That sweet '87 IROC Camaro you just bought doesn't say what you think it says about you. For some reason, people (mainly men) seem to hold on to or revert to a certain time in their lives when it comes to cars. The problem is, everyone else doesn't see your sweet ride the same way you do. The truth is, it might be time to let that relic go.
When asked, several women around the office agreed that any guy who shows up for a first date in an old IROC Camaro likely wouldn't be around for a second date. Same goes for lowered mini-trucks from the '80s and anything else that just doesn't fit the owner's age or place in life. One of the women put it this way; "... re-living the trends of the past doesn't make you trendy now. It's not attractive, it's just sad." It's especially sad if those trends originated in the "Ice Ice Baby" era.
Drop a few facts into this discussion and it looks even worse for the oh-so-yesteryear cars. A 1987 IROC Camaro with the optional 5.7-liter V8 makes 225 hp 0- significantly less than a new V6-powered Honda Accord. The more common 5.0-liter version of the Camaro was good for 215 hp. Not impressive by any measure.
I'll admit that some cars are so dorky, old or unusual that they end up being cool or hip no matter what. 1960s-era cars like the Mercury Cougar, Plymouth Super Bird, Sunbeam Tiger and any amphibious car all qualify as instantly cool. In fact, almost any car from the 1940s to the early 1970s is generally cool because those cars are part of our history -- America's formative automotive years, let's say.
However, revert to a car from the 1980s or '90s and you're more likely to conjure up images of Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite, not Christian Bale's version of Bruce Wayne. The Buick Reatta, Chevy Corsica, Plymouth Scamp and Mitsubishi Tredia were all born from an automotive era we'd rather forget. Exceptions like the Buick GNX or Toyota Supra Turbo are rare.
There's an element of this misplaced nostalgia when people go to sell their cars, too. Sometimes, the seller is so in love with his old car, there's no way it will sell for as much as the seller would like. No matter how expensive the wheels or how righteous the stereo or how sick the two-tone paint is, your 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse just isn't worth $10,000 -- it's never gonna happen. Same goes for cars like Toyota MR2, Eagle Talon and Chevy S-10 pickups. Owners seem to think these cars are made of pure gold, but they're just used cars. If you want something a little different or just want an affordable car that's quick, get something modern like a Subaru WRX, MazdaSpeed3 or even a current V6-powered Camaro.
Holding on to an old car from the '80s or '90s isn't going to help you re-live your glory days; it just makes you look like Uncle Rico. Dude, let it go already.
