Why are cruisers so darn cheap?

[GreyGhost]

Forum Sponsor

"Current generation would sooner can only afford to look at them on a phone."

The smart, driven, dedicated, hard-working, entrepreneurial and fortunate ones are too busy paying down their half-million dollar mortgages to buy an expensive toy. The others can't afford it either.

And when the mortgage is paid off, they are old and don't have the garage space for huge toy cars.

 

[Glenn/RZ500]

I was 10 years old in 75. Not much to lust after mid 70's to mid 80's and we knew it then. They were all so bad. We lusted for late 60's till about 72.
But I guess those are still in my youth.

Somewhere there`s a sweet `82 Dodge Aries coupe, in beige naturally, calling your name. Go on....you know you want it.

 

[AllistonGT]

Somewhere there`s a sweet `82 Dodge Aries coupe, in beige naturally, calling your name. Go on....you know you want it.

Nope. 81 Dodge Omni in blue exterior and interior. Well, interior started out being blue but after a couple of years turned into a very special shade of puke yellow.

 

[GreyGhost]

Nope. 81 Dodge Omni in blue exterior and interior. Well, interior started out being blue but after a couple of years turned into a very special shade of puke yellow.

@omnivore used to be around here a lot. He had omnis with IIRC v8 swaps. He hasn't been on in a decade though.

 

[shanekingsley]

@omnivore used to be around here a lot. He had omnis with IIRC v8 swaps. He hasn't been on in a decade though.

Now that's a blast from the past

When I first started riding I wanted to be a cruiser guy. Half helmet, cig in the mouth, but forgot to add the tassels.

Rode a Virago 1100 around for a couple years and then tried out a VFR750 which was so much better and never looked back.

 

[nakkers]

Somewhere there`s a sweet `82 Dodge Aries coupe, in beige naturally, calling your name. Go on....you know you want it.

318 with a 2 barrel! Cut the muffler out and replace with a glass pack thrush! Sweet ride!


Ops! I got the wrong car! The dreaded K car 2.2 L Yikes!

 

[sburns]

Now that's a blast from the past

When I first started riding I wanted to be a cruiser guy. Half helmet, cig in the mouth, but forgot to add the tassels.

Rode a Virago 1100 around for a couple years and then tried out a VFR750 which was so much better and never looked back.

Wat! no way..

 

[ToSlow]

Now that's a blast from the past

When I first started riding I wanted to be a cruiser guy. Half helmet, cig in the mouth, but forgot to add the tassels.

Rode a Virago 1100 around for a couple years and then tried out a VFR750 which was so much better and never looked back.

always had a soft spot for that style of cruiser, looks sharp

 

[danp]

Aren't cruisers still the way to go if you want to take your wife along?

 

[nobbie48]

It's hard when it's not a car you lusted after in your youth. I think the Mann collection will be somewhat of an exception as they are just classically beautiful, can never be reproduced (crash standards, etc make cars ugly) and their buyer pool has infinite money. While an old muscle car is cool, almost every modern EV kicks it's ass in every performance metric and there are many ice cars available that sound just as good and kick their ass in performance. On the interesting flipside, if they stop being so expensive, we are more likely to see people using them as daily drivers in the summer. It's hard when it is hundreds of thousands of dollars but if it drops to 50K, why not?

There are enthusiasts, then collectors, then museum owners, going up the money ladder.

Serious collectors and museum owners can play tax games to offset their purchase prices. They don't go after the low end stuff because they have the money and facilities to look after the collection. They go after the six figure Corvettes with matching numbers and rare factory options, preferably with serious provenance.

For a simple enthusiast the low end stuff could make good daily drivers as they are cheap to buy and low tech, easy to maintain. If you only pay $5,000 and get a couple of years out of the car it could work for you if you don't mind the low tech safety standards. Or enjoy your parking lot Show and Shine meets and ice cream runs.

Domestic vehicles are better as replacement parts are common. A small block Chevy from just about anything will fit. Lincolns used Ford parts. A suspension part for an Alfa Romeo isn't as easy to find.

I suspect the low end Mecum stuff consists of cars dealer don't want and only offer scrap value on trades. At some point the cost of insurance and storage makes a mid 1970s Camaro a high financial liability, particularly if it was a entry level car to start with.

Some homes can live with a car and a half if wife and hubby can share the main vehicle and minimally use the vintage one bought at $5K instead of a second conventional one at $50K.

And how's the 7 liter V-8 on gas, getting 10 MPG?

 

[bigpoppa]

Aren't cruisers still the way to go if you want to take your wife along?

I believe ADV bikes have taken that spot now.

Forum Sponsor