Midwest Muscle

I like seeing ads like these! In the new Hemmings, there's a seller in WV asking $50K for his MSO 357 mile car - And accepting no offers other than full price. It's a leather/tops car, just like mine.

Mine has a few more miles (1,210 now), and I'm hoping these garage queen versions jump on that GNX path before long. Just so long as nobody comes along and sells their super low mileage original for less than $35-38K.

84L69TA

50 grand is just ridiculous

kaptinkafeen

iTrader: (2)

Isn't it strange how our TTA's are not worth close to what a good/well used GNX is worth? I wonder, is it because of the availability - aprox 1500 vrs 550?
the fact it's a Pontiac with a buick heart?....An auto? Not a sinister colour like the GN's and the GNX etc etc....
It just doesn't make sense. My best guess is that the GNX is the king - with all of Buick's secrets from the '86-87 and more, the GNX's much lower production (any day of the week there is atleast 1 TTA on ebay)- the TTA, being auto, with a buick powerplant just hasn't caugh on.... yet
On the other hand but related - all the paraphernalia associated with the TTA's, like the owner's kit are worth a lot more - not in proportion to what the cars are worth.
-Andrew

okfoz

I think its probably a few things:
1) the GNX gets more fanfare and publicity.
2) There are more TTA's, about 3 times as many.
3) The GNX is 2 years older, therefore its going to appreciate first.
4) I mention Turbo Trans Am, and many people think of the late 2nd gens, with the Turbo option and how doggy they were when you think of Turbo power.
5) The color I am not sure if that really has much to do or not, a Black car will usually sell faster than a White car side by side when crunching numbers but they did not make any (I Think only 1). White is by far one of my least favorite colors on a car personally, I guess I imagine some old man or woman driving all White cars. Probably why I like the TTA more with the decals installed.



John

3.8TransAM

I sniff a very very simliar picture to the late 80's early 90's musclecar bubble.

BAMMO.

Its all gonna go down the drain again.

Then Retard Jackson, the Autistic Auto Auction and every pandering fool who thinks a car thats never used is worth buying.

All this auto auction garbage is ruining are hobby, most of the overpriced junk there isnt even bought by carguys, just checkbooks.

Its sad.

I hope when the bubble bursts it takes them down into bankruptcy.

$50? They couldnt move the car for $30k when it was new 17 yrs ago.

later
Jeremy

Midwest Muscle

Jeremy, tell us how you really feel! Not saying it's a great comparison, but remember that Dodge couldn't give away those big wing Daytonas back in the day ... And now you can't touch a nice one for less than $200K.

But you are right about something - The price escalations have worked to push the real car guys (hobbiest) out of the picture. I've been doing this for 20 years, and I find that 80% of the people I'm working with these days are talking about 'investments', not street/drag racing.

Mike M

kaptinkafeen

iTrader: (2)

I too have been doing this for a long time, and my father before me - in the last 30 years, the only cars to take a real hit when this 'bubble' burst was the European market - XKE's, Porche's, even the proud 'Red horses' (Ferrari) took majors dives - heck, look through the Dupont Registry and take a look at what a 308 can be had for. Even thou the American iron dropped in price, it never got to the point/level that the European cars did - Go ask guys Like Peter Klut @ Legendary Motor Car's he used to be the old Shelby Shop- during the depress market times; look where his shop is at now, or The boys at Volo's..... Very strange indeed.
I agree thou, the checkbook/investment guys have pushed the hobby out of reach - but then again, it is this same demand that helps keep our 'American Iron' worth something as opposed to nothing. This argument can go on and on - especially when talking about thridgens - We have discussed this issues many a thread on here - which thridgen's "may" pull some big dollars in the future? - TTA's, Firehawks, R7U's. 1LE, and maybe B4C's.... Time will tell and the speculation continues.
One thing to finish - the true Vintage American muscle that does pull big bucks- like the COPO's, Daytonas/Superbirds, W30's etc were never real demand items in the first place - they were limited production, and most had the living daylights driven out of them or raced, mileage was not an issue. - THey were not mothballed away in hopes of making super $$ in the future. I wonder if this will affect the future collectability of the thirdgen's - or any collector edition from the post muscle car era ('64-'74) like the '78 anniversary Vettes, or the '82 collector edit Vette etc, etc...All debateable!
-Andrew

3.8TransAM

lol

Hey, U can ask anyone on here. I will tell you how I really feel at anytime on any subject.

I am right on the fact that the checkbook investment set is destroying it again for the true car guys. If u praise a car as investment, your dumber than a box of rocks, sadly it happens. I'll take my chances in the stock markets, except for a few truly rare cars, I'll beat any on getting my money back.

Heres my feelings again, if I ever go to a car show and someone here sees me picking rocks out of the tire tread with tweezers, please shoot me :-) Yes I am serious. I will be dead inside already.

This hobby wouldnt be where it would be today, if it wasnt for the everyday guy like the Grabowski's(anyone know the reference) we wouldnt have a hobby at all.

Same way our cars are affordable now. If u dont continuallyhave a new stream of younger owners to make up for the original or second owners, it will die off. Anyone here who goes to the Buick Nationals will be scared about what I just said. where are the younger ones at?

The younger folks tend to be more outspoken than older folks in regards to things like rodders rights, emissions laws and organzations like SEMA. If we lose that to our hobby or they all drive riced out imports, we will all be in a world of hurt as we get old and fat going "Wow man im now an old fat slob, but i overpayed for a Iroc I couldnt afford in highschool"

Signing off

the opionionated one

Jeremy lol

GTADave

Mike,
Over the years Hemmings has had many overpriced ads in it. I do beleave a ultra low milage MSO car would be a nice one to add to my collection, but 50K is too high. Six years ago when I bought my festival car, I could have bought a 50 Mile MSO car for 22K. My guess the car in Hemmings is worth about 35K-38K today.

The cars have definately gone up and alot in the last couple of years and much of the increase is due to a "pull" effect from the price of GNX's going up so much.

- Dave

86birdHT

iTrader: (1)

A few months ago(late july, early august) there was a hardtop cloth TTA going for 80k on ebay ...i found that extremely rediculous. If I could go back in time id have my dad wait a year to have me and just buy that car, drive it and then put it up on egay.

Midwest Muscle

Dave, no argument to any of that. One has to wonder if there's much more room left for price appreciation of the TTA cars, or even low mileage 3rd gens in general. If they keep going up, I'll keep mine stored. If they drop like crazy, I might just have to pull them out and put some miles on them :-)

okfoz

It helps and hurts us all at the same time.

In one respect as the low miles cars get snatched up this eill eventually bubble up into the higher miles cars, eventually anything with less than 50,000 miles will be considered low miles... just like the late 60's cars...

The up side is those who have a nice car Could sell it for more than what they bought it for. THe down side is if the rusted out beaters are selling for $7000 like I have seen on TV (I cant believe what these people are paying for some of these crappy 1st gens.) then that means our parts are going to increase and our ability to hold onto the car will become more fancially difficult.

Although we think that 1st gens are out of sight for price, I could have bought a 1968 or 69 Camaro with a 396 in it for $2000 about 5 years ago... I should have gotten it... the moral is low buck cars still can be found but they are far and few between.

l8r

John