Did you buy your mustang for a collector car

[Roger Blose]

I currently own a 1988 FOX GT that I bought new. The retail was $15K. The 34 years of ownership have been wonderful and it has 70K right now. I have been to multiple car show, 4 MCA shows with 1st place awards and more. I just increased the classic car insurance to $25K after seeing the current auction results and offers to buy my car. I have lovingly cared for this car for 34 years and the upkeep costs are quite low right now. Replacement parts, property taxes, and insurance are so reasonable that it would be hard to give it up. Will my 2018 GT A10 be in the same position in 34 years? I will not be here to witness that I am afraid!

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[bnightstar]

There is a very good chance the S550 to be the last RWD, Manual, V8 - Ford Mustang. With that in mind I think most Manual V8 Mustangs will go up in value they are relatively limited even with the covid are going for over MSRP and some old ones are also selling over MSRP. Also S550 production numbers total are less than 1964 first gen Mustangs so there is a good chance for them to become collectable providing the S650 doesn't have Manual, N/A V8 or RWD. It will help if you have a rare colour or spec like, Bullitt, PP2, Mach 1, GT350/R Heritage, GT500 or 1 of 1 cars like some Barrett Jackson examples. However like the 1964 car it's not bad to enjoy the car some while you have it. Also in the next 50 years a lot of the cars will get destroyed so the ones that survive will be even more valuable because of that.

 

[Firsttexan]

In time everything becomes a classic. Take care of it and it will pay off in some cases. An investment no.
In most cases it won't even beat inflation of 25% every 10 yrs.

My 92 LX 5.0 5spd Red/Black hatch was the best car for the money I ever owned. I preferred it to the GT of the same era. Lighter, cleaner and those gorgeous stainless steel tail pipes. Loaded new I paid $16k. That's $31,600 in today money.

Would the above 92 LX with say 75k miles in near perfect shape bring $31,600 today? All options no leather.

What would that $16k invested conservative be today? Adjust for inflation with an ROR of 6.3% the total would be. $93,500


On the other hand my 1979 US 930 Turbo, I paid $30k 1981(about $77.5k today). Sold it in 1985 for $27k A few yrs ago that car was worth close to $250k.

When you really crunch the numbers, very few cars are truly investment grade.

But they are lots of fun!

https://financial-calculators.com/historical-investment-calculator

The following are true investor cars:

I have a customer who bought this Lambo when prices were low. After repairs he has $40k invested in it. It's worth about $500k+ today.

1969 Lamborghini Islero V-12 carb,A/C, 5 spd

It's the only car I have had at Pebble Beach. It won 2018 People's Choice in the classic Lambo section.

I did the following car back in 1989 it was worth $600k+ at the time. It was restored shortly afterwards. The owner turned down $19 million a few yrs back.

1960 Ferrari 250GT California Spider. Original 1 owner out of Tokyo.

 

[Johnnybee]

My uncle passed away last year and he had a 2004 Lemans Edition Z06 that he purchased brand new. It had 6000 miles on it when he passed. I know he took it on trips and such, and enjoyed them. But learning that he had such low miles on it (and passed away rather quickly and unexpectedly) was my notice to enjoy my cars and create memories with them.

I'm sorry to hear about your uncle, expected or unexpected, the passing of a family member is never easy.

My mom passed in late May, 2018. She was nearly half-way to 94 in late March, sharp as a tack and doing well, other than some mobility issues. Around the end of March she'd had a low grade headache for about a week and went to hospital. They diagnosed a brain tumour on the stem. Told her with treatment they could maybe see 6-8 months extra. She asked what if she did nothing, they told her 8 weeks. She chose the latter and it was just about right on.

At the time I was intending to drive my 2010 Sonota for anther year or more, and then look for a "fun" replacement. My mom passing like that moved the timetable up, since a sudden medical issue took what was otherwise a vibrant senior away, and I took delivery in early July of that year. While I don't put a ton of mileage on (Covid lockdowns haven't helped), I certainly don't shy away from doing so.

Enjoy it now, and don't worry about what it "might" be worth in 20 years.

 

[Ole Texan]

Cost and collectible usually go together. But cost alone does not make a collector car.

 

[demon67]

I bought my 67 in 1995 with no intention of keeping it as a collectable. I put a lot of miles on her and she's still sitting in my garage. These cars are so much fun to drive and tinker with.

 

[#1ford]

So little back round about my self . Prior to owning my 21 gt convertble, l just sold my 1929 ford model A Phaeton that I have owned for the past 18 years. The reason’s we sold it was that it was not practical,the speed that you can travel and my wife could not drive it ,and being a open car weather really played into where you can and when you can drive it. So with a new beginning I am so looking forward enjoying being able to enjoy ownIng a car that we can go where we want,when we want and as far and fast as we want .So I plan to be the best care taker of this car far into the future.

 

[dpAtlanta]

So little back round about my self . Prior to owning my 21 gt convertble, l just sold my 1929 ford model A Phaeton that I have owned for the past 18 years. The reason’s we sold it was that it was not practical,the speed that you can travel and my wife could not drive it ,and being a open car weather really played into where you can and when you can drive it. So with a new beginning I am so looking forward enjoying being able to enjoy ownIng a car that we can go where we want,when we want and as far and fast as we want .So I plan to be the best care taker of this car far into the future.

For everyone who thought 20 inch black rims was a recent fad…. Boy oh boy, were we wrong…!!!!!!

 

[Troutwrangler]

Didn't buy our 2018 PP2 to be a collector.
We wanted something a little "different" and fun to drive in the summer. It's not a daily driver, and never will be as long as we own it...hopefully forever.
It's not a garage queen, but only gets about 3,000 miles a year on it.
We have no kids, so who knows who will end up with it when we're gone.
My hope is that it will be a nicely taken care of example for someone else to enjoy owning decades from now. Meanwhile, it is a fun car and we feel fortunate to have it for a hobby.

 

[S550 HPP]

No one collects HPPs.

 

[ICU812]

I suppose it depends on what you mean by "collectable"? To me a collectable is something you aquire for its rarity, condition and the value associated with that. Something you can, or could, use on occasion but take great care with because of its value and rarity and maintaining its condition.
To me, your/our Mustangs don't, as yet, fall into any of those categories.
Will they in 50 or more years is another question entirely.
Example, in 1970 my brother-in-law bought a new Camaro Z28 for his wife as a daily driver. She happily drove that car for several years of central Indiana summers and winters. I don't know what the mileage is but they drove it often for several more years. It's now a "special occasion" car and is in excellent, though well used, condition. I believe he paid around $4500 for it then and since it's a great example of the split bumper Camaro and is a one owner numbers matching car it's become quite desirable. He didn't intend that the car be a collectable when he bought it but they both liked it so much that they kept and maintained it all these years.
So, is your convertible a collectable, no not really. Could it be? Given enough time, sure.
But for now it's just a fun car. Love it, drive it, matain it and keep it and who knows?

Yup.
Like anything, some of this will be the number of units that survive , and the number of people that decades later want to own one.

I just don't think it is going to happen with newer vehicles, Too Complex and too many year to year changes to the electronics and control modules For the repop venders to repop them, Maybe a rebuilder service will come out of this for the car hobby. but I doubt it.
Todays electronics are not ment to be serviced/repaired, the flush mount chips on boards ,etc won't be avail when yours goes south.
Yards don't hold on to vehicles anymore like the old days. So the part sources of just hit the junk yard won't be the same.
Old cars it is stamped steel and cast metal, some plastic , some cardboard and some vinyl and a little wiring.
Today, it is a bunch of wiring, a bunch of computers (modules), and sensors, And parts that are not rebuildable.
I can rebuld a 1967 lemans front hub, I can't rebuild a 2020 mustang hub. Even if you have the know how(napa tm), you can't get the parts.
The automotive landscape will be changing , like it or not.
I honestly think the electronics will be the down side of any late models being a "collector car" other than the few that never left it's wrapper and spent it's life out of sunlight and in a temp controlled space 98% of it's life.

 

[Strokerswild]

Yup.
Like anything, some of this will be the number of units that survive , and the number of people that decades later want to own one.

I just don't think it is going to happen with newer vehicles, Too Complex and too many year to year changes to the electronics and control modules For the repop venders to repop them, Maybe a rebuilder service will come out of this for the car hobby. but I doubt it.
Todays electronics are not ment to be serviced/repaired, the flush mount chips on boards ,etc won't be avail when yours goes south.
Yards don't hold on to vehicles anymore like the old days. So the part sources of just hit the junk yard won't be the same.
Old cars it is stamped steel and cast metal, some plastic , some cardboard and some vinyl and a little wiring.
Today, it is a bunch of wiring, a bunch of computers (modules), and sensors, And parts that are not rebuildable.
I can rebuld a 1967 lemans front hub, I can't rebuild a 2020 mustang hub. Even if you have the know how(napa tm), you can't get the parts.
The automotive landscape will be changing , like it or not.
I honestly think the electronics will be the down side of any late models being a "collector car" other than the few that never left it's wrapper and spent it's life out of sunlight and in a temp controlled space 98% of it's life.

Well put, and all of this is why I'm going vintage for the future fun cars. I can fix anything on them with the most basic tools.

 

[#1ford]

Would you agree that.? The new mustangs ,Camaro, Challenger and chargers are classic cars right outside of the box ! I live in Michigan not far from the Woodward dream cruise . There are a lot of these type car enjoyed,well cared ford modified , and a large part of car clubs . There is also a group of cars that get together and park in Mustang alley at the Dream cruise???

 

[#1ford]

http://www.ferndaledreamcruise.com/mustang-alley.html

 

[Bluelightning]

I bought mine to drive and have fun with. Not my daily, but not a collector.

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