Mecum Cuda Sale Today 1/12

[BriceRoad]

Interesting subject. I was considering buying anther car-a B body. I saw one that I like at a website called Maple Motors. It is a used car dealer that mainly deals in used classic cars (mostly muscle cars of all makes). I have been the their website and under the FAQ page they say that demand is so high for these classic cars they are having trouble keeping a large inventory. The cars I looked at are not what I would call high dollar cars. Everyone's budget is different and for me a high dollar car is when you get into $60K price range and up. Someone wrote above that people who like these cars are aging out and prices are declining a little. That makes sense to me. Do you think what is written on the guys website is just something the guy wrote so guys feel compelled to buy a car? Or is it possible that cars in the $30-40K price range are selling well due to the fact they are more affordable to average Joe? I am not knocking the guy in any way. He seems to be pretty honest. He shoots 30 minute videos of the cars and he points out all the flaws on the car.

 

[Cojohnso]

Interesting subject. I was considering buying anther car-a B body. I saw one that I like at a website called Maple Motors. It is a used car dealer that mainly deals in used classic cars (mostly muscle cars of all makes). I have been the their website and under the FAQ page they say that demand is so high for these classic cars they are having trouble keeping a large inventory. The cars I looked at are not what I would call high dollar cars. Everyone's budget is different and for me a high dollar car is when you get into $60K price range and up. Someone wrote above that people who like these cars are aging out and prices are declining a little. That makes sense to me. Do you think what is written on the guys website is just something the guy wrote so guys feel compelled to buy a car? Or is it possible that cars in the $30-40K price range are selling well due to the fact they are more affordable to average Joe? I am not knocking the guy in any way. He seems to be pretty honest. He shoots 30 minute videos of the cars and he points out all the flaws on the car.

I believe the $30k-$40k are doing well? Everyone wants that price range. The problem is that junk has now moved into that range because of demand. I bought my current B-body (Quick walk around vid below) 3 years ago for $21k. Non numbers matching (But period correct) '69 GTX 440-4speed Dana rear. ( To be clear. Not even close to matching. Engine, trans thus rear-end all wrong. So is interior. Someone long ago put this together from at least 2 different GTX with some Sport Satellite parts.) But it is a solid #3 driver. EXACTLY what I was looking. A solid candidate for any performance upgrade with no real sin if so wish.

What would it sell today? Probably mid $30k.

 

[ted s]

mecum is not the real world

 

[Cojohnso]

mecum is not the real world

Yeah. But neither are the sale sites? Because of the auction sites? Possibly.

E-bodies started the Hugh spike some 5-7 years ago. And it caused a mad scramble for all muscle car era options. In the B-body world? It's Gen II Chargers. They sold nearly 300,000 of them back in the day. But today? They are getting $30k+ for junk? Sound familiar? It should for the E-bodies? Especially '70-'71.

 

[340challconvert]

Nice

I believe the $30k-$40k are doing well? Everyone wants that price range. The problem is that junk has now moved into that range because of demand. I bought my current B-body (Quick walk around vid below) 3 years ago for $21k. Non numbers matching (But period correct) '69 GTX 440-4speed Dana rear. ( To be clear. Not even close to matching. Engine, trans thus rear-end all wrong. So is interior. Someone long ago put this together from at least 2 different GTX with some Sport Satellite parts.) But it is a solid #3 driver. EXACTLY what I was looking. A solid candidate for any performance upgrade with no real sin if so wish.

What would it sell today? Probably mid $30k.

 

[Danny Boy]

All I can say is WOW!!
Can't believe what folks are paying in auctions.....
Appears to be well over $100k for many
Can't imagine where $$'s are coming from.......
Oh well..

 

[BriceRoad]

I believe the $30k-$40k are doing well? Everyone wants that price range. The problem is that junk has now moved into that range because of demand. I bought my current B-body (Quick walk around vid below) 3 years ago for $21k. Non numbers matching (But period correct) '69 GTX 440-4speed Dana rear. ( To be clear. Not even close to matching. Engine, trans thus rear-end all wrong. So is interior. Someone long ago put this together from at least 2 different GTX with some Sport Satellite parts.) But it is a solid #3 driver. EXACTLY what I was looking. A solid candidate for any performance upgrade with no real sin if so wish.

What would it sell today? Probably mid $30k.

Cojohnso, your car is really nice. I think it is definitely worth mid 30s. Did you restore anything back to the way original like installing the proper type of engine, transmission, rear or interior?

That's exactly what I would like to find. An original R/T, GTX, RR or Super Bee with the original drive train long gone. Yeah, people with second gen Chargers are mostly asking insane prices.

 

[Cojohnso]

Cojohnso, your car is really nice. I think it is definitely worth mid 30s. Did you restore anything back to the way original like installing the proper type of engine, transmission, rear or interior?

That's exactly what I would like to find. An original R/T, GTX, RR or Super Bee with the original drive train long gone. Yeah, people with second gen Chargers are mostly asking insane prices.

No. I didn't buy to try to restore back to original. That was the point. This replaced a very simular GTX I had to sell many years ago. We didn't restore them. We built for better performance. The collectors in my opinion are missing the entire point of Muscle car ownership and appreciation. Numbers matching was not a thing back in the day. You drive them hard. Then fix to better performance.

I keep an eye out for a possible hemi upgrade. If the car was numbers matching? Then there would be an investment penalty. It's why I don't target cars that are all original. Save the up front cost for a performance build of your doing and liking? That's my opinion.

Its why I was very excited about this find. On the Canadian boarder with Minnesota. The car's fender tag lists as D32. An automatic. No way I would pull an 18 spline 4-speed that is functioning well to make it an automatic? Don't care if it does get back more towards original? This car? Play the hand that was dealt? Besides, the general public doesn't care. Just the blue blood collectors?

 

[Cojohnso]

Besides. If GTX is upsetting? You all are going to hate my E-body build? Bought as a rolling body 18 years ago. A V-code '70 Cuda. It was so heavily modified for a Pro Stock attempt by a smaller Wisconsin team back in the mid 70s? With its original 440-6 and 4-speed long gone? I began a Pro Street build. So of course a marine Schubeck V-8. 904 ci DOHC naturally aspirated, pump gas 1200 HP monster? The engine sits where the Pro Stock 426 hemi sat. On a motor plate off the K-frame on the front frame rails. Set 7" back to a cut firewall.

This all began before the E-body price explosion. So may have gone a different path had I knew? Lol.

 

[BriceRoad]

Cojohnso: I understand. That's cool. Everyone is different. I don't judge people. It's your car and you enjoy it the way that is the most fun for you. I just get a kick out of bringing stuff back to original. I love driving them and getting on them but I don't race. My Barracuda was originally a 318 auto. When I got it, it had a 440 4 speed. No way was I going to go back to the original drive train. The big block/manual is much more fun. I just like making the car look as if it were original. No headers for me or other performance stuff that you can see. I have driven it as far as 500 miles one way. I would like to make it to the Hot Rod Power Tour someday. In your case I also would not go back to an automatic. Even though the 4 speed isn't original I think it makes your car more valuable and more fun. The reason I want something without a numbers matching drive train is because I don't want to worry about every little thing on it. Just want to have fun.

 

[Cojohnso]

Cojohnso: I understand. That's cool. Everyone is different. I don't judge people. It's your car and you enjoy it the way that is the most fun for you. I just get a kick out of bringing stuff back to original. I love driving them and getting on them but I don't race. My Barracuda was originally a 318 auto. When I got it, it had a 440 4 speed. No way was I going to go back to the original drive train. The big block/manual is much more fun. I just like making the car look as if it were original. No headers for me or other performance stuff that you can see. I have driven it as far as 500 miles one way. I would like to make it to the Hot Rod Power Tour someday. In your case I also would not go back to an automatic. Even though the 4 speed isn't original I think it makes your car more valuable and more fun. The reason I want something without a numbers matching drive train is because I don't want to worry about every little thing on it. Just want to have fun.

I think a 318 original is a no brainer for a performance upgrade. I too use the stock 440 manifolds. They actually flow very near headers in near stock builds. (It's why they sound so cool.) Things change if one wishes to punch up the BB.

My A-body '74 Duster has the now classic 451 stroker build. From a '74 400 block. The idea was in the spirit of Super Stock builds. (But of course using a RB crank is not legal in true SS class.) But again? It is what it is.

 

[BriceRoad]

Wow! That Duster is super cool. That has to be a blast to drive! I like the color too. I always wanted a car with a tilt nose. Maybe someday.

 

[Cojohnso]

Wow! That Duster is super cool. That has to be a blast to drive! I like the color too. I always wanted a car with a tilt nose. Maybe someday.

I bought with that. The story was some farmer did the work. It isn't super difficult. I heard he began then doing this a a side gig. I bought the car for $10g. Ran it a year until 451 went tired. I rebuilt. Ditching the iron 452 heads for Brodex B1/BS. New pistons, aluminum rods and cam. Went from high 10 sec car to low 10 sec car. (No longer pump gas. E-85 single 4 barrel carb to accommodate the increase in compression.) I have about $16k into car. Which is about what one could expect on the sales market.

 

[413]

From what I have seen lately, prices are declining... Don't assume its a POS (certainly could be) a lot of 60/70's muscle is not selling nearly as strongly has it has in the past. Fact is that the enthusiasts for these cars is not a growing community, it is aging out and become much more selective in what it pays top dollar for. While the "gold rush" of high muscle car prices were directly responsible for a lot of good things such as the development and sales of good restoration parts it also was directly responsible for the flooding of the market of anything and everything being build/painted and brought to auction. So there are a lot of mediocre cars out there and a lot of good cars but the buyers are not there in the same numbers with the same amount of cash to throw around.

The big money is going towards rare/unique cars as well as very well done customs/restomods. Many of the popular car shows are singing the praises of restomods/customs and this is showing up at the auctions.

You don't have to like it but that is where it is going.

Now that all the January auctions are complete, what happened to the declining prices idea? LOL

 

[70chall440]

Some definitely bounded up, however the bigger money "seems" to be with the customs. It would be interesting to see a roll up of the various auctions based on models.

I admit that prices seemed to be up this year. On some things its good to be wrong.. LOL