Store and preserve? Or continue to dd it? (1 Viewer)

[Surfdc]

Need some input form the forum;
(Mods let me know if this is the wrong forum but general and chit-chat seemed too far off).
I am at a crossroads with my 80.
It seems that the value of 80’s is going up, and I’ve noticed that I could now sell mine for almost double what I paid for it. This leads me to conclude that they are now appreciating in value.
I feel like I have a good one, and am now at a point where I wonder if I should just store it and dd anything else to preserve it and avoid driving it into the ground. Or just keep daily driving it.
Here are some stats:
The good:

1997 40th Anniversary Edition. Green
170k miles.
Triple locked
Original hg
I am second owner. Original owner bought new and I have all service records. It was never off road. I also have records from work i had done. Even have original window sticker and 40th floor mats!
Lots of pm. I can get into detail if you guys want.
Hood, front fenders, flares professionally repainted. In that process lost the 40th fender emblems. Decided to add the OEM side blinker mod in their place.
Factory roof rack has been removed, holes welded up and roof professionally repainted.
Sunroof rebuilt with OEM parts. Including new glass and gasket and rails. It’s now like new.
Steering wheel professionally rewrapped
50mm TJM lift with 9 way adj shocks
Stereo upgrades, including sub under drivers seat.
All doors, panels and roof sound insulated.
New wood grain interior kit.
Everything works perfectly.

The bad:
3 of the 4 wheels are losing their clear coat
Rear main seal leaks/wraps but not even enough to leave drips on driveway.
Windshield cracked.
Paint on rear tailgate is fading.
That’s really it. She purrs like a tractor and stays right at 184-186, occasionally 188 degrees.

99.9% of its life is my 2 mi commute in town to wrk and back. No freeways. Not because it can’t, it cruises very nicely, we are in a pandemic and can’t go any where and have a 2 and 5 yo. So too young for any big wheeling/camping trips for now. We have a 100 series that is the kid mobile.

I appreciate any comments and advice. Thank you!

 

[jpoole]

I don't think there's a right answer here, particularly without more info about your current and anticipated life goals and needs.

Regarding storing, selling or driving I'd say that unless some practical need promotes one option over another I'd just do whichever you want to do without worry of missing out on a life-changing pay-out at some point.

Your 80 is nice but not in the way that careful use and upkeep should devalue it much, if any, moving forward. If you keep driving it reasonably and fix things as they come up like seats, paint, etc. then it will keep appreciating comparably to if you stored it as it sits now. Flip side, if you want to sell it or store it have at it You can start a thread here about what it's worth, those are always fun

 

[Brc4ever]

I would drive it. First, Stopping usage of vehicles and storing them Properly is not a simple task. If done improperly, you’ll create a bunch of problems that will will be costly (time and/or money) to repair.

Second, I don’t think that 80s are likely to become the Porsche 356 of 4x4 trucks, even if that were the case, yours would need a restoration to pull crazy value. You might be able to get 12 or 15k for the truck now, but I don’t think it‘ll ever be a 40k or 60k truck. Naturally, I could be wrong!

Ultimately, I don’t think 80s are investments...(there are probably at least 100 people on Mud who are saying, “duh! They’re the opposite” )...and there are far better ways to make 5 or 10 grand that don’t involve giving up something you (hopefully) really enjoy.

 

[Tachycardic]

First off, nice truck. Secondly, you should get some highway miles on it. Italian tuneups are good for vehicles. Third, while values for 80 series are going up, people buy these things to drive them, not to make museum pieces out of them. I would consider preserving it if you had a completely stock truck in immaculate condition, but you've already replaced the center console and the front seat has more vinyl on it than leather. Prices only take off if you have a bunch of Jay Lenos buying, or if you wait another 25 years. I think the prices will peak far lower than what you're hoping for.

 

[450LX]

Please store it! I'm going to continue to drive my 80 for years to come. So once you store yours I'll buy it from you after you get tired of storing it and will be able to continue driving 80 series well into my 50's! So for my sake please EVERYBODY continue storing your Cruisers!

 

[Surfdc]

These are the things I need to hear. I was getting nervous to drive it and break it or scratch it because i thought it would devalue it. But that was also killing the fun. It is way more fun to drive it without reserve.
These points you guys are making are the really check I needed. I love driving it. And when I do wheel and take it camping and to the desert, it always gets me home and never misses a beat and is more reliable than whatever my friends are in! Yes it’s heavy and slow but gosh that’s really it.
keep the opinions coming!

 

[Bludozer]

Do you own it for yourself or somebody else? If you own it for you, use it like you want to, it is yours afterall. If you want to preserve it for the next owner then go ahead and put it in storage, I'd be happy to buy it from you at some point

 

[cbmontgo]

Driving it occasionally and keeping the fluids and seals cycled will help it hold value more than storing it and allowing things to start drying out.

Stored vehicles develop all kinds of unintended issues, and that never helps value. And, your mileage isn’t low enough to make it super rare anyway, no offense.

 

[Heckraiser]

Just keep it in good shape, fix things as they come up, and keep using it.

1) Nice truck, but not a museum piece. That is not the one that will get eleventy zillion dollars--it's already too beat for that (not saying it's not in good shape, but the ones that fetch a ton of money are *perfect*) Your mileage is already well into medium territory.
2) Disuse is harder on a vehicle than misuse. They were meant to be driven.
3) I watch 60 series classifieds since I've sold a couple that I regretted and 60-series is my spirit animal. What I've found is even the s***ty rusted ones that are still roadworthy are worth what the good ones used to be about 8 years ago.
4) Cars as investments is a game for professionals. For us plebes, we should just enjoy them and if we happen to make money, just consider it a bonus and use it as ammunition for your next argument with the wife.

 

[BILT4ME]

Your truck is a 1997 40th Anniversary truck with 170K miles.

Most of it has been repainted.
You have cut holes in the front fenders for lights
The center console has been replaced with a Tuffy
You have removed the roof rack and welded up all the holes
You have removed the rear wing and welded the holes shut.
The windshield is cracked.
The front seats are thrashed
The HG is original and that's NOT a good thing.

I come from the world of Studebaker, so that already tells you I'm a bit off.
Your mileage is high and you have done a lot of mods to make it "not original". It would classify as a resto-mod if you want to classify it.
I do not believe the 40th anniversary trucks will command a premium price in the future versus any other LC or LX.

At this point, you have a "driver".

Drive it, enjoy it, use it. If you read my sig line, you'll see how I feel about cars that sit. My Stude has 103K on it now and that is HIGH for a 1959 car. I have driven it on Hot Rod Power Tour twice at 2500 miles each time and had no issues other than a bad wheel bearing. It is NOT a cream puff. It is dented and rusty, but it's "all Studebaker". It shows its lifetime of use but it looks OK and it's different than anything else on the road.

These trucks are made to be driven and used and are known for high lifetime mileage.

To get your truck to a "restored" state, you will likely throw $50K at it at LEAST and that's if you do a majority of the work yourself.

Either sell it and use your 100 or keep it and drive it. Do NOT let it sit and deteriorate.

 

[Pippylongsausage]

I'm torn by this as well. Mine is similar in spec, but still a WIP. I am thinking of keeping my tacoma for my commute, and use the cruiser for everything else, but I don't have a ton of space for vehicles. Then again, after this pandemic is over it's likely that I'll just keep working from home, or at least only go in to the office a couple times a week.

 

[Cruzerman]

I think that saving these vehicles as an investment is dodgy. The prices are high now because people want them as their daily drivers, not because they are getting added to someone's car collection. There are a few of those, but these are not rare vehicles. And the demand is high because right now the overlanding / rugged look is popular. If this look were to fall out of fashion, or if the price of gas were to go up to $4+ a gallon, prices on these vehicles would drop. JMHO.

 

[bhsdriller]

You mentioned you could double your money, what do you think you could get for it?

 

[Surfdc]

Just keep it in good shape, fix things as they come up, and keep using it.

4) Cars as investments is a game for professionals. For us plebes, we should just enjoy them and if we happen to make money, just consider it a bonus and use it as ammunition for your next argument with the wife.

Needed to hear this

It would classify as a resto-mod if you want to classify it.
I do not believe the 40th anniversary trucks will command a premium price in the future versus any other LC or LX.

At this point, you have a "driver".

well said

I think that saving these vehicles as an investment is dodgy. The prices are high now because people want them as their daily drivers, not because they are getting added to someone's car collection. There are a few of those, but these are not rare vehicles. And the demand is high because right now the overlanding / rugged look is popular. If this look were to fall out of fashion, or if the price of gas were to go up to $4+ a gallon, prices on these vehicles would drop. JMHO.

This is a point, and ya this is not my cruiser.

 

[Surfdc]

You mentioned you could double your money, what do you think you could get for it?

I live in San Diego, and around here there are cruisers posted regularly on cl for around 18-20K plus. That are worse than mine. Every time I see these ads, I think the sellers are crazy. But maybe I'm missing something. Which is why i posted this in the first place!
See the links for an examples. No mine is not as nice as the first one, and it looks like the seats have been reupholstered, but mine is factory locked, and 2 years newer. I could have my seats reupholstered, and put the OEM center console back in though. So i have no idea, maybe 16-18K for mine?

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[Tachycardic]

Personally, I think those prices are insane. Mine is similar to the 93 minus the lockers, and i paid 1/3rd the price in late 2019. If your market supports those prices consistently, then I would consider flipping 80s in San Diego.

 

[Cruiser4Lyfe]

DD it, enjoy and rebuild/ replace components as they wear out. I love my cruiser way too much to park it. These ain’t ever going to bring muscle car money so may as well use them for what they were designed for and not look back.

 

[Surfdc]

Personally, I think those prices are insane. Mine is similar to the 93 minus the lockers, and i paid 1/3rd the price in late 2019. If your market supports those prices consistently, then I would consider flipping 80s in San Diego.

Well I actually looked into this and penciled out the numbers and the margins were just too small. Not to mention the time to wrench on them, and keep my day job, and raise a 2 and 5 yr old. I actually think there is more profit in parting them out!!

 

[SNLC]

Nice Cruiser!

You drive that 2 miles and shut it down, twice a day. You will kill it. Engines don't like that.

Cheers

 

[DSRTRDR]

drive it - but also put some longer distances on it

life's too short to worry about vehicle values - quite frankly, if the COVIDS taught us anything, it's to live life right now (with masks and distancing) - and there's plenty to see in this country without meeting anybody - the desert is right out your door to the east