chevy454:
Everyone is entitled to opinions, and I think what you're talking about-- "soul" should not be substituted for drum-brake, rubber-band feel, "hold on to the reins tight" driving feel. Once again, just my opinion.
When I was a kid with a job and not much else to worry about (1985 - 1990), these same cars that are trading for large coin were around and were affordable, albeit many were not in great shape. My '80 Z (which I paid $1700 for in 1987; needed paint) was a great example-- A fun car that had every available option, but the last true old car I owned. I went to college, and sold the Z.
I hate to say it, but the bottom line is that, in reality, the cars that are trading for inflated prices were not the most sophisticated cars available then... See this link to know what I mean:
http://www.oldsmobility.com/roadtestmag_june67.htm
Welcome the entrance of the Resto-Mod craze. For originals, the brakes/suspension were less-than-adequate, weight balance way off, bad steering, uncomfortable seats, no A/C, etc, etc... But lots of fun in a straight line, and really not as fast as the rose-colored glasses say. What's the point of this, you may ask? Well, it's that new cars do all of the things old cars don't do well very well, so how do you justify paying $60K for early Chevy muscle (without even thinking about the cloning aspect)? I can't. A few years ago I wanted a '69 Z so bad that I could taste it, and one ride in an expensive rattle-trap changed my mind for me-- Made me think about how good of a car my '86 Mustang GT was (God rest its soul)...
The statement that I made is along those lines. I love the old stuff, but they are waaaay overpriced for what is there, causing major lack of interest in the non-blue hair consumer segment. And the person that can afford the price of admission and garaging forgets that these cars are sub-par to drive until he/she gets in one, and then it's all over-- They come back around for sale with only a few additional clicks on the odo because in reality, they're unpleasant to drive. And as complicated as life is these days, who has time to set lash, or troubleshoot a Holley on a regular basis? All of this is probably why most of the people that I know could care less about a 35 year old car. I don't know... I'm just calling it like I see it.
So, when are the prices going down so I can get that '69 Z?