car prices 1985 style...

by dynchel Tue Dec 24, 2013 2:31 pm

So I was going through my old things and I found a "older car red book" published in 1985 covering model years 1969 to 1977.
car prices 1985 style... <a href=

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....so in 1985 1976 laguna was (high)valued at $1975.00. By comparison a 1971 Plymouth cuda convertible was valued at $1650.00...add $500.00 for 426 hemi engine option (lol) my how times have changed. a 1977 trans am was $3500.00 high value, a 1970 chevelle was worth $975.00 (add $175.00 for SS option!)

by pila Tue Dec 24, 2013 3:03 pm

Don't know about the book prices, but my '66 Pontiac Sprint, with the OHC 6 cyl ( same body as a GTO ) was $2423 out the door.. Not a good comparison, but my '92 Chevy Silverado model pick up was $ 14,142 out the door.... GM was pushing the 5-speed stick back then, and when I ordered that truck, they threw in the Silverado package, the AC, the cruise control, and some other stuff.
In later years I understood why they pushed that transmission, since no parts were available for it after it was two years old......and even the dealer couldn't understand that, when I needed a rear seal for the trans....GM strikes again !! Very Happy

Accessories can sure affect the total prices too...

by Mcarlo77 Tue Dec 24, 2013 6:26 pm

As I remember it, the collector car craze for muscle cars didn't really start taking on a life of it's own until the mid-80's. That Price Guide would tend to confirm that what with it basically reporting values based on age rather than collectability. Oh..if I had only known back in the day!

by ant7377 Wed Dec 25, 2013 12:45 am

Just goes to show how our hard earned dough dosent go very far today.

by 77mali Wed Dec 25, 2013 11:22 am

I remember in the late 80's the local "Auto Hunter" weekly had adds for 2nd gen Chevelles for around $10k & convertible versions for around $15 or so, depending on condition & options of course the good ones like the LS-5's & LS-6's were more expensive. I was just out of high school and had no money to speak of. I wish I had bought a clunker or driver version and kept it around through the years but marriage, children, bills, etc. put that dream on ice. Oh well I have my '77, that will have to do. Very Happy

by pila Wed Dec 25, 2013 11:32 am

I know what you mean.....I did have my '77 Elco that I bought new for 32 years, until the rust finally got the best of it.
The problem with collector type cars, at least in my case, is storage to protect them.
My Malibu is parked in a hangar at the airport, under the wing of an airplane I restored
. car prices 1985 style... P1011338_zps793fb699

car prices 1985 style... P1011338_zps793fb699

by dynchel Wed Dec 25, 2013 11:54 am

77mali wrote:I remember in the late 80's the local "Auto Hunter" weekly had adds for 2nd gen Chevelles for around $10k & convertible versions for around $15 or so, depending on condition & options of course the good ones like the LS-5's & LS-6's were more expensive. I was just out of high school and had no money to speak of. I wish I had bought a clunker or driver version and kept it around through the years but marriage, children, bills, etc. put that dream on ice. Oh well I have my '77, that will have to do.

These prices vs time line are interesting to me, as I remember looking at several "popular" muscle cars in the mid '90's in the $2500.00 to $4500.00 price range for my brother. Mind you none were SS's or anything like that, but I remember a '68 chevelle 4 speed for $2500.00, a '70(?) LeMans with a tilt nose front end for $2800 .00, and a '65 chevelle with a built 327, 4 speed, and 12 bolt posi rear end for $4500.00. Must be a location thing?

by 77mali Wed Dec 25, 2013 12:38 pm

What's the book say? Maybe my memory is fuzzy on prices...the SS's were always more of a premium vs. 327 or 350 cars. There were also like 4 versions of the 396 and at least 3 of the 454's. 4 speeds & 4 speed M-22's also added value as well as if you had an SS convertible with the better engine trans combo's.

by dynchel Wed Dec 25, 2013 1:09 pm

The book was from '85. (I was 10). I remember regular chevelles, cutlass', mustangs, etc being affordable when I was in my early 20's. Now SS chevelle, gto's, Shelby's, etc were getting pricey. Like steve (monte77) said this was right before muscle cars got valuable. I was just saying regular versions were still cheap in my neck of the woods until the late '90's or so.

by thatfnthing Thu Dec 26, 2013 10:21 am

ant7377 wrote:Just goes to show how our hard earned dough dosent go very far today.

Funny, I don't ever remember my hard earned money going very far. scratch

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