Market for survivors...

[NovaMob03]

Hey Jeff...I have your car!

My '69 Z has been in the classifieds for a while and I've had a few offers, but when the conversation turns to ''the cost of restoring it" hits the table my ears kinda go numb. Yes, it needs an engine refresh and detail, but is easy to see that it was well cared for, driven like it was meant to be and is a really nice 47 year old 'unrestored original'...using Darrell's term

So, it'll probably sit until the right guy see's the car the way I see it...fluffed enough to drive & enjoy & not 'restored'.

[black69]

I appreciate the responses. I myself have 3 survivor cars, and sometime think I am not the type of collector for these kind of cars. I feel maybe they belong with one level up type of collector that will preserve them better than I do, and have the funds to manage them in a more museum like environment. You got to be very very careful with a survivor, as if it gets hit at a local car show or on the way to an ice cream stop with the family, its a big hit to its value. Am I a guy that could sustain that downside if it happened? no. Could a bigger collector sustain it? yes.

So the above in a sense goes to who really is collecting the survivor super high end muscle cars. I think its folks that have really deep pockets and the ability to not drive these cars much any more. I do hope more folks do focus on collecting the survivors and protecting them/preserving them, as they are truely original once.

Take it from me, my 69 camaro, 70 challenger, and 61 vette, all have traits my restored cars do not have. The steering feels right, the smells are unique to how they when closer to new. The engines seem tighter and run better. The factory paint runs are on all of them. Its a feeling a restored car just can not nail all the time. It is cool to be in a car that was never taken apart and put back together.