Prices are certainly down

Gee, I wonder if the market will ever "turn around" or is
this decline going to continue for a long, long while along
the road of the once popular Model T, etc.?
 
Looking at the various 'for sale' venues I see there are getting to be quite a few of the old 'Hit and Miss' vintage gas engines stacking up and not selling. I got involved with these in the 1980s and was extremely lucky to eventually come up with three of them from old farms here. The experienced collectors agreed that I was fortunate, as all the old farms, sheds etc and been gleaned and combed over until there was virtually no undiscovered engines left. Many of these old ww2 vets had 30 or 40 of them in their shed. Deeper in the hobby in the 90s I bought and sold a few, as I loved to bring one back to life. At the slightest word in the wind of one possibly being for sale, guys would set out before dawn with a pickup and trailer hoping to score. We would laugh at the really old guys that told tales of buying complete engines for the riduculously low '100.00 per horsepower'. Recently saw a 5hp Economy for 500.00 bucks and it didn't budge. It's all very predictable. A 'square body chevy' is an old farm truck now and a hit and miss engine is more like "Why on earth would anybody want that old thing. What would ya do with it?" I'm sure there are countless other areas of 'collecting and restoring' also experiencing what we are dealing with.
 
19Fordy said:
Gee, I wonder if the market will ever "turn around" or is
this decline going to continue for a long, long while along
the road of the once popular Model T, etc.?
Click to expand...

I believe everything has a cycle.
With only rare exception, do I see these old cars increasing in value.
 
GB SISSON said:
Looking at the various 'for sale' venues I see there are getting to be quite a few of the old 'Hit and Miss' vintage gas engines stacking up and not selling. I got involved with these in the 1980s and was extremely lucky to eventually come up with three of them from old farms here. The experienced collectors agreed that I was fortunate, as all the old farms, sheds etc and been gleaned and combed over until there was virtually no undiscovered engines left. Many of these old ww2 vets had 30 or 40 of them in their shed. Deeper in the hobby in the 90s I bought and sold a few, as I loved to bring one back to life. At the slightest word in the wind of one possibly being for sale, guys would set out before dawn with a pickup and trailer hoping to score. We would laugh at the really old guys that told tales of buying complete engines for the riduculously low '100.00 per horsepower'. Recently saw a 5hp Economy for 500.00 bucks and it didn't budge. It's all very predictable. A 'square body chevy' is an old farm truck now and a hit and miss engine is more like "Why on earth would anybody want that old thing. What would ya do with it?" I'm sure there are countless other areas of 'collecting and restoring' also experiencing what we are dealing with.
Click to expand...

I watch Antique Roadshow on public TV where a piece of old canvas with a hodgepodge of oil paint is appraised at 500K, or MORE!! No seats, No engine, No wheels, No steering wheel, and No beautiful exhaust tone! Love um while you have um guys and gals.
 
Then there's this one.




239 Flathead-Powered ’31 Ford 5-Window Coupe 4-Speed



Sold for USD $251,000 10/13/202698Comments
View Result









1FordRoadster-173-scaled-copy-2026-09-28-juy-99632.jpg

MakeFord

ModelFord Hot Rod

ModelFord Model A

Era1930s

OriginAmerican

CategoryHot Rods

LocationLocated in United States








This ’31 Ford five-window coupe was custom built between 2018 and 2020 around an original Henry Ford steel body that was reimagined, fabricated, and chopped 4″ by Bobby Walden of Walden Speedshop before being refinished in black. The build further incorporates a custom chassis with ’32-style frame rails, a Winters quick-change rear end, and a flathead built by Mike Sala and featuring a Winfield camshaft, a Tom Roberts intake manifold with four Stromberg-style carburetors, Edelbrock aluminum heads, a custom Tom Roberts front accessory drive, MSD ignition, and aluminum oil pan by Bob Lee. The running gear includes a polished and black-anodized Super Bell aluminum front axle, Ridetech Q-Series front shocks, Ridetech adjustable rear coilovers, a Flaming River steering box, Johnson’s Kinmont front disc brakes, and Wilwood rear disc brakes, and the car rides on 15″ steelies with ’46 hubcaps and big-and-littles. Built by the owner, this hot rod is powered by a 239ci Flathead V8 paired with a Richmond T-10 four-speed manual transmission and is now offered at no reserve by the seller on their behalf with spare parts, a car cover, and a clean California title listing the car as a 1931 Ford.
 
solidaxle said:
Then there's this one.




239 Flathead-Powered ’31 Ford 5-Window Coupe 4-Speed



Sold for USD $251,000 10/13/202698Comments
View Result









1FordRoadster-173-scaled-copy-2026-09-28-juy-99632.jpg

MakeFord

ModelFord Hot Rod

ModelFord Model A

Era1930s

OriginAmerican

CategoryHot Rods

LocationLocated in United States








This ’31 Ford five-window coupe was custom built between 2018 and 2020 around an original Henry Ford steel body that was reimagined, fabricated, and chopped 4″ by Bobby Walden of Walden Speedshop before being refinished in black. The build further incorporates a custom chassis with ’32-style frame rails, a Winters quick-change rear end, and a flathead built by Mike Sala and featuring a Winfield camshaft, a Tom Roberts intake manifold with four Stromberg-style carburetors, Edelbrock aluminum heads, a custom Tom Roberts front accessory drive, MSD ignition, and aluminum oil pan by Bob Lee. The running gear includes a polished and black-anodized Super Bell aluminum front axle, Ridetech Q-Series front shocks, Ridetech adjustable rear coilovers, a Flaming River steering box, Johnson’s Kinmont front disc brakes, and Wilwood rear disc brakes, and the car rides on 15″ steelies with ’46 hubcaps and big-and-littles. Built by the owner, this hot rod is powered by a 239ci Flathead V8 paired with a Richmond T-10 four-speed manual transmission and is now offered at no reserve by the seller on their behalf with spare parts, a car cover, and a clean California title listing the car as a 1931 Ford.
Click to expand...

Guess I do not get it. Pretty, yes... but.... looks store bought.
 
That coupe is certainly not “store bought” when looking at the construction details underneath. Aside from that a quarter million dollars buys a lot of beer and pizza!
 
That coupe might very well have been my ride back in 1957. I didn't make quite that much profit when I sold it.
 
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