Anybody ever watch TV auctions and get tempted to trade your Mustang for a classic muscle car?

[young at heart]

For obvious reasons this would probably only apply if your Mustang is a toy or at least not a DD.

I‘ve gotta admit it happens to me from time to time, but as much as I love classic muscle I always seem to snap out of it and come to my senses. I guess I’m just crazy about these Mustangs. Plus, I’ve owned about all the old classics and have the T-shirts. Still have one (see below) but really ought to sell it.

So what are my reasons?

* I know how to work on old cars but lack most of the physical ability to get it done anymore.

* I place a very high value on being able to push one button and being ready to go have fun with zero pre-flight drama necessary. And I always get home.

* My Mustangs are beautiful, sound terrific, attract a lot of attention and are faster than anything I owned in the ‘60s. (I never owned a Cobra.)

* Mine aren’t Shelbys but Mach 1s and a GT convertible are special enough to make me feel proud to own them.

* They’ll be easy for my wife to dispose of when the time comes.

There are probably other reasons but you get the point. And being honest, it probably has a lot to do with age.

What say you guys?

Here‘s my one last classic cruiser. Documented real ‘67 SS with two build sheets, Protect-o-Plate, etc.

Sponsored

 

[Cory S]

No. It’s not worth it if you’re actually going going to DRIVE it…..

 

[Balr14]

I have bought and sold a few old "hot rods" at auctions, cars from 1930 - 1947. But, old muscle cars hold no interest to me. I owned quite a few back when they were newer. That was enough for me. They are crude in comparison to modern cars.

 

[MAGS1]

Would I trade my Mustang for one? No. Would I add one to the garage at some point? Would absolutely love to. But it would be something that I’d take to shows mostly and that’s about it. It’s hard to beat the sound of an old big block V8, but in terms of drivability, they just don’t compare to the new cars.

 

[Mustangpursuit]

I always wanted the 1970+ Ford Falcon MFP pursuit and interceptor reps of Mad Max, several still run around today and cheaper than a GT500 (not original and restomoded to match the movie) , but as others say using it as a DD is a big commitment and of course would attract more attention than my Mustang and I could never use a drive thru or card garage conveniently.

 

[wingnutt]

nope…been there, done that.

mine was a 1969 SS Camaro 396 with an M22 rock crusher…fun car, but nothing like a 6 speed 350R

 

[KilgoreLSU]

I think about it, but I owned some before I was 25 I had these...
69 Camaro - 327
69 Dart 340 - 4-speed
70 Challenger TA 340-6 Pack
I even count my 87 Mustang GT..

I love making something work as well as possible, tuning an engine, etc...
But.. I don't want to deal with the leaks, maintenance issues, cleaning a carb because car isn't used enough, etc. If someone hits the vehicle, the cost of repairs is as high as a modern car, but insurance will not cover it. There is special insurance.. but that's another hassle. They are also incredibly easy to steal.

Do I want a 70 Challenger with a 440-6 pack and a 4 speed.. hell yes, but would I be able to take care of it and enjoy it. Maybe..

Do I love how they are works of art and engineering for the time? Yes, of course! It was so much fun to grow up seeing all these different brands and designs on the road.. Now most brands are bland and it all blends together with some exceptions.

I bought my car as probably the last fun car I'll own. I'm in my 50's and I bought my car thinking that I'd keep it until i'm physically unable to deal with it. My son is into cars and I'll gift it to him. It'll be rare in 20 years.. I hardly ever see cars from 2000 or earlier on the road... So in the land of electrics, it'll be fun to have the roar of a V8 on a Sunday drive. It'll become my 440-6 Pack for my son.

 

[Hack]

My opinion is that somewhere in the early 2000s modern cars surpassed classics with light modifications as far as any kind of performance goes. Bone stock classics - that happened earlier. If you spend enough money on a classic you can surpass the performance of a modern car, but at that point the entire character of the classic has been changed.

I remember my stock 1989 Mustang GT was a perfect match for a friend's '67 327 4 speed Chevelle. The Chevy was a way cooler car, and I would much prefer to drive something like that over an 89 GT, especially if I could do some modifications to the Chevy.

As far as I'm concerned classic cars look better and can be more fun to drive, especially on the street. Many modern cars are so capable that you can't really open them up or push them even moderately on the street. They become very bland and boring unless you are flaunting the law.

I like having my S550 for track duty and it's very comfortable on the road, but if I had unlimited resources I would drive a lightly modded classic most of the time. I'd even love to have a modified classic for winter driving. That would be a lot of fun, but way too expensive to do.

I think if you're going to have a classic - a convertible cruiser type vehicle is the best choice, especially if you are going to leave it stock. That's a nice old Chevy.

 

[RagmopInKona]

For obvious reasons this would probably only apply if your Mustang is a toy or at least not a DD.

I‘ve gotta admit it happens to me from time to time, but as much as I love classic muscle I always seem to snap out of it and come to my senses. I guess I’m just crazy about these Mustangs. Plus, I’ve owned about all the old classics and have the T-shirts. Still have one (see below) but really ought to sell it.

So what are my reasons?

* I know how to work on old cars but lack most of the physical ability to get it done anymore.

* I place a very high value on being able to push one button and being ready to go have fun with zero pre-flight drama necessary. And I always get home.

* My Mustangs are beautiful, sound terrific, attract a lot of attention and are faster than anything I owned in the ‘60s. (I never owned a Cobra.)

* Mine aren’t Shelbys but Mach 1s and a GT convertible are special enough to make me feel proud to own them.

* They’ll be easy for my wife to dispose of when the time comes.

There are probably other reasons but you get the point. And being honest, it probably has a lot to do with age.

What say you guys?

Here‘s my one last classic cruiser. Documented real ‘67 SS with two build sheets, Protect-o-Plate, etc.

NO! I have 3 classic vehicles . They are nice and all but way too many have rose colored glasses of the good old days .
They long forgot that most of them floated down the road , and are easy to work on , people want to talk about your classic , that is where the good ends.
They stop like crap, they handle even worse , they are tempermental to start after sitting and the fuel bowl is empty, if a performance engine oem or worked over don't like to run when cold , surge . Road noise is loud and so is at speed wind noise.
They are not fast .
If you go , I UNDERSTANDING all that above you will enjoy owning one . Many don't understand this and long forgot what the old cars were like back then because that was the way they all were . Today you get in start it and go , even the most. Basic econo box out handles them and stops. Most long forgot all this and only remember the classic body styling .
If you want one get one after you remove the rose colored glasses .
I love mine but I know their limits and am ok with that and lack of all the features we come to expect in all new late model vehicles .
The rose colored glasses is why so many restored vehicles hit the block with 500 to 2000 miles since restored. The owner paid the shop and started using it and the shine wore off those rose glasses real fast.

 

[CorvZ061]

why not have both? My car is a real ‘69 SS396, have the build sheet. It was originally a 396/325hp, M20, Factory AC, bench seat car. Now it has a 540 and a Tremec TKX. Fun car, quite a bit faster than my GT.

 

[Prodigal]

60’s and 70’s performance cars are a joke compared to almost all modern vehicles especially anything performance oriented. 14 and 15 second quarter mile times are grocery getter now. I get the nostalgia and could see one for that reason but forget about it for anything performance (start, stop,accellerate, handle) related. Now the sound of a cammed BBC, yeah I love that.

 

[mindo389]

After raising a wife and 2 sons, having to put aside my cars in order to do such, I bought my '15. I drove it from North Carolina to my house. It took a few driving lessons to get used to having real power once again. I drove the wife's Jeep Cherokees, which actually had some get up and go, and company trucks or vans, which had no get up.
Before marriage, I had a '65 fastback, 289 with a top loader 4 speed, and a '72 which I put a 351 Cleveland, (cammed, headers, Holley 750 4 bbl, Edelbrock Torker intake) coupled with a C-6 and a 9" rear that had 4:56::1 gears.
The '65 was a raw car without a/c or power steering or brakes, while the '72 ran like heck and scared most of my passengers, because I tried to race anyone I could on the streets. The traffic court judge asked me if I liked visiting him, and after that, I never saw him again....
I sold both cars (like an idiot) and bought an '83 GT, black, 5 speed , with the Holley 4 bbl. carb. It ran ok and was a kick to drive and it had a/c and power steering and brakes.
All that to say I enjoy my '15 and I feel it's a far better car than the others. Would my '15 beat my old '72 in a drag race? I'll never know, but it would have been interesting and a close race.
I'll attend the Barrett/Jackson show in New Orleans at the end of September, and see what happens. The urge to find an build another bare-bones hot rod from the past remains, after all these years....

 

[Balr14]

My uncle was a car dealer and ran the regional auction in the 60s. I worked for him part-time, both at the dealer and auction. I got to buy, sell and use a lot of muscle cars, probably around 20, all brands. Of all those cars, only two made a lasting impression, a 69 454 Nova. That engine was sweet! The other was a 1960 Buick LeSabre two door sedan with a factory 4 speed. It wasn't especially fast, but it was just so unusual. Of all of those cars, the 65 - 66 Mustang was probably the best handling, due to light weight and decent weight distribution due to light weight engine. The rest handled like school buses; especially big block Mopars.

 

[Skye]

Having the means, would I buy one to compliment what I already have? Yes. I love the mechanical simplicity of the old cars, seeing and working with things that are no longer made. I'd have a great time driving one and then the other. Experiencing the novel differences of the eras would be most entertaining.

Before arriving where I am now, I was in pursuit of an original or restored 65/66 GT, maybe even a K-code or muscle car era Mach 1. But the math didn't work. I couldn't afford it.

Finding cars of that era in certain color or option combinations, original and possibly restored (correctly) can often be quite difficult. Sourcing OEM replacement parts can be something of a quest and be very costly. While (at the time) I could make the initial purchase, the costs involved holding on to it, keeping it maintained at a certain level, where going to put my finances in a position I did not want to entertain.

Coming to my senses and shelving that, I landed where I am now. No regrets. We have some fantastic cars readily available to us right now. Plenty capable with a wide range of options and features.

 

[IPOGT]

For obvious reasons this would probably only apply if your Mustang is a toy or at least not a DD.

I‘ve gotta admit it happens to me from time to time, but as much as I love classic muscle I always seem to snap out of it and come to my senses. I guess I’m just crazy about these Mustangs. Plus, I’ve owned about all the old classics and have the T-shirts. Still have one (see below) but really ought to sell it.

So what are my reasons?

* I know how to work on old cars but lack most of the physical ability to get it done anymore.

* I place a very high value on being able to push one button and being ready to go have fun with zero pre-flight drama necessary. And I always get home.

* My Mustangs are beautiful, sound terrific, attract a lot of attention and are faster than anything I owned in the ‘60s. (I never owned a Cobra.)

* Mine aren’t Shelbys but Mach 1s and a GT convertible are special enough to make me feel proud to own them.

* They’ll be easy for my wife to dispose of when the time comes.

There are probably other reasons but you get the point. And being honest, it probably has a lot to do with age.

What say you guys?

Here‘s my one last classic cruiser. Documented real ‘67 SS with two build sheets, Protect-o-Plate, etc.

I think you’re all over the place and can’t make up your mind.

Sponsored