Still Worried About the Antique Car Hobby Being Dead or Dying??

WHN said:
Like any antique, there should always be a market for good quality Model A Fords.

I think the secret is “Good Quality Cars”.
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Like Brent indicated 'GOOD QUALITY CARS'

A good friend has been in the process of repairing our Dad's Roadster that was 'restored' years ago by a local guy who advertised that he restored Model A's.

That car was a death trap waiting to claim a victim it was totally unsafe it was so screwed up it was beyond belief the things he did.
THESE are the kind of cars most people encounter today and they get turned off so fast by old cars it makes their heads spin....
The first time I drove this car after my friend put it back to original factory specs, I literally wanted to pull over off the road, and cry. I couldn't believe a Model A Ford could perform drive handle brake run like this car does now.
It is a complete 180 degree turn around in what a Model A Ford can actually be! FUN TO DRIVE!!!

I will never mention the man's name he is buried in work hasn't even got the time to finish his own projects! People keep bugging him. He is kind of trying to slide into a retirement mode. I'm just fortunate that he took his time out of his schedule to help me!!
 
well Keith, I am in your camp. I want to unload some of my cars, but I have a dead market here around Philly. 2 yrs ago I sold 5 cars in 6 days on FB. Today not even a n inquiry. I guess we all have our opinions on the matter. today I stopped at Hershey for a couple of hours and it has yet shrunk again! the lot closest to the roller coaster is no more. every year the size of Hershey goes down and I hear on this board, all is fine.
the few young folks I do see are few and far in between. mostly us older fellas who wont be around in 15 yrs. fact.
 
ronn-never been to Hershey and probably never will... I wonder if some of that shrinkage is due to Hershey not being too kind to the antique car folks? That and Pennsylvania taxing people on swap meet items ? Plus almost everyone is using Face Book Marketplace today? Less $$$ than packing up a diesel truck and paying for that plus meals and or lodging and all of that. Gets pretty expensive pretty fast.


Just thinking out loud...
 
Ronn,Five years ago,when I sold that 35 3 window you were interested in I was swamped with offers.I got so confused some good prospective buyers fell through the cracks.You were one of those,you weren't one of the tire kickers that I was trying to weed out.I wasn't writing info down because I wasn't expecting 35-40 responses.At the same time I sold a really nice 31 Tudor for a friend,it was a sound,solid nice driver.If I wasn't starting to rebuild after my house burned I would have bought that one myself.I sold it for $13,500 back then.Now that his kids have moved on he decided to advertise it.He kept dropping his price,and a couple of weeks ago he pulled his ad for $8500.He's tired of the low bawlers.I have a really nice 28 phaeton I can't drive anymore,I did advertise it last summer,but I was only getting offers of 50 cents on the dollar.Makes a nice knick knack in my cellar.I can sit in it and watch TV down there.
 
Jeff and Keith- spot on................


FB doesnt work anymore. all of the people from CL ran over and are paying 10 cents on the buck! as Keith said, will just leave them here for my kids to deal with. they will merely scrap them- as they have no interest.
thank God I didnt invest my whole dollar in antique cars- or maybe I should have bought one porsche or a ferrari? lol
 
It's interesting that those say "the old car hobby is dead, these are worthless, every one is dying" but when these people advertise a piece-o-junk it is priced at 4x the actual value.
 
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ronn is right about FB Marketplace:p
I'm not on FB or any of that a brother-in-law IS and he is pretty heavy into late 60's Mopars. He just told me this morning exactly what ronn said! His words.. 'The cheap a** 'lizards' that used to frequent Craig's List, have migrated over to FB Marketplace, and are trying to make a quick buck flipping cars and parts!" He said they won't pay anything close to what he has priced fairly HIS parts and a '68 GTX he has for sale, trying hard to low-ball him but many want ridiculous prices for parts HE needs! He tried to buy a trunk lid for a Roadrunner he is building, it had some rust not bad, and the guy was firm on $4,000 cash and carry. He told me that is getting typical:eek:


ronn, Keith, I like reading your posts:p You guys have some good experiences!! I feel exactly like Keith. If nobody wants my old cars after I'm gone I don't care. I enjoy sitting out in the garage drinking a cold Dr. Pepper with Sirus radio set on the 60's jamming to The Doors, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Creedence, Three Dog Night,, and the world can go blow itself up! I'm happy as a clam!
 
gz my stuff is cheap. I bought right. so that doesnt always apply, though I understand your thoughts. some of us are not out to make a killing, but do enjoy the buy and sell aspect.
Ive seen many of your ads over the years and feel you generally price things very fairly.
Ive even bought from you...............
 
Jeff, I agree with you 100% on The Doors, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Creedence, Three Dog Night.

But Dr Pepper, YUCK!

I saw the Doors, Creedence, 3 dog and the Stones in person. The Stones about 3 years ago, and whatever Mick was on, I want it, great show.
 
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Jeff/Illinois said:
....... I don't care. I enjoy sitting out in the garage drinking a cold Dr. Pepper with Sirus radio set on the 60's jamming to The Doors, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Creedence, Three Dog Night,, !
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I'm stuck in the 60s but Sirus lost my business when they went to lame DJs on their 60s channels that had been all music. I've still got the LPs and CDs of that music. Don't get me started on their "music royalty" fee. I make up some mix CDs for the car and all is well.
BTW: I also still have my top of the line Muntz Blue Light 4 track player and a box full of tapes. I kick around which car I should buy to stick it in.
The wife refers to Dr Pepper as carbonated prune juice.
 
'Remember the sometimes hilarious 1999 "Blast from the Past" movie with Brendon Fraser? When authorities were combing over the crashed jet plane-destroyed home of a weirdo ultra-survivalist, one officer said that the man drank HOT Dr. Pepper - with the expected revolting reaction from the other investigator. "Do you think he's dead?", one investigator asked the other one, amid a sea of scorched black and still smoking earth around the rumble surrounding the former house. "Unless we get a postcard from him, that would be my guess.", was the reply. I laugh every time I think of that simple and almost "throw away" line of dialogue, possibly the most subtle funny line in the whole movie. :) :) :)
M.
 
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Jeff/Illinois said:
Go to You Tube. Search 'Old Car Festival Dearborn'. Make it recent even say, 2025 or 2026.

Not only are the videos people post fun to watch... Especially the Night Parade, I want you to study the participants AND the spectators, and look at the smiles on their faces AND study the ages of the people.

Now, come back here and tell ME the hobby is dead or dying:)

I'm not seeing it!
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The hobby, as many (most?) of us have enjoyed for decades IS dying.
The overall values tell that story. The old "supply and demand" rule of basic economics. The supply is surging as "we" die off. The demand is dwindling as the younger folks do not have the same amount of interest.
 
old31 said:
Jeff, I agree with you 100% on The Doors, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Creedence, Three Dog Night.

But Dr Pepper, YUCK!

I saw the Doors, Creedence, 3 dog and the Stones in person. The Stones about 3 years ago, and whatever Mick was on, I want it, great show.
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That would have been awesome!!
My older brother always said 'If you remember Woodstock (1969) you weren't there..'

And neither was he, he used to just like saying that:p
One of my sisters was a Home Ec teacher. And SHE always told me that Dr. Pepper had prune juice in it. I forget her telling me that until now:eek: Kinda changes my perspective on the stuff!

One thought on the car hobby....including muscle cars which are also seeing a general 'drop' in value (perhaps over priced in the first place) an alternative is, if we are that worried, unload everything, not have something fun to do, and sit and wait around to die....or take up golf.....Naaaaaw!
 
Jeff/Illinois said:
That would have been awesome!!
My older brother always said 'If you remember Woodstock (1969) you weren't there..'

And neither was he, he used to just like saying that:p
One of my sisters was a Home Ec teacher. And SHE always told me that Dr. Pepper had prune juice in it. I forget her telling me that until now:eek: Kinda changes my perspective on the stuff!

One thought on the car hobby....including muscle cars which are also seeing a general 'drop' in value (perhaps over priced in the first place) an alternative is, if we are that worried, unload everything, not have something fun to do, and sit and wait around to die....or take up golf.....Naaaaaw!
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Nothing is overpriced if it sells at that price.

Your brother-in-law... if all he gets are much lower offers than what he is asking then that in itself speaks to the true value.
 
Much discussion on the health of the hobby and considerable concern given the length of this string. My club was highly active for over 60 years but folded up this summer due to a lack of youthful membership. My perception is the hobby is in very slow but definite decline. Perhaps a technical reason may be that the number of functional Model As will continue to decrease as some rides will evaporate due to neglect and abandonment while others will be cut up (Oh, the humanity) to make street rods. Being in the 70+ geezer category, like so many forum members, my perceptions were formed through observations beginning in the 1950s. IMHO, the ebbing of Model A interest is just a glimpse of a much bigger picture. The culture in which boys develop into young men has changed. Most boys do not build plastic models, fly model airplanes (miss those .049s), or even ride bicycles – unless they are battery powered. Boys have no idea what a pick up stickball game is, or show much interest in golf, bowling, or roller skating – as indicated by those facilities being repurposed for more profitable ventures. Sports now seems to be largely organized and managed by parents in hope their son will become a super star or win a scholarship. There seems to be little interest in Boy Scouts, building anything, erector sets, or a natural curiosity in how mechanical things work. Back in the day, high school boys spent countless hours taking apart their old Fords and Chevys. That no longer happens, perhaps due to the complexity of modern rolling stock. These observations are not intended to cast dispersions on modern youth, but instead, to highlight there are new normals which kids can now aspire to. The reality is that boys have interests now that did not exist earlier. The rise of social media and continual developments of the computer age have clearly had a dominating effect on the interest direction of current youth. For many boys, adventure and physical accomplishments have given way to countless hours playing computer games. Many boys are still interested in cars, but that interest tends to support Mustang, Corvette, and 4x4 clubs – vehicles all readily available. As interest sunsets on the Model A, we can all find comfort in the knowledge that this great American design will always enjoy a high degree of greatness in technical and automotive history.
I will end this diatribe with one final thought. Would you like to be 18 again …………… but know what you know now ?
 
well written.






Would you like to be 18 again …………… but know what you know now ?


not in todays society thank you.
 
i think the new burtz engine for the modelA will go a long way to making the modelA stay around for lot longer, you can now get on of these engines in your A and it will last another 30 or more years of use.
mine is on a cross australia trip at present and is 3200klms from home, humming along no worries. probably another 9000 before we are home
check it out on the A side of the barn
lawrie
 
The youth dont have 10k to spend for a Model A, so you think they wont have a problem paying for a Burtz engine as well? not so sure..............
 
ronn said:
would you like to be 18 again …………… but know what you know now ?


not in todays society thank you.
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DITTO!! I'm glad I'm on the way 'out' There are way too many wackadoodles running around for my enjoyment:p I'm glad I grew up in the 60's and 70's the world made more sense then, than today. Life was actually fun for the most part.


Oh on golf courses--- I don't mean to knock what other people enjoy golf was never anything I cared for I quit that 40 years ago.Waste of time and money and I never saw the 'draw' in it. Evidently for whatever reason others feel that way today, two area golf courses closed this year and are being drawn up as lots for new homes...
 
Also on costs,, my brother-in-law is doing most of the work on his '69 Road Runner project...that year was a one-off car kind of rare parts don't exist..he is a retired journeyman welder/pipefitter and does amazing metal work... he said even with that he is close to $100,000 into the car but has already been offered . $100,000, for it!


Not many cars Model A Fords included you can drop that kind of cash into and expect to get even a fraction of that back as a return . Put that kind of $$ in a Model A and good luck you'll be lucky to get $23,000 MAYBE... Sad to say but the numbers don't add up in that far right hand accounting column...


$10,000 in 1972 is $80,000 in 2026 dollars a 700% increase...according to the US Govt. Inflation calculator.


Or looking at it in another perspective, $2500 in 1972 gives you $20,000 today in 2026. You were paying a LOT of money for a Model A Ford back then if you were dropping anything over $2k. In 1972


The hobby will continue if the prices are reasonable in my opinion anyway.


In the 70's you could land a really sweet Coupe or Roadster for under ten grand. Maybe $12,000 if you were landing a really nice car. Today, maybe $20k. But inflation has knocked that 2026 $20K under the table comparing to say 1972:p
 
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