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RyanGreener (Forum Supporter)
RyanGreener (Forum Supporter) Reader
8/8/22 8:23 a.m.

Nostalgia is not about logic and rationality. Unfortunately I'm not super rich so I can't afford to pay nostalgia taxes on cars I loved growing up. That's life! I'll always thirst after old MK3 Supras but it just doesn't make sense right now.

te72
te72 HalfDork
8/8/22 10:49 p.m.
CrustyRedXpress said:

Thanks to a few minutes on the floor at Mecum, though, I got the bug. Badly. Another CRX? Honda’s follow-up model, the del Sol? Another Civic? Integra? Integra Type R? Japanese-market Integra Type R?

No bad answers there.

Money no object I'd go ITR, but why does the Prelude never come up when people talk about Golden Age Hondas?

They seem undervalued right now.

 

My first positive experience with a Honda was in a way lowered 93 Prelude vtec with an intake. Bone stock other than that, and in 2004... it was impressively quick for a 4 banger.

te72
te72 HalfDork
8/8/22 10:52 p.m.
RyanGreener (Forum Supporter) said:

Nostalgia is not about logic and rationality. Unfortunately I'm not super rich so I can't afford to pay nostalgia taxes on cars I loved growing up. That's life! I'll always thirst after old MK3 Supras but it just doesn't make sense right now.

The dream is far better than the typical reality when it comes to Mk3's these days. They're fantastically built cars, but the reality is that they were fairly tech heavy cars for their era, and the wiring is really starting to show its age. Fortunately, the support for these cars, from a knowledge standpoint, is phenomenal. Very much a part of the reason I've had these cars for uh... wow. 17 years now.

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
8/9/22 10:56 a.m.
CrustyRedXpress said:

Thanks to a few minutes on the floor at Mecum, though, I got the bug. Badly. Another CRX? Honda’s follow-up model, the del Sol? Another Civic? Integra? Integra Type R? Japanese-market Integra Type R?

No bad answers there.

Money no object I'd go ITR, but why does the Prelude never come up when people talk about Golden Age Hondas?

They seem undervalued right now.

 

Someone asked me that same question this weekend: Why not a Prelude?

I dug driving them back when they were new but, for whatever reason, they're just not calling me. 

Four-lug, JDM Type R does sound cool, though. :) 

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
8/9/22 10:58 a.m.

And this just showed up:

preach (dudeist priest)
preach (dudeist priest) GRM+ Memberand Dork
8/9/22 11:02 a.m.

I have said this many times:

A Porsche 914 in a good canyon is sublime. It's not fast but it is existential. You are alive with the handling, the smell, the sound, the pure feel of a mid-engined car.

N.A.R.P. my ass.

RyanGreener (Forum Supporter)
RyanGreener (Forum Supporter) Reader
8/9/22 11:06 a.m.
te72 said:
RyanGreener (Forum Supporter) said:

Nostalgia is not about logic and rationality. Unfortunately I'm not super rich so I can't afford to pay nostalgia taxes on cars I loved growing up. That's life! I'll always thirst after old MK3 Supras but it just doesn't make sense right now.

The dream is far better than the typical reality when it comes to Mk3's these days. They're fantastically built cars, but the reality is that they were fairly tech heavy cars for their era, and the wiring is really starting to show its age. Fortunately, the support for these cars, from a knowledge standpoint, is phenomenal. Very much a part of the reason I've had these cars for uh... wow. 17 years now.

Oh, disclaimer. My first car was an MK3 supra but it had too much rust so I eventually let it go. The knowledge base is SUPERB with these cars!

Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter)
Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) SuperDork
8/9/22 11:09 a.m.

My first car was an MGA. I bought a Honda CRXsi back in 1987 when they were brand new.

I drove a Mustang in high school and I drive a much newer Mustang today that kind of looks like the old one.

I kept my Miata and my 914. The Miata will make a good rallycross car. The 914 is just cool to drive on a Sunday afternoon and remember the good old days. The 914 cost me $4,000 many years ago. The Miata was $3,500 out of the Auto Trader. I don't think I would buy either one of them at today's current prices.

te72
te72 HalfDork
8/9/22 11:52 a.m.

In reply to RyanGreener (Forum Supporter) :

Nice. Rust has claimed a few too many of them, unfortunately. You should see the basket cases we see over on those forums once in a while. There are some incredibly optimistic people out there, lemme tell ya...

 

Mk3 was my fourth car overall, but my first "nice" car. I had been driving an old Cavalier for five years prior to the Supra, and let's just say, you knew, without looking at signs, what the speed limit was in the Cavalier. The Supra, on the other hand... I recall wondering why the semi trucks were all going so slow on my first road trip in that car. "They're not going slow dude, you're just cruising at 125, oops." =P

RyanGreener (Forum Supporter)
RyanGreener (Forum Supporter) Reader
8/9/22 12:22 p.m.
te72 said:

In reply to RyanGreener (Forum Supporter) :

Nice. Rust has claimed a few too many of them, unfortunately. You should see the basket cases we see over on those forums once in a while. There are some incredibly optimistic people out there, lemme tell ya...

 

Mk3 was my fourth car overall, but my first "nice" car. I had been driving an old Cavalier for five years prior to the Supra, and let's just say, you knew, without looking at signs, what the speed limit was in the Cavalier. The Supra, on the other hand... I recall wondering why the semi trucks were all going so slow on my first road trip in that car. "They're not going slow dude, you're just cruising at 125, oops." =P

Absolutely loved my MK3 Supra. I think it had a lot of features ahead of its time (it was a 1987). I didn't even mind the head gasket cause it was well documented and I knew it was going to happen eventually.

docwyte
docwyte PowerDork
8/9/22 4:03 p.m.

While I certainly appreciate how cool the ITR is, I have no desire to own one.  I drove a GSR back in 1999, at sea level even, and was not impressed with the complete and utter lack of torque.  It would just be worse once the altitude -20% penalty is applied.  Basically for any older car to feel somewhat snappy up here it's gotta have a turbo, which then leads into the issues of proper engine management as that didn't really get pretty good until the 00's....

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
8/9/22 4:06 p.m.

In reply to docwyte :

True story: I asked Honda if we could buy the 1997 Type R press car that was sent our way. I was told, no, it came in on a bond so it either has to go back home or be crushed.

We'd eventually buy a 2000 Civic Si. 

te72
te72 HalfDork
8/10/22 10:02 a.m.

I'll say this much, sight lines on older cars were WAY better. That's probably my biggest gripe with modern cars.

volvoclearinghouse
volvoclearinghouse PowerDork
8/10/22 10:17 a.m.

Nostalgia dies hard for me. 

dean1484
dean1484 GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
8/10/22 10:38 a.m.

The 944 transports me back in time like no other car.  All of the variants will do but the allure of the turbo or an s2 is so strong.  Days when the only computer in the car was the sponge between my ears.  Every time I sit in one it transports me back to the late 80s. 

Tony Sestito
Tony Sestito UltimaDork
8/10/22 10:43 a.m.

Nostalgia is a powerful force that can easily separate you from your money. For me, I had the foresight to keep at least one of my project cars from back in the day, and most of my "stuff" from when I was a kid, so I feel like I'm ahead of the game. That said, I've had strong urges to buy another 1987-88 Mercury Cougar XR7 (my high school ride) and a clean 2002-03 WRX (one of my favorite cars from 20 years ago). Every time I see one up for sale, that nostalgic wave comes over me and the urge is strong to make a stupid decision. As time marches on, it's harder and harder to resist. While I don't see the 80's Non-Mustang Fox Body cars selling for mega bucks in the future, that 1st US market WRX is already a classic and clean examples will only skyrocket in value. 

docwyte
docwyte PowerDork
8/11/22 9:03 a.m.

In reply to David S. Wallens :

I was looking for one of these for a bit as I totally agree that they're a special car, regardless of how much wind they'd suck up here at altitude.  I should've bought one when they were $10-15k.  To me, at least, they're not worth the $50-75k a good one seems to sell for now.  There are lots and lots of other cars I'd buy first, second, third for that amount of money.

frenchyd
frenchyd MegaDork
8/11/22 7:35 p.m.
ddavidv said:

I graduated high school in 1983. There's very few cars from that period I'd ever really want, so the nostalgia factor doesn't really, uh, factor.

I had a Fox Mustang, Charger 2.2 and Honda CRX Si.  None of them I would want back, especially the Charger. Ugh, what a pile of misery that thing was.

Nowadays I go for stuff way older (1960s, 1970s).  Didn't really grow up with them in the family or anything; I just prefer the looks and simplicity. They aren't great cars, but they are fun in their own way.  It's not nostalgia I'm going after, it's a certain kind of driving experience that is more raw and interactive.

Post WW2 Vets came back and wanted  the cars they grew up with. So 32 Fords 40 Fords.  ie; Hot Rods. 
 The new as Baby boomers grew up we wanted the same basic thing. Except now it was muscle cars or sports cars. 
 Etc. 
     But the really great cars from any era are always increasing in valve.  Duesenburg 427 Cobra,  etc etc etc. 

Ian F (Forum Supporter)
Ian F (Forum Supporter) MegaDork
11/3/22 9:24 a.m.

As a Gen X child of the 70's and 80's, my nostalgia still leans towards old Mopars.  So my space & money-no-object nostalgia purchase would be a '69 Charger resto-mod.  Because those are what I day-dreamed about when I was a kid before the term "resto-mod" was a thing - I just knew I wanted a Charger that could actually go around corners. 

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 PowerDork
11/3/22 9:46 a.m.

In my opinion, no. However, if something makes you smile or even brings temporary joy every now and then, it's totally worth it. Plus most retro cars aren't NPC crossovers so doubly worth it from an external factor. 

wspohn
wspohn SuperDork
11/3/22 10:19 a.m.
RobMason said:

One thing i have found is that you really can't go back. It never seems to live up to the memory.However....you Can make new memories - just don't expect it to be the same as it once was. Go a different route than you did in the past. My first car was a '61 MGA that I restored to pretty good show quality. My new one is full race mechanicals and 4 different colors of primer and overspray that I autocross and track - having an absolute blast, but it won't win any beauty pagents.

I hear you, Rob.  The first car I bought with my own money was a 1958 MGA that I picked up in 1970 for $500.  It saw me through university, then solo events, and then 20 + years of racing and it is  still out in my garage today because I can't find any potential buyer that I am confident wouldn't butcher it (example - last guy agreed to my price but when I asked him if he knew how to care for a unique race engine (1950 cc 5 main DOHC one off race engine) his response was that he would run it until it blew up and then stick a V8 in it).  You can see why it is still in my garage - it isn't about the money!

I told him that it was no longer for sale to him at any price.

 

 

docwyte
docwyte PowerDork
11/3/22 3:54 p.m.

Agree, you can't go back.  I discovered that last year with my VW Corrado VR6 purchase.  It was a nice car with all the right period mods and it drove quite well actually.  Problem was things have moved forward in the last 20 years since I had one and my own personal "car level" (so to speak) has gone up significantly.  So while the Corrado was a cool car still, I just didn't enjoy driving it that much, it didn't really do anything for me, which I was surprised by.  Hence me selling it after I'd sorted out some small bits on it and I have to say, I don't have a desire to own another one.

jhenard
jhenard
11/3/22 4:32 p.m.

Nostalgia is just a mid life crisis without a pony tail and 20 year old girlfriend - not any cheaper but socially more accepted 

Tom1200
Tom1200 UberDork
11/3/22 7:26 p.m.
jhenard said:

Nostalgia is just a mid life crisis without a pony tail and 20 year old girlfriend - not any cheaper but socially more accepted 

Ummm no actually: vintage bikes $2200, Datsun $9,000 after 39 years, vintage Formula 500 $6,700 = $17,900.00

Seeing as a 20 year old girlfriend costs 1/2 your net worth nostalgia seems pretty cheap to me. 

 

ddavidv
ddavidv UltimaDork
11/4/22 8:07 a.m.

It's got nothing to do with mid-life when you've been playing with this stuff for almost 50 years. I buy what I am most comfortable with. Working on older stuff is far easier and more fun. Hobbies should be fun, not taxing. 

As to the cost, I've got maybe $15,000 tied up in two older vehicles and two old motorcycles. Their net value, however, is $25,000 and still rising. Appreciating assets, unlike the 20 year old whose value will depreciate over time (Google 'sexual market value').

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