Car collecting is no cheap thrill, thanks to gas prices

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When the 1940 Chevy convertible George Holder was trying to sell at the Pomona, Calif., Swap Meet was built, a gallon of gasoline cost 18 cents. At today's prices, that will move the car about a half-mile.Collecting cars has always been a high-dollar hobby, enthusiasts say, but $4-plus-a-gallon gas and other economic woes are pricing them out of their passion."It's been bad before," said Norm Samuels, a Brea, Calif.-based hot-rod dealer. "Ten years ago it was like this, but not as bad as this housing market has made it."Southern California and cars are inexorably linked, from freeway commutes to cruising Route 66. It's why many classic-car clubs took root there, members say.High gas prices just mean some of them are leaving their classic cars in the garage rather than cruising. When they do hit the road, hot-rod revelers add, they are taking shorter trips.Roger Valez, of Riverside, Calif., said he rarely drives his 1966 Chevy Caprice low-rider because of the cost of gas. He said he starts it once a week in his driveway and might fiddle with the engine on weekends.Holder, leaning against one of two 1940 rag-top coupes he towed to Pomona, said gas prices are making car lovers think twice before buying, too. Classic-car dealers are cutting back on where they take their cars to reduce travel costs."There's not 50 percent of the buyers here there should be," Holder grumbled. "Gas prices are hitting everybody, and if you don't think that, then you're a fool."Classic-car fans remain resilient, many said, because high prices can't put the brakes on their enthusiasm. Strong crowds are a mainstay of the area's biggest shows, including the Route 66 Rendezvous, which will take place in San Bernardino in September.The Route 66 Rendezvous will likely host more than 500,000 people, said Shelly McNaul, director of event operations for the annual rally. Space for the show is limited, so only 1,900 entrants are allowed."We've seen a slight drop in registrants," McNaul said. "But we have received new registrants."McNaul said although vendors are telling her crowds are down, most are also saying the Route 66 Rendezvous is important."The Route 66 is like the mother of all car shows, so they'll save their money to come to it," she said.Four-dollar gas doesn't stop everybody from buying or driving. Lucy Clark, a member of the Early Birds club for owners of classic Ford Thunderbirds, said she still plans to take her '57 T-Bird -- "Betsy Bird" -- on a 48-state road trip this summer."When it comes to my classic car, yes, I think about gas prices beforehand, but then decide to drive it anyway," Clark said.She said she is trying to combine routine errands to cut down on driving around Anaheim, Calif., using her daily car, but won't give up on her hobby or the "48 in '08" trip to the capitals of the Lower 48."When planning this trip a year ago, I used $4 per gallon for gas," Clark said. "That seemed really high at the time and everyone thought I was crazy to use such a high price. Well, it's a year later and that $4 per gallon is looking a little low."Owners reported getting about 15 miles to the gallon on the highway in a '57 T-bird, so do the math. The 14,000-mile trip covering 60 days will cost Clark $3,839.76 based on last week's average national fuel price.Nobody collects classic cars for a cheap hobby, collectors said. Even in a buyer's market, the price for classics stays high. Samuels, the Brea dealer who has sold at the Pomona Swap Meet for more than 20 years, was selling his restored 1937 Ford Woody hot rod on Sunday for $115,000.Bill Wasson, a member of a Riverside car club, said the group's roster hasn't thinned because of gas costs."I don't think a dollar a gallon is going to make much of a difference to collecting cars," he said. "It costs you more to go, we know that."Rodrigo Garcia, of Anaheim, said people who are in good shape financially don't care if gas prices rise, and those are the ones buying."If you can afford the car, you can afford the gas," Garcia said.A self-proclaimed collector, Garcia said he can buy cars now as investments and sell them off 10 years later for a profit. Collectors will take advantage of a buyer's market, no matter how much gas costs."If they see a deal, they'll buy," he said.Garcia said high gas prices don't bother him. He drives a Hummer, "so I spend $100 a day in gas."(E-mail Dug Begley at dbegley(at)PE.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)