Mecum H/O

[UNGN]

Simple reason why the Turbo Buicks bring so much $$$ is that they’re the only Gbodies that came with balls like the 60s-early 70s cars. That’s why the rest of our loved Gbodies will be looked down on. I personally LOVED that the CBB Elco sold for $6,000.00 more than the pristine original H/O

https://www.mecum.com/lots/FA0820-442053/1987-oldsmobile-442/

$32K (double Sticker) for a 10K mile '87 442 is pretty strong money. Even if there wasn't two bidders that absolutely had to have it, it would have been over $20K.

There were Millions of G-bodies built so lots of people liked them. Desirable ones in excellent condition should bring good money. One of the things that triggered the rise in GN values was they went emission's exempt in Rolling 25 year states, like Texas. My $12K GN sold for $22K with the help of that one little change. Now being let in to Good Guy's events won't hurt, either.

 

[motorheadmike]

https://www.mecum.com/lots/FA0820-442053/1987-oldsmobile-442/

$32K (double Sticker) for a 10K mile '87 442 is pretty strong money. Even if there wasn't two bidders that absolutely had to have it, it would have been over $20K.

There were Millions of G-bodies built so lots of people liked them. Desirable ones in excellent condition should bring good money. One of the things that triggered the rise in GN values was they went emission's exempt in Rolling 25 year states, like Texas. My $12K GN sold for $22K with the help of that one little change. Now being let in to Good Guy's events won't hurt, either.

Using a little reverse inflation my Hellcat would have stickered for less than $27,000 in 1987 ($9,000 in 1970); twice the cost as a Turbo Buick, and 3 times the car (and not just its weight) for the money.

I will never (or very unlikely) see a two times ROI on this car is in 30 years (mostly because there are too many insane performance models these days, and we are becoming numb to its over saturation). But, it is the pinnacle of the genre to date (maybe the last of its kind) and that is worth the cost to me. In the same way spending silly money on an emotion inducing 80s beer can be justified to the person with the necessary dollar-votes.

 

[UNGN]

My problem with muscle cars is, in the past, was when someone offers me Twice what I have in it, I'd sell it, because I can't figure out why someone would pay that much for an old car they can't really drive.

A 50K mile '68 AMX sold for almost $50K a few weeks ago on Bring a Trailer. It had rusty exhaust and glommed on after market A/C and probably needed every piece of rubber replaced. It would be a bad driver (it had been sitting for years) and would be a bad show car (rusty exhaust, non stock stuff).

We sold our '68 AMX for $16K (about $25K in 2020 dollars) It was a 19K mile every nut and bolt restoration using NOS parts (done by an engineer @ AMC). We put 5 total miles on it after restoration (it had '68 Date code Goodyear redlines that are reproduced, now) kept it in a climate controlled storage and hauled it around in an enclosed trailer) It was Best AMX at the Nationals 3 times and was the first AMC to win the Milestone Cup (beating all makes that year), but $16K was about double what we had in it and I had no idea 15 years later someone would pay $75K for it, because that seemed crazy in 2004.

Because I have determined people are irrational, I'm going to treat every car sale as irrational and I will engineer ways to capitalize on people's irrational behavior.

 

[olds307 and 403]

It is what we love, whether it makes sense or not. People who need these cars and have the money drive the price sky high. The late 60's, early 70's cars are nicer style wise in my eyes than many mid 70's to current cars IMHO. I like the 80's H/O and 442 for basically 3 reasons over a regular Cutlass. They have a higher output Olds V8, the most important part, an improved drive train behind the little Olds and better handling and sportier style with no stupid vinyl roof. The regular Cutlass here are give away cars here, no value with the stupid sbc V8. I plan on trying to polish my 88 turd but it will be pulling teeth to get 2 grand from it. That will be with working A/C and polished paint.

 

[motorheadmike]

Couple of fun videos on the topic of truth vs. perception of muscle cars (through to modern cars):

 

[UNGN]

Couple of fun videos on the topic of truth vs. perception of muscle cars (through to modern cars):

I had a '71 'Cuda340 Convert and '70 440-6, but they were restored stock ,so they were TERRIBLE to drive, so I bought a "driver" ''70 'Cuda440 4bbl back in 1990 for $5,000. It was a rust free Texas body with doors that closed like butter, no rattles which is almost impossible in a mopar. Was a Factory A/C car so it had power steering and Power brakes. I was going to make a "cuda that could handle" so I put a Police firm feel steering box in it, rear sway bar and 15X7 wheels.

If someone had a modern car and jump in it to drive it fast, it would kill them. The lumber wagon 440 rear springs + the rear sway bar and the car would drift every corner, but every 10th corner it would snap so fast you couldn't catch it.

 

[Hurst so good]

Im not disagreeing with you but a friend of mine made good money selling his 12 low (LOW) mileage g bodies. The last 3 were hurst olds 15k, 4k, and 489 miles. A collector was getting rid of all his 60/70 cars and was about to but my friends. asking was 36,000 and 40,000. I don't know what the final price was and I'm not convinced that they will ever truly be worth that but some people think so. I purchased the 15,000 mile car because I had 3 g body Olds in the 80's, loved the Hurst Olds and always wanted one. In addition I have a c-4 corvette and a 69 cutlass conv., and there's plenty of power to have fun. I have nothing to prove. Will my wife make money on it when I'm dead?.........Don't care.

 

[UNGN]

Im not disagreeing with you but a friend of mine made good money selling his 12 low (LOW) mileage g bodies. The last 3 were hurst olds 15k, 4k, and 489 miles. A collector was getting rid of all his 60/70 cars and was about to but my friends. asking was 36,000 and 40,000. I don't know what the final price was and I'm not convinced that they will ever truly be worth that but some people think so. I purchased the 15,000 mile car because I had 3 g body Olds in the 80's, loved the Hurst Olds and always wanted one. In addition I have a c-4 corvette and a 69 cutlass conv., and there's plenty of power to have fun. I have nothing to prove. Will my wife make money on it when I'm dead?.........Don't care.

Low mileage, performance-ish cars will always bring good money and the value of Low mileage cars are very hard to gage. A 500 mile car could sell for Triple what a 35K mile car would sell for (also pretty low mileage)

For an example of this I present a 1989 IROC-Z mullet mobile.

The '89 350 IROC Z was slower than the '91-92 Z-28's. This car has T-tops and doesn't have the 1LE, so it isn't rare and it will Rattle like a Sum-B if you ever did drive it, as it rolled on 33 year old rocks in the shape of Goodyear Gatorbacks.

For a car to keep and enjoy, I would rather have a 35K mile performance G-body over a 500 mile 3rd Gen for the same price. G-body's drive better and are more comfortable

 

[motorheadmike]

Low mileage, performance-ish cars will always bring good money and the value of Low mileage cars are very hard to gage. A 500 mile car could sell for Triple what a 35K mile car would sell for (also pretty low mileage)

For an example of this I present a 1989 IROC-Z mullet mobile.

The '89 350 IROC Z was slower than the '91-92 Z-28's. This car has T-tops and doesn't have the 1LE, so it isn't rare and it will Rattle like a Sum-B if you ever did drive it, as it rolled on 33 year old rocks in the shape of Goodyear Gatorbacks.

For a car to keep and enjoy, I would rather have a 35K mile performance G-body over a 500 mile 3rd Gen for the same price. G-body's drive better and are more comfortable

Man, my wife's high-mileage "driver quality" example with a really good maintenance record feels like a steal right now. We paid around 15% of where that IROC is at currently.