Old Car Collectors Aren't Dead Yet!

[denis4x4]

The Autoweek blog had a great piece on the state of old car collectors. Great read and the lead photo validates the use of radiator screens on Model A's!

http://autoweek.com/article/classic-...n=awdailydrive

[700rpm]

Good article. The strongest statement to me was when he was talking about "fear". It seems to be part of why attendance on our local tours is declining. Too many modern cars on the road going too fast; distracted drivers; personal feelings of getting too old to respond safely to current driving conditions; reluctance to drive the Model A in inclement weather (that's me).

There is still a public perception that the A is an expensive car, though. I am frequently asked what mine is worth, and aren't I afraid to drive it? But I am more often engaged in very warm and interesting conversations with complete strangers about the car, and that is one of the great rewards of driving it, which I try to do year 'round. It's a car, fercryinoutloud. It should be driven.

Will my children/grandchildren want my cars? I don't see that coming. They are most likely to be sold out of my estate. I won't be here, so it won't matter to me. In the meantime, I will enjoy them for the same reason I acquired them: they are just a whole lot of fun!

[JDupuis]

Thanks for posting. Jeff

[Dave Young]

I agree with the article ... to a point. I'm 81 and just found the hobby. A year ago
I wouldn't have given an antique car a thought. Came upon it quite by chance.

Perhaps I'm naive and I'm probably an exception, but when I walked around Hershey a few weeks ago, I was astounded to discover a world I didn't know existed. It didn't
take much to get me hooked.

Us old timers may be dying off, but there's never going to be a shortage of old timers.

I keep getting offers and ads for Alzheimers' cures in my email. Funny, I don't remember ordering any of them.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by denis4x4

...the lead photo validates the use of radiator screens on Model A's!

Am I missing something?

[denis4x4]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by Y-Blockhead

Am I missing something?

Lead photo of a Roadster pickup has a radiator screen.

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by Dave Young

I agree with the article ... to a point. I'm 81 and just found the hobby. A year ago
I wouldn't have given an antique car a thought. Came upon it quite by chance.

Perhaps I'm naive and I'm probably an exception, but when I walked around Hershey a few weeks ago, I was astounded to discover a world I didn't know existed. It didn't
take much to get me hooked.

Us old timers may be dying off, but there's never going to be a shortage of old timers.

I keep getting offers and ads for Alzheimers' cures in my email. Funny, I don't remember ordering any of them.

Dave, It sounds like an interesting story as to how you came upon the old car world. Care to share it with us? Thanks!

[Marshall V. Daut]

When old car collectors die, they rust in peace.

You may quote me.

Marshall

[raprice]

I'm 80 and have been in the antique car hobby most of my life. I owned a '24 Model T Ford for over 50 years. I sold it a few years ago and bought a '30 Model A Ford. I've also owned a '59 Studebaker for over 26 years. I've always involved my 2 sons in taking care of my vintage autos. As a result, my older son (44) has put in his dibs on the Model A and my younger son wants my Stude. I've promised both my cars to my sons and am thrilled that they want the cars. I've also promised to help them service the cars. So, I guess I'm one of the lucky vintage car owners. I hope many of my fellow antique car enthusiasts will share my good fortune.
Rog

[2manycars]

I am not 80, but heading there. ( I hope) My son likes old cars,a nd he and I restored a 29 roadster pickup, and it is his now.

[mike657894]

just because your car is worth less does not mean that the hobby is dead. You never know what will be popular to restore in the coming years. I see alot of people reviving 73-87 chevy trucks currently. Not that they didnt have a following before I have had mine for 10 years. I have always wondered what will be the keepers of the 90s. maybe the 3800s will shine or there was a few basic 4 doors with super chargers and asian mini sport turbos. the ford trucks seam to have good following in all years that are old enough to be considered classics.

[WHN]

Originally Posted by 2manycars

I am not 80, but heading there. ( I hope) My son likes old cars,a nd he and I restored a 29 roadster pickup, and it is his now.

Great job, looks very nice. Enjoy.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

How LONG are "OLD CAR COLLECTORS" supposed to live????
Bill W. 82

[mike657894]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

How LONG are "OLD CAR COLLECTORS" supposed to live????
Bill W. 82

until they die

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by mike657894

until they die

Chief, my Dad, sed, "When I die, I want to go EASY"---"How so, Chief"?-----"Like go to bed some night, and wake up DAID"!
Bill Goofy

[Marshall V. Daut]

I live in the Model T world, too, and I have been surprised in the last few months how quickly Model T's are selling! To be sure, the over-priced common body styles ('26-27 Coupes, Tudors) are slower to move, but the others are advertised for a few days before the owner posts that the car has been sold pending receipt of payment. You NEVER used to see activity like that in Model T website classified ad sections! Perhaps because the Mode T's are less expensive than Model A's (except the brass cars) partially explains this phenomenon. More guys have $5000 in their pockets to spend than $9500 on an antique car that their wives probably don't want their husbands to buy anyway. You get a lot more car for your money when you buy a Model A. That's indisputable. But staring at laying a few long yards in green, the lower price of admission to the antique car world via a Model T is mighty appealing to the faint of heart. And from what I can tell from the buyers, they are aged souls who are delving into antiques cars late in life. Good and bad there. Nice to see SOMEONE buying our cars, yet they aren't young enough to continue the hobby into the future.
Having said all this, certain Model A's will always command a higher price and attract more potential buyers than other body styles, assuming the prices are not ridiculous. A 1929 Cabriolet - even with the incorrect color, un-pin striped and 19" wheels - should still bring at least in the $15,000+ range. This is a "hot" body style among collectors because of the rarity @ only about 16,000 units produced in 1929 out of almost 2,000,000 Model A's that rolled off the assembly line that year. That's only about .08%!!! Also, the fact that it is a convertible with roll-up windows makes the Cabriolet a highly desirable all-weather great touring car. The rumble seat can be either a positive (mostly for first-time Model A owners, who have heard fabled stories about them) or a negative (for the inconvenience/difficulty of entry and egress, plus safety concerns). All in all, though, I feel "Wingski" can make a fairly quick sale at a decent price if he stays in the $15,000-18,500 range. Any asking price above that and this car should be made more authentic and mechanically trouble-free, which if I have been reading "Wingski's" postings requesting mechanical advice, apparently is not the case. Unless these mechanical gremlins are addressed and repaired, a fairer value "as is" asking price would be about $15,00-16,500, in my humble Cabriolet-owning and Cabriolet-restoring opinion.
Marshall, early 1929 Cabriolet

[Marshall V. Daut]

By the way, my comments not only address the state of the antique car hobby, but also the perceived decrease in our cars' value. I specifically am referencing the following thread here on "Fordbarn", in case you're wondering about the "Wingski" connection.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236240

Maybe I should copy and paste my tome above in that thread???

Marshall

[Ted Duke]

I purchased my 29 RDSTR PU in 1970. My YOUNG three sons enjoyed working on it with me. Due to USN obligations and then helping four of my five kids through college it got side-lined. Two of my sons are helping me get it on the road now. Looking to mid-summer?? BTW I will be 81 the Monday after New Year's. Now to the point of my post, how to get kids involved in saving old cars.

My eldest son has a 1949 Chevy pu (5 window version), second son has two Mustangs (in limbo at the moment due to his job and his health) and third son has restored my 1966 IH 1200A four door pu for him, a Toyota LandCruiser, a 50's Plymouth for a friend, has three more IH's in a barn and 1 50's IH in his driveway (in work).

One 14-year-old granddaughter enjoys working on little Model A projects and can't wait for it to be on the road.

If your kids aren't interested, involve your grand-kids OR the kids down the street.

Ted in cold Virginia

[raprice]

Originally Posted by 2manycars

I am not 80, but heading there. ( I hope) My son likes old cars,a nd he and I restored a 29 roadster pickup, and it is his now.

Beautiful truck.

Rog

[Jim Baskin III Pa.]

In my Humble Opinion the best part of the article is the last 2 paragraphs:

But I think the bigger and more dangerous fear is the one that makes you hesitant to go out and use your car, no matter how old it is. It’s easy to come up with reasons to leave it parked in the garage -- too many distracted drivers, hard-to-find parts (actually, it’s never been easier to track down stuff thanks to the internet), the urge to keep that better-than-stock restoration pristine. If it's off the road, it's safe. (Unless your garage catches on fire. Ask me how I know.) But the surest way to convince younger generations that cars are no more vital than the Lladro figurines in your curio case…is to treat them like bigger, more expensive and harder-to-dust Lladro figurines. It's a bad look, and it turns off those who might otherwise be interested in learning more.
So don’t do that. Invite the grandkids over to change the oil, maybe. Or make it your 2018 resolution to go for a drive as often as you can. (I’ve heard the HCCA guys love to tour … what’s your excuse?) Get out there and show people why you care about old cars, and why it’s a fun and rewarding community to be a part of. That’s really all you can do, but if you really commit to it, the rest will sort itself out.