Come on down, the price of shite?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

On 4/29/2021 at 11:40 AM, bunglebus said:

My passion for cars is 50s-70s and some 80s stuff like Sierras. From a practical point of view, late 90s-early 00s seems like a sweet spot of still being DIY fixable and not overly complex, but these are quite old cars in most people's eyes so good ones are becoming harder to find. I genuinely think the only thing I'd change my Passat for is another B5 TDi but an estate that's not knackered. Other than that it's all too dull or scares me thinking about fixing it - I would have a good MX5 though

For me, cars stopped being interesting around about 1991/2.

[PhilA]

It's an interesting mixed bag, here.

Interest in mid 70's stuff is beginning to pique as it becomes increasingly rare- though it's being powered by the "more of the GT version on the road than were ever made" symptom.

The people who can afford a checkbook restoration drive the cost up disproportionately on what most people consider "interestingly fun" cars (mostly the Dodge stuff with the big engines) but in the other end of the scale, despite there being very many cars here, the somewhat lax attitude to faults and repairs keep old junk on the road far longer than in the UK, which keeps resale value relatively high.

By the time a car's reached $500 territory it's usually comprehensively worn out and basically good for very little other than hoping you'll make it where you're going, or parts to replace the ones that prevented that from happening last time round.

People will still spend money on repairing a vehicle that's not really worth much, and that also drives the cost up.

It's yet to become golden in terms of cars here, and to be honest I don't think it will.

Enjoy it whilst you can... I mean honestly, what price would you put on the shitheap Plymouth I've got in my garage, if it were there?