Profiles
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1 AMERICAN
CAR COLLECTOR
Corvette Market
1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6
PREMIERE ISSUE! • Auctions • Values • Previews • Events
™
INSIDE
TV's “What's My Car Worth?”®
Cheap Thrills: A 390-ci Rambler
John L. Stein: Your first Corvette
Colin Comer: Collecting American muscle
1964 Dodge Charger S/FX
January-February 2012
$83k 1965 Corvette 327/375 Fuelie coupe
www.AmericanCarCollector.com
$302k
The first “Funny Car”
Last of the breed
Keith Martin's
includes
Big-BlockBuster
$181.5k
Page 4
CAR COLLECTOR
Vol. 1 • Issue 1 • January-February 2012
PREMIERE ISSUE!
AMERICAN
Corvette Market
The Scoop: Profiles
CORVETTE
1965 327/375 FUELIE
$83k / Gooding & Co.
This car listed for about
$5,500 new, yet Car and
Driver compared it favorably
to the $12,000 contemporary
Aston Martin DB5 and
Ferrari 250 GT. — Thomas
Glatch
Page 42
GM
1970 CHEVELLE SS 454 LS6
$181k / Russo and Steele
For a gas jock pulling $1.50
an hour in 1970, ordering
the LS6 took an entire extra
month of pumping Ethyl.
— John L. Stein
Page 44
FoMoCo
1969 MUSTANG
COBRA JET 428
$55k / Barrett-Jackson
With values of big-block
Mach 1s easily topping
$75,000, shouldn't a rarer
derivative of the performance
Mustang be more desirable?
— Sam Stockham
Page 46
MOPAR
1968 DODGE HEMI
CHARGER
$60k / Mecum
For guys who like to use
their cars, this vintage
aftermarket parts movement
has even more merit. Car
shows are boring compared
to getting wheel hop after
banging 4th gear — Colin
Comer
Page 48
6 AmericanCarCollector.com
Keith Martin's
includes
Page 5
HOT ROD
& CUSTOM
CLASSIC
1934 PACKARD SUPER
EIGHT 1104 TOURER
$140k / Mecum
1932 FORD HIGHBOY
ROADSTER
$154K / Gooding & Co.
Nearly all of its important bits
are authentic, but the total
assemblage of this '32 was
simply an interpretation of a
period hot rod — Ken Gross
Page 50
Photo documentation
includes shots of Admirals
Halsey and Nimitz as well
as General Eisenhower
riding in the back — Carl
Bomstead
Page 52
RACE
1964 DODGE CHARGER
S/FX
$302k / Worldwide
Although the car was never
officially raced, it ushered in
a new era of performance
and drag racing — Dale
Novak
Page 54
TRUCK
1964 CHEVROLET
C20 PICKUP
$15k / Bonhams
Even after the major manufacturers
all started making
their own standardized 4x4s,
a four-wheel-drive truck was
still an expensive proposition
— B. Mitchell Carlson
Page 56
January-February 2012 7
Page 6
CoLuMnS
10 Torque
Welcome from the Editor– Jim Pickering
30 Cheap Thrills
1964 Rambler American – B. Mitchell Carlson
32 Corvette Country
How to choose your first one – John L. Stein
34 Horsepower
Tips for beginning your collection – Colin Comer
114 Surfing Around
Interesting automobilia on eBay – Carl Bomstead
Fun RiDeS
28 Snapshots
Brief visits with classic restoration shops
36 Insider's View
Advice from folks who've been there, done that
38 Q&A
You have questions, we have answers
40 Show and Shine
A day at the Beaches collector car gathering – Chester Allen
AuCTionS
60 Barrett-Jackson
Prices, pictures and more from Las Vegas
74 Mecum
Complete results from St. Charles, IL
84 Global Roundup
How American cars sold around the world
108 eBay
Market movements online
nS
10 Torque
Welcome from the Editor– Jim Pickering
30 Cheap Thrills
1964 Rambler American – B. Mitchell Carlson
32 Corvette Country
How to choose your first one – John L. Stein
34 Horsepower
Tips for beginning your collection – Colin Comer
114 Surfing Around
Interesting automobilia on eBay – Carl Bomstead
Fun RiDeS
28 Snapshots
Brief visits with classic restoration shops
36 Insider's View
Advice from folks who've been there, done that
38 Q&A
You have questions, we have answers
40 Show and Shine
A day at the Beaches collector car gathering – Chester Allen
AuCTionS
60 Barrett-Jackson
Prices, pictures and more from Las Vegas
74 Mecum
Complete results from St. Charles, IL
84 Global Roundup
How American cars sold around the world
108 eBay
Market movements online
Photo
Photo this page: Beaches Cruise-In, Portland, OR
by Dave Tomaro
SeRViCe DePARTMenT
12 What's Happening
Upcoming events
14 Crossing the Block
Auctions this month – Tony Piff
20 Publisher'sNote
Let's lay rubber – Keith Martin
22 Contributors
Some folks who made this issue possible
24 Good Reads
Drop the wrench and pick up a book – Mark Wigginton
24 Parts Time
Pieces to keep you on the road – Chad Tyson
26 Cool Stuff
The latest gadgets for you and your ride – Tony Piff
112 What's My Car Worth? ®
Keith Martin gives you the lowdown
Page 8
Torque
Jim Pickering
Welcome, American car fans!
The Pickering family's 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6, bought new, then sold to some kid for $3,000 in 1982.
today that addresses American collectors,
their enthusiasm for their cars and what
those cars are worth in the marketplace.
Inside each issue of American Car Collector,
you'll find thoughtful articles, written by
experts, that will provide you with the
insights you need to be better collectors —
which is especially important in these times,
when the difference between a $100,000
Chevelle and a $25,000 one can be as little
as an engine stamping.
I was born with my passion for American
I
iron. My dad walked into Knaus Chevrolet
in 1969 and ordered a brand-new 1970
Chevelle SS 454 LS6 in Fathom Blue with
white stripes. It's a car I don't remember personally,
as it was sold before my time. But
it's a car that has always lived in Pickering
family lore — the long-gone LS6 sold to
some kid off the street for $3,000. But it was
1982, and back then, it wasn't worth much
more – especially with 100k miles and a
worn-out 4th gear synchro. And that dieselpowered
Volkswagen family car that we
needed wasn't going to pay for itself.
Now that's a story we've all heard a
thousand times. Just about every car person
seems to have had a similar experience of
automotive love and loss, punctuated by a
sale price that has become unreasonably
low in retrospect. And if you didn't live it
yourself, then you likely know someone who
10 AmericanCarCollector.com
'm an American car addict. And if
you're like me, you live and breathe
classic American cars — which is why
I'm so excited to be a part of this new
magazine, American Car Collector.
Simply put, there's not another magazine
did. “I never should have sold that” is almost
a cliché these days.
Other GM muscle has come into my life
— a 468-ci '66 Caprice coupe, a '66 Impala
SS 396 convertible, a '68 Camaro SS, an
'01 Camaro SS, an '06 Trailblazer SS, and a
'72 Cheyenne Super K10 4x4 project — but
among all of them, in my mind, nothing
compares to that Chevelle, and I'd reclaim it
in a heartbeat if I could.
Always in the hunt
Regardless of whether you're dreaming
of buying back a piece of your youth, hunting
that car you've always wanted, thinning
or adding to a collection, just getting started
with your first collectible, or you maintain
one classic that's never slipped from your
grasp, we've all got something in common:
the need for accurate and timely market
values so that we'll know what to spend,
how much to ask or how much our insurance
coverage should be. And that's what
American Car Collector is all about.
I started as Auction Editor of Sports Car
Market in 2006 and helped launch Corvette
Market in '07. And as with Keith Martin's
other publications, which have tracked the
market for more than two decades, the core
of every issue of ACC includes quick takes
of a vast number of cars at auction, called
Market Reports. Why use auction sales as a
barometer? Because they're the best source
of reliable, verifiable public transactions
of collectible American cars today. The
Market Report section of the magazine is
much more than just a price guide. We know
that every car is different, either in terms
of condition or equipment, and we let you
see not only what a car sold for, but we also
explain why the car sold (or didn't sell) for
the reported amount. Check them out, starting
on page 58.
You'll also find in-depth profiles on GM,
Ford, Mopar, Race, Hot Rod, Americana
and trucks, written by industry experts who
know each genre inside and out. Corvettes
are a huge part of the market, and Corvette
Market readers who are now receiving ACC
will have their own dedicated profile each
month, as well as a Corvette-specific column
written by expert John L. Stein.
Want the best bang for your buck? Take a
look at B. Mitchell Carlson's Cheap Thrills
column. Muscle and Shelby expert and ACC
Editor at Large Colin Comer chimes in on
the market, trends, current events and your
questions in his Horsepower column in
every issue. And if you're ready to buy, our
Crossing the Block section gives you a good
look at what's coming down the pipeline at
upcoming American car auctions.
This is our inaugural issue, and everyone
involved in its production hopes you enjoy
reading it as much as we have enjoyed building
it. If you have comments or suggestions,
technical questions or want to know more
about values, email me at jim.pickering@
americancarcollector.com. We'll print your
letters and do our best to address your questions
and concerns.
Finally, if you know where there's a
Fathom Blue '70 LS6 with a missing SS grille
emblem and a Monte Carlo-sourced woodgrain
dash, I'd love to hear from you. A
Page 10
WHAT'SHAPPENING
Fifth Annual
Corvette
Insider's
Seminar
What: American Car Collector
publisher Keith Martin and a
panel of Corvette market
experts will show how to
examine collectible Corvettes.
This is a don't-miss event.
When: Thursday, January 19,
8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Where: Barrett-Jackson,
WestWorld, 16601 N. Pima
Road, Scottsdale
Web: www.
AmericanCarCollectorcom/
2012seminar
Phone: 503.261.0555 ext. 217
Cost: No charge for American
Car Collector / Corvette Market
or Sports Car Market subscribers,
Barrett-Jackson bidders or
consignors, Bloomington GoldCertified
Corvette owners or
NCRS members. Admission is
$10 for all others. Registration
required.
Corvette Insider's Seminar in Scottsdale, AZ.
ACC in Arizona
American Car Collector, along with our sister magazine, Sports
Car Market, will be at the big Arizona auctions from January 17–21.
You can find our booths at the Russo and Steele Auction and the
Gooding & Company Auction. Look for us everyplace else — we'll
be wearing ACC shirts and hats. Be sure to say hello, as talking
to readers is the best part of this trip. And don't miss our Annual
Corvette Insider's Seminar from 9 am to 11 am on Thursday,
January 19, at the Barrett-Jackson Auction site in Scottsdale.
ACC and SCM Publisher Keith Martin will lead a panel workshop
on how to completely examine a pre-sale collectible Corvette — from
engine compartment to interior to the underside of the car — like a
pro. And, in fact, this group of professional Corvette experts will be
on the panel:
Mike Yager, founder of Mid America Motorworks
Michael Pierce, NCRS senior judge and ACC writer
Roy Sinor, NCRS national judging chairman
David Burroughs, Bloomington Gold CEO
Terry Michaelis, ProTeam Corvette owner
Kevin Mackay, expert Corvette restorer and owner of
Corvette Repair
Jim Jordan, owner of County Corvette
Admission is free for ACC and SCM subscribers, registered
Barrett-Jackson bidders and consignors, owners of Bloomington
Gold-certified Corvettes and NCRS members. Space is limited. To
register, go to www.americancarcollector.com (AZ)
12 AmericanCarCollector.com
Grand National Roadster Show
To a hot rodder, Pomona, CA, is the place to be on January 27–29,
as The Grand National Roadster Show rumbles into a town that has
loved hot cars and high horsepower for decades. Route 66 is this
year's show theme. Thousands of hot rods, street rods, customs and
trucks will be on display, and the show includes the Grand Daddy
Drive-in, which will showcase more than 700 amazing cars — and
you'll be able to hear the cars rumble on by. This is the place to show
off the car you've been working on for years — or to see cars that
other gearheads have been working on for years. If you've got a car
you're dying to show off in the Southern California January sun,
don't miss this show — and stop by the ACC booth while you're
there. www.rodshows.com.
Sun-splashed Best in Show Awards
Most collectors of American cars tuck their rides into warm ga-
rages for the winter, but January 8 will probably be a nice, warm day
in Sunrise, FL, and that is when the Renegade Corvette Club cranks
up the 6th Annual Open Car & Truck Show at the Ed Morse Sawgrass
Auto Mall. Corvettes are eligible for 30 Best of Show awards, and
other cars and trucks compete for 40 other Best of Show awards.
Registering your car or truck for this flurry of awards costs $25. Live
music, food, door prizes, a raffle — and warm sun in January — have
us thinking about hauling Publisher Martin's one of none hot-rodded
1964 Chevy Nova wagon out from Oregon. www.renegadecorvetteclub.com
A
Page 12
CROSSINGTHE
Upcoming auctions
BLOCK
2005 Ford GT at Fort Lauderdale, FL
Dave Rupp—Fort Lauderdale Beach Auction
Where: Fort Lauderdale, FL
When: January 6–8
More: www.ftlauderdaleauction.com
and cruise straight to the beach! Among the 300 cars crossing the
block are a performance-modified 2005 Ford GT with
super-low miles, and a two-time NCRS Top Flight award-winning
1961 Chevrolet Corvette 283/315 fuel-injected convertible.
Pick up a stylish classic at Dave Rupp's annual January sale,
by Tony Piff
1957 DeSoto Adventurer Convertible in Scottsdale, AZ
1957 DeSoto Adventurer Convertible; a 1930 Duesenberg Model J
Murphy Town Car; a 1933 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow, said to be one
of three extant; and a 1948 Tucker 48 Torpedo, one of 51 Tuckers
ever built.
Bonhams—The Scottsdale, AZ, Auction
Where: Scottsdale, AZ
When: January 19
More: www.bonhams.com
and the consignment list looks strong. Early highlights include a
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air two-door hard top (Bonhams estimate:$55k–
$65k); a 1961 Chevrolet Impala SS 409 sports coupe, equipped
with 4-speed ($55k–$65k); a 1948 Pontiac Streamliner woodie
wagon ($70k–$90k); and the ex-Jack Hogan, Dearborn Awardwinning
1936 Ford Model 68 Deluxe phaeton ($80k–$100k).
This will be Bonhams' first sale during Arizona auction week,
1963 Ford Galaxie 500 convertible in Charlotte, NC
Tom Mack—Charlotte in January
Where: Charlotte, NC
When: January 14
More: www.tommackclassics.com
able American classics right in the middle of a huge, three-day
swap meet. The featured early consignment is an unrestored,
all-original 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 convertible with 23k miles
claimed actual since new.
Barrett-Jackson—Scottsdale 2012
Where: Scottsdale, AZ
When: January 15–22
More: www.barrett-jackson.com
Last year: 1,245 / 1,245 cars sold / $68,509,290
affair, with well over a thousand cars at every price point crossing
the block over the course of a week. Star cars this year include a
Barrett-Jackson's hometown sale is an absolutely massive
14 AmericanCarCollector.com
Tom Mack's Charlotte auction offers a great selection of afford1956
Cadillac Eldorado Brougham Town Car prototype
RM Auctions—Automobiles of Arizona
Where: Phoenix, AZ
When: January 19–20
More: www.rmauctions.com
Last year: 172 / 180 sold / $30,811,075
from every genre at this upscale sale, held at the swanky Arizona
Biltmore Resort & Spa. Top-dollar domestics include a 1966 Shelby
Cobra 427 with fewer than 11k miles; a 1954 Chevrolet Corvette,
equipped with translucent “bubble top”; a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro
Z/28; and a 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham Town Car prototype.
RM will offer premium examples of collectible automobiles
Page 14
CROSSINGTHEBLOCK
1969 Chevrolet COPO Camaro racer at Scottsdale, AZ
Russo and Steele—Sports and Muscle in Scottsdale
Where: Scottsdale, AZ
When: January 19-22
More: www.russoandsteele.com
Last year: 379 / 607 sold / $20,057,136
customs offered at a range of prices at Russo and Steele's 2012
Scottsdale sale. Star cars include a 1965 Shelby 427 Cobra street
prototype; a 1969 Chevrolet COPO Camaro “Tin Soldier” race car,
restored to original race configuration; and a 1953 Corvette owned
by Corvette authority Noland Adams and used as the basis for the
USPS postage stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of the
Corvette.
Look for a vast selection of excellent muscle cars, hot rods and
1948 Studebaker convertible at Fort McDowell, AZ
at this unpretentious, family-friendly event are a restored 1962
Rambler American convertible (Silver estimate: $14k–$16k); a 1948
Studebaker convertible ($29k–$31k); and a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
($32k–$34k).
1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435 at Kissimmee, FL
1957 Ford Thunderbird at Scottsdale, AZ
Gooding & Company—The Scottsdale Auction
Where: Scottsdale, AZ
When: January 20–21
More: www.goodingco.com
Last year: 121 / 131 sold / $34,980,400
cation and very expensive cars. They've had the high sale for each
Arizona Car Week of the past four years. Among the hand-selected
offerings this year are a 1957 Ford Thunderbird ($60k–$80k) and
1956 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible ($120k–$150k), both offered
without reserve; and a 1930 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top
Convertible Coupe (Gooding estimate: $1.6m–$2.2m).
Gooding & Company has earned a reputation for style, sophisti-
Silver Auctions—Arizona in January
Where: Fort McDowell, AZ
When: January 20-21
More: www.silverauctions.com
Last year: 209 / 334 sold / $3,715,374
Muscle cars and classics of the '50s, '60s and '70s will take
center stage at Silver's long-running Fort McDowell sale. Top lots
16 AmericanCarCollector.com
Mecum Auctions—Kissimmee High Performance
Auction
Where: Kissimmee, FL
When: January 24–29
More: www.mecum.com
Last year: 1,066 / 1,561 sold / $41,141,908
$40m last year. 1,500 cars are expected for 2012, with lots and
lots of original and restored muscle, hot rods, trucks, customs and
resto-mods. Headliners include a 1969 Dodge Daytona, thought
to be one of just nine originally with dark green metallic paint; and
a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435 4-speed convertible in tripleblue,
with full matching numbers, complete ownership history and
Bloomington Gold Survivor and Top Flight Awards earned in 2011.
Leake Auction Company — Oklahoma City 2012
Where: Oklahoma City, OK
When: February 17–18
More: www.leakecarauction.com
Last year: 181 / 265 sold / $2,943,408
coast, but Leake's OKC sale is the biggest thing in the heartland at
this time of year. Expect Detroit muscle to be well-represented. With
average price near $15k, this is a great place to snatch up a nice
driver or cruiser without spending a lot of money.
There are plenty of winter auctions to choose from on either
Sales at Mecum's well established Kissimmee auction exceeded
Page 16
CROSSINGTHEBLOCK
Worldwide Auctioneers—11th Annual Classics at the
Trump Taj Mahal
Where: Atlantic City, NJ
When: February 24
More: www.worldwide-auctioneers.com
Last year: 32 / 63 sold / $2,931,650
premier catalog auction. Last year saw an impressive number of
'40s, '50s and '60s classics sell in the $100k–$200k range, and expectations
are high this time around. The auction is held alongside
G. Potter King's Atlantic City Classic Car Show and Auction.
This exclusive, high-end sale bills itself as the East Coast's
G. Potter King—Atlantic City Classic Car Show &
Auction
Where: Atlantic City, NJ
When: February 24–26
More: www.acclassiccars.com
Last year: 158 / 396 sold / $3,585,858
1,000 are predicted this time around. Look for an excellent selection
of muscle cars, Corvettes, pickups and motorcycles in the $20k
range, with plenty to choose from at four-digit price points. A
Nearly 400 cars crossed the block here last year, and more than
SEMA 2011: Cars, tools and tires, oh my!
WE PASS OUT TROPHIES TO OUR TEN
FAVORITE BOOTHS AS WE'RE BLOWN
AWAY BY THE SHOW IN LAS VEGAS
Convention Center seemed to never end. We spent long, wonderful
days wandering in a warm, automotive-induced haze, but the show
was over before we'd had a chance to see, touch and lust over it all.
During the occasional moment of clarity, we encountered a booth
so impressive, we just had to stop and
give them a trophy. In no particular
order, here is the American Car
Collector SEMA Top 10:
Mr. Gasket: Kracklin' Rose, a
T
3,000-hp hot rod, was the undisputed
star of this booth. Built by brothers Al
and Don Nosse, this car looked great,
moved fast and used many of the parts
on display from Mr. Gasket/Prestolite
Performance. In our opinion, Rose was
the most powerful car on the SEMA
floor. www.mrgasket.com
March Performance: Nominated
Kim March of March
Performance with his
ACC Top 10 trophy.
by our Las Vegas-dwelling rep, this
company has tackled the hot topic of
older cars that were not equipped with
air conditioning, power steering and
other modern luxuries. For developing
a way to provide all the comforts of
your 2011 Chevy in your 1957 Chevy,
March Performance, here's your award.
www.marchperf.com
WeatherTech: This company's
enclosure was a cordial and relaxing haven in the midst of SEMA
madness. Techs attracted a crowd with their informative presentations,
and between talks folks would gather to sit, chat and admire all
the great floor mats, cargo liners and other products on display. www.
weathertech.com
Glassworks: A real attention grabber, this booth highlighted
the Glassworks lift system, which takes the risk and hassle out of
18 AmericanCarCollector.com
Kracklin' Rose, a 3,000-hp beast
at ACC award-winning booth
Mr. Gasket.
he ACC crew made its pilgrimage to Las Vegas for the
SEMA Show, which is the annual extravaganza of car
aftermarket parts, tools and components. With over 2,000
exhibitors, more than 115,000 industry professionals and
endless displays of parts, cars and tools, the huge Las Vegas
removing or replacing your
hard top. Attendees couldn't
resist the opportunity to stop
and have their photo taken in
the vintage Corvette. Bonus
points for a very impressive
display. www.thehardtopshop.com
OPTIMA Chargers:
What do you get when you
combine Richard Petty's
NASCAR race car, the Dodge
Charger from “The Fast and
the Furious,” the Charger
from “Bullitt” and The
General Lee from “Dukes
of Hazzard”? One fun booth
from OPTIMA, as they
showed off the Digital 1200,
a charger that will improve
battery performance — and
bring a dead battery back to
life. www.optimabatteries.
com
Race Ramps: Race Ramps products could be spotted in booths all
over SEMA, and they are an industry favorite for displaying all types
of vehicles. The company booth showed off ramps made of a mystical,
lightweight, high-density foam — including a new “rock” that
just begs to highlight an aggressive off-road vehicle. www.raceramps.
com
Wheel Vintiques: These after-market wheels for classic American
cars had more than one ACC staffer dizzy. The display featured a
tantalizing 1932 Ford Roadster with a striking set of classic wire
wheels. www.wheelvintiques.com
Lokar Performance Products: This vendor impressed us with a
multitude of great new products and a pristine 1967 Chevy Chevelle.
We were most intrigued by their new Drive-By-Wire Electric Throttle
Control Pedal Assembly, which is a retrofit for hot rods that does what
it says — and looks good doing it. www.lokar.com
Wilwood Brakes: This great product was nearly eclipsed by the
amazing resto-mod Corvette hanging around the booth. This 1958
'Vette had modifications in all the right places, taking an iconic
design to the next level. www.wilwood.com
BASF Automotive Refinish Solutions: Demonstrating the latest
in waterborne and custom-color technology, BASF featured a 1956
Gullwing and a 1970 Z/28 in a pewter metallic so flawless you could
see the stars in your own eyes. www.basfrefinish.com A
Page 18
Publisher's
Note
Keith Martin
Let's lay rubber
was born. And through it, we became deeply involved with the world
of American cars. Now, Corvette Market has become an even bigger
magazine, American Car Collector.
I've had my share of American cars over the years, including
I
With chrome icing?
a 1970 Plymouth Superbird (440-ci, 4-bbl, 4-speed, Tic-Toc-Tach,
bench seat) that I used as a daily driver. I also had a 1968 Road
Runner (383, 4-speed, buckets), a 1992 C4 Corvette I drove from
Portland, OR, to Anchorage,
AK, on the Alcan highway
and many others. Our current
family ride is a ground-up
restored 1964 Chevy 400
Nova wagon with a numbersmatching
283-ci V8, fitted
with a Hurst-linkage floor-shift
Saginaw 4-speed, buckets
from an SS and upgraded
with an Edelbrock 4-bbl and a
Performer EPS intake manifold
(carefully hidden under the stock air cleaner).
I've been around new American cars as well. I reviewed the
Plymouth Prowler for the NY Times when it made its debut in 1997;
the caravan of ten purple retromobiles cruising down Hollywood
Boulevard was memorable. But my primary focus has always been on
European sports cars.
That's why I was delighted to have Jim Pickering, the managing
editor of Sports Car Market, agree to be named Editor of American
Car Collector. He has lived and breathed American Iron all his life
— his wedding cake was shaped like a Chevrolet big block — which
means he has a very understanding wife.
With American Car Collector, we will bring the same rigorous
analysis of the market that has typified Sports Car Market for the
past 24 years. You'll see award-winning writers such as Ken Gross
offering their personal insights on sales that have made a difference
— and that you should know about.
Our cadre of seasoned auction reporters is second to none —
they rack up thousands of miles every year going to events around
the world. If a Hemi 'Cuda sells in France, we'll be there. If a
Duesenberg SJ breaks the bank at Pebble, you'll read about it in detail
here. When Mecum, Barrett-Jackson, Auctions America, Silver or
any other of America's premier auction companies move American
iron, we'll share the inside details with you, down to exclusive photos,
serial numbers, physical descriptions and more.
If you're already a Corvette Market or Sports Car Market sub-
scriber, welcome. I know you'll enjoy the ride, and I look forward to
being a part of the year-round car shows, cruise-ins and tours that
make the American market the vibrant entity that it is. Thanks for
coming aboard — if you have questions or comments, send them to
me at keith.martin@americancarcollector.com. We're ready to start
laying down twin stripes of ink and paper, and you're holding the
beginning of the journey in your hands right now. A
20 AmericanCarCollector.com
t was just five years ago that I drove my 1963 Corvette Split
Window to Portland International Raceway for the Wednesday
night drag races. My wife, Wendie, was in our 1978 Porsche
911SC, and we spent the night practicing burnouts, speed shifting
and generally making fun of each other when we redlined.
From that night, the notion to create Corvette Market magazine
CAR COLLECTOR
Volume 1, No. 1
January-February 2012
Publisher Keith Martin
Executive Editor Chester Allen
Editor Jim Pickering
Art Director Dave Tomaro
Digital Media Director Jeff Stites
Editor at Large Colin Comer
Auctions Editor Tony Piff
Data Analyst Chad Tyson
Copy Editor Yael Abel
Auction Analysts B. Mitchell Carlson
Tom Glatch
Daniel Grunwald
John Clucas
Chip Lamb
Norm Mort
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Page 20
CONTRIBUTORS
B. MITCHELL CARLSON wrote his first auction
CARL BOMSTEAD bought his first car when he was
14 and has lost count of how many have passed through
his garage since then. He's partial to full classics but can't
ignore a good sports car or hot rod. His vintage automobilia
collection includes hundreds of porcelain signs, mascots,
oil cans and several display cases full of automotive memorabilia.
Bomstead has judged at the Pebble Beach Concours
d'Elegance for the past 16 years as well as numerous other
prominent concours. Read his profile of a Packard Super
Eight 1104 tourer on p. 52.
report for Old Cars Weekly in 1990 and has contributed his
colorful commentary to ACC's sister publication, Sports
Car Market, since
1998. He is also
a market analyst
for Kelley Blue
Book, and his work
appears regularly
in a handful of
marque-specific
publications. Carlson
shuns what he calls
“single-marque
tunnel vision” and
takes great pride
in his “vehicular
diversity,” which
basically means
Corvairs, International trucks, Packard Eights, BMW
E-9 coupes, military vehicles and a Whizzer motorbike.
He attends about two dozen auctions a year. If you're into
Cheap Thrills, check out his thoughts on an AMX-powered
Rambler on p. 30. He also shares his thoughts on a
preserved 1964 Chevrolet K20 plow truck on p. 56.
KEN GROSS has been an auto writer for 38 years,
and his work has appeared in Playboy for decades (so
you can tell your wife it's OK to read). His words have
also appeared in AutoWeek, Hemispheres, The Rodder's
Journal, Street
Rodder and Hot
Rod Magazine. He
wrote the awardwinning
TV series,
“Behind The
Headlights,” and
his books include
Hot Rods and
Custom Cars, Los
Angeles and the
Dry Lakes: The
Early Years, Art of
the Hot Rod, Hot
Rod Milestones
and The Allure of
the Automobile.
He was curator of
the Allure of the
Automobile exhibit at the Portland Art Museum during the
summer of 2011. He was director of the Los Angeles-based
Petersen Automotive Museum and has judged at Pebble
Beach for 20 years. Although he still laments the sale of his
Ferrari 275 GTB, he is a hot rodder at heart with a garagefull
of bitchin' old Fords. This month he examines a 1932
Ford Highboy roadster on p. 50.
22 AmericanCarCollector.com
DALE NOVAK started his gearhead life collecting
Hot Wheels as a child. His first car was a dead 1970 Dodge
Challenger. His
mother gave him
two weeks to get it
running, which he
did, but then quickly
discovered that
Challengers aren't
meant to go airborne
and that police response
time is remarkably
fast. He's
been buying, selling
and collecting cars
ever since. Dale
enjoys just about
anything with an
unrestricted exhaust
and has a particular
fondness for all things Mopar. A few of his prized toys
include a Meadow Brook-winning 1956 Corvette, and a
“two-tag, Mr. Norm's” 1970 440 Dodge Challenger. Novak
is a 30-plus-year veteran of the publishing, marketing and
advertising design business, and he has been serving as an
auction analyst and contributor for SCM for several years.
He also can be found bloviating about classic cars of all
types for several auction houses, handling color commentary
duties. This month, on p. 54, he takes an in-depth look
at a 1964 Dodge Charger S/FX drag car.
Page 22
GOODREADS by Mark Wigginton
Jerry Heasley's Rare Finds: Rediscovering Muscle Car Treasures
By Jerry Heasley, CarTech, 144 pages, $19.77, Amazon
“Look, I know you think that she was the one, but I don't. No, I think you're just remembering the
good stuff. Next time you look back, I, uh, I think you should look again.”
That's a character from a sweet movie about found and lost love, “500 Days of Summer,” but we
both know she's talking about you — and the car that got away.
Because that's what it's like. You, in the bloom of youth, meet the
car of your dreams, or at least read about it enough that you make
yourself believe you've actually driven it, owned it, possessed it.
And now, years later, you keep looking.
Jerry Heasley certainly shares your pain, and if you're lucky, he
will recount your years of looking, dreaming — hell, stalking — that
car, and write about it in his column in Muscle Car Review.
“Jerry Heasley's Rare Finds” is a compilation of some of his
favorite columns, from the 1969 Boss 302 with only 196 miles on it
to the first 200-mph Dodge Charger Daytona and the 1960 Le Manswinning
Corvette that was being driven on the street by a guy who
thought that it was an old driver 'Vette.
Like the “(Your car here) in a Barn” series, Heasley recounts
tales from the hunt, in a slim-but-entertaining book full of “before”
photos of important-but-long-missing cars, fouled with kudzu or
sitting under various parts from unrelated cars in a junkyard. Then
the “after” photos of the cars — of gems re-polished, diamonds reclaimed
from the earth, dreams realized.
The chase and the kill are pretty popular, and Heasley has been doing the column for more than
20 years in a variety of publications. The story is so universal, it's right there with “a stranger comes
to town” as a form — a comforting campfire tale told and retold to give us all hope.
Heasley has it down to an art form, re-spinning each story that puts the reader right there, giving
each of us hope that the next wrecking yard we enter, the next friend of a friend's barn we poke into
includes that jewel under a tarp that turns into a column by, oh, Jerry Heasley.
PARTSTIME by Chad Tyson
New products to modernize your street machine
Custom Autosound Secretaudio SST
Working
MSD Ignition Atomic EFI
Aftermarket fuel-injection has long suffered from complicated
setups and tuning. But not anymore. MSD's Atomic EFI's slogan is
“Install Saturday morning, make the cruise Saturday night.” The
Master Kit system (PN 2900) requires only eight connections, one
fuel line and no laptop to download fuel maps.
The fuel rail is integral, removing extra fittings where leaks
might develop and eliminating return lines — but the system can
support a return line if your car already uses one. TPS, MAP, IAT
and fuel pressure sensors are all incorporated into the ECU, which in
turn is part of the carburetor-look-alike throttle body.
The standard fuel kit is rated up to 525 hp and the high horse-
power version handles 620 hp. MSD says it is designed to fit on any
square bore, 4-bbl intake, so it'll probably work on the intake you've
already got. www.atomicefi.com.
24 AmericanCarCollector.com
40-year-old radios
are getting hard
to find. And in a
classic American
car, upgrading to a
modern head unit
would probably
require cutting into
that original painted
metal dash. So do
you hack up originality
in the name of decent sounds?
It's a tough decision, but you don't
have to make it — Custom Autosound's
Secretaudio hideaway audio solution eliminates
the problem altogether.
Mounting flexibility is outstanding, as the main 200-watt, 24
preset receiver can be secured in any number of locations, and the
LCD display has ten feet of cable between it and the tuner for variable
placement. The remote works from up to 40 feet away — it relies on
radio frequency, so no line-of-sight is required. And an iPod docking
cable enables you to keep rocking whatever beats you want, whenever
you want.
MSRP is $299.95, and you can find a list of dealers online at
www.casmfg.com.A
Lineage: ªªª
Many of the stories are well-
known and well-documented, so we
aren't talking about lack of history
or old number plates slid under a
recreation of the original. Heasley is
first and foremost a reporter, and he
is invested in making sure the cars
are real.
Fit and finish: ªª
Despite being less coffee-table
and more muffler-shop-waitingroom
quality, the printing is well
done and the utilitarian design work
understated. It's the stories, not the
architecture, on display here.
Drivability: ªªªª
Heasley has a nice voice, and
what comes through is a guy as
delighted as the people he writes
about in the finds they made. It's
like having a solid wingman along
for your conquests who will tell the
tale straight without ever making
you look like you were trying too
hard. Fast and fun to read.
ªªªªª is best
Page 24
COOLSTUFF
Fresh margaritas,
anyone? Your drill Is now
your tailgating blender
You may be content with a cooler of
Bud Light, but for those hard-to-please
people in need of something a little more
sophisticated, the drill-powered Boat
Blender blows the parking lot possibilities
wide open. $29 gets you the blender bit and
two sippable bottles. To adequately crush
ice, just make sure your drill is capable of
1,100 rpm. www.boatblender.com
by Tony Piff
Workin' clothes
Carhartt's new line of twill gear raises the bar for work wear comfort and durabil-
Let it bleed
With Phoenix Systems' “DIY reverse
bleeder,” bleeding brake and clutch
lines is no longer a two-person job. The
pistol-shaped syringe pumps in new
fluid in at the caliper, and air bubbles
dissipate when they reach the reservoir.
No fuss, no muss. $79.99 from
www.brakebleeder.com.
26 AmericanCarCollector.com
ity. The high-tech, easy-to-live-with fabric resists stains and wrinkles, extra-long
shirttails stay tucked, and the pants even feature a permanent crease, for that “I'm a
professional” look. www.carhartt.com
Dolly glides easy
Red Hawk car dollies roll on oversized tripl
bearing casters, for smooth maneuvering
in confined spaces. With 24 custom paint
colors to choose from, you can match them
to your car or your garage, and they even do
diamond plate! A set of four will run you $298
to $878, depending on width and load capacity
Made in Vermont. www.rollglide.comA
Page 26
SNAPSHOTS
Northwest House
of Hardtops
“When you're selling a car at no reserve, you don't
want to have anything to apologize for,” says Mark
Young, owner of Northwest House of Hardtops. “You
do every car the same way — perfect.”
Young's specialty dealership, based in Portland,
OR, restores and sells 200 Corvettes and muscle cars
each year. Young has about 40 cars at any given time,
with a dozen or so filling the windowless, spotlessly
detailed showroom. On display one recent afternoon
were a highly optioned 1970 Pontiac GTO convertible,
a 1969 Chevrolet
Camaro Z/28 RS
and a 1962 Chevrolet
Impala SS 409
convertible.
If the cars don't
Detailing
What: Northwest House of Hardtops
Where: Portland, OR
Telephone: 503.257.9050
Web: www.chevconnection.com
sell here, they'll sell
at a Barrett-Jackson
auction, where
Young's restorations
routinely achieve
world-record prices.
In September 2011,
Young took a 1956
Oldsmobile Super
88 convertible to
Barrett-Jackson's
Las Vegas sale and
watched it hammer sold for $170,500 — a record made
during this slow economy.
“Our business hasn't slowed a bit,” Young says. “I
hardly have time for my own cars, working six days a
week.”
Young's “keepers” include a 1970 LS6 Chevelle, a
1967 427/435 Corvette coupe and a Z16 1965 Chevelle
Malibu.
Returning to the subject of selling cars without
reserve, Young confesses, “I'm a bit of a dice-roller.
A lot of people worry about no reserve, but I'm a firm
believer that if you bring a perfect car, it'll bring perfect
money. You just gotta have faith in what you do.”
— Tony Piff
Wrap it up. It's to go.
Rocket Restorations
Olympia, WA, is famous as the birthplace of grunge rock, but Rocket Restorations
is making a name for itself as a place where battered Road Runners, 'Cudas, Daytonas,
Chargers and other Mopar cars rock again.
The shop, right in downtown Olympia, has huge plate-glass windows that give the
world a glimpse of cars in different stages of restoration — and gearheads are stopping
in their tracks these days to gaze at a 1964 Dodge 440 Max Wedge.
“This is the first of the 440 hard tops,” said Tom Hergert, who is partners with
Mike Volz at Rocket Restorations. “It came here as a cut-up race car, and we're undoing
years of race car damage right now.”
Rocket is famous for ultra-correct restorations, and incredible efforts go into get-
ting the right original parts for each car.
The shop sprawls over two large buildings, and salvaged and N.O.S. parts fill racks
of shelves and boxes. Two donor cars are supplying the parts for the 440 Max Wedge
restoration.
“We don't like using reproduction parts,”
Hergert said as he peeled a clean car cover off a
stunning 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda, which spent
two years undergoing a complete, nuts-and-bolts
rotisserie restoration.
The 'Cuda gleamed under the shop lights and
looked as if it has just come off the assembly line
40 years ago — except for a scratch in the driver's
door window.
“We couldn't find an original replacement for
Detailing
What: Rocket Restorations
Where: Olympia, WA
Terms: Rocket performs cost-plus
restorations. Volz and Hergert say
that there are too many surprises in
an old Mopar car to do the job any
other way.
Telephone: 360.705.0943
Web: www.rocketresto.com
the glass, and the repro glass looks horrible — you
can tell it's not original from 20 feet away,” Hergert said. “So, we thought it was better
to have original glass with a scratch.”
Shop technicians carefully restitched split seams in the cars' seats, so they are not
replacements. The car has won national attention.
“This 'Cuda is an example of the best work we do here,” Hergert said.
Rocket Restorations has kept busy bringing youth back to mangled and neglected
Mark Young and a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air hard
top, freshly restored and ready for auction.
28 AmericanCarCollector.com
Mopar throughout the Great Recession. Cars fill almost every corner of the shop right
now, but Volz and Hergert are always looking for new projects — especially if the
customer wants a great car.
“We don't cut corners, and that might be our greatest weakness,” Hergert said.
“We can't stand putting something out that is not right.” A
— Chester Allen
Page 28
Cheap Thrills
B. Mitchell Carlson
GOES FAST
Looks slow,
AN AMX-POWERED RAMBLER — PERFECT FOR THE LITTLE OLD LADY
FROM KENOSHA — OR SOMEONE WHO LIKES SURPRISES
Detailing
Year produced: 1963–
1965 (2-dr hard top)
Number produced:
19,495 (1964)
Original list price: $2,417
Current ACC Valuation:
$6k–$8k
Tune-up cost: $200
Distributor cap: $15
Chassis number: Under
hood; pop-riveted plate
on the passenger's side
wheelhouse panel
Engine number: Upper
left front corner of the
engine block (inline
6); center, left side of
the block above the oil
pan (V8)
Website: www.amcrc.com
American Motors
Owners Association,
c/o Don P. Loper, 1615
Purvis Ave., Janesville,
WI 53548
Website: www.
amonational.com
Alternatives:
1963–1967 Chevy II
Nova
TruTrac Positraction differential. The engine was
professionally built and balanced, and features an
upgraded Crower cam, Offenhauser 360 aluminum
intake manifold, MSD ignition, Edelbrock Performer
4-barrel carburetor and Dynomax high-flow exhaust
system.
Other notable features include 31-spline alloy
T
Clubs: AMC Rambler Club
77 County Road
Simsbury, CT 06070
1962–1963 Oldsmobile
F-85 Jetfire 2-dr hard
top
axle shafts, a 3.50 ring and pinion, billet aluminum
flywheel, Offenhauser valve covers, trunk-mounted
battery, KYB gas shocks, front sway bar, integrated
Autometer gauges, Hurst shifter, BF Goodrich radial
tires and original dog dish hubcaps. Included with
purchase are numerous mechanical receipts, an
original service manual, owner's manual, photo album
and extra keys. This Rambler is fast, fun, and runs and
drives excellent.
ACC Analysis This car sold for $12,650 at
Barrett-Jackson's Las Vegas auc-
tion on September 22–24, 2011.
I have a rule when it comes to street rods and
most other modified cars: What's on the hood should
be what's under the hood. Want to wrinkle my nose?
An AMX 390 V8 adds enough oomph to make
passers-by look twice when the hood is up.
Show me a '51 Ford with a small-block Chevy.
Following that guideline, this AMC puts a new spin on
the sleeper school.
The entry-level Rambler American was all new for
1964. Pontiac Tempests, Olds F-85s, Buick Specials,
Mercury Comets, and even Plymouth Valiant Signets
were proving that while the American buying public
had accepted compact cars, they still wanted “big
car” styling and amenities. Since Rambler helped to
get Americans thinking about compacts, the company
had to keep up with the Big Three in producing them.
cially
owed
bine
r back,
d rear
miliar
hem,
ore
off look.
eading
k, the
erican
s was the
hich
e only
t a twod
top or
le could
der the
t a whole lot
Photos courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
ap Thrills
B. Mitchell Carlson
GOES FAST
Looks slow,
AN AMX-POWERED RAMBLER — PERFECT FOR THE LITTLE OLD LADY
FROM KENOSHA — OR SOMEONE WHO LIKES SURPRISES
Detailing
Year produced: 1963–
1965 (2-dr hard top)
Number produced:
19,495 (1964)
Original list price: $2,417
Current ACC Valuation:
$6k–$8k
Tune-up cost: $200
Distributor cap: $15
Chassis number: Under
hood; pop-riveted plate
on the passenger's side
wheelhouse panel
Engine number: Upper
left front corner of the
engine block (inline
6); center, left side of
the block above the oil
pan (V8)
Website: www.amcrc.com
American Motors
Owners Association,
c/o Don P. Loper, 1615
Purvis Ave., Janesville,
WI 53548
Website: www.
amonational.com
Alternatives:
1963–1967 Chevy II
Nova
TruTrac Positraction differential. The engine was
professionally built and balanced, and features an
upgraded Crower cam, Offenhauser 360 aluminum
intake manifold, MSD ignition, Edelbrock Performer
4-barrel carburetor and Dynomax high-flow exhaust
system.
Other notable features include 31-spline alloy
T
Clubs: AMC Rambler Club
77 County Road
Simsbury, CT 06070
1962–1963 Oldsmobile
F-85 Jetfire 2-dr hard
top
axle shafts, a 3.50 ring and pinion, billet aluminum
flywheel, Offenhauser valve covers, trunk-mounted
battery, KYB gas shocks, front sway bar, integrated
Autometer gauges, Hurst shifter, BF Goodrich radial
tires and original dog dish hubcaps. Included with
purchase are numerous mechanical receipts, an
original service manual, owner's manual, photo album
and extra keys. This Rambler is fast, fun, and runs and
drives excellent.
ACC Analysis This car sold for $12,650 at
Barrett-Jackson's Las Vegas auc-
tion on September 22–24, 2011.
I have a rule when it comes to street rods and
most other modified cars: What's on the hood should
be what's under the hood. Want to wrinkle my nose?
An AMX 390 V8 adds enough oomph to make
passers-by look twice when the hood is up.
Show me a '51 Ford with a small-block Chevy.
Following that guideline, this AMC puts a new spin on
the sleeper school.
The entry-level Rambler American was all new for
1964. Pontiac Tempests, Olds F-85s, Buick Specials,
Mercury Comets, and even Plymouth Valiant Signets
were proving that while the American buying public
had accepted compact cars, they still wanted “big
car” styling and amenities. Since Rambler helped to
get Americans thinking about compacts, the company
had to keep up with the Big Three in producing them.
cially
owed
bine
r back,
d rear
miliar
hem,
ore
off look.
eading
k, the
erican
s was the
hich
e only
t a two-
d top or
le could
der the
t a whole lot
Photos courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
his
his Rambler is a classic sleeper. The original
196-ci, 138-hp straight 6 has been replaced
by an upgraded 390-ci V8 from a '70 AMX,
mated to a Borg-Warner T10 4-speed driving
a Ford nine-inch rear end with Detroit
Page 29
had changed, as the 196-ci overhead valve inline six
still soldiered on at 90 hp. However, the 440H series
got a modestly bumped up version of the 196 with 138
horses. Three-on-the-tree — with or without overdrive
— or an automatic were the choices in transmissions.
Enter the AMX
While about as utterly reliable as an engine
could be in 1964, the 196 could hardly be considered
sporty, even in 440H tune. So the builder of this
car felt a swap was in order. Enter an AMC 390 V8
disenfranchised from a 1970 AMX and beefed up with
performance parts, a T10 4-speed, and a nine-inch
Ford rear with a TruTrac diff.
The weight difference between an AMX and a
Rambler American is not significant, so driving this
car won't be like driving a Pinto with a 460 Ford
stuffed into it. Perhaps the most radical thing about it
is getting that 390 to fit in the engine bay.
No barnstormer here
While this is a neat conversion, it can hardly be
considered the type of car to be a subtle-but-deadly
stoplight grand prix competitor. It should be able to
hold its own against the average muscle car, but pair it
up against an LS6 454 Chevelle or a Mustang Mach 1
428 CJ, and the Rambler will see nothing but taillights.
No, this is pretty much a car destined to make others
look twice whenever it's parked and the hood is open.
As far as the selling price, I'll call it well bought.
Granted, the only true way of establishing the value
is when the seller and a buyer agree on a number, so
a price guide will only give you a vague indication
of what the donors and the finished product should
A big-block plain Jane.
be worth as separate components. But to re-create this car, the labor alone would
likely cost you more than what was paid here. On top of that, don't forget that a
'64 Rambler hard top is not an easy car to find in the first place, with only 19,495
made. So if you want one, you'll have to spend quite a bit more than you would for a
garden-variety four-door example regardless of its pre-conversion condition.
Cheap price for the parts
The Rambler isn't a broadly popular car even when stock, but the sum of this
car's parts should be greater than what the whole car sold for in Vegas. And therein
lies the reason it sold for this seemingly good price: While the world will form a line
to your door for replica SS 454 Chevelles and Hemi Cudas, a hopped-up Rambler
will generally be something of a three-legged dog — a curiosity that everyone will
notice but not necessarily want to own. Unless, that is, your Aunt Beatrice retired
from the interior trim line at the Kenosha assembly plant and likes to mess with
the young kids in their Fox-body 5.0 Mustangs when she's not having coffee at the
Javelin Cafe.A
(Introductory description courtesy of Barrett-Jackson.)
January-February 2012 31
Page 30
Corvette Country
John L. Stein
PICK A FLAVOR
They all look tasty
THE QUESTION OF CORVETTE COLLECTIBILITY FOCUSES NOT ON
WHETHER ANY HAS MERIT, BUT WHICH ONE IS BEST FOR YOU
there are no bad Corvettes — and so the question of collectibility
focuses not on whether any has merit, but which one is best for you.
C
Know your motivation
Both emotion and investment are acceptable reasons for buying a
Corvette. If you are of a certain age, have always wanted a Corvette
and can afford the financial hit that is sometimes paired with emotional
buys, my take is that emotion wins. Go buy the one you want
and enjoy the hell out of it.
But if you expect all substantial acquisitions to rise in value, you
are after an investment and should buy accordingly. Generally, this
means buy the best of the best. Blue chips will hold their value better
in a downturn, and they will appreciate more in an upturn.
Land of 1,000 dances
With a million or so Corvettes around, there is always the choice of
buying a needy derelict, a daily driver or a fully restored car. You take
the most risk with the derelict, and it should be priced accordingly.
A driver, well-kept with money spent as appropriate, is a good
middle ground, although some survivors now cost as much as full
restorations.
And with fully restored cars, someone else has taken the risk —
orvettes are the ultimate American collector car. Initially
based on a combination of performance and two-passenger
style, all 1.3 million-plus Corvettes made during the
past 58 years have achieved precisely that. While there
have definitely been some highs and lows along the way,
and they're now expecting the reward. Just make sure the job's been
properly done.
Here are my personal votes for the best entry points into each of
the six Corvette generations:
C1: 1953–1962
All first-generation Corvettes are expensive, and the first two
years had six-cylinder engines. Stay away. The Blue Flame Sixes are
too expensive and not the kind of car you'd want to casually own.
Instead, I would shoot for a 1961–1962 model, because their increased
cockpit dimensions made them a friendlier place.
The final year of the “solid-axle” generation, 1962, also received
an enlarged 327-ci motor. Buy one with a 4-speed manual transmission,
as some collectors regard Corvettes equipped with automatics as
“ladies' cars.” There are few deals in solid-axles anymore, so expect
to pay a bare minimum of $40,000 for a non-fuel-injected 1961 or
1962. Perfection or rare options push the price to six figures.
C2: 1963–1967
All of the second-generation Corvettes are desirable and consid-
ered equally collectible. But like George Orwell said, some are more
equal than others. Coupe or convertible, it's your choice. I prefer
coupes — they look more complete and offer at least some rollover
protection.
The 1964 model, the last year for drum brakes, is the Rodney
Dangerfield of mid-year Sting Rays, but its drum brakes are not
much of a reason. The 1967, with its choice of small-block 327-ci
A sharp C1: 1961 283/315 Fuelie
Hugh Hamilton © 2010, courtesy of Gooding & Company
32 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 31
or big-block 427-ci motors, is highly sought after as the last of the
generation. The small-block V8 is a better-balanced car with plenty
of performance potential. You can get one for as little as the low- to
mid-$30s and have a great experience if you can do some wrenching.
C3: 1968–1982
This is the Corvette generation where chinks in performance cred-
ibility first appeared. From the early 1970s on, safety and emissions
regulations significantly eroded the Corvette's innate desirability, and
it reached its horsepower low point in 1975.
I would choose a Corvette between 1968 and 1974 from this flock.
These early “sharks” are appreciating, and at least in California, cars
this old are not required to pass smog checks. Expect to pay from
about $10,000 for an average 350-ci 1974 model to $60,000 or more
for a good, solid-lifter 1970–1972 LT-1. The 427-ci or 454-ci engines
of 1968 to 1974 add cost but not drivability.
C4: 1984–1996
The 1984 model ushered in all-new Corvette engineering. This
generation was memorable for the return of the Corvette convertible
in 1986 after a decade-long absence, and for Corvette's push to match
the exotic DOHC multi-valve engine formula of European marques
with the ZR1 option.
The 1984-89 cars had a “Back to the Future” digital instrument
panel, while the 1990 through 1996 models reverted to mostly analog
gauges. I'd target spending $10,000 to $15,000 for a first-year, analoggauge
convertible. It's modern enough to be a satisfying daily driver
today, without any of the low points of the C4 era.
C5: 1997–2004
Corvette's rush toward world-class status continued in the fifth
generation, and Chevrolet's participation at Le Mans from 2000
onward burnished the car's image as America's supercar.
Along the way, the tailspin of an experiment known as the
entry-level hard top model of 1999-2000 was replaced by the Z06
2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
high-performance model in 2001. All that blistering performance is
now more than ten years old, and it remains a great value. And since
you can still put most other cars on the trailer with it, the 2001 Z06
hard top delivers big street cred along with great value for $25,000 to
$30,000.
C6: 2005–present
For most of its life, the Corvette was like that kid at school who
was just a little too big and awkward on the schoolyard. Finally, an
appropriately sized generation arrived in 2005, bringing Corvette into
line with contemporary sport-car proportions.
There are no bad C6 choices. Get the color and flavor you want,
from among coupe and convertible models. But whichever you buy,
note that this generation is depreciating. I would choose a garaged,
low-mileage car with fastidious ownership. Be patient and wait for
the one you want, as there are nearly 200,000 of them out there. Cost
per dance: $30,000 and up. A
January-February 2012 33
Page 32
Horsepower
Colin Comer
COLLECTwhat turns your crank
A COLLECTION, WHETHER IT CONSISTS OF ONE CAR OR 100, NEEDS
TO HAVE A FOCUS AND SPEAK TO THE COLLECTOR AT THE HELM
Bill Nesius
Will Brewster
Racing is one way to
experience all your car has
to offer. Comer is shown
above at full chat in his 1966
Shelby GT350 vintage race
car. Long-distance vintage
road rallies, such as the
Copperstate 1000 blend
great driving adventure
with the camaraderie of
like-minded collectors.
Comer pilots his 1965
Shelby GT 350.
borhood with all the cars was the “junk man”?
Somewhere over the past few decades, however, “collecting” has
C
become socially acceptable. Perhaps because there is an art to it when
it is done right, or maybe just because we needed a way to classify the
people who do it, it has become a noble endeavor. And collecting that
involves old cars is the best form, if you ask me. It's far better than
stamps or bugs.
For those of you who come to ACC from Sports Car Market, our
sister publication, you know what our intent is — to help educate
readers on the cars we all love, but more importantly, to bring them
up to speed on the current market for the cars they own and the cars
they wish they owned. The real market of actual sales, that is.
And what is my role in all of this? A little background might help
explain. I've worked on and collected American cars since long be-
34 AmericanCarCollector.com
ollecting. For those of us who have been hunting a
long time for items that trip our trigger, being called a
“collector” sounds odd. Remember when the kids with
a lot of Matchbox cars were called spoiled brats and not
Matchbox collectors? Or when the old guy in the neigh-
fore I could drive — in fact, I bought a 1968 Mustang at the ripe age
of 13, and it only snowballed from there. Being in the right place at
the right time, I was lucky enough to start my collection of American
cars when they were still frowned upon by many high-end collectors.
Using my head, I always looked for the cars with the highest
horsepower with the lowest production numbers. Tri-Power GTOs,
Six Pack and Hemi Mopars, multi-carbureted 'Vettes, and solid lifter
Fords were usually the targets in my cross hairs. The end result was
a logical stable of machines that all have historical significance, the
least of which is not performance.
The point? A collection, whether it consists of one car or one
hundred, needs to have a focus and speak to the collector at the helm.
If you aren't a fan of Brass Era cars, don't buy one — no matter how
much your best buddy swears you need one.
My focus? As noted above, I like performance cars. All great col-
lector cars, of all eras, have that one thing in common — they offered
the best performance available in their day. From Mercer Raceabouts
to SJ Duesenbergs and Chrysler 300 Letter Cars, we've had some
amazing American performance cars over the years. And I contend
Page 33
that the late, great American muscle cars of
1964–1971 could quite possibly be the last
truly collectible cars built in the USA.
I closely watched the astronomical
rise of muscle car prices and popularity
during the past decade or so. I have been
the “Muscle Car Guy” at SCM for over six
years now, and I've written for Corvette
Market since the beginning. I have also
written three books, Million-Dollar Muscle
Cars in 2007; The Complete Book of Shelby
in 2009; and the just-released Shelby Cobra
Fifty Years. But more importantly, my
“day job” is restoring, buying and selling
all kinds of collector cars with a focus on
ultra-rare American muscle and race cars,
so I'm immersed in the subject matter 24/7.
My favorite pastime is competing in
vintage racing events, which offers a whole
different viewpoint on the cars we love.
But what I am most excited about is this
column. The powers that be at ACC have
given me free rein to write about whatever I
want in this space. In every issue. They call
it “Editor at Large,” but I call it “What were
they thinking?”
Here's what's on my mind right now.
Consider this the electronic version of an
open-door policy. Have a question about the
American car market? Send them to colin.
comer@americancarcollector.com. After
all, if it has to do with cars, I'm all for it.
And most of all, welcome to American Car
Collector.A
Cobras in Comer's showroom.
January-February 2012 35
Page 34
INSIDER'S VIEW
Crowd-sourcing an answer to your queries
To be on the mailing list for next month's question, go to AmericanCarCollector.com and sign up for our weekly newsletter.
The ACC question: “I've just bought a 1964 Corvette
coupe in need of a basic restoration. The body appears to be in good
shape under a decent red repaint (it was originally green), and the
black interior is more or less complete, although it needs to be completely
disassembled and cleaned. The car was an original 4-speed,
but the engine and transmission are both missing.
The seller told me that the car was a 327/300 from the factory, and
I was thinking it would make the most sense to go with a small-block
as the replacement. But what engine should I buy? A factory-style
1964 327 rebuild, a GM-built crate 350, or an aftermarket SBC
screamer with 400+ horsepower? I want this thing to be valuable as a
collector car but still lots of fun to drive.” — Mike M, San Francisco,
CA
ACC readers respond:
Bob Immler, via email: I detest the look of a crate engine or
even a modern engine in a Corvette. The look of an original Corvette
engine is one of the things that makes it a Corvette.
I'm going through the same thing myself. I'm in the process of
getting a 340-hp '62 back on the road. My father bought the car new
and used it as his daily driver. So in '72, he put in a new Chevy short
block. The motor is period but not original, but I'm going to have it
rebuilt or refreshed rather than going with a crate engine.
Joe K. Pittsburgh, PA: Having completed a number of C1 and
C2 restorations over the years, and also watching the ever-changing
market values and buyer preferences, I offer these observations on
Mike's dilemma:
(1) If he can obtain original documentation to verify it was a
327/300, then I would recommend restoration to the original motor —
assuming that he wants a true collector car.
(2) If he can't verify originality, then I would suggest the higher
horsepower engine selection (one can never have too much horsepower),
and even make many of the aftermarket changes available.
Resto-mods, if done well, seem to be attracting a wider range of
buyers, i.e., the younger crowd.
(3) Restorations are really a personal decision. Mike must decide
for himself what he wants when completed, and how much money to
commit to the project “up front.”
It's the old adage of 5 P's - Prior Planning Prevents Poor
Performance.
Larry Palermini, via email: If you are going to drive it on trips
and use pump gas, go with a ZZ4 crate engine. Unless you're related
to someone like Gale Banks.
If you are showing the car and driving short distances around
town, go for an original 327/300.
I would select the ZZ4 and shop until I found a numbers-correct
engine for '64 and put it in storage. They are available.
Jerry James, Juniper Hills, CA: In the light of enjoying it and
not breaking the bank, my recommendation would be a 350 inch
FACTORY crate motor... not from a rebuilder. Remember that the last
327 block was built about 40 years ago and age can be a factor. They
were great motors then but you can do better now for the same or less
money.
And by all means, ENJOY your Corvette. Remember to “Save the
Wave.”
36 AmericanCarCollector.com
Will a later year kill the collector value?
Michael Pierce, Portland, OR: Could not help but write to tell
you that the '64 original color could not have been green. That color
was first available in the midyears in 1965 (Glen Green). After that,
'66 offered Mossport Green and ‘67 Goodwood Green.
During the straight-axle period, Cascade Green was offered in
1956-57 but was more blue than green. The first “real” green was in
1960, also called Cascade Green.
Oh yes... crate and go! You would be very much under water with
this 1964 trying to restore it to its as-built status.
Wayne Foss, Fullerton, CA: Given what has been stated in the
question, I would opt for the crate motor. With the high cost of a basic
restoration, the value of your subject 1964 Corvette coupe restored
will most likely be less than the cost of the restoration.
In order to build an original motor, one would need everything
from the oil pan to the air cleaner, plus clutch and transmission, and
all would need to be numbers matching for the car. This would cost
considerable time and money to assemble the parts, and you still have
to rebuild it. If time is a consideration, this option fails.
For a daily driver, or just a plain nice car, a crate motor and
transmission would provide reliable service without undue delay in
completing a car that one could drive. Besides, the question stated
that this Corvette was originally equipped with a base engine and
4-speed, nothing special. If the question stated that it was originally
a 360-hp Fuelie with heavy suspension and brakes, then my response
would take on a completely different tone!
Mark Rudnick, Lawrenceville, NJ: If you want the 1964 coupe
to have any value as a collector car, you should restore it to stock. The
correct 3782870 block with a casting date within six months prior to
the build date of the car would be the way to go. The 327/300 engine
is an excellent engine and has plenty of power for driving enjoyment.
Ray Thompson, via email: You want this to be a collectible
Corvette? Then do not even think of doing anything to this car that
was not ORIGINAL to this car when it left the factory. First, do your
homework and get as much documentation as possible about the
car, and that will tell you how this car left the factory. Just correct
documentation alone is worth about 20% to 25% added in the final
sale price and will make the car easier to sell.
The quality of work done on this car must be great, not a
“20-footer.” Close inspection must be as good as from 20 feet away.
Top dollar is not paid for “good enough for government work” and
done with minimum-wage labor. A
Page 36
Q&A
A
Q
by Jim Pickering and Chad Tyson
Send your to questions@americancarcollector.com. If we print it, we'll send you an American
Car Collector hat!
You've got questions, we've got answers
Q: A few years ago, my wife's uncle left us a 1968 Mustang fastback. The car's in
generally original condition, with faded light green paint, a couple of dents but no real rust,
and a 302-ci V8 and 4-speed. We're not particularly attached to the car, and since I'm actually
a Mopar guy, I'd like to turn it into cash so I can buy a Road Runner or a Charger.
What's the best way to sell this car? — Jeremy T., Dallas, TX
A: We hear this question quite often,
and there isn't really a blanket answer that
applies to everyone. What's the best way to
sell? It depends on where you are, what kind
of car you have, and what condition it's in.
Here's a quick and dirty overview of some
proven options:
Run an ad in your local paper or on
Craigslist. Thousands of people have had
good success this way. Collectors are known
to scour Craigslist and the classifieds, and
many people use services that search multiple
Craigslist feeds (such as searchtempest.
com). But you might also have to deal with
a limited local audience full of buyers just
looking to score a deal.
Run a classified in your favorite
Mustang magazine or online forum. You'd
be selling to an audience that already drinks
the Mustang Kool-Aid. But if you go with
a print publication, remember that there is
some lag time due to the printing process.
Online auctions. eBay Motors can be a
great place to start, as the listing fees aren't
expensive and you get nationwide exposure
to people specifically looking for what
you're selling. If it doesn't sell, you can relist
it, and if you're considered a ‘low volume
seller,' you aren't charged until your vehicle
sells. Sold cars over $2,000 are charged a flat
fee of $125; under $2,000 are just $60.
Land auctions. These offer the benefit of
an even more targeted audience — bidders
here often pay fees to register. Granted, you
have to physically take your car to the sale
location, but you'll be getting it in front of
a lot of interested eyes who are on site for a
good reason. High-end auction companies
do their best to promote cars ahead of the
sale, and although there are added premiums
in going this way (anywhere from 5% to
17% of the hammer price, but sometimes
more or less depending on the company),
you do tend to get a good degree of service
for the money. But it all comes down to who
is in the room when your car is on the block,
and if it doesn't sell, you still have to ship it
home.
Chad (left) and Jim installing an
Edelbrock 4-bbl carburetor in ACC's
1964 Chevrolet Nova wagon.
Regardless of which method you choose,
be realistic about the condition of your car
and what you think it's worth in this market,
and be willing to negotiate from there. It'll
pay off in the long run. — JP
A
Q
Auctions offer a targeted audience.
38 AmericanCarCollector.com
Q: I'm in the market for a '60s-era col-
lector car that can take my family to local
car shows. My budget is about $25k, and
I'm going to need space for my wife and
two small kids. I'd like something with a
bit of power, but I don't need anything over
the top, and it needs to be reliable. And
since I already have a four-door (mine) and
a minivan (wife's), I'd like this one to be a
two-door. What's the best bang for my buck?
— Harry K., Madison, WI
A: There are a lot of options for under
$25k. Let's take a look at a few you should
consider.
Pony cars (i.e. Mustangs, Camaros,
Challengers, etc.) can offer a lot in a small
package. They often come with V8 power,
have a second row of seats usually well
suited for small children, and well-sorted
examples tend to run a long time with basic
upkeep. The inline six-cylinder examples
were sold as the fuel-efficient versions; they
aren't fast, but they are relatively inexpensive.
Some of the wilder ones sport big-block
engines with multi-carb setups, but those are
often beyond your $25k price point.
I'd also suggest a badge-engineered
variant of a very popular model. Chevelles
and GTOs are extremely popular, and their
values reflect that. Look for a Buick GS or
an Oldsmobile Cutlass with V8 power at a
much lower price than a GTO or Chevelle.
Mercury's Cyclone shares many similarities
with Ford's Torino with an easier hit to the
wallet. Even a Firebird will cost less than a
comparable Camaro. Also consider a twodoor
sedan over the hard-top variant. The
B-pillar adds strength to the body, bolstering
the safety factor for your little ones, even if
it impedes the view from the back seat.
If you prefer something off the beaten
path — or something you can take there
Page 37
Looking for bang for your buck? Muscle cars such as a 1969 Mercury Cyclone Cobra
Jet 428 (above) or trucks such as the 1977 Ford Bronco Ranger offer power and
hauling capacity that won't break your budget.
— consider a utility vehicle such as a Ford
Bronco, International Scout or Jeep CJ.
These were built on truck platforms, and as
such, they tended to be stout. (The manufacturers
couldn't reliably sell trucks to farmers
or companies if the vehicles broke down
in the fields or while carrying cargo on a
highway.) Two doors, often a removable top,
and an easier time navigating traffic with a
higher seating position are the hallmarks of
these utilities. Only the most original, low
mileage examples or the most customized
vehicles in this group would go beyond your
budget.
It all comes down to personal taste.
Whatever yours is, just look around thoughtfully
and take your time, there will be
something. — CTA
January-February 2012 39
Page 38
Show&Shine
n the normal work world, we usually slough off
on Fridays and Mondays.
But in car-crazed Portland, OR — home of
by Chester Allen
Wednesday from June through September.
Why? Beaches Summertime Cruise-In at
BEACHIN'
I
Detailing
ACC and its sister magazine Sports Car Market
— hordes of workers sneak away early each
Portland International Raceway, of course.
Cruise-ins are a part of summer all across the
United States, but few have been around as long as
Beaches, which attracts well over 1,000 cars and at
least twice that many gearheads on any given night.
Some of these cars are imports, but most are pre1974
Detroit Iron or Muscle.
Beaches, which got its start well over a decade
ago as a charity fundraiser at the Beaches Restaurant
When: Each Wednesday
night from the first week
of June to the last week
of September
Where: Portland
Cost: $5 if your ride is a
pre-1974 car. $8 — and
a walk in from the
parking lot — if your
car doesn't meet the
admission standards for
the cruise-in
International Raceway,
Portland, OR
More: www.beachesrestaurantandbar.com,
www.portlandraceway.
com
Cool cars are a hot ticket
IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY SNOOZING KIDS CAN FIT INTO THE OPEN
TRUNK OF A SHOEBOX CHEVY OR THE BACK SEAT OF A '60 ELDORADO
in nearby Vancouver, WA, has grown into a weekly
celebration of American cars and American car
culture. It's now one of the biggest cruise-ins on the
West Coast and it's The Place to Be on a summer
Wednesday night.
Entire families come for the show, and proud own-
ers eat picnic dinners in front of their immaculate —
or completely ratted-out — cars. Little kids sack out
in sleeping bags — it's amazing how many snoozing
kids can fit into the open trunk of a Shoebox Chevy or
the back seat of a 1960 Eldorado. A short walk away,
muscle and drag cars rumble, shriek and scream down
the PIR drag strip.
“There is no better place to be,” said Scott
Petersen, owner of Garage Motorsports, a Vancouverbased
hot rod and transmission shop. “What else
Like a day at the beach,
but with cars instead
of sand. A participant
relaxes beside a 1950
Chevrolet Styleline
Deluxe.
Marc Emerson, American Car Collector
40 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 39
1957 Chevrolet Corvette
1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS 396
would we be doing — watching ‘Dancing with the Stars?'”
Garage Motorsports has sponsored Beaches for years, mostly because all the
entry fees go to worthy charities — and it's a lot of fun, Petersen said.
Beaches is a casual show, where artfully rusting rat rods, hot rods, muscle cars,
surf station wagons,
Cadillac convertibles,
Donk cars
riding on 30-inch
wheels, lowriders
resting on the grass
and even carefully
preserved Ramblers
are all welcome — if
the car was built
before 1974.
If you drive
a pre-1974 car,
admission is $5 for
two people. If you
drive a hot later
model, such as a
Dodge Viper or C6
Corvette, you might get to ride it in for $5. If you drive something dull and ordinary,
such as a Prius, admission is $8 per person and you have to park that boring ride and
walk in to where the cool cars live.
ACC Editor Jim Pickering likes to steer in his mammoth 1966 Caprice with its
1932 Ford 3/4-scale hot rod
cammed-out 468-ci big-block roller motor rumbling through open exhaust cutouts.
Other ACC staffers drive our restored, 283-ci one-of-none bucket-seat 4-speed 1964
Chevy Nova station wagon.
Vintage rock 'n' roll — think “American Graffiti” soundtrack meets ZZ Top —
drifts over the barbecue smoke, conversation and rumbling exhausts from the nearby
drag strip.
The gates open at 4 pm, which explains why worker productivity in the area
plummets on Wednesday afternoons, and the evening usually ends at dusk, which
can be as late as 9 pm during the balmy Northwest summer.
Each car, even the ones that don't catch the judges' eyes that night, is a show all
by itself. Everyone looks up when a Hemi Road Runner or Chevelle SS lights up
for the drive home. Surf cars carry surfboards — some still crusted with sand from
Cannon Beach or Seaside breaks — and restored trucks from the 1950s and 1960s
look better than new.
Sometimes a Ferrari or two show up, but they're just cars at Beaches.
Even a clean 1972 Dodge Monaco station wagon attracts admirers, as, after all,
how many of those have you seen lately?
You'll see all this — and more — at Beaches, but you'll have to cut out of work
early to see it all. A
1940 Dodge COE custom
January-February 2012 41
1968 Pontiac GTO
1932 Ford Model 18 five-window coupe
“There is no better place
to be. What else would
we be doing — watching
‘Dancing with the
Stars?'”
Scott Petersen, owner of Garage
Motorsports, a Vancouver-based hot rod and
transmission shop
Page 40
PROFILE CORVETTE
1965Corvette 327/375 Fuelie coupe
CHEVROLET
Alejandro Rodriguez, courtesy of Gooding & Company
The last
of the
breed is
often the
best of
the breed
Chassis number: 194375S116511
by Thomas Glatch
This Milano Maroon coupe with a build date of
April 30, 1965, was delivered new to Bryner Chevrolet
in Jenkintown, PA. Although the name of the first
owner is not known, it is clear that this Corvette was
ordered with an eye for both performance and aesthetics.
This car was built with the rarest and most
expensive engine offered in 1965 — the 375-hp,
fuel-injected, high-lift cam engine, coupled with a
Muncie close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission and
a Positraction rear end. Milano Maroon Metallic paint
was ordered for the body, and the highly desirable optional
aluminum knockoff wheels with gold sidewall
tires completed the striking presentation.
An ownership log listing each owner since 1976
states that the car was in Canada from that year
through 1985, during which time the car was restored
to factory specifications. Owner Sandy Thornburn, of
Calgary, began the restoration work, but it is reported
to have been completed by another owner, Doug Scott,
also from Calgary. In 1990, the car is identified as having
been in the ownership of Marvin Rouse of Garden
City, KS. During his ten-year ownership, the car
received a Bloomington Gold award, showing slightly
fewer than 56,000 miles on the odometer.
In 2002, under its then-owner, Lynn Henish, the
coupe was re-certified by the NCRS with a Top
Flight award. According to the judging sheets, the car
received an impressive composite score of 97.1 out of
42 AmericanCarCollector.com
100 points. Following the certification, and for its first
time in decades, Henish enjoyed the award-winning
coupe on the road, accruing some 9,000 miles before
selling it privately to the current owner.
The Corvette is accompanied by its Protect-O-Plate
and window sticker, as well as a comprehensive file
containing an itemized list of parts restored and
replaced, restoration receipts, photographs of the
restoration and the car on display, customs paperwork,
receipts and bills of sale from the various owners during
the past 35 years. This is a truly outstanding, welldocumented
Corvette with rare options that shows the
benefits of a high-quality restoration and decades of
careful ownership and respectful use.
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 4, sold for $86,600,
including buyer's premium, at
Gooding & Company's Pebble Beach Auction on
Saturday, August 20, 2011, in Pebble Beach, CA.
There is something intriguing about the last cars of
a make, model, or with specific options. There is the
mystique of knowing there were no more made and no
replacements are available. But there is also the practical
aspect that the last is often the best of the breed.
That was certainly the case with the 1965 fuel-
injected Corvettes. Chevrolet had already rocked the
automotive world with the Sting Ray in 1963, a car
that Car Life magazine called “a technical tour de
force.” But the '65 edition of the Sting Ray benefited
from Zora Duntov's quest for continuous improvement.
Outside, the Corvette shed some of the styling
Page 41
gingerbread of the '63 car, leaving it a purer
form. Inside, the Corvette received upgraded
bucket seats and instruments that were easier
to read. But the biggest news was hidden under
that curvaceous fiberglass.
Out with drums, in with discs
t disc brakes were just
n higher-end cars, the '65
wheel discs. Brakes,
sive, finned drum brakes,
chilles heel of the
. GM's Delco Moraine
rvette disc brakes that
rated the latest in stopg
technology, with 461.2
uare inches of swept
ining, compared with the
drum's 321.
The result, reported Road
& Track magazine, was
astonishing: “Long ago we
gave up (read chickened-out)
doing stomp-down, all-out
nic stops in American cars, but
e Corvette restored our faith to
n extent that we did 0-80-0-80-0
e and grew bored, almost, with
k of fuss with which the car
nd true. No lockup, no fade, no
rease in pedal pressure. Just
. Wonderful.”
Rochester, refined
At the heart of the 1965 “Fuelie” was an update
of the 327-ci engine introduced in the last of the first
generation Corvettes, the ‘62 model. This was the
second iteration of the Rochester “Ram Jet” injected
283 V8 that debuted in 1957. Designed by John Dolza,
the mechanical fuel injection system was created to
eliminate the flooding and fuel starvation that occurred
in carbureted cars caused by the high G-forces
of road racing competition. An additional 10 hp didn't
hurt, either.
Issues that sometimes plagued the original Fuelie,
ACC ACC
Detailing
Digital Bonus
Digital Bonus
Year produced: 1965
Number produced: 771
fuel-injected cars (23,562
total)
Original list price: $5,581
Current ACC Valuation:
$64,000–$121,000
Tune-up/major service: $150
Distributor cap: $19.99
Chassis #: VIN plate on top of
instrument panel at base of
windshield
Engine #: Pad on front of
block below right cylinder
head
such as cold-starting problems, were gone from the
second generation FI, and the 375-hp L84 used on
the '65 Corvette was the ultimate in Fuelie refinement
and performance. This was a car that listed for about
$5,500 new, yet Car and Driver compared it favorably
to the contemporary Aston Martin DB5 and Ferrari
250 GT, which cost more than $12,000 each.
Replacement by displacement
If the fuel-injected Corvette was so great, why did
it end? Zora Duntov was as masterful a corporate
politician as he was an engineer, but this is one battle
he lost. Chevrolet's new 396-ci “big-block” engine
could produce as much as 425 hp at substantially less
cost to produce. The accountants didn't care if Car
and Driver said the Fuelies had “a more ‘European
feel.'” They were very powerful, but they had a zippy,
high-winding, no-flywheel feel to them that the bigblock
Corvettes lacked. The fuel-injected option cost
$538.00, the 396 monster was just $292.60, and I'll
bet there was more profit in the 396 option despite the
lower cost. For driving enthusiasts —and collectors —
it was the end of an era.
For anyone wanting to own one of these magical
Corvettes, this one was a fine choice. This Milano
Maroon coupe is downright striking, and it benefited
from both complete documentation and an accurate
and highly awarded restoration. It is showing its age
a bit, but not so much as to hurt
its value. But the market for
Sting Ray Fuelies — except for
the 1963 Z06 cars — just isn't
there, at least not compared
with the first-generation Fuelies
or big-block Sting Rays. And
coupes tend to be less desirable
then convertibles, unless, of
course, we're talking about a '63
Split-Window.
While this Corvette sold for
mid- to upper-market pricing,
a comparable 396 car could
sell for twice as much. What a
shame, really, at least for the
seller, since this beautiful Fuelie
coupe is not only one of the last,
but also one of the best of the
storied line. A
(Introductory descrip-
tion courtesy of Gooding &
Company.)
January-February 2012 43
1965 Chevrolet Corvette 327/375
Lot 540, S/N 194675S102566
Condition 3+
Sold at $55,000
Auctions America by RM,
Fort Lauderdale, FL, 3/4/2011
ACC# 169128
Club: National Corvette
Restorers Society,
www.ncrs.org
Alternatives: 1965 Chevrolet
Corvette 396/425,
1961–1965 Jaguar XKE
ACC Investment Grade: A
Why buy? A clean, high-performance
Corvette — and
the last of the Fuelies.
Comps
1965 Chevrolet Corvette 327/375
Lot F159, S/N 194375S112105
Condition 2-
Not Sold at $66,000
Carlisle Auctions, Carlisle, PA,
9/30/2010
ACC# 167740
1965 Chevrolet Corvette 327/375
Lot F186, S/N 194675S111601
Condition 2+
Sold at $90,300
Carlisle Auctions, Carlisle, PA,
9/30/2011
ACC# 167744
Page 42
PROFILE GM
PROFILE G
PROFILE G
PROFILE G
PROFILE G
OFILE GM
strip, where
big-inch
motors and
E GM
strip,
strip, where
big-inch
motors and
meaty rear
tires backed
up owners'
hardihood a
quarter mile
at a time
44 AmericanCarCollector.com
M
strip, where
big-inch
motors and
meaty rear
tires backed
up owners'
hardihood a
quarter mile
at a time
44 AmericanCarCollector.com
advertised
strip, where
big-inch
motors and
meaty rear
tires backed
up owners'
hardihood a
quarter mile
at a time
44 AmericanCarCollector.com
advertised
advertised 450 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 500 ft-lbs
of torque at 3600 rpm, it was also the highest-output
Chevelle ever offered.
Known as the “Pilot Car,” this particular 1970
F
Chevelle 454-ci Turbo-Jet LS6 is the earliest known
and documented of 4,475 RPO LS6 models produced.
A GM executive ordered the LS6 coupe as his zone
demonstrator in October 1969 and was told by
Baltimore plant manager Earl Prentice that he was to
receive the first one built there. The Chevelle LS6 was
completed on December 9, 1969, with the words “Pilot
job” and “If it had wings it would fly” handwritten on
the build sheet.
Documentation for this car includes two build
sheets, Protect-O-Plate information and the entire
owner history. It is highly optioned and features a
complete “born in” driveline. In 2010, it received a
concours-level restoration to its correct assembly-line
condition by MuscleCar Restoration and Design, one
of the top Chevelle LS6-focused restoration shops in
the United States. It was subsequently featured on the
cover of the March 2011 issue of Muscle Car Review
magazine. Since restoration, the LS6 has been driven
only one mile.
PROFILE G
PROFILE G
PROFILE G
PROFILE G
PROFILE G
PROFILE G
PROFILE G
PROFILE G
PROFILE G
PROFILE G
GM
strip, where
big-inch
motors and
meaty rear
tires backed
up owners'
hardihood a
quarter mile
at a time
44 AmericanCarCollector.com
advertise
E GM
strip, where
big-inch
motors and
meaty rear
tires backed
up owners'
hardihood a
quarter mile
at a time
44 AmericanCarCollector.com
advertised 450 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 500 ft-lbs
of torque at 3600 rpm, it was also the highest-output
Chevelle ever offered.
Known as the “Pilot Car,” this particular 1970
F
Chevelle 454-ci Turbo-Jet LS6 is the earliest known
and documented of 4,475 RPO LS6 models produced.
A GM executive ordered the LS6 coupe as his zone
demonstrator in October 1969 and was told by
Baltimore plant manager Earl Prentice that he was to
receive the first one built there. The Chevelle LS6 was
completed on December 9, 1969, with the words “Pilot
job” and “If it had wings it would fly” handwritten on
the build sheet.
Documentation for this car includes two build
sheets, Protect-O-Plate information and the entire
owner history. It is highly optioned and features a
complete “born in” driveline. In 2010, it received a
concours-level restoration to its correct assembly-line
condition by MuscleCar Restoration and Design, one
of the top Chevelle LS6-focused restoration shops in
the United States. It was subsequently featured on the
cover of the March 2011 issue of Muscle Car Review
magazine. Since restoration, the LS6 has been driven
only one mile.
roster
roster of competitors was lengthy, including cars such
as the Chevelle, GTO and 442 from GM, the Mustang
and Cougar from FoMoCo, and plenty of Challengers,
Road Runners and 'Cudas from Mopar. More affordable
and versatile than the two-passenger Corvette,
these four- to six-seaters often featured horsepower
numbers approaching (and occasionally surpassing)
Corvette territory, and properly painted, striped and
accessorized, they gave up precisely nothing in the
testosterone department.
Mid-size performance cars were inarguably more
important to more people than Corvettes ever were, so
it's little wonder why today, cars like this particular
Chevelle LS6 attract such strong bidding.
Unlike the Corvette, Mustang, Cougar or
Barracuda, to my knowledge the Chevelle never
went road racing, never fought for a class win at
Le Mans, Riverside or the SCCA Runoffs. Instead,
its appeal was more the street-and-strip variety,
where a big-inch motor and meaty rear tires backed
up the owner's hardihood a quarter mile at a time.
While on a road-racing circuit, a well-prepared little
4-cylinder Porsche 356 stood a fair chance against
a B-Production Corvette, on the street there was no
Courtesy of Russo and Steele
Page 43
denying that muscle cars ruled. Lithe though they
might be, no import could lord over a decently
sorted anything with V8 power.
When Big Blocks ruled the road
o big-
ted
ate
der
ize
ost
ered.
e disc
ng it to
g that muscle cars ruled. Lithe though they
might be, no import could lord over a decently
sorted anything with V8 power.
When Big Blocks ruled the road
o big-
ted
ate
der
ize
ost
ered.
e disc
ng it to
uction
uction
-block
d the
r wars into antirely,
and
ing from the
he Chevelle,
d Barracuda
ecking the
e on the
ally added
ollars to a
s jock pull-
, that meant
a hours
hen, as
ssing a bigk
financial
.
, buying
6 engine in
s even a
ase price
remium of
9.6%), but it was only available if RPO Z15, the SS 454
package, was also ordered for $503.45. That totaled
nearly $800 worth of options, a massive 28% spike
over the base Chevelle. Fortunately, the SS 454 package
strongly distinguished the LS6 from the masses of
six-cylinder Chevelle coupes sold.
First and last usually are best
Absent any compelling provenance, having the
first or last of a particular car is always preferable to
one in the middle of a production run. And that is the
hat rack upon which Russo and Steele chose to hang
this particular Chevelle LS6 at auction. It is a viable
and important position to take when you want all the
money for something. And who doesn't?
In this case, the car's documentation included its
executive order history, twin build sheets, the original
sale documentation and ownership history. All of this
valuable paper well supports the auctioneers' claim
that this is the first Chevelle LS6. There can only ever
be one first, and this was it. (Things are different
today, as pilot-build cars may be destroyed so they
can never enter general use on public roads, where
legal peril surely awaits in the event of any accident.
So what used to be “first built” has now become “first
sold.”)
Aside from being the first built, this Chevelle had
several other important virtues.
One was its high 450-hp rating in a year when the
Corvette 454-ci LS5 was rated at 390 hp.
Another was its modest production run of just 4,475
units.
Third was the seller's decision to conduct a
concours-quality restoration by recognized experts
to as-built specifications — and
then resisting the urge to drive
it. In this way, the Chevelle
could be truly offered as “as
new.” And finally, there was the
allure of the LS6 engine — a
solid-lifter powerhouse intended
to be the final word in Chevelle
street credibility. While history
often reveals such claims as
being hollow, as the 1970s rolled
on and emissions regs tightened,
it became obvious that cars like
this Chevelle, the Hemi 'Cudas
and Corvette Tri-Power L71s
really were the last of the breed
of unregulated monsters.
All these reasons added up to
$181,500 across the block — and
a great car for the buyer. A
(Introductory description
courtesy of Russo and Steele.)
January-February 2012 45
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454
LS6 convertible
Lot 45, S/N 136670L192509
Condition 2
Sold at $236,500
Worldwide Auctioneers,
Seabrook, TX, 4/30/2011
ACC# 177893
ACC ACC
Detailing
Digital Bonus
Digital Bonus
Year produced: 1970
Number produced: 4,475
Original list price: $3,486
Current ACC Valuation:
$125,000–$150,000
Tune-up cost: $500
Chassis #: VIN plate at base
of windshield
Club: American Chevelle
Enthusiasts Society,
900 Conference Drive,
Goodlettsville, TN 37072
More: www.chevelles.com/
aces
Engine #: Right-front cylinderhead
deck
Alternatives: 1969–1971
Pontiac GTO Judge
convertible, 1970 Plymouth
Hemi 'Cuda, 1969-1970
Ford Mustang Boss 429
ACC Investment Grade: A
Reason to buy: The first
Chevelle SS 454 LS6
to come off the line
Comps
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle
SS 454 LS6
Lot F248, S/N 136370B159605
Condition 3+
Sold at $84,800
Mecum Auctions, Indianapolis, IN,
5/17/2011
ACC# 179367
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS
454 LS6
Lot S206, S/N 136370B145238
Condition 1-
Not Sold at $140,000
Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee, FL,
1/26/2011
ACC# 168868
Page 44
PROFILE FOMOCO
1969Mustang GT Cobra Jet 428
FORD
If this car
represents
a true one
of one, why
not a bigger
price tag?
The simple
answer is
cachet
Chassis number: 9T02R109808
by SamStockham
include rocker panel moldings, power brakes and
power steering.
A fully-documented one-of-one car with Marti
T
46 AmericanCarCollector.com
Report. Fresh rotisserie restoration just completed.
Professionally rebuilt, balanced and correct replacement
428 Cobra Jet engine along with 4-speed manual
transmission and Trac-Lok 3.50 rear end. Beautiful
paint and body work, done by top professionals who
take pride in their work and pay close attention to
details. All-new interior intended to duplicate the
original car as it left the factory.
This was a comprehensive, no-expense-spared res-
toration with every nut and bolt replaced with restored
or correct parts. According to Kevin Marti, only about
4,000 GT fastbacks were built, compared with more
than 72,000 Mach 1s. Even more astonishing is the
fact that there were only 278 “R code” GTs built, with
this car being one of the 158 4-speeds. So, not only
is this car one of one, but it's one of 278 total '69 “R
code” Mustang GTs built.
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 669, sold for
$55,000, including buyer's pre-
his 1969 Mustang is a factory 63A Sportsroof
car with an “R code” 428 Cobra Jet engine
and Ram Air shaker hood. Factory 4-speed
with GT Equipment Package. Beautiful
Royal Maroon with black interior. Options
mium, at Barrett-Jackson's Las Vegas Auction, which
took place September 22–24, 2011.
The Mustang GT is arguably one of the most well-
known models in the world of late '60s muscle cars. It
had a run of only four short years from 1965 through
1969 before taking an eleven-year hiatus, but four
years was all it took to get those two simple letters
into the American car buying psyche. The GT became
synonymous with the Mustang almost immediately,
as it represented the top of the pecking order on the
Mustang checklist.
At least until 1969, when the Mach 1 was intro-
duced.
The Mach 1 was essentially an appearance package
(with some suspension tweaks to offset added weight
on bigger-engine cars), but Ford managed to move
more than 72,000 of them. The recipe worked for
Ford, and since the engine had to be a 351-ci V8 or
bigger, the go matched the show.
What made a GT in 1969?
So what's special about the '69 GT? Well, the short
answer is not much, as you could get most of the
options as part of the new Mach 1 package, or could
order them independently on any other Mustang body.
The GT in 1969 was less of an appearance package
than the Mach 1, with only a subtle lower body stripe,
but it did have unique stylistic changes that did a good
job of implying performance — you got bespoke GT
Page 45
wheels, stickier tires, hood pins, and a
pop-open gas cap. The GT package also
included uprated springs and shocks,
paired with a larger front sway bar. Disc
brakes were still an option, as they were
on the 1968 model year.
round actual GT
anded around 5,000
f what Ford delivered
o add further confun
of GT authenticity,
lers actually used
g parts from Ford
o build GTs from
otherwise pedestrian
Mustangs. Build
sheets are the only
real way to deter-
mine actual GT status
s produced by Ford.
t with so many dealer-
sters, a 10% swing on agreed-
n figures seems to be the norm for
ginal build sheets were not always
m the factory or were inadvertently
ears, many owners simply can't
e factory-built GTs.
arity equal value?
-block Mach 1 Mustangs easily
se days, shouldn't a much rarer
me Mustang chassis — with all the
s included — be incrementally
d therefore more expensive? You
might expect so, but that's not always the case.
A lot goes into valuing a car, but for many of us,
the real determination of value is the feeling, the
nostalgia, and the story that can be told about it. Did
you have this car in high school? Did the quarterback
of the football team have one? Did this car win at
Sebring? Is this the only one in existence? Without a
really good answer (for yourself or others) to any of
these questions, a car just becomes ordinary in the
eyes of the market.
So at $55,000, does this figure really represent
the true market value of this package? Let's ask the
questions:
Does it have racing pedigree? No.
Is this car iconic, insofar that it was most-wanted in
high school? Sure, but most prefer the Mach 1.
Is this the only one in existence? Yes, in this trim
package and color combo, it is stated to be one of one,
but there were nearly 300,000 Mustangs made by Ford
in 1969.
If this car represents a true one of one, why not a
bigger price tag? The simple answer is cachet — the
Mach 1 simply has more of it than the more subtleappearing
GT does, even with the rare engine.
Where's the original mill?
This car showed well, but what made it really at-
tractive was the full-zoot, 335-hp 428 CJ and 4-speed
manual. Full disclosure was offered with the statement
of a correct replacement engine being fitted. A correct
casting number replacement engine does affect value,
but it should not be a huge deterrent, because it's
relatively common — many of these cars fell into the
hands of poor-shifting, over-revving kids.
What happened to its original engine? Did it get a
window in the side during drag racing, or did it have
200,000 miles and need a 0.080
overbore to make it right?
No mention of this car's
mileage was made. Was this a
junkyard resurrection or the
restoration of a well- takencare-of
example? We may never
know.
Regardless, in its restored
condition, this was an appealing
'69 GT with some of the best
options available. It may not
have had the eyeball of a Mach
1, but you can't build a similar
example for what was spent here
— at least not using professional
services. Forget what your high
school quarterback drove — for
seat-of-your-pants fun at an
affordable price, this GT was a
deal. A
(Introductory description
courtesy of Barrett-Jackson.)
January-February 2012 47
1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1
428 CJ
Lot S81, S/N 9T02R151100
Condition 2
Sold at $54,060
Mecum Auctions, Indianapolis, IN,
5/17/2011
ACC# 179379
ACC ACC
Detailing
Digital Bonus
Digital Bonus
Years built: 1965–1969
(GT model)
Number built: 4,973
Original list price: About
$3,400
Current ACC Valuation:
$45,000–$70,000
Tune-up: $300
Distributor cap: $20
Chassis #: VIN lower left
dash
Club: Mustang Club of
America
(according to Marti), 5,396
(depending on whom you
ask) in 1969
Engine #: Above starter (part
number and date code
only, no VIN stamp on
block)
More: www.mustang.org
Alternatives: 1970–1972
440 'Cuda
ACC Invest grade: C
Comps
1968-1972 Pontiac GTO
1967-1969 Camaro
SS 396
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302
Lot S134, S/N 9F02G189261
Condition 2Sold
at $37,000
Mecum Auctions, Kansas City,
MO, 3/11/2011
ACC# 176326
1969 Ford Mustang GT 390
Lot 466, S/N 9T02S134754
Condition 1-
Not Sold at $40,000
Bonhams, Los Angeles, CA,
11/13/2010
ACC# 167993
Page 46
PROFILE MOPAR
1968Hemi Charger R/T
DODGE
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Most
collectors
return rare
muscle to
dead stock
condition,
yet many
long for
Hooker
headers,
Thrush
mufflers
and Cragar
wheels
Chassis number: XS29J8B233583
by Colin Comer
• Factory dark blue metallic with factory Pearl White
interior
H
48 AmericanCarCollector.com
• Engine is not original, but it is from another 1968
Hemi Charger – 465 hp
• Engine is balanced and blueprinted with larger cam
and carburetors
• Factory Dana rear end with custom chrome cover
and 3.54 gears
• Custom three-inch exhaust system with three-inch
factory look-alike tailpipes and powder coated
headers
• Custom 15x10 Magnum 500 wheels with 50 series
tires in rear and 15x8 Magnum 500 wheels
with 60 series tires in front
ACC Analysis This car, Lot S147, sold for
$63,600 at Mecum Auctions' sale
on September 17, 2011, in St. Charles, IL.
Few muscle cars were sold new to buyers who were
hell-bent on preserving them exactly as they rolled
off of the assembly line. Any mass-produced car is
the result of a likely brilliant design compromised
into mediocrity by cost analysts, government regulations
and company bureaucracy before the concept
becomes reality. And in the thick of the muscle car
wars, this was the worst-kept secret on the street.
Muscle car buyers all wanted their new car to run like
the magazine road tests said they could — and they
ighlights from Mecum Auctions catalog:
• Total professional restoration
• Original factory Hemi and 4-speed
console car
• One of 489 1968 Hemi Chargers built
wanted them to look the part as well.
An entire cottage industry sprang up to build
“Supercars,” which were modified muscle cars from
the likes of dealers such as Yenko Chevrolet and Mr.
Norm's Dodge. Starting with a new car, everything
from different induction and exhaust systems to mag
wheels and bigger tires, dyno tuning, and even entire
drivetrain conversions was done either à la carte or as
an entire package.
Doing this at the time of purchase meant a lot of
buyers could roll the personalization of their muscle
car into their new car financing — and be terrorizing
the streets for just a few dollars more per month. And
beyond waking up the sometimes-lazy performance of
box-stock muscle cars, the visual modifications also
woke up their street cred by ditching things like wire
wheel covers, skinny tires and quiet exhaust systems.
So what to do if you didn't want to have the dealer
pimp your ride, or if you already had a nice stock
muscle car? The answer was easy: do all of the same
stuff! Ask ten guys who were around in 1969 how
many bone-stock muscle cars they spotted at the Dogs
'N Suds drive-in, and I'd bet they would struggle to
remember one.
Pristine or power?
Most collectors' mission with rare muscle cars
has been to return them to absolutely dead stock,
as-delivered condition, yet many others long for the
“good old days” of Hooker headers, Thrush mufflers,
Cragar wheels and ladder bars. Cars modified with
such go-fast parts are now called “Day Two” cars, as
in the second day from new, most of these cars were
under the knife, so to speak. For the guys who like to
use their cars, this movement has even more merit.
Page 47
Car shows are boring compared to getting wheel
hop after banging 4th gear.
Which leads me to our subject car. Any 1968
Hemi Charger R/T, let alone a 4-speed, is a very
desirable car. They didn't make a lot of them,
their handsome styling was immortalized by the
Charger that chased that green Mustang through
the streets of San Francisco in “Bullitt,” and few
6 Hemi.
t Hemi is
opar to
nes into
uction
t of horseamshafts,
estrictive
xhaust
systems
and more
meant
a good
running 440
could dust most
mis off the line.
w years ago,
e of that matt
on a rocket
h some being
t didn't matter
if they would shake, shimmy, wheeze and pop
just trying to get from the trailer to the show field (or
auction block). People had to have that (insert junkiestyle
forearm slapping here) HEMI!
And then the Mopar market crashed. No longer
were people clamoring for any Mopar with that magic
Hemi engine — or waiting in line to pay the Mopar
restoration specialists $150k for Pebble Beach-level
restorations. Today that has made Hemi Mopars a
very good buy.
And as hard hit as the flawless, perfect, numbers-
matching ones are, the “B Level” cars with nonoriginal
engines are even worse off. No matter that
a lot of the “original” engine cars are in fact not
original engine cars, people heavily discount cars that
deviate from that showroom-fresh appearance.
ACC ACC
Detailing
Digital Bonus
Digital Bonus
Years built: 1968–1970
Number built: 819
Original list price: $4,600
(approximate)
Current ACC Valuation:
$40,000–$85,000
Tune-up: $50
Distributor cap: $20
Chassis #: VIN tag on top of
dash; fender tag on left
front inner fender, partial
VIN stamped on left of
radiator core support and
left trunk jamb rail under
weatherstrip
Alternatives:
Going for fun instead of awards
So what if you have an original Hemi Charger with-
out its original engine? Why not give it the full “Day
Two” treatment in the Mr. Norm's Mopar Supercar
style? That appears to be exactly what the previous
owner of this Hemi Charger did.
With a correct, non-original engine built to run
and all the hot speed parts of the 1960s bolted on it,
this is a fantastic-looking, era-correct piece. I saw
the car in person at the auction, and the paint, detail
and execution were exceptionally nice. It was a real
Hemi car with a replacement heart, in great original
colors, with a lot of visual snap to it. Sure, a lot of the
big-buck Hemi specific parts were M.I.A., but my guess
is this car will never be turned into a trailer queen. It
would be cost-prohibitive to do so.
If it was mechanically sorted as well as it was
cosmetically, I bet it is a blast to drive, and you sure
couldn't take a junkyard refugee 1968 Charger and
build it to this level for the amount paid here. Let's
also keep in mind that in this world of six-figure
“resto-mods,” “tribute cars,” and all-out impostors,
our subject car started life as a real 4-speed Hemi
car in great colors. There
is something to be said for
having a real Hemi serial
number on your Hemi car,
after all.
For a paperwork-and-
numbers guy who wants to
impress his buddies with
having date-coded air in
his N.O.S tires, this car is
absolute blasphemy. But
for the Mopar guy who appreciates
the Day Two look,
it would be pretty hard to
beat. I'll chalk this one up
as a really cool car that was
very well bought. I hope it
is somewhere far away from
a concours field, banging
gears right now. A
(Introductory descrip-
tion courtesy of Mecum
Auctions.)
January-February 2012 49
1969 Dodge Hemi Charger R/T
Lot 389, S/N XS29J9B371825
Condition 2Sold
at $117,700
Barrett-Jackson, Costa Mesa, CA,
6/25/2010
ACC# 165357
Club: www.chargerforums.
com
Engine #: Stamped on right
side of block above oil pan
rail on machined pad
1968–1970 Plymouth Hemi
Road Runner/GTX
ACC investment grade: B
Comps
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS
454 LS6
1968 Dodge Hemi Charger R/T
Lot S632, S/N XS29J8B259503
Condition 1
Sold at $101,750
Russo and Steele, Monterey, CA,
8/17/2007
ACC# 46366
1969 Dodge Hemi Charger R/T
Lot 162, S/N XS29J9B352118
Condition 1-
Not Sold at $105,000
MidAmerica, Blaine, MN,
5/11/2007
ACC# 45337
Page 48
PROFILE HOT ROD & CUSTOM
1932Highboy Roadster
FORD
ILE HOT ROD & CUSTOM
1932Highboy Roadster
FORD
This
This
authentic car
never raced
or appeared
as a feature
in a vintage
hot rod
publication,
and that
hurts value
Chassis number: R18-45482M
by Ken Gross
F
50 AmericanCarCollector.com
ord's classic 1932 roadster, better known as
“the Deuce,” has been, and always will be,
the quintessential hot rod.
Great-looking, with elegant, timeless
lines that transcend its age, lightweight —
especially when shorn of its fenders — equipped with
a modified Ford or Mercury flathead V8 developing
three to four times its original output, “Deuce” roadsters
like this one were raced at California's dry lakes
and later at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
This car's 63-year known history dates to December
30, 1948, when it was purchased from John Brooke
Moheen Jr. by John Easton of Oakland, CA. Easton
reportedly hot-rodded the car in the 1950s. In the
1960s, he completely disassembled the roadster and
stored it for years in an enclosed space under his home
in the Oakland Hills. On May 5, 1973, Easton sold the
roadster to Bruce Olson. Known as “Deuce Bruce,”
Olson worked with “Goodguy” Gary Meadors writing
technical articles and features for publications such as
Hot Rod, Rod & Custom and Street Rodder.
Bruce Olson's plans for the roadster were never
completed. He died of kidney cancer in 1990. Mike
Russell, a well-known hot rodder and speed equipment
collector from Aptos, CA, purchased the roadster from
the Olson estate in September 1991. Russell finished
the build, using many rare and original parts, drove
the car for a time, then sold it to Kirk F. White, who in
turn sold it to Glenn Mounger in November 1993.
An all-steel roadster on an original '32 Ford frame,
this car has the speed equipment that knowledgeable
hot rodders covet. It's powered by a 258-ci Ford V8
with polished ports and a set of Ardun overhead valve
cylinder heads from Don Orosco. It's equipped with an
original S.Co.T supercharger and topped with a pair of
Stromberg 97 carburetors and an authentic Thickstun
air cleaner. The ignition is a Joe Hunt-restored Vertex
magneto. The racing camshaft is by DeLong in San
Jose; the crankshaft has been balanced; the lightweight
flywheel is aluminum.
The running gear consists of a dropped and drilled
front axle, along with rare Kinmont “Safe-Stop” disc
brakes in front and Ford hydraulic drums in the rear.
The 3-speed '39 Ford top-loader gearbox is equipped
with a Lincoln-Zephyr close-ratio cluster. The rear end
is a Halibrand quick-change unit with 3.48:1 and 4:11:1
gears. Firestone 5.60:15 front tires are paired with
8.20:15 rears on reversed '48 Mercury rims.
Inside, a genuine '34 Auburn dash is equipped with
Auburn instruments including a 120-mph Auburn
V12 speedometer. There's an oversized 0-to-8,000
rpm Stewart-Warner tachometer, an S-W vacuum
gauge and a repro S-W boost gauge. The interior is
pleated, early Ford style, in genuine leather, while the
rumble seat is leatherette. The steering wheel is a '39
Ford “banjo,” and a correct '40s-era Ford accessory
turn signal actuator is mounted on the column. The
Page 49
headlights are Guide 682-Cs from a Diamond T
truck, with built-in parking lights for turn signals.
The taillights are classic '32 Ford.
alysis This '32 Ford Highboy sold
for $154,000 at the Gooding &
each Auction on August 21, 2011. The
any estimate was $125,000 to
ights are Guide 682-Cs from a Diamond T
truck, with built-in parking lights for turn signals.
The taillights are classic '32 Ford.
alysis This '32 Ford Highboy sold
for $154,000 at the Gooding &
each Auction on August 21, 2011. The
any estimate was $125,000 to
mined
mined this car closely on two occa-
en it was owned by Mike Russell,
n it belonged to the consignor, Glenn
ainbridge Island, WA.
, historic deuce roadsters have
y sold well, publicly and privately. This
e not a famous magazine feature
d a lot going for it. Its whereabouts were
n for 63 years. The Ford V8 was replete
sirable speed equipment: a period
.Co.T supercharger, reproduction Ardun
OHV heads, an Auburn dash panel, an
ginal 0–8,000 rpm Stewart-Warner taometer,
Kinmont “Safe-Stop” disc brakes
ont and a Halibrand quick-change rear.
utting aside its provenance and decades
nown history for a moment, if you simply
d to build this car, this is what you'd be
or:
A gennie deuce body and chassis, as good
is one, paint ready, runs upwards of
ghts are Guide 682-Cs from a Diamond T
truck, with built-in parking lights for turn signals.
The taillights are classic '32 Ford.
alysis This '32 Ford Highboy sold
for $154,000 at the Gooding &
each Auction on August 21, 2011. The
any estimate was $125,000 to
mined this car closely on two occa-
en it was owned by Mike Russell,
n it belonged to the consignor, Glenn
ainbridge Island, WA.
, historic deuce roadsters have
y sold well, publicly and privately. This
e not a famous magazine feature
d a lot going for it. Its whereabouts were
n for 63 years. The Ford V8 was replete
sirable speed equipment: a period
.Co.T supercharger, reproduction Ardun
OHV heads, an Auburn dash panel, an
ginal 0–8,000 rpm Stewart-Warner ta-
ometer, Kinmont “Safe-Stop” disc brakes
ont and a Halibrand quick-change rear.
utting aside its provenance and decades
nown history for a moment, if you simply
d to build this car, this is what you'd be
or:
A gennie deuce body and chassis, as good
is one, paint ready, runs upwards of
mbling
mbling a decent Ardun flathead these
s a $40k proposition. A real S.Co.T
s a $20k item (although reproductions are
m H&H for about $16k).
n air cleaner is a grand — if you can find
one.
A full set of Kinmont disc brakes just sold for $22k,
so figure on at least $10k for a pair of fronts.
Add $4k for the Auburn panel, other gauges and
the tach, another $4k to $5k for the Halibrand quickie
(try and find one for less), a few grand for the Zephyr
gears, the Guide lights and the dropped axle, and
you've spent more than $154,000 before paint, chrome,
upholstery and assembly.
So why not $175,000 for this roadster?
No historical magazine juice
Critics could say the windshield should have been
chopped more and leaned back a tad, that the highboy
would have been more correct for the period with
skinny 16-inch wheels and tires, that there was no top
or hood, there wasn't enough rake, and that '39 teardrops
would've looked better than stock '32 taillights.
But that's all nitpicking, and it's all easily corrected.
But here's the real reason...
Bruce Olson, who started this roadster, never
completed the car, and hence it neither raced nor
appeared as a feature in a vintage hot rod publication.
That's a major determinant of value where period hot
rods are concerned. While nearly all of its important
bits and pieces are authentic, and many are quite
rare, the total assemblage was simply a later owner's
interpretation of what a period hot rod should be.
The frame, while genuine '32 Ford, does not have
an 18-prefix chassis number, probably because the
original title was not available and the car had to
be re-registered. That puts it in the same class as a
reconstructed roadster with “re-pop” rails.
Authentic, but no important history
Interest in authentic period hot rods with correct
speed equipment shows no sign of abating. Major
historic hot rod collectors, such as Bruce Meyer, Ross
Myers, Jim Mumford, Don Orosco and Richard Munz,
already have authentic vintage '32 roadsters with hot
rod magazine and/or racing provenance. They'll still
step up and pay $200k and more for the real deal, such
as the historical roadsters built by Doane Spencer,
Dick Flint, Tony LaMasa, Ray Brown, Tommy Foster
and Neal East. These cars are eligible for the Pebble
Beach Historic Hot Rod Class. This roadster is not.
It's a replica of sorts. While its story is known, it really
has no important history.
That said, authentic historic hot rods are hard to
find — and very expensive.
Prices on Kinmont brakes and Auburn dash panels
continue to rise, but as good as the reproduction steel
bodies are these days, knowledgeable collectors who
can pay top dollar want the real thing.
If you tried to duplicate this nicely built highboy,
with its special blend of parts, you'd have to pay much
more than $154,000. So in this economy, I'd call this
'32 Highboy very well bought. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Gooding &
Company. Note: Gross researched and wrote the intro
for the auction company but was not involved in the
actual sale in any way.)
1932 Ford roadster, ex-Jim
Khougaz
Lot 241, s/n 18155453
Condition 1Sold
at $385,000
RM Auctions, Monterey, CA,
8/17/2007
ACC# 46256
January-February 2012 51
1932 Ford Highboy custom
Lot S228, s/n DMV44486NV
Condition: 2+
Sold at $180,900
Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee, FL,
1/26/2011
ACC# 168845
ACC ACC
Detailing
Digital Bonus
Digital Bonus
Number produced: 12,080
DeLuxe and Standard V8
and 4-cylinder roadsters
in 1932.
Current ACC Valuation:
$150,000–$175,000
Tune-up, major service:
$200 (estimated)
Chassis #: Plate on frame.
Engine #: Cast on bell
housing
Original list price: $500
(for a DeLuxe, $460 for a
Standard)
More: www.nsra-usa.com
Alternatives: None, really… a
deuce is a deuce.
Reason to buy: Real, steelbodied
'32 with long history
and stellar parts….
Club: There is no club specifically
for vintage hot rods,
but the buyer would be
welcomed at the National
Street Rod Association
(NSRA) and Goodguys
events.
Comps
1932 Ford roadster,
The Edelbrock Special
Lot 154, s/n none
Condition 2
Not Sold at $210,000
RM Auctions, Monterey, CA,
8/21/2011
ACC# 183925
Page 50
PROFILE CLASSIC
1934Super Eight 1104 Tourer
PACKARD
Photo
documentation
includes shots
of Admirals
Halsey and
Nimitz as well
as General
Eisenhower
riding in the
back
52 AmericanCarCollector.com
Chassis number: 75011
Engine number: 752026
by Carl Bomstead
• Secret Service jump seat
• Original 384/145-hp engine
• Mostly original interior
• Record log from 1948 indicates passengers included
General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Admiral Chester
William Nimitz and many others
H
ACC Analysis This car, Lot S161, sold for
$140,450, including buyer's pre-
mium, at Mecum's Monterey, CA, auction on August
18–20, 2011.
The first Packard, the Model A, was tested on the
streets of Warren, OH, on November 6, 1899. The
last, painted Mountain Blue, came off the line July 25,
1958, and was built by Studebaker Packard in South
ighlights from the Mecum Auctions
catalog:
• Vacuum assist brakes
• Synchromesh 3-speed transmission
• Push-button start
Bend, IN. Packard survived the Great Depression
while others faltered, only to meet its demise in the
middle of one of the greatest booms in automotive
history. The intervening years, however, included the
magnificent classic era as well as a host of questionable
decisions.
The Packard brothers, James Ward and William
Doud, were ideal business partners. James Ward was
a mechanical genius, having been awarded several
patents while still in school, and William Doud was a
natural businessman. In 1898, James Ward acquired
one of the 21 Winton automobiles manufactured
that year, and when expressing his displeasure with
several of the features of the car, he was told by
Alexander Winton, “Well, if you're so smart, maybe
you can build a better machine yourself.” And that's
exactly what James did.
Refined and luxurious
The Packard Motor Company built a well-deserved
reputation of offering luxurious cars that were highly
refined, fitted with elegant coachwork and were
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Page 51
powered by technically advanced
and well-engineered engines. But as
the Great Depression cast its dark
cloud over the world, the luxury car
market quickly evaporated. Packard
competitors Marmon and Peerless
closed their doors by 1933, and
many others soon followed. Packard
survived because of its excellent
financial health, outselling all its
competitors combined. But even so,
Packard production declined from
almost 35,000 automobiles in 1929 to
only 7,040 in 1934.
Against this dismal backdrop, in
August of 1933, Packard introduced
the 11th Series — a car that many
collectors feel was Packard's all-time
finest, most elegant offering. The
dashboard was redesigned with clear
round dials, the headlamp lenses
were veed to match the radiator shell, and the top edge
of the lenses matched the top of the grille. The flowing
fenders appeared to lengthen the car, and the front
fenders were extended down to the bumper.
The Packard Super Eight offered by Mecum was
one of the earliest 1934s built. The data tag, 750-11,
indicates it was a Model 750, which is a Super Eight
1104 Seven Passenger Touring, and the 11 was the
sequential body number. Packard started the numbering
at 10, so this was the second body built. The
engine, number 752026, was the 26th off the line, as
they started numbering at 752001.
A frequent flier
The Mecum sale was not this Packard's first
rodeo. It was sold by Christie's for $129,500 at their
Greenwich auction in 2006, and was sold again by
Gooding & Company for $231,000 at their Scottsdale
auction in January 2008, where it was stated to be a
“good deal” by the on-site Sports Car Market analyst.
But this August, it brought $140,450, making the 2008
purchase price look like much less of a bargain.
This was not a “White House Livery” car, as some
have stated. According to the Smithsonian, the White
ACC ACC
Detailing
Digital Bonus
Digital Bonus
Years built: 1934
Number built: 764 Super
Eights
Original list price: $3,090
Current ACC Valuation: N/A
Tune-up cost: $250
Distributor cap: $75
Chassis #: Body tag on
firewall
Club: Packards International
Motor Car Club
302 French St
Website: www.packards
international.com
Alternatives: Cadillac V12,
Lincoln KB
Santa Ana, CA 92701
ACC investment grade: B
Comps
House fleet consisted of only one 1934 Super Eight,
and it was a Model 735 that was a Sedan Limousine —
definitely not this car.
However, our subject car was owned by an automo-
tive livery service in Philadelphia, and a log book lists
the famous and near-famous who rode in it throughout
the years. Photo documentation of this car reportedly
dates to 1940, including shots of Admirals Halsey and
Nimitz as well as General Eisenhower riding in the
back. This is great history, and it should rightfully add
to the car's potential value.
Restoration with needs
Although the car was reportedly restored in 1988,
time and use had taken their toll. The horn button was
not properly painted, there were loose wires under the
dash, the windshield was delaminating, and all four
doors were sagging. The engine compartment was
dirty with fuel leaks and the porcelain was flaking off
the manifold. The car was also lacking a radio, which
was first offered by Packard in 1934.
How does such a well-documented Packard Super
Eight tumble so quickly in value? Mecum did not
promote the car in their catalog as heavily as Gooding
had done 3.5 years earlier, but
Mecum has sold seven-figure cars
with equally limited fanfare. Let's
face the facts: The Touring body
style is simply not as desirable as a
Dual Cowl, the car was no longer
crisp, and market conditions have
changed significantly in the years
since the Gooding sale.
In this market, top-level restora-
tions and all-original preservation
candidates bring the most value
across the auction block. This car
had great history but it fell somewhere
between restored and used,
and that limited its bottom line here.
At the end of the day, for a Packard
with great history and an aging
restoration, this August's Mecum
result was in line with the current
of Mecum Auctions.)
January-February 2012 53
1934 Packard Eight Dual Cowl
Lot 143, s/n 378984
Condition 3+
Sold at $154,000
RM Auctions, Amelia Island, FL,
3/12/11
ACC# 176551
Engine #: Stamped on boss
on upper left side of block
1941 Packard Super Eight 180
Lot 135, s/n 14292011
Condition 2
Not sold at $230,000
RM Auctions, Plymouth, MI,
7/30/11
ACC# 183017
1934 Packard Super Eight
Lot 268, s/n 76735
Condition 2Sold
at $187,000
RM Auctions, Rochester, MI,
8/2/11
ACC# 117400
market. A
(Introductory description courtesy
Page 52
PROFILE RACE
1964Charger S/FX
DODGE
‘The first Funny Car'
ILE RACE
1964Charger S/FX
DODGE
‘The first Funny Car'
cars
cars were
routinely
thrashed.
Engines and
drivetrains
rarely
survived, and
bodies were
twisted and
contorted to
levels that
no engineer
could have
imagined
54 AmericanCarCollector.com
Chassis number: 6142174676
by Dale Novak
the world to run exhibitions at tracks near Dodge's
new car dealerships, so the cars could be displayed
to the public before running on weekends. The
National Hot Rod Association created a special class
for them, known as S/FX, for Supercharged Factory
Experimental.
Three stock 1964 Dodge 330 Max Wedge
T
lightweight sedans were shipped from Detroit to
Dragmaster in Carlsbad, CA, for race preparation.
Dragmaster prepared three 480-ci stroker Max
Wedge engines that basically duplicated their 1962
Winternationals-winning Top Gas efforts. Next, the
Dodges traveled to Dean Jeffries' shop in Los Angeles
for rolled aluminum pans front and rear, radiused rear
wheel openings, and paint.
Jim Johnson was the first driver hired, followed by
Jimmy Nix. Almost immediately, Nix smashed the
10-second barrier and Johnson topped 130-plus mph.
The March 1964 debut of the S/FX Chargers is widely
recognized as the birth of the Funny Car — a term not
generally heard until 1965, and a class not formally
christened by the NHRA until 1967.
The Chargers became a huge draw, and track operators
nationwide literally begged for appearances — the
he story of this historic car starts in late
1963, when Don Beebe of Automotive
Productions proposed an unheard-of plan to
Chrysler Corp. His plan involved creating
the fastest three 1964 “doorslammers” in
PROFILE R
ACE
1964Charger S/FX
DODGE
‘The first Funny Car'
cars were
routinely
thrashed.
Engines and
drivetrains
rarely
survived, and
bodies were
twiste
FILE RACE
1964Charger S/FX
DODGE
‘The first Funny Car'
cars were
routinely
thrashed.
Engines and
drivetrains
rarely
survived, and
bodies were
twisted and
contorted to
levels that
no engineer
could have
imagined
54 AmericanCarCollector.com
Chassis number: 6142174676
by Dale Novak
the world to run exhibitions at tracks near Dodge's
new car dealerships, so the cars could be displayed
to the public before running on weekends. The
National Hot Rod Association created a special class
for them, known as S/FX, for Supercharged Factory
Experimental.
Three stock 1964 Dodge 330 Max Wedge
T
lightweight sedans were shipped from Detroit to
Dragmaster in Carlsbad, CA, for race preparation.
Dragmaster prepared three 480-ci stroker Max
Wedge engines that basically duplicated their 1962
Winternationals-winning Top Gas efforts. Next, the
Dodges traveled to Dean Jeffries' shop in Los Angeles
for rolled aluminum pans front and rear, radiused rear
wheel openings, and paint.
Jim Johnson was the first driver hired, followed by
Jimmy Nix. Almost immediately, Nix smashed the
10-second barrier and Johnson topped 130-plus mph.
The March 1964 debut of the S/FX Chargers is widely
recognized as the birth of the Funny Car — a term not
generally heard until 1965, and a class not formally
christened by the NHRA until 1967.
The Chargers became a huge draw, and track opera-
tors nationwide literally begged for appearances — the
he story of this historic car starts in late
1963, when Don Beebe of Automotive
Productions proposed an unheard-of plan to
Chrysler Corp. His plan involved creating
the fastest three 1964 “doorslammers” in
But
But the cost of running the operation started adding
up, and a new challenge arose: Jack Chrisman's nitroburning
Mercury Comet was blazingly fast, and he
had a mandate from Ford to beat the Chargers to 150
mph. Nix was fired up by the challenge and wanted
to put nitro in his car too — and move the motor back
in the chassis. He began cutting up his Charger as the
first step, but Dodge found out about the plans and
asked that he bring the car to them. He didn't see it
again for more than 20 years.
One car (the spare) was crushed in a highway ac-
cident. Dodge sold the other two cars to Don Mattison
and Bud Coons, who owned the Chicago “Guzler”
Fuel Dragster team. One car was fitted with the 392
Fuel engine out of their dragster in 1965, but was then
destroyed in a crash.
In 1980, collector Tom Jones found a '64 Dodge
330 sedan in Wisconsin — a car he suspected was
some type of former factory race car. Soon after his
purchase, Jones realized that it was the car that Jimmy
Nix began cutting in 1964 before Chrysler nixed his
plans. Jones sold the car as a project to C.K. Spurlock,
who spent seven years restoring it. He then sold it to
Frank Spittle, who completed the job.
It's rare that a race car survives, rarer that it
survives basically intact, and even rarer that it can
be 100% verified as the original vehicle that left the
factory.
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 28, sold for
$302,500, including buyer's preCourtesy
of Worldwide Auctioneers
Page 53
mium, at Worldwide Auctioneers' sale in Auburn, IN,
on Saturday, September 3, 2011.
There are three submarkets for vintage race cars:
those that resemble the actual car that was campaigned,
a backup car that never saw track time, and
re the real-deal campaigned cars.
ay be subtle in some regards, as the
n be so accurately built that even past
embers might be unable to tell the
ally 30 or 40 years later. Although
nces can be subtle, the values, withe
not.
is type of racing history spend
eeking out truly extraordinary
ve miraculously survived in a mostly
g cars, in particular, were routinely
s and drivetrains rarely survived,
wisted and contorted to levels that
ould have imagined.
s ended up in the hands of lesser
d drivers, and most eventually fell into
s of weekend gearheads. Cars were
d and parts were stripped, stolen,
d and cannibalized. Case in point: Of
e original S/FX Chargers, one met
se on the track and the other was
d by a highway overpass. Needless
nother 1964 Supercharged S/FX
ws up at auction labeled as the real
re.
A 100% guarantee
e S/FX Charger, Frank Spittle, had
r many years and also completed
o high standards. During his tenure,
uch information on the car as he
sations and investigations included
m Johnson, one of the two original
drivers, who further confirmed the authenticity of the
car and then autographed the dash with his seal of
approval. This, along with a tank full of documentation,
prompted Spittle to offer a 100% guarantee that
this was, in fact, the only known surviving 1964 S/FX
Charger extant.
Our subject car has been treated to a world-class
restoration that focused on locating as many of the
original parts as possible. If the actual parts were not
available, close or exact period-correct parts were
sourced to complete the car. Even items such as the
paint, interior and parachute were replicated to exacting
standards using photographic research — as well
as interviews with the actual craftsmen who originally
modified the car. The restoration has been reported
to have exceeded hundreds of thousands of dollars
and was the accumulation of over 30 years of effort
by three very determined individuals, none of whom
appear to have been motivated by financial gain, but
rather a passion for preserving a portion of significant
automotive racing history. By this standard, you will
always end up with a world-class result.
A fast-moving market
The desire for well-heeled collectors to acquire
vintage racing machines with airtight documentation
is very strong. Scouring through the ACC database,
we see multiple examples of first-tier former drag
cars — again, those cars that are primarily intact with
bulletproof documentation and a rock-solid history —
bringing some very high prices.
The cornerstones of collecting call for five distinct
attributes: style, performance, rarity, historical significance
and competition history (restoration quality
qualifies as well, when applicable).
While this car was never “officially” raced — it
was primarily used for exhibition races and dealer
promotion — it did define a moment that changed the
course of drag racing history by ushering in a new era
of performance and racing innovation.
As it is the first “Funny Car,” our subject car is
important in the history of drag racing. It is the sole
survivor of only three made, so it can't be any rarer.
The car's performance is also stellar. The
restoration is top-notch. So, in everything
other than styling, which arguably is the
weakest attribute, the car slam-dunks the
requirements for an elite collector car. The
buy-this-car bell rings loud and clear here.
Can this price be considered a deal?
Based on the few similar comparables
located in the ACC database, these types
of cars typically trade north or south of
$300,000 — some way north and some
way south. Since no two race cars are
alike, each car is judged on a different set
of criteria, and at the end of the day, it all
comes down to how seriously at least two
collectors want the car. Considering this
one's rarity, documentation, history and
condition, I'd say the price paid was a fair
deal for both buyer and seller alike. A
(Introductory description courtesy of
Worldwide Auctioneers.)
January-February 2012 55
ACC ACC
Detailing
Digital Bonus
Digital Bonus
Year produced: 1964
Number produced: 3
Original list price: N/A
Current ACC Valuation:
$275k–$325k
Tune-up cost: $200–$500
(Supercharged)
Distributor cap: $25
Chassis #: On plate attached
to left front door hinge pillar
Engine #: Engine pad located
next to the distributor
Club: Mopar Muscle Clubs of
America
More: www.nmcadigital.com
Alternatives: 1963 Plymouth
Savoy “Jayhawker” A/FX,
1967 Chevrolet Camaro
Z/28, 1964 Ford Fairlane
500 Thunderbolt
ACC Investment Grade: A
Comps
1963 Plymouth Savoy
“Jayhawker” A/FX
Lot S704, s/n N/A
Condition 2
Not sold at $190,000
Russo and Steele, Scottsdale,
AZ, 1/16/08
ACC# 48595
1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
Lot S123, s/n 124377N221407
Condition 3
Sold at $336,000
Mecum, St. Charles, IL, 10/5/07
ACC# 47045
1964 Ford Fairlane 500
Thunderbolt
Lot 1334.1, s/n 4F41K230520
Condition 1
Sold at $270,000
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale, AZ,
1/14/06
ACC# 40314
Page 54
1964K20 Pickup
CHEVROLET
Pickup
CHEVROLET
Low-mile
Low-mile
heavy-duty
trucks are
not as rare as
you'd think.
Most of the
low-mile
trucks
similar to
this come
generally in
one color —
fire-engine
red.
56 AmericanCarCollector.com
Chassis number: 4K254T107616
by B. Mitchell Carlson
features to the emerging everyday truck driving community.
In the 1960s, a pickup was still a utility vehicle.
T
Trucks were sparse and used hard. Perhaps the ones
that had the toughest life of all were four-wheel drive
models. Four-wheel drive was an unusual option for a
pickup in the 1960s. Prior to this period, manufacturers
and customers looked to independent companies
like Marmon-Herrington to convert trucks to fourwheel
drive.
Unfortunately, many of the trucks that received this
option were bought for plowing duty. At that time,
most of the areas that had enough snow to warrant
plows used plenty of salt to melt the ice on the roads.
The salt was merciless to vehicles, and many would
develop gaping holes after just a year or two. Most of
these trucks have long since rotted away.
This truck is a true survivor of a rare breed. This
K20 four-wheel drive was set up as a plow truck from
new. Luckily for the truck, it did not even complete
one full season of plowing before it was mothballed.
The truck has fewer than 6,000 miles and is in remarkable
condition. The interior upholstery is wrapped
oday we have endless choices among pickup
trucks, and the luxurious options give away
nothing to their car counterparts. This is
a recent development. The Silverados and
Lariats of the 1980s ushered in luxury
in protective plastic from new. The body is totally
rust-free and has good paintwork. Opening the hood
reveals an untouched engine compartment.
The specification is typical of a four-wheel drive of
the era. A low-geared, 4-speed manual is fitted behind
a 230-ci six — putting the truck in first evokes the
feeling that a wall could be climbed or driven right
through with the power at hand.
This is a rare chance indeed to acquire such an
unused or altered pickup from this era. The original
plow frame and blade are included.
ACC Analysis This truck sold at no reserve for
$15,210, including buyer's pre-
mium, at Bonhams' Fairfield County Concours auction
on September 17–18, 2011, in Westport, CT.
General Motors introduced a new truck design for
the 1960s. Originally, the 1960 model year Chevrolets
carried on with their nomenclature, which started in
1958 using Native American names — with the lightduty
trucks called Apaches.
However, due to displeasure expressed by Native
Americans, Chevrolet instituted a new naming convention
in 1961, which is basically still in use today.
Two-wheel drives were called the C-series, while fourwheel-drive
models — as Chevy started building their
own 4x4 models in 1957 — were the K-series.
The half-ton models had a 10 suffix, three-quarter
tons had a 20 suffix, one-tons used 30, and so forth
up into the heavy-duty 90 models. As such, the ever
Page 55
up became a C10, available
r a Custom trim package.
, our featured truck is not
y a K20. This is also verified
er in the VIN. In this case,
n as follows: “4” for 1964
our-wheel drive, “254” for
etside (wide box) pickup
g built at the Tarrytown, NY,
nally, the 7,616th unit built
e unit sequence number startame a C10, available
r a Custom trim package.
, our featured truck is not
y a K20. This is also verified
er in the VIN. In this case,
n as follows: “4” for 1964
our-wheel drive, “254” for
etside (wide box) pickup
g built at the Tarrytown, NY,
nally, the 7,616th unit built
e unit sequence number start-
uctionuction
of a new, simplering
hood, and in 1964, the
b greenhouse and doors
re redone to eliminate the
ap-around windshield (as
t styling trend had been
yed out by then) and subsequent
og-leg” in the door and door
me. This was over and above
e usual annual shuffling of grilles
d badges. The changes gave the
cks a less aggressive and more
ylish appearance — which connued
until the next generation of
M trucks for 1967.
eething pains in the 1960s
p became a C10, available
r a Custom trim package.
, our featured truck is not
y a K20. This is also verified
er in the VIN. In this case,
n as follows: “4” for 1964
our-wheel drive, “254” for
etside (wide box) pickup
g built at the Tarrytown, NY,
nally, the 7,616th unit built
e unit sequence number start-
uction of a new, simpler-
ing hood, and in 1964, the
b greenhouse and doors
re redone to eliminate the
ap-around windshield (as
t styling trend had been
yed out by then) and subsequent
og-leg” in the door and door
me. This was over and above
e usual annual shuffling of grilles
d badges. The changes gave the
cks a less aggressive and more
ylish appearance — which con-
nued until the next generation of
M trucks for 1967.
eething pains in the 1960s
d
d been making their own 4x4
ore then, they were available
d conversion kit by NAPCO),
re just starting to gain market
o of four-wheel-drive versus
ups was extremely slim. Even
after the major manufacturers all started making their
own standardized 4x4s on their assembly lines, a fourwheel-drive
truck was still an expensive proposition.
Besides, most period buyers were of the mindset that
“with four-wheel-drive, you'll only get stuck worse.”
More often than not, buyers were commercial
rather than private. Using 4x4s for snowplow duty
was one thing that was easily accepted, with the
manufacturers frequently at least showing examples
ACC ACC
Detailing
Digital Bonus
Digital Bonus
Years produced: 1960–1966
Number produced: 483,853
(all 1964)
Original list price: $2,885
Current ACC Valuation:
$5,000–$20,000
Tune-up cost: $200
Distributor cap: $10
Chassis #: Spot-welded plate
on the driver's side A-pillar
of these trucks with a plow up front — if not offering
a dedicated snowplow prep package. The more
famous of these were Dodge's Sno-Commander
and International's Sno-Star packages, offered in
conjunction with plow manufacturers as a complete
package, ready to bust through snowdrifts right off the
showroom floor.
Now a trailer queen?
While low-mile, heavy-duty trucks from the 1960s
are hardly falling out of the trees, they are not quite as
rare as this one was promoted to be. The thing is, most
of the low-mile trucks similar to this come generally in
one color — fire-engine red.
One-ton and smaller four-wheel-drive trucks
were — and are still — popular rigs for brush-fire
use. Units from the 1960s are now being retired from
service — although a respectable number are still in
primary or stand-by use. Granted, one of these may
have a pump or other service equipment built into it,
but for every guy who wants a pure, clean, unmolested
original low-mile 4x4, there's another who wants a fire
truck that actually fits in his suburban garage next to
his wife's Honda. The selling price for our featured
truck generally falls into the range of what a retired
brush rig with similar miles would bring — if not on
the high end.
Although this was built to be
a heavy-duty work truck, to use
it like that today would destroy
its value. With a well-cared-for
higher-mile or driver-grade
restored example, you wouldn't
think twice about running over
to the Home Depot for a load of
bagged peat moss. But with our
featured truck, every mile put
on it will slowly ratchet down
its value, so you'll probably
just grab the keys for the RAV4
instead and make two runs.
Weighting all those factors
in, this truck was both well
bought and sold at a market
price —even if it is destined to
an existence of going to shows
on a trailer behind a modern
four-wheel-drive pickup.A
(Introductory description
courtesy of Bonhams.)
1956 Chevrolet 3600 Custom
Lot S37, S/N V3E560005501
Condition 2Sold
at $20,935
Mecum Auctions, Kansas City,
MO, 3/11/2011
ACC# 176132
Club: American Truck
Historical Society
P.O. Box 901611
Kansas City, MO
64190-1611
Engine #: Passenger's side of
the block near the distributor
(I6), passenger's side
of the block on the front
edge of the cylinder head
deck (V8)
Website: www.aths.org
Alternatives: 1960–1966
GMC K2500 ¾-ton
4x4 pickup
1960–1966 Ford F-250
¾-ton 4x4 pickup
1957–1971 Dodge D-300
Power Wagon 1-ton
4x4 pickup
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
1959 Chevrolet Apache
Lot 374.3, S/N 3A59J118797
Condition 2+
Sold at $36,300
Barrett-Jackson, Orange County,
CA, 6/25/2011
ACC# 182227
1959 Chevrolet 3100 fleetside
NAPCO
Lot TH243, S/N 3A59J105986
Condition 1Sold
at $48,200
Russo and Steele, Monterey CA,
8/12/2010
ACC# 165834
January-February 2012 57
Page 56
MARKET OVERVIEW
Made in America
U.S.-BORN CARS DRAW BIG MONEY AND INTEREST
TOP 10
sales this issue
1. 1932 Duesenberg Model
J Derham Tourster,
$880,000—WWA, p. 85
2. 1964 Ford Fairlane,
$700,000—B-J, p. 70
3. 1930 Cadillac 452A V16,
$363,000—WWA, p. 85
4. 1969 Ford Mustang
Boss 429, $307,400—
Mec, p. 82
5. 1964 Dodge 330 S/FX
Charger, $302,500—
WWA, p. 105
6. 1969 Ford Mustang
Boss 429, $286,000—
WWA, p. 103
7. 2009 Mosler Raptor
GTR, $264,000—
Barrett-Jackson Las
Vegas, p. 72
8. 1939 GM Futurliner,
$247,500—WWA, p. 85
9. 1911 Stanley Model 72,
$231,000—WWA, p. 84
10. 1938 Lincoln Model K,
$214,500—WWA, p. 96
BEST BUYS
by Tony Piff
continuing to break the $200k mark,
to a 1911 Stanley Steamer sold for
$231k, to a 1932 Duesenberg Model
J sold for a whopping $880k, the
collector market is obviously still
vibrant and healthy, with nostalgic
attention being paid to every era of
American motoring — not to mention
modern supercars like Vectors
and Moslers selling for $106k and
$264k, respectively.
That said, performance figures
L
ook up and down the list of
most expensive American
cars recently sold, and the
sheer variety is just crazy.
From 1960s Detroit muscle
on the whole weren't through the
roof during the late summer auction
season, compared with last year. They weren't
through the basement either. Just relatively steady,
with the best cars earning the best prices, offset by an
increased number of driver-grade cars overall. For the
inaugural issue of American Car Collector, we took an
in-depth look at two of the season's heaviest hitters:
n n n
Barrett-Jackson's annual Vegas sale was its usual
over-the-top self, all party atmosphere and rock 'n'
roll. Barrett began offering the option of a reserve on
select cars recently, and this sale's 99% sell-through
rate would seem to suggest that the system is working.
Total sales increased over last year, although average
price-per-car was down. One notable anomalous sale
was the 1964 Ford Fairlane offered for charity that
brought an absolutely out-of-the-box $700k.
n n n
Mecum held their annual St. Charles, IL, sale,
1. 1969 Chevrolet Yenko
Chevelle 2-dr hard top,
$171,720—Mec, p. 80
2. 1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass
442 2-dr hard top,
$31,050—CMA, p. 92
3. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette
327/360 convertible,
$71,500—B-J, p. 64
4. 1963 Cadillac Eldorado
Biarritz convertible,
$27,000—Sil, p. 90
5. 1950 Mercury Eight custom
coupe, $44,000—
B-J, p. 68
58 AmericanCarCollector.com
where muscle was king as usual, with the top sales
honors going to a 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 fastback,
sold for $307k, and a 1968 Pontiac GTO “Royal
Bobcat” racer, sold for $240k. Here, too, average
price-per-car was down from 2010, meaning Heartland
bidders scored some excellent deals.
n n n
In our market report roundup, we culled high-
lights from seven other significant late summer auctions
around the globe. American collectibles performed
very well in Auburn, IN, where Auctions America
by RM and Worldwide Auctioneers held their annual
Labor Day sales. Nine out of the 13 top sales of this
issue happened at Worldwide, with pre-war heavy iron
taking center stage, including that $880k Duesey. AA
by RM supplied the weekend's muscle, with high-sale
honors going to a 1966 Shelby GT350 H, sold for $127k.
A charitable price: Barrett-Jackson's $700,000 1964 Ford Fairlane.
n n n
Bonhams held a sale in Westport, CT, and another
across the pond in Beaulieu, U.K. Between the two
sales, very early American automobiles occupied
three of the top four slots: an 1899 Locomobile Style
2 Stanhope sold for $49k in Connecticut; at Beaulieu,
a 1908 Pontiac 12-hp sold for $42k, and a 1912 Ford
Model T Pie Van brought $27k.
n n n
Classic Motorcar Auctions' Canton sale man-
aged to double the number of cars sold over last
year and doubled their sales total as well. Post-war
American classics were the top performers, such
as a 1954 Cadillac Eldorado, sold for $108k, a 1955
Chevrolet Bel Air, sold for $48k and a 1959 DeSoto
Adventurer, sold for $30k. Postwar classics dominated
Silver Auctions' Carson City sale, too: a 1955 DeSoto
Fireflite sold for $61k, and
a 1950 Mercury Eight sold
for $51k. Three of the top
eleven cars were C1 and C2
Corvettes, selling between
$37k and $52k.
ACC 1-6 scale
condition rating
1. Perfect: National
show standard
2. Excellent: Club
show-worthy, some
small flaws
3. Average: Daily
driver in decent
condition
4. Meh: Still a driver,
with some visible flaws
5. Questionable:
A problem-plagued
beast that somehow
manages to run
6. Lost cause:
Salvagable for parts
n n n
We conclude the market
reports with Chad Tyson's
eBay Motors column.
This month, Chad pursued
examples of the sedan
body style that perhaps
best captures the spirit
and swagger of American
motoring—the elusive
four-door pillarless hard
top.A
Page 58
BARRETT-JACKSON //Las Vegas, NV
A heckuva birthday party
BARRETT-JACKSON ENDS 40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR IN LAS VEGAS
Report and photos
by Dan Grunwald
Market opinions in italics
of their auctions in person, you've probably
seen the Speed Channel coverage, live from
one of four of their annual events.
This was Barrett-Jackson's fourth annual
I
Las Vegas auction, and it was the final stop
on the company's 40th anniversary tour.
This annual sale is generally promoted
as an “event” rather than just an auction,
and rightly so. The pre-auction festivities
on September 21 included a “cruise-in” at
Gaudin Ford, a road rally of auction cars
Barrett-Jackson
Las Vegas 2011, Las Vegas, NV
September 22–24, 2011
Auctioneers: Assiter & Associates.
Tom “Spanky” Assiter, lead auctioneer
Automotive lots sold/offered: 576/581
Sales rate: 99%
Sales total: $24,245,585
High sale: 1964 Ford Fairlane 500
Custom, sold at $700,000
Buyer's premium: 10%, included in sold
prices
Barrett-Jackson sales total
$10m
$15m
$20m
$25m
$30m
$5m
0
60 AmericanCarCollector.com
2011
2010
2009
2008
f you've followed collector car auctions
at all over the past 20 years, chances
are you've become very familiar with
the powerhouse that is Barrett-Jackson.
And even if you haven't been to one
1932 Ford Model B five-window hot rod: a deal at $30,250.
down Las Vegas Boulevard, and the opening
night party at the Luxor's LAX nightclub
with free live entertainment, food and
cocktails.
Although not as large as the company's
Scottsdale sale held each January, this event
has grown over the past few years, and
among the consignments there was still rarity
and diversity enough to impress the record
number of attendees. High-sale honors
went to Steve Davis' immaculate 1964 Ford
Fairlane 500, which set a new world record
for a Fairlane at $700,000.
Barrett-Jackson always sells cars for
charitable causes at their auctions, and there
were spaces for several here, with total
charitable donations totaling $1.4m. The
high seller Fairlane was one of these cars,
with proceeds donated to the Armed Forces
Foundation. With that in mind, it was no
surprise to see it sell for many multiples of
what a standard example might bring — the
charity car prices are always far above their
true market value, which speaks volumes for
the generosity of Barrett-Jackson as well as
for the collector car family at large.
On the flip side, there were also bargain
buys for bidders in the right place at the right
time. Of the first 30 cars across the block,
60% sold for under $10k each. One of the
best deals of the event was the 1950 Mercury
lowrider offered as lot 663. It sold for just
$44,000, which was well below what the
seller likely had in it. I don't think it could
be replicated for several multiples of that
price. A 1932 Ford Model B five-window hot
rod, complete with flat black paint and red
rims on whitewalls, earned a cheap $30,250
across the block, while one of the best 1954
Corvette roadsters I'd seen in a while was a
good deal at $64,900.
There were the usual mega-money
sales here as well, including a 1968 Shelby
GT500 convertible that made $176,000, a
1957 Chevrolet Pickup with C6 Corvette
chassis components that made $148,500, and
a 1953 Studebaker Champion “Studester”
custom roadster that totaled $115,500. A
1954 Chevrolet 3100 pickup with a complete
restoration sold for a solid $41,800, proving
that pickups, when done right, can bring just
as much (if not more) money than their car
counterparts.
At the end of the event, 99% of the lots
offered found new homes. Total lots and
total sales figures saw a boost over what was
achieved last year, moving from 527 sold
for $22.9m in 2010 to 576 for $24.2m this
year. Not a bad end to Barrett-Jackson's 40th
anniversary celebration.A
Page 60
BARRETT-JACKSON //Las Vegas, NV
GM
#659.1-1940 LASALLE SERIES 52 convertible.
S/N 4329582. Blue/tan/blue
leather. Odo: 10,508 miles. 332-ci V8, 2-bbl,
3-sp. Recent nut-and-bolt restoration presents
as concours-ready. You can pick a few
tiny flaws in the paint and chrome, but you
really have to work at it. Some storage dust
on the frame. Heater hoses missing.
Cond: 1.
#374-1954 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
roadster. S/N E54S003177. White/red
vinyl. Odo: 26,975 miles. 235-ci 155-hp I6,
3x1-bbl, auto. Said to be matching-numbers
with original paint and interior, purchased
recently from original owner. Most chrome
looks very good, possibly rechromed. Pitting
on rear outside bumpers. Interior faded and
has some pitted chrome trim. Paint shows
some oxidation from age but surprisingly
little cracking. Cond: 3.
Wonderbar radio, tinted glass, bumper overriders
and much more. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $51,700. This heavily loaded '57
was just starting to show a bit of age (which
is exactly how I like to buy my cars). It
would have brought at least another $20k a
few years back, but today's price represents
the current state of the market.
SOLD AT $88,000. Thought to be one of
425 convertible coupes built by LaSalle.
This example was seen just a month prior at
Mecum's Monterey sale on August 21,
2011, where it was bid to $55,000 but did
not sell (ACC# 185061). The right bidders
were here in Las Vegas today, and it earned
a much more respectable price this time
around.
#379.2-1954 CHEVROLET 3100 5-window
pickup. S/N H540009948. Red/black vinyl.
Odo: 1,697 miles. 235-ci I6, 2x1-bbl, 4-sp.
Fresh, high-level restoration with everything
new, including 235-ci 6-cyl of unspecified
origin with mild cam, dual exhaust headers
and Offenhauser dual carb intake. Excellent
paint, trim and interior. Glass chipped on
right curved window. No heater. Numerous
firewall holes left open. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $64,900. Amazing condition for
an unrestored car, yet believable. If all the
claims were true, this was one of the most
impressive surviving originals I've ever
seen. Bought well.
#654.2-1956 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 2-dr
hard top. S/N VC56A104616. Matador Red
& Adobe Beige/red & cream vinyl. Odo: 5
miles. 265-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Immaculate
frame-off restoration. Perfect paint, chrome
and interior. Has all factory markings. Fitted
with new BFG Silvertown radials, including
spare in the trunk with correct paint marks
and new tire paper sticker. Equipped with
power steering and brakes and deluxe bumper
guards. Cond: 1.
#652.7-1957 PONTIAC STAR CHIEF convertible.
S/N K857H7501. Black/white/red
& white vinyl. Odo: 8,818 miles. 347-ci V8,
3x2-bbl, auto. Lots of visible paint flaws and
some chrome starting to show age, but still
shiny overall. Interior presents well except
for numerous large cracks in steering
wheel. Highly optioned with power steering,
brakes and top, fender skirts, Continental
kit, spinner hubcaps, whitewalls, heater,
deluxe push-button radio and desirable and
unusual Tri-Power. Said to be numbersmatching.
Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $110,000. Presented by JD from
the TV show “Mindfreak” and offered without
reserve. Good eyeball, matching numbers
and good options, including Tri-Power
all combined for a top-of-the-market price.
Well sold.
SOLD AT $73,700. An instant concourswinner.
No dust, no dirt, just like a '56
Chevy new in the showroom. The huge
price reflected the incredible restoration.
SOLD AT $41,800. This was a very pretty
and very well done '54 Chevy truck. Topdollar,
but not unheard of for a top-quality
restoration like this.
62 AmericanCarCollector.com
#656.1-1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR convertible.
S/N VC57K131921. Larkspur
Blue/ivory/blue & ivory vinyl. Odo: 6,449
miles. 283-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Older frameoff
restoration done to good standard, now
showing lots of light paint issues and some
chrome scratches. Good interior has a bit of
light dirt and some scratches on steering
wheel. Highly optioned with a/c, power
steering and brakes, electric wipers,
#660.2-1960 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. S/N 008673102125.
Yellow/red leather. Odo: 1,199 miles. 6-L
fuel-injected V8, 5-sp. Total resto-mod powered
by modern modified LS2 and Tremec
5-speed. Paint shiny, right side chrome
Page 62
BARRETT-JACKSON //Las Vegas, NV
bumper shows scratches. Missing screws in
right-side windshield header. Leather interior,
vintage air, power windows, new whitefaced
gauges. Custom tubular chassis,
Flaming River steering. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT
$88,000. This was a nice little resto-mod
that should drive like a modern car and will
always draw attention. With prices for these
now routinely breaking $100k, I'd call this
well bought.
#692.1-1960 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO
pickup. S/N 01180L176588. Candy Apple
Red/tan leather. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Some visible flaws in gleaming paint.
Chrome is all new. Dash paint shows dust.
Full custom interior with power leather
bucket seats, custom console and digital
gauges. Built-in custom storage area in bed.
Custom raised center hood, no windshield
wipers. Cond: 2+.
vertible. S/N 20867S112915. Roman
Red/red hard top/white soft top/Fawn Beige
vinyl. Odo: 71,956 miles. 327-ci 340-hp V8,
4-bbl, 4-sp. Some chips in paint and
scratches on chrome bumpers. Clean interior
with cracks on steering wheel.
Plexiglass wind wings screwed to door trim.
Equipped with both kinds of tops. N.O.M.
with correct look. Cond: 2.
but still maintained a factory stock look. It
looked like good quality work and fetched a
good price. Well sold.
SOLD AT $55,000. Some better polish and
wax would help the paint greatly, but this
still looked to be a good driver. The price
achieved seemed fair both ways.
SOLD AT $34,650. This very interesting
resto-mod El Camino is sure to turn heads.
The candy paint gave it major eyeball but
also let it down just a bit because of minor
flaws. Well bought and sold.
#341-1961 OLDSMOBILE STARFIRE convertible.
S/N 616W01016. Metallic
red/black/red leather. Odo: 3,927 miles.
394-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Frame-off restored to
very high standard. Fresh paint, chrome
and leather interior all present as new.
Passenger's door lock disconnected.
Equipped with optional power brakes,
power windows, power seat and
Wonderbar radio. Cond: 1.
Silver/red vinyl. Odo: 70,741 miles. 327-ci
360-hp fuel-injected V8, 4-sp. Frame-off
restoration with accompanying photo book.
Some dust by headlight in otherwise-spotless
lacquer paint. Pilkington front glass.
Equipped with optional power windows,
Wonderbar radio, and knockoff wheels.
Looks factory-correct and showroom-new
everywhere. Matching-numbers and, according
to the VIN, the 54th car off the line
in 1963. Cond: 1.
#366-1963 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. S/N 30867S100054.
#48-1967 CHEVROLET NOVA 2-dr hard
top. S/N 116377W195513. Yellow/black
vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 90,291 miles. 327-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. New shiny paint with visible
flaws on hood. Chrome and trim look very
good. New bench seat interior fitted. N.O.M.
327 V8 engine and Turbo 350 trans, a few
modern accessories take it beyond pure
stock configuration. Equipped with disc
brakes and power steering. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $22,000. The '66 and '67 Novas
are always popular. This was a pretty car
and looked to have been well done. No, it
wasn't all stock under the hood, but at least
it always had a V8 in it. Bought fairly.
SOLD AT $71,500. This was the nicest '63
Fuelie I'd seen in a long time. It previously
sold at Russo and Steele's Scottsdale auction
in January 2008 for $95,700 (ACC#
51965), and I was surprised at the low price
when the hammer fell here. Well bought.
SOLD AT $80,300. When offered new, the
Starfire was the most expensive Olds since
the '53 Fiesta. List was $4,647 in 1961 dollars
when a Bel Air convertible was $2,995.
These are rare cars today, and this one was
in exceptional condition, attracting the attention
of the right bidders. Well sold.
#376-1962 CHEVROLET CORVETTE con64
AmericanCarCollector.com
#85-1967 CHEVROLET CAMARO coupe.
S/N 124377N232811. Blue/black/black
vinyl. Odo: 10,737 miles. 454-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Rotisserie restored to high standard.
Shows variable panel gaps and some glass
scratching on sides and rear. Powered by a
454 big-block of unspecified origin.
Equipped with power steering and power
disc brakes. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $35,200.
This was somewhat custom under the skin,
#380.1-1969 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. S/N 194679S712434. Daytona
Yellow/black/black vinyl. Odo: 55,737 miles.
350-ci 300-hp V8, 4-bbl, auto. Said to be
owned by same family for 43 years, now
presented in restored condition. Has a couple
of big stone chips on windshield. Some
pitting on cast windshield header pieces.
New interior shows a couple dents on the
console shift pattern plate. Clean engine
bay. Good options include power brakes,
power steering, tilt/telescoping steering column,
AM/FM, tint glass, red stripe tires,
Positraction rear axle and a/c. With original
window sticker, Protect-O-Plate, owner's
manual, order form and pre-delivery sheet.
Cond: 2.
BEST
BUY
Page 64
BARRETT-JACKSON //Las Vegas, NV
SOLD AT $33,000. This was a good restoration
of a no-stories car that was clearly
always cherished. It had good documentation,
showed well and sold right.
#686.1-1970 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE SS
454 replica convertible. S/N
13670L159217. Red/black vinyl/black vinyl.
Odo: 2,635 miles. 454-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Deep shiny red paint on this LS6 re-creation.
Some repair detected at base of
windshield in front of dashpad. New interior.
Equipped with power windows, power steering
and power brakes. Detailed engine bay
looks factory-original. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $55,000. Previously sold for
$44,000 at Barrett-Jackson's 2010 Palm
Beach, FL, sale (ACC# 160156). It still
looked factory-new, with just a light patina
on the leather seats. Everyone liked this
Corvette, and the spirited bidding showed it.
Well sold.
SOLD AT $81,400. This appeared to have
been born as an SS 396, so the LS6 wasn't
too much of a stretch. The honest description
didn't hurt the final price. Well sold.
#348.2-1970 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
S/N 228870N13287. Polar White &
blue/black vinyl. Odo: 8,201 miles. 400-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Restoration completed in
2009 shows numerous paint preparation
flaws throughout, with poor masking and
overspray, especially around windshield
trim. Lots of flaws visible on vinyl hood
stickers. Hood sits high in front. Wide doorto-fender
gaps. New seats and carpets.
Leather steering wheel worn in places.
Scratches on rear glass. Nicely detailed
Ram Air III engine. Equipped with modern
a/c. PHS documentation included. Cond: 2-.
#104-1972 CHEVROLET C10 Cheyenne
Super pickup. S/N CCE142A12214.
Black/black vinyl. Odo: 47,798 miles. 402-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Very good paint and
chrome. Dull grille trim, dull bed rails, thick,
painted-over bed. Good bucket seat interior.
Equipped with factory a/c, power steering
and power brakes. Build sheet included.
Cond: 2-.
Windshield-surround looks totally rust free.
Interior excellent. Faux wood vinyl trim peeling
off console. Engine clean and detailed.
Equipped with optional leather seats, tilt/
telescopic steering column, teak wheel and
power steering and windows. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $40,700. Bloomington Gold
Benchmark and Survivor and multiple
NCRS Top Flights suggest a high level of
originality that was hard to fathom on this
40-year-old Corvette in this fine condition.
The car sold at Russo and Steele's August
2011 Monterey sale just a few months ago
for $39,600 (ACC# 183944), making this
price look just fine. If someone was going
for a quick flip, fees and transportation expenses
eliminated any profit.
#332.1-1976 CADILLAC ELDORADO convertible.
S/N 6L67S60158994.
White/white/white leather. Odo: 5,577 miles.
500-ci fuel-injected V8, auto. Extremely low
miles claimed actual since new. Newer
paint has some fisheyes and scratches
showing. Some scratching and some light
pitting on chrome. Interior looks new, other
than a bit of dirt. Driving dirt on engine and
rust on air cleaner lid. Equipped with both
power seats, tilt/telescopic steering wheel,
fuel injection and parade boot. Reportedly
ordered new in Amarillo, Texas. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $31,350. Not listed in the catalog,
but it did not matter: this price was giant
money for this truck. Values for these late
‘60s/early ‘70s Chevy pickups have been
moving up rapidly, and this one leads the
pack, thanks to good options and condition.
SOLD AT $36,300. The details weakened it
quite a bit, but this was not a bad car at a
glance. The PHS documents helped quite a
bit, and the car managed to sell rather well.
#371.1-1971 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. S/N 194671S120424. Mille
Miglia Red/white/red leather. Odo: 60,494
miles. 454-ci 365-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Very
shiny paint just starting to show cracks at
hood and headlight door corners.
66 AmericanCarCollector.com
#372.1-1972 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. S/N 1Z37L2S522651. Steel Cities
Gray/black vinyl. Odo: 16,799 miles. 350-ci
255-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Said to have completely
original paint, interior and driveline,
with miles actual since new. Awards include
Bloomington Gold Survivor, Bloomington
Gold Benchmark and NCRS Chapter Top
Flight in 1991 and Regional Top Flight in
1993. Paint shows lots of light checking.
Front bumper and grille look like new, rear
shows usual light micro-pitting. Seats and
even weatherstripping look like new.
Distributor cover chrome also appears flawless.
Original paperwork included. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $30,800. These behemoths had
a 500-ci engine and only 190 hp, and there
are actually quite a few that were preserved
in this condition. This one showed what
seemed like lots of engine dust and dirt for
just 5,577 miles, but the wear on the rest of
the car looked correct. Market-priced.
#658.1-1976 CADILLAC SEVILLE 4-dr
sedan. S/N 6S69R6Q456183.
Silver/burgundy vinyl/red leather. Odo:
61,559 miles. 350-ci fuel-injected V8, auto.
Paint and chrome show scratches and age,
Page 66
BARRETT-JACKSON //Las Vegas, NV
but nothing too serious. Rust on radiator
trim. Leather seat developing some patina,
and driver's door panel has pulled very
loose. Engine not restored. Car-wash clean.
Reportedly purchased and driven by Elvis
Presley, then given to his dentist as a gift.
Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $44,000. This was said
to be Elvis's last Cadillac with documentation
to prove it, including a photograph of
him driving it through the Graceland gates.
Not flashy or particularly pretty, but the price
paid reflects The King's ongoing legacy.
FOMOCO
#345.1-1915 FORD MODEL T custom
woodie wagon. S/N AZZ99547. Black &
oak/black vinyl. Odo: 2,906 miles. Oddball
restoration with many custom touches. Lots
of new woodwork and shiny mid-level black
paint. Brass plating wearing off Klaxon
horn. New wood dash and gauges with
JVC CD player installed. Fitted with dual
overhead-cam 4-cylinder engine, automatic
transmission and disc brakes on old wire
wheels. Cond: 2.
small block and 6-speed transmission.
Cond: 1. SOLD AT $55,000. This was all
expertly done with no sign of a cut corner,
and it showed just enough miles that any
new-build glitches should be sorted out.
Buyer should be happy.
#40.2-1932 FORD MODEL B 5-window
coupe. S/N 43221179. Flat black/gray
cloth. Odo: 2 miles. 350-ci V8, 3x2-bbl,
auto. Old-school-styled ‘32 five-window hot
rod. Flat-black, all-steel body. Chrome windshield
trim separating at corner. Straight
axle in front, disc brakes. Modern smallblock
Chevy Vortec done up to look like a
1950s Olds engine, electric radiator fan and
Tri-Power carburetion with painted headers
that show some heat discoloration. Cond: 2.
well sold, but the buyer got a heck of a nice
car. Nice flames, great chrome and modern
running gear.
50SL61357M. Yellow-to-maroon
chameleon/white leather. Odo: 141 miles.
388-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, auto. Old-school full
custom with chromed twin spotlights and
lake pipes. Beautiful color-shift paint goes
from bright gold to deep metallic maroon.
Split front bumper and frenched dual antennas.
Custom headlights and ‘57 Packard
taillight lenses blended into rear fenders.
Shaved door handles, chopped top, fender
skirts. Chromed wire wheels shod with wide
whites. Full custom button-tufted leather
interior with gold plating and painted burl
wood accents. Powered by Chevrolet 388-ci
with Tri-Power. Cond: 1-.
#663-1950 MERCURY EIGHT
“Heavens to Mercatroid” coupe. S/N
SOLD AT $30,250. This is how hot rodding
looked back in the day: a primer black body
with a junkyard-sourced Olds or Caddy V8.
It wasn't about big dollars then; it was about
going as fast as you could on a limited budget.
Today the aesthetic lives on in a very
different way, with over $100k reportedly
spent on the creation of this one. Well
bought.
SOLD AT $29,700. As seen on the TV
show “Pawn Stars.” Some of the work was
newer, some was older, some just real old.
Expensive for a Model T, and not really collectible,
but would make sense as a funky
tourist taxi.
#655.2-1932 FORD MODEL B 3-window
coupe. S/N 18207766. Orange & yellow/tan
leather. Odo: 5,703 miles. 400-ci V8, 3x2bbl,
manual. Excellent flamed paint and
chromed dropped straight axle. Disc brakes
fitted with large retro finned drum look on
front. Tint glass, power windows, leather
interior, a/c. Equipped with 400-ci Chevy
#649.1-1934 FORD MODEL B 5-window
coupe. S/N 18224501. Black/black leather.
Odo: 10,594 miles. 454-ci supercharged V8,
auto. Steel body with fiberglass fenders and
hood. Very nicely done paint, but numerous
small flaws detectable, including edge
chips, dust and preparation issues. Interior
matches exterior with flame-design carpeted
door panels and headliner. Fitted with a/c,
automatic transmission, and tilt banjo-style
steering wheel. Wears chrome steel
smoothie wheels with baby moons.
Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $44,000. This had to the be the
steal of the auction. Built and shown as
“Heavens To Mercatroid” in 1989 and wonderfully
restored in 1997 with air suspension
and some modern features. The color-shift
paint fad came and went very quickly, but
no matter. I predict you will see it again,
bringing the new owner a tidy profit.
#696.1-1957 FORD THUNDERBIRD convertible.
S/N E7FH28957. White/black soft
top/white hard top/red vinyl. Odo: 44,917
miles. 312-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto. New paint
and top two years ago, said to be largely
original otherwise. Paint edge chips visible
on hood and trunk. Chrome shows wear on
front bumper and scratches on rear.
Noticeable wear on side window trims.
Several wires hanging loose under center
dash. Tinted glass. Includes both soft top
and porthole hard top. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $53,900. This car was seen at
Mecum Indy in May 2010, where it was a
no-sale at $28,000 (ACC# 163777). It
brought nearly twice that today, so call it
68 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $57,200. This older restoration
still showed well and had no trouble finding
a new home. A true “E code,” equally well
bought and sold.
BEST
BUY
Page 68
BARRETT-JACKSON //Las Vegas, NV
#358.2-1960 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
MARK V convertible. S/N OY85H413954.
Red/black vinyl/black leather. Odo: 52,697
miles. 430-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Lots of paint
flaws, with chips and scratches everywhere.
Front bumper chrome and door handle
chrome weak. Fitted with new interior.
Actual dirt visible underneath new dashpad.
Equipped with optional power disc brakes,
power steering, power rear window, heater
and defroster, and dual exhaust. Cond: 3.
visible in shiny new paint. Some dents in
windshield-surround trim. Equipped with
power brakes, power steering and tilt wheel.
Comes with Marti Report, original selling
dealership paperwork and Shelby
Automotive order form. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$176,000. Not perfect but close to it, with
good documentation. According to the auction
catalog, this was one of just 153 1968
GT500 convertibles equipped with 428-ci
V8 and 4-speed. Sold at the top of the market.
SOLD AT $25,300. A long and low Vegasstyle
cruiser that will look great rolling down
the Strip at 3 am. It had lots of eyeball and
sold fairly for condition.
2
Red/black vinyl. Odo: 66,373 miles. 427-ci
fuel-injected V8, 5-sp. Built to promote the
Sherwin-Williams Planet Color paint line at
the 2009 SEMA Show. Outstanding new
paint, chrome, and trim. Brand-new build
with 522-horse Roush 427 and 5-speed
Tremec TKO transmission. Cond: 1.
#6400-1964 FORD FAIRLANE 2-dr
hard top. S/N 4F43K136821.
issues and show age. New brakes, rotors
and brake lines installed, along with new
carburetor, exhaust and gas tank. Power
steering added. VIN tag looks like replacement
but reportedly a numbers-matching
car. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $50,600. This Mach
1 inspired confidence with all of the reported
recent mechanical work, with many components
new or rebuilt. The addition of power
steering will help with handling, and the bidders
agreed. Well bought and sold.
SOLD AT $700,000. A gorgeous car with
the best of everything and all proceeds to
benefit the Armed Forces Foundation. It
was donated by Steve Davis, president of
Barrett-Jackson. An absolute all-time world
record for a 1964 Fairlane that will never be
broken.
#668-1968 SHELBY GT500 convertible.
S/N 8T03S179601. Red & white/white/tan.
Odo: 53,566 miles. 428-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Rotisserie restoration to good standard.
Some pin holes and preparation flaws
#371.2-1971 FORD MUSTANG Boss 351
fastback. S/N 1FO2R151027. Grabber
Blue/black vinyl. Odo: 18,780 miles. 351-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Fresh restoration done to a
high level with everything looking new.
Obsessive attention paid to correctness and
detail. Great paint and chrome. Well detailed
Ram Air engine with factory markings
and Auto-Lite tar top battery. Cond: 1.
#359-1969 FORD MUSTANG Mach 1 fastback.
S/N 9R02R134396. Red &
black/black vinyl. Odo: 66,408 miles. 428-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Thick, shiny paint, chrome
mostly new with some light scratches and
bubbles on window and antenna trim. Lots
of stone chips in windscreen. Hood fits high
in rear. Some interior chrome and trim have
SOLD AT $33,000. Much less common
than a ‘54 Ford or Chevy, especially in this
condition. Top money paid due to the quality
and correctness of the restoration.
#72-1972 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER
2-dr hard top. S/N RM23H2H219046.
White/blue vinyl. Odo: 21,593 miles. 340-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Wide fender-to-hood and
fender-to-door gaps. Original seats show
some wear and color mismatch. New carpets.
Wear visible on door panels and interior
trims. Clean engine compartment said
to have “radically built” 340 V8. Equipped
with a/c. Cond: 2.
CHRYSLER/MOPAR
#92-1954 PLYMOUTH BELVEDERE convertible.
S/N 13238415. Coral/black/coral &
ivory vinyl. Odo: 31,716 miles. 230-ci I6,
1-bbl, 3-sp. Very high quality restoration in
authentic style. Shiny paint. Hood trim misfit
on left side. Has cracking on front
“Plymouth” badge. New interior with correct
finishes, restored gauges, some weak interior
chrome. Detailed under the hood and
inside trunk. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $24,750. Not stock and not my
favorite Road Runner body style, but the
right crowd was here. They fully appreciated
it for what it was and bid it to a market-correct
price.
AMERICANA
SOLD AT $60,500. Beautiful Boss 351—I
couldn't find a flaw. Strong cars bring strong
prices, and this car confirmed that once
more.
70 AmericanCarCollector.com
#340-1947 DIVCO delivery truck. S/N
1501857. Red, brown & rust/tan & brown
vinyl. Odo: 47,136 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Cosmetically distressed exterior, immaculate
new leather interior, gleaming
small-block Chevy V8 under the hood.
Delamination on all glass and broken rear
window. New chromed front bumper. Oldstyle
painted signage on side panel reads
TOP 10
Page 70
BARRETT-JACKSON //Las Vegas, NV
“R & R Vinyards,” faux grape vines strung
around ceiling. Single seat for driver and
carpet and bench seats in rear. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $25,300. With lots of intentional
patina, all the original authentic rust fit right
in. This eye-catching “wine truck” would
make good advertising for any business and
the new owner can park it outside without
fear of damaging the cosmetics. The crowds
loved looking at it, and with the modern
drivetrain it should drive well. A number of
Divco trucks have crossed the block in the
past year, but none changed hands as
cheaply as this one. Well bought.
#9-1949 WILLYS JEEPSTER convertible.
S/N VJ310146. Yellow/white/brown vinyl.
Odo: 93,242 miles. 134-ci I4, 1-bbl, 4-sp.
Older price-conscious restoration shows
age with thin, dull paint and chrome. Newer
seat covers. Horribly cracked steering wheel
and loose horn ring. No mention of side curtains.
Loose windshield trim. Sitting on old
15-inch Sears whitewalls. Cond: 3.
chrome pitting. Equipped with 3-speed with
overdrive. Interesting trunk opens wide with
lifting rear glass (like a modern hatchback)
and a flat-folding tailgate (like a pickup) with
varnished wood bed slats. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $22,000. This was a late entry
and did not appear in the auction catalog.
The metallic paint threw me, but it was said
to be correct to the car. A former owner told
me it sold two years ago at B-J Scottsdale
for $17k. Big money for an oddball Frazer,
but could soon prove a good investment.
#105.1-1969 AMC AMX fastback. S/N
A9M397X304411. Blue/black vinyl. Odo:
24,970 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. A couple
of paint flaws but not many. Shows
some trim dents and light pitting. Chips and
scratches on rear glass. Passenger's side
dash has cracks. Clean engine with stainless
radiator and heater hose covers.
Equipped with a/c, power steering, power
brakes, and “Go Package.” Cond: 2.
covered by windshield sealant. Built-in
California with Lamborghini Diablo drivetrain.
220 mph speedometer. Number 2 of
approximately 14 built. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT
$106,700. After just a handful of cars, production
ultimately halted due to Lambo
parts supply issues. It's hard to know what
level of factory perfection to expect here
because of the very limited build. Same with
comparative values. Today it was worth
$106,700.
#675-2009 MOSLER RAPTOR GTR
coupe. S/N 1M94136BX9C682029.
Orange/black leather. 7.0-L fuel-injected V8,
6-sp. Prototype built on a 2009 chassis but
not completed until 2011. Presents as new
inside and out. Gullwing doors and lots of
carbon fiber, for a stated gross vehicle
weight of 2,350 lbs. Custom LS7 reportedly
puts out 1,200 hp. Cond: 1.
7
SOLD AT $264,000. These trade in a very
thin market. The company had some racing
success, but the usual money issues with
this type of venture caused lots of delays
and resulted in a very limited production. As
this was the prototype, price paid is what it's
worth.
SOLD AT $9,900. Just an old fun driver
from a California owner that holds a magnet
solidly everywhere. At this price, a good
value and lots of fun for the new owner.
#634.1-1951 FRAZER STANDARD
Vagabond 4-dr sedan. S/N F515005722.
Dark Garden Green metallic/tan vinyl. Odo:
38,439 miles. 226-ci I6, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Newer
mid-level metallic green paint. Some body
ripples visible along side panels, cracks in
taillight lenses. All chrome and trim good.
Left rear door inoperable and has spare tire
mounted behind it. All-new interior fabric,
instruments like new, but some cracks in
steering wheel and some interior
72 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $33,000. This had been driven
just lightly since restoration in 2006. It was
reportedly a numbers-matching car with
original miles and just two owners from
new. All the good points added up to an
excellent sale price. Sold quite well.
#675.1-1997 VECTOR M12 coupe. S/N
1V9MB1220V104800Z. Yellow/black
leather. 5.7-L fuel-injected V12, 5-sp. Bodyoff
restoration finished in 2008. Paint very
good but not flawless. VIN tag partly
SOLD AT $132,000. Don Prudhomme's last
top fuel dragster was torn down after its last
race, thoroughly checked out and put back
together and is now ready to race again.
Probably won't, though. Fair price?
Someone thought it was worth it, and the
seller agreed. A
#679-2009 US SMOKELESS TOP FUEL
racer. S/N 1210146. Blue/black vinyl. MHD.
Fuel-injected V8, auto. 3.78 second 1/4 mile
best time at 318.54 mph on nitromethane.
Huge V8 with dual distributors, blower and
injectors. Tiny cockpit and long 299-inch
wheelbase. Fats on back and skinnies on
front. Dual chutes. Sold on bill of sale.
Cond: 2.
TOP 10
Page 72
MECUMAUCTIONS // St. Charles, IL
Vehicles for every taste
VARIETY ADDS SPICE, BUT MUSCLE IS MECUM'S BREAD AND BUTTER
Report and photos
by Dan Grunwald
Market opinions in italics
during a four-day period.
Unseasonably cool weather made a light
M
jacket necessary, but the bidders needed
little warming up during the first hour of
the auction, with eight of the first ten lots
hammered sold. From there on it was a fine
dance all weekend to find that sweet spot
where the seller would sell his car and the
Mecum Auctions
St. Charles Auction, St. Charles, IL
September 15–18, 2011
Auctioneers: Mark Delzell, Mike
Hagerman, Bob McGlothlen, Jim Landis
and Matt Moravec
Automotive lots sold/offered:
522/1,001
Sales rate: 52%
Sales total: $12,536,996
High sale: 1969 Ford Mustang Boss
429, sold at $307,400
Buyer's premium: $300 on the first
$5,499; $500 from $5,500 to $9,999;
6% thereafter, included in sold prices
Mecum sales total
$20m
$15m
$10m
$5m
$0
74 AmericanCarCollector.com
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
ecum's annual fall event in
St. Charles returned with a
bang in September, with a
total of more than 1,000 cars
crossing the auction block
1969 Ford Mustang 429 — not perfect, but good enough for a high-sale $307,400.
buyer would spend his money. There were
still a few holdouts who continued to hope
for the prices they visualized four or five
years ago, but for more and more sellers, the
reality of a new market (and new prices) has
set in.
Pheasant Run Lodge is the same place
where the Bloomington Gold Corvette
event takes place every June, so the Mecum
crew is intimate with the venue. As always,
everything ran smooth and fast. The lots
were driven in, hammered sold and returned
outside to their assigned parking spaces
with practiced efficiency. The parking and
staging is all paved, so both the cars and the
spectators remained clean.
The cars offered here were, on average,
much better in all respects than your normal
Friday night cruise-in variety. Most of what
was available here consisted of #2 level restorations
— cars that were measurably better
than what you'd find out on the road, but not
quite show quality. The variety here ran the
gamut from early iron to later-model used
models, but quite a few of the offerings fell
into the American muscle category, which is
no surprise, as that's the foundation of Dana
Mecum's success story.
The older cars here dated all the way
back to 1929, and the newest was a 2011
Nickey Camaro. The top seller was a 1969
Mustang Boss 429 that was not perfect but
appeared very correct. It found a new spot
to roost for $307,400. The next two places
belonged to a Yenko Camaro and Chevelle,
sold at $188,150 and $171,720, respectively.
Some of the better deals available included
a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air at $53,000, a
1969 Mercury Cyclone “Cale Yarborough
Edition” fastback at $26,500, and a 1971
Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda two-door hard top
that made a market-correct $119,250.
Notable no-sales included a 1932 Ford
three-window hot rod that was bid to an
insufficient $40,000, a 1933 Ford threewindow
hot rod in bright yellow that failed
to sell at $45,000, and a 1966 Pontiac GTO
“Royal Bobcat” replica that returned to its
seller at a bid of $50,000.
Mecum auctions are massive undertak-
ings, with most offering huge numbers of
cars, and this event was no exception. A
total of 1,001 cars were offered and 522
were sold for a 52% sales rate and a total of
$12.5m — respectable, but slightly off from
last year's 528 cars sold for $14.1m. But an
average price of slightly more than $24,000
per lot was great news for buyers in the
market for quality affordable consignments.
With such good variety of cars available, it
was a smart place to buy at the end of the
summer season. A
Page 74
MECUMAUCTIONS // St. Charles, IL
GM
#F208-1953 CHEVROLET 3100 pickup.
S/N H53K039777. Red & black/black cloth.
Odo: 7,137 miles. 216-ci I6, 1-bbl, 4-sp.
All-new chrome. Mid-level shiny paint shows
preparation flaws. Doors both fit wide. New
weatherstripping, oak bed. New interior fitted,
with cassette radio. Detailed underhood
with original 6-cylinder engine and new wiring.
Cond: 2.
ern 3-speed automatic transmission. Trailer
hitch fitted. Cond: 2.
NOT SOLD AT $32,000. Lots of bugs in
radiator suggests this was a good driver. It
looked stock and was possibly used in
some business as an ad/tow vehicle. Final
bid seemed like a very fair offer.
NOT SOLD AT $23,500. This very attractive
truck looked like a well-restored driver or
local show rig. The paint was a minor letdown,
but that didn't stop me from liking it a
lot. The offer seemed fair.
#S164-1955 CADILLAC SERIES 62 convertible.
S/N 556262370. Red/white
vinyl/red & white leather. Odo: 85,837 miles.
331-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Presents as flawless
from top to bottom. Earned First Place
Awards from 2005 Cadillac Nationals,
AACA Grand Nationals and Amelia Island,
as well as a Class Award at Meadow Brook
in 2006. Paint, chrome and interior all immaculate.
Cond: 1.
#F249-1955 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 2-dr
hard top. S/N VC55S0946622. Red &
white/red vinyl. Odo: 19,697 miles. 350-ci
fuel-injected V8, auto. Fresh paint and
chrome with light pitting on side window
frames. Powered by a 5.7-L LT1 with fuel
injection and 4L60 automatic. Equipped with
power steering, power disc brakes and vintage
air. Custom bucket seat interior.
Cond: 1-.
#S124-1957 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE convertible.
S/N P857H24652. Kenya Ivory &
Tartan Red/white vinyl/red leather. Odo:
34,692 miles. 347-ci fuel-injected V8, auto.
Frame-off restored. Superb paint, chrome
and top. Interior in excellent condition.
Equipped with power antenna, power steering,
power brakes, power windows and
eight-way power leather seats. Cond: 1.
SOLD AT $159,000. One of just 630
Bonnevilles built in 1957 (all of which were
fuel-injected). This Pontiac icon presented
as flawless and sold at the top of the market,
right where it belongs.
SOLD AT $53,000. The modern running
gear and suspension should make this ‘55
resto-mod an excellent road car. Shoebox
Chevys seemed to be selling well here
today, and this one fetched a respectable
price.
NOT SOLD AT $130,000. This has to be
one of the finest ‘55 Cadillac convertibles on
the planet. It was a true show car, as confirmed
by pretty much every significant judging
event but Pebble Beach. That said,
even for perfection, the six-digit high bid
should have been plenty.
#T206-1955 CHEVROLET 150 sedan delivery.
S/N VD55K116550. Sea Mist
Green/Straw Brown vinyl. Odo: 51,295
miles. 265-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Wavy sides
and top with paint blister on top of car.
Scratches in rear glass. New interior, cracks
in steering wheel, cassette radio installed
with speakers in kick panels and in rear.
Chrome alternator, power disc brakes, mod-
76 AmericanCarCollector.com
#S158-1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR convertible.
S/N VC57F2294477. Red/white
vinyl/red & gray vinyl. Odo: 191 miles. 283ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Thick, shiny paint and all
good chrome. Front and rear passenger's
windows don't meet when rolled up. Inside
convertible top bows show lots of older repairs.
Newer interior. Scratches on gauge
faces and pitted radio chrome. Solid frame
and undercarriage. Cond: 2.
#F192-1958 CHEVROLET IMPALA convertible.
S/N F58F238550. Black/black
vinyl/black & gray vinyl. Odo: 84,856 miles.
348-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, auto. Lots of edge chips
on driver's door and wide front fender-tocowl
gaps on both sides. Some cracked
weatherstripping. Very shiny new paint and
chrome. Interior excellent. Power seat and
windows, dual antenna, Continenal spare
tire. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $60,420. The 348 with Tri-Power
was the most powerful factory engine from
GM in 1958, and this had lots of great
chrome and massive eye appeal. Sold market-correct.
#S31-1962 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 20867S103962. Honduras
Maroon/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 72,159
miles. 327-ci 340-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. New
paint, chrome, top and interior. A bit more
waviness than usual in fiberglass. Worn and
NOT SOLD AT $58,000. Just out of storage.
The minor flaws were what you'd expect
from an an older restoration, but it was
still holding up well visually. Final bid could
not have been far from a sale.
Page 76
MECUMAUCTIONS // St. Charles, IL
missing window fuzzy trim. Shod with whitestripe
bias-ply tires. Formerly a fuel-injected
car, now carbureted, injection system not
included. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $55,120. The
fuel injection was gone, and it was unclear
whether the engine was original to the car.
But overlooking those two things, this was a
nice solid-axle Corvette. Initially unsold
across the block, it was later listed as sold,
so a deal must have been put together after
the fact. Fair transaction both ways.
#F64-1964 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 40867S117464. Silver/black
vinyl/silver leather. Odo: 62,362 miles.
327-ci 250-hp V8, 4-bbl, auto. New paint
with good chrome shows micro-pitting on
bumpers. New top. Automatic transmission,
power brakes, power steering and power
windows. Seats yellowing somewhat.
Comes with both hard and soft tops and two
extra sets of tires, with one set mounted on
original alloy wheels. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $74,200. The mileage suggested
this car had lived a garage queen's life in
recent years, and its condition seemed to
confirm that theory. It was hard to find any
nits to pick. A very nice Corvette that sold
deservingly well.
#S65-1964 CHEVROLET IMPALA SS 2-dr
hard top. S/N 31337L191732. Ermine
White/black vinyl. Odo: 74,868 miles. 409-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Quality repaint. Good
chrome and trims, though original silver anodized
side trim inserts have been replaced
with gold-colored ones. Wiper motor covers
painted silver. Cracked weatherstripping on
side glass. Very good interior with some
paint chips on Tachometer housing and
console. Clean engine with Delco Tar-Top
battery cover. Said to be matching-numbers
with mileage “certified” as actual, per catalog
description. Cond: 2+.
242176Z127695. Gold/black vinyl. Odo: 91
miles. 389-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, 4-sp. Fresh replica
race car presents as new. New paint
and chrome. All lettering is peel-and-stick.
With radio- and heater-delete. Sun gauges,
Hurst Line-Lock kit. Ram Air 389 with TriPower
carburetion, Doug's headers, boxed
rear control arms, and cheater slicks on
Hurst wheels. Cond: 1.
NOT SOLD AT $50,000. This looked like a
faithful replica of the 1966 Royal Pontiac
drag car. All the work was done to good
standard, and it was detailed like a new car.
While I doubt the high bid would have covered
the build cost, it probably should have
been enough for a clone.
SOLD AT $38,690. This base-engine autotranny
Corvette came with enough new rubber
to last another 20 years, at least. Fair
deal all around. The ACC Pocket Price
Guide gives a range of $35k–$58k for 1964
327/250 convertibles, so the buyer made a
safe purchase.
#S81-1964 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 40867518066. Riverside
Red/black vinyl/red hard top/black vinyl.
Odo: 19 miles. 327-ci 375-hp fuel-injected
V8, 4-sp. Earned NCRS Top Flight in 2007
and still a strong presentation today. Has a
few pinholes in paint on headlight doors.
Interior shows no signs of use. Equipped
with tinted glass, off-road exhaust, both tops
and knockoffs. Cond: 1-.
NOT SOLD AT $33,000. This was a very
original-looking '64. The gold side trim inserts
were distracting, but the Ermine White
repaint was said to be how it left the factory.
The bid seemed a bit light for the condition
and the matching numbers.
#S46-1965 BUICK WILDCAT convertible.
S/N 464675H944777. Tan/brown
vinyl/brown vinyl. Odo: 77,286 miles. 401-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Numerous prep flaws in
fresh paint. Good chrome. New top. Clean
engine said to be freshly rebuilt. Underhood
insulation missing or deteriorating. New
bench seat. Equipped with Speed Minder
speedometer. 3-inch exhaust extensions
fitted. Cond: 2.
#F301-1967 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. S/N 194677S103199.
Goodwood Green/black hard top/white
vinyl/green vinyl. Odo: 9,656 miles. 327-ci
350-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Small paint cracks
at headlight corners and couple of dooredge
chips. Original chrome bumpers starting
to show age. Some cracks in window
weatherstripping. Carpet pulling loose at
console, and driver's door panel trim pulling
loose. Equipped with factory telescopic
wheel, sidepipes and both tops. Said to be
a matching-numbers car. Cond: 2-.
NOT SOLD AT $45,000. Most of the issues
were minor on this numbers-matching '67,
but the bidders just weren't too excited. At
this bid, the owner was correct to wait and
try another day.
NOT SOLD AT $18,000. Tan and brown is
not the most dynamic color combo, but on
this Buick it did not seem inappropriate. The
final bid looked correct, considering the details
in need of attention, even with a recently
rebuilt engine.
#S69-1966 PONTIAC GTO “Royal
Bobcat” replica 2-dr hard top. S/N
78 AmericanCarCollector.com
#F236-1967 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. S/N 194677S108390.
Lynndale Blue/black hard top/white
vinyl/white vinyl. Odo: 67,746 miles. 327-ci
300-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. New chrome.
Scratches and stone chips on windshield,
rear hard top plexiglass could use polishing.
Wide headlight bucket gaps, non-Corvette
wiper arms. Interior has desirable headrest
Page 78
MECUMAUCTIONS // St. Charles, IL
seats. Repaired hole in console trim. Some
pitting on hand brake chrome handle.
Retains original tank sticker and said to
have all-original drivetrain. Cond: 2.
restored in 1992 and still looked factorynew.
The 1969 Z/28 is the Camaro everyone
wants, and the top price reflected that
here.
NOT SOLD AT $60,000. Pretty color. Nice
Corvette. Fair offer. This was said to be a
numbers-matching car that drove “very
nice,” and I believe it. Seller may get more
next time if he's lucky, maybe.
#S102-1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO
Yenko SC coupe. S/N 124379N615667.
Fathom Green/black vinyl. Odo: 77,796
miles. 427-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Cosmetically
superb, with recent mechanical freshening.
Door gaps slightly wide. Rear window
scratched. Hard seat backs have scratches.
Equipped with power steering, power
brakes, front and rear spoilers and AM
radio. Comes with dealer transfer sheet and
Yenko bill of sale. Cond: 1-.
136379B407823. Blue/black vinyl. Odo:
30,088 miles. 427-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. An
unrestored original, with 30k indicated miles
said to be actual. Old paint shows bubbles
and flaws on hood and several panel-color
variations. Dual gate floor shifter. Talbot
racing mirror on driver's side. A “double
COPO” car, equipped with the code 9562
L72 427/425 big-block and 4-core radiator,
as well as code 9737, the “sports car conversion
package.” Documentation includes
broadcast sheet and Yenko inventory
sheets. Cond: 2.
#S80-1969 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE
Yenko 2-dr hard top. S/N
#F83-1972 CHEVROLET C10 pickup. S/N
CCE142J153715. Blue & white/white &
black cloth & vinyl. Odo: 14,560 miles. 350ci
V8, 2-bbl, auto. Nice new paint and oak
bed. Wiper scratches on windshield. New
seat cover and carpet. Equipped with a/c.
Undercoated. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $13,250. Lots had been spent to
restore this truck, and it had loads of eyeball
appeal. Today it looked like a good buy,
considering condition, factory a/c, and the
fact that it was bid to $15,500 just a few
months back at Mecum's July 2011 Des
Moines sale (ACC# 182373).
SOLD AT $171,720. This car previously
sold at Mecum's St. Charles sale in 2005 for
$357,000 (ACC# 39582). It is said to be one
of 99 Yenko Chevelles ever built and one of
just 22 accounted for today. This time, it
sold for less than half the 2005 price but
was still third-highest of the day, indicative
of market-wide price corrections. Still a very
important muscle car and well bought.
SOLD AT $188,150. Certified by the COPO
Connection in 2005. These cars are a
Mecum speciality and always do well. The
#2 top seller at this sale, just ahead of lot
S80, the Yenko Chevelle.
#F238-1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28
coupe. S/N 124379N697820. Yellow &
black/black vinyl/yellow cloth & vinyl. Odo:
39,628 miles. 302-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Front
bumper fits tight at center. Interior door handle
trim has worn paint. Said to have every
date code and number correct. Scored 927
of 1,000 at Camaro Nationals. Cond: 1-.
#T14-1970 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO
pickup. S/N 136800L134371. Cream/tan
vinyl. Odo: 89,768 miles. 307-ci V8, 2-bbl,
auto. Fresh paint, solid rust-free bed. Side
panels straight and smooth. A few very
minor interior flaws. New seat cover and
carpets. Brightly painted and clean engine
compartment. Rolls on SS wheels. Cond: 2.
#T12-1989 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 1G1YY3187K5126324.
White/red. Odo: 37,365 miles. 350-ci 245hp
fuel-injected V8, auto. No paint chips
and none of the usual seat bolster wear.
Good weatherstrips, clear soft top window is
a bit cloudy. Engine clean and tidy. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $10,865. All signs pointed to the
37,365 indicated miles being actual since
new. This was an honest, well-cared-for ‘89,
and it made a fair sale for both buyer and
seller.
#F181.1-2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
Z06 coupe. S/N 1G1YY26E175129736.
Yellow/black leather. Odo: 3,776 miles. 505hp
fuel-injected V8, 6-sp. Paint shows no
signs of age or wear. Excellent fit and finish.
SOLD AT $74,200. This amazing car was
80 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $18,550. This very recently restored
car had reportedly been with the
same owner since 1988. Bought correct for
a fraction of what you'd expect to pay for a
comparable Chevelle that can't haul any
wood.
BEST
BUY
Page 79
MECUMAUCTIONS // St. Charles, IL
Interior basically immaculate. Equipped with
chrome wheels, memory package, HUD,
and Z06 equipment package. Cond: 1.
SOLD AT $53,000. This presented as factory-new,
with just 3,776 miles miles on the
minty odometer. Considering that MSRP for
a Z06 coupe was $48,480 four years ago,
the seller did very well.
#S29-2009 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 1G1YY36WX95200014.
Yellow/black vinyl/black leather. Odo:
29,792 miles. 430-hp fuel-injected V8, auto.
Tail panel looks like a slight color mismatch.
Underhood light bulb missing. About due for
tires. Equipped with optional chrome
wheels, magnetic ride and dual power
seats. Cond: 1-.
Well sold, but buyer presumably knew exactly
what he was getting, so no harm done.
#S206-1932 FORD MODEL B three-window
coupe. S/N 18142863.
Maroon/maroon & black vinyl. Odo: 142
miles. 302-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, 5-sp. Couple of
paint chips on hood edges. Front straightaxle,
single leaf, Wilwood disc brakes.
5-speed transmission, Ford 9-inch rear.
Torque Thrust wheels and Vintage Air.
5-liter engine of unknown origin. Cond: 1.
this car drove like new. The working radio,
unusual heater option and good quality
workmanship throughout made this a desirable
car, but the high bid should have been
enough.
NOT SOLD AT $40,000. This was the cover
car for the October 2000 issue of Rod and
Custom magazine. Only 142 miles driven,
but the weak offer here might mean it's time
to start driving it.
SOLD AT $39,220. This had obviously
been well cared for, but the 30k miles on
the odo equates to almost 15,000 miles per
year, so it had been well enjoyed, too.
These are $41k at the low end, according to
the ACC Pocket Price Guide, so buyer paid
the right price or got a slight deal.
FOMOCO
#U63-1928 FORD MODEL A Touring phaeton.
S/N A8182970. Blue/. Odo: 20,182
miles. 200-ci I4, 2-bbl, manual. Said to be a
1928 body with 1929 engine. Surface rust
everywhere. Cracked windshield. Top fabric
and interior fabric long gone. Throw rug
over springs on seat to protect driver's delicate
parts. Rear-mounted spare torn and
flat. Lots of body dents. Best looking part is
the 1929 engine, which looks to have had
recent work done. Cond: 4-.
#F250-1933 FORD MODEL 40 three-window
coupe. S/N JS8193397. Yellow/tan
leather. Odo: 2,899 miles. 468-ci V8, 2x4bbl,
auto. Jack Sheppard-built stretched and
chopped body on Boyd Coddington frame
with all chromed Boyd's independent rear
and front suspension. Boyd's wheels,
Wilwood discs, 468-ci Jim Miller racing engine.
Custom tan leather interior masterfully
executed. Cond: 1.
#S196-1948 FORD SUPER DELUXE
Woodie wagon. S/N 899A2248245Z.
Tan/brown vinyl. Odo: 51,238 miles. 239-ci
V8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Chrome trim starting to dull
in places. Side-vent glass has deep scratch
on right rear and is starting to delaminate.
Decent wood and interior. Doors shut solidly.
Said to drive very well, with working
radio, heater and Columbia rear end. Newer
original-style wiring underhood, with light
fitted. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $68,900. This looked like a good
restoration that was just starting to show a
bit of age. It still inspired confidence and
garnered attention from the right people,
hammering sold for a market-correct price.
NOT SOLD AT $45,000. The best of everything
with break-in miles only. It was an outstanding
hot rod that seemed to hit a wall at
$45k. Perhaps it will do better in the spring.
SOLD AT $4,200. From the collection of
David V. Uihlein Sr. and sold on a bill of
sale. After thirty years in storage, this found
a friend with some extra time and money.
#S84-1938 FORD DELUXE convertible.
S/N 184248677. Dark brown/tan/brown
leather. Odo: 78,263 miles. 221-ci V8, 2-bbl,
3-sp. Some pinholes and thin spots in shiny
paint. Trim nicely masked off prior to
respray. Good chrome with no pitting. Allnew
weatherstripping, new top. Interior redone,
but seat leather shows some light
cracking from age. Cond: 2+. NOT SOLD
AT $45,000. According to the auction driver,
#S118-1959 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
Mark IV convertible. S/N H9YC404837.
White/white vinyl/white leather. Odo: 55,754
miles. 430-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Superb paint
shows chips and touch-ups on both sides of
rear deck by rear power window. Beautiful
chrome and lots of it. Some light delamination
on vent windows. Some age cracks in
rear seats and come color fade on the
fronts. Rare FM radio tuner on transmission
January-February 2012 81
Page 80
MECUMAUCTIONS // St. Charles, IL
hump. Cond: 2+. NOT SOLD AT $52,500.
A beautiful, strong driver worth more than
the offered dollars. I covered this car in
2006 when it sold for $66k as part of the
Cappy Collection at RM's Addison, IL, sale
(ACC# 43538). The seller was justified in
holding onto it today.
#S19-1964 FORD FALCON Sprint convertible.
S/N 4H12F170442. Blue/white
vinyl/blue vinyl. Odo: 1,386 miles. 260-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Rust-free California car,
freshly restored to high level. Wears new
paint, chrome, interior, top and trims. Some
chips in windshield. Engine looks factorynew,
including hose markings and correct
decals. Cond: 2+.
Deluxe Décor interior group, wood trim,
three-spoke rim-blow steering wheel, special
speedometer, and in-dash clock.
Cond: 1.
sport deck rear seat and space-saver spare
tire. Numbers-matching, includes original
build sheet and Marti Report. Cond: 2. NOT
SOLD AT $60,000. A very appealing restoration
in an unusual color, with all the right
documentation. Said to be one of nine in
this combination of paint and trim. The bid
was light but not by much.
SOLD AT $307,400. The Boss 429 was a
very special Mustang modified by Kar Kraft
to accommodate the Boss 429 engine prior
to being sold out of FoMoCo showrooms.
This car was rare, and it was done right.
The top-level price was a testament to the
quality.
SOLD AT $29,680. You don't typically see
‘64 Falcons restored to such a high level,
and the price paid was toward the top of the
current market level. I'll call it well bought
and well sold.
#S30.1-1967 SHELBY COBRA replica
roadster. S/N EM427SC1258032199.
Blue/gray leather. Odo: 12,677 miles. 460-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 5-sp. Nice color combo, paint
shiny and in fair condition. Edge chip on
driver's door. Equipped with side exhaust
and knockoffs. Autometer gauges on aluminum
dash panel. Power rack-and-pinion
steering. Cond: 1-.
#F178-1969 MERCURY CYCLONE fastback.
S/N 9H15M565932. White & red/red
vinyl. Odo: 520 miles. 351-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Fresh paint in Cale Yarborough
Edition livery. Most chrome redone, but
front bumper starting to peel. Rear trim
shows damage. Good seats and carpets.
Dashpad pulling away in front, dash chrome
showing age. Cond: 2-.
#S234.1-1971 FORD MUSTANG Boss 351
fastback. S/N 1F02R146027. Blue/black
vinyl. Odo: 49,801 miles. 351-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Old paint with cracking and checking
everywhere. Lots of small dings, dents and
edge chips, plenty of glass scratches. Old
filler visible on sail panels on both sides.
Right rear wheelwell shows rust bubbling.
Original chrome starting to show age.
Interior smells musty and old. Boss 351 V8
shows storage dust and dirt. Tire sidewalls
worn through to white layer. Cond: 4.
NOT SOLD AT $30,000. This needed everything,
but looked quite original and would
make a solid basis for a someone in search
of an authentic restoration project. I don't
know what the seller is hoping to get, but
$30k seemed strong to me for this car.
SOLD AT $26,500. Cale Yarborough's victory
at the 1968 Daytona 500 in a Mercury
Cyclone was honored with the release of a
commemorative signature-series Cyclone in
1969. As seen here, it featured a Nascarstyle
flush-mounted grille and large greenhouse
rear window in for NASCAR-style
aerodynamics. With just 285 built, this well
kept example was well bought.
SOLD AT $29,680. The Cobra is the absolute
most popular kit car in the world, and
this was yet another of many offered at
this—and every—auction. It sold right in the
range for a replicar, but the buyer got
slightly more engine and one more gear
than is typical.
4
9F02Z159202. Wimbledon White/black
vinyl. Odo: 7,503 miles. 429-ci V8, 4-bbl,
3-sp. Very high-level restoration of Kar Kraft
#1451, well documented. Paint in excellent
condition, interior presents as new. Optional
#S109-1969 FORD MUSTANG
Boss 429 fastback. S/N
Interior OK, but gauge faces dirty and
speakers cut into door panels. Equipped
with power steering and power front discs,
rim blow steering wheel, Lucas fog lamps,
82 AmericanCarCollector.com
#S112.1-1970 SHELBY GT350 fastback.
S/N 0F02M481090. Silver Jade/black vinyl.
Odo: 69,152 miles. 351-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Very nice overall. Front glass shows wiper
scratches, rear glass has sanding
scratches. Light windshield trim dents.
CHRYSLER/MOPAR
#F66.1-1966 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA
fastback. S/N BP29D65127893. Red/black
vinyl. Odo: 91,789 miles. 318-ci V8, 2-bbl,
4-sp. Some paint peeling, some trim missing.
Most chrome pitted, and bumpers also
have dents. Seat covers good, carpets
worn. Missing dashpad. Modified tunnel
cover. Springy Thingy antenna. Edelbrock
intake and carb. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $7,000. This looked pretty tired
everywhere but will work just fine for those
sunny weekend drives to the local show.
Well sold, but not too badly bought.
#F195-1970 DODGE CHALLENGER T/A
2-dr hard top. S/N JH23J0B304005.
Sublime/black vinyl. Odo: 53,656 miles.
340-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, 4-sp. Newer high-quality
restoration. Clean and detailed throughout.
TOP 10
Page 81
MECUMAUCTIONS // St. Charles, IL
Shows lots of side and rear glass scratches.
Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $83,740. With just a little more
than 1,000 Challenger T/As built during their
limited one-year production run, they are
somewhat rare. This one sold at the top of
the market and probably worth it for the superb
workmanship.
#S94-1971 PLYMOUTH HEMI 'CUDA 2-dr
hard top. S/N BS23R1B402095. Gold/black
vinyl. Odo: 16,813 miles. 426-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Restored in 1998 and still looks pretty
fresh. Very good paint and chrome. Shaker
hood, interior presents as new overall, except
for dirty carpets and some age showing
on console. Some very light scratching on
side-window trim. Factory build sheet included.
Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $119,250. This looked like a decade-old
quality restoration still holding up
well, but the muscle car market has come a
long way down from its highs of a few years
ago. Price paid was market-correct today. A
lot of car for the money.
#U40-2003 DODGE VIPER SRT/10 convertible.
S/N 1B3JR65Z03V501368.
Red/black canvas/black leather. Odo:
21,547 miles. 8.3-L fuel-injected V10, 6-sp.
One owner, lowish miles. Excellent paint,
although front bumper looks like it may have
been repainted. Glass clear. Top in good
condition. Interior very well cared for. No
scuffs on alloy rims. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $39,220. This had seen 21k
miles of enjoyment, but had clearly been
meticulously cared for, and basically presented
as factory-new. Sold very well. A
January-February 2012 83
Page 82
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
Action heats up at
late-summer sales
#48-1911 STANLEY MODEL 72
roadster. S/N 6267. Dark green &
yellow/black cloth/black leather. RHD. Odo:
2,984 miles. Said to be the only surviving
model 72. Restored in 1990, and shown at
Pebble Beach shortly thereafter. Highly presentable
paint, with a few light nicks on
panel edges and some polishing swirls.
Same for brightwork. Light wear and soiling
on seats. Under the hood, boiler apparatus
shows limited water staining and soot from
light use. Fitted with a Prest-O-Lite acetylene
lamp system, Jones speedometer and
accompanying plate on rear of car boldly
declaring to police, “The driver knows his
speed. Don't arrest on guesswork.”
Cond: 2-.
CLASSICS
9
Ready to move from one owner to another.
They're our eyes and ears, identifying market trends before they happen. They're the market
authorities. They are American car collectors. And this is the Global Roundup.
A
Auctions covered in this issue:
Auctions America by RM, Auburn, IL, 8/1/2011 — Phil Skinner
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IL, 8/1/2011 — B. Mitchell Carlson
Silver Auctions, Sun Valley, ID, 8/4/2011 — Jack Tockston
Bonhams, Beaulieu, U.K., 8/10/2011 — Paul Hardiman
Classic Motorcar Auctions, Canton, OH, 8/17/2011 — Kevin Coakley
Bonhams, Westport, CT, 8/18/2011 — Donald Osborne
Silver Auctions, Carson City, NV, 8/25/2011 — Paul Duchene
“Its grille design still
reminds me of a ‘Ford sucking
on a lemon,' a periodcorrect
phrase well known
among marque enthusiasts
and best left unrepeated in
their presence.”
84 AmericanCarCollector.com
cross the continent and across the globe, American cars finished the summer
in good form. The strongest, rarest, most collectible cars sold for appropriately
strong prices, while many lucky bidders scored good deals on strong, stylish drivers.
Our reporters were there at the auctions, with their clipboards, cameras and
price guides, inspecting the cars up close and then watching them cross the block.
SOLD AT $231,000. Offered at no reserve
by order of the Kansas Superior Court.
Previously seen at RM Hershey in October
2008, where it sold for $184,250 (ACC#
117593) A member of the Stanley club was
brought in to fire up and operate the car—a
real treat for us who are fans of outmoded
technology. With Brass Era cars continuing
to gain momentum in the market, Stanleys
have held strong. So, a century after it was
built, a quarter of a million dollars doesn't
seem out of line. Worldwide Auctioneers,
Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#234-1931 AUBURN MODEL 8-98 Boattail
speedster. S/N 89825629E. Maroon &
cream/cream cloth/cream leather. 268-ci I8,
1-bbl, 3-sp. An older restoration. Paint
shows numerous scratches and touch-ups.
Tires dry-rotting. Fitted with dual side
mounts, Woodlight headlights. Engine bay
presents well. Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg
Club verification documents included.
Cond: 3.
1959 EDSEL CORSAIR, p. 99
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NOT SOLD AT $275,000. I rated this car a
“3” for condition, but I'd give it a “2” for rarity
and desirability. With a final offer bang on
the $275k estimated high bid, I'm scratching
my head on why this deal didn't get done;
seemed like fair money considering the
needs. Classic Motorcar Auctions,
Canton, OH, 09/11.
S/N 2534. Eng. # J356. Green/greenish
cloth/green leather. Odo: 61,250 miles.
Long wheelbase. Replica Derham Tourster
body, believed to have been crafted by Ted
Billings. AACA National First Prize winner in
1975. Presentable paint has more than a
few light chips. Deteriorating windshield
seals. Dulling chrome, with some light pitting
on a few pieces. Top has weathered
and aged to a difficult-to-discern shade of
green, gray, or is it beige? Seats glossy and
wrinkled from use. Plenty of fluid leaks and
stains on flaking undercarriage paint.
Cond: 3+.
1
#435-1932 DUESENBERG MODEL
J Derham Tourster-style phaeton.
J551. Cond: 2+. NOT SOLD AT $430,000.
A fabulous, well done restoration, now a bit
settled, but still stunning. The style doesn't
do it for me, but it was well executed. This
car was a $280,000 no-sale at RM's 2003
Amelia Island sale (ACC# 30578), then sold
at RM's 2004 Phoenix sale for $288,200
(ACC# 32471). It should be worth $450k or
so all day long, and I'm sure before long a
deal will be struck. Bonhams, Westport,
CT, 09/11.
GM
#449-1908 PONTIAC 12HP High Wheel
Runabout. S/N N/A. Eng. # 22. Green/black
leather. RHD. Restored to better-than-new,
with paint and brass that presents as perfect.
Radiator ripple-free. Equipped with
Neverout headlamps with electrics by
Splitdorf. Looks more like a perfect replica
than the real thing. Cond: 1.
rim. Dingy engine compartment. Cond: 4-.
SOLD AT $101,750. Before Glacier Park
became a national park in 1910, lodging
was developed by the Great Northern
Railway at the southern end of the park as a
means of creating a captive tourist attraction.
Omaha Orange and Pullman Green
(which almost looks black) were the colors
of GN's diesel-powered locomotives. As a
vehicle due for restoration, this could be
considered a bit spendy. As a piece of
American history, bought well. Auctions
America by RM, Auburn, IN, 09/11.
702551. Black & silver/black cloth/red
leather. Odo: 76,266 miles. Older repaint
now aging but still highly presentable. Same
goes for the chrome. Tidy older seat reupholstery
work, some discoloration visible on
seatback. Minimal carpet wear. Recently
tidied engine bay and undercarriage.
Equipped with steerable Pilot Ray driving
lamps, dual sidemounts with strap-on mirrors,
trunk on trunk rack and optional golf
club compartment. Cond: 2-.
3
#24-1930 CADILLAC 452A V16
rumbleseat convertible. S/N
SOLD AT $880,000. I had last seen this car
at RM's Phoenix auction in 2010, then selling
for $550k (ACC# 156936). If there was
any doubt that Duesey prices are on the
rise, here was your proof: No longer in its
prime and wearing a replica body, yet it's
pushing a million bucks. And it was the topselling
car of the weekend at either Auburn
venue by more than double. Worldwide
Auctioneers, Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#746-1935 DUESENBERG MODEL J 4-dr
sedan. S/N 2144. Eng. # J310. Dark red/tan
canvas/red leather. Odo: 84,903 miles. 420ci
supercharged I8, 3-sp. Excellent panel fit.
Superb paint shows a very few small stress
cracks. Gleaming chrome. Some dullness
on dashboard, bagging on door panels,
shrinkage in leather window-surround beading.
Very good seats. A well known car in
Duesenberg circles, ex-D. Cameron Peck,
-Jerry J. Moore, and -Homer Fitterling. Body
returned to this chassis after a vacation on
SOLD AT $42,206. From the Meldonfoot
Collection of automobiles, all of which had
the life restored out of them. It fetched just
enough to sell, a touch over the $39k low
estimate. If it had been Brighton Runeligible,
the value would most likely have
tripled. Bonhams, Beaulieu,, UK09/11.
#7133-1927 CADILLAC 314A Glacier Park
tour car. S/N 150116. Eng. # 150116.
Omaha Orange & Pullman Green/tan
cloth/brown leather. Odo: 58,968 miles.
Cadillac did not use frame numbers in
1927—listed serial number is engine number.
Modified with extended rear compartment
to carry sightseers at Glacier National
Park in Montana. Old orange-peeling repaint,
with original Glacier Park Transport
Company graphics masked off. All
brightwork rusty and pitted. Shift lever missing
knob, wrapped in tape. Seats tattered.
Solid wood on steering wheel
SOLD AT $363,000. The reserve was met
at the $325k mark, followed by one more
bid. Not bad at all for the seller, as it was
bought at Worldwide's 2010 Houston sale
for $302,500 (ACC# 162659). It earned
high-sale honors at the Main Event, good
enough for second place for the weekend,
behind lot 435, the surprise $880k
Duesenberg. I, for one, am glad to see big
iron classics leading auctions once again.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
09/11.
#37-1939 GM FUTURLINER coach.
S/N ADF859017. Red, white &
stainless/green vinyl. MHD. Odo: 25,374
miles. Unit three of twelve Futurliners built,
this one set up to display jet engine technology.
Claimed to be the best unrestored example,
retaining some display materials
onboard. Auction company was unable to
verify chassis number. Body poorly touched
up and patched over the years. Stock steel
wheels shod with eight new tires made for
the NATMUS Futurliner project. Driver's
compartment upholstery heavily worn, dirty,
and sunburned. Top hatch and side glass
sealed with green packaging tape. Cond:
5+. SOLD AT $247,500. Last seen up the
road at Auctions America by RM's
8
January-February 2012 85
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canvas/blue leather. Odo: 37,917 miles.
331-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Original car with
quite a good repaint. Panel fit good, glass
good, chrome a little weathered but very
straight and usable. Very old top faded but
sound. Black leather front seat cushion
cracked, but rest are blue and much better
and may be original. Equipped with radio,
power steering, power windows and fog
lights. Scruffy under the hood but probably
runs like a clock. On ancient whitewall tires.
Mileage could be correct. Cond: 3-.
2011 Auburn Spring sale, where it was bid
to $340,000 and not sold (ACC# 179442).
Seller accepted a lot less this time, meaning
he must have needed to get rid of it. I certainly
hope that the new owner isn't going to
try to restore it and have lightning strike
twice, like unit number eleven, which sold
for $4,320,000 at Barrett-Jackson in 2006
(ACC# 40076). Worldwide Auctioneers,
Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#14-1941 CADILLAC SERIES 62 4-dr convertible.
S/N 8354447. Monica Blue/tan
cloth/red leather. Odo: 71,461 miles. Circa
1998 restoration. A CCCA Senior awardwinner
at that time, and not far off today.
Metallics in paint seem blotchy on some
panels. Door and window seals starting to
come loose in places. Chrome could stand
a good buffing. Seats and carpet show
moderate wear. Aftermarket light switch
beneath dashboard, which is in excellent
condition for being original. Recently
cleaned up, but engine bay and undercarriage
no longer concours-quality. Runs out
quite well. Cond: 2-.
Classic Motorcar Auctions, Canton, OH,
09/11.
#448-1954 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
roadster. S/N E543004422. White/tan
canvas/red vinyl. Odo: 59,875 miles. 235-ci
150-hp I6, 3x1-bbl, auto. Decent example,
finished in white with red vinyl interior and a
tan canvas top. Paint is excellent, body fit
typical and interior well installed. Engine
compartment scruffy but looks mostly correct.
Chrome is fine and the wide whitewall
tires are good. Mileage could well be original.
One of 3,640 built in 1954. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $43,200. At least one person saw
through this nice old car and bid it to where
it deserved. It seemed to be an excellent,
sound example that will reward a light touch
in freshening it up, without a major restoration
in some ghastly bright color. It would be
interesting to find some old blue leather to
match the front seat cushion with the rest of
the interior. Some cars speak to you; this
one spoke to me. It wasn't cheap, but I say
well bought. Silver Auctions, Carson City,
NV, 08/11.
#262-1954 CADILLAC ELDORADO convertible.
S/N 546231024. Alpine
White/black cloth/red & white leather. Odo:
47,154 miles. 331-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Body-on professional restoration. Paint
nice, panel fit excellent, aside from passenger's
door being out a little at bottom
panel. All trim said to have been replated
and shows very well. New windshield, hard
parade boot. Beautiful leather interior, nicely
detailed engine bay. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $51,840. The 300 Corvettes built
in 1953 regularly sell for six figures, but the
‘54s languish, despite being basically identical.
By now, many of these early cars have
needs—they've been driven hard and put
away wet, or crashed, or just plain worn out.
This looked a lot better than some I've seen
lately. It's a mid-range car and was bought
under the current market value. Well done.
Silver Auctions, Carson City, NV, 08/11.
SOLD AT $84,150. The last time I saw a
‘41 Cadillac 4-dr convertible sedan cross
the block, it was at the Pate Museum. Their
HydraMatic transmission-equipped example—in
need of restoration—sold for nearly
half what this one went for, but I'll still call
this one the better buy. Leave it as-is and
enjoy, since Cadillacs of this era are great
road cars, even today. This one deserves a
shot at the next CCCA CARavan.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
09/11.
#174-1950 CADILLAC SERIES 62 convertible.
S/N 506249752. Blue-gray/black
86 AmericanCarCollector.com
#4157-1955 CADILLAC SERIES 75
FLEETWOOD Presidential limousine. S/N
557555865. Black/blue leather front & tan
cloth rear. Odo: 52,226 miles. 331-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Unrestored factory limo. Paint
and exterior chrome both rather tired, plastic
lenses crazed. Well worn steering wheel
and front carpeting, rear compartment still
decent. Reportedly part of Eisenhower
White House fleet, said to be First Lady
Mamie's favorite car. Custom touches include
DeVille hard top styling for passenger
compartment, with frameless back doors
and pillarless roll-down quarter-windows.
Equipped with dual a/c, AM radio and clock.
Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $108,000. As this car has gone
zero miles since its appearance here at
CMA's 2010 Glenmoor auction, where it
was bid to a $95,000 no-sale (ACC#
167749), the seller's decision to hold it for a
year was proven correct. Still slightly below
the $115k low estimate, but market-correct.
NOT SOLD AT $160,000. Last sold for
$95,306 at Bonhams' 2006 Monte Carlo
auction (ACC# 41934). The story was good,
but without photos or documentation, unfor
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tunately it could not be verified. That fact,
along with the generally run-down condition,
kept bidding far from the seller's reported
$200k reserve. Even without the DDE connection,
the unique restyling done to this car
made it a very interesting item, but still not
worth more than the bid offered. Auctions
America by RM, Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#267-1955 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 2-dr
hard top. S/N VC55L062759. Turqouise &
white/turquoise & white vinyl. Odo: 30,576
miles. 265-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Beautiful paint
and trim. Excellent interior. Well detailed
engine compartment. Heater-delete. Little to
fault here. Cond: 2+.
Green & cream/Cascade Green hard
top/tan vinyl. Odo: 279 miles. 283-ci 220-hp
V8, 4-bbl, 3-sp. Very well detailed and concours-ready
as presented. Restored by third
owner to vastly better-than-original build
quality, utilizing all original major components.
Earned 2009 AACA National first
place, NCRS Duntov Mark of Excellence
awards and two pairs of NCRS Top Flight
and Bloomington Gold certifications.
Minimal yellowing of door pull knobs and
shift knob; interior otherwise like new.
Stated to have original powertrain. Optional
power windows and radio-delete. Cond: 1.
#432-1958 OLDSMOBILE SUPER 88 2-dr
hard top. S/N 588KO2189. Gold/gold &
cream leather & vinyl. Odo: 63,499 miles.
371-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, auto. Good older restoration
of a very sound car. Good paint,
panel fit and glass, excellent chrome. Miles
of trim complete, with just a few dings.
Continental kit adds two feet to car's length.
Very nice, correct interior. Clean and correct
underhood and includes J2 package with
triple 2-bbl carbs. Equipped with power
steering, power brakes and push-button
radio. Whitewall tires and gold hubcaps.
Indicated mileage feels about right.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $48,060. Fresh out of a frame-off
restoration, this very nice car sold for a very
reasonable price. Well done, sir. Classic
Motorcar Auctions, Canton, OH, 09/11.
#112-1955 OLDSMOBILE 88 Holiday 2-dr
hard top. S/N 557T3994. White &
Salmon/Salmon & gray vinyl. Odo: 56,611
miles. 324-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. California car
with excellent paint in ‘50s color. Mileage
shown could be actual since new. Very
straight, good panel fit. Excellent chrome,
trim and glass. Nice interior in correct pattern,
push-button radio. Messy underhood
with much rattle-can black paint. No power
steering, no power brakes. The Holiday 2-dr
hard top was a big favorite that year, with
85,767 sold. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $154,000. This venue tends to
pull some strong numbers for C1s, and this
car certainly was no exception. Even considering
its trail of trophies, this was still
very strong money for a 3-speed with the
base-level engine. Worldwide
Auctioneers, Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#176-1958 CADILLAC ELDORADO
Biarritz convertible. S/N 58E01212106.
Red/white vinyl/red leather. Odo: 98,571
miles. 365-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, auto. Car was
originally black, now red. Paint quite good,
but with a wavy right rear fender that should
have been fixed. Top well fitted. Usable
chrome and trim all there, windshield
cracked. Excellent new interior. Scruffy engine
bay, but has correct triple-carb.
Mileage seems correct. Equipped with
power steering, brakes, windows, seats and
top. One of 815 Biarritz convertibles built in
1958. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $32,400. Relatively subtle example
of 1958 GM styling, in the neutral
metallic paint that was starting to overtake
the “Easter Egg” and “Fiestaware” colors of
the mid-'50s. I thought this might be cheap
for such a nice example of a striking but
unloved car, but when I looked it up, the
price was right on the money. A good deal
for both parties. Silver Auctions, Carson
City, NV, 08/11.
#516-1959 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE
Custom Safari wagon. S/N 759C1404.
Bronze & white/bronze & white vinyl. Odo:
61,298 miles. 389-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Excellent paint and chrome, good panel fit,
all trim present. Correct interior has small
split on driver's seat. One might almost
think it was original, with its sparkly carpet,
but the door handles are pitted, and give
away the fact that it's an older restoration.
Equipped with power steering, power
brakes, push-button radio. One of 4,678
Bonneville wagons in 1959. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $22,680. This appeared to be
decent restoration of a very sound original.
Salmon seems to be the new red for '50s
cars, however, and there were a quite a
number at this sale. If the car runs well, no
harm done at the sale price; if it needs mechanical
work, the buyer may have to wait a
while to recoup his expenses. Another car
that would benefit from Vintage Air, especially
if it stays in Nevada. Silver Auctions,
Carson City, NV, 08/11.
#70-1957 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N VE57S100357. Cascade
88 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $51,300. This looked like an
older, hasty restoration, maybe back in the
early 1990s, when “Resale Red” guaranteed
you'd see taillights. The interior was excellent,
but with much left to be done, it sold for
a fair price, with money on the table. Well
bought, now get to work. Too bad about the
color change. Silver Auctions, Carson
City, NV, 08/11.
SOLD AT $27,000. 1959 saw major styling
changes for the Pontiac body, including a
wider stance, divided grille and “double dogleg”
windshield. One of the nicest wagons
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here, this was sound and straight and had
obviously been well-maintained. It seemed
like another candidate for Vintage Air, in
which case it would make a perfect daily
driver for a soccer mom with a 25-foot garage.
It was almost as nice as the ‘59
wagon I saw sell at Silver's Reno auction in
2007 for a then-expensive $14,850 (ACC#
46893). This one was well bought and sold
today. Silver Auctions, Carson City, NV,
08/11.
#5-1960 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 00867S100234. Tuxedo Black
& silver/black hard top & black vinyl/black
vinyl. Odo: 2,995 miles. 283-ci 270-hp V8,
2x4-bbl, 4-sp. Authentically done frame-off
restoration. Bloomington Gold-certified and
has earned NCRS Top Flight, Performance
and two Duntov awards within the last decade.
Better-than-stock door fit and panel
gaps. Slight muting of replated chrome.
Right taillight is out. Tidy and show-ready
both under the hood and under the car.
Carpeting starting to fade on top of transmission
tunnel, shifter knob and door pull
knobs are yellowing. Interior otherwise like
new. Cond: 1-.
below the $90k low estimate, but still a market-correct
result; a fair deal both ways.
Classic Motorcar Auctions, Canton, OH,
09/11.
#517-1961 CHEVROLET CORVAIR
Corvair Rampside pickup. S/N
1R12435128864. Black & red/red brocade.
Odo: 8,420 miles. 144.8-ci H6, 2x1-bbl,
4-sp. Over-the-top restoration of quite a rare
Corvair pickup, with underfloor engine at
rear and lower front bed with side ramp
(hence the term “rampside”). Excellent paint
and chrome, good panel fit and good glass,
hammerite finish on bed. Brocade interior is
a bit much. Wears white-letter tires and aftermarket
mags. Mileage most likely accumulated
since restoration. Cond: 2.
underneath of hood is not typical of factory
production. On wide whitewall belted tires.
One of 7,013 with 4-speed, one of 1,645 in
Honduras Maroon. Cond: 3. SOLD AT
$37,800. Seen one year ago at Silver's
August 2010 Reno sale, selling for $37,500
(ACC# 166159). This had the feeling of a
hasty job thrown together just for the auction.
The low mileage suggested that the
odometer may have been reset after a restoration.
That said, it sold on a lovely sunny
day to a buyer who—if he has studied the
price guide—knows he has a few thousand
in hand to tidy up the obvious details and
move it on to a new home. No harm at this
price. Silver Auctions, Carson City, NV,
08/11.
SOLD AT $123,750. The reserve was lifted
at $100k, which is pretty much the entry
point for a multiple NCRS and Bloomington
Gold C1 non-Fuelie. Even with the accolades,
this was still a pretty strong sale. Well
sold. Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
09/11.
#268-1960 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 0867S103202. Tuxedo Black
& silver/black cloth/red vinyl. Odo: 39,803
miles. 283-ci 290-hp fuel-injected V8, 4-sp.
Small blisters on left front fender.
Otherwise, nice paint, excellent brightwork,
good panel fit. Very nice interior.
Presentable engine compartment. New convertible
top still has the tag that says “Do
not remove under penalty of Law.” Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $15,660. Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge
and Jeep all experimented with “forward
control” trucks in the early 1960s, but only
Chevrolet solved the weight transfer problem,
by using the Corvair engine in the rear.
The Rampside had the interesting feature of
a very low side-loading floor behind the cab,
but the truck was discontinued after the
1964 model year. This example seemed
well sorted, and in case you think it was
ridiculously expensive, one sold for $31,320
at Barrett-Jackson's 2006 Scottsdale sale
(ACC# 40070). Silver Auctions, Carson
City, NV, 08/11.
#167-1961 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 10867S109667. Honduras
Maroon/white vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 869
miles. 283-ci 230-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Well
detailed restoration, although bodywork is
unusually smooth, color seems too brown
and trunk lid does not fit well. Bumper
chrome checked, windshield scored by wipers.
Top is decent, interior tidy. Engine compartment
appears correct, though
Turquoise metallic/white vinyl/white leather.
Odo: 65,363 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Quite straight, decent panel fit, OK chrome.
With original-type headlights and good
wide-whitewall tires. Decent leather interior.
OK but correct under the hood, apart from
scattered flat black paint splurges. Equipped
with power steering, brakes, windows (including
vent windows), seats, top and door
locks, Autronic Eye, rear skirts. One of
1,825 built in '63, mileage seems correct.
Presents well overall, but needs to be detailed.
Cond: 3.
#471-1963 CADILLAC ELDORADO
Biarritz convertible. S/N 63E054230.
SOLD AT $27,000. This looked like an
older restoration of a very good car. Carson
City collector Garth Richards owned one of
every Eldorado coupe and convertible from
1953 to 1978, but this was one of the nicest
for sale, and it was equipped with a/c, making
it eminently usable. No downside to this
and very well bought. Detailing it should be
well worth the effort. Silver Auctions,
Carson City, NV, 08/11.
SOLD AT $81,540. This sold for nine grand
90 AmericanCarCollector.com
#127-1963 CHEVROLET CORVAIR Monza
900 coupe. S/N 309Z70113379. Red/cream
vinyl. Odo: 71,131 miles. 145-ci H6, 2x1bbl,
auto. Ex-Bonneville Speedway Museum
car from Wendover, Utah, then from the
Garth Richards Collection. Beautiful paint,
although masking around windows could be
better. Excellent chrome, very straight body,
good panel fit. Engine compartment is very
clean and correct. Near-perfect interior in
correct pattern, with radio and tissue dispenser.
Wire-wheel hubcaps, excellent
tires. Mileage reportedly accurate. Cond: 2.
BEST
BUY
Page 89
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Page 90
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
partment with fresh Jasper-rebuilt motor.
Equipped with a/c and all the power goodies
you'd expect. Cond: 3+.
Some rust along rain gutters. Presentable
older interior, with noticeable carpet fade
and soiling, along with a tear in top of driver's
seat. Topical wash-off under the hood,
but not recently. All bare metal under the
hood is dull and lightly corroded. Equipped
with optional sidepipes and power brakes.
Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $9,990. Corvairs remain the
Rodney Dangerfield of the collector car
world. They “don't get no respect.” Initially
thought of as a compact family car, the
sporty Monza coupe and its turbo siblings
galvanized sales, until the arrival of the
Mustang in mid-'64 fired off the pony car
race. An enormous 117,917 Monza coupes
were sold in 1963, almost half of the entire
lineup. This was top dollar for this car, even
with its history and no-rust location, and it's
likely to remain so. Well bought, now just
drive it. Silver Auctions, Carson City, NV,
08/11.
#414-1963 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 30867S106631. Riverside
Red/red hard top & white vinyl/red vinyl.
Odo: 16,769 miles. 327-ci 360-hp fuel-injected
V8, 4-sp. Recent authentic restoration
to original factory configuration. Retains
original major powertrain components.
Fresh repaint over heavily prepped bodywork
showing muted character lines. Slight
drop to both doors, plus wider gaps at front.
Apart from a DeWitt's aluminum radiator,
authentically restored under the hood. Fuel
injection unit starting to show some staining.
Like-new reproduction interior, complete to
the still-clear vinyl floor mats. Optional injection,
4-speed, and both tops. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $17,550. This Caddy had a great
look about it, and although it wasn't perfect,
it would have made a great high-end driver
at the price paid. Well bought. Classic
Motorcar Auctions, Canton, OH, 09/11.
#2045-1966 CHEVROLET CORVAIR
Corsa replica convertible. S/N 105676W145817.
Lemonwood Yellow/white
vinyl/tan vinyl. Odo: 86,521 miles. 164-ci
H6, 4x1-bbl, 4-sp. VIN tag attached with
non-original rivets and codes out to a
Monza convertible. Aging trim-off repaint
starting to craze, door gaps even. Like-new
interior was reupholstered in a non-stock
vinyl color (as tan was not offered in ‘66).
Tidy, mostly stock engine compartment.
Loaded with options, including a/c (converted
to R134a), telescopic steering column
with wood rim wheel, AM/FM, engine
compartment lock and engine compartment
light. Stock steel wheels fitted with ‘60s
bias-ply tires and wire-wheel hubcaps.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $31,900. Lot 2121's evil twin.
Seen in June at Mecum's 2011 Bloomington
Gold auction, then a no-sale at $38,000
(ACC# 179633). Reality must have set in
since then, as this car proves that yes, even
plastic-bodied Corvettes can rust out. Sold
cheap for several reasons. Auctions
America by RM, Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#247-1966 OLDSMOBILE 442 2-dr
hard top. S/N 336176Z100922. Light
green metallic/black vinyl. Odo: 30,289
miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Very nice paint
and bright trim. Beautiful interior. Spotlessly
well detailed engine compartment with all
the stickers and build marks. Equipped with
power steering, power brakes and factory
a/c, wearing redlines with dog-dish caps.
Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $93,500. Counter to the rule for
any other collector car, for 1963 Corvettes,
“if the top goes down, the price goes down.”
This one, even with the fuel injection and
claimed “$150,000 into the restoration,” still
sold for a price that confirms the rule.
Market-priced. Worldwide Auctioneers,
Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#233-1965 CADILLAC ELDORADO convertible.
S/N E5208179. Emerald
Green/white cloth/green leather. Odo: 5,329
miles. 429-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Paint has
some minor scratches and rubs, all
brightwork shows well. Interior presents as
new. Seat covers look fresh, though no
mention of their age. Decent engine com-
92 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $18,150. While technically available
as an option on all engines except the
turbo, in my over a quarter-century of
Corvair ownership, I've never seen factoryinstalled
a/c on a real Corsa. This replica
Corsa sold for $25,300 at Kruse's Hershey
sale in 2005 (ACC# 39515), then sold for
$27,000 at Barrett-Jackson's 2006 Palm
West Palm Beach sale (ACC# 41236). With
the needed repaint today, price paid was
over the top. Auctions America by RM,
Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#3103-1966 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. S/N 194376S100136. Nassau
Blue/blue vinyl. Odo: 40,429 miles. 327-ci
300-hp V8, 4-bbl, auto. Claimed to be all
original apart from a decades-old repaint,
which presents well from ten feet. Nicks,
scrapes, cracks, and occasional buffthrough
visible upon closer inspection.
SOLD AT $31,050. This was said to be a
four-year-old frame-off restoration. I wasn't
keen on the color, but what a presentation!
The buyer got one heck of a deal on this
one. Classic Motorcar Auctions, Canton,
OH, 09/11.
#56-1968 CHEVROLET CAMARO coupe.
S/N 124378L340271. Pale yellow &
black/black vinyl. Odo: 38,189 miles. 396-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Best Camaro I've seen in
ten years. No flaws found despite considerable
time spent trying to nit-pick. Paint, panels,
chrome, glass, weatherseals all present
as perfect. New Redline “White Oval”
Firestone tires on body-color wheels, dogdish
hubcaps. Immaculate chassis, flawless
engine compartment has all correct details,
including decals and hose clamps. Looks
factory-fresh from top to bottom. Cond: 1.
NOT SOLD AT $35,000. The owner told me
he wants $37,000 for the car, which was
purchased new from Hallman Chevrolet in
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very desirable Honeycomb wheels, power
steering, disc brakes at all four corners, a/c
and other expected amenities. W-code big
block less coveted than the Super-Duty
X-code. Cond: 2-.
Excellent repaint, very straight, good trim
and chrome, good glass. Seat and carpets
look great. Aftermarket stereo installed.
Equipped with power steering, disc brakes,
tilt/telescopic steering column and cruise
control. Downsized model finally ditched
removable panel over rear footwell on transplanted
wagon body, so it won't leak as
badly. The best one of these that I have
seen. Cond: 3.
Reno, Nevada, on September 26, 1968.
Perhaps the tent didn't hold a bidder who
liked pale yellow for just two grand more, or
maybe a 4-speed manual was preferred
over the automatic this day. For whatever
reason, seller got close to his number, but
wouldn't let it go. In the meantime, he still
owns a fabulous car. Silver Auctions, Sun
Valley, ID, 09/11.
#221-1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28
coupe. S/N 124379L523898. Orange/black
vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 84,437 miles. 302-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Older average repaint,
newer black vinyl roof. Average chrome and
stainless commensurate with age. No rust
evident. Doors close hard. Undetailed original-style
interior of driver quality. Underhood
undetailed, dusty stock-appearing 302-ci
engine, yellow spark-plug wires randomly
routed, rusty tube headers, WalMart battery.
Rally wheels, recent BFG radial T/A tires,
no curb rash. Attractive stance and emblems
are let down by condition and presentation.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $26,950. This was a decent car
that was well bought, but not stolen. These
second-gen Trans Ams seem to be holding
up better, and examples like this may be
worth a second look, especially when they
have the right stuff. Had this been an
X-code “SD” car, then take this money, double
it and add a little more for security.
Auctions America by RM, Auburn, IN,
09/11.
#409-1978 PONTIAC TRANS AM “Bandit”
coupe. S/N 2W87Z8L153389. Black/black
leather. Odo: 15,881 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Formerly owned by Burt Reynolds,
with 2005 California title to prove it.
Repainted to high standard. Typical clunky
second-gen F-body door fit and feel. Period
Cobra 40-channel CB radio mounted between
console and the dash, with big whip
antenna on trunk lid. Burt's likeness is embroidered
on the headrests. Non-stock window
tinting, Kmart “Limited Edition” stickers
on exterior door handles, CD player. With
optional T-tops, snowflake alloys, and a/c,
but belt for compressor has been removed.
Sold at no reserve.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $6,210. I've been wondering
where prices for these have been going,
and the answer is absolutely nowhere. (I've
also wondered how much market GM
handed to the Toyota pickup when they
abandoned the El Camino. I guess I have
my answer.) If you're looking for pent-up
demand in the El Camino market, don't hold
your breath. Maybe the Pontiac in the parking
lot was a figment of my imagination.
Silver Auctions, Carson City, NV, 08/11.
#736-1991 GMC SYCLONE pickup. S/N
1GDCT14Z1M8802546. Black/black vinyl.
Odo: 3,155 miles. 4.3-L turbocharged V6,
auto. Low miles, in excellent condition overall,
shows more age than wear from use.
Excellent panel fit, per factory. Very good
paint, black side-cladding shows some fading.
Interior presents as new. Cond: 5-.
NOT SOLD AT $42,500. 19,014 cars got
the Z/28 option in 1969, and the legacy still
stirs the souls of Bowtie fans. Pedigree
aside, this example was in used-car condition,
and it would take more than a thorough
detailing to get it show worthy. But it could
provide an excellent start toward a restoration
of high standard and value. Final bid
was close to what you'd expect to pay for a
restored car, so it definitely should have
sold. Silver Auctions, Sun Valley, ID,
09/11.
#4093-1973 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
S/N White/blue cloth. 455-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Sharp-looking car with PHS documents.
Very good respray and application of
screaming eagle on hood. Interior fresh but
shows some wear and tear. Tidy under the
hood, but not show-car ready. Fitted with
94 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $57,750. Made famous by the
film “Smokey and the Bandit.” This was
Burt's personal car, apparently, but could
not have been used in production of the
movie, since it was released a year before
this car was built. The celebrity connection
about doubled the price today, just as it did
the last time this car was at auction:
Worldwide's 2009 Houston sale, sold at
$51,700 (ACC# 120379). Worldwide
Auctioneers, Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#493-1981 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO
pickup. S/N 1GCCW80K1BZ419985.
White/blue vinyl. Odo: 56,806 miles. 3.8-L
V6, 2-bbl, auto. Last generation of the El
Camino (if you don't count the new silver
Pontiac Ute I saw in the parking lot).
SOLD AT $17,667. Hot rod pickup, GMCstyle.
This truck is a perfect example of the
conundrum of ultra-low mileage late-model
vehicles. What do you do with them? This
was sold by Bonhams at the Wally Lewis
collection sale in Portland, OR, in June
2011 for $24,750 (ACC# 182769). So the
answer to the question here was to lose
money-fast. Bonhams, Westport, CT,
09/11.
#35-1992 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. S/N 1G1YY23P3N5113119.
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Black/red leather. Odo: 99,046 miles. 350-ci
300-hp fuel-injected V8, 6-sp. Straight panels,
good door fit. Numerous chips show as
white through black paint, light scratches,
dried and cracking weatherseals, sooty exhaust
tips, factory alloys with road rash,
tires about 50%. Interior has serviceable
sports seats with expected deep wear on
driver's side bolster, and dried and cracking
leather on steering wheel. Stock and undetailed
underhood, driver quality overall.
Nothing special, just a used ‘Vette in sinister
black needing paint and TLC. Cond: 3-.
(plus inevitable surpises along the way), the
new owner will be about where the Guide
places it. Let's call this one correctly bought
and sold. Silver Auctions, Sun Valley, ID,
09/11.
#244-1999 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 1GYY32G2X5100372. Torch
Red/tan vinyl/tan leather. Odo: 94,651
miles. 5.7-L 345-hp fuel-injected V8, auto.
Paint, top and seats show expected minor
wear, driver's left bolster fine. Clean outside
and in, undercarriage shows road use.
Missouri inspection sticker on windshield.
Stealth radar/laser detector installed, along
with aftermarket Kenwood radio, amplifier in
clean trunk. New Michelin “Run Flats” on
chromed “wagon wheel” factory alloys. Light
scratches in original paint from dry
dusting, very minor road rash that would
buff out. Presents better than mileage
shown, looks best with top down. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $15,930. Torch Red looks great
on any C5, but it's also very common. This
one presented quite well, indicating good
maintenance over the miles, and more proof
that C5s hold up. Far from being used up,
many go to 200k-plus miles with normal
maintenance, and get surprisingly excellent
fuel mileage. (My 2002 clocked 30.8 mpg
for the 1,450 mile round-trip to and from this
auction.) Bid was to “clean trade-in/wholesale”
level for the miles, with average retail
in the high teens. Seller might have been
better off waiting for non-dealer bidders.
Well bought. Silver Auctions, Sun Valley,
ID, 09/11.
SOLD AT $6,696. ACC Price Guide values
these between $10,000 and $14,000, but
this example had needs, as evidenced by
the bidding and final result. After a quality
repaint and attention to maintenance details
#2183-2002 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
Lingenfelter Z06 coupe. S/N
1G1YY12SX25123562. Black/black & blue
leather. Odo: 11,116 miles. 346-ci 600-hp
V8, supercharger, 6-sp. Said to be a oneowner
car with “body-off restoration by
Lingenfelter,” but not stated when it was
done—most likely just before it was featured
in the December 2005 issue of Performance
Auto & Sound magazine. Custom paint,
lighting, ground effects, interior trim. Stereo
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fills the rear up to the trunk lid. No Corvette
badges on exterior. High quality workmanship
overall, with minimal wear. Optional
HUD and Memory Package. Cond: 2-.
Better than a barn find, and probably great
fun around town. Cond: 3-.
tours, wheels, bumpers and a garden gatestyle
brush guard to protect the waterfall
grille. Wood slats added to box sides, black
school bus-style turn signals added to front
fender tops. Engine bay and chassis are
barn fresh. A straight post-war pickup that
colorfully draws attention, but offers little
else. Cond: 4.
NOT SOLD AT $65,000. A bold, well executed
custom that either suited your taste
or offended it. Previously seen at Mecum's
St. Paul auction in June 2011, where it was
a no-sale at $75,000 (ACC# 182251). I
don't see it getting bid that high a second
time—seller should've grabbed the money
today. Auctions America by RM, Auburn,
IN, 09/11.
FOMOCO
#454-1912 FORD MODEL T Pie Van
C-cab. S/N N/A. Eng. # 106656.
Green/black leather. RHD. Immaculate restoration
of Brass Era T in rare C-cab body.
Orange peel on hood. Excellent E&J brass
acetylene lamps, tires have hardly rolled.
Will need mechanical recommissioning, due
to lack of recent use. Cond: 1.
SOLD AT $8,100. The appealing color
combo on this one wouldn't appeal to “anycolor-as-long-as-it's-black”
purists. It started
right up and chugged to the block, garnering
enough bids to change hands. Similar running
Model Ts sell in the $10k–$14k range,
so the winning bid here was a score. Well
bought. Silver Auctions, Sun Valley, ID,
09/11.
#29-1938 LINCOLN MODEL K convertible.
S/N K90002. Blue/blue
cloth/blue cloth. Odo: 61,772 miles. Custom
coachwork on long wheelbase. Circa-1980
restoration very presentable, although the
hand-painted pinstriping somewhat uneven
from frequent buffing. No perceivable wear
to newer seats and Haartz top. Door panels
show minor age and use. CCCA National
First Place badge on grille. Light paint chipping
on bottom edges of both doors and on
cowl. Very tidy undercarriage and engine
bay, but could use a fluff-and-buff before
hitting the concours circuit again. Throatier
exhaust note than expected for a Lincoln
K-series V12. Cond: 2-.
10
NOT SOLD AT $16,000. The cowboy/skicountry
bidders got excited about an old
pickup with a slap-dash paint job and unknown
mechanical condition, and bidding
quickly went to $16k—but the seller wanted
more. Seems the last bid should have been
more than enough to get the deal done.
Silver Auctions, Sun Valley, ID, 09/11.
#514-1950 LINCOLN COSMOPOLITAN
convertible. S/N 150LP10251. Pale
green/black canvas/cream leather. Odo:
65,022 miles. 336-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. An
older frame-off restoration holding up well.
Appears to have started life a rather attractive
Dove Gray. Very good paint and panel
fit. Good chrome with some buffing swirls
on wheelarch caps. Handsome cream
leather interior but with some wavy seams.
Pushbutton radio and very nice dash. Very
clean and correct under the hood. Wide
whitewall tires look new. Equipped with
power steering, brakes, windows and top.
One of 536 built in 1950. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $27,525. One of seven Ts from
the Meldonfoot Collection, all of which presented
as perfect museum displays—exactly
what they were, prior to auction—and
all of which sold for approximately similar
money. Fair price paid. Bonhams,
Beaulieu, U.K., 09/11.
#71-1921 FORD MODEL T tourer. S/N
5338366. Blue/black vinyl/black vinyl. Tires
worn with less than 20% remaining prove
it's a runner. Exposed headlight wiring
frayed. Two step plates on right running
board, one on left rear, with (oddly) none for
driver. Interior re-upholstered a while back
in black vinyl. Good dash, steering wheel
has dings. Clean engine compartment
home to 176-ci 20-hp mill with splash oiling.
96 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $214,500. When this no-saled for
$260k at the April 2011 Branson Auction, I
suggested it might do better at Monterey
(ACC# 177690). Well, instead of sending it
to the coast, it came here, and brought even
less than before. Someone got a darn good
deal. Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
09/11.
#38-1946 FORD MODEL 83 1/2-ton
pickup. S/N 1GC228678. Burnt orange &
black/black velour. Odo: 97,521 Fresh nonfactory
paint color. Considerable paint on
weatherseals and fender welts, due to weak
masking. Gloss black used for hood con-
SOLD AT $41,040. Introduced in 1949, the
first-gen Cosmopolitan had a relatively short
life, with Ford restyling its entire line after
1951. There were accurate fit issues with
the slab-sided body, they never sold particularly
well and they soon looked dated, especially
after the much crisper redesign
cleaned up at the 1952 Carrera
Panamericana road race. This one was
nicely done in such an unusual color it could
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have been correct (although Dove Gray with
gray-and-maroon leather would have been
prettier). Price was market-correct, without
much upside. Silver Auctions, Carson
City, NV, 08/11.
#170-1950 MERCURY EIGHT convertible.
S/N 50SL66830M. Pale yellow/white
vinyl/black & gray leather. Odo: 7,074 miles.
255-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, 3-sp. Very nice older
restoration of California car, with excellent
paint and chrome and very nice grille. Good
panel fit, but top is shrinking. Excellent interior
with extra gauges. Equipped with overdrive
transmission, whitewall tires and twin
spotlights. 3x2 Stromberg carburetors, aluminum
Offenhauser heads, accessory oil
filter. From the firewall, it was maroon in
color at some point, which might explain the
black-and-gray interior. Cond: 2.
caps. No soft top. Equipped with engine
dress-up kit, Town and Country radio. Cond:
2. SOLD AT $37,800. Unmatched period
elegance and one of the few cars from this
period that's still a usable daily driver and
easy to repair. This was a very pretty car in
a great color with just the history you'd hope
to find. The proud owner was on-hand to fill
in details and explain that he was just getting
too old to drive it much anymore.
Excepting hot-rod options, Tri-Five T-Bird
prices seem to have settled in this range,
but the condition of the cars varies enormously.
Irrespective of the price guide, I call
this well bought for quality alone. Silver
Auctions, Carson City, NV, 08/11.
#3063-1957 FORD COUNTRY SEDAN
wagon. S/N D7DX120937. Red &
white/white & red vinyl. Odo: 50,303 miles.
312-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Treated to a frameon
cosmetic restoration with color-change.
Tons of eye appeal. Paint and chrome all
look good. Chrome and bright trim all in
place, with some signs of straightening and
minor dings. Doors open and close better
than most. Interior done well with materials
close to factory spec. Factory radio, heater
and clock still in dash. Original drivetrain still
under the hood, which shows only a few
minor updates. No promise the miles are
from new. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $8,250. '57
Fords outsold Chevrolets when new,
SOLD AT $51,300. “James Dean” coupes
are quite rare and most surviving examples
have been customized; the convertibles are
almost never seen. This seemed like a very
well restored car, and, judging by the performance
options it carries, is likely wellsorted.
The color change seemed a bit of a
puzzle, especially since the car was so well
finished. Why not redo the firewall too?
Nevertheless, it was a minor point and I'd
call this car rather well bought. Silver
Auctions, Carson City, NV, 08/11.
#228-1956 FORD THUNDERBIRD convertible.
S/N P6FH19160. Fiesta
Red/Fiesta Red hard top/white vinyl. Odo:
63,207 miles. 312-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Second year of the two-seat T-Bird. Threeyear
restoration of original L.A. car by
Dallas T-Bird club finished in 1988. In
Carson City since then. Very straight, good
paint and chrome, excellent interior, good
glass, clean underhood. With Continental
spare and porthole top, exhaust exits
through bumpers. Good tires, wire wheel
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of freshening this wagon will likely return a
profit. Auctions America by RM, Auburn,
IN, 09/11.
but can't hold a candle to them in the collector
market today. A Chevy wagon in this
condition would have brought at least twice
this price, but the seller was still pleased.
Buyer got a sweet deal, and with a little bit
#111-1957 MERCURY VOYAGER 8-passenger
4-dr hard top station wagon. S/N
57LA35439M. Cream & gold/cream vinyl.
Odo: 3,167 368-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. An older
restoration wearing well. Very straight, nice
panel fit and good glass, good repaint in
correct color. Correct interior may be original
or a redo which has aged nicely.
Padded dash is wrinkled, steering wheel
worn. Lots of trim and it's all good, although
bumpers are checked and need replating.
Correct and very clean under the hood.
Equipped with power steering, power
brakes, radio and spotlight mirror. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $12,960. Not as sexy as lot 440,
the '59 Colony Park wagon in red and white
with wood trim, but felt like a better original
car that had been sympathetically maintained
and restored. Hard to see how you
could go wrong at this price. This was the
right car and well bought, with just a few
details to attend to. Adding Vintage Air
would make this a super cruiser. (Hope
you've got a gas station rewards card to
offset the mileage, however.) Silver
Auctions, Carson City, NV, 08/11.
#4107-1958 EDSEL CITATION convertible.
S/N X8WY704899. White &
turquoise/white canvas/white & turquoise
vinyl. 410-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. As Edsels go, a
top-shelf car all around. Professional restoration,
everything working as it was designed
to (which was a rarity in reality).
Appealing color combo. Everything in place
from clear taillights to dazzling hood ornament.
Loaded options list includes power
steering, brakes, windows, seats and antenna,
plus rare factory a/c, and working
push-button Tele-touch with controls located
in center of steering wheel. A true show
winner waiting to take home trophies.
Cond: 1.
SOLD AT $91,300. It takes a special breed
to collect orphans of such notoriety. These
big-bodied Edsels were a pain to sell when
new, and they represent an ultra-challenge
to restore today, with minimal reward on the
other side. I'm sure there was over $150k
invested here, so this is the way to get
one—after all the hard work is done. But a
car like this still requires a bidder who
knows exactly what he's looking for.
Auctions America by RM, Auburn, IN,
09/11.
#52-1959 EDSEL CORSAIR 4-dr hard top.
S/N B9UX704023. Gold & black/tan & gray
vinyl. Odo: 63,536 miles. 410-ci V8, 4-bbl,
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auto. Estate sale of an orphan car with one
repaint in original color. Zero rust or crash
damage found. Exterior and interior both
reflect decades of sympathetic care. Interior
shows light wear and patina commensurate
with age, underhood is dusty and presents
as factory-original, including decals, with
traces of old antifreeze stains, but VIN
codes out to a 332-ci V8; engine may be
from a 1958 car. Battery sitting loose.
Presents and runs well, some parts interchangeable
with Fords and Mercurys of the
same vintage. Cond: 3-.
Maroon metallic/white vinyl/black & white
leather. Odo: 39,642 miles. 430-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Older restoration of an enormous car
and still near perfect. Very good paint,
chrome superb, panel fit excellent, huge
grille undamaged, interior very well finished.
Equipped with Travel Tuner radio, power
steering, seats, windows, six-way power
seats and power top with retractable
breezeway rear window. Clean and correct
underhood, save for corrosion around top of
master cylinder. No air conditioning, as was
common for convertibles at that time. Nearly
new whitewall tires. Indicated mileage could
be actual. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $25,920. When FoMoCo
President Robert McNamara bloated the
beautiful '57 T-Bird into the '58 monstrosity,
he did the same to the Continental Mark III.
As observed in the “Standard Catalog of
American Cars 1946–1975,” the Mark III
SOLD AT $6,372. To encourage sales, the
Corsair was a slightly detrimmed version of
the more upscale Citation. Its grille design
still reminds me of a “Ford sucking on a
lemon,” a period-correct phrase well known
among marque enthusiasts and best left
unrepeated in their presence. Being a relatively
rare 4-dr hard top (one of just 1,694
produced in ‘59), this model is in high demand
among the “Edselfisti,” especially in
this condition. Well bought and sold. Silver
Auctions, Sun Valley, ID, 09/11.
#303-1959 FORD FAIRLANE 500 2-dr
hard top. S/N A9HS171740. Onyx
Black/red, white & black vinyl. Odo: 59,485
miles. 223-ci I6, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Paint showing
some drips and orange peel. OK brightwork
has some minor dings, dents and pitting,
bumper chrome looking thin in spots.
Driver's door hard to close. Very presentable
interior equipped with AM radio and
overdrive. Driver-quality engine compartment.
Original factory window sticker included.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $9,828. When equipped with the
Skyliner convertible hard top, these cars
have no problem pulling three times the
money this brought. Price paid here was fair
for an honest, low-miles, entry-level car in a
nice color combination that you'd be proud
to drive anywhere. Classic Motorcar
Auctions, Canton, OH, 09/11.
#474-1959 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
MARK IV convertible. S/N Y9YC417613.
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“had as much in common with the new Mark
IV as a thoroughbred Kentucky Derby winner
has with T.V.'s Mr. Ed, the talking
horse.” The model lingered for three years
before the elegant '61 “Kennedy” Lincolns
appeared. This was the best example of
four at the sale and sold for a bargain price
(single-digit mpg notwithstanding). Silver
Auctions, Carson City, NV, 08/11.
#440-1959 MERCURY COLONY PARK
9-passenger wagon. S/N M9ZD515574.
Red, white & faux wood/red cloth & white
vinyl. Odo: 258 miles. 383-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. The most eye-catching of the 1950s
station wagons at the sale. Very sound and
straight Idaho car in driver condition. Decent
paint, chrome mostly fine but some pieces
checking, some scratches on back window
from dust. Trim straight and correct. Interior
OK, driver's seat shows some wear. Clean
and correct under the hood. Equipped with
power steering, power brakes, radio and
whitewall radial tires. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT
$15,660. A stylish timepiece that will draw a
crowd wherever it goes. Not as tidy as some
of the other wagons but solid, straight and
complete, in spectacular colors. Another
candidate for Vintage Air. Whoever buys
this ought to sign up with a movie props
company, as it would make the perfect
backdrop to any 1960s movie. Beyond that,
it's simple to maintain, and now would be a
good time to get ahead accumulating spare
parts before they're all gone. In terms of the
fun factor, this might be the buy of the whole
auction. Silver Auctions, Carson City, NV,
08/11.
#515-1962 FORD THUNDERBIRD Sports
Roadster. S/N 2Y89Z172600. Red/black
vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 73,028 miles. 390-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Factory T-Bird Sports
Roadster. Driver-quality restoration a long
time ago, unless mileage really is correct.
Paint and windshield chipped, chrome
scratched. Body fit OK and fairly straight.
Driver's seat split. A mess under the hood.
Wears Nebraska safety sticker, KelseyHayes
wire wheels and factory roadster
tonneau. Equipped with power steering,
brakes and top, wind-up windows, no a/c.
Cond: 4.
SOLD AT $31,320. OK, so this had been
ridden hard and put away wet, but it still
probably ran decently and wasn't a trailer
queen. It was also one of about 1,882
Sports Roadsters built 1962–1963, 2,500 of
which are now on the road thanks to easy
cloneability. I wasn't impressed when I
looked at it, but running the VIN, turns out
it's a real car. The ACC Pocket Price Guide
says $27,500 to $41,200 for a Sports
Roadster, so somebody did quite well.
Silver Auctions, Carson City, NV, 08/11.
#3052-1964 MERCURY PARK LANE 4-dr
sedan. S/N 4Z62Z521900. Dark blue/blue &
gray vinyl & cloth. Odo: 29,590 miles. 390-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Unusual vehicle. Paint, interior,
mechanicals and equipment all appear
to be original. Miles likely actual since new.
Paint showing some aging and light rubthrough.
Glass all good including roll-down
Breezeway rear window. Interior well protected,
floor covering clean. Mechanical
components ordered new from the factory
include power steering, power brakes and
heater/defroster. No radio. Cond: 3+.
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plement to paint color. New white convertible
top shows no evidence of lowering.
Fresh interior presents as new with zero
demerits. Underhood equally fresh and factory
in appearance, with clean 289-ci engine
SOLD AT $3,740. One of the rarest cars in
the sale, but no one wants a four-door
Mercury, even if it was a high-performance
type of car. I've got a feeling we'll see this
car re-listed in the $9,500–$10,000 range,
and for the right collection, that will be a
pretty good addition and still a bargain
price. I thought this looked like a very good
buy, but evidently few others did. Auctions
America by RM, Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#216-1965 FORD COUNTRY SQUIRE
wagon. S/N 5J72Z187880. Twilight
Turquoise/blue & gray vinyl. Odo: 9,343
miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Large
American wagon refurbished to good standard.
Very good re-paint with even metallic
coverage on all panels except lightly
streaked hood. Glass and brightwork in
good order. Wire wheels with chrome rims
and gold-colored spokes. Colorado car, rust
free, no evidence of crash damage found.
Interior tidy, as is engine compartment, but
not to showroom level. A solid grocery and
parts getter. Cond: 3+.
spinning a 4-speed manual to 9-inch rear. A
“K code” Mustang in show condition with
demerits for hood fitment. Cond: 1-. SOLD
AT $35,100. “K code” Mustangs are popular
with marque enthusiasts, and this non-GT
convertible was a nice overall example. The
colors popped on the lawn, and it received
many admiring glances. Selling price here
was spot-on market value, so seller and
buyer should be pleased. Silver Auctions,
Sun Valley, ID, 09/11.
#34-1965 SHELBY GT350 R fastback. S/N
SFM5R534. White & dark blue/black vinyl.
Odo: 202 miles. 289-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. A
three-owner car from new, with recent
SOLD AT $7,884. These were popular back
in the day, but faded from lineups as
America adopted the van as family hauler.
A pity, as this wagon could easily haul a
good sized boat, camper, or race car with
the torque provided by 390 cubes. Parked
next to the auction tent, it received many
looks and positive nostalgic comments with
occasional demerits for the pimpin' rims. A
couple of bidders liked it enough to overlook
the wheels, pushing the winning bid a bit
over market value. Well sold. Silver
Auctions, Sun Valley, ID, 09/11.
#101-1965 FORD MUSTANG convertible.
S/N 5R08K154610. Poppy Red/white
vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 12,303 miles. 289-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Excellent respray, factory
panel fit except hood noticably bowed up on
right and skewed left, just touching fender.
Excellent chrome and stainless. Redlines
on chrome factory Rally wheels a nice com-
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freshening of circa-1992 cosmetic restoration.
Retains all major components from
new. All original bodywork, apart from battery
tray area. Panel fit better than original.
Tidy engine bay, with set of bronze headers
fabricated when car resided in Portugal in
late 1960s. Original powertrain, engine has
been rebuilt at least once. Scuff-free repaint
on interior floorboards, and all authentic
components bolted to it. Original alloys
shod with period Goodyear racing tires.
Cond: 2-. NOT SOLD AT $725,000. Rs
were intended to do battle on the track, so
most have been banged around, modified,
or rebuilt from scratch around a little metal
VIN tag. High bid would've been OK for one
of those cars, but this was claimed to be the
most original R extant. Seller correctly held
onto it. Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn,
IN, 09/11.
#4128-1966 SHELBY GT350 H fastback.
S/N SFM662117. Black & gold/black vinyl.
289-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. One of the straightest,
most beautifully restored Shelby
Mustangs I've ever seen. Fresh from the
shop with all the right stuff. Paint, chrome,
glass and soft trim all proper and without a
discernable flaw. Excellent panel fit.
Immaculate underhood, with tags, stickers
and decals applied more like the factory
would have done than a concours presentation.
On the proper wheels with center caps.
Full documentation. Cond: 1.
SOLD AT $127,000. Yes, it presented as
perfect, and yes, it had the documentation
to prove it was the real thing. I'm sure the
restorer had more into it than this price, so a
bit of a bargain for the new owner.
Auctions America by RM, Auburn, IN,
09/11.
#445-1967 FORD F-100 Camper Special
pickup. S/N F11YRA73592. Beige/beige &
black cloth. Odo: 33,986 miles. 352-ci V8,
2-bbl, 4-sp. Decent repaint in original color,
but windshield and grille are sandblasted,
door handles pitted, so 133k at least. Bed
has been sealed but shows evidence of
very heavy work. Step bumper has two levels
of hitch rails. Clean and correct under
the hood, but with electric fan fitted. Looks
to have pulled a camper the long way
around Nevada, and for a number of years.
Seat cover is splitting. On good radials.
Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $5,940. This solid old work truck
had evidence of good maintenance, but
also had the wheels run off of it. Still, there's
no rust and you can keep on replacing parts
forever. In contrast to a number of other
trucks at the sale, this one was prepared to
haul more than a load of pillows. The price
isn't at all bad for a working 4X4 that's dead
simple and doesn't have to pass emissions
in most places. Silver Auctions, Carson
City, NV, 08/11.
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#16-1969 FORD MUSTANG Boss
429 fastback. S/N 9F02Z198924.
Royal Maroon/black vinyl. Odo: 13,466
miles. 429-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Kar Kraft number
KK2050. Retains all four build sheets,
plus has provenance verification from Kevin
Marti. 13k miles claimed actual since new.
Restored approximately a decade ago by
Boss expert Randy Roberts. For the most
part, components were reconditioned and
reused, including interior, powertrain,
shocks, exhaust and most belts and hoses.
Bare metal repaint to original standards or
better. Gold medal award-winner in the
trailered category at 2008 MCA national
meet, and still concours-ready as it sits
here. Cond: 1-.
6
Mach 1 simplified the four-headlight setup
and smoothed off the faux brake intakes on
the rear fenders, but it's still the fastback
design the Toyota Celica copied to a T in
1976 and 1977. This was a very pretty car,
enthusiastically restored and with room for
detail work to bring it up to the next level. It
seemed honest and looked like it would be
fun to own. Mid-market money, both well
bought and well sold. Silver Auctions,
Carson City, NV, 08/11.
#16-1971 FORD MAVERICK coupe. S/N
1K93T164586. Green & black/black
vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 66,093 miles. 200-ci
I6, 1-bbl, auto. Extensive restoration to as-
new condition. Paint, engine re-build, vinyl
top, interior (including trunk) fully sorted,
listed, and documented. Underhood continues
perfection with proud six standing tall.
Bucket seat interior completely replaced
SOLD AT $286,000. Before the bubble
burst, this was owned by an Enron executive,
according to another former owner
who's an ACC subscriber. Bid to a $230k
no-sale across the block; this price was
agreed on later. A near identical example
sold at Mecum's July 2011 Des Moines sale
for $238,500 (ACC# 182969), so it's looking
like the Boss could be on his way back.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
09/11.
#209-1970 FORD MUSTANG Mach 1 fastback.
S/N 0T05N124998. Grabber
Blue/black vinyl. Odo: 57,663 miles. 351-ci
V8, 2-bbl, 4-sp. Great color, nice repaint, all
Mach 1 stripes, but so-so masking in
places. Straight body, typical panel fit. Front
and rear spoilers, shaker hood, dual exhaust.
Rear bumper looks to be replated,
original in front could use it. Quite nice interior
in correct pattern. Correct under the
hood, except too much flat black paint.
Equipped with power steering, no power
brakes. On factory mags wearing decent
Goodrich T/As. Mileage could be correct.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $27,540. The second-year 1970
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with replica panels and materials, unmarked
headliner and carpet, instruments and dash
factory-fresh. Chrome, glass and undercarriage
all immaculate. A concours Maverick.
Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $6,900. This fabulous
restoration had tons of eyeball and was a
pleasure to behold. Still, one has to wonder
why so much time, effort and expense went
into creating a concours Maverick, rather
than, say, a concours Mustang convertible.
This grocery-getter could not be duplicated
for the price, so the buyer was the clear
winner here. Silver Auctions, Sun Valley,
ID, 09/11.
#10-1977 FORD BRONCO Ranger Sport
SUV. S/N U15GLY12719. Copper &
white/tan vinyl & gray cloth. Odo: 96,079
miles. Superb repaint over well prepped
body. Door fit better than stock, but still not
perfect. Every piece of trim either replaced,
replated, or professionally restored to new
condition. Like-new seat upholstery, with
new carpet, seat belt webbing, and dashpad.
Gauge needles show some fading.
Concours-detailed underhood, but undercarriage
untouched and rather filthy.
Equipped with optional auxiliary fuel tank,
skid plates, heavy-duty sway bars, and
heavy-duty cooling package. Circa-1978
Bronco-style steel wheels added. Cond: 2.
and-pinion steering fitted, for some reason.
Appears to have started life as a black car.
Wears Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels with recent
whitewall tires. Cond: 3.
most wear on the whole car. All other aspects
of the car are as manufactured or better.
Concours-ready as it sits. Equipped with
factory optional “HiWay HiFi” 16 2/3 RPM
under-dash record player. Cond: 1.
SOLD AT $27,000. Quite attractive, but the
garish 1990s red paint was a jarring note.
The Firepower Hemi V8 should make this a
useful performer—maybe the power rackand-pinion
steering was fitted to help keep it
on the road? Incorrect color changes like
this can present a real problem, unless the
car is so valuable you can afford to correct
it. In this case, I'd say it cut the car's price
30%, and it was still well sold. Silver
Auctions, Carson City, NV, 08/11.
#483-1955 CHRYSLER WINDSOR
Newport coupe. S/N W5569296. Metallic
blue & white/white vinyl. Odo: 4,235 miles.
301-ci V8, 1-bbl, auto. Restored in the U.S.
in 2008. Body straight, paint mostly good,
chrome fading a little in places. Chassis,
floors and sills good. One gutter trim dinged.
Windows tinted, rides on aged and cracked
whitewalls. With factory-fitted Continental kit
and Imperial grille. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $121,000. We've seen a marked
increase in state-of-the-art Big Fin Mopar
restorations in the last few years. The cars
managed to weather the market correction
of a few years ago, generally bucking the
trend and continuing to increase in value.
The reserve here was lifted at $110k.
Bought very well, perhaps the deal of the
weekend. Worldwide Auctioneers,
Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#241-1959 DESOTO ADVENTURER 2-dr
hard top. S/N 49110347. White/white, black
& gold vinyl. Odo: 60,805 miles. 383-ci V8,
2x4-bbl, auto. OK paint shows minor scuffs
and chips. Chrome and stainless holding up
well, gold-anodized trim somewhat faded.
Original interior just OK, with wrinkled dashpad
and water-stained package shelf.
Grungy engine compartment. Equipped with
swivel bucket seats, aftermarket a/c and
8-track player. One of 590 built. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $37,400. While everyone was
ooh-ing and ahh-ing over how nice it looked
on the outside, under the hood, and inside, I
must have been the only one to take a knee
and actually look underneath it. (As it's a
high-clearance SUV, it's not like that was
difficult to do.) No meticulous frame-off restoration
here, just a well-cared-for but used
96k-mile truck that got the ultimate fluff-andbuff
topside. Pretty, but not $37k worth of
stunning perfection. Worldwide
Auctioneers, Auburn, IN, 09/11.
CHRYSLER/MOPAR
#472-1952 CHRYSLER NEW YORKER
convertible. S/N C51844501. Red/white
vinyl/black & white vinyl. Odo: 58,909 miles.
331-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. One of about 6,400
Chrysler convertibles built in 1952 and one
of 2,200 convertible New Yorkers. Very
straight with smooth paint and trim, lots of
excellent chrome. Decent interior, top looks
good. Quite clean under the hood, but rack-
104 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $14,680. This reportedly had
three owners since its arrival in the U.K. in
2009. Top bid came in some ways short of
the $18k lower estimate (and therefore the
reserve), so the owner must have done a
quick re-evaluation and let it go—probably a
wise choice for a bird so rare in the U.K.
Bonhams, Beaulieu, U.K., 09/11.
#22-1957 CHRYSLER 300C convertible.
S/N 3N573170. Gauguin Red/tan vinyl/tan
leather. Odo: 72,446 miles. 392-ci V8, 2x4bbl,
auto. Nut-and-bolt restoration completed
last year by Mopar expert Mike
Swedal of Minnesota to global concours
standards. Only deviations from factory are
exhaust and stainless steel components for
brake and fuel lines. Leather seating
sourced from Gary Goers shows light wrinkling
from being sat on a few times—the
SOLD AT $30,246. If you're into big tail fins
and performance, this was your car, for not
a lot of cash. With perfect-condition
Adventurer convertibles selling in the
$200k-plus range, how could this not be a
good deal? Classic Motorcar Auctions,
Canton, OH, 09/11.
#429-1960 PLYMOUTH FURY Sport
Suburban wagon. S/N 3705109732. Pink
& white/brown vinyl & cloth. Odo: 62,708
miles. 318-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. A Las Vegas
car that was originally all white, now outrageous
Good & Plenty pink-and-white. Very
straight, good panel fit, good chrome, excellent
grille. Nice interior redone to approximate
original pattern. Scruffy under the
hood. Equipped with power steering, power
seats, power brakes, power rear window.
Aftermarket Mark IV air conditioning, roof
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rack, dual exhaust. One of 3,333 built.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $19,440. One of the wildest wagons
from the Garth Richards Collection. It
appeared to be a sound driver that was
ready to go. Convertibles of this year occasionally
show up, but station wagons almost
never do. Like the ‘59 Cadillac, the ‘60
Plymouth's over-the-top styling was out of
fashion for years, but now it's back as a
curiosity, and the repaint seemed to help
today. They're simple cars to maintain and
a/c is a huge plus if it's staying in Nevada.
In terms of fun-per-mile, surely one of the
best buys of the sale. Silver Auctions,
Carson City, NV, 08/11.
6142174676. Red, white & blue pearl/red
vinyl. Odo: 18,590 miles. 480-ci supercharged
V8, auto. No fender tag. One of
three factory lightweight 330s sent by
Chrysler to Dragmaster to be built into
NHRA drag cars, evolving into the first altered-wheelbase
“funny cars.” Two-decade
restoration completed in 2010 to correct
1964 configuration and shows virtually no
signs of wear or use. While it has a supercharged
Max Wedge under the hood like it
originally did, this replacement motor is a
more modern rendition built by Brad
Anderson. Cond: 1-.
5
#28-1964 DODGE 330 S/FX
Charger 2-dr sedan. S/N
#5148-1966 PLYMOUTH SATELLITE 2-dr
hard top. White/red vinyl. Odo: 34,122
miles. 426-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp. Real-deal
early Hemi, reportedly all numbers-matching
and showing actual miles. Straight body
appears to have been repainted a few years
back. Trim has some patina and minor surface
rust. Interior tidy but has minimal pitting
on some chrome. Pedals show some wear.
Instrument panel clean and fresh, fitted with
basic AM radio—no tach or other gauges to
monitor high-performance engine activity.
All decals and components in their place
under the hood. Blueline tires a nice touch.
Cond: 2.
paint, perfect panel fit and chrome, excellent
glass. Doors close with authority.
Original interior is a disappointment, with a
puffy green terrycloth look and feel that
seems out of place on such a luxury barge.
Huge trunk clean and tidy. Engine compartment
is all factory, including decals, dust,
and period-thirsty V8. The engine's original
195 horsepower may seem light, but torque
is 320 ft-lbs, so it should scoot. Excellent
condition with no excuses. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $53,900. The restorer probably
paid more than the sale price getting it to
this level, so definitely a good buy. Pre-sale
estimates put this car in the $60k–$70k
range, but values on Mopar muscle are still
soft. For the enthusiast with his hand in the
air, this was somewhat of a bargain, still
about four to five times what a base model
with the 318-ci V8 would bring. Auctions
America by RM, Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#36-1977 CHRYSLER NEW YORKER
Brougham 2-dr hard top. S/N CS23T7C106473.
White/white vinyl/green cloth.
Odo: 54,406 miles. 440-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Absolutely huge. Flawless original white
SOLD AT $6,372. One of just 16,875 produced
in 1977, with low volume blamed on
lack of advertising. Or maybe the public
thought $7,000 in 1977 dollars was a bit
much for a car “only” 231 inches long. Or
maybe the 8.9 mpg was a turn-off (which it
certainly is today). This example looked
wonderful on the outside, and like a towel
room on the inside. On this day, it brought
market value, pleasing both buyer and
seller. Silver Auctions, Sun Valley, ID,
09/11.
AMERICANA
#6-1935 STUDEBAKER DICTATOR phaeton.
S/N 5508161. Two-tone maroon/tan
cloth/tan leather. Odo: 84,679 miles. Oneoff
body, fabricated when shipped new to
Australia as a running chassis. Excellent old
SOLD AT $302,500. While this car was
being set up by Dragmasters, custom car
icon Dean Jefferies fabricated the front and
rear valances, radiused the wheelwells, and
did the paint. According to the catalog, the
other two cars were destroyed by the end of
the program (one on the track, the other on
the transporter). This sole survivor was also
the primary competition car, as it was the
only one fitted with the hardware to allow a
braking parachute. Since it was offered at
no reserve, it set its own market but seems
about right, if not a touch on the low end.
See the profile p. 54. Worldwide
Auctioneers, Auburn, IN, 09/11.
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repaint. Cosmetically worked on in the early
1980s, when it was converted to right-hand
drive and fully reupholstered. Rechrome on
all brightwork still quite good. Tidy but not
quite show-quality under the hood. Like-new
steering wheel restoration. Seating shows
some wrinkles and glossiness from use.
Original paint on the dash faces starting to
flake. Equipped with optional Free Wheeling
and AM radio, with antenna under the right
running board. Cond: 2-.
Last seen at RM's recent 2011 Amelia
Island auction, declared sold for $143,000
(ACC# 176564). Rolled off the block here
as a no-sale at $130k, but a deal must've
come together after the fact. Worldwide
Auctioneers, Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#238-1948 NASH AMBASSADOR Custom
convertible. S/N R508951. Gray/black
cloth/brown leather/. 235-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp.
Nice paint, new top, original brightwork with
some thinning chrome plating. Hood fit is
off, driver's door closes hard. OK driverquality
interior. Equipped with A-pillar spotlight.
One of 1,000 Ambassador Custom
convertibles built in 1948. Cond: 3.
best of six different Crosleys offered today
and sold accordingly. Silver Auctions,
Carson City, NV, 08/11.
#192-1958 PACKARD HAWK 2-dr hard
top. S/N 58LS1413. Red & gold/tan vinyl.
Odo: 17,265 miles. 289-ci supercharged V8,
auto. Packard's last gasp, based on the
Studebaker Golden Hawk hard top, with a
fiberglass nose. Now in red but appears to
have been a white car. Fairly straight. “Bird
bath” spare tire cover on trunk, mylar panel
inserts in side flash. Interior a mix of redone
and shabby original. Feels flashy and neglected.
Equipped with incorrect exhaust,
correct supercharger, limited slip differential,
wire-wheel hubcaps and wide whitewall
tires. One of 588 built. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $48,600. Previously sold at RM's
Novi, MI, sale in ‘06 for $39,590 (ACC#
41661). “Dictator” was the name for
Studebaker's 6-cylinder car series until the
antics of certain Fascist despots in Europe
made the South Bend company rethink their
model-naming scheme. Repatriated to the
U.S. in 1971 for $1,000, shipped to San
Francisco for the then-princely sum of $400,
but wasn't restored until 1979. As a one-off,
the value will always be whatever two people
agree on (sometimes helped along by
the prodding of others). Call this marketcorrect
for now. Worldwide Auctioneers,
Auburn, IN, 09/11.
#12-1936 PACKARD EIGHT Series 1402
phaeton. S/N 394365. Dark green/tan
cloth/green leather. Odo: 350 miles. Newer
concours-quality restoration. Paint is periodcorrect
for color, but applied better than
technologically possible when new. All exterior
brightwork replated, including those
darn pesky grille shutters. Expertly crafted
top and interior upholstery, minimal evidence
of wear. Light pitting on some interior
chrome fittings. Tidy engine bay. Freshly
repainted undercarriage in matte black.
Stainless exhaust system. Optional ride
control and Goddess of Speed hood ornament,
with period-accessory mirrored
Lorraine spotlight. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $27,000. This car had buffing
schmutz all over it, and a little more time
spent wiping it off would have helped. In the
end, the buyer got a very cool convertible
for not a lot of money. Well bought at significantly
below the low estimate. Classic
Motorcar Auctions, Canton, OH, 09/11.
#425-1951 CROSLEY SUPER SPORT
roadster. S/N VC30009. Red/red vinyl.
Odo: 51 miles. 44-ci I4, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Crude,
but quite attractive, with bugeye lights.
California car, looks straight, with decent
paint and typically casual panel fit. Good
chrome on bumpers, fair hubcaps. Tidy interior
with simple seats and Mickey Mouse
lift-off doors, edges wrapped in rubber strips
so you don't cut yourself. Piston shift knob
fitted. Good tires, rear-mounted spare.
Probably restored, judging from the mileage,
but the sloppy steering does not speak
well for the rest of the mechanicals.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $29,160. Rare and should be.
The “catfish look” was a sad way for
Packard to exit the market, and the gewgaws
tacked onto the basically handsome
Studebaker Golden Hawk look like stage
makeup on a street walker. The toilet-seat
rear spare, the ghastly golden mylar side
flash and the unforgivable vinyl padding on
the outside of the door tops were just
cheesy. Painting the car red completed the
package today. Well sold. Silver Auctions,
Carson City, NV, 08/11.
#250-1963 STUDEBAKER AVANTI R2
coupe. S/N 63R3510. Red metallic/black
vinyl. Odo: 66,191 miles. 289-ci supercharged
V8, 4-sp. Paint shows cracks, chips
and blisters. Good chrome and stainless,
clear glass. Decent interior, torn shifter boot,
paint peeling inside speedo. Equipped with
supercharger, chrome dress-up kit, power
steering and brakes. Includes original window
sticker with $4,850 sticker price.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $130,000. While this is a cataloged
body in 1936, this is the only known
example built upon the Eight chassis, although
several Super Eights do still exist.
106 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $14,580. Despite their tiny engines
and primitive build, Crosleys were
significant in the U.S. for their performance
in the early 1950s. The Hot Shot Super became
the Super Sport in 1951, and one
radically modified car even went to the Le
Mans 24 Hour race. (It lasted two hours
before the generator failed.) This was the
SOLD AT $27,000. This car sold in April at
RM's 2011 Carlisle sale for $31,900 (ACC#
177839), with zero miles covered since.
Someone took a beating and should have
just left the money in the 401k. Well bought
assuming everything checks out OK.
Classic Motorcar Auctions, Canton, OH,
09/11. A
Page 106
EBAY MOTORS // Online Sales
4-doors open way to lower prices
NO B-PILLARS ALLOWED
by Chad Tyson
Condition inferred from seller's descriptions; cars were not physically examined by the author. All quoted material taken from the eBay listings.
(sf=seller's feedback)
C
GM
#250920822511-1956 CHEVROLET BEL
AIR 4-dr hard top. S/N VC56B0265512.
Gypsy Red/Dune Beige/red vinyl/beige
cloth. Odo: 47,500 miles. 4 photos.
Jacksonville, FL. “First year of the four
door hard top. Options include power
steering, power brakes, automatic transmission,
factory skirts, EZ Eye glass and
the power pack engine with four barrel carb
and dual exhaust. The FACTORY a/c is
fully charged and cools to original specification.
Garaged in climate controlled storage.
The wide white walls that I removed
from the car and replaced with radials are
included in the sale.” 32 bids. sf 188.
Cond: 2+.
courtesy lights, turn signals, back up lights,
high beams, break lights all works.” 10
bids. sf 3. Cond: 2+.
and model, this particular car sends me
running the other direction. But like a train
wreck I keep on looking at it. At least until it
comes up online again. I'll check back in
five minutes.
NOT SOLD AT $4,500. It's amusing to see
the early Pontiac ‘pinched waistline' treatment
stretched over the 219 inch length
and four doors. But it's a shame to see
such a beautiful car get such a low offer.
This car, in this condition, should be able to
break five figures. The trick is finding
someone who appreciates being able to fly
a small plane through the car when all the
windows are rolled down.
SOLD AT $19,995. Why is it when the top
goes down the price goes up, but when
more doors are added the price goes
down? Not fair I say. If this had been a 2-dr
hard top, the price would have easily doubled.
Even so, this was a pretty penny
compared to the larger market. Well sold.
#180753992079-1963 PONTIAC STAR
CHIEF Vista 4-dr hard top. S/N
663D0000. Blue/blue/white vinyl. Odo:
43,000 miles. 24 photos. Gooding, ID.
“This is a Northwestern car that has received
a lot of work the last few years.
Before I got it the 389 V8 had been rebuilt
and the 2-bbl and intake were replaced
with an Edelbrock 4-bbl and a new intake.
Originally interior came 2 tone blue, but I
added white. Original radio not hooked up,
there is a CD player in the glove compartment
w/remote control. All lights, interior
108 AmericanCarCollector.com
#110767402137-1967 CHEVROLET
CAPRICE 4-dr hard top. S/N
166397F153463. Red/black vinyl/black
vinyl. Odo: 117,789 miles. 38 photos. Fort
Lauderdale, FL. “The exterior on this classic
is in good condition without any major
rust areas. Paint shines with a nice finish,
just a couple of minor imperfections but
overall good condition. The interior of this
beauty is rip-free with little to no wear.
Overall most of this classic is here and in
better than expected condition. Car runs
and drives great.” Four different tires on
wheels with surface rust. Engine is soaked
in orange paint and appears gooey at the
front of the manifold. 28 bids. sf 166.
Cond: 3.
#140629774661-1973 OLDSMOBILE 98
Regency 4-dr hard top. S/N
3X39T3M329900. Zodiac Blue/gray
vinyl/blue vinyl. Odo: 140,904 miles. 24
photos. Twin Falls, ID. “It is in very nice
condition for the year and still is responsive
with it's powerful 455-ci V8. It still floats
over the rougher roads nicer than most
new cars and is a comfortable ride for six
people. Fender skirts and the stainless
steel hub caps are next to perfect. The only
thing cosmetic issue is the 3” bumper extensions
have several cracks around
them.” 38 bids. sf 145. Cond: 2.
ars with four doors get a hard time from all sides. They're too big, too heavy to match the agility and power-to-weight ratio of
coupes and convertibles. The styling isn't as sleek and sexy either. I say true, unless we're talking about the four-door hard top cars,
that is. You get acres of open space when the windows are all rolled down. They can also offer is a potential sleeper aspect few
can match, as well as plenty of legroom for the entire carful. All of this comes at a price point lower than any comparable coupe or
convertible.
SOLD AT $2,950. It is a tragedy that the
2-dr versions are going for nearly triple
what this one sold for. Same with the car
costing $7,271 (!) when it was new, as per
the dealer's shipping order. Someone got a
good deal on an apparently sorted and
clean Olds. Although that is not to say that
there is much room for flipping it.
FOMOCO
SOLD AT $4,377. I've been following this
car for several months. Listed five times on
Craigslist, twice on eBay by my count.
While I'm passively looking for this year
#220892636237-1956 FORD FAIRLANE
500 Town Victoria 4-dr hard top. S/N
M6PF100000. Platinum Gray & Colonial
White/black cloth & white vinyl. Odo:
45,935 miles. 7 photos. Chicago, IL. “Car
was in storage from 1962-2007. Since I
bought the car the following work has been
done- heads w/hardened valves and seats,
rebuilt transmission, re-cored radiator, new
Page 107
gas tank, major tune-up, new brake system,
new dual exhaust, tires, battery and
cables, belts, heater hoses and heater control
valve. Solid body with original floors. All
glass is good. Presentable original paint,
chrome and interior (driver's seat bottom
has some seam splits). Drives,steers and
stops well.” 5 bids. sf 330. Cond: 3+.
Black/black cloth/white leather. Odo:
68,864 miles. 31 photos. Westchester, NY.
28 bids.”Two owner car, originally a White
House Government staff car. Elderly gentleman
I bought it from was told it spent a
few months in 1960 chauffering Nikita
Kruschev as well as various Kennedys.
Interior in good shape, front seat could use
reupholstering. Always garaged, the
Continental's body is very straight and
clean. Cruises nicely on the highway, holds
the road perfectly. Engine runs smooth and
even, doesn't leak anything, garage floor
always dry when I pull her out.” sf 58.
Cond: 3.
NOT SOLD AT $8,600. The car is relatively
uncommon when compared with its 2-dr
counterpart (32k v. 178k) but not as rare as
the seller thinks it is. Which is probably why
there wasn't an agreement between bidders
and the reserve. The seller also might be still
looking at the receipts for resuscitating the
long dormant beast. I suspect it'll sell for a
higher price point, but probably not nearly
what the seller has in it.
#200668539502-1959 LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL MARK IV Presidential
Edition 4-dr hard top. S/N HY9C424448.
MOPAR
#140624529906-1967 IMPERIAL CROWN
4-dr hard top. S/N YM43K7329936.
Black/dark blue vinyl. Odo: 42,000 miles.
76 photos. Temecula, CA. “A Southern
California since new, ‘black plate' sedan. It
had been stored from 1978 to 2002. It was
a wonderful original car in white with a
black vinyl top. It then received a full and
complete color change to the present deep
and luxurious black and removed the vinyl
top. The restoration was completed in
2004.This appears to be fully loaded with
factory air and power everything.” Six inch
tear in rear seat cushion. BIN. sf 32.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $7,700. The seller says it will
only appreciate in value. Counting on inflation,
sure it will. But for actual, significant
appreciation, there will need to be money
put in the car. I think you'll end underwater
before too soon though. Max price currently
for condition.
WHAT'S YOUR CAR
WORTH? FIND OUT AT
NOW FREE! The world's largest collector
car price guide based on
over 500,000 sold transactions
from
.
Updated weekly.
www.collectorcarpricetracker.com
January-February 2012 109
even with the “black plate” VAT. Well sold.
A
SOLD AT $14,800. Usually a change to
“fire-sale red” drives the price upwards, but
this switch to black worked wonders here.
This was well above normal market value
Page 108
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Put your company in the ACC Resource Directory. Call 877.219.2605 Ext. 211,
or email advert@americancarcollector.com
Auction Companies
Auctions America by RM.
877.906.2437, 5540 CR llA Auburn,
IN 46706. Home of the 480-acre
Auction Park in Auburn, IN, where
the annual Labor Day Auction is
held in conjunction with the Auburn,
Cord, Duesenberg Festival.
www.auctionsamerica.com. (IN)
Mecum Collector Car
Auctioneers. 815.568.8888,
815.568.6615. 950 Greenlee St.,
Marengo, IL 60015. Auctions:
Orlando, Kansas City, Rockford,
Bloomington Gold, St. Paul, Des
Moines, Carlisle, and Chicago.
Nobody Sells More Muscle Than
Mecum. Nobody. www.mecumauction.com.
(IL)
Russo and Steele Collector
Automobiles. 602.252.2697,
602.252.6260. 5230 South 39th
Street, Phoenix AZ 85040. info@
russoandsteele.com; www.russoandsteele.com.
(AZ)
Advertisers Index
Auctions America by RM......................23
Auto Etc Neon....................................111
Auto Trader Classics ............................63
Barrett-Jackson......................................3
Bennett Law Office.............................110
Bloomington Gold ..........................75, 77
Blue Bars............................................111
Bruce Shaw..........................................95
Chubb Personal Insurance...................11
Classic Motorcar Auctions ...................73
Classic Restoration ............................115
Collector Car Price Tracker................109
Corvette America..................................35
Corvette Market Insider's Seminar.......91
Corvette Repair Inc. .............................25
Corvette Specialties ...........................111
County Corvette .....................................2
Silver Auctions. 800.255.4485,
2020 N. Monroe, Spokane, WA
99205. silver@silverauctions.com.
www.silverauctions.com. (WA)
The Worldwide Group.
866.273.6394. Established by
John Kruse and Rod C. Egan, The
Worldwide Group—Auctioneers,
Appraisers and Brokers—is one of
the world's premier auction houses,
specializing in the procurement and
sale of the world's finest automobiles
and vintage watercraft. www.
WWGauctions.com. (IN)
Corvette Parts &
Restoration
County Corvette 610.696.7888.
Sales, service, parts and restoration.
When it must be right.
www.countycorvette.com. (PA)
Mid America Motorworks
800.500.1500. America's leader
in 1953-2008 Corvette parts and
accessories. Request a free catalog
at www.mamotorworks.com. (IL)
Granite Digital.......................................93
Hagerty Insurance Agency, Inc. ...........13
Hamann Classic Cars...........................39
Harchelroad Motors Inc........................65
Heacock Classic ..................................21
Infinity Insurance Companies.............116
JC Taylor ..............................................19
Jim Meyer Racing Products Inc. ........111
Long Island Corvette Supply Inc........105
Mac Neil Automotive Products Ltd ......83
Matick Chevrolet ..................................65
Mecum Auction ......................................9
Mid America Auctions ..........................89
Mid America Motorworks.....................67
Motorcar Portfolio ................................73
MustangPoolTables.com......................87
National Corvette Restorers Society....93
Palm Springs Exotic Car Auctions .......29
AutoBahn Power. Performance
+ Looks + Durability + Comfort
= Autobahn Power! Autobahn
Power is a veteran of vehicle
modifications, parts and accessories.
Our specialty has been to
carry products that are better than
original equipment in performance,
safety and quality. Our warehouse,
service shop and retail store are
located in the Midwest for good
access to all parts of the USA. We
have completed literally hundreds
of project cars. These performance
vehicles are in enthusiast's hands
across the USA. Many of the
cars are in daily use proving the
durability of our workmanship and
products. Check us out at www.
autobahnpower.com.
Classic Car Transport
Intercity Lines, Inc. 800.221.3936,
413.436.9422. Rapid, hassle-free,
coast-to-coast service. Insured
enclosed transport for your valuable
car at affordable prices. State-of-
Park Place LTD...................................107
Passport Auto Transport......................71
Petersen Collector Car Auction..........109
Planet Cobra........................................4-5
Pro-Team Corvette Sales, Inc..61, 97-103
Red Hawk Enterprises..........................83
Reliable Carriers ...................................59
Rod Shows...........................................17
SWISSVAX USA, LLC...........................37
Scottevest ............................................27
Silver Collector Car Auctions ...............15
Sports Car Market..............................113
St Louis Car Museum ..........................69
Superior Chevrolet ...............................79
The Chevy Store Inc.............................31
Thomas C Sunday Inc........................111
Ultimate Pedals ....................................95
Zip Products.........................................33
the-art satellite transport tracking.
Complete service for vintage races,
auctions, relocations.
www.intercitylines.com. (MA)
Insurance
Hagerty Collector Car Insurance.
800.922.4050. Collector cars aren't
like their late-model counterparts.
These classics actually appreciate
in value so standard market
policies that cost significantly more
won't do the job. We'll agree on a
fair value and cover you for the full
amount. No prorated claims, no
hassles, no games. www.hagerty.
com. (MI)
Corvettes for Sale
Corvette Central Parts and accessories
for all Corvettes. Corvette
Central has been a leading manufacturer
and distributor of Corvette
parts and accessories since 1975.
We offer the most comprehensive
and detailed parts catalogs on
the market today and produce a
different catalog for each Corvette
generation. All catalogs are also
online with full search and order
features. From Blue Flame 6 to the
new C6, only Corvette Central has
it all. www.corvettecentral.com. (MI)
County Corvette. 610.696.7888.
The most modern and best
equipped Corvette-only facility in
the nation. www.countycorvette.
com. (PA)
The Chevy Store. At The Chevy
Store, you will find only the highest
grade, investment quality Corvette
and specialty Chevrolet automobiles.
We take pride in providing
our clients with the finest selection
anywhere. Offering investment
quality corvettes and Chevrolets for
over 30 years! 503.256.5384 (p)
503.256.4767 (f) www.thechevystore.com.
(OR)
Museums
National Corvette Museum 80053-VETTE.
The National Corvette
Museum in Bowling Green, KY
was established as a 501(c)3 notfor-profit
foundation with a mission
of celebrating the invention of the
Corvette and preserving its past,
present and future. www.corvettemuseum.com.
(KY) A
110 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 110
Keith Martin
As the host of the television show “What's My Car Worth,” I
look at hundreds of cars each year that are crossing the block at
auction. In our “Mailbag” section, we invite viewers to send us highresolution
photos and some information about their cars, and we
select some for an estimate of value. Here are a few of the recent cars
that have been submitted; if you would like us to consider your car,
please send a photo and description to mycar@whatsmycarworth.tv.
And keep watching “What's My Car Worth” on Velocity.
1963 1/2 Ford Galaxie 500XL Fastback
Background from owner: Claimed to be one of 90 built.
Factory high-performance 406 with 3x2 2-bbl carburetors,
405 hp, 448 lbs of torque. Essentially original, one repaint in
the '70s, 80k original miles, mechanically freshened for reliability.
Analysis: A rare and unusual car, with a loyal following in the
“Total Performance” era big Fords.
Collectibility: B
Market value: $50,000–$65,000
1968 Shelby GT 500
Background from owner: 1,044 built, owned for more than
30 years. Sold new in NYC, complete document trail back to
original order for the car. In CA since 1969, still have original
blue CA plate. Ground-up restoration in '07. 24 first-place
concours, seven best of show, one best paint, three second
place. Gold with white stripes, 4-speed. Taken on two 1,000
mile muscle-car tours. Signed by Carroll Shelby, verified by
Marti Report. Insured for $275k.
Analysis: Anything connected with Shelby has collectability,
and these big-block early Mustangs are highly desirable.
While their prices are on the rise, and this is an exceptional
example, I think that $275k is too strong in the current market.
Collectibility: A
Market Value: $135,000–$160,000
1968 Pontiac GTO Ram Air convertible
Background from owner: 9,980 GTO convertibles built in
1968, owner claims just 114 were Ram Air. Uncle was original
owner, have original bill of sale, Protecto-Plate, warranty card,
copy of original title. Restored, still have all the original parts.
Engine block has XS code that confirms Ram Air engine.
Repainted original color (Vedoro Green), 4-speed, hideaway
headlights.
Analysis: GTOs of this era always bring a lot of attention
when they cross the block, especially when they are convertible,
four-speed, Ram Airs. The documented history is a plus.
Collectibility: B
Market Value: $100,000–$115,000
112 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 111
For 24 years, Keith Martin's Sports Car Market
has been the informed, authoritative voice
of the collector car hobby.
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Page 112
Surfing Around
Carl Bomstead
Automobilia on eBay
Carl's thought: Think people pay goofy money for early automotive trinkets and trash? You don't have to look hard to find non-automotive
stuff that's even goofier. How about someone paying $52,900 for a Gang of 4 Target Robot battery operated toy? Yeah, it was mint in the box
with the original gun and darts still in the bag, but heck, you could buy a decent early '60s Corvette for that kind of money.
Here's some other stuff I've found that isn't battery operated, but it's not 50 grand either:
EBAY #380369557551—1930
PACKARD SPEEDSTER SALES
BROCHURE. Number of Bids:
2. SOLD AT: $574.99. Date Sold:
9/20/2011. Packard built an estimated
120 of their 734 factory “hot rods” in
four body styles. They had a larger
384-ci engine with a two-barrel
downdraft carburetor. They were narrower
and lighter than the standard
offerings and thus offered far greater
performance. With such limited production,
the sales brochures were, of course, also limited. This was
a reproduction that was done by noted Packard authority Robert
Turnquist some years ago. Normally, a reproduction is barely worth
the paper it is printed on, but these are rare in any form, so the
price was not out of line.
EBAY #320749228010—POLLY
PREM ONE QUART MOTOR OIL
CAN. Number of Bids: 16. SOLD AT:
$698. Date Sold: 9/18/2011. Polly
was the colorful logo for the Wilshire
Oil Company of Los Angeles.
Anything with their parrot logo is very
desirable and usually expensive. Oil
cans are off their high of a few years
back, but this one still sold for adult
— but not silly — money. The task
will be to find the other grade, Polly
Penn, in equally presentable condition.
EBAY #270808425383—
TEXACO “A CLEAN
SPARK PLUG MEANS
MORE POWER”
BLOTTER. Number of
Bids: Buy-It-Now. SOLD
AT: $74.99. Date Sold:
10/03/2011. In the '20s,
Texaco offered their
dealers a series of eight
blotters that could be imprinted
with their names and used as giveaways to their customers.
They were extremely popular, and the following year Texaco offered
a series of 15 by the same artist but in a slightly larger format. Both
series are extremely collectible, and when someone gets close to
completing the set, they will pay silly money for the last few. Bet
that's what happened here.
114 AmericanCarCollector.com
EBAY #230676711345—FORD
PORCELAIN DEALER SIGN.
Number of Bids: 22. SOLD AT:
$7,500. Date Sold: 9/29/2011.
This double-sided porcelain and
neon dealership sign was unusual
in that it had four stripes rather than the more common three. It was
more than six feet in length and about two feet high. It was in need
of complete restoration, and I doubt if the stains can be removed, so
a repaint is in order. As such, price paid was all the money.
EBAY #260863364716—2
STIFFS SELLING GAS LICENSE
PLATE ATTACHMENT. Number
of Bids: 23. SOLD AT: $200.50,
Date Sold: 10/04/2011. Lovelock,
NV, is midway between Reno and
Winnemucca, and “2 Stiffs Selling
Gas” has been in business since
the '30s. They even had an “Air Cooled Deluxe Auto Court” at one
point. The quirky station is now off the beaten path, but motorists
still flock to the station to buy hats, T-shirts and coffee mugs. The
gas is also the cheapest around. This license plate attachment
dates to the '50s and is the only one I've seen. Price was about
right for an unusual piece.
EBAY #250894697927—
ORIGINAL EDDIE MEYER
RACING DECAL. Number of
Bids: 3. SOLD AT: $34.99. Date
Sold: 9/27/11. Eddie Meyer
opened his speed shop in West
Hollywood, CA, in the late '30s
and was a pioneer in developing and manufacturing speed equipment
for Ford V8s. Meyer closed his shop in the early '60s, but
his dual intake manifolds and finned high compression heads are
still sought after by hot-rodders. This decal was original, although
reproductions are available for about seven bucks. For my money,
I'd rather have the real deal.
EBAY #160655529896—GE AUTO LAMPS
DISPLAY CASE. Number of Bids: 18.
SOLD AT: $482.77. Date Sold: 9/28/2011.
This porcelain display case was in very nice
condition and included a parts list for auto
lamps for cars up to 1932. Price paid was
about right, although there is a version with
yellow lettering that sells for a bit more. A