Author Topic: Were they expensive??? (Read 4272 times)

Scat Pack Fever · « **on:** June 07, 2011 - 10:27:59 AM »

Hello Everyone!

This question goes out to the people who were around when these cars were brand new. My question is this. Were the hi end muscle cars like Hemi Cuda's, gtx's etc expensive when they were new? I ask this because the sticker price on these cars seemed fairly cheap in today's dollars. I am guessing that a $1000 on the price tag was a big deal back then. Being born in 1973 I don't remember these cars when they were on the lots. But I was just wondering if they were unreachable to some people. I look at the high end cars today and can't believe how much they are. I am wondering if people had sticker shock on hi end cars back then?

purple1 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 07, 2011 - 12:21:19 PM »

In 1974 I went to a new Dodge car lot with my mother. I was about 10 or maybe 11 at the time. She got a brand new Dart Swinger. I said "Mom, look at this one, it's only a few hundred more". I didn't even know what I was looking at. Turns out it was a new red Challenger. But without A/C. She said no way could she afford that one after they add A/C to it and she got the Dart. So I kind do think it was just the extra cost made them out of reach for many.

tommyg29 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 07, 2011 - 02:33:09 PM »

one way to tell is to compare the prices to the mustangs, camaros and firebirds of the time.
I think the cudas were slightly less expensive than challengers.
Probably about like buying a car today somewhere in the $30's. You can spend $20k for an econobox, or $40k+ for a nice performing sedan.

But options are important too. There are some cars/trucks you can literally double the price from base to loaded

Cuda Cody · « **Reply #3 on:** June 07, 2011 - 02:59:37 PM »

Here's a way to put it in to perspective. In 1970 a new house cost $23,400.00 and a new car in 1970 would be about $3,510 (or about 15% of the cost of a average home). Todays median price of a home is $217,900 and 15% of that is $32,685. So if using todays dollar and we were in 1970 a new base model Challenger would be about $32,685.

Also using todays dollars, adding options and stepping up to a Hemi in 1970 would put the car around $55K to $60K (in todays money) Options add up FAST http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/dealerships/1970SalesmansPocketGuidesDodge-01.shtml

When you look back then in todays dollars it's not much different than going down to the dealer right now, if anything the prices are better now then they were back then. Base model 2011 Challengers are about $25K and add options and a bigger motor puts you about $45K. That makes todays Challengers cheaper now then new ones back in 1970 (using inflation).

The prices for new cars today is about the same when you account for inflation. So go buy all the rare cars you want... they're easier to find today than in 1970. For that matter, a used viper in todays money is like $3,000 in 1970 money.

Scat Pack Fever · « **Reply #4 on:** June 07, 2011 - 03:46:48 PM »

Very interesting CODY. I have always thought to my self "why didn't people just buy a hemi back then." It seems so cheap looking at the 70's prices in todays dollars. I wonder when these cars were the cheapest? I am guessing in the late 70's when the gas crunch hit. I remember in 1979 (I was 6) and the gas stations had long lines. I also remember in some states that you could only get gas according to the last # on your license plate. I like to watch the old t.v. shows from the late 70's early 80's when they show a junk yard and you can see a bunch of old challengers, barracuda's, superbee's etc.

brads70 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 07, 2011 - 03:50:31 PM »

It always seemed to me a average new car was about the same as a average working mans wages. Still is. So if this is true an extra $1000( 1/3rd more) for a Hemi, A/C or what ever.... was a big deal to most. Like Cody said though about the same difference between a base model Challenger and a loaded SRT. What HAS changed is the size of government and TAXES but I better leave that one alone....

burnt orange · « **Reply #6 on:** June 07, 2011 - 03:57:25 PM »

In 1970 I was a labourer in a mill making about $5/hour. My 318 Barracuda cost $4441. (The Hemi sitting beside it was about $400 more, but with fewer options and it was red, so I didn't get it!!!.

)

So, I was making about $10000 a year, my car cost 1/2 years pay. How much does a mill worker make now?

MJS73 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 07, 2011 - 06:00:01 PM »

My dad bought a Challenger T/A new at Mr. Norm's and it was expensive for him.

1ownr · « **Reply #8 on:** June 07, 2011 - 06:48:44 PM »

We paid 3850 for our 71 'cuda.
I was driving a 67 Mustang at the time and Charlie had a 67 GTO. I remember it was a quick decision and ordered the car, had we thought it out more, we probably would have gone for the hemi along with a few other options.

We were just getting married so didn't have big expenses such as kids or a house yet. Now today, it is a different story, getting it restored, just want to get it done right.

Look forward to driving it again,

judy

challengermaniac · « **Reply #9 on:** June 07, 2011 - 08:38:57 PM »

Don't forget with the added cost of premium gas & insurance along with the added options above the base model, a lot of the true Muscle Cars were a hard sell and actually sat on showroom floors for a long time before being bounced between dealers until they finally found a buyer.

Although when each of us stops to consider the number of hours and all of the money we put into these cars today, our cost per mile has got to be "out of this world"!

Road_Runner · « **Reply #10 on:** June 07, 2011 - 09:01:37 PM »

Another way to look at this is minimum wage. I was in junior high in the early 70's working to buy my first car at the $1.65/hr minimum wage ($7.25 now I believe). I got a couple of raises/promotions to get that to just over $2.00/hr by the time I bought my used 1970 Roadrunner in 1974 for $1500 when I was 15. It was very clean with 40k miles so not a bad deal even back then. And like what was mentioned before, this was only a year or two before the first Arab oil embargo where big blocks & hemis were going for the same or even less than small block cars that got better gas mileage. Then leaded premium became unavailable a few years later, leaded regular soon after that and by then it was pretty much no fun trying to drive these cars as daily drivers....

Later, Jim

hotrod98 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 07, 2011 - 10:49:56 PM »

My friends that bought the hemi cars were very disappointed. They fouled plugs all of the time and were difficult to start, expecially on cold days. They sat in the driveway most of the time while the 440 and 340 cars had very few problems. The 340's seemed to be the most reliable of the performance engines. Most of the young people were making $1.85 an hour. A typical paycheck was around $60 a week. Do the math. Most of the people that really wanted a new cuda, just couldn't afford it. I was lucky enough to have been just the right age to buy the used stuff when it was cheap. We would buy cudas, runners, chargers, camaros and chevelles for around $500. We would drive the wheels off of them and then sell them for a couple of hundred dollars. Great times...

jimynick · « **Reply #12 on:** June 07, 2011 - 11:22:39 PM »

In 71 I started in the body shop at $2.00hr and in 73 priced a new 340 Duster 4 speed out the door at $3700 while making about $3.25. It was damn nearly a years gross wage and high test was $0.42 a gallon. If memory serves, the hemi cars were in the high 4's to low 5's and were simply out of reach for a 20 something kid. $5000 seems affordable now, but it was a hard sell then.

mojavered · « **Reply #13 on:** June 08, 2011 - 02:08:28 AM »

I saw a special on the news a while back and they said that minimum wage of $4 an hour back in the 70's is the equivalent to making $36 an hour today. That says a lot. when you put that against today's wages.
I like the way you put that into perspective on the cost of autos to houses Cody.

nqkjw · « **Reply #14 on:** June 08, 2011 - 07:57:12 AM »

I'm 52yo and was around when these cars were new although I was still a kid.
My father was buying new caes then and I can still remember the purchase prices.Even though it's an Australian example the price differences would still be indicative.
In 1970 he bought a new Ford Falcon ute(pickup)for $2300.It was 6cyl manual 3 on the tree(read bottom of the range poverty pack.)
Only a few weeks later he bought a new Ford Falcon Fairmont station wagon with 302W,C4 and a few extras for $3000.This was like an upper middle class family car.
At the time a Ford GTHO Falcon(regarded as Australia's ultimate muscle car)was $4000.
Shortly after he traded the Fairmont wagon on a 2nd hand 2yo 1970 pillarless 383 Dodge Phoenix (what you would call a Plymouth Fury) and paid $5200 for it.Back then the big yank tanks were regarded as the penultimate executive car.

Author Topic: Were they expensive??? (Read 4272 times)

Scat Pack Fever

Were they expensive???

purple1

Re: Were they expensive???

tommyg29

Re: Were they expensive???

Cuda Cody

Re: Were they expensive???

Scat Pack Fever

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brads70

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burnt orange

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MJS73

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1ownr

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challengermaniac

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Road_Runner

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hotrod98

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jimynick

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mojavered

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nqkjw

Re: Were they expensive???