If you could have a Jay Leno garage...

[Brian]

I just don't see my kids thirty or forty years down the road saying, "Oh man, a Honda Fit! We used have one and it was AWESOME!"

Sure, I'm with you on the Fit. That car is lame ass.

That may be but, and I haven't priced them at all so I could be wrong about this, the idea behind the muscle cars of the late '60's was to put as much engine into as an affordable package as available so that just about anybody could afford one. It wasn't until well into the '70's thanks to emissions and insurance regulations that the muscle cars became slow, bloated, option laden and expensive shadows of their former selves.

I highly doubt that an average 20 something of today could afford a GT-R or LFA.

That's a big part of why people today are paying huge dollars for the cars from that era, they were raised in those cars and drove them themselves back in the day and the nostalgia factor drives the price. I don't see that happening with any of the vehicles of today.

Regarding the cars you mentioned, and I don't mean to step on toes here because everybody has their own tastes, but I find them to be bleh. All the "sporty" import cars today look the same to me and their looks do pretty much nothing for me.

Also, we have a Fit. While not a sports car I wouldn't exactly call it lame ass. It was the best car we could afford with the features we were looking for and we rather enjoy it. Sure, it's no LFA but at $15,000 it is also one of the cheaper cars on the market that sits at pretty much the exact price point (adjusted for modern $ values) that the muscle cars sat in during their day. So back then for the same (adjusted) value one could get a balls to the wall, pavement peeling ground pounder where today it gets you an econo-box.

Again, everything is subjective and I certainly wouldn't begrudge anybody their "Leno Garage" choices. There are a few cars in the actual Jay Leno garage that make me go, "Why the hell?"

[coopasonic]

Also, we have a Fit. While not a sports car I wouldn't exactly call it lame ass. It was the best car we could afford with the features we were looking for and we rather enjoy it. Sure, it's no LFA but at $15,000 it is also one of the cheaper cars on the market that sits at pretty much the exact price point (adjusted for modern $ values) that the muscle cars sat in during their day. So back then for the same (adjusted) value one could get a balls to the wall, pavement peeling ground pounder where today it gets you an econo-box.

http://www.halfhill.com/inflation.html" target="_blank

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2543199/1 ... 2543199_10" target="_blank

Using the best info I could find, a 1968-1969 muscle car would be 25-30k in 2012 dollars, depending on equipment. A standard equipped 2011 Camaro SS will run you $32k and have a great deal of safety and convenience features that 40+ year old car never dreamed of. Of course it's also much heavier due to all that damn safety.

[Brian]

So pretty close to what I was saying. What should be an entry level muscle car is priced out of the range of most younger buyers today.

What price point were you using for muscle cars of the late '60's? I know that they tried to keep them at between $2000-$3000 for entry level but could quickly go up in price if one wanted the more desirable options like the big block motors and disc brakes.

One has to remember that many things that are standard on today's cars were options back then. My 1967 Firebird had no AC, no power brakes, no power steering, and no disc brakes. The price of the car when sold was $2761.

According to The Inflation Calculator the cost of the Firebird at $2761 in 1967 would cost $17826.60 in 2010. That's almost exactly what we paid for our Fit once we got it with the options we wanted.

[coopasonic]

So pretty close to what I was saying. What should be an entry level muscle car is priced out of the range of most younger buyers today.

What price point were you using for muscle cars of the late '60's? I know that they tried to keep them at between $2000-$3000 for entry level but could quickly go up in price if one wanted the more desirable options like the big block motors and disc brakes.

One has to remember that many things that are standard on today's cars were options back then. My 1967 Firebird had no AC, no power brakes, no power steering, and no disc brakes. The price of the car when sold was $2761.

According to The Inflation Calculator the cost of the Firebird at $2761 in 1967 would cost $17826.60 in 2010. That's almost exactly what we paid for our Fit once we got it with the options we wanted.

69 camaro 396SS at 3900 and 68 camaro at the link I posted at 3816 with dealer options. I'm not sure why those numbers differ so much from your 67.

I didn't buy my first car until 1991, so I'm not really familiar with the car market of the 60s.

[Brian]

Yeah, the SS 396 is one of the high-dollar, big block options that I mentioned in my previous post. A fully equipped, big block Corvette back in the late '60's could run into the $8-9K range which was exorbitant for the day. Much like a new C6 of today.

The pricing for the 1967 Firebird I pulled was for one optioned exactly like mine was with a 326ci V8 with no power options (disc brake, AC, etc). Note: It didn't stay that way for too long though as I eventually replaced the engine and transmission with a much stronger 400ci.

The thing was, one could order a rather vanilla muscle car and with a few inexpensive aftermarket parts really turn it into a screamer. I know that that is possible in some cases with the cars of today but you really aren't seeing the big performance improvements for the money that you did back then.

[Inverarity]

Using the best info I could find, a 1968-1969 muscle car would be 25-30k in 2012 dollars, depending on equipment.

A 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe will run you around $25K.And it's as much a muscle car as any current Camaro or Challenger or Charger of today.

http://www.hyundaiusa.com/genesis-coupe/" target="_blank

The thing was, one could order a rather vanilla muscle car and with a few inexpensive aftermarket parts really turn it into a screamer. I know that that is possible in some cases with the cars of today but you really aren't seeing the big performance improvements for the money that you did back then.

You're probably right, things are more expensive these days, but we would need to do a price-by-price comparison to be sure. In terms of availability, after market stuff for cars is all over the place these days. I have a friend who runs an aftermarket shop just for Subarus. Nothing else.

[cheeba]

A 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe will run you around $25K.And it's as much a muscle car as any current Camaro or Challenger or Charger of today.

No. Just... no.

Genesis has 210 hp standard and 306 optional.
Camaro has 323 with 426 optional. Or you could go further up the options with 580 horsies.

[gbasden]

A 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe will run you around $25K.And it's as much a muscle car as any current Camaro or Challenger or Charger of today.

No. Just... no.

Genesis has 210 hp standard and 306 optional.
Camaro has 323 with 426 optional. Or you could go further up the options with 580 horsies.

Well, the Camaro is 500-800 lbs heavier, too, which does make some difference.

[Inverarity]

Yeah, "as much" might be a stretch , but it holds its own against the base model of those cars and comes in at a decent price. I think Mototrend is where I saw the comparison to a muscle car and it surprisingly fits, in spite of low HP (if you can call 306 "low"). And the 580 HP Camaro is a $50K car, mind you.

How about a 370Z? 332 HP for a little over $30K. A used Nismo 350z will get you a lot more and come in under that price.

[mori]

'60s Muscle cars would not come into my dream garage. Yea some are nice to look at and listen to, but driving one? I much rather drive around in a modern car. On the other hand, pre-war cars fascinate me. A Duesenberg would definately be welcome in my garage even if it was just to look at and preserve. The rest of the garage would be filled with modern European exotics. Something I can thrash and know they will build more. There would be an Aston Martin DB9 and a Jaguar XKR, pure sex. A few Ferrari's and a Porsche 911GT3. A BMW M5 for when I need 4-doors. Maybe an older air-cooled Porsche 911 as well. There would be a Chevy Tahoe just to pull a trailer and haul my other toys around.

[AWS260]

I love the bit on Top Gear with the Reliant Robin.

Want to buy one? This is in our neighborhood...

[coopasonic]

Looking back on this thread after driving a Tesla for 9 months... I still miss the prelude, but I can't imagine wanting to drive any of the big V8s ever again. Sure I still smile to look at the cars I used to dream of, but I am not willing to give up the quiet instant go of the Tesla for nostalgia. Am I turning into El Guapo? No, I'm just not that handsome.

[LawBeefaroni]

I've given up on collecting dream cars. A friend if mine works with a guy who has a "Leno Garage". Not his version of Leno's garage but basically a garage much like Leno's. He has 30+ vehicles, all of them top examples of the make/model. I loved it but walked out feeling resigned to the fact that for me, cars will just be a means of transportation. If can have one that I merely enjoy driving that's enough. I'll leave the collecting to those with the spare $40M to throw around.


I do still want to buy a Karmann Ghia for mom and a '57 Bel Air for my dad though. Their dream cars. My mom's is attainable at least.

[hentzau]

Well, this was going to be mine, until someone pulled out right in front of my dad. ‘68 Triumph Spitfire. I was always going to do a Route 66 run in it...

[Isgrimnur]

Oddly, "RIUMP" was the sound that it made.

That sucks, man.

[hentzau]

Yeah, I'm just glad he got out of it with only a few scrapes and bruises. And I'm really glad he installed lap belts in it.

He hit so hard that when he braced against the steering wheel he snapped it off of the mount. He climbed out of the car, in a daze, was walking around for a while before he realized that he was still holding the steering wheel in his right hand.

[Isgrimnur]

Glad to here he came through it relatively unscathed.

[LawBeefaroni]

Wow, even in that damaged state you can tell what a beauty it was. Sucks big time but as long as dad came out of it OK I'd say tragedy averted.

[hentzau]

Wow, even in that damaged state you can tell what a beauty it was. Sucks big time but as long as dad came out of it OK I'd say tragedy averted.

It was always a finicky car to drive. Had a tendency to stall out a lot, but most of that was due to the twin carbs it had. Dad finally found some mad scientist mechanic that somehow added a modern fuel injection/fuel intake system and it ran like a top.

And it was a pretty rough ride, overall, but man did you get the looks when you were driving in it.

[morlac]

Wife and I are friends with the owner and his wife of this place :

https://www.classicautosmith.com/


I LOVE going and just hanging out. He's got a small "vintage" arcade in the shop as well with games from the 70's - 90's. I've been given a green light from the Wife to try and find a "reasonable" old controvertible.

[em2nought]

Looks like your dad was pretty lucky, maybe he should buy a lotto ticket this week.

I find myself looking the poor man's muscle cars, the early 70s Novas and Dusters on craigslist or facebook occasionally. It's more of the old Sear's Christmas Catalog idea of wishing with no getting though.

[Rumpy]

I went to a taping of the Tonight Show in 2013 when Leno was still host. One of the guests was Dennis Rodman. He was there to talk about his recent visit (at the time) to North Korea. What happens next will forever be imprinted on my eyeballs as I can't forget it, but he came out in a frilly shirt (sort of like that shirt Seinfeld wore in one of his episodes) and as he made his entrance, he tripped and fell flat on his face. Obviously, they couldn't show that on TV, so they had him redo his entrance. Can't imagine how humiliating that was.

Anyway, as we waited in line to get into the studio earlier that day, I remember hearing the rumble of an engine as he arrived to the studio and having a smile on my face as I heard it. Rumor has it he arrived in a different vehicle every time.

Leno really does love his cars. The set itself featured a car theme, which isn't something you really got an impression of when seeing it on TV, but was pretty cool seeing it in person.

[Brian]

I might as well update this thread now that it's been revived.

I have had opportunity to drive a couple of the more exotic vehicles that have been previously mentioned.

I got to drive a Lamborghini Gallardo around five laps at the Exotics Motor Speedway in Las Vegas.
It was a fun experience but I doubt I'd ever buy one even if I had the money.

I also had the opportunity to drive a replica Ford Cobra around during the brief period I worked as the office manager of a Hot Rod shop.
It definitely garnered a lot of attention and comments and was fun to drive but unless you are shorter than five-six or so, I wouldn't recommend it.

I also now own one of the cars on my list. I currently have a Chevy Monza with a built-up 350ci motor in it and it is heaps of fun to drive. Unfortunately, for now, I haven't had much opportunity to drive it since it won't pass emissions as is. It's currently in the shop getting what I hope will be the last bit of work required to allow it to pass emissions (and also resolve a leaky power steering pump).

A short video of the car: