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Member's: Are you a Car Collector ?[/align][align=center]If so, Please post what you are collecting.[/align][align=center][/align][align=center]Thanks[/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center]The 2006 version of the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction, which takes place Jan. 14 to 22 in Scottsdale, Ariz., is expected to set a new world record of more than $100 million in sales -- up from an already-prodigious $68 million in 2005. An impressive gain in a year, but it's really just indicative of a market that, as a whole, has been doing an 18-month-long version of the drag racer's tire-squealing, smoky burnout.
The collector car market seems finally to have shrugged off the malaise it has suffered since the early 1990s. Then, enthusiastic but ill-informed dot-com-style speculators and briefcase brokers (who owned nothing) drove up the prices of everything from late-model production Ferraris to Fiats. The ensuing crash put hundreds of these wannabe investors underwater and left a bad taste in the mouths of many more.
Things are different today. Most of the recent gains appear sustainable because of the influx into the collector car hobby of baby boomers pursuing the aspirational cars of their youth.
SUSTAINABLE ACTIVITY.
For example, the 1968-1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona is, to many, the last "real" Ferrari built before emissions and safety regulations blunted most performance cars. The Daytona is a big brute with a top speed of over 170 mph and a macho reputation for being a workout to drive. A little over a year ago, $125,000 or so would secure a nice Daytona coupe. Today, you'll have difficulty finding a good one for $200,000.
The activity in the muscle car market -- especially for hemi-powered Chrysler (DCX) products -- is even more dizzying. If you think $1 million is enough for a 1970 Hemi 'Cuda convertible, you're only halfway there.
Is this recent spike another Internet-type bubble waiting to burst? Probably not. Demographics and simple economics are conspiring to create a supply-and-demand situation that should make the latest market activity sustainable. The huge population of baby boomers has accumulated a significant amount of wealth, and they're determined to acquire what they want. There are simply more moneyed boomers who desire the Hemi 'Cuda of their pimply-faced teenage dreams than there are Hemi 'Cudas.
A POWERFUL INVESTMENT.
While it may be tempting to sell your conventional investments and start your own "Car-01(k)," a word of caution: Unlike stock certificates, old cars require frequent maintenance, insurance, and a garage. Conversely, reviewing your portfolio performance is nowhere near as much fun as experiencing the vivid performance of a big-block '67 Corvette.
In actuality, though, most enthusiasts are happy to enjoy a car for a few years, do a few things to it, and break even when it's time to move on. For those who look at the old car hobby as a financial investment as well as an investment in pleasure, there's unanimous agreement in one area: In today's market, it's hard to get hurt buying a good collector car. If you do your homework, buy the right car, and enjoy it sensibly, you'll maximize the return on your investment. [/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][URL=http://www.sportscarmarket.com/][b]http

 

[align=center][:-]A Reality Check for Corvettes [:-][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center]AS an archive of Corvette knowledge, Bloomington Gold is the Library of Alexandria. The organization, based in Normal, Ill., not only conducts the big annual Bloomington Gold show but also sets the standards for judging how faithfully the entries match factory specifications. [/align][align=center]Taking a historian’s approach to certifying Corvettes’ authenticity, the group has set guidelines with a realistic view of the assembly standards and finish quality at the time the cars were new. [/align][align=center]I recently attended an intensive two-day course in Corvette authenticity along with other staff members of Corvette Market magazine. David Burroughs, chief executive of Bloomington Gold and an expert on the so-called midyear Corvettes of 1963-67, presented the course. Mr. Burroughs is passionate about Corvettes, but he is not an apologist for the way the cars were made. Having visited the St. Louis assembly plant in the mid-1960s, he accepts that production standards at the factory were, at best, expedient or casual. [/align][align=center]This reality gives rise to considerable frustration for restorers, given that the ranks of Corvette enthusiasts include a disproportionate number of perfectionists. Those who want their ’Vettes finished to Swiss-watch standards must cope with realities like the bizarrely uneven dividing line of flat black paint against body color paint on the underside of a hood. In the case of a midyear Corvette, Mr. Burroughs pointed out that the masking was done by a piece of carpeting held up by an auto worker. [/align][align=center]Perfectly straight, evenly spaced hood stripes on a 1967 big block Corvette are certainly the product of a restorer with a lot of time, as opposed to a line worker in a rush with a casually placed template. Likewise, when you see a vintage Corvette without sealant oozing out from the windshield trim or adhesive visible around rubber seals, you are probably looking at a restored car. [/align][align=center]Mr. Burroughs began the hands-on portion of the class by directing the group to a lovely Nassau Blue 1965 Corvette convertible. His question seemed simple: original or restored?[/align][align=center]Most of the students thought it was an original car, though a minority guessed it was a nicely mellowed older restoration. It turns out we were looking at an unrestored car that had been driven only 14,000 miles. [/align][align=center]Several in the group identified the body seams visible on parts of the car. The fiberglass bodies comprised individual pieces bonded together and sanded smooth before painting. In time, the finishes and adhesives shrink a bit and the seams become faintly visible. These are lost in a restoration. [/align][align=center]When determining the originality of paint, Mr. Burroughs goes to the door jambs — “an original jamb should talk to you,� he said. That statement was met with raised eyebrows, but he demonstrated by running his hand over the car’s door jambs. The rough finish responded with an audible sound. [/align][align=center]Similarly, original exterior paint on a vintage Corvette was far from perfect, with a fair amount of the roughness that collectors call “orange peel.� [/align][align=center][b]Nevertheless, some people want to view their old ’Vettes through rose-colored glasses, restoring them to much-better-than-new standards. That’s

 

[align=center][/align][center][b]Every year, auto companies make new models of their cars. Every year, the older models, in general, increase in value. Along with that, the auto classic models like the Chevrolet Impala, or the Buick 8, also go up in value. The auto classic models are considered some of the best cars ever made. They are often seen as having captured the spirit of the era they were first produced and possessed a charm that other models after them have failed to possess. Most of these models also have gone past their expected service life and the casual driver finds them too costly to maintain in good enough condition to drive on a regular basis. However, an enthusiast is likely to accept such problems and live with them in exchange for having what some would call a mobile piece of art.

Generally, an auto classic has been around for 25 years or more, which is a large margin when one considers the usual lifespan of an automobile -- around 10 to 15 years. Most cars don't even make it past the five-year mark, so any model that makes it long enough to be considered a classic is one of those tried and true survivors. The classic car can be difficult to maintain since the parts will likely be impossible to get through the common auto-parts dealerships and, in most cases, have totally ceased to be produced by manufacturers. However, for a true collector, a classic car represents something that modern automobile manufacturers, with their SUVs and focus on utility, fail to grasp: over-the-top style. Hardcore car collectors will casually mention that more modern cars don't have the same feel, that same undefined quality that older cars, like the legendary Chevrolet Impala or the 1948 Delahaye, seem to possess in bundles.

Despite that, some people still get a very strong sense of personal satisfaction at having fixed up a machine to the point that it meets the original specifications of the manufacturer. Like restoring a priceless work of art, there is a feeling of having done something worthwhile about restoring an auto classic its glory days, when it was first manufactured. It is similar to having preserved some piece of the past for nostalgic reasons, to be enjoyed by future generations. Aside from the personal gratification, however, there also exists a potential market for these cars that one can take advantage of, if one has the patience.

Make no mistake, the auto classic models do have a market out there. Some people are willing to buy them, even at the most exorbitant prices, if they want it badly enough. Naturally, the car has to be in good physical condition but whether or not it can actually be driven regularly is usually not considered. The rarer and older the car is, the more likely the price will go up annually. Though serious classic car enthusiasts, like art collectors, will tell you that the way the prices fluctuate cannot be predicted and, as such, no particular manufacturer, model, or year really stands out as a perfect investment. In simple terms, you collect these cars because you enjoy having them and maintaining them, not because you're expecting a huge return investment in a few years' time.

To sum it all up, auto classic collectors are, much like art collectors, very passionate about their collections and aren't just in it for the money. Some, on occasion, will sell a part of their collection but for the most part, these auto classic lovers prefer to keep them safe in their garages, maintained with a devotion and care that you rarely see outside of the art world. It may seem ridiculous to some, since the cost of maintaining and storing them is quite disturbing, but in the end, you can't put a dollar value on art. For the serious collector, these cars are just that: art.

For more valuable inf

 

[align=center]August 17, 2007, 7:54 pm [/align][/align][align=center]Oh ...WoW[/align][align=center][/align]The Holden Efijy cruises along Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, Michigan. The General Motors concept was designed by Holden of Australia. (Photo by John F. Martin for General Motors)
[/align]The annual Dream Cruise up Woodward Avenue north of Detroit has morphed from a single-day charity event into a weeklong marketing extraganza, as Mary M. Chapman explained in The Times earlier this month.
More than a million people are attending this week, with 40,000 classic cars on display.
But it is still possible to experience what the Cruise used to be Read more …
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[align=center]Are there any Member's Collecting Models ?[/align][align=center][:-]



1:24 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Budweiser/MLB Chevrolet Monte Carlo(R) Diecast Car FREE SHIPPING
Dale Jr. Hits a Home Run - On July 6th, 2002 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. teamed up with Major League Baseball to defend his 2001 Daytona title. Driving #8(TM) - sporting a new "All Star" paint scheme - he held off traffic until the last 3 laps, so his team mate Michael Waltrip could drive to Victory Lane. Now you can be among the first to own a replica of his bold new ride in a 1:24 scale Revell-Select die cast. It's a "great catch" for collectors - special paint schemes are among today's most desirable racing collectibles. This Hamilton Collection Motorsport Editions(TM) die cast won't be available long. Order today.[/align]
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I don't have a collection, but I want to have one eventually (if I'm ever rich, lol). Here's my list:
1970 Monte Carlo, 1976 Monte Carlo (already have it so I'm almost there, LOL), 1980 Monte Carlo turbo, 1983 Monte Carlo SS, 1999 Monte Carlo Z34, 2004 Monte Carlo Supercharged SS Dale Jr. Edition, 1984 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP coupe, 1974 Pontiac Grand Am, 1999 Pontiac Grand Am GT, 1974 Buick Gran Sport Stage 1 455, 1970 Chevelle LS6 SS-454, 1973 Chevelle SS-454 coupe, Custom 1995 El Camino SS (GM made a prototype out of a '94 Caprice wagon), 1974 Hurst/Olds W-30, 1982 Trans-Am KITT replica.

 

I do have a few neat cars ill list.
1994 Ford Taurus SHO 78K miles <<<<<<<<Girls car
1983 Delorean DMC 12<<<doesnt run, sitting in a garadge with no tires or
2001 Monte Carlo SS<<<my baby and daily car only one thats not paid for
1984 Ford Mustang SVO<<<car runs and drives but is in pretty rought shape. Selling and have a buyer.
That about does it. Noting special but you know I do my best for 20 years old. I like to fully restore the SVO but I dont have the money nore the time to make it look really nice. and the DMC..I just like to say I have one maybe one day when I get more time at my job Ill fully make that one restored and runable.

 

Email Cort

 

that purple car is awesome!!!

i collect die cast cars lol

my dad has a 56 chev, but not really a collection thats just one car...but i do love to look @ them