What's YOUR idea of a "nice" older car?

20 yrs ago, when someone told me of a "nice" older car...that's pretty much what I saw when i went to look at it. Mechanically OK to drive, and cosmetically nice enough to be fairly content looking at it without dumping money into it. Fast forward to now....and I see a barely salvageable piece when looking at a car that was described as being "nice". Seems the word "nice" in application to old cars has changed quite a bit in 20 yrs. What are YOUR views/observations on THIS matter?

 

You are lucky if it is older than 1990!

 

An unmolested car I can get in and tinker with a little bit but then drive the hell off of! IMHO!

 

My Nomad

 

Caveat emptor! Buyer beware! I never take a seller's word for what "nice" is. I've looked at lots of crap over the years. Either you, or someone you trust, must look at them and determine if they fit your definition of "nice".

 

The cars that were "nice" 20 years ago aren't as "nice" anymore since time and nature takes it's toll.

Sucks! But being in Florida our nice stuff is the stuff everyone else uses for parts!

 

spot on with this observation

 

I haven't seen, what is my view, a "nice car" for under $16K in a long time.
To me the definition of a "nice car" is the condition of a well loved 10 year old car - regardless if it's 30 years old or 70 years old.

Conversely, when I do have a truly nice car for sale, everybody expects to steal it for the price of junk - go figure.

 

Meaningless without a dollar figure. A nice $10,000 car? A nice $500 car?

But, a nice car is what we called an Uncle Daniel. An older car that someone loved and maintained. Windows work smoothly, gauges work, original cardboard in the glove compartment, not butchered up, that sort of car. A nice $500 car might be a 1988 Caddy. A nice $10,000 car might be a shoebox Ford or German helmet Chevy four doors. There are better deals in the country, but where I live that's pretty much how it is.

 

the only thing I believe when reading a for sale ad is the phone number.

 

And I've found that always can't be trusted or is accurate.

 

As stated above, twenty years later I consider a nice "older" car to be something from the eighties or early nineties. That's what happens with the displacement of time.
Now, with regard to truly old cars, the selling descriptions sure don't seem to hold much truth anymore. Unfortunately that is more a condemnation of our society and it's lack of morals than anything else.

 

I like original paint and low miles. I don't deal with any thing newer than '71 (and that was a stretch...), so all the stuff I'm talking about is older these days.

 

"Nice" is a conclusion YOU reach after seeing and driving the car. "Nice" coming out of the mouth of anyone else or printed on/in a sales ad is just a word trying to seperate you and your money. BUYER BEWARE!!!

Frank

 

I consider my '35 sedan a "nice old car"...it's a good driver, cosmetically just "ok"...runs like a bat-out-of-hell and the gauges work, even the horns work too as a matter of fact. It's a daily driver.

I stopped entering it in cars shows, it was a waste of time. The only attention it would get would be if the damn thing caught on fire. On our Route 66 trip in 2009 the foreign tourists found it to be "quaint & interesting". I guess that's ok.

I guess when one of these things has been with you for better than a dozen years you get sort of attached to it...like family.

You have had some nice old cars Groucho.

 

beauty or "nice" in this case is in the eye of the beholder

 

clean and mechanically sound are terms that come to mind,
the money part is a variable that cannot be determined until car has been analyzed
at least on the part of the buyer..
Then the fun part begins, what is it worth,,?
what does the owner feel its worth, the buyer?
kbb is one of the industry standards,
but if you're looking at a classic, then kbb may not work,
I've had nice clean cars given to me,
so imo worth is the crucible,
and that my friends is determined by two people,
buyer and seller,,,,,,,,

i think?,,

 

My 1949 76,000 mi Ford my 1978 mi 36,000 Lincoln my 86,000 mile c series pickup 10,000 tops in the whole lot. The deals are still there you just half to find them. They all run well drive them often. Pretty much stock but all clean straight old cars & trucks. See my albums

 

This threads garbage, As a used car dealer will tell you "Theres a butt for every seat!" all it comes down to is money

 

Once I got the the fuel system squared away, she's been a real charmer. Seller said it was nice and for the price I've been stoked everyday about this car for 2 years. A couple of before and after pics. She needs some more lovin' but she good for now and a fun driver.

 

I conider this a nice car (truck). I was able to drive it home and didnt have to put a ton into it. Sure its not perfect, but its "nice"

And I paid about 1 months rent for it...

 

Thats what time and typical humans do to cars, what did you expect? They aren't getting any newer. These days when you go to buy a car your most likely buying someone's used problems.

 

I still have my '91 LX 5.0L car in the garage with less that 60K on the clock... The paint is faded but the body is solid... Bought that one new!

 

Is it a notch or a hatch?

 

It's a hatchback car.... I needed the hatchback to bring home all the performance goodies...

 

Here is what I consider a nice older car:



That's a 63 Rambler American I picked up for 500 bucks and drove it home 3 hours. The only mechanical thing I did to it while I owned it was have the generator rebuilt for 20 bucks.

 

^^ thats a rambler classic

 

It's kinda like when someone tries to set you up on a blind date with a girl they know- if the first word they use to describe her is "nice"...

On the other hand, I'm sure that there are people who list a car as "nice' who are not into the hobby and it ends up being better than ya thought. There are devious sellers out there also, no doubt. I would always try to look at it in person if possible.

 

Why do YOU have the sudden fascination with what anyone else thinks? Are you trying to gage people's "pride of ownership" ?? You obviously pay no reguard to anyone else's opinion but your own. So now I wonder: why the lame thread?? Change of heart? ...I doubt it.

 

If the HAMB had a thumbs up button, I would click it!