Finding a Cheap Classic Car: Best 'Value' Classic Cars to Buy & Where to Find Them

Learn a bit more about some good values in the classic car market and where to find them.

[nickzobel]

Just bought a 44, 000 mile 78 grand marquis 4 door for a whopping 5, 000, and most importantly with original midnight blue paint!

[Primus]

I find it interesting that the vehicles that were the least expensive and most plentiful when new now bring in the highest prices as classics. Has to be nostalgia. Great video, Adam. 👍👍👍

[tabbott]

My Grandpa was flipping old cars in the 80s so i got drive cars around the farm when i turned 14. Drove all these over a couple summers....69 Bonneville convertible 428, 77 LTD green 2 door, 55 Ford 292/ 3 on tree, 66 New Yorker 383 gold, 76 Eldorado yellow, 77 Town car green, 77 continental 2 door green, 72 Lincoln Mark 4 2 door brown, 75 VW bus orange, Farmall tractor with a PTO driven mower hanging off the back. Hand crank to start. He had a small plane and i had to mow the grass runway which was about 1/4 mile long. I drove the cars down the runway at high speeds between the corn fields. I got scolded for tearing up the grass once when i spun out and went just off the grass into the corn. Good times!😊

[tombrown]

A neighbor of mine used to trade Oldsmobiles every three years, until he bought a 1972 88 Royale. He kept that car for eight years and hated to see it go. It had the 455, of course. Excellent cars.

[corralescruiser]

I bought a super clean no rust 92 Lincoln Mark VII LSC Special Edition last year. Very cool inexpensive classic that has the Ford 5.0 HO engine from the Mustang GT. Finished in garnet red metallic with black leather interior. It runs and drives great!

[joshpeterson]

The first and second generation of Lincoln Town Car (or any panther platform model) could be a good budget option for a classic ish car. I paid $500 for mine, and it's been very reliable and attracts a lot of attention. It's not quite the same as the older products, but offers a classic feel with modern features.

[keepyourbilsteins]

It took me 16 years to find my '53 Lincoln Capri. It wasn't in the condition I wanted, but it wasn't missing any parts, was the right color, and in a geography where I could get it carefully inspected and secured after I bought it. Turns out it was owned by Lincoln after manufacturing and was in the serial # range of the 5 cars prepared for the Carrera Panamericana. Mine didnt compete and was cannibalized for parts for the cars that did. I'll take that though.

[Matt_Moore]

True story, I have a 71 Mark III that I’ve restored. The body shop I took it to has a garage & covered with thick dust I saw a 79 Lincoln Mark V Collectors Series in beautiful blue metallic moondust with low miles. The proprietor of the shop told me the old man that owns it paid for some dent repair & paint on a quarter panel, but never picked up the car because he doesn’t have room for it. He told me he sees the owner about once every 6 months. A year later (just this last December), I get introduced to the owner and after some discussion I acquired the car for $1, 500. Paint, body, and interior is unbelievably clean. Since it has been sitting for a few years, I’m having to spend some money for a repair shop with a major tune up, new tires, brakes, etc. I didn’t need another Lincoln Mark, but it just kinda happened.

Edit to add: In 79 the 400 CI was the only engine choice (no 460s). Sure it’s not quite as elegant, well built, or powerful as my Mark III, but it’s still a great cruiser. Lincoln made tons of Mark Vs but the Collectors Series / Diamond Jubilee / Designer series are rare in good condition. It’s an easy car to get into, parts are still cheap & easy to find, and it’s the last hurrah of the old American full sized dinosaurs. 👍

[kyle]

I’m 15 and hoping to get a land yacht for my first car, preferably a LTD or a crown Victoria. The high school parking lot needs something other than mom-mobile SUV’s/crossovers and daddy’s money mustangs and comaros lol.

[zilksmooth]

I would add the Ford Thunderbird - you can find a fairly decent selection for late late ‘60s to late ‘70s models that have typically lead pampered lives. Watchers of this channel are probably already familiar with the powertrains, but a quick recap - all big blocks, C6s and 9” from mid ‘60s though 1976, with the 400 2V available for another 2 years.

I understand the mid 60s stuff has some unique and tough to procure suspension and steering components, but others may know more about that.

Basically, all the advantages that Adam refers to when he talks about full sized Fords and Mercs, but still fairly easy to procure.

[Gultist]

I bought a 1964 Rambler American 330 last year and have been driving it every day since, i think i got lucky because its still running great all i have had to do is regular oil changes and one tune up.

[paulmoore]

I feel a special connection with you Adam. My first car when in high school was a 1970 Delta 88 Royale coup with the 455 two barrel carb. I wrecked it on the way home for Thanksgiving when a freshman in college. It was a great car, and I still miss it. I'm curious as to why the 1971 is your favorite. The other thing we share in common is that years later I purchased and thoroughly enjoyed a 1979 Cadillac Seville, triple colonial yellow with the 350 Olds engine. I realize yours was the diesel. I have always been a big fan of those old Olds rocket engines, and from several of your comments, it seems that you are too. Thanks for your very interesting and informative videos about the aumotive era I remember with great fondness. All the best, Paul.

[volktales]

My Mom's favourite car was her '87 Buick LeSabre T-Type in black, with the grey and black interior. That 3.8 litre made some pretty cool sounds, even from the original exhaust. She had it over 20 years and was sad to see it go (Dad decided they needed a stupid SUV in their life). I could have bought it cheap, but didn't, and now regret that...

[sombra]

Growing up in the Midwest, I remember the vehicles you mentioned being on the road. By the late 70s when I was still in high school but my interest in cars was growing, I recall it was rare to see one without rust in the rear quarters. Coupled with the mid and late 70s oil supply problems, most buyers shied away from 400s, 455s, 460s, or large cars. Even in college, it was rare to see any friends driving one of those big ole boats. Not everyone could afford the gas. The late 70s & 80s Olds and Buick RWDs were also good cars, but succumbed to rust and lack of interest. The GM front drivers were decent but I never considered them to be great collector cars. My grandparents had 1987 88, followed by another a couple of years later after wrecking the first one. Both were 3.8s and had decent fuel economy and power without the annoying torque steer as bad as lesser vehicles. A 1992 and up Crown Victoria with a 4.6, either 190 or 210 hp versions with 2.73 rear ends will also hit 30 mpg on the road, even when loaded to the gills with passengers and luggage. For what it’s worth, I’d consider a 71-74 Ford if it had a 351C. I enjoyed those motors, even the 2Vs. They were fun in smaller Fords even though they didn’t have the power of the 4V cars.

[danr]

While I enjoy and agree with Adams choices, my choice is a Corvair. Great underrated cars available at reasonable prices.

[TheJstewart]

A 1972 Delta 88 was my first very first car. You're right - it's a great car. Unfortunately, in upstate New York, with all the salt on the road, mine was rusted out by the mid-80's. I'd love to find another one if I could.

[DesiluTrek]

I would be EXTREMELY careful about buying ANY 1971 model year GM products. There was a huge, prolonged labor strike at GM in the fall of 1970 that forced management onto the lines to build the cars, and of course they didn't know what they were doing. My father bought a dark green '71 Olds Delta 88 two-door we took delivery of in January 1971. I was 8 and still remember him cursing the rattles we heard as soon as we drove the car off the lot. (We traded in a '66 Dodge Polara 500 coupe I loved.)

[ofp]

A friend of mine was always telling me about how junk quality the seventies Fords were, but I bought one last year, a 1972 LTD Brougham, for $500. So far, it actually seems like a fairly high quality automobile. I personally focus on things like sheetmetal thickness and body panel rigidity quite heavily, and I've found that my 1972 LTD Brougham is almost completely on par with my 1968 Pontiac, in some areas even surpassing it. It's a comfortable, soft sprung car, well built car. As for the door closure, it's not as smooth or as effortless as my 1968 Mercury by a long shot, but the doors do close very firmly, with none of the shifting that the doors on my 1985 LTD Crown Victoria have. The bumpers and plastic grille are the weakpoint, those are flimsy to the point of absurdity, but overall, the car is of good quality. By 1972, the interiors seem to have started using a lot more plastic, but it actually doesn't bother me. It's not as cheap-feeling and hard to look at as dashes got in the later years. One note, the springs of the 72 Ford are *extremely* soft, softer than even my previously mentioned post-downsize Ford, despite the 72 outweighing it by several hundred pounds. If you like soft springs and heavy bodies, early seventies full size Fords with original springs have got to be the epitome of a high weight to spring rate ratio. If the springs were any softer, the car would probably bottom out when filling up with gasoline.

[rileysteve]

Very good presentation. I agree with you on many points. I think the 1972-1974 Marquis Broughams are really nice, but, a rare find. For a while Mark III's were all over the place. The Oldsmobile 98's have traditionally been great values for the money. And I disagree about the interiors. The 1971-1976 Olds (98) Regency's and the Buick (Electra/ Park Avenue) Limited's had great interior and fabric selections. The 98's had a heavier feel to them and the Electra's were more nimble. Either way, most of them were usually loaded with options. Also, the Toronado's and Riviera's can sometimes be a good deal as long as the rust or neglect hasn't killed them. The big issues always seem to be the air conditioning systems, and (neglected) front-end work and rust. They tell you "well, I haven't had time to fix it, but, it shouldn't be anything major". My response is usually something like "then you must not want to sell the car or you would have it working" or "you just called me stupid"!

Funny about that black '79 98. I have been watching that one, too. Now in South Carolina. That small engine kills it. But, those wheels!!! I find it interesting how well the downsized 77-79 98's and Electras have held-up. It's amazing how many nice ones are still out there. Of course, the same applies to the Cadillacs but they are pricey. Is anything more rare than a minty 1980 Fleetwood Brougham?
The New Yorker Broughams had great interior choices! But, that cheap plastic dash was a turn-off especially on the Imperials. I remember when they couldn't give the early 1970's Imperials away, but, the New Yorkers held their value.!

I think there is always the issue of upkeep. A lot of people get starry-eyed when they find one of these old gems, but, they don't take into account the upkeep. Especially if people want a daily-driver! They want it brand-new key-ready! It helps if you know how to rebuild a carburetor, or do a tune-up. Re-Build brakes, etc. And the issues of finding high octane fuel, lead additives, or knowing how to adjust for lower-octane ( or that damned ethanol) fuels. It is getting harder and harder to find a neighborhood garage that still has someone who knows how to work on them as most of those guys are in cemeteries at this point.
Great discussion!

[michaelbarry]

I have found that out of the GM 71-76 full size B bodies the Olds offerings are easiest and cheapest to find.