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Then and now, aka tales of profits lost...
Posted: Sat Nov 10, 12 9:14 pm
by db
Inspired by Blue's mention of seeing Craig Jackson's Hemi Cuda in a sorry state years ago, he probably could have picked it up for a few grand back then now it's a $2.5 million car!
Quentin Wilson says in the early eighties he was looking for a new car, had about £800 to spend. He had two cars to look at, a Triumph Stag and gen-u-ine 289 A.C. f-in Cobra.
He bought the Stag
Rod Stewart is currently doing the rounds hawking his new book, he says the best car he's ever owned was the Miura. He sold it in 1992 for a grand. A couple of years ago it went for around £700k.
Any more shockers out there?
Posted: Sat Nov 10, 12 9:24 pm
by pete walton
How about the 429Boss Cougar,two were made....one has been found...They say it could sell for a million $....
Posted: Sat Nov 10, 12 11:17 pm
by db
'Ford did commission just two 1969 Mercury Cougars with the semi-hemispherical BOSS 429 engine built, and sold both of them for $1 a piece to two famous drag racers.'
Yup, that definitely qualifies!
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 12 3:18 pm
by JohnR
When I bought my cuda from my mate ( £450 in 1978) he also told me he wanted to sell his Aston martin DB4 GT for £750 did not have the money at the time how much is one of those worth now ????????
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 12 5:05 pm
by Jim
Back in 1982 I was offered the 1970 Dodge Diamonte concept car for $20,000. I drove it and didn't like it. So I turned it down. I heard it sold at auction a few years ago for about $2 Million.
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 12 5:57 pm
by Dave-R
On my 17th birthday an uncle offered me an AC sports car for free. It did need some work but it had no rust (and an aluminium body anyway) and he thought it would be a good project for me to learn car skills on.
I turned him down because I thought little two seater sports cars were gay and I wasn't interested.
Also a week after I had bought my Aussie Charger (just after I seperated from my first wife when I was 22) I was offered a Hemi Cuda with shaker for £1,300. The Hemi had been replaced with a wedge but it was in fine condition for a (at the time) 12 year old car.
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 12 6:27 pm
by Blue
In the mid '80's I was offered a tidy original Hemi Belvedere minus the motor for £850, I thought about it for a bit then let it go....
At that time there were many tidy muscle cars in the £300 to £400 price range that would be worth over 20 grand a piece these days, it's just the way it was back then, I don't think anyone ever thought these cars would become so valuable.
It's my belief that had a handful of very rich collectors in the States not got involved, these cars would never have fetched the sort of money they do. When the top end of the market is in the millions, it hikes up the price of the lesser models IMO.
Posted: Mon Nov 12, 12 9:37 am
by Dave-R
One of the reasons I got into this hobby in the first place was because it was a very cheap way to own a very powerful car.
That can't be said now.
These mad and "too rich" Americans have spoiled the hobby with the rediculous values they have put on the cars.
You can buy a Ferrarri for the price of a half decent big block Mopar. It's rediculous.

Posted: Mon Nov 12, 12 9:43 am
by latil
In the mid 50's my dad was offered many steam traction engines in the £10-£20 range,in working order. He had the money but not the storage space.Now selling £100K upwards

Posted: Mon Nov 12, 12 10:26 am
by Pete
Dave wrote:......You can buy a Ferrarri for the price of a half decent big block Mopar. It's rediculous.

Really? Where?
It will be a pile of poo.....
I got into Yanks for the same reason - you cannot get that sort of performance (in a straight line) any other way for the budget.
Unlike Duncan, I am not so worried about generating 6G's in bends, because there will ultimately be some tw@t that pulls out on you on a blind bend, etc; but it's personal choice......
Posted: Thu Nov 15, 12 10:07 am
by sinny
Dave wrote:I thought little two seater sports cars were gay
They are Dave!

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 12 10:18 am
by Dave-R
sinny wrote:Dave wrote:I thought little two seater sports cars were gay
They are Dave!

Yeah but at least my Corvette is bigger than a normal car and is V8 powered!
OK it's gay.

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 12 5:51 pm
by AllKiller
Many years ago we passed up a Coronet without seeing it, because someone told me it had a V8 Daimler motor in it.
....oh dear....We were young and stupid
Although i do Know where a Hemi Challenger is unmoved in years and outside

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 12 6:29 pm
by Blue
Might really have had a Daimler engine in it, you used to see all manner of oddball engine transplants way back when, usually carried out with lumps of Dexion and coach bolts...
Posted: Thu Nov 15, 12 7:33 pm
by Pete
Dexion and coach bolts??
That's how I build them now
