[Lightfoot]

Installed while you wait!
And guaranteed to ruin your car's integrity for a lifetime.

[psw]

Here's an interesting comparison of the general effect of inflation compared to the increase in value of some of these cars. Take for example the 1970 Ram Air IV 4-sp Judge ad from the original post, circa 1985. The list price of that car was $7900 in 1985. According to this website:

http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm

accounting for inflation alone, that would be $17.5k in 2014 dollars.

Hagertry lists the current average price for a 1970 Ram Air IV Judge as $85k.

http://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1970-Pontiac-GTO

That is beating inflation by a good bit!

Not sure of the real-world accuracy of either source, but it is an interesting comparison in any case. I was making $3.85 an hour in 1985, bussing tables at a seafood place as a junior in HS. In 1985, the $7.9k was about as far out-of-reach then as the $85k is now...

On the other hand, if I was my current 46-year-old self back in 1985, I might have been able to swing the $17.5k.

Looks like I am just living in the wrong time...

psw

[74SDformula]

Sixth batch.

[74SDformula]

Seventh batch.

[Lightfoot]

When that guy found out his '66 Ventura tri-power 4-speed was a one-of-9, he raised his price $675. lol.
Wonder if that was found out through PHS. It was free back then too.

[Deadhead]

I remember those prices well. Very few people cared about these cars then. I can remember a NICE copper '68 Firebird 400 4 Spd sitting next to the road with $800 on the windshield for over a year. That would have been '82-83. I wish I had been older than 16 to have bought more. I knew from owning a '66 Bonne that they were it though. Bought my '69 Mustang fastback 302 3 Spd right around that time for $1300.

[red1975pacer]

Great reading! If we only knew.

[400 4spd.]

The last car on the first set was pictured at Solid Southern Cars in Marietta. That was a popular muscle car dealer during that time. I had a chance to go there in '85 (the place was a dump) and looked over the cars. I have to say most were very dissapointing and over priced at the time.
Bad repaints on some, others looked pretty beat on.
What I really find surprising is the number of RAIV cars for sale in these ads. Somewhere in my garage I have a 1983 or 84 Autotrader I'll see if I can dig out and scan.

[ra96]

anyway yea the 80's were a great time to buy old muscle
- its hard to compare - by using the formula( todays buck to 1981 buck)
a 69 judge in 85 was 2500 give take and now same car is 85000 but remember those as old as i am -lol
in the 80's --that was before-- correct-- restorations -nos everything and worrying about head markings on bolts ect
so for the best sticker shock just get an ole hemmings say 72 -3 and look at what the 65 shelby cobras went for- ( real deal)CSX# --- and some rare ferrai's-all about 2500 to 6500 what are those worth today -lol

[grrrrregg!!!]

If I remeber right, and I cant always do that. Forget about my spelling. In No. Cal. Didnt it get out that someone was buying cars before the magazine hit the streets. Some collector. I always wondered what it would have been like to work for them. I wonder how many of the picture takers ended up buying the car they were photographing.

[hada76]

Originally Posted by 400 4spd.

The last car on the first set was pictured at Solid Southern Cars in Marietta.

as always, the southern cars held up a bit better.

[jdh421]

I bought my 69 GTO out of an auto trader in 1987. I should dig up the issue. I still have it somewhere....

[craigs69]

It is really cool to look back in time to see the cars we missed out on, but what I really want to know is which cars available today will appreciate to these levels in 20 years. It would be a shame to miss out again.

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by craigs69

It is really cool to look back in time to see the cars we missed out on, but what I really want to know is which cars available today will appreciate to these levels in 20 years. It would be a shame to miss out again.

Originally Posted by njsteve

That seems to be the guide for picking future valuable collectibles. How much people hated them when they were new.

......right now I am scouring the internet for Pontiac Aztec bargains. I'm gonna be an Aztec Millionaire I tell ya!
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...=759779&page=2

Rumor has it the Aztec market is wide open and ripe for the "low hanging fruit" picking now...the brave investors seemingly are far & few.
I'd like to join in the trending Aztec fun wave, just need to cash out of my Pontiac Phoenix & Chevy Citation X-11 "classics" first!

[71GP76TA]

I used to read Auto Traders when I was a kid. I think I might have a few stashed in some boxes.... I should dig them out.

BTW - I just wasted a half hour reading those ads..

[SnakeEyes]

I remember about 15 years ago going to an old car lot(really a drunk guy that hoarded cars and sold whenever someone asked for one) and seeing a 68or 67 firebird 400(can't remember). Today it would be considered a "survivor", and it needed part of an interior but he only wanted like 5K. Which was a little high at the time(faded paint and worn interior), but if someone bought that car and just stored it until now they would have tripled their money at least.

[red1975pacer]

Im ahead of the curve. Been hoarding AMC Pacers for years. I remember when they were 300 buck cars. Now 30 times more valuble. Im picking up a 78 TA this weekend {original paint-30k miles-paid 20k} so im not that cheap when it comes to cars. Just trying to stay in the game

[The Boss]

There is a board member here who bought every one of those cars he could find & kept them. He used to run through several states in the south for work, always left home with an empty trailer & would always come home with a full one. He even had me check out a pair of early 2nd gen TA's here one day on my way out to Cape Cod for vacation - one of which he still has.....he'll probably chime in here soon enough.

[kylek350]

Very interesting reading. My dad's '70 Tempest got wrecked in '81 and there was nothing more I wanted growing up than for him to find another one. We just didn't have the money, even for a Tempest.

I'm a believer in collecting what you love first and worrying about value second. It's those people that deserved to buy up those cars in the '80s and continue to cherish them today.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Don57]

I have several of these Auto Trader catalogues from the mid 80's and they are the Canadian versions, so the prices are little higher back then. I had sold my 1965 Mustang 2 + 2 and was building a house. I used to do alot of dreaming looking through these. I see stuff in them now that I wouldn't have noticed back in 1986/1987. One of them I still have lists a 1955 Chevy with tilt front, big block, and tunnel ram..........and it was used in the making of American Grafitti and Two Lane Blacktop. I think it was listed for $14,000 Canadian at the time. I should dig it out. By the way............Chevrolet never made as many Super Sports to match the emblems posted on Novas, Chevelles, and Camaros back in the 80's!