Now’s the Time to Invest in ’80s-Era Classic Cars

By Brett Berk | February 24, 2017

  • February 24, 2017 at 11:50 am
    ExciteBiker says:
    Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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    The real question… what is the cost to maintain and fix these? Or just put tires on them? I don’t remember the Jag or the Porsche to be reliable or cheap to fix…

    • February 24, 2017 at 1:51 pm
      Dave says:
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      I can’t speak of 1980’s Porsches but my 2005 911 is built like a tank. Not cheap to service, but not overly expensive either and I have yet to have any major problem. As far as Jags are concerned, I once had another British Leyland car, a Triumph Spitfire. Very fun to drive when able, but I would never buy a British car ever again after that debacle. And Benz’s? Always a fine car.

  • February 24, 2017 at 1:24 pm
    agent2 says:
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    Big money to keep them going. I have old 60’s GM muscle cars and the repop market is strong and parts relatively reasonably priced but it still costs big money to restore a car.

    Still, 80’s cars don’t have the visceral look and feel of 60’s and early 70’s. at least for me. I do predict they will start to move off their very high valuations.

  • February 24, 2017 at 1:28 pm
    Bob Bichen says:
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    A wise man (who owned and restored a lot of classic cars and was an industry expert) once told me that “it costs as much to maintain and fix an old Porsche as a new one.” My experiences with European anything (including KTM motorcycles) have not been good in terms of parts costs and upkeep. Porsche seems to be far more reliable than Jaquars (notorious for electrical problems among others, particularly in that vintage). A lady I knew in the 90s described her XJS as a “two income car”. Personally, I don’t consider cars to be very good investments but rather something to buy and enjoy. Opinions differ but mid 1980s Japanese cars (particularly the Celica or Supra) would seem to be a better pick in terms of parts costs, service tech availability and cost, and reliability. If I had to pick a Porsche I personally would be looking into the 1990s and early 2000s (with the exception of the non-turbo 996 and 997, and the Boxter with intermediate shaft (IMS) issues) as the prices seem to be insanely low for such refined and reliable autos. But I would also go in with a good mechanical inspection and the expectation of needing a fairly hefty service and maintenance budget.

  • February 24, 2017 at 1:36 pm
    Mr. Blues says:
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    As agent2 says, it does cost big money to restore a vehicle properly. Once restored, maintenance are repairs should be manageable since you’ll probably only be driving it occasionally. As far as investment opportunities, look at that as a possible bonus to owning that car you always loved but couldn’t afford back in the day. For me, it was the ’60s Cadillac convertibles I always dreamed of. In the late ’90s I bought a beautifully restored ’68 Caddy convertible, had an absolute blast with it for about 7 years, and then sold it after I got married. Bought that car for $7,500, sold it for $18,500 and probably broke even when all was said and done between repairs, maintenance, garaging, etc. Still miss that car, but still have the wife!

  • February 24, 2017 at 2:14 pm
    reality bites says:
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    Despite respective interests (including mine) why does this rate an article in IJ? Is it “bonus time”, and we have to give the hard worker something to do with their check?

  • February 27, 2017 at 10:01 am
    DarkShark says:
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    Why does the author mention the BMW 6-series and then stop short of including it in this list? Extremely less costly and more reliable than the Jag, and the M6 M635 variant was faster and more expensive than the Porsche 911 at that time, complete with a hand-built, race-bred motor that was in the M1 supercar. While not inexpensive to maintain, it is relatively easy to work on due to a no-nonsense engine bay and German engineering. Full disclosure: I own an 87 636CSI (non-M version) and that body style always gets looks and appreciation. Fun article!

  • February 27, 2017 at 4:31 pm
    Realist says:
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    A Jaguar falls apart just sitting there. Previous XJ-12L owner here.
    Go GM.

  • March 1, 2017 at 1:56 pm
    Wayne says:
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    There are so many 80s cars to collect but some have gone up too high in price. I would think the BMW M3s and Audi Quattro would have made the list for 80s cars. American cars like the Buick Grand National, Camaro IROC-Z and DeLoreans are collectible. Even 90s era cars like the Acura NSX and Toyota Supra Turbos are collectible. Fun article to read.

  • March 17, 2017 at 1:04 pm
    Steve says:
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    Also the late 70’s and 80’s Japanese sports cars like the Datsun 280 ZX are also a good buy now

  • March 28, 2017 at 8:46 pm
    jeff says:
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    I have all three minus one now. 560SL is very easy to own. Plenty of power but handles like crapola on the back roads. Who cares tho….car wasn’t meant for that- total cruiser. 928 is an incredible driver (I have the 5sp) Handling is insanely good and super comfortable car. A bit of a handful but amazing car to own and I will never get rid of. The Jag was incredible too. Silky smooth transmission, lux interior and rediculously quiet and fast on the highway. Unfortunately the Jag burst a fuel line at night and went up in flames. Yes they are a nightmare to maintain unlike the first two but cheap as hell and a great bargain in the category. Not for the faint of heart but dive in!



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