8 Affordable Classic Cars Beloved by Retirees

[GA Russell]

These cars are so old that I imagine it would be quite difficult to find one in good shape. The prices are quite affordable, but I think that most are gas guzzlers.

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/auto/affordable-classic-cars-1.aspx?ec_id=m1117367

[Big Beat Steve]

Senior citizens getting into classic cars?

The plight of the classic car scene .... always has been, always will be. Because there are two distinctly different types of senior citizens who are into classic cars:

1) Those who've always been car-minded, who've taken an interest in the cars and mechanicals earlier in their lives, maybe working on then in their job, or who have owned such cars earlier off and on (when they still were just "used cars") and now that more spare time (and money) is on hand they get back to these earlier interests, bringing things full circle. Can be a very fine breed within the hobby and often is.

2) But it also brings in a whole bunch of show-offs who use classic cars as a vehicle to flash their allegedly superior sense of style and individualism and "ways of the world", though they are about as clueless as it gets about what they drive because, of course, they are having ALL the work done on their cars by hired hands (specialists), and if you ask them about details and the specs of their cars at car shows they either just plain don't know or they can't be bothered to engage in any sort of constructive dialog.

How do I know? Am still a fair bit away from retirement but bought my first 50s classic car (1955 model) at age 18 and except for a 6-month hiatus at age 24 have owned classic cars from the 50s (and worked on them for better or worse ) for close to 35 years now (so you can do the maths ). And though my cars have been non-US all the time, enough of the US classic car scene is common knowledge these days, particularly if you have a fair number of US car fetichists in your own surroundings within the hobby.

As for the list of 9, a curious mixture it is and I wonder what prompted THIS selection exactly:

- Model A: At that kind of starting money, expect to have to do some work on the car, and trying to conclude a really good deal you will be given a run for your money by the hot rodding fraternity (who continue to be in search of raw material for their own projects).

- Mustang and T-Bird: Depending on the model year, the prices seem a trifle low to me for a car that has not just been tarted up (which might prove disastrous in the long run, particularly to elderly newbies who do not necessarily have the stamina required in this hobby which CAN be prone to defects, cut-outs and breakdowns on ANY old/classic car).

- MGB: Run of the mill stuff, and beware of botched examples which just look good on the SURFACE.

- Studebaker Avanti: This is no car made by the "BIg Three" where specialists, parts outlets and service facilities abound even for cars THAT old. Parts are harder to come by, specialist knowledge (and patience) is requrired in sourcing certain items when they are needed.

In short: BEWARE, senior citizens! This is not for you newbies in the hobby, unless you have enough stamina and a good measure of determination! ;)

- Chrysler Windsor: The 1955 was a fine car, but as a starter car for newbies in the hobby who DON'T care to get really involved in that particular model? Ho hum ... See Studebaker (almost).

But it sure is nice to see what scribes outside the classic car hobby (or concerned with tables and figures only) blurb about these cars ...

Edited June 5, 2013 by Big Beat Steve

[danasgoodstuff]

The Avanti club has a saying, "there is nothing more expensive than a cheap Avanti" - some parts are shared with other Studebakers and generally cheap and relatively easy to find, but some are not. avantis are also hot and tend to leak. On the other hand, an R3 is faster than a first series Ferrari GTO and much cheaper, but there were just 9 genuine production cars. Better option, buy a Lark (very cheap) and build it as fast as you want it to be since it's just an Avanti without the party dress. Car articles by non-car people are generally clueless, as are jazz articles by non-jazz people, etc.

[BeBop]

The Avanti club has a saying, "there is nothing more expensive than a cheap Avanti" - some parts are shared with other Studebakers and generally cheap and relatively easy to find, but some are not. avantis are also hot and tend to leak. On the other hand, an R3 is faster than a first series Ferrari GTO and much cheaper, but there were just 9 genuine production cars. Better option, buy a Lark (very cheap) and build it as fast as you want it to be since it's just an Avanti without the party dress. Car articles by non-car people are generally clueless, as are jazz articles by non-jazz people, etc.

This is essentially why I joined the club 30 years ago, but have never purchased one. (Current lifestyle prohibits purchase, even if "lust" got the best of me.)