I agree but it has long been known that mods are really done for the current owner's enjoyment and not really for the increase value of the car. But in your case, since you have $100K invested, something tells me that you would be able to sell it for much more than $30K. You just need a buyer that appreciates and wants a similar build.

 

[QUOTE=Montego;12221574]I agree but it has long been known that mods are really done for the current owner's enjoyment and not really for the increase value of the car. .
Exactly. When I got the car in 1999 I had previously owned three NA RX7s. I wanted to see how much bolt-on parts could be added to the RotorSports Stage II motor, so for a couple years I bought just about every performance part I could find. Now the car is scary fast, but I moved to Fauquier County in Northern VA, where the traffic is congested and there is really no where to drive quickly. There are also more cops per square mile than anywhere I have ever lived. So I usually drive the other red car, which sounds fierce even when driven at the speed limit.

 

Love the rides but nothing beats that 99 Oldenberg. You should have left the twin turbos on it though

 

I sold my Porsche 914 2.0 for 1800 bucks. Now a clean one like mine is worth around 20k

 

[QUOTE=gmonsen;12221860]Gordon- NOM is the acronym that someone started using for "not original motor". The previous owner pulled out the original 327 and put in a 454 from a 1978 one ton truck. I'm not sure exactly what he wanted to do with the car, since he changed a lot of things that decreased the collector value (including changing the motor). Just about everything on the engine was chrome plated. He put a fender flare kit on the front and back to allow use of the Torque Thrust II wheels- 18 inch on front and 20 inch on back. He also did a half decent paint job and reupholstered the interior. I corrected his numerous electric mistakes, put in new gauges and completely rebuilt the front suspension and brakes. Last winter I put on square port aluminum heads, a bigger cam, better intake and upgraded to HEI ignition. I started out with 304 rwhp before my mods and am up to 396 rwhp so far. This winter I plan to change the flat top pistons to domed ones to boost the compression ratio to about 10.5:1 and change from the aggressive flat tappet cam to a solid roller cam. This should give me over 400 rwhp on the dyno. All this for a car I have never driven faster than 70 mph! But- I got hooked on squeezing performance out of a car on my FD, so we'll see where it goes with my Chevy.

 

If only we could know what cars will be worth in the future. The first car I owned (rather than my parents car that I drove) was a 1966 Mustang 2+2 that came with a "C" code 2 bbl 289 V8 and C4 automatic. Back then-1960s- you could go to any car junk yard and easily find high performance parts off the "K" code cars. You could also get all of the stuff they put on the GT350. I converted the moderately fast 2 bbl car to a clone GT350, including switching to a 4 speed trans. However, I did not have good body repair skills back then and the rust got out of control. I sold it to a guy that had a body shop for $1200, including giving him the original motor and original auto trans. I've seen GT350 clones sell for $50-60K on TV auctions today. Wish I had kept it.

 

Well, now's your chance to not sell your rx7!

 

Yeah......I did a half-hearted attempt to sell it on cars.com a few months ago for $35K and was relieved that there were no serious buyers. Every time I take the cover off and get it out on the road I remember why I like the car. I'll probably never sell it. I may register it in Montana or one of the states where it is cheaper. It costs me about $400 per year in registration, insurance and personal property tax just to have it sit under its cover.

I still have mixed feelings about selling my 1990 GTUs in 2006. I was the original owner and found out that it was one of only 100 made in 1990 model year so Mazda could compete in IMSA GTU class. When John Matras wrote his book on the RX-7, he photo-ed my car (back cover and two pages in book) and found out about the low production numbers. Best handling car I ever had. I keep in touch with the new owner in NH. Unfortunately he gutted the pristine interior, re-painted the original red to white and installed all of the stuff for racing. Last time we spoke, the car still has the record for fast time on a couple of the local tracks in New England.

 

out of pure curiosity, what kind of pricing do you guys think clean, manual, mostly stock, sub 100k mile FD's will be going for in 30 years?

 

In 30’years, we will all be driven in self driving electric cars ....

 

20,000 x 1.1 (to the thirtieth power) = $350,000

I you don't think it will be worth that, sell your car now and buy high yielding blue chip dividend stock.

 

Today many millennials don't know how to drive a stick. In 30 years will the new generation even know how to operate a car?

 

Neither can most boomers . Once the general population that lusts for these cars starts to die off, prices will go back down again. Granted, I think there are quite a few years left for the 80s-90s imports.

 

baby boomers? that's interesting because I've only met a couple of baby boomers that don't know how to drive a stick and they were women if that means anything. But the countless of them that I've known drive sticks just fine. I agree that the 90's cars have a quite a few years left of interest as there is still a mass following for the 1950's cars.

However, I think the big change in demand will be due to self driving cars. In terms of the generation that grows up with them: Not only will driving be stale but the need for any driving experience will not be sought after anymore since they weren't introduced to it in the first place. Barring that, if most don't know how to drive a car what will it do for the demand of manual operation automobiles?

 

Anecdotes aren't really relevant. Most of the boomers I interact with also know how to drive stickshifts (because they're all autocrossers). I don't really care if manual transmissions disappear at this point. My opinion is that I love driving old cars, but I hate driving anywhere that isn't for pleasure (to work, to the store, etc). The sooner that we have self driving cars and/or actual decent public transport nationwide, the better off everyone will be (again.. just an opinion). Self driving cars will remain expensive for a while, so this is probably something I'll see happening just as I get around to retiring.

Back to the original question however.. things that are scarce will always retain some value. It doesn't matter if the next (or next next) generation can't drive a car, because they aren't the prime market for FDs anyway.

And back to pricing, I see that a 94 PEP with 70k sold for $35k in the classifieds, which means that BaT pricing has finally made it to RX7club!

 

Don't confuse an anecdote with actual life experience.

Funny that you say that most boomers don't know how to drive a stick and yet in your experience, most of the ones that you do know actually drive em. Since it is obviously not from personal experience how do you conclude that most boomers do not know how to drive a stick?

 

It carries the same weight as your opinion as neither of us have concrete numbers. The only numbers I have are that ~18% of the US population can drive stick. 23% of the population are boomers. I severely doubt that boomers make up the vast majority ( or "most", whatever that means) of the stick shift driving population. Do I believe that there are less and less stick shift drivers as you move from older to newer generations? Of course. Again, that doesn't really matter.

 

How old are you if I may ask? I am just trying to wage where you are coming from that is all.


But again why do you say that most baby boomers can't drive a stick since your own personal experience shows otherwise. I am really curious where that belief came from.

 

Unless either of you have some concrete numbers instead of speculations, neither arguments carry much value (read: bullshit)

However, speaking from my experience, I def see a higher percentage of baby boomers can driver stick compared to millennials...and I am a millennial.

 

Well, I can give you sort of a concrete number that I got at the BMW Performance Driving School. BMW is one of the few remaining car manufactures that offer manual transmissions in their sedans. But, their days are numbered. Why? BMW's latest survey shows that fewer than 10% of new BMW owners even know how to drive a stick shift let alone want to own one. I can say that BMW's double-clutch 7 speed automatic transmission is superior to any manual they offer. Maybe not as satisfying, but much faster. So, your choices are, get a manual and slow the car down, or get the double-clutch transmission and beat the pants off the old dinosaurs driving around the track rowing through the gears by hand.

 

^^ Not arguing. I just find it fascinating on how he came about his conclusion

Me being a gen x'er: Just about all adults knew how to drive manual cars and none ever looked at us with dismay when we drove stick shifts. Actually it was quite the opposite, as they mostly frowned upon those of us that did not want to learn. Now based on that experience I was a bit taken a back and so it sparked my curiosity. That is all.

But since you asked I do have concrete numbers that add value

Therefore the targeted consumer and buyer was the baby boomers at the ripe age of 23 - 43 years old (for those years listed).

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/...s-disappearing


Edit- I will be that dinosaur! I just love driving a stick shift. My daily is a stick but my previous daily was an auto and I hated it... Maybe in 10 years I'll change my mind but not today

 

I think the biggest theft deterrent in 25 years will be the manual transmission.

 

I wish it will be true.

 

I'm a baby boomer, and pretty much everyone in my age group knows how to drive a stick. If you are just driving to get somewhere, an automatic is fine. If you want to have some fun, and drive something challenging, a stick has always been the way to go.

 

my son who is fourteen wants nothing but 5MT or 6MT...
his circle of friends are saving up for cars all of which are manuals...
they are not even old enough to get their permits yet and they are already planning on what to get... none are automatics