The new year is here, and before we get caught up in the whirlwind of Arizona auctions that starts in just a few days, it’s time to take a look back at some of the best deals of 2014.
If you’ve spent any time reading ACC’s market reports, I’m sure you’ve found a car or two you would have taken home had you been in the room. ACC’s writers and staff are no different, and we put a Best Buys list in every issue.
From those Best Buy cars that ran in the past six issues, here are the five I think were the absloute best deals of the year, and why:
5: 1969 Chevrolet C-10 Custom pickup. Lot 68, Twin Cities Auctions, St Paul, MN, 6/2014. Sold at $8,239. VIN: CE149J838896
350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Per the original build sheet on the glovebox door, has optional 350 V8, automatic, power steering, heavy-duty battery, block heater, rear step bumper, gauge package, and push-button AM radio, now swapped for an 8-track. Authentic repaint two decades ago, with surface rust on the back of the front wheelwell rockers from road abrasions. Wood cargo box floor correctly painted. Good original trim. Excellent original interior. Aftermarket wrapped steering-wheel rim cover. Cond: 3+
Auction Analyst B. Mitchell Carlson said:
This was probably my favorite vehicle here — and I’m more of a Ford person. Growing up around these trucks when they were new and late-model used, this is how I remember them — not spiffed up like a muscle car with a bowling alley-like floor in the cargo box. This was one of the most authentic 1967-72 Chevy pickups I’ve encountered yet. Very well bought.
Jim says:
These trucks continue to be hot in the market, and this one looked like a great driver for not a lot of money. Excellent deal.
4: 1969 Pontiac GTO 2-dr hard top. Lot 366, Barrett-Jackson Reno, 7/2014. Sold at $18,150. VIN: 242379A100577
400-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Funky but attractive “Espresso” green-brown paint is fine. Rebuilt hood-mounted tachometer and vinyl halo roof look nice. New headlight doors misaligned, especially on the right. Nice interior looks good, with typical GM console lid curling up at front edge. Engine rebuilt 2,000 miles previously. Cond: 3+
Auction Analyst Travis Shetler said:
Very well bought by at least several thousand dollars. This car will go up in value. Enjoy driving it while fixing a few details.
Jim says:
May not be the best color out there, but it’s a 4-speed GTO in better-than-driver shape for under $20k. This is a no-brainer.
3: 1968 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435 coupe. Lot 8, Worldwide Auctioneers, Montgomery, TX, 5/2014. Sold at $35,750, VIN: 194378S414622
427-ci 435-hp V8, 3×2-bbl, 4-sp. Incredibly original C3. Unrestored with mostly original paint. Typical spider cracks in fiberglass at hood corners. L88 hood has gold pinstripe reportedly added by original owner. Minor windshield delam. Excellent gaps. Very clean interior all original, save for new carpet; smells a little musty. Has the pop-out rear window. Clean, complete engine compartment with all original components, including transistorized ignition. Has F41 suspension, close-ratio 4-speed and date-code-correct L71 engine. Cond: 3+.
Auction Analyst Frank Schilling said:
This car definitely slipped under the radar! Even without the original engine, the buyer scored a low-mile original significantly under market.
Jim says:
Ultra-desirable L71 car with a great look and good condition. Really hard to go wrong at this price.
2. 1962 Chrysler 300 Sport Series 2-dr hard top. Lot 103, James G. Murphy Auctions, Brothers, OR, 5/2014. Sold at $5,500. VIN: 8223241913
383-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. One of the cleanest cars here and perhaps the one closest to being driveable. Last tagged in 1984. Dents in passenger’s side quarter, door and fender. Trailer hitch bolted to frame. Newer tires. Trunk has original spare, car cover and blower motor assembly. One of few cars with a battery. Dusty interior, different from dirty. Switch and button labels all readable. Headliner in remarkable condition — same with chrome support bows. Bottom edge of driver’s door panel ripping and separating. Cond: 3-
Auction Analyst Chad Tyson said:
Great buy, even if there is some sorting to do before this cruises again. I can’t find others near this price in this condition.
Jim says:
Sure, it needed some work, but this car had a great original feel to it, and the doors shut with a satisfying click. Clean it up, make it run, make $10k.
1. 1969 Dodge Super Bee 2-dr hard top. Lot 726, Barrett-Jackson Reno, 7/2014. Sold at $77,000. VIN: WM23M9A302906
440-ci V8, 3×2-bbl, 4-sp. 1969½ M-code Super Bee with an absolutely flawless finish. Wearing an incredible color combination with perfect white stripes, white top and #1 white interior. The only problem found is scratches and scuffs in the rear window glass. Under the factory fiberglass hood, the motor and engine bay are better than original. One of 826 440 Six Pack-equipped hard tops with rare options. Absolutely a visually stunning Mopar. Rebuilt 1969 engine and matching-numbers 4-speed. Cond: 1-
Auction Analyst Travis Shetler said:
Very well bought and sold. The M40 package adds 25% to the high market value of $65,500, according to the ACC Pocket Price Guide. Everyone should be happy, but it is likely the buyer who is happiest. The perfect muscle car, highly collectible and sought-after with a screaming color scheme. It could not be restored for this amount of money, and the value is only going up.
Jim says:
I love M-code cars, and this one was really, really nice. As Hemi prices move up, so too will prices on other rare Mopars. I just wish I’d bought it.
Every issue of ACC includes over 100 market reports just like these. If you like what you see, subscribe here.