlass

13 hrs overtime average/ week would have been like a vacation for me. I averaged 32 hours/ week sometimes more OT for 2 decades. When I needed to hire tech's/trades, I always looked for the older people around 40-50 years old. Yeah, monetarily they cost a bit more. However in the long run, the skill and work ethic, more than made up for it.

Gary M