Question for the "regular" folk :)

**Zedder** · #1 10-11-2006, 09:57 PM

For those of you who are at the stage of life where buying your dream home and paying for your kid's education are still facing you, do you ever think about getting out of the rare stuff and just buying a nice "driver" crate motored-type cruise night car? With prices for the rare stuff where they are, I'm struggling more and more with justifying a "car fund" that's worth 50% of the value of my home when we still have a number of financial issues to face before we are on "easy street"

I'd be interested in hearing the opinions of others at my stage of life...

**YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY** · #2 10-11-2006, 10:00 PM

You can live in your car, but you can't drive your house. How's that?

**drdave69** · #3 10-11-2006, 10:15 PM

Mark, I am attempting to do the same thing as I type this. That is the exact reason my Z/28 is for sale. Priorities change.

**TimG** · #4 10-11-2006, 10:17 PM

Zedder, I hear you. I recently bought a nicely restored '65 Corvette coupe from the original owner. I bought the car to drive with the original owners blessing and support, I didn't pay a heck of a lot for the car (even though it is BG, Dontov and Top Flight) and it will never be in the Special Collection or anything like that.
Mileage is not an issue since it was restored with over 100,000 miles on the odometer. It's just a plain old Corvette that has radial tires and is an absolute blast to drive. The other low mile, original paint Corvettes that have been sold or are still in the garage just don't provide the fun this car does, and one of them is worth 10 times what I paid for the '65.
The most fun cars I've had are the ones that have been the cheapest to buy or the rattiest to look at.
Don't know if anyone was left at Mecum late Sunday afternoon, but a '72 very original and kind of tattered Corvette went though with no reserve and sold for $9,250.
I thought that if the owner was a first time buyer, he was probably going to have fun for not much money with that car. I kind of wish I had been the guy that got it.

Don_Lightfoot · #5 10-11-2006, 11:11 PM

Well Mark, I guess I would consider myself one of the "regular folk".

The same scenario has been on my mind as well, although my circumstances are a little different. My daughter and son have long since graduated from University, they are now 32 and 28 respectively. I have a very nice home that will be paid in a couple of years.

My situation is relative to my age and the ability to really keep a quality car in top notch shape. Also, retirement is probably about five years away and finances will be required for that. I do not have a lift in my garage and it's getting more difficult to crawl under the car on jack stands to do all the regular cleaning and detailing that I think is required to maintain the quality (I do drive mine a little). I enjoy performing this regular maintenance, but the old bones tell me funny stories.

Anyway, I know the time will come someday to say "time to move on with other facets of life". Purchasing a much less valued classic would obviously be considered. Who knows when that day will come. All about priorities Mark and we all have different ones.

DarrenX33 · #6 10-11-2006, 11:31 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The most fun cars I've had are the ones that have been the cheapest to buy or the rattiest to look at.

[/ QUOTE ]

Amen Tim!

**PeteLeathersac** · #7 10-11-2006, 11:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The most fun cars I've had are the ones that have been the cheapest to buy or the rattiest to look at.

[/ QUOTE ]

The same rule applies for women sometimes too? .

~ Pete

rat tuned · #8 10-12-2006, 01:11 AM

i occasionally race with a 80+ yo guy who has 2 matching numbers vettes.(427-435). he gives the vette guys fits. you can't believe the vette stuff he has. here the race car.

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/sh.../2/ppuser/1846

he drives allaround the local towns. he refuses to sell to anyone. mike

**Zedder** · #9 10-12-2006, 01:25 AM

Thanks for the thoughtful responses guys (not including you Marlin

). I guess my struggle is that as much as I want to drive my '67 Z like it is an everyday driver, it's just becoming too rare to do that without freaking out everytime the kids are in the garage beside it or someone leans up against it at a cruise night. The car is worth $75K - $80K as is and with another $50K in it for the resto, I just know that I won't want my 6 year old washing a car that is worth that much money and that's just not right. We are lucky that our home is paid for and we have no debt...I'm just not comfortable with the values that our cars have reached in the last two or three years. Don't get me wrong, financially I am happy with the increase in value, I just have a mental block that prevents me from feeling comfortable driving anything that is more than about US$60K. Decisions, decisions

**Dave Rifkin** · #10 10-12-2006, 01:37 AM

[ QUOTE ]
i occasionally race with a 80+ yo guy who has 2 matching numbers vettes.(427-435). he gives the vette guys fits. you can't believe the vette stuff he has. here the race car.

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/sh.../2/ppuser/1846

he drives allaround the local towns. he refuses to sell to anyone. mike

[/ QUOTE ]

No offense but that Corvette is fugly! I know the guy enjoys the car and it's his to do whatever he wants with it but, man it looks like a hacked together car.
On the other hand, that Chevelle SS is awesome! I love everything about that car.

Dedicated to the Promotion and Preservation of American Muscle Cars, Dealer built Supercars and COPO cars.