This made me sad this morning. Early 80s vintage Mustang, with an "Antique" license plate. When I was a teen in the 80s, it seemed like almost any car from the 60s was cool. But if I saw a 60s era Nova, my dad would go off about what a piece of junk it was (his 1st car). Would teenagers today think this car is "cool"???

 

Geez....he/she couldn't be bothered to mask a little bit when they got out the rattle-can of black spray paint to paint the bumper trim?

 

While I'm admittedly not a teen-ager, compared to today's Mustangs (and to the orginal ones from the 1960s), no, I don't think that the 80s-vintage Mustangs are good-looking at all. Nor were they well-built, coming from an era when Detroit routinely turned out some of its worst products in history.

I also respectfully disagree with your dad about 60s-vintage Novas being junk. I learned to drive on 60s-vintage cars, and, while the Nova was not the most pleasant of them by any means (and it is possible for any individual car to have reliability problems), I wouldn't, as a class, call them junk by any means. In fact, the GM electrical systems, interior hardware and quality of bodywork, in those days, were usually better than Ford, Chrysler, or AMC.

Now, however, Chevy DID produce some junk-grade small cars in those days...the first-generation Corvair and the infamous Vega. The 1Gen Corvair was not only quirky but also had several potentially dangerous features in the steering column, rear suspension, center of gravity/weight-distribution, bad engine oil seals, and a gasoline-fed cabin heater. The Vega had a complete crap of an aluminum engine, serious body and frame rust, sardine-can interior space efficiency, and inadequate ground clearance that allowed a lot of road-obstacle damage underneath.

 

I think a car only needs to be like 25 or 30 years old to qualify for "antique" status when it comes to plates - depending on state I'm sure.

Along with antique plates I think you can get insurance cheaper. BUT when you have an antique vehicle the assumption is that you're also driving it very little - like only on weekends and to/from car shows or something.

Sadly all the turds from the 80s are suddenly qualifying for antique status.

In the not-so-distant future I can't imagine going to car shows and seeing a frickin 1983 Oldsmobile Delta 88 and thinking "man - look at that beauty.."

Or seeing a Chrysler Cordoba and overhearing some idiot saying how rare they are now...

Aaaack!!

 

How about if that Cordoba has the Fine Corinthian Leather Package??

 

There are antique cars and old cars. This is just old. State registration doesn't discern the difference. While my friends and definitely had fun with these cars in our youth, I'd hardly say I miss it.

 

Your dad may be right, but my first car was a '62 Chevy II convertible. It got me thru my college days despite the linkage constantly jamming. The floorboards eventually rusted out and the engine seized up due it's lack of ability to hold any oil. I'd love to have it back, restored, but wouldn't put antique plates on it. It was probably crushed 50 years ago!