James D Rowan wrote:
>
> On Thu, 11 Dec 1997, Frank Clarici wrote:
>
> >
> > Auto makers will try anything to meet the nostalgia buffs out there.
> > Dodge Viper, Plymouth Prowler, useless cars but way cool!
> > What about the new Chevy Impala, Everything the old one was but modern.
> > (Amy jump in any time) Amy Turner has a new Impala. Classic American iron in
> > a new wrapper.
>
> In this age of everything old is new again (according to automakers) I
> really wouldn't call the Caprice Classic er Impala classic american
> iron. Rather Chevy's half hearted rebadging attempt at classic american
> iron. I mean a digtal dash come on. Didn't those go out with '87
> Cavaliers?
> I will say this, at least something halfway decent came out of that
> abomination of a car, the Caprice.
> Just saw the "new" Impala (1999). It's based on a
> streched Lumina platform, standard v-6, and fancy alloy wheels... sounds
> like a thrilling car don't it? Me thinks GM wants those cop car sales back
> that it lost when it dropped the Capricious. Give a car an old name,
> some fancy badging, ground effects, chrome rims and huge low profile
> tires and viola Chevy's current mindset. Monte Carlo, Malibu,
> Impala, Roadmaster, personally I'm waiting for the return of the Corvair
> although I'd settle for a Vega.
>
> Put SS on anything and someone will buy it,
> Jim Rowan
> 60 SpriteJust bought a completely restored '68 Camaro 327, in showroom
>condition,
with auto trans, AC, PS, PB, etc. for $12,000. Why waste your time and
MONEY on trying to recapture the old "Muscle Cars" by paying $25000+ on
Detroits version of a '90s-retro '60s piece of junk, when as soon as you
drive it off the lot you've lost $5,000-8,000!!!! My point is: don't
buy a $70,000 Viper when you can buy a concours '63 split window
Stingray Corvette for 1/2 the price. Don't buy a Mazda Miata for
$18,000 when you can buy a very well sorted out '67 AH 3000 for the same
price. Don't buy a '98 Mustang GT convertible for $27,000 when you can
buy a '65 Mustang convertible in concours shape for 1/2 the price.
I'll enjoy driving my '68 Camaro for four or five years, then,
depending on condition, I'll sell it for around $10,000. That's about
$500/year depreciation for driving a car that gets noticed a heck of a
lot more than a '98 Camaro. Whereas, if I had bought the '98 Camaro, I
would probably average about $3000/ year depreciation.
Detroit has the right idea in trying to bring back the cars that
"fired" us up as youths, they just can't get around the government
regulations and realy do what we would like to see. And that is to
re-tool up and create "new" '65 Mustangs, '67 Camaros, '63 Corvettes,
'57 T-Birds, etc.
Rick
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