Muscle Cars (1 Viewer)

[Weiner Dog]

Does anybody here have a legit muscle car from the late 60s / early 70's? If so, do you enjoy it...or is the car an endless pit of money and time? I really like the '68 and '69 Camaro's. The Chevy Chevelle's and Old's 442/Cutlass are nice, as well.

Muscle cars seem to hold their value very well. Worst case, I buy the car and should be able to resale for 75%+ of its value anytime over the next 5-10 years, right? What are some things to "look for" and some things to "avoid" when looking for a muscle car?

 

[squidrope]

 

[the hairy scotsman]

Does anybody here have a legit muscle car from the late 60s / early 70's? If so, do you enjoy it...or is the car an endless pit of money and time? I really like the '68 and '69 Camaro's. The Chevy Chevelle's and Old's 442/Cutlass are nice, as well. Muscle cars seem to hold their value very well. Worst case, I buy the car and should be able to resale for 75%+ of its value anytime over the next 5-10 years, right? What are some things to "look for" and some things to "avoid" when looking for a muscle car?

Big fan of the 68 Camaro. The RS was beautiful. My first car was a 67 Camaro. Paid $150 for it and dragged it out of a Louisiana swamp where it was home to a family of raccoons. It had previously been set up for the strip, had no interior or engine and was primer gray. We picked up a 70 Malibu as a parts car for the Camaro. The guy had been at a baseball gane at the Astrodome when the parking lot flooded. Got some water in the engine (350, 4-bolt), so he thought it was ruined. Gave him $250 and got the engine and thousands of $$ worth of parts from the car.As for what to look for...as little body damage as possible, and beware of rust. Then be prepared to spend a lot of time & money working on the beast. How much of either depends on how nice you want the car to be.

 

[gerome]

I have a 1966 Chevelle Super Sport and of course Black on Black. Lot's o' fun to drive on the weekend, but there is always something that needs to be done to the car, either mechanically or cosmetically.

 

[Courtjester]

I have a 69 Mustang 351w coupe sitting in the garage. My family bought this car for $500.00 back in 1974 when I was 5. My mom drove us back and forth to school in it and that was it. When they gave the car to me when I was 14, it had very low miles and then I began my efforts on it. Over the years I have painted it twice (the last job was close to $4,500), pretty much every body part replaced including cutting the roof on back off as those five years prior to 1974, it was in Minnesota and the salt was just a killer. I put close to 10K in the engine and drivetrain (braided lines, chrome everything, you get the idea) custom cloth interior, stupid stereo system when I was 21 (dumb mistake), Incredibly fast car that held its own against alot bigger HP cars, but lost a couple of races to SS Chevelle, Corvette type cars. Just tens of thousands of dollars invested in this car--not a show car, but really a head turner. Some of the best times of my life happened in that car.

It was my pride and joy until I got married in 93 and subsequently our first child was born back in 1999. Your priorities change and that is pretty much it. I parked it and it has sat in my garage for the past 13 years basically just fading away. It will need at least 10k just to get it safe to drive. The engine still looks amazing and probably has less than 7,500 miles on it since the rebuild, but the seals are shot and leaking and I actually would be afraid to start it now.

I don't know what I will ultimately do with it. I wish I was better with cars because I would start doing small things with it and maybe get it running, but I honestly just don't have the time. Plus I have a new Lancer GTS that I have been customizing and spending $$$ on.

 

[pittstownkiller]

I have a 69 Mustang 351w coupe sitting in the garage. My family bought this car for $500.00 back in 1974 when I was 5. My mom drove us back and forth to school in it and that was it. When they gave the car to me when I was 14, it had very low miles and then I began my efforts on it. Over the years I have painted it twice (the last job was close to $4,500), pretty much every body part replaced including cutting the roof on back off as those five years prior to 1974, it was in Minnesota and the salt was just a killer. I put close to 10K in the engine and drivetrain (braided lines, chrome everything, you get the idea) custom cloth interior, stupid stereo system when I was 21 (dumb mistake), Incredibly fast car that held its own against alot bigger HP cars, but lost a couple of races to SS Chevelle, Corvette type cars. Just tens of thousands of dollars invested in this car--not a show car, but really a head turner. Some of the best times of my life happened in that car.It was my pride and joy until I got married in 93 and subsequently our first child was born back in 1999. Your priorities change and that is pretty much it. I parked it and it has sat in my garage for the past 13 years basically just fading away. It will need at least 10k just to get it safe to drive. The engine still looks amazing and probably has less than 7,500 miles on it since the rebuild, but the seals are shot and leaking and I actually would be afraid to start it now.I don't know what I will ultimately do with it. I wish I was better with cars because I would start doing small things with it and maybe get it running, but I honestly just don't have the time. Plus I have a new Lancer GTS that I have been customizing and spending $$$ on.

Ahem...If it is taking up too much space in your garage I could...umm...help you out by taking that off your hands, you know, just to...umm.. help you out, like, sort of.

 

[Flying V]

I'd love to own a muscle car again, but the reality is that I'd drive it like I was 18 and just get myself in trouble. Some temptations in life must be resisted.

 

[TexanFan02]

My first car was a 66 Mustang. Wish I still had that car

 

[Tyranny]

I own a 1968 El Camino and enjoy having it. It is nothing special but fun to ride in. As far as do they hold their value? No, you will end up spending more than you will get back but 75% seems about right. I would suggest buying a car that is already done and enjoy it. For me, being my car body style was only available for two years, interior is a one year production, parts are not always available. I bought it as a resto project but lately have been considering just biting the bullet and sending it off to get it finished for good. Lately prices seem to be dropping unless you have a really rare or in demand. Gas prices really kill the fun of long drives or excessive driving.

 

[Dickies]

My first car was a '68 Camaro with a 327/4-speed. The car was really fun to drive, and amazingly reliable. Drove it daily for almost 10 years before it got stolen, and it only had a few minor things go wrong. I now own a '70 Cuda with a 383/4-speed. While it doesn't get the same amount of time on the road as my old Camaro did, it never had any issues until I wrecked it. I am now in the process of rebuilding it from the ground up for the 2nd time.

It all depends what you want out of the car. If you are looking for an investment, do your research on what kind of car you want, and make sure you get a real high performance model and try to find one with the numbers-matching drivetrain. You lose considerable value if you buy a clone, and they don't tend to appreciate in value either. If you just want to enjoy a car and don't mind what the value is or losing a little money, go buy a Camaro with a 350 crate motor and have some fun. If you are looking for a project, consider the availability of parts and the price of those parts. Mopar tends to be 3-10x the cost of GM/Ford parts and they are a pain to find. Given that you are concerned about the money/time to maintain, I assume you are looking for a finished car. Make sure there is minimal rust and the body is straight. Check the underside for rust as well.

 

[jamny]

My first car was a '67 Cougar

My second car was a '68 Cougar

One was an extremely peppy 289 and the other was a rebuilt 302. Always wanted a 351 Cleveland.

Man, I wish they would re-issue that car. There would be no doubt that I would get one.

I've rented the new Camaro, Mustang and Challenger and they are all so much fun to drive.

 

[kaso]

I have a '68 Impala fastback. Not really a true muscle car. But it's all original, and has been in the family since new. I love the car. Hasn't cost me a lot of money yet (knock on wood) to maintain, but the risk is always there. Has a 327 in it, so while the gas mileage isn't great, it isn't as bad a big block.

My father in law, on the other hand has 5 muscle cars:

*74 Road Runner - all original

*68 Charger R/T clone - 440... lots of fun to drive.

*69 Dodge Dart GT - rebuilt 360... even more fun to drive then the Charger in my opinion. This car is his mustang killer. Light and full of horse power.

*67 Coronet R/T - 440. Nearly original. Engine has been rebuilt, and has an updated cam. The car was re-painted by the second owner.

*69 Super Bee. Currently in pieces and primer. He has only had this car for about 2 months. He has been thinking of getting a hemi for it, which I fully support.

To answer the questions by the OP.

Endless amount of time? Possibly. Depends on how much you enjoy doing the work. If you're handy and like doing the work, it's easy to put in the time without it being a drag.

Endless amount of money? That's a good risk. Again, depends on the car and what you want to do with it. Finding a complete car means you likely don't have to do much or spend much to enjoy it. Buying a project car is going to take a lot more money.

Of course... if you can luck into the hobby and find someone who is nice enough to toss you the keys once in a while... it's a fantastic hobby.

 

[Monsieur Meursault]

My first car was a '67 CougarMy second car was a '68 CougarOne was an extremely peppy 289 and the other was a rebuilt 302. Always wanted a 351 Cleveland.Man, I wish they would re-issue that car. There would be no doubt that I would get one.I've rented the new Camaro, Mustang and Challenger and they are all so much fun to drive.

Had a black '68 Cougar. That was such a smooth, pretty car -- vacuum headlight covers, sequential taillights... awesome!

 

[Foosball God]

My first car was a '68 Camaro with a 327/4-speed. The car was really fun to drive, and amazingly reliable. Drove it daily for almost 10 years before it got stolen, and it only had a few minor things go wrong. I now own a '70 Cuda with a 383/4-speed. While it doesn't get the same amount of time on the road as my old Camaro did, it never had any issues until I wrecked it. I am now in the process of rebuilding it from the ground up for the 2nd time. It all depends what you want out of the car. If you are looking for an investment, do your research on what kind of car you want, and make sure you get a real high performance model and try to find one with the numbers-matching drivetrain. You lose considerable value if you buy a clone, and they don't tend to appreciate in value either. If you just want to enjoy a car and don't mind what the value is or losing a little money, go buy a Camaro with a 350 crate motor and have some fun. If you are looking for a project, consider the availability of parts and the price of those parts. Mopar tends to be 3-10x the cost of GM/Ford parts and they are a pain to find. Given that you are concerned about the money/time to maintain, I assume you are looking for a finished car. Make sure there is minimal rust and the body is straight. Check the underside for rust as well.

I miss Dickies

 

[Abraham]

My first car was a 64 1/2 mustang. It was difficult to keep running so my dad sold it to our exterminator for $400. I wish i still had it.

 

[jb1020]

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat crashed an hour after being boughtUPDATE: Colorado State Patrol have revealed that the driver of the crashed 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat was 34-year-old Lance Utley. He was traveling along Riverdale Road with two passengers when he lost control of the car and crashed into a tree. Authorities have confirmed that there were no injuries and that they are charging the driver with careless driving.

Deliveries of the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat only commenced a month ago but the injury toll is already mounting. The crash involving this lime green example is easily the worst so far; it happened on a stretch of road in Colorado.

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There is little information surrounding the events but it is believed the owner only picked up the car from the dealer an hour before it ended up like this. Some information from the scene suggests the car skidded off the road near a bend and crashed head-on into a tree.

Fortunately, we hear no one was seriously injured. The same can’t be said for the car; as this image suggests, this 707-horsepower muscle machine is likely to be a complete write-off.

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The guys over a Street Legal TV have some additional photos of the wreckage, as well as some shots taken at the scene, so be sure to check out their post.

We’ve driven the new Challenger SRT Hellcat and found that it delivers performance that will leave even those used to powerful cars awestruck, so this sad sight serves as an important reminder for buyers of such cars to always factor in their own skills and consider whether the cost of performance driving course should be included in their price estimations. It’s also a good reminder for everyone to stay safe over the Christmas and New Year break.

https://autos.yahoo.com/news/2015-dodge-challenger-srt-hellcat-crashes-colorado-083512851.html?.tsrc=rawnews