Cheap Bargain Muscle Platforms!

[Fire Pig]

With new performance cars coming out every year now. I was wondering what you guys thought are some cheap most bang for the buck performance platform vehicles.

Single Cab Hemi Rams
Whats with these things they are depreciating quite rapidly.
Is the 345HP 5.7 Hemi not a good engine to mod?
Im seeing these things go for 6k-11k used these days.

LS1 Pontiac GTOs
They dont seem to be holding value too well either.


LS1 F Bodies
Can be had for dirt cheap now.
Im starting to see them go for as low as 6k.Well Z28s anyway.

99-01 Cobras
I thought these would atleast hold more value because of the limited years.
Did that whole 99 performance issue recall ruin the value of our cars?

99-04 Mustang GTs
These things are very cheap to aquire now.
I wonder what Ford was thinking by even making 2004 models when most people just waited out for the new 05 models.

 

[ColorMatched]

Any muscle car is cheap right now because it's a buyer's market. People are tired of paying $4/gallon for 12 mi/gallon and they're getting out of it. Look up Geo Metros on eBay. I read an article on a guy buying Metros and fixing them up to sell and making a killing. They get 40 mpg.

GTOs are cheap because the novelty wore off and they had the same fate as the Camaro/Firebird. Their pricing was higher than the Mustang for similar if not less competetive performance.

I'm not surprised new Edge cobras are priced the way they are. They are now 8-10 years old (even though 99 doesn't feel like that long ago). I think they are holding value quite well for a Domestic muscle car, even with the way prices are.

 

[Ryan]

They made tons of those models, hence why they are 'cheap.'

 

[92z28]

They are all old vehicles that get piss poor MPGs if you compare them to what is selling in today's market hence the pricing. Its good for those that don't care and want to have a modern day muscle car to build up.

 

[Mach1USMC]

They are all old vehicles that get piss poor MPGs if you compare them to what is selling in today's market hence the pricing. Its good for those that don't care and want to have a modern day muscle car to build up.

It also depends on what you consider good MPG. For people who want 300+ hp you won't find many that get over 25 MPG.

I personally like my Mach- near 300 RWHP and 27 mpg, and that's with my current mods. When I had the 3.55's I was getting low 30's @ the speed limit (which is actually better than my wifes old econobox Suzuki Forenza.) C5Z's get about the same 27+ MPG. Both of which hold their value pretty well.
Now if MPG is the ONLY consideration then obviously the modern V8 isn't for you. But I think the modern V8's either stock or slightly modded surprise a lot of people with just how welll they do on fuel economy.

It also depends on the Market too. Around Base's the prices of muscle cars tend to be a bit higher- for obvious reasons.