Help me understand the Formal market. Please!

RTCruiser said:
For some contrast HERE is around the equivelent Australian car as the Newport.
Not original in any sense of the word and would probably take another $20,000 to get to a half decent show car. Original versions of this car could easily run to $30,000 or more. Compare that to a US model with 440 V8 and you can see why what you think is a rip off we think are bargains
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That just doesn't have anywhere the the same appeal as our versions.
 
commando1 said:
YES!! :wideyed:
That's my car. Well, used to be mine. :( Thank you.

That would be aprox. $16k USD, yes?
That pic shows it still sitting in California.
I know how much he's got into it and I guess the markup is maybe fair. I think....
1813e869-b9e3-41e7-87b3-6af53be92b13-atlg.jpg
Click to expand...

Ouch the ban aid just got ripped off. Sure hope Bittersweet finds a home with an Australian Stan!
 
The Formal market ... $2500.00 Isn't that our mantra? I personally think we do ourselves a lot of injustice spouting that, but on this site, when you mention a Formal that's all that is repeatedly said.
I think Formals are on the way up price wise as the 60's era cars become progressively priced beyond the means of many enthusiasts.
 
Mr C said:
The Formal market ... $2500.00 Isn't that our mantra? I personally think we do ourselves a lot of injustice spouting that, but on this site, when you mention a Formal that's all that is repeatedly said.
I think Formals are on the way up price wise as the 60's era cars become progressively priced beyond the means of many enthusiasts.
Click to expand...
I'm always very surprised they are not more collectable for a number of reasons:
- Last of the Imperials
- Last of the true full size cars
- last of the 4 door hard tops
- last of the big block passenger cars
- The Bluesmobile (those Dodges should be as collectable as the General Lee Chargers)

Yes they were strangled as far as far as performance goes but they have so much going for them
 
RTCruiser said:
I'm always very surprised they are not more collectable for a number of reasons:
- Last of the Imperials
- Last of the true full size cars
- last of the 4 door hard tops
- last of the big block passenger cars
- The Bluesmobile (those Dodges should be as collectable as the General Lee Chargers)

Yes they were strangled as far as far as performance goes but they have so much going for them
Click to expand...

Forgot last of many RWD cars at least for GM.

I would never put those cars into the "collectible" category. First, the later half of the 70's and most of the 80's are nothing to talk about when it came to American cars in design or build quality. Second, when one looks at the number of those cars sold they were no where near home runs in the amount of units sold. If few people wanted them back at that time then how many people are going to want them now who have memories of them? How many are alive, how many are healthy enough and how many have the room given that seniors tend to downsize. And yes we are seniors. I will repeat once again and that is those who are under 40, except the 0.01% who do like them, the rest aren't interested. At Mopar shows out here they show up in new Chrysler 300 cars many modded out.

Got to remember we are baby boomers for the most part. Now how many people collected cars in the 40s? How many in the 50s? How many in the 60s and even how many in the 70s? Car collecting on such a large scale as today is baby boomer driven. So it is like a fad. Just a fad that will take longer to die out. We do have a tendency to project our bias onto the next generations. Yet they will form their own bias toward cars. When I have a 16 year old grandson, in 2040s, I am sure even my Mustang will mean nothing. Technology is now changing things so fast I couldn't even imagine what I'll see in 2020. Cars as we know them, gasoline as we know it, among other things could possibly cause all our cars to become garage queens by 2030.

There is a fellow out here who has listed 8 mid-50s Pontiacs for sale this whole past year over and over and over again. No one is biting and I suspect no one will. I was 3 years old then, have no memory of them and kind of go meh. For the most part their heyday has past and so will ours.
 
tbm3fan said:
Forgot last of many RWD cars at least for GM.

I would never put those cars into the "collectible" category. First, the later half of the 70's and most of the 80's are nothing to talk about when it came to American cars in design or build quality. Second, when one looks at the number of those cars sold they were no where near home runs in the amount of units sold. If few people wanted them back at that time then how many people are going to want them now who have memories of them? How many are alive, how many are healthy enough and how many have the room given that seniors tend to downsize. And yes we are seniors. I will repeat once again and that is those who are under 40, except the 0.01% who do like them, the rest aren't interested. At Mopar shows out here they show up in new Chrysler 300 cars many modded out.

Got to remember we are baby boomers for the most part. Now how many people collected cars in the 40s? How many in the 50s? How many in the 60s and even how many in the 70s? Car collecting on such a large scale as today is baby boomer driven. So it is like a fad. Just a fad that will take longer to die out. We do have a tendency to project our bias onto the next generations. Yet they will form their own bias toward cars. When I have a 16 year old grandson, in 2040s, I am sure even my Mustang will mean nothing. Technology is now changing things so fast I couldn't even imagine what I'll see in 2020. Cars as we know them, gasoline as we know it, among other things could possibly cause all our cars to become garage queens by 2030.

There is a fellow out here who has listed 8 mid-50s Pontiacs for sale this whole past year over and over and over again. No one is biting and I suspect no one will. I was 3 years old then, have no memory of them and kind of go meh. For the most part their heyday has past and so will ours.
Click to expand...

I guess that's the difference between car collectors and car enthusiasts. I class myself as an enthusiast and don't buy a car with any regard to their collectability or possibility of them appreciating in value. I buy the cars I like. I'm not buying the cars I remember from my childhood, I'm buying something different and unusual that appeals to me on some other level. My daily driver is very sensible, economical, practical and reliable car. What I want in my weekend car is the complete opposite. I love the complete waste of space of the full-size American cars and I like to have a car that needs attention to keep it in running order.

As far as I'm concerned "collectors" ruin it for enthusiasts. Many have no real appreciation of the car for what it is and think of it as only an investment. Sure I'd love a Plymouth Superbird or some other muscle car but the prices for those are just crazy. I'm glad to stick to the cars the collector are ignoring (for now)
 
RTCruiser said:
I guess that's the difference between car collectors and car enthusiasts. I class myself as an enthusiast and don't buy a car with any regard to their collectability or possibility of them appreciating in value. I buy the cars I like. I'm not buying the cars I remember from my childhood, I'm buying something different and unusual that appeals to me on some other level. My daily driver is very sensible, economical, practical and reliable car. What I want in my weekend car is the complete opposite. I love the complete waste of space of the full-size American cars and I like to have a car that needs attention to keep it in running order.

As far as I'm concerned "collectors" ruin it for enthusiasts. Many have no real appreciation of the car for what it is and think of it as only an investment. Sure I'd love a Plymouth Superbird or some other muscle car but the prices for those are just crazy. I'm glad to stick to the cars the collector are ignoring (for now)
Click to expand...
I'll give you a big AMEN to that!

Add to it the pimps at Barrett-Jackson, and other auction houses, and the price of cars has become outrageous!
 
I thought I would stick these in here, many are familiar as in I saw them in the past with higher price tags... I suppose folks are trying to sell in time for xmas funds. These are a nice contrast to the first post of the thread.
chrysler imperial - $4000 (stratford nh)
chrysler imperial
00909_gThNgf0FTpA_1200x900.jpg
00R0R_iSDRnOVCzh5_1200x900.jpg

chrysler imperial 1974 - $2700
chrysler imperial 1974
00505_9NqIDWFYOJE_1200x900.jpg
00L0L_4C9CqAOc23r_1200x900.jpg

Chrysler New Yorker Broughm! 1976 - $3000 (Mason City, IA)
Chrysler New Yorker Broughm! 1976
00u0u_jVRuMUP4fTz_1200x900.jpg
00T0T_2HcyRanaBsA_1200x900.jpg

Mopar 1977 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham hopped up 440 BB - $2795 (South hill)
Mopar 1977 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham hopped up 440 BB
01111_cWlEJkGaUkb_1200x900.jpg
00v0v_2GC8wj4EIk3_1200x900.jpg
00y0y_V3T4GIB4Yd_1200x900.jpg

1978 New Yorker - $3500 (anna)
1978 New Yorker
00m0m_8bgVa8sszu1_1200x900.jpg
00808_ii2eKyf90O1_1200x900.jpg
 
Pclancy said:
I'm the guy who bought his for $5700, drove it all across the country, and then dumped a bunch more cash into it fixing stuff that needed to be fixed.....
Click to expand...
So now thst you have owned and driven it for awhile, I'm interested in your observations of what you actually got vs. the ad's description.
 
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