TMCP #616: ASK RICK – Restoration Sheetmetal for 80’s Cars, Fox Body Mustangs Values On the Rise, and the Mustang GTD as the Best MidLife Crisis Car Investment?

Rick Schmidt – Ask Rick:

August is here and that means it’s back to school time for MOST of the country! Nothing seems to take the wind out of my sails more than knowing the end of summer is coming soon, but that also means soon we’ll have back the regular occurrence of football, marching bands, and tailgate hot dogs!. It’s also a great time to look forward to the fun car events that the fall brings as well. On the positive side, it is time for another Ask Rick, where I ask Rick the hard questions that the listener really wants to know.

Rick’s Take On Mid-Life Crisis Purchases:

I just turned 50, and I wanted to know what, if anything, Rick did for his 50th birthday to celebrate that was a big, crazy purchase? I am thinking about a couple of different things to buy, and on my shortlist are a small airplane ($100,000), a screen-used General Lee ($120,000), or a new Mustang 5.0 GTD ($300,000). Which of these “investments” would be the best place to go crazy but still have a little in reserve for when I come to my senses and sell it later? Always the businessman with a cool head for investing, Rick did not buy any extravagant items, but he did say his dad bought an F-code supercharged 1957 Thunderbird when he turned 40. Of course, this turned out to be a smart purchase, and those F code cars went up a lot in value later.

Between the Mustang GTD and the screen used General Lee he said he would lean towards the Mustang GTD. The General Lee holds its value based on the fans who remember it and love it. Rick said that value will go down eventually as time passes, memories fade, and the impact of a “TV car” falling away. The real value is in the memories and not the history or design of the car. The Mustang GTD is such a radical departure from the stock vehicle that it truly is a defining mark in the history of the Mustang and Ford itself, and the value of it in the future will be defined by what it is and the features built into the car itself. While it resembles a Mustang, the technology and features set it apart as a supercar as much as a Ford GT or other elite race-prepped road cars. This is why Rick believes the GTD’s value will outlive the current base of buyers and still be sought after three or four generations from now.

Rick’s Take On The Future Of Restoration Parts:

My son is now working for “Anything Scout” who builds International Scouts as a very niche group. There are many more parts available now for International Scout restorations then there ever was in the past. This is in part due to increased demand, but also due to easier access to manufacturing and newer tooling that can be used to create parts faster and cheaper. Are there any restoration markets that needs to have more parts but up until now have been under served? In Rick’s opinion GM vehicles are always a high demand as they historically had the highest sales with the Fords coming in second. High production run vehicles like the Fox Body Mustang, GM F-Bodies (Camaros and Firebirds) or the early to mid 80’s GM G body platforms still need many parts to be created to be able to offer a full complement of restoration parts.

Fox Body Mustangs – Buy One Before The Prices Go Up!

In honor of listener Derek Post…..we’re going to try to find the best available Fox Body Mustang to buy – AND ENJOY – as an investment hedge. The prices seem to be surging on these cars. At some point in the next two years the car MUST be sold. Which will return the best ROI in total dollars (not percentage investment)? You MUST factor in any refurbishment costs that you do as a total calculation (i.e. if you buy it cheap and put money into it)

Car #1: 1990 Ford Mustang LX Sedan With a 5-Liter V8 and a Five-Speed

https://www.hemmings.com/auction/1990-ford-mustang-celina-tx-706205