68 GT350 vs 69 GT500

[shelbymann1970]

Following along, but he has not answered the one question of how much will he be driving, and where. If he is only planning on highway, or back roads, the 4-speed. But any slow driving, parades, etc, auto. The factory clutch linkage is a BEAR!!!

or, get the 4-speed, convert to hydraulic clutch!

Putting usage/fun factors aside, I was mostly looking for opinions on the investment value difference.........

since you are talking investment then what are the colors of the 2 cars? What are they missing? Both were smog equipped cars. To me colors have a bearing on price. original drive trains?

[427hunter]

Following along, but he has not answered the one question of how much will he be driving, and where. If he is only planning on highway, or back roads, the 4-speed. But any slow driving, parades, etc, auto. The factory clutch linkage is a BEAR!!!

or, get the 4-speed, convert to hydraulic clutch!

Putting usage/fun factors aside, I was mostly looking for opinions on the investment value difference.........

Then we would need to know colors and condition. Post some photos of the cars, engine compartments, interior, and undercarriage.

[rdmgt500]

Assume both are feature equivalent and concours quality with the only difference being the 68 GT350 is 4 speed and 69 GT500 is auto..........

[Rickmustang]

For investment, supply and demand must be considered. They are two completely different cars pretty much. Supply is known. Demand must consider a cruiser vs. a torque beast, auto vs. manual, 68 vs 69.  I think it's a good guess lol

[427hunter]

Assume both are feature equivalent and concours quality with the only difference being the 68 GT350 is 4 speed and 69 GT500 is auto..........

It does not work that way, what you call concourse may not be. No two things are equal so either post photos and get a real opinion or play "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe" the choice is yours.

[Cobrask8]

For example, a plain red or white, or that pea green 1968 will be a flop, boring, snoozer, but a Saturn Yellow 1969 will be a WOW!!!

Conversely, and dark maroon 1969 is just dreadful, but a special paint 1968, or Acapulco blue will get eyeballs.

Interiors?

[shelbymann1970]

For example, a plain red or white, or that pea green 1968 will be a flop, boring, snoozer, but a Saturn Yellow 1969 will be a WOW!!!

Conversely, and dark maroon 1969 is just dreadful, but a special paint 1968, or Acapulco blue will get eyeballs.

Interiors?

Come on Dan, they don't get sharper than black with red on a 68(OK not factory). To think I sold it after buying your old car but I wanted power over looks.. Well to me a 69 Mach1 is right up there.

[FL SAAC]

For example, a plain red or white, or that pea green 1968 will be a flop, boring, snoozer, but a Saturn Yellow 1969 will be a WOW!!!

Conversely, and dark maroon 1969 is just dreadful, but a special paint 1968, or Acapulco blue will get eyeballs.

Interiors?

+ 1

[Cobrask8]

Come on Dan, they don't get sharper than black with red on a 68(OK not factory). To think I sold it after buying your old car but I wanted power over looks.. Well to me a 69 Mach1 is right up there.
[/quote]

Exactly Gary, It is sharp! Many have changed color to make it better for them.

I painted my 68 from Maroon to Acapulco Blue. I know one very famous 1969 GT-500 that went from Grabber Green to Grabber Blue.

[shelbymann1970]

Come on Dan, they don't get sharper than black with red on a 68(OK not factory). To think I sold it after buying your old car but I wanted power over looks.. Well to me a 69 Mach1 is right up there.

Exactly Gary, It is sharp! Many have changed color to make it better for them.

I painted my 68 from Maroon to Acapulco Blue. I know one very famous 1969 GT-500 that went from Grabber Green to Grabber Blue.
[/quote]Wow, Grabber Green is one of my favorite colors. I'm a blue paint kind of guy  but am I the only one who doesn't like Grabber Blue. The car below was a grabber blue drag pack car. I painted it RED as you can see. In the pic is a rough grabber blue 70 GT500 and a Grabber orange rare drag pack 4 speed 4.30 geared car. Can't you tell? 

[69 GT350 Vert]

I expect to lose money on my 69 Shelby convertible when I sell it in 15 years or so.  By then, there will be far fewer people still alive, and healthy enough,  that will appreciate these cars enough to pony up significant money for one.  Personally, I won't mind if I sell my Shelby for less than I paid for it because I will have enjoyed it for 25+ years.   

[Royce Peterson]

Putting usage/fun factors aside, I was mostly looking for opinions on the investment value difference.........
[/quote]

If you are into investments, don't buy collector cars. The future is not easy to predict - despite what you might believe. If you buy a collector car, it should be to enjoy. If it happens to be worth more than you paid for it sometime in the future that's great, but likely it will just keep pace with inflation.

[Side-Oilers]

+1 with Royce. 

If you buy an expensive and collector-worthy painting or sculpture, you can keep it 50 years and it won't have deteriorated much, if at all.  Try that with a car, and you'll learn why it takes constant maintenance to keep a collectible car collectible.

Aside from the 0.0000000000000001% of all cars ever made that do command increasingly big bucks at places like Pebble Beach, cars in general do not make great investments.   

Buy what you love. If you make $$ (or just break even) at the end of it all, so much the better.  The experience itself is worth $$$$. And the real joy exists when you start the engine.