Classic Car prices

I think Rusty has a thread on here about a Dynacorn body Mustang he built. I'll try to find it.
For my next project, I'm thinking of a ~ 1968 era Jeep CJ5. Totally plan to to just build from scratch rather than find one to restore. Dynacorn doesn't have the tub, but others do. By the time you buy a tub, a frame, axles, etc. there is no advantage to starting with a complete vehicle.
Jeep is much simpler than a Mustang, but as I think about my el Camino project, very few factory parts are going on the shell (which is now about 1/3 aftermarket Sheetmetal anyway.) All I can really think of is the door innards, bumper brackets, under-dash braces, just not much.
If I were doing a Chevelle or 67-69 Camaro, I would lean toward the Dynacorn shell. Seriously.

One issue to consider is titling. Every state is different. I looked into it and it is not a problem in Washington state, but I've read that it can be in come states.
 
I understand they’re all made overseas- Can’t speak to Dynacorn’s quality- never used them . Only going by my research on mustang forums - went with NPD based on what I read
 
I'm still trying to get over Festivas bringing $6-7K! No shade on you Astro but those things were absolute penalty boxes. Only redeemable thing about them was the gas mileage. When I was young I worked at a Shop that rebuilt dozens of them. They were hard to get straight as the metal was thin and really low quality.
What is the appeal of them to you Astro?
They're one of the greatest cars ever built, good enough that like the original VW Beetle they're still being built in the original/un-updated body style decades later. Throw a set of coilovers on them and they'll out-handle pretty much anything street legal, I autocross mine and it regularly places top 5 or top 10 at local events even though it only has 75 hp at the crank. I've driven it from SC to IL for a Festiva meet and entered it in an SCCA autocross there where they're much more competitive ( numerous trailered/purpose built cars) and placed in the top 1/3rd out of ~70 entries and the only prep I did was to swap wheels/tires. They're designed by Mazda and have Mazda b series engines (origins in the 323 rally car I think?) so they have interchangability of factory parts much like aircooled VWs; a Miata engine literally bolts in. A turbo Capri XR2 engine pretty much bolts straight in, and gets you 180 whp on the factory tune in a car that weighs sub 1800 pounds and can easily be lightened into the low 1600's without cutting anything. There aren't many cars you can buy and build for less than 5k that will keep up with, and outrun most anything around a road course and actually be fun and reliable at the same time using 95% cheap and easy to find oem parts. The Festiva community is also by far the best car community I've been a part of.

I brought up Miatas and how well everyone says they drive and handle earlier... my stock '95 Miata on all-season tires will do 49-50 mph through a certain section of "road reflector slalom" on my daily commute. My old '92 Miata that was modified with coilovers, street/track alignment, and stickier 260tw Nitto tires would do 54-55 mph before it started losing grip. My '89 Festiva on stock suspension other than coilovers, street/track alignment (not aggressive track specs, tires last 20k+ driving aggressively) and all season tires will do 67 mph through the exact same section of road... it's downright violent and a race seat is necessary to stay in place behind the steering wheel... on cheap $200 all season tires. It'll easily do 70+ with my 100tw race tires.

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This is a friend of mine's Festiva track car that he was driving to events when this video was shot. It was tuned to around 170whp to meet class rules back then. He set a few track records in his class in the Pro Autosport time trials race series.

Skip to 5:00



It's making 430whp now with aero and a more aggresive wheel/tire package (Sprint Car front spindle mount wheels in the rear on titanium spindles) now that hes in an unlimited class.

Vid of the updated version.

 
What do you guys think about Dynacorn bodies? One of those is about the only way I'll ever be able to build a 67 Mustang. Impossible to find a good builder IMO. Clapped out trash fastbacks bring 15k or more nowadays.
Would love to have a Brookville 32 3 window body as well.

 
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I got a great deal on my 1968 Plymouth GTX:
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Previous owner had taken it to this shop for restoration and I saw it sitting there for a while. Then it was gone so I figured they had moved it into the shop to work on it.
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A few weeks later I saw an ad on Craigslist for a 1968 Plymouth GTX for $6500.00. So I called and the guy told me that he had taken it to a place to have it restored and that they dismantled the entire car before giving him an estimate. The estimate was so high that the guy changed his mind and wanted the car back. The guy at the shop returned the shell and all the parts in boxes. The owner of course couldn't do anything with it so he put it up for sale.
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Now all the parts are waiting patiently in my garage while I finish working on a Dodge Dakota Sport for a guy.
Good deals are out there but you won't find them at specialty auctions.
 
Speaking of collector car prices! Wow, I mean I would LOVE a GNX, but that price...

My folks used to go to these Christian conferences in the Summer. Something called CFO. They were kinda fun always held at Universities and a lot of kids my age would be there. Anyway in 1987 we went to one at Campbell University in NC. I was 15. One of the girls that was there was I think my age as well but she brought her 18 y.o. boyfriend. He had just bought a brand new GNX. First time I ever heard of it and how he afforded one at 18 I don't know. I think they were around 30K in 1987. That was one of the meanest looking cars I had seen to that point in my short life. I tagged along with them one day when we played hookie from the conference and rode with them Durham NC to go see a movie. About a thirty minute ride. I had too as I wanted to ride in that car. I still remember the new car smell. It was a very cool car. My folks were understandably worried as I didn't tell them I was going with them to Durham. (better to ask forgiveness than permission:)) My Dad was really upset and going to ground me for a long time'till he saw the car. I could see it in his eyes. Just don't do it again is all he said. Think he understood.:)

Epilogue: Skip ahead three years to 1990. My girlfriend at the time and I were going to an Aerosmith concert in Chapel Hill NC at the "Dean Dome". Where I live you go thru Durham to get to Chapel Hill. We stopped at a convenience store there. Who should be gassing up but the guy and his GNX. It was a little sad to see because that car had led a very hard three years. Not the same car it was in 1987. Wonder where it is now 31 years later?
 
My folks used to go to these Christian conferences in the Summer. Something called CFO. They were kinda fun always held at Universities and a lot of kids my age would be there. Anyway in 1987 we went to one at Campbell University in NC. I was 15. One of the girls that was there was I think my age as well but she brought her 18 y.o. boyfriend. He had just bought a brand new GNX. First time I ever heard of it and how he afforded one at 18 I don't know. I think they were around 30K in 1987. That was one of the meanest looking cars I had seen to that point in my short life. I tagged along with them one day when we played hookie from the conference and rode with them Durham NC to go see a movie. About a thirty minute ride. I had too as I wanted to ride in that car. I still remember the new car smell. It was a very cool car. My folks were understandably worried as I didn't tell them I was going with them to Durham. (better to ask forgiveness than permission:)) My Dad was really upset and going to ground me for a long time'till he saw the car. I could see it in his eyes. Just don't do it again is all he said. Think he understood.:)

Epilogue: Skip ahead three years to 1990. My girlfriend at the time and I were going to an Aerosmith concert in Chapel Hill NC at the "Dean Dome". Where I live you go thru Durham to get to Chapel Hill. We stopped at a convenience store there. Who should be gassing up but the guy and his GNX. It was a little sad to see because that car had led a very hard three years. Not the same car it was in 1987. Wonder where it is now 31 years later?
Good story!
I was just at the end of my enlistment in the Navy in 1987.
They were offering $30K bonus to re-up for us with technical training.
It was tempting, that was a lot of money back then, but I said no and got out.
I had a buddy who took the offer, just so he could buy a new Monte Carlo SS.
Wasn't a great car then and I can't imagine what is like now, they didn't weather well.
At that time you could get a really nice '67 Big Block Corvette for $10K, I looked at a few in San Diego and was thinking if I took the bonus, I would get one of those, take it home and store it until I got out. That would've been a good deal!
 
OK it's official, people have lost their damn minds... I really need to stop looking at BaT.

Those things were absolute POS penalty boxes. I think someone bought and realised what an absolute dog that 3 cylinder motor was and parked it. :oops:
Now 31 years later it's a "Classic". Oh and it was a Geo Metro not a Chevrolet Metro. Chevy sold them but they didn't want their name on them.:)
 
Those things were absolute POS penalty boxes. I think someone bought and realised what an absolute dog that 3 cylinder motor was and parked it. :oops:
Now 31 years later it's a "Classic". Oh and it was a Geo Metro not a Chevrolet Metro. Chevy sold them but they didn't want their name on them.:)

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yes they were i worked for chevrolet when they came out...that one listed was a FI engine a tad better than those carburetor turds from the mid 80s like the spectrums and trackers i think the early version of the metro was the sprint
 
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