Cruise night quality/rarity decline???

[Zedder]

Has anyone else noticed that there has been a steady decline in the number of rare/quality cars over the last few years? Don't get me wrong, there are still lots of very nice cars coming out, but you just don't see the COPO's, LS6's, even real nice Z-28's like you used to. I went to two cruise nights last night and most of the cars were resto-mods, 50's/60's bigger cars and a few nice muscle cars, but in the lower HP ranges. I guess this is a function of the rise in prices over the past 5 years, but it's such a shame that you don't get the thrill of seeing one of these beasts out on the road like we used to...

[nuch_ss396]

Mark,

Probably due to the inadvertent price of fame.

Steve

[Keith Tedford]

Once restored, the rarer, high horsepower cars become so expensive/valuable that people are afraid to take them out in traffic. Despite that, Haugen's very often has several L78 cars, Z/28s, and Chrysler Hemi cars. With us, we've done the car show, and cruise night thing for quite a few years and it becomes a case of "Been there, done that". With the local cruise nights, some have come and gone and there is one somewhere every night of the week. There has become a glut around here. One a week is more than enough for us. My wife and I would just as soon hop in one of the cars and go for a nice long Sunday drive with a nice lunch in the middle. We don't care who sees our cars any more. We just like to enjoy them the same way we did 35-40 years ago. Perhaps there are more people thinking the same way we do. Who knows?

[427TJ]

[ QUOTE ]
We don't care who sees our cars any more. We just like to enjoy them the same way we did 35-40 years ago. Perhaps there are more people thinking the same way we do. Who knows?

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. 25-30 years ago in my case!

[ANDY M]

Keith, speaking for myself, a nice long Sunday drive in a COPO is getting to be an expensive proposition, not to mention that the Camaro is not the best riding car GM ever built. I doubt I can fill the tank for under $50 bucks, and if nothing else can be said about my car, it likes gas.
A lot of gas. It'll pass everything but a Sunoco. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
There have not been any real big car shows here yet, just the usual Hooter's or Quaker Steak parking lot shows, or whatever. Like you said, been there and done that. It is nice to run into some familiar faces, but I agree that people are less eager to show their cars.
In a couple of weeks will be the first Maxton Chevy show, a local institution for Chevy guys. Brings out some class cars every year. No entry fee, $5.00 t-shirts, free music and a clean parking lot. I'll post some pictures. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

In the mean time, I'll just stick to short drives.
Short drives at wide open throttle. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/headbang.gif

[mockingbird812]

Its early in your season fellas. Give it some time. No similar trends noted out here in the desert southwest (during our season, that is). Take some pix and let us (the car-show-challenged) see for ourselves what you are talking about.......please! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[MosportGreen66]

There are a very select few around these parts that have anything other than the street rods, hot rods, and resto-mod muscle cars. The majority of them are tired and aged from years of use. I brought my Corvette to a local cruise night last year and people were asking me what the NCRS sticker stood for. Steady decline agreed.

[3macs1]

I am finding many guys keeping the rare stuff home and have built a driver or clone for the cruise nights. Mostly out of their left over parts from their other cars.We basically did the same and have a BBC rag for these occasions built to run on unleaded fuel.However with unleaded high test running $6.11 a gallon last week you don't go far at 14 miles to the gallon.

[William]

A few weeks ago I attended the first Cruise Nite at a local McDonalds-not one 1st gen Camaro. A couple of street machine type Chevelles, Street Rods, more Street Rods, a few tri-5s, late model Corvettes/Mustangs/Camaros/Firebirds.
No '60s Muscle Cars at all. I have been to a few others since and that seems to be the trend. Used to always be a few Z/28s and maybe a Z11, not any more.

They are all at home, going up in value I guess.

[SBR]

One other point is it seems to me that people have much less respect for other peoples property than in years past. I used to bring my cars out on occasion but grew tired of asking people not to treat my car as a couch or to ride their bikes one inch from my car! One other disturbing trend is at least in my area is I cannot understand why people bring their pets to a cruise night!? I like dogs as much as the next guy but it's a car show not a dog show http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

[Chris396]

It also seems that when prices go up collectors hoard more cars. So you have one guy who owns 10 cars and he can only drive one at a time.

[bilede]

From a long time phoenix area resident I have seen trends in exactly what you are talking about. In the 80's I saw several z/28's, pace cars, etc. at any show you went. there was always a full row of camaros, a row for chevelle/camino's, 55-57's, then usually others mixed in partial rows of cars. 90's started to see very few camaro's and seeing a real z was the exception. this went on until about 2000 when we started to see cars return to shows and its bigger than ever now. The availability of cars for sale followed this exact calendar also. Every car I sold except one in the last 20+ years left for another state. several according to AZ MVD I still own because its the last title of record.

Why are the cars back at the shows? Back when I went to shows in the 80's it was guys with a 3bdrm/1bath track home and worked at pep boys or a gas station that owned one and had it because he loved it and it was cool fast but sold it eventually because of bills and the start of a family. Off they went out of state one by one with some exceptions to collector's garages here and there.

Today, these cars are back at shows for the simple reason that they went to people who could afford them back east and these people are now retiring and bringing them out here with them. A good percentage of the cars wear out of state plates and a larger percentage of cars at shows are owned by people with a winter home here and summer home in the colder climates. they have the money to usually own not only one but several rare cars and the money to enjoy the hobby. The cars are back at the shows out here but its not the same people that own them anymore. As long as they are back I am happy though.

[ORIGLS6]

[ QUOTE ]
One other point is it seems to me that people have much less respect for other peoples property than in years past. I used to bring my cars out on occasion but grew tired of asking people not to treat my car as a couch or to ride their bikes one inch from my car!

[/ QUOTE ]

All too familiar here too. Bicycles and strollers. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif
And if you approach them, even politely, you're viewed as the villian.
Makes me want a Rat-Rod! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[agtw31]

this is a good example of what you'll see at car shows..

went to a big car show in lancaster ohio last year,and saw this Hemi Cuda with all kinds of aftermarket speed equipment on it,and huge drag radials.

i asked the owner what the car runs in the 1/4..

he looked at me like i was nuts,and told me it would probably run low 10's,but he only drives it to shows..