Where do you think the hobby is going ?

[anlauto]

The cost is just to high for most young people especially when they can go into any Dodge dealer and buy a new Challenger for less money.

Last time I checked "new" Challengers weren't cheap either    Heck....my RAM lists at over $70K 

[Rdchallenger]

The cost is just to high for most young people especially when they can go into any Dodge dealer and buy a new Challenger for less money.

Last time I checked "new" Challengers weren't cheap either    Heck....my RAM lists at over $70K 

Hell I sold my Challenger SRT when I started my resto due to realizing how much it was going to cost. I also love the fact that when it's complete it's not just some car that anyone can go buy at a dealership.

[gaddied]

Well let's see. Back in 1980 I thought this hobby was going to end. I also thought my God prices are crazy! A 1957 Chevy was around $ 9,000 for a fully restored car. And the Mopars  were around from $2,000 to $10,000 . So if you add in inflation for the 40 years it comes out the same as 1980 dollars. I know it seems odd but it is the way the dollar goes up over the years. And to this day people are paying high prices for these cars. So the only problem with this hobby ending is when people quit buying these cars. My 2 cents .

[Joegrapes]

Allen, there are a number of new 2021 Hemi Challenger R/T at the local Dodge dealer that sticker in 35k range. When was the last time you restored a car for a customer that had less that that in it? The hobby will always be here it's just that the cost has driven the younger people away. Same with Harley. Most young people who want to ride don't see the value in a Harley when they can buy a Japanese bike for way less and get better performance. Harley won't survive if they rely on us old farts to buy their bikes.

[anlauto]

Allen, there are a number of new 2021 Hemi Challenger R/T at the local Dodge dealer that sticker in 35k range. When was the last time you restored a car for a customer that had less that that in it? The hobby will always be here it's just that the cost has driven the younger people away. Same with Harley. Most young people who want to ride don't see the value in a Harley when they can buy a Japanese bike for way less and get better performance. Harley won't survive if they rely on us old farts to buy their bikes.

I guess, maybe in the States..my wife's 2017 V6 Challenger was $42K CDN

[dodj]

The cost is just to high for most young people especially when they can go into any Dodge dealer and buy a new Challenger for less money.

Last time I checked "new" Challengers weren't cheap either    Heck....my RAM lists at over $70K 

Picking up a new or almost new Challenger/Mustang under 50K is not hard. Picking up an ebody that would be called new or almost new for under 50K is not so easy.
Don't get me wrong, the old ones are way better looking, and they are special to have and drive each summer. Glad I got one.  I'm just saying, to me, with the expense of them now, it's out of the realm of what I consider a hobby.

[RUNCHARGER]

I agree: The old ones look so much better but the new ones are easy to find and you can drive them every day without tending to oil leaks, adjusting the clutch, carbs, poor radios and dealing with drum brakes. For me body shop costs and P-poor quality parts have taken a bit of the fun out the old ones. I won't own a car that I don't drive though, I see the hobby changing to collections that are looked at and not driven. The resto mod thing takes care of the driveability stuff but most of those cars become ornaments as well, driving a car to a cars and coffee once a week doesn't make it and the problem with modified cars is they become dated pretty fast and all that money spent on them has to be respent every few years or they become out of date, think Foose paintjob and wheels.

[chargerdon]

Allen, there are a number of new 2021 Hemi Challenger R/T at the local Dodge dealer that sticker in 35k range. When was the last time you restored a car for a customer that had less that that in it? The hobby will always be here it's just that the cost has driven the younger people away. Same with Harley. Most young people who want to ride don't see the value in a Harley when they can buy a Japanese bike for way less and get better performance. Harley won't survive if they rely on us old farts to buy their bikes.

I guess, maybe in the States..my wife's 2017 V6 Challenger was $42K CDN

Right now in Lillington, NC Heister Dodge has a 2021 new SXT (v6) that MSRP is $30,085 on sale after Dodge rebate and dealer discount is $25,433       They also have a 2021 RT that stickers for $39,475 going for $34,970.   Glad i don't live in Canada.

Every once in a while i get the urge to go buy one of them...   but...then i think...   I already have a 74 Challenger with 360/408 and the A518 auto, with Air conditioning AND i fitted in a power track for my drivers seat and a nice in the factory spot Pioneer stereo.   It drives and handles well enough for LEGAL driving and has about the same performance as a base RT...   (biggest drawback is fuel economy sucks at 10-11 mpg).   So why spend the money.

Regarding the hobby...   I was lucky enough to find my 74 in somewhat solid shape except for the rear quarters and trunk floor, with a built 360 for $5,000 five years ago.    Now, I am NOT a purest who cares about matching numbers, and "all original" anyways, so with that said 72-74's go for a lot less than the 70-71's which is truly stupid.   Yes, 71 was the last year of the true factory muscle cars, but the engines aren't stock anymore 90% of the time, so the later years go just as good...    I made it a true hobby by doing all of the work myself, and being really careful about buying parts...   

Right now i have about $17 K tied up in it, plus about 500 hrs of my own labor, and i would venture that its worth in the $25K-$30 range.  Its a driver, not a trailer queen.   I have won three trophies with it (first show i took it to not even fully finished it got a top 25 award) plus two others at "functions" that gave prizes.   I no longer take it to shows...as who wants to pay $25 entry fee, by 11am and then sit around for four hours till the award show at typically 3pm...held like a captive to win another $5 trophy.   

I recognize that professional restorers charge between $75 and $150 per hour so that if your idea of "restoring" a classic is to take it to a restoration shop and deplete your wallet...then glad your rich.   Having said that it seems that there are fewer and fewer of guys like me who do the work themselves and drive them, and even less and less trailer Queens...   Looks like the high end restoration market is what its becoming, and they ARENT in my opinion...car guys.   Their rich dudes that buy them, keep for a year or two, and then sell them again.   I wonder how many of the Mecum Auction cars sold this year, were also sold there last year...  so the hobby is becoming more and more like stamp collecting...the super wealthy guys like Jay Leno buy them and keep them, and the others trade every year, hoping that because of the restoration cost, theirs goes up in price and they can make a buck.   

Oh well, my car club hasnt met since March of last year because of covid, and with most of the guys in their mid 70's i wonder if we will ever even meet again.   

[Poolshark314]

Allen, there are a number of new 2021 Hemi Challenger R/T at the local Dodge dealer that sticker in 35k range. When was the last time you restored a car for a customer that had less that that in it? The hobby will always be here it's just that the cost has driven the younger people away. Same with Harley. Most young people who want to ride don't see the value in a Harley when they can buy a Japanese bike for way less and get better performance. Harley won't survive if they rely on us old farts to buy their bikes.

I guess, maybe in the States..my wife's 2017 V6 Challenger was $42K CDN

Newer Chargers and Challengers are more expensive because they are putting a premium on its heritage and reputation, neither of which it had in 1970. Those cars of today would be more like the less expensive cars like a Subaru BRZ

[tman]

My opinion of this hobby is not so positive.  Prices will level off, then decline. I can't give a time frame 10, 20, 30yrs, but it will be sooner then later.  With this so called Climate change being a huge priority, gas will diminish along with gas powered vehicles.  Some States already mandating the sale of gas powered cars to be banned.  All States will eventually follow.  More battery stations will be built and gas stations will slowly disappear.  Already the demand for gas is going down with carmakers making more alternative fuel cars.  Ask the States that keep raising the gas tax because revenue is down.  Unless we can convert our gas guzzlers to propane, NG, hydrogen, or electric, Im afraid we will have cars in our garage that will just sit.  To me our cars will be worth nothing when that happens.  I won't be around in 30 yrs to see what happens, but there will be a time when this hobby will be extinct.  The first Tesla's will be the next Gen collector car. 

[7E-Bodies]

I totally get all of the fears and can neither confirm nor deny. However I will say this. I had owned 7 E bodies (hence my handle here) in the 80's. This includes 4 70's and 3 71's. Of these were a spectacular JS23U0B, a JH23C that I loved and daily drove, a JS27N, 2 JH27G1's, a JS23R0 (yes R) and a JH23G1 "grandma's garage car", nearly new. Many simultaneously owned. I let several nay sayers tell me (in the later 80's) that I'd better be selling out quickly as the states would soon be banning these cars that had little or no pollution controls. Sadly, I bit. Hook. Line. Sinker. Sold out completely. Fast forward 35 years and I find this awesome group on Facebook. I was soon re-hooked and actively seeking my JS23U0B car (to no avail) and have bought two others and currently working on buying a third that a friend owns. Will they depreciate? Get banned? Get taxed out of existence? Will fuel become scarce or dry up? Well, what if, what if. What if a comet hits? Or worse...a divorce, a theft, a fire? (I know...somewhat the same thing). Life is short. E body cars are rare and a thrill to own. How I wish I hadn't bought into the "bravo sierra" that got handed to me in the 80's. Banning family emergencies, I'm in it for the haul. I'll treat these cars like my "other hobby" where I say to politicians, "come and take them". I for one think we have far bigger concerns as of late.

[HP_Cuda]

The one thing that no one has mentioned is the newer generation is more of a buy it and throw it away type crowd. Whereas my generation that grew up around muscle cars could afford them and worked on them incessantly because they couldn't afford to put them in the shop all the time.

I know there are some younger folks that like to tool on the old muscle cars but I think they are in the minority.

Sign of the times....

[dodj]

Whereas my generation that grew up around muscle cars could afford them and worked on them incessantly because they couldn't afford to put them in the shop all the time.

They were a "bit" simpler and easier to work on then. Don't you think?

[Poolshark314]

Whereas my generation that grew up around muscle cars could afford them and worked on them incessantly because they couldn't afford to put them in the shop all the time.

They were a "bit" simpler and easier to work on then. Don't you think?

Parts were a lot cheaper then too, even if you include inflation

[Purepony]

The biggest threat is probably fuel going away but I will say that I did see a good turn out last night