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Topic: The Value of These Cars? (Read 2443 times) previous topic - next topic

The Value of These Cars?

Don;t worry its not another, how much do you think my car is worth thread :)

I was just wondering if these cars are getting to the point where they are becoming historic, rare, desired, or classic (what ever you want to call it) in that they can command increasingly higher prices.  I know there are a select few who prise these cars, but is the market getting to the point where a mint condition 88 Thunderbird is worth $5000?

The reason I ask is; locally there is an 88 T-bird and an 83 Cougar for sale for around $5000 each.  They are both in decent shape but have high miles and are no where near "show cars" exhibiting normal wear and tear for something 20 years old.  However, I thought the rarity of these cars (at least around here) is commanding prices double the blue book price.

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #1 –
No, I dont believe these cars are at that point yet.  5k for anything less than a very good conidition, almost show quality car is a rip off.

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #2 –
A "rare" model isn't even really worth that yet. Ot us the cars are worth more as we respect them and know what they are. To everyone else they are just a few hundred dollar beater.

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #3 –
I see turbo coupes advertised in the $2500-3500 range here all the time. The only cars commanding high prices at the moment are the pristine, super low mileage cars, although some people seem to think otherwise...

Garrett H.
'94 F250 XLT- 4x4, 5 speed, 7.3 IDI Turbo Diesel, 4" intake, 4" exhaust, 5" turnout stacks, manual hubs, etc.
'87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
Engine, wheels, tires, etc!
Exhaust sound clip
Another clip

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #4 –
I think these carshiznit bottom a few years ago and are slowly, SLOWLY climbing up the ol' respecto-meter. You can see it in prices the cars and their parts are commanding on eBay
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #5 –
I'm not sure if any of you are from Canada or not, but I live in Ontario and our cars are VERY VERY hard to come by. Getting parts for them is a big c, at least anywhere near where I live. I was lucky enough to find the one I have after my first one being destroyed in an accident. It took me over a month. Although, with that in my mind, they are cheap. Just ask any insurance company. When my first one got backed into, the value they gave me was $2100. The first one was in amazing condition and I got it for $1000 and the one I have now was in even better condition (having NEVER been winter driven) and it was $2000. If someone is asking more then that they'd have a hard time finding a buyer. I had mine appraised about a year ago at $7400 and I have no intention of selling it either! LOL

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #6 –
Quote
I think these carshiznit bottom a few years ago and are slowly, SLOWLY climbing up the ol' respecto-meter. You can see it in prices the cars and their parts are commanding on eBay

Agreed. But also remember, everyone...the uncommon and the higher-performance cars (read: TC, XR7) are always going to increase in value first, then the rest of the cars will follow. It's just going to take awhile. You'd think that, with most of these cars being over 20 years old (and some about to turn 25) that interest would have increased by now. That sort of worries me a little. Because if we don't have interest now, that doesn't bode well for the future. On the other hand, maybe not being valuable is better in some ways. Theft rates have to be extremely low; insurance is mostly acceptable; most parts can still be found. It's give-and-take, all the way...personally I like the obscurity. Still, when these cars start getting print and recognition on the Web aside from our little corner, it will be a great day.

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #7 –
I dunno Eric, THREE TC's have SOLD for over $10K in 2007 already. WHat used to be $100-$400 parts cars are now $500-$1000 parts cars. "Nice" TC's could be had for $1500 and now can't be touched for under $3000. Sport's and XR7's used to be $1000 for clean examples, now they are $2500. I've confirmed 17 sales of 83-88 TBirds or Cougars  in WA of over $5000 in 2007 already. I think the demand on these is definately rising. Calls on parts have quadrupled with no additonal advertising. I had my best month EVER in March ($2000 in sales!!) and I'm doing pretty good so far in April. Things are HOT right now, and I for one would LOVE for them to just get hotter.

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #8 –
Wow, thats good news...in some ways :)

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #9 –
Again, Mike, it all depends on where you live. I'd love to see more stories like yours happen throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Problem is...eBay is starting to get just as bad as the Barrett-Jackson auction when it comes to pricing. People are asking quite a bit for opening bids with little or no justification. Is that a reflection of what the market can bear? For some people--the ones doing the buying--I suppose so. But that doesn't do jack squat for the rest of us. Until KBB and NADA guides start reflecting the true, actual rise of values, all this eBay stuff is just a fluke. In your case, it's in the positive direction...ride that wave as long as you can!

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #10 –
None of the above mentioned were involved with eBay ;)

I think the rise in parts demand alone is showing the rising interest. I have new customers call daily moving "up" from Mustangs.

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #11 –
Eric, I think one of the main things holding these cars back value wise is that they were ahead of their time. Yes, they're 20-25 years old, but they don't look it. Park an '87 Monte Carlo next to an '87 T-Bird or Cougar (or even an 83-86) and you can see which car actually looks like an 80's car. A lot of the inherent value in old cars is in the time they represent. People our age are starting to look back on the 80's with nostalgia, much the same as our parents look back on the 60's. Hell, our local "Oldies" radio station plays 80's songs almost exclusively, and I listen to it regularly. Even when I hear a song I didn't particularly like (Michael Jackson's Beat It, for example) it brings back fond memories of hating that song :D


The problem is that these cars were so "futuristic" in the 80's that they don't represent the 80's very well, if at all. None of the classic 80's cliches (boxy lines, square dashboards, etc) were present, except maybe their lack of horsepower and the digital dash. They are not drawing their value from people that associate them with when they were new, they're drawing value from people that bought them as cheap beaters at age 16 in the mid 90's - people who had them as first cars. That "First car" association is likely what's starting to drive their value - people seeing one, saying "I had fun in one of those when I was a kid".

Another big factor holding them back is that they were never seen as an enthusiast's car. They weren't exciting back then, in a period that not much was, and they're not exciting now in an era when a base Hyundai Accent would give one a run for its money. Yes, a modern Camry will run away from an '87-93 5.0 Mustang, but the Mustang was perceived as fast for its day. So were G-Bodies and F-bodies. The Turbo Coupe was marketed as a sophisticated performer, but it was severely overshadowed and outgunned by the Grand National.

In short, these cars had the looks of a 90's car with the performance of an 80's car. 90's cars are too new to be excited about quite yet, and 80's performance sucked. And thus we have a car with a limited following.
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #12 –
http://providence.craigslist.org/car/304412395.html
someone should jump on that thing it to me looks to be worth 2500
RIP 1988 and 1990 Lincoln Mark VII LSC
I welcomed the dark side and currently am driving a 2000 Dodge Durango SLT plus, with a 5.9, Code named project "Night Runner"
Shes black on black, fully loaded, with headers, 180 tstat, e fan, straight exhaust into a cherry bomb vortex ler, full tune up, ported intake and T/B, MSD coil, and round aircleaner.
Mods to come: Fully rebuilt and heavily modded 46RE, and a richmond rachet locker.
my $300 beater ;)
R.I.P Kayleigh Raposa 12/18/90 - 2/24/07

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #13 –
In all reality, the value of them is what someone is willing to pay. ;)

You have to have someone willing to pay what you are asking for it, if they won't pay that, then it's not worth that to that particular person.
That's my dad's theory anyway. LOL
:cougarsmily:~Karen~

The Value of These Cars?

Reply #14 –
Quote from: EricCoolCats;138241
Still, when these cars start getting print and recognition on the Web aside from our little corner, it will be a great day.
Well it will be a great day for us since we're all enthusiasts of these things. To many others, it will be more of a "oh no, now they're comparing those things to 60's 70's muscle cars by giving them historic status"
That's something that I think about from time to time. When I'm in my 50's, what will I see at the local cruise? Hopefully not Taurus' and Foci. However, our cars are seen that way whether we think so or not. Nobody truely cares to see our cars at the cruise in.

We are here to say, look, these things are worth something, they are worth appreciation, they are worth preserving. That's one reason why despite subtle protests from car show viewers, I proudly take my car.
It will be a great day for us as enthusiasts because we will be the ones saying I told you so. If these things ever reach rock star status, we'll have the satisfaction that we loved them way before that happend.

Like watching sports, there is a satisfaction sticking with a team that does poorly. If the time comes that they become consistant winners, we aren't the ones who are jumping on the bandwagon to say we like them because they win. We like them because we always liked them.

Quote from: Thunder Chicken;138279
Eric, I think one of the main things holding these cars back value wise is that they were ahead of their time. Yes, they're 20-25 years old, but they don't look it. Park an '87 Monte Carlo next to an '87 T-Bird or Cougar (or even an 83-86) and you can see which car actually looks like an 80's car. A lot of the inherent value in old cars is in the time they represent. People our age are starting to look back on the 80's with nostalgia, much the same as our parents look back on the 60's. Hell, our local "Oldies" radio station plays 80's songs almost exclusively, and I listen to it regularly. Even when I hear a song I didn't particularly like (Michael Jackson's Beat It, for example) it brings back fond memories of hating that song :D

Couldn't agree more. Although one of my professors thought my car was from the early 70's :rollin:
Oh, I've been getting into 80's music a ton since I got my Sirius. Brings back memories of watching MTV at 3 years old laying on the floor playing with Hot Wheels. And true, you do find yourself listening to songs you never really liked. I'll beat it all I want, I don't care :p