it takes people with money and no brains to keep the economy going i guess...

[danny_galaga]

http://biz.yahoo.com/weekend/retromod_1.html

"honey, you paid HOW much to put in a $1000 fuel injection kit and a cd player?"

[DaveMMR]

Hey, if these people can spend that kind of money on upgrading a classic car, more power to them.  It's probably just pocket change for them anyway. 

Personally, if I had that kind of money, I'd invest in a disco floor or hedge maze.

[NightGod]

That upgraded Shelby GT500E looks pretty damn sweet, though. Not 120K sweet, but it's fun to look at...

[DaveMMR]

Even better - I'd pull one of these on an old DeLorean.  Now to find a stretch of road in NY that'll allow me to go 88 MPH.

[original_maxlamer]

Its how some people spend their disposeable income, and i can completely understand their desire and willingness to spend what it costs to have it exactly how they want it.

The comment "I want it to drive like the Lexus I drive every day," is not what i would personally be after as i enjoy the rawness and misbehaviour of the older cars when i drive an older car, however i would not call people who's perferences for the looks of an older car and the characteristics of a modern car, idiots, stupid or whatever.

After all, has your partner who may have absolutely no interest in arcade games, called you stupid for spending X amount on building an arcade machine, especially when you could have spend less on getting the latest xbox/ps2/whatever

[danny_galaga]

well, what im getting at i guess is that they are marketing to people who somehow have never heard of the idea of 'hotrodding'. thats all this is. and even a really classy hot rod can be had for less than half what they are talking about. hell they dont even have to chop and channel or anything...

[Stingray]

There's something people often forget about those great cars Detroit put out during the 1950s and 1960s.

They were mostly horrible to drive.

I stopped reading right there. See you at the Honda dealership, Nancy. Leave the real cars to the guys who can handle them.

-S

[shardian]

My father-in-law has a corvette, not a classic, more like an early 80's model. The point is - it is loud, it beats the crap out of you on a bumpy road, and it jolts you every time it shifts gears. It is also a real pain in the ass to get in and out of.
That thing is one uncomfortable car...AND IT IS FUN AS HELL TO DRIVE!!!

I could only imagine owning a real classic, and dealing with all those glorious imperfections they came with. That is what makes them special.

[reptilehead]

Being an owner of a '67 Impala, a '71 Roadrunner, a '69 Roadrunner, a '69 gmc pickup, and a '72 Mercedes 280, at different times, I can say with certianty that its about the fixing as well as the looks.
None save the Mercedes were even CLOSE to original, all were fixed up in my garage, all had engine transplants (save that 280 again) and they were all more FUN to drive and fix than the Mercedes.
 
 Now if I were out to impress the hoodlums, the Impala was the best, the gearheads loved the Roadrunners (never mind how bad they actually were) but the ladies? yeah you guessed it, the Mercedes always seemed to be a hit.
 Now lets do some quick and dirty math. the mercedes was serviced professionally, oil changes, tuneups, brakes, suspension, transmission services and professional detailing = A HELLUVA lot of money every year.
 A '67 impala that never saw a shop, had a 454 shoehorned into it in a barn, was painted with the cheapest duplicolor paint I could get in bulk, smoked tires all day long, was comfortable, rolled like a boat,  and finally ended its life by stopping (typically) 50 feet over where I needed it to.
 Personally gentleman, its all about the ladies,  I'm stuck on my mercedes kick for obvious reasons, I doubt I'll ever build another "muscle car," but had I improved my braking capabilities with the impala, I'd probably still be driving that.
 I don't honestly think it's the money, or the car, or even the opinions of others, its what makes the DRIVER/OWNER happy. Some find happiness in getting all the gearhead's attention, some like the car but want better,and  some like all the phone numbers they get from the ladies.
 
 
 
 
 Me? I'll be cruising the strip in the mercedes and calling up the ladies for an evening on the town
 

[AtomSmasher]

Thats why I like my modern muscle car.  All the power of the classic muscle cars and a comfortable ride    The independent suspension does add a bit of wheel hop when drag racing, but since its my daily driver, its definately worth the small trade off.