Price 33 34 Ford

F

Ford coupe

Senior Member
I have been contemplating buying a 33 34 cabriolet or roadster but the price makes the.cars out of reach..What will these cars be worth a few years down the road when all us guys in the 65 to 80 yr old age bracket are gone or no longer care about old cars..I feel we are the ones wanting these cars other than the rodder..BOO BOO ..I think if i pay 60 70 or 80.000 for one it should eithe appreciate in value or at least hold iits own..Where am i going wrong???
 
I have watched and noticed the value of our old cars going down. But the `32,`33,`34, `39, and `40's Ford coupes, open cars and rare versions particularly in these years seem somewhat immune to the decline in value. How long this can be sustained is anyone's guess.

The older generation that remember these cars in their youth are passing on and I am not sure what lies in store down the road. Most of us have instilled in the next generation the worth and collectability of our old Ford Flatheads. But they grew up in an era of Mustangs, Thunderbirds, Camaros and Corvettes. Will they continue to buy and collect our generation's cars?

If you recall back in the 50s and early 60's to have an antique Ford was to have a Model T or a Model A. We evolved, so will the next generations...
 
richard crow said:
this comeing election will decide if your cars your home your property will either go up or down we must vote wiseley.
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You still can't get the money you put in a car back when you sell, but that's nothing new. Been the same since I can remember. Same with a house...borrow enough against it and it will bite you.
 
You can certainly buy a decent one for less than 60 but look on it as a
recreational expense. On the other hand , there aren't many good paying investments right now.
 
I have bought and sold several antique cars over the past several years and have never lost a cent. I didn't buy them to make money, it just worked out that way. I kept one for 17 years. The ones I have now may be a different story...
 
Every economic segment of any society over time will develop a "bubble value." We have seen it with commodities, stock options, silver/gold futures, real estate and etc. I believe one would be living in a fool's paradise if you believe old cars are immune to these economic realties. The 'trick" is to predict when these 'bubbles" are occurring and when they will break!

Granted, most people buy old cars for a lot of intangible reasons but regardless no one likes to pay 40K for a car (that requires, a host on-going items such as maintenance and insurance), only to see its' value rapidly diminish in a couple of years to a fraction of what was paid.

For a quick education of old car price trends take a look at eBay and the number of bids cars with prices more than 35K are getting. MHO

Tom
 
When I got out of the service and back in my home town, I wanted to buy a 32 Ford Roadster. Which I did. I gave the owner 3250 "SILVER" dollars, and a double mattress set.
I would say the 32 Roadster is still worth 3250 "SILVER" dollars. However the mattress is probably worthless.
The investment didn't make any money. It kept up with inflation and the changing economy. The return on my investment was years of use, pleasure, pride in ownership, and meeting many friends.
I would say the expense of owning the car as a hobby is far less than any other recreational hobby.
Enjoy -- while you can
 
Does it really matter? If your wife is provided for, where's the money going? Your kids will likely piss it away anyway. It's your money; you earned it/saved it , so you spend it.
 
All of the above posts make valid statements. In my opinion the "market" is moving away from the T's, A's, 30's and 40's Fords and more to the 50's to 70's cars. There will always be an interest for the older stuff but the money is moving to the newer cars as that is what the 40-50 year old guys and gals with money now wanted when they were younger. The guys in their 60's and 70's that are/were the backbone of the pre 48 hobby are looking at the newer cars for more comfort, less maintaince and in many cases better driveablility on today's highways. Look at NSRA meets for one example. Used to be everyone was diehard pre-48 vehicles. A few years ago they were forced to opened their meets up to pre-82 vehicles in order to boost attendance. Another example, the local Friday or Saturday night cruise-in's are 75% cars from 50's, 60's and 70's. Both examples, I think, are good indicators.
 
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Another unfortunate possibility is, who will be doing poured babbit bearings in 10 years?:(
 
I just picked up a '33 Cabriolet project. The last car I did was a Model A, and WOW, the price of parts is way different.

So just in the sum of the parts, it makes the value higher in the 33 :D
 
Well I look at this a little differently. Cars are a very volatile investment for a short term plan. Liquidation value is a whole different value than a guy who has to have your car value. If you enjoy a Roadster and really want one then the 60-80K you pay will be worth it. After all it is the prettiest Ford ever made;). Condition also plays a huge role in this. If it's a marginal one for 80k walk away because your desire to own one will always outweight your senses for re-sale. However if there is a cherry one from a guy who just wants to get rid of it or worse yet has to then that's the deal. But enjoy it, don't just buy it because you want to make money on it. You'll be miserable, never drive it, and scream at any kid who comes within 5 feet of it. Nobody will ever get the warm and fuzzy that comes from seeing a guy who loves driving his car. That's the best way to sell a car, is when a guy sees you smiling and just has to capture that feeling. That's the long term plan part though. Figure on owning it for a long time because when you are too old to enjoy it for sure there will be less of them and it'll be worth more 30+ years from now.

Good luck,

Tim
 
As friend once told me "there ain't no pockets on a casket". If you have the money and want to enjoy owning and driving an old Ford then do it. You only get one time around in this world and you better enjoy it. Buy the best you can find for the money and have fun. You may or may not get your investment back, but who cares as long as you enjoyed it.
 
I agree with TJ,,,lifes too short just had a friend pass away,,,he talked about driving a 40 merc convert for 35 years,,he never drove the car..
 
Where is it written that there's any guarantee that a vehicle will appreciate in value?? If you like/want it, buy it. If it's for an investment to make money when (if you can) sell it you're gambling, it's like the stock market. Look at how many cars being offered for sale vs. how many are selling. JMO
Paul in CT
 
I think if you watch what's happening in the gold markets, and what's happening at the high end auto auctions, you can chart a lot of similarities. When the gov'ts busy turning your dollar into 35 cents, buy something with real tangible value. A '34 Ford strikes me as a lot more fun than bars of gold.
 
I often wonder the fate of these antique cars myself. I work in a retoration shop and currently we are doing just fine. But, what will the long term be for me? Say 10,15,20 years? Will enough people still be interested in haveing cars built/restored? Or will that interest/hobby fade and the younger crowd spend their disposable income on high tech gadgets?
Realistically, most people involved in the automotive hobby (or business) were brought up being very involved in cars. Maybe for some of us younger fellows, we went to shows etc with our parents. But for many of you first generation enthusiasts, you were involved as the car took over the heart and souls of kids throughout the USA. The love for automobiles is somewhat directly related to the feel good times when America was great. This country was strong, and the car gave independence. Once our country is homoginized into some global mega-economy, we will lose sense of what America was and the times we were great.
Ask a younger person to give their impression of our country after the second war. THey have no clue. To most younger people, the 1960s is almost ancient history.
THey couldn't care less about some old tin lizzie that cant play their ipod or have gps etc...
If you want the cars to keep their value, keep the interest in them ongoing. Make people realize what they symbolize.
If not, the cars will be worthless in the not too distant future.
 
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