Will classics ever become affordable again?

[3xpendable]

...//...go big or go home..

^^^
That would certainly be my approach if I'd flitted to a mahoosive country with road space to spare and roads where there are more than one lane to drive in. Similarly, if I decided to become Italian, then I'd go for a Vespa Ape and if I decide at any time that Japan is the country to try on for size then I'd have to buy a mad replica of an older, probably British design, such as my own 3/4 scale MPV but with a replica Renault 4 body as made by the same lunatics who brought the Mitsuoka Viewt to the world.

A distantly removed cousin of mine runs a British-themed crow restaurant in South Carolina. I suggested to her that she should use something like a Minor van or even the lovely A60 van as based on the pre-Farina shape of the A55. A mini perhaps? That would be a great rolling ad for her uniquely British-themed premises, right? Wrong on all counts as it goes. Cousin It ended up buying a generic Japanese, made in the USA Toyota to use for her home deliveries of fresh crow-based cuisine. Apparently, there is a substitute for cubes!

Yes, that

go big or go home

thing is a phrase that she's heard regularly during her twelve years of trading over there, but the way they say it to her is without the "go big or" part.
Don't get me wrong, she's in one of the most inclusive of all the places she's ever stayed but the joke wore thin so these days, the restaurant is a sushi bar and she's probably going to be bankrupt by next February.

Yeah I'd like a brutish V8, but haven't found anything that ticks the boxes yet. Even the 80's trans-ams are getting more expensive and again, I'm not sure I'd want to fork out $10-15K on a car I'm just "Meh' about.

Not quite 20-30 years old but I've always had a soft spot for these:



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2005-Chr ... Pf&vxp=mtr

Not sure if I'd want an SRT 6 or the standard version. For the prices they are now I'd probably go with the SRT as they are only going to go up in value. I've driven a standard one and very nearly bought it, but decided to get an MGB instead.

Good to hear from you JPB.

[alabbasi]

Not quite 20-30 years old but I've always had a soft spot for these:



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2005-Chr ... Pf&vxp=mtr

Not sure if I'd want an SRT 6 or the standard version. For the prices they are now I'd probably go with the SRT as they are only going to go up in value. I've driven a standard one and very nearly bought it, but decided to get an MGB instead.

Good to hear from you JPB.

Nice, a Mercedes Benz SLK

[3xpendable]

Exactly, so parts availability is not an issue, and they only made 2500 of the SRT 6's.

[alabbasi]

Don't discount the SLK32 AMG, it's one fast mama jama and a folding hard top is about the only type of convertible that i'd one to live with going forward.

[3xpendable]

Good point, and they are pretty nice though the Crossfire still wins in the looks department to me (as a FHC). They seem to be around similar money though so I'll bear it in mind.

[alabbasi]

Everytime I see one, I look at the hood and think to myself that it must be a huge pain in the rear to fix.

[Grumpy Northener]

I have a client with a very nice Crossfire that he purchased a few months ago - one owner, service history - 28k miles & immaculate - paid £4k for it which in my book is a lot of car for the money bearing in mind the same money buys you a battered 100k miles 6 year old Mondeo

[mr rusty]

Will classics ever be affordable again? Of course they will! They always have been! Just buy them when they're bangers and wait.......Now where's all those minis I bought for peanuts and thrashed and scrapped in 80's? Remember, in the sixties the scrapyards were full of Austin Sevens, Morris 8's, etc, then in the 80's they filled up with Ford Escorts, Capri's, Cortinas.........

[alabbasi]

Will classics ever be affordable again? Of course they will! They always have been! Just buy them when they're bangers and wait.......Now where's all those minis I bought for peanuts and thrashed and scrapped in 80's? Remember, in the sixties the scrapyards were full of Austin Sevens, Morris 8's, etc, then in the 80's they filled up with Ford Escorts, Capri's, Cortinas.........

Somewhat of a false economy. The sunk costs of keeping them running, fixing whatever goes wrong and keeping them stored , insured and taxed usually exceeds appreciation.

[JPB]

..Somewhat of a false economy. The sunk costs of keeping them running, fixing whatever goes wrong and keeping them stored , insured and taxed usually exceeds appreciation.

Perhaps, but at least they provide a form of transport while you wait for appreciation to catch up with the value of your garage contents!

Also, a typical key policy for around £200 per annum can cover up to four cars in many cases, so insurance is a cost that can be ignored when the individual cost of insuring just one car on its own policy becomes greater than the key policy premium. "Tax" (Vehicle Excise Duty in the UK as we haven't had car tax since the late thirties) is free on vehicles from their 41st year of age, so suddenly a whole load of cars that are perfectly suited to daily use become cheaper again to own, meaning that only storage limitations remain valid as an excuse for not owning far too many cars.