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CHEAP car from my youth

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Groucho, Jan 1, 2014.

  1. swimeasy
    Joined: Oct 17, 2006
    Posts: 1,067

    swimeasy
    Member

    Man, You were ahead of your time with your pants hanging off your ass like that :D.
     
  2. hahahahahha. That's fuckin funny!:D
     
  3. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,791

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    It's easy to skip the terrible details.:D My first car was a '73 Lemans. Nothing special, but it was an older ladies, one owner. Her son said she was too old to drive. I got it for $1,200, in '79. I remember, it took me a LONG time to get up that $1,200.

    Missed out on a '65 Vette, in pieces, for $2,000. I would have had to borrow half of that in '81.

    It doesn't take a financial expert to see that the dollar is weak compared to 40 years ago. The days of flipping burgers and having a cool car are still here, but you can forget buying an ANTIQUE, which is what we like. The kids at McDonalds are into Hondas, the way we were into '55 Chevys. You just have to put it into perspective.

    And move this over to the, "Todays youth aren't interested" thread.:D
     
  4. well, I have to chime in....I bought a '63 ford for $25, 390 auto, white with no rust, but it was the square back. this was about '78.
     
  5. HEATHEN
    Joined: Nov 22, 2005
    Posts: 8,564

    HEATHEN
    Member
    from SIDNEY, NY

    First car in 1975...'57 Chevy 210 2 door sedan, 6 cylinder stick for $130.00.
    In 1978, I bought a '57 BelAir convertible, 283/220hp PG car. Needed a top and some other work, but ran and drove. $900.00.
    1979...passed on a '38 Chevy 2 door sedan I found in a junkyard. Looked like someone's aborted project, but was solid and could have been had for $75.00. I didn't buy it because all four fenders were missing (the car was otherwise complete).
    1986....bought a very solid '55 BelAir 2 door sedan with a recent two tone repaint, minus engine/trans, set up for a stick. $600.00.
     
  6. 1941coupe
    Joined: Jul 4, 2010
    Posts: 424

    1941coupe
    Member

    in 1958 bought my first car was a 46 merc coupe I was 16 , paid $375 earned it delivering papers and making delivery's for a local drug store.my dad thought I was nuts,a 12 year old car was an antique back then,i had a sweet running flathead witch I later put 3 duces and edelbrock heads on and a 39 ford trans...I always wanted to put an olds in it but never did,,,flash forward I recently bought a 46 merc coupe and I put an olds in it,not on the road yet but will be this summer....:cool:
     

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  7. swimeasy
    Joined: Oct 17, 2006
    Posts: 1,067

    swimeasy
    Member

    Thanks for not being offended. I am close to your age and bought a 62 vette for 2000 bucks. I borrowed money from my Dad and paid it back with a 2.50 per hour job at Denny's!.. .Sold it to cheap, oh well!:cool:
     
  8. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,594

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    My first one was in 1973 a 65 bug that was bout for 127.97 bucks through a closed bid auction at the Youth center my dad worked at.
    It had a dropped valve in #3 cylinder only rust was under battery.
    My cheap drivers now are Subaru for 300.00 or less all wheel drive great this time of year.
     
  9. Boones
    Joined: Mar 4, 2001
    Posts: 9,691

    Boones
    Member
    from Kent, Wa
    1. Northwest HAMBers

    I had the chance back in mid 80s to trade my 67 SS camaro and $1000 for a 440 Superbird. could not come up with the cash and my dad thought i was nuts.. " those are the ugliest cars made" he said
     
  10. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,791

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    As a kid, I remember the Superbirds and Daytonas. My friends and I liked them because they looked crazy as hell with that nose and wing. We knew the HEMI was a badass, but we really didn't know why, other than the engine was a big number.:D The ignorance of youth, I suppose. By the time I knew what was REALLY going on with them, they were gone from production.
     
  11. metalman
    Joined: Dec 30, 2006
    Posts: 3,297

    metalman
    Member

    BTDT. In 1977 someone traded a 69 428 CJ Torino Talladaga in on a new Monarch:eek: at the L-M dealership I worked at. The used car manager offered it to me for $400, said he wouldn't be able to sell the gas pig on the lot (gas crunch days). I passed, too big, too ugly and I didn't want to buy gas for it either. Wished I had bought it and put it in the barn for 30 years.
     
  12. Depends on how you look at it. $700.00 in 1970 money is equal to $3265.00 in today's money. $2.50 an hour is equal to $11.63 now, which is above minimum wage by a fair amount.
    As for the cars, in 1970 Rodding was not all that popular and an old truck like that, while very cool today, was only Cool to a small group in 1970. So for many people it was just a 40 year old beater. So a 40 year old car today, a 1974 whatever, would probably be pretty nice for $3265.00. It's all really just a game that's fun to speculate about, but in the real world it doesn't really add up.
     
  13. MBog
    Joined: May 2, 2006
    Posts: 556

    MBog
    Member

    1972... 66 chevelle SS396 $1400. /73... a 64 goat rag top for $600. /74... 63 split window $1200. Still got the first one, couldn't get the other ones cuz "that's too much money for an old car" said the bank manager argggh!!:confused:
     
  14. I figgerd you'd go all intelectual on our ass. LOL. Yessir, there are many ways to break it down. Bottom line, we had the worst and sometimes no jobs and some great cars. I don't see that today. Trust me when I tell you that truck was as cool to me then as now. ;)
     
  15. I'm sure it was and it would have been for me too ......
     
  16. oldsjoe
    Joined: May 2, 2011
    Posts: 2,604

    oldsjoe
    Member

    Pull them pants up boy!






     
  17. 1971BB427
    Joined: Mar 6, 2010
    Posts: 8,719

    1971BB427
    Member
    from Oregon

    1968, I was working at the Cadillac dealer making $2.75 an hour, bought a 1940 Chevy business coupe for $50 and drove it home. Straight as an arrow, all in black primer, no interior. Ran like a top until I had to go in the service, and when I came home the block was cracked from freezing.
     
  18. ABOUT 320K.... depending on condition. ;)
     
  19. docmike
    Joined: Oct 2, 2011
    Posts: 239

    docmike
    Member

    Back in '75 I was 15 years old with a "learner's permit" and I couldn't wait to get my driver's license and a car. There was a family that lived up the road with a '55 Chevy 2 door sitting in the driveway with a "for sale" sign in the window. I rode my bike over to check out the car. It had the 265 power pack with a Powerglide. All 4 stock wheel covers were still in place and it had those heavy clear vinyl seat covers installed. The only thing that I could see that didn't look original was someone had installed a black vinyl top. The top was ugly but, I was in LOVE. Their son went to the same high school as I did so I asked him about the car. He told me that "it didn't always want to start. Sometimes it would just zing." I asked how much his folks were asking for it and he said $800.00. I had to ask my Dad if I could borrow the money to get this car and his only response was "You don't want that old car, you'll never be able to get parts for that old thing if something breaks on it." Needless to say I didn't get that '55. Oh, and thanks Dad. I can now build one out of all new parts but it's going to me just a little more than $800.00.

    Doc
     
  20. slammed
    Joined: Jun 10, 2004
    Posts: 8,150

    slammed
    Member

    [​IMG] This w/steelies 283 in 1976 for $200.00 I made $3.35 per hr minimum wage-under age. Gas was .49 per gallon mid west.
     
  21. In 1963, I paid $100.00 for my first Model A coupe, already chopped and channeled, no engine. Dropped in a 57 292 y-block, drove it 7 miles and rolled it over, discovered "bump steer", young and dumb.
     

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  22. big duece
    Joined: Jul 28, 2008
    Posts: 6,830

    big duece
    Member
    from kansas

    I see the fad of droopy pants with BVD's showing has never went out of style...:eek: I love the pickup with chrome steel wheels and white exhaust.
     
  23. Fords-R-Us
    Joined: Sep 29, 2011
    Posts: 58

    Fords-R-Us
    Member
    from NE Iowa

    In 1970, I tried to talk my dad into letting me buy, a nice running and driving, 56 Nomad for $600. He shot down the idea, with the response, "A 16 year old doesn't need a station wagon."
     
  24. the cooch
    Joined: Sep 27, 2012
    Posts: 8

    the cooch
    Member

    I've just been tryin' to figure out how to wear my jeans like that the whole time!
     
  25. cheepsk8
    Joined: Sep 5, 2011
    Posts: 641

    cheepsk8
    Member
    from west ky

    I just wish I had the discipline to keep a car [ or truck] that long. Thanks for the trip down memory lane ,everyone. A few hundred bucks was pretty hard to come up with back then, but it seems there were a lot more interesting buys to be had. In 1978 I think I was bringing home $68 bucks a week .
     
  26. In 1956 I bought a '32 coupe for $50, In '57 I bought a '36 PU for $35,,both were drivers,,,,but didn't last long,,,,:eek:
     
  27. plymouth_man
    Joined: Feb 12, 2006
    Posts: 50

    plymouth_man
    Member
    from WI.

    back in the 70's cars were sitting behind barns and in woods from farmer not wanting to fix,they would just park them,you were able to pick them up for 100.oo and put some points and a battery in them and go to go. old cars and mussle cars.had my share of them
     
  28. Bought this in 1972 for $900. 327/365hp four-speed.
     

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  29. Aw hell, hang in there guys. It's gonna come back around.

    Interest is shifting and the "rodding population" is aging. Those of us into pre-war stuff are becoming fewer and fewer. There are a lot of us still but I'd argue that our numbers are dropping as a whole. 25 years ago everyone was building early Ford street rods. Now what are they building? Late models. Now what are the big shops building? Late models. What are most "new to the hobby" guys building? Late models. Who do you know with a '36 Ford sedan? Some of us here - sure, and aging street rodders who would now rather be in a '62 bubble top GM, and really old dudes who have a stocker in their collection.

    Anyway you cut it though, the vast majority are moving toward later model builds. The "Early Ford Fan Club" is not repopulating itself as quickly as it's members are moving toward other interests or passing away. Sure, '32 and '40 Fords (and several others) will always be popular but the large percentage of the dudes who are batshit crazy over them is diminishing.... and the cars aren't being crushed. Supply will get back in the neighborhood of demand at some point.

    In 2007 the '32 Ford was 75 years old and the economy was in fairly decent shape. The rodding world pretty much hosted a year-long "Deuce Circle Jerk" and the prices of anything '32 were outrageous. I think that was the highpoint for the '32. When the '32 is 100 who will be around to give a shit? I know no one really thought twice when the Model T turned 100.

    Of course, by the time early Ford stuff gets back close to affordable, many of us will have changed with the times as well and will be searching out a suitable Lil Red Express project truck - & paying a premium for it. The few left playing with early Fords and the few new guys that come into the hobby will reap the benefits.

    It's just the way shit goes.

    JH
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2014
  30. Smokey2
    Joined: Jan 11, 2011
    Posts: 919

    Smokey2
    Member


    Yeah, ...............I like Living in the Past, It was a lot cheaper !


    :p
     

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