tiger1964

+1

Also, with asking prices rising, consider getting something other than "what everybody wants".
Mustang? Consider a Javelin or a glass-back Barracuda.
Austin-Healey? Consider a Triumph Stag (beware of engine issues) or TVR 2500M
1957 Chevy? Consider a Studebaker Golden Hawk or a Squarebird

Slithr

FWIW, unless doing the work yourself is an important part of the program, you are almost always better off buying something that someone else has restored. If I were looking for a 50s or 60s "classic", I'd start at one of the Mecum auctions looking at the Thursday or Friday cars. Not too hard to find something nice that will be sold for less, to much less, than the restorer has in it.

While buying someting other than the usual Chevy or Ford may save you some money on the front end, parts are more expensive and/or very difficult to find for some of the off brand cars. My first hotrod was a Mopar and back in the day I was paying at least half again what my buddies with Chevys and Fords were paying for speed parts. My guess is that ratio hasn't changed and has probably expanded to stock parts as well. It will be even worse for the lower volume cars (AMC, etc.).

rnye

Classic cars are unsafe, unreliable and undesirable. No one buy them - especially Miuras, Ferrari 250s, 2000GTs, and XKEs. Pure garbage. If you have one I'll take it off your hands.

The Raptor

My neighbor has an immaculate 62 C1 Corvette with a removable hardtop. He's had it since it was new and paid $3,200 for it. He has the original bill of sale. It's definitely worth more than my loaded 14 C7 Corvette vert. I drove it once. It doesn't do anything well, handles like a truck, and takes forever to stop.

CG

To add to what Raptor said, I've owned a lot of muscle cars and sports cars. My all time favorite that I really wish I'd never sold was a 64 C2 Corvette convertible. Drum brakes all around, handled like a bathtub, but it had a huge personality and was a blast to drive. Parts were amazingly cheap too.

Slithr

What he said. At this point it's not about the performance, it's about the experience. We've come a long way. The same could be said of a classic Duesenburg or Stutz.

Anrosphynx

I am waiting for all the baby boomers that are spending butt loads of money on muscle cars to get too old/senile/die to buy a few nice ones.

The prices WILL drop when they are out of the market.

mosesbotbol

I don't get the valuations buyers put on muscle cars. The inherent value just isn't there compared to fancier cars from the same era. How's a Camaro worth more than a Mercedes, Porsche, Ferrari, or Maserati from the same era???

I know... more people with money (in USA) are into them than others, hence the premium, but they weren't exactly works of art when new like the Euro examples...

blkwidow

Meh maybe not to you, and not to take anything away from the Germans, but I find muscle cars to be much more attractive. It just brings the warm home feeling. Something that can't be written down or put into numbers, although we try with a purchase price. The people that buy these cars aren't in it because that car was better then everyone else's or fancier. These cars just speak to the owners heart more clearly. And I can definitely understand that.

tiger1964

...and a younger generation will be driving up the prices of Dodge Neons, Ford Tempos and Chevy Cavaliers ("Oh, the cars of my youth!"