Profiles
- Hot Rod - 1933 Ford Model 40 Highboy Roadster “The Mexican Blackbird”
- Corvette - 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Indy Pace Car Editions
- GM - 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS 396 Z16
- Ford - 1970 Ford Torino 429 CJ Type N/W
- Mopar - 1969 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S Fastback
- Race - 2009 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak
- Truck - 1958 Chevrolet Apache 31 Cameo
- Americana - 1952 Hudson Hornet Sedan
Search This Issue
Page 6
CAR COLLECTOR
Volume 3 • Issue 13 • January-February 2014
The Scoop: Profiles
CORVETTE
1978 CORVETTE INDY
PACE CAR EDITIONS
$86k / VanDerBrink
$20k / Mecum
$10k / Mecum
Three Pace Car Corvettes,
three very different prices;
what gives?
— John L. Stein
Page 46
GM
1965 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE
MALIBU SS 396 Z16
$214k / Mecum
The big-block Chevelle’s
notorious origin
— Tom Glatch
Page 48
FoMoCo
1970 FORD TORINO 429
CJ TYPE N/W
$66k / Barrett-Jackson
Are bargain-basement days
over for the Torino Cobra
Jet? — Patrick Smith
Page 50
MOPAR
1969 PLYMOUTH
BARRACUDA FORMULA S
$47k / Barrett-Jackson
Small-block power brings
big-block money
— Tom Glatch
Page 52
AMERICAN
™
8 AmericanCarCollector.com
Keith Martin's
Page 7
HOT ROD
1933 FORD MODEL 40
HIGHBOY ROADSTER
$70k / Auctions America
So what if there’s no
history? — Ken Gross
Page 54
AMERICANA RACE
1952 HUDSON HORNET
SEDAN
$28k / Bonhams
Originality and Twin-H
power bring a nice price
— Carl Bomstead
Page 56
2009 DODGE
CHALLENGER DRAG PAK
$24k / Mecum
10s out of the box, once
you finish it
— Dale Novak
Page 58
TRUCK
1958 CHEVROLET APACHE
31 CAMEO
$147k / VanDerBrink
If you don’t like this price,
try to find another one
— B. Mitchell Carlson
Page 60
Courtesy of Mecum
Cover photo: 1965 Chevrolet
Chevelle Malibu SS 396 Z16
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
1933 Ford Model 40 Ford Highboy Roadster “The Mexican Blackbird”; profile, p. 54
© 2013 Courtesy of Auctions America
January-February 2014
9
Page 8
The Rundown
EXPERTS’
COLUMNS
12 Torque
Where do you find value?
— Jim Pickering
40 Cheap Thrills
Five Lincoln-Mercury sleepers
— B. Mitchell Carlson
42 Horsepower
Building a nasty GTO
— Colin Comer
44 Corvette Market
Is that Corvette project really
worth tackling?
— John L. Stein
114 Surfing Around
Must-have automobilia
— Carl Bomstead
AUCTIONS
66 Barrett-Jackson — Las Vegas
Sales grow to $32m from $23m, and 656 out of 659 cars change hands
— Dan Grunwald
74 Mecum Auctions — Chicago 2013
The Harley Earl 1963 Corvette leads 615 out of 917 cars to an $18.2m
overall total — Dan Grunwald
80 Russo and Steele — Las Vegas 2013
The first R&S Vegas outing sees 102 out of 237 cars sell for $3.5m overall
— Jack Tockston
88 VanDerBrink Auctions — The Lambrecht Chevrolet
Collection
In a Nebraska field, 512 non-running cars total $3m — B. Mitchell Carlson
96 Roundup
Classics to customs from coast to coast — Jack Tockston, Kevin Coakley,
B. Mitchell Carlson, Cody Tayloe, Patrick Coakley, Stuart Lentzke, Joe Seminetta,
Phil Skinner
10AmericanCarCollector.com
FUN
RIDES
26 Good Reads
The Cars of Trans-Am Racing:
1966–1972
— Mark Wigginton
28 Desktop Classics
1932 Ford 5-window coupe
— Marshall Buck
84 Quick Take
1968 Chevy II Nova coupe
— Jim Pickering
86 Our Cars
Dale Novak’s ’59 Corvette
SERV
DEPA
16 What’s
Collector events of note
18 Crossing the Block
Upcoming auctions, plus our
Nova wagon goes to auction
24 Parts Time
ACC Picks the 10 best new
items from SEMA
28 Cool Stuff
A swingin’ truckbed toolbox,
a portable winch and a
triple-duty pen
30 Your Turn
An Invicta Custom and a
family-built ’46 Ford
32 Feature: The Cars
78 Glovebox Notes
2014 Ford F-150 XLT
100 2014 Chevrolet Silverado
Z71 LTZ pickup
SuperCrew 4x4 pickup
108 The Parts Hunter
Rare parts and pieces
on the market
110 Showcase Gallery
Sell your car in ACC’s
classifieds section
110 Advertiser Index
112 Resource Directory
Get to know our advertisers
Background photo: Trolling for
treasure at the Lambrecht Chevrolet
sale in Pierce, NE (see feature, p. 32)
Tony Piff
That Time Forgot
Unearthing Bowtie history
at Lambrecht Chevrolet
Page 10
Torque
Jim Pickering
Buying on emotion
A
fter three years of on-again,
off-again work, my ’72 Chevy
K10 4x4 resto is finally complete.
The truck is good to go at
a moment’s notice. There’s only
one problem. It doesn’t really belong to me
anymore. My daughter Katie has claimed it
as her own.
Katie turned 2 in November, and she’s
particularly vocal for her age. “My truck,”
she says when she sees it, and she always
insists that we take it — wherever we’re
going. And when we do, she sits in her car
seat, with a commanding view of the road,
and points out yellow buses, other cars, and
other trucks. And when we get out, she runs
to the tailgate to read me the letters: “C-H-EV-R-O-L-E-T!”
The funny thing about all this, and the
part that most of my family and friends don’t
believe, is that I’m not pushing her to do any
of it. I’m not sure you can push a 2-year-old
to do anything — especially not my opinionated
Katie — and yet the truck has still
become one of her favorite things. And to
me, that makes it even more valuable than it
already was.
History and value
This is a special issue of ACC, as it
marks the start of our third year, and it includes
in-depth coverage of one of the most
talked-about car events of the past decade:
the Lambrecht Chevrolet auction in Pierce,
NE. ACC regulars Jay Harden, B. Mitchell
Carlson and Tony Piff put together the most
comprehensive report on the event you’ll
find anywhere. It starts on page 32.
Value at Lambrecht was a hard thing to
nail down, as many bidders felt the lots offered
a once-in-a-lifetime chance at owning
a no-mileage part of old-car history. Many
paid over-the-top prices to drag home a part
of the legend. Price guides really had no
bearing on the outcome, aside from illustrating
just how expensive many of the cars
were as they sold.
There’s one question I keep hearing with
regard to this $3m auction of mostly rough
Chevrolets: Why were these cars worth so
much? How can we justify the prices paid
against the current market level, especially
when many of them, stored for years outside
12 AmericanCarCollector.com
in the elements, brought many multiples
of what better examples might bring elsewhere?
The power of emotion
To answer that, we have to take a look at
two of the driving forces behind values: the
current market, and the power of emotion.
The market is relatively easy to track.
You can refer to value guides and auction
reports to come up with a “normal” price
range. Any significant amount beyond normal
can be attributed to emotion — you’re
compelled to own a car for one reason or
another, and you pay what it takes to bring it
home — usually well above the market level.
This isn’t always a bad thing, as long as the
buyer knows that the market may take a long
time to catch up — if it ever does.
My truck — excuse me, Katie’s truck — is
a great example. The current market may
say it’s worth $15k or so, but the history I’ve
had in it over just the past two years with
her has made it worth much more to me. If I
had to replace it due to theft or accident, I’d
pay a premium to get a similar truck. Why?
Because it’ll always remind me of this point
in time with my little girl. And I’d be happy to
do so because I see value in that story we’ve
created. All it would take is one other bidder
with similar reasons to push the price to the
sky. And everyone would be left scratching
their heads about why it was so expensive.
LAMBRECHT’S CARS BROUGHT OVER-THE-TOP PRICES. WERE THEY
WORTH THE MONEY SPENT?
Nothing comes between this lady and her truck
Justified — or not?
So were the prices paid for some of those
rusty hulks in Nebraska justified? The simplest
answer, at least in terms of the market,
is it doesn’t really matter.
Why not? Because most of the Lambrecht
sales didn’t change market values. These cars
got caught up in the Lambrecht myth and
legend, and buyers paid emotion-based prices
that elevated these cars and trucks right out of
being relevant to valuing other cars that sell
elsewhere. They simply don’t compare.
For the rough outside-storage cars in
this sale — the ones that needed everything
— many of the prices paid simply made no
sense, and they don’t have to. Just like I see
far more than market value in my truck,
especially when my daughter is stomping
around in the bed and spelling “Chevrolet,”
many Lambrecht buyers saw more value in
these cars than the market might deem appropriate.
But the story was captivating, and
that legend put these cars, however rough
and needy, in a world of their own.
Maybe the Lambrecht name will follow
these cars around, and maybe they’ll always
be worth more because of it. We’ll just have
to wait and see. But in the meantime, I hope at
least some of them end up fixed up and functional,
where they can become a part of their
buyers’ lives and justify the prices paid. After
all, that’s what they were built to do. A
Page 14
WHAT’SHAPPENING
2014 ACC Insider’s Seminar
Colin Comer, author of Million Dollar
Muscle Cars, The Complete Book of Shelby
Automobiles: Cobras, Mustangs and Super
Snakes and Shelby Cobra Fifty Years, will
talk about high-performance American collector
cars at the annual Arizona Insider’s
Seminar presented by American Car
Collector and Barrett-Jackson Endorsed
Insurance. The seminar is on January
15 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at BarrettJackson
WestWorld, 16601 N. Pima Road,
Scottsdale, AZ. In addition, an expert panel
of ACC writers — including Comer, B.
Mitchell Carlson and editor Jim Pickering
— will take a look at the best American
investment/fun cars from the 1950s, 1960s,
1970s, 1980s, 1990s and today. Publisher
Martin will moderate the panel. The
seminar is free for ACC and SCM subscribers,
Bloomington Gold-Certified Corvette
owners and NCRS members. $10 for all
others. www.americancarcollector.
com/2014seminar (AZ)
Pick up useful collecting and investment tips at the ACC Insider’s Seminar
ACC in Arizona
American Car Collector, along with our
sister magazine, Sports Car Market, will be
at the big Arizona auctions from January 12
through January 18. You can find our magazines
at almost every auction, including the
Russo and Steele auction. We’ll have a booth
at the Gooding & Company auction. Don’t
miss our annual ACC Insider’s Seminar
from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Barrett-Jackson
auction site on Thursday, January 17. Get
the scoop on the entire week in the 2014
Insider’s Guide to the Arizona Auctions,
which is packaged with this magazine. Don’t
hesitate to say hello when you see us in the
desert! For more information, visit
www.americancarcollector.com
16 AmericanCarCollector.com
Grand National Roadster Show
Did you wade through snow or tiptoe on ice today? It’s winter, but Southern California is
basking in sunny, short-sleeve weather. So why not follow the sun to the 65th Annual Grand
National Roadster Show — the granddaddy of all hot-rod shows. Hot cars from all over the
world will rumble into the Pomona Fairplex from January 24 through January 26, and you’ll
also see thousands of street rods, customs and trucks on display in the cradle of hot-rod culture.
This is the longest-running indoor car show in the world. This event is the place to show
off the car you’ve been working on for years — and it’s a place to steal a little summer from
the icy teeth of winter. More than 500 showcase cars and trucks will compete for awards —
including the coveted America’s Most Beautiful Roadster prize. Another 400 to 800 great cars
will rumble to life during the Grand Daddy Drive-In on January 25 and January 26. The show
will celebrate 100 years of speed at Bonneville, and this year’s theme is “Need for Speed.”
Need we say more? www.rodshows.com (CA)A
Page 16
CROSSINGTHE
Upcoming auctions (Images are courtesy of the respective auction houses unless otherwise noted)
BLOCK
by Tony Piff
1948 Buick Roadmaster sedan with only 18,000 miles will cross the block at the Tom Mack January auction in Charlotte, NC
JANuARy
Dave Rupp — Fort Lauderdale Beach Auction
Where: Fort Lauderdale, FL
When: January 3–5
More: www.ftlauderdaleauction.com
This early January sale usually offers about 300 cars and takes
place just three miles from the Florida beach. You can count on
plenty of American muscle, quality street rods, Corvettes of all
ages, and some very nice pickups. The star car is a 1942 Packard
One-Twenty convertible coupe with dual sidemounts.
Tom Mack — Charlotte in January
Where: Charlotte, NC
When: January 10–11
More: www.tommackclassics.com
a 1946 Ford Sedan Delivery and a well-optioned 1962 Chevrolet
Impala SS. Three unrestored originals of note: a 1941 Buick Roadmaster
sedan with just 18k miles, a one-owner 1966 Ford Fairlane
500 XL with 24k miles and a 1949 Oldsmobile Club coupe, barnstored
from 1958 until recently.
Barrett-Jackson — Scottsdale 2014
Where: Scottsdale, AZ
When: January 12–19
More: www.barrett-jackson.com
Last year: 1,331/1,335 cars sold / $102m
Expect about 125 quality cars to cross the block at the 30th
edition of Tom Mack’s annual Charlotte auction. Headliners include
ACC’s 1964 Nova wagon
heads to auction
ACC is cleaning out our garage to make room for some new
old cars, and that means our restored 1964 Chevrolet Nova
wagon needs to find a new home. It’s an original 283-powered
400-series Nova with its numbers-matching engine, and was
converted to a Saginaw 4-speed manual from its original 3-onthe-tree.
The complete restoration was finished two years ago,
including paint and interior in the car’s original colors. Other
upgrades include SS bucket seats, SS gauges with tach, Hurst
shifter, Edelbrock intake and carb, Pertronix electronic ignition,
rear air shocks, and more. It’s a true turn-key cruiser. It’ll be
crossing the block at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale event in January
as Lot 684, and it’ll be selling there at no reserve. Learn
more about it at www.barrett-jackson.com. — Jim Pickering
18 AmericanCarCollector.com
The ’70s Hot Wheels Funny Cars “Snake” and “Mongoose”
headline Barrett-Jackson’s 2013 Scottsdale sale. The pair is offered
as a matched set and including their original transport rigs.
Other important consignments include a 1929 Duesenberg SJ LeBaron
“Sweep Panel” dual-cowl phaeton, a 1954 Plymouth Belmont
concept car, and two L88 Corvettes: a ’67 coupe and a ’69 racer.
Page 18
CROSSINGTHEBLOCK
Russo and Steele — Sports and Muscle in Scottsdale
Where: Scottsdale, AZ
When: January 15–19
More: www.russoandsteele.com
Last year: 451/701 cars sold / $17.7m
Russo and Steele will return to Scottsdale with a long list of
quality muscle cars and hot rods. The star cars are a 1968 Shelby
GT500 KR convertible, equipped with factory a/c and purchased
new by actor Lee Marvin; and a Govier-inspected 1970 Plymouth
Hemi ’Cuda with a “one of one” options list, original 426 Hemi and
date-code-correct TorqueFlite automatic transmission.
This very classy one-day sale offers a hand-picked selection of
blue-chip collector cars. The auction takes place at the Westin
Kierland Resort & Spa. The featured American consignment is a
1932 Marmon V16 Victoria coupe (Bonhams estimate: $1.1m–
$1.4m).
Bonhams — The Scottsdale Auction
Where: Scottsdale, AZ
When: January 16
More: www.bonhams.com
Last year: 92/112 cars sold / $13.5m
clientele. The star American consignment for January 2014 is a
1929 Duesenberg Model J dual-cowl phaeton (Gooding estimate:
$2m–$2.3m). Expect a lot more pre-war heavy iron, plus a handful
of important muscle cars, sports cars and Corvettes.
Silver Auctions—Arizona in January
Where: Fort McDowell, AZ
When: January 17–18
More: www.silverauctions.com
Last year: 213/351 cars sold / $3m
Silver’s long-running Fort McDowell sale is a great place to
score an affordable classic during Arizona Auction Week. There will
be a strong assortment of American classics, Detroit muscle, cool
customs, and custom trucks. The featured early consignment this
year is a 1947 Oldsmobile woodie wagon, one owner until 2003,
purchased new in Scottsdale (Silver estimate: $65k–$75k).
Mecum Auctions—Kissimmee High Performance
Auction
Where: Kissimmee, FL
When: January 17–26
More: www.mecum.com
Last year: 1,807/2,424 cars sold / $70.7m
This 3,000 car sale lasts an unbelievable 10 days. Featured lots
include a 1956 Chevrolet Corvette known as “The Real McCoy”; a
1956 Chevrolet Corvette Sebring racer; a 1969 Ford Mustang Boss
429 fastback; and a 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 convertible. From
the Richard Berry Callaway Collection, look for the 1988 Chevrolet
Corvette Callaway “Sledgehammer,” a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette
styling car, a 1930 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Berline convertible,
and a 1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra.
FEBRuARy
1957 Ford Thunderbird “F-bird” convertible at RM Phoenix
American highlights at this sale of world-class collectibles
include an unusually original 1930 Duesenberg Model J “disappearing
top” convertible coupe (RM estimate: $2m–$2.4m); a 1961
Chaparral 1 sports racer, campaigned by Jim Hall and Hap Sharp
(contact RM for estimate); a documented supercharged 1957 Ford
Thunderbird convertible ($200k–$250k); a 1915 Pierce-Arrow
Model 48 7-Passenger Touring ($200k–$250k); a meticulously
restored 1946 Ford Sportsman ($180k–$220k); a 1959 Cadillac
Eldorado Biarritz convertible ($175k–$225k); an award-winning
1933 Packard Twelve coupe roadster ($375k–$475k); and a 2005
Ford GT, featuring single ownership and 5,100 miles since new
($190k–$220k).
RM Auctions—Automobiles of Arizona
Where: Phoenix, AZ
When: January 16–17
More: www.rmauctions.com
Last year: 75/84 cars sold / $36.4m
Gooding & Company—The Scottsdale Auction
Where: Scottsdale, AZ
When: January 17–18
More: www.goodingco.com
Last year: 101/105 cars sold / $52.5m
20 AmericanCarCollector.com
Petersen Salem Collector Car Auction
Where: Salem, OR
When: February 1
More: www.petersencollectorcars.com
Leake — OKC 2013
Where: Oklahoma City, OK
When: February 21–22
More: www.leakecar.com
Last year: 257/352 cars sold / $5.7m
The focus is squarely on American makes at Petersen’s twiceannual
Salem auction, with a strong helping of street rods and
customs. The sale takes place at the Oregon State Fairgrounds.
Leake’s OKC sale has a 30-year history and takes place just 90
minutes from Leake’s hometown of Tulsa. The sale typically sees
about 350 cars, heavy on American performance, vintage pickups,
wicked street rods and quality Corvettes. Last year’s sale averaged
$22k per car.
McCormick’s Palm Springs Collector Car Auction
Where: Palm Springs, CA
When: February 21–23
More: www.classic-carauction.com
Last year: 407/530 cars sold / $7.4m
Gooding’s annual Scottsdale auction presents top-flight collector
cars from every automotive genre and attracts a jet-setting
This will be Keith McCormick’s 56th Palm Springs Collector Car
Auction. With an average sold price of about $18k, it’s a great sale
for drivable classics, but there are plenty of big-money cars, too.
Last year’s high sale was a 1931 Packard Eight Model 833 convertible,
sold at $115,500.A
Page 19
Scottsdale — more than just car auctions
ONE OF THE CAR WORLD’S BIGGEST WEEKS IS GETTING BIGGER
For years, Arizona in January has been all about car auctions and
nothing else. This year, that’s changing. Here’s what’s new:
Automobilia Scottsdale
Where: Scottsdale, AZ
When: January 16–17, 2014
More: www.automobiliascottsdale.com
Automobilia Monterey sets the
bar every year, with dozens of
vendors selling vintage posters,
signs, photographs, badges,
pins, hood ornaments, mascots,
models, literature, postcards and
original art, all under one roof.
For 2014, they’ve added a Scottsdale
event, taking place at the
Radisson Fort McDowell Resort.
Arizona Concours d’Elegance
Where: Phoenix, AZ
When: January 12, 2014
More: www.arizonaconcours.com
It will be the biggest automobilia expo in town, and the focus is
squarely on authentic, original merchandise — nothing reproduction.
Introductory-year admission just $10.
Arizona Auction Week now has a concours to call its own. Rare
vintage automobiles representing the global history of the motorcar
will line up for judging on the immaculate grounds of the Arizona
Biltmore, with Packard as the featured American make. ACC
Publisher Keith Martin emcees the inaugural event.
Sports Car Market’s Insider’s Guide to Arizona is the definitive guide to this year’s week of car sales and events. Download it at
www.sportscarmarket.com/digital-issues/arizonasupplement2014
January-February 2014 21
Page 20
Publisher’s
Note
Keith Martin
CAR COLLECTOR
Volume 3, Number 1
January-February 2014
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
Associate Editor Chad Tyson
Copy Editors Yael Abel, Dave Tomaro
Auction Analysts B. Mitchell Carlson
Kevin Coakley
John Lyons
Norm Mort
Phil Skinner
A
Look for Lot 684!
merican Car Collector is making its first plunge into the
Arizona Auctions. We have consigned our nicely restored
1964 factory-283 Nova wagon to Barrett-Jackson.
It has been assigned Lot 684, which means it will run
early Thursday afternoon.
We’ve paid our consignment fee of $700, and will document all
the various costs and experiences we have and report back to you.
As noted on p. 18, this may be the nicest shoebox Nova wagon in
the world, upgraded with a floor 4-speed, SS buckets and gauges, and
completely redone from stem to stern — while still carrying most of
its original Chevy II 400 badges and original chrome.
Restoring this car was a much more complicated project than I
thought it would be; even a Chevy economy car from the ’60s turned
out to have a welter of unique parts, and as few wagons are restored
to a high standard, mundane things such as sourcing the taillight
chrome began a herculean task. The disassembly, chroming and
reassembly of the luggage rack sucked up $2,000 as easily as an
Edelbrock AFB 4-barrel — which we have added to this car — devours
fuel. I’m afraid to total up the stack of restoration receipts, but
my financial manager says that we passed $50,000 some time ago.
While we have bought cars from many auction companies, this
is the first time an ACC project car has been offered for sale. We
invite you to examine it and will be glad to answer any questions.
Even more important than the sale will be the story that goes with
it — what it was like to transport it, stage it, have it detailed once it
arrived, attend to it prior to the sale, bring it to the block and then see
if there are at least two people in the audience who love it as much as
we do.
See you there. A
Contributors Carl Bomstead
Colin Comer
John Draneas
Michael Pierce
Jay Harden
Mark Wigginton
Information Technology/
Internet Brian Baker
Lead Web Developer Marc Emerson
SEO Consultant Michael Cottam
Advertising and Events
Coordinator Erin Olson
Financial Manager Cheryl Ann Cox
Print Media Buyer Wendie Martin
ADVERTISINg SALES
Advertising Executives Randy Zussman
randy.zussman@AmericanCarCollector.com
877.219.2605 x 214
Cindy Meitle
cindy.meitle@AmericanCarCollector.com
877.219.2605 x 5
Steve Kittrell
steve.kittrell@AmericanCarCollector.com
877.219.2605 x 5
SuBSCRIPTIONS
Subscriptions Manager Rich Coparanis
Administrative Assistant Cassie Sellman
Subscriptions 877.219.2605 x 1
9 a.m. to 5 p.m., M–F
service@AmericanCarCollector.com
503.253.2234 fax
@AmericanCCMag
CORRESPONDENCE
Phone 503.261.0555
Fax 503.253.2234
general P.O. Box 4797
Portland, Oregon 97208
FedEx/DHL/uPS 401 NE 19th Street, Suite 100
Portland, Oregon 97232
Email help@AmericanCarCollector.com
Feedback comments@AmericanCarCollector.com
Web www.AmericanCarCollector.com
American Car Collector magazine (ISSN# 2164-1323) is published bimonthly by
Automotive Investor Media Group, 401 NE 19th Street, Suite 100, Portland, OR 97232.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to American Car Collector, PO Box 4797, Portland,
OR 97208. The information in American Car Collector magazine is compiled from
a variety of reliable sources. However, we disclaim and deny any responsibility or liability
for the timeliness, use, interpretation, accuracy and completeness of the information
presented. All material, data, formats, and intellectual concepts in this issue © 2014 by
American Car Collector, LLC, Automotive Investor Media Group, Inc., and Automotive
Investor in this format and any other used by American Car Collector magazine.
Copyright registered with the United States copyright office. PRINTED IN USA
22 AmericanCarCollector.com
AMERICAN
JOIN US
Daniel Grunwald
Jack Tockston
Pat Campion
Dale Novak
B. Mitchell Carlson
Ken Gross
Tom Glatch
John L. Stein
Marshall Buck
Dale Novak
Keith Martin's
Page 22
PARTSTIME by Chad Tyson
New products to modernize your street machine
The 10 best new items from SEMA
The Specialty Equipment Market Association conducts the biggest automotive aftermarket event of the year. Every fall, thousands of exhibi-
tors, buyers, sellers and industry professionals flood the Las Vegas Convention Center halls to see what’s new in the car world. ACC was there,
and out of the thousands of new parts that will be on the market for 2014, here are my 10 favorites from this year’s show:
Coker Tire
American Classic “Bias-Look” Radial Whitewall Tire
2013 SEMA Winner:
Best New Tire and
Related Product
Corky Coker really
wanted to make bias-plylook
radial tires. Every
time his engineers came
back to him and said
it couldn’t be done, he
kept pushing them — for
years. Now safe, modern
radial construction meets
the classic profile I love
to see. Sizes range from
6.50R13 up to 8.20R15
with more to come.
www.cokertire.com
800.251.6336
Leap Innovations
Weigh Safe Trailer Hitch Scale
2013 SEMA Winner: Best
New Tools and Equipment
Product
It’s just stupid to burden
your truck with a poorly loaded
trailer. Your car(go), tools and
passengers are at higher risk
for accidents when you do. Safe
tongue weight involves proper
distribution of the pounds on
the trailer. This tool helps you
get the job done right. A built-in
scale measures tongue weight to
show you what’s underloaded,
overloaded and just right.
www.weigh-safe.com
801.820.7020
Classic Industries/OER
1971–72 Plymouth Duster Twister 340 Sharktooth Grille Assembly
What once was lost, now is found. The Sharktooth grille from OER — available through Classic
Industries — is now available, so you can replace that broken piece you lived with for years. Or
PARTSTIME
PARTSTIME
PARTSTIME
PARTSTIME
RTSTIME by Chad Tyson
New products to
TSTIME by Chad Tyson
New products to modernize your street machine
The 10 best new items from SEMA
The Specialty Equipment Market Association conducts the biggest automotive aftermarket event of the year. Every fall, thousands of exhibi-
tors, buyers, sellers and industry professionals flood the Las Vegas Convention Center halls to see what’s new in the car world. ACC was there,
and out of the thousands of new parts that will be on the market for 2014, here are my 10 favorites from this year’s show:
Coker Tire
American Classic “Bias-Look” Radial Whitewall Tire
2013 SEMA Winner:
Best New Tire and
Related Product
Corky Coker really
wanted to make bias-ply-
look radial tires. Every
time his engineers came
back to him and said
it couldn’t be done, he
kept pushing them — for
years. Now safe, modern
radial construction meets
the classic profile I love
to see. Sizes range from
6.50R13 up to 8.20R15
with more to come.
www.cokertire.com
800.251.6336
Leap Innovations
Weigh Safe Trailer Hitch Scale
2013 SEMA Winner: Best
New Tools and Equipment
Product
It’s just stupid to burden
your truck with a poorly loaded
trailer. Your car(go), tools and
passengers are at higher risk
for accidents when you do. Safe
tongue weight involves proper
distribution of the pounds on
the trailer. This tool helps you
get the job done right. A built-in
scale measures tongue weight to
show you what’s underloaded,
overloaded and just right.
www.weigh-safe.com
801.820.7020
Classic Industries/OER
1971–72 Plymouth Duster Twister 340 Sharktooth Grille Assembly
What once was lost, now is found. The Sharktooth grille from OER — available through Classic
Industries — is now available, so you can replace that broken piece you lived with for years. Or
Mr.
Mr. gasket
HEADLOCK — Locking
Header Bolt Set
At the start of SEMA 2013,
Classic Industries/OER
Air Cleaner Emblem Kits
This is the first piece of automotive bling that
didn’t send me hightailing it the other way. Their
compound curves make sure the emblems fit only
one way on the correct big-block open-element air
cleaner. And something this pretty should fit properly.
Your choice of 396/375, 427/400, 454/425 and
502/450 kits are now available for $143.99 each.
www.classicindustries.com 800.854.1280
24 AmericanCarCollector.com
Prestolite Performance Group
announced their name change to
ACCEL Performance Group. As
a result of the parent company
shift, subsidiary Mr. Gasket
will serve restorers and hot-rod
builders with an even bigger
catalog of parts. One of those
pieces is the locking header bolt
set. Serrations under the bolt
head provide extra biting grip
when tightened down. The hexdrive
socket cap (with hex-drive
tool) allows for secure tightening
in cramped engine bays.
The coarse-thread 3/8-inch by
¾-inch bolts fit Chevy 262–400,
Pontiac 326–455, Chrysler
383–440, and Oldsmobile
330–455 engines.
www.mr-gasket.com
Page 23
Rocket Racing Wheels
Rocket Solid and Rocket Fire
Our friends at Rocket Racing Wheels
recently re-created the iconic Indyroadster
wheel style. The Rocket Fire’s
ribbed design modernizes the original
six-pin piece with new materials and
optional five-lug mounting pattern. The
Rocket Solid features a smooth wheel
Dakota Digital
ECD-100 Electronic Cable Drive Unit
Okay, so that 4L60E in your first-gen Camaro sure
surface, but the same high quality for
which Rocket Racing is known. Expect
availability in early 2014 of both 16x5
wheels in three bolt patterns and a
number of finishes.
www.rocketracingwheels.com
888.307.7525
improves gas mileage, but did you give up wondering
how fast you’re
going? Dakota
Digital is here
to help without
requiring you
to replace your
gauges. This
compact box
(5”x4.1”x2.15”)
bridges the gap
between original
mechanical
speedometers
and modern
transmissions
that only supply
electronic outputs.
www.dakotadigital.com 800.593.4160
Del City
Mini Fuse Panel
Since custom builds always require careful space considerations, let Del
City remove a headache from the situation. Their low-profile, sealed mini-fuse
panel with bussed inputs accepts 22–12 gauge wires — up to 10 fuses on each
of the two powered circuits. Bussed M6 input studs means one common power
input for all circuits. It is important to note that the entire panel cannot exceed
160 amps (80 amps each side), with a 30-amp maximum per branch.
www.delcity.net 800.654.4757
Royal Purple
Max-Clean Fuel
System Cleaner and
Stabilizer
Royal Purple’s latest
cleaner restores fuel
economy and horsepower
(3.2% and 2.6% respectively),
stabilizes fuel for
storage and reduces harmful
emissions. Treats up to
20 gallons for 3,000-mile
(6 oz.) or 10,000-mile
(20 oz.) intervals.
www.royalpurple.com
888.382.6300
E-Stopp
Remote E-brake
2013 SEMA YEN Launch Pad Winner
These are going to be everywhere soon. It’s a push-button emergency brake kit
that will work with any sort of brake system. No clunky levers or pedals to clutter
up an interior any more. Another brilliant use for the E-Stopp: Hide or lock away the
button for increased anti-theft protection. The $449 kit includes the actuator, control
box with switch and pack of wire connectors. www.estopp.com 562.605.2842
January-February 2014 25
Page 24
The Cars of Trans-Am Racing: 1966–1972 by David Tom,
CarTech, 192 pages, $28.72, Amazon
GOODREADS by Mark Wigginton
The Trans-Am series was the pinnacle of manufacturer-supported road racing in America.
For that short time when facial hair was the norm and bell bottoms and denim were in
vogue, the racing world saw overt or covert support from
Ford, Chevrolet, Mercury, Dodge, American Motors,
Pontiac and Plymouth. They were spending hard cash
or offering back-door engineering support to get to the
oh-so-desirable second part of the “Race on Sunday, Sell
on Monday” mantra.
If you were a fan of any type of muscle-car “small
sedans,” you had a chance to see your cars racing head
to head on famous tracks around the country, and driven
by the biggest names of the time — guys so big they still
only need one name: Foyt, Gurney, Jones, Tullius, Savage,
Titus, Donohue, Revson and Follmer.
This book examines the changing cast of characters,
from drivers to teams to engine builders, from the wellknown
Roger Penske operation to Bud Moore’s gang, as
well as the lesser lights of the series: Bob Tullius’s Group
44 Dodge Dart team, or Ron Grable and Ronnie Kaplan’s
efforts with the Javelin.
It was a time of creative interpretation of the rules
(which were decidedly restrictive on what you could and couldn’t do to the cars) which led
everyone from Penske, Smokey Yunick and Bud Moore, right down to small privateers, doing
everything they could to get past overmatched tech inspectors. Would you believe teams built
engines in which only the cylinder most likely to be checked was legal?
Full of historic images and updates on the cars as they run in vintage racing today, The
Cars of Trans-Am Racing is a lively, comprehensive tour of one of the best times in American
racing.
Lineage:
David Tom started the Historic Trans-Am
Registry, has extensive seat time in a wide
variety of cars and has owned nearly a
dozen significant Trans-Am Camaros. This
background puts him in a pretty solid spot to
write about the breadth of the series, the cars
and the participants. Tom is also a journalist
and restoration expert. His knowledge of the
technology and times adds details not found in
previous looks at the era.
Fit and finish:
CarTech has a look and feel for most
of their books, and this one isn’t an outlier.
Functional design and above-average reproduction
at a low price point sums it up.
Drivability:
What makes Tom the right guy to do this
book is also its downfall. You never really
want the guy who geeks out on something
to an obsessive degree also telling you the
story. Why not? You can lose the sweep of
the story to the details. Tom knows an amazing
amount of Trans-Am history and lore, but
at times it’s disorganized with odd turns off
the narrative path where the story lies. It’s
always interesting, but disconcerting.
is best
CAR COLLECTOR
AMERICAN
The Scottsdale Insider’s Seminar
Wednesday, January 15
9 a.m., Barrett-Jackson WestWorld, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ
“The Muscle car MarkeT — Today and ToMorrow”
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Colin Comer, ACC Editor at Large and author of The Complete Book of Shelby
Automobiles: Cobras, Mustangs and Super Snakes and Shelby Cobra Fifty Years.
PLUS: ACC experts name the best buys in both fun and value by decade: 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s,
and modern. what should you buy right now and what will it cost you?
ACC’s All-Star Panel Includes: B. Mitchell Carlson, ACC Auction Analyst and “Cheap Thrills”
columnist; Jim Pickering, ACC Editor; John L. Stein, ACC contributor and Corvette columnist;
and Mike Yager, founder of Mid America Motorworks
Register: www.AmericanCarCollector.com/2014seminar Phone: 503.261.0555 ext. 217
Space is limited — pre-registration is strongly encouraged. No cost for Barrett-Jackson registered bidders
or SCM or ACC subscribers. $10 admission otherwise.
26 AmericanCarCollector.com
Keith Martin's
Page 26
COOLSTUFF
Spr
load
T
Swingin’ truckbed toolbox
The UnderCover SwingCase mounts in
the corner of your truck bed for out-of-theway
tool storage and swings out over the
tailgate for easy access. The rugged plastic
case is lockable and waterproof. When not
in use, lock the case to your truck with a
padlock or simply slide it off the frame and
bring it inside. Installation takes about five
minutes. Holds up to 75 pounds. $180 from
www.summitracing.com
XL i
EDC b
SOG
Tech
high
the knife securely closed.
Apply a decisive amount of force
to the kick flipper or thumb stud, and the
blade flips open and locks into place. Lefties
will approve of the reversible pocket clip.
Choose from a variety of blade shapes and
material
from ww
by Tony Piff
Winch in a pinch
Master Lock’s portable winch slips over
a ball hitch o
bolts to a
trailer for
occasional
light-duty
pulling.
It will
drag 2,000
pounds,
pull 5,000 pounds
through the water, or
pull 6,000 pounds rolling. It’s not a dedicated
full-time workhorse, but at $79.99, it’ll
pay for itself the first time you use it. www.
summitracing.com
Triple
The S
Clamp-on cup caddy
RoboCup lends a hand — two, actually
— anywhere its rubber-lined jaws can grip.
$19.97 from www.genuinehotrod.com
was spec
the arme
ingly slim p
black an
ink cartr
0.5-mm m
pencil, a
threaded c
eraser. Ju
cycle thr
points. Constructed
of sturdy, lightweight brass, with a
non-reflective finish. $16.95 from www.
marvgolden.com
py
ays homage to the iconic
Firestone Deluxe Champion tire with this
clever phone case. Sized for either iPhone 4
or iPhone 5. $19.95 from www.100mph.
com.au
DESKTOPCLASSICS by Marshall Buck
1932 Ford 5-window coupe
“As American as apple pie.” We’ve all heard
that millions of times, but it certainly applies
to the all-new 1:18-scale Grand National Deuce
Series from ACME Trading Co. This series is a
tribute to American hot rods.
The first model is an eye-catching, full-fend-
ered coupe, decked out in metal-flake paint with
a fully chromed, plumed and wired flathead
V8 with Ardun heads. Look closely around the
exterior and you’ll find a nice touch of delicate black-and-white pinstriping, too.
Interior detail is modest — a little too much so — but well done with a great steering wheel
and good painted, chromed, and pinstriped dash. Overall fit and finish of this is excellent.
This is a cool model, and a neat piece of Americana. Examples are due out before the end
of 2013, and will be produced as a numbered, limited series.
28 AmericanCarCollector.com
Detailing
Scale: 1:18
Available colors: “Lemon Cosmic Dust”
Quantity: 996
Price: $129.95
Production date: 2013
Ratings
Detailing:
½
Accuracy:
Overall quality:
Overall value:
is best
Page 28
YOUR TURN
Tell us what’s on your mind
Contact us at: American Car Collector, P.O. Box 4797, Portland, OR 97208
or online at comments@americancarcollector.com
body color), etc.
Trunk matting is modern (incorrect) ma-
terial; cardboard panels missing; spare tire is
not a correct period reproduction.
Underbody looks like it was hit with 10
cans of flat-black Krylon; incorrect dual
glass pack mufflers; fuel tank incorrectly
painted and is full of dents.
I realize that it is difficult to perform a
detailed examination of every car. However,
the ACC description of this car has serious
omissions.
— Greg Cockerill, Rochester Hills, MI
Tony Piff, ACC Auctions Editor, re1960
Buick Invicta Custom
Invicta issues
I am writing you to take serious issue with
the incomplete and misleading description
of your Russo and Steele coverage of Lot
F414 from Monterey, a “1960 Buick Invicta
convertible” (November-December 2013,
p. 94). The description omits several key
facts about this car that have significant
bearing on its value and (presumably) its
selling price. The published description also
suggests the car is much higher quality than
it actually is.
First, and foremost, this is not just an
Invicta, it is an Invicta Custom. This was a
very special and rare mid-year model that
included full leather bucket seats and console.
Only 675 convertibles and 1,750 coupes
were built with this option. I do not expect
your reporter to know these exact numbers,
but the point is that this is extremely rare.
Of course, some of these cars are faked, and
to authenticate that it is a REAL Custom
model, you must decode the body trim tag.
As it turns out, this particular car is indeed a
legitimate Invicta Custom convertible.
The auction description makes NO men-
tion of this being a Custom model, or that it
even has a bucket-seat interior. This strikes
me odd, since an unusual feature like bucket
seats in a 1960 Buick would normally be
called out in the brief ACC auction description.
Second, this car does NOT have a fac-
tory-issued VIN plate! It has a state-issued
(Washington state) VIN plate, located in the
correct location. The reason for this is unknown,
but any tampering or changes to the
factory-issued VIN plate is very significant
and should be reported in the ACC auction
description. I believe that this information
could significantly affect the value of the car.
The subjective description of the car’s inte-
30 AmericanCarCollector.com
rior as “very good quality restoration of seats,
dash, gauges” is inaccurate, as is the overall
rating of “#2 condition.” Let me list just a few
of the shortcomings of this very hasty and nonauthentic
cosmetic refurbishment:
The car is missing all four wheel-opening
moldings (standard equipment on Invicta); the
narrow-band radial tires are obviously incorrect
in both appearance and construction.
This car’s interior is fresh and pretty
but not executed authentically. The seating
is vinyl (not leather) and lacks the correct
graining; The colors are also a poor match
to the correct maroon interior color of an
Invicta Custom. The dashpad has been
covered poorly with bulk vinyl, covering up
the original molded die-electric seaming.
The carpet (black) is incorrect, and should
be maroon. Floor mats are incorrect vintage.
Top boot is white — should be maroon.
The engine compartment is amateurish.
It has an alternator instead of generator;
incorrect aftermarket fuel filter; is missing
underhood insulation; bad spray-bomb work
everywhere; body-color overspray on fender
bolts; incorrect black firewall (should be
sponds: Greg, obviously we missed the fact
that this car was an Invicta Custom — a rare
option in 1960, as you mention. I’ve edited
the online auction record (ACC# 227127) to
reflect your observations and insights. I appreciate
you taking the time to set the record
straight.
I know that car!
On page 20 of ACC #12 (November-
December 2013), I was delighted to see a
photo of the last car my uncle restored before
his passing in 2001 — a 1946 Ford. It is pretty
much the way it left his home to go to his son
in Boise. I am sure it has changed hands a few
times, but no question this car was restored
by Dan Rowe right here in Idaho Falls, ID.
Enclosed some before and after photos.
— Rick Anderson, Idaho Falls, ID
Oops
In my column in the November-December
2013 issue of ACC, I mentioned two incorrect
auction totals. Auction America’s Auburn
sale in late August totaled $27,543,203 for 774
of 1,134 cars, while Worldwide Auctioneers’
Auburn sale totaled $4,119,615 for 67 of 81
cars. Both sales are covered, this time with
the correct numbers, in the Roundup section
of this issue, starting on p. 96.
— Jim PickeringA
1946 Ford before and after restoration
Page 30
FEATURE THE CARS THAT TIME FORGOT
For more than 50 years, Ray Lambrecht’s cars endured rain, snow and wind. Now they faced 18,000 enthusiastic tire-kickers
The Legend
Lambrecht
of
18,000 people, 500 rotting cars
and one crazy weekend
32 AmericanCarCollector.com
Story by Jay Harden
Photos by Tony Piff
W
e’ve all heard classic-car legends. Like that couple
from New York who bought some land in Portugal
and found a forgotten barn full of cars on it, or the
man who found an original 427 Cobra in a storage
shed, untouched since the ’60s. And there’s the
stories of the shuttered dealership, somewhere in the Midwest, full of
original cars left by an owner who just closed up one day and walked
away.
Are these stories true? When they pass from car guy to car guy
over open hoods and open beers, it’s hard to tell for sure, even though
someone always swears that they are.
So when word of Ray Lambrecht’s Chevrolet collection auction
broke this summer, the car world exploded in a frenzy of anticipation.
More than 500 cars from the 1950s through the 1980s, many with
fewer than 20 miles and some still on the MSO, were to be sold from
the long-closed dealership. Here was a real-life urban legend about to
unfold in a very public way, and anyone could pay to own part of the
myth.
Internet forums crackled in anticipation, the story spread like
wildfire around the world, and Editor Pickering told me to pack a
Page 31
A 1958 Chevy Cameo pickup drew big crowds — and big money at $147k
bag. I was on my way to Nebraska to see it
firsthand for ACC.
New or never
Ray Lambrecht took over the Pierce, NE,
Chevrolet dealership in 1946, shortly after
returning home from World War II. He and
his wife, Mildred, managed all aspects of
the business, with the assistance of only one
mechanic, until the place shuttered in 1996.
Ray managed to peddle thousands of cars
over those five decades, but it was the cars
he didn’t sell that made his story special.
If one of his cars didn’t sell before the new
model year debuted, it never did. They piled up inside and around his
downtown dealership, and eventually made their way to an empty
field outside of town. There they joined every car he ever took in on
trade. That’s where they stayed, some of them for over 50 years, as
his collection. Some were stored inside, while most suffered in the
wind, sun, rain and snow of the plains.
But now, after years of chasing people away from the cars, Ray
finally, at the age of 95, decided to let them go.
Like kids in a toy store
The ensuing VanDerBrink sale was a booming success.
Considering that the town of Pierce, NE, is home to only about 1,700
people, watching the 18,000 auction-goers, many of whom managed
to clog up the main road into the sale for several miles, was an event
in itself.
Buyers came from Alaska, Minnesota, Texas, California, Canada
and Norway, and did so to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, and
just getting the RV out of storage. They wore coveralls and Tommy
Bahama, cowboy hats and Red Sox caps. Some came to spend while
most came to mingle, but, everywhere I looked, people were busy
smiling and chatting each other’s ears off.
I first noticed Jack as he stood quietly in the middle of a buzzing
swarm of treasure hunters, his eyes fixed on the business end of a
Corvair. It was only Friday, which was preview day, but thousands
of people were shuffling about in every direction. They were busy
yep, that 1-mile odometer reading is correct
January-Feburary 2014 33
plotting mental waypoints to guide them back to the best finds, and
looking very much like children in an open-air toy store. The crooked
smile and 10-mile stare on Jack’s face revealed he was no different
from the rest. He was just taking a moment to soak it all up.
Tall, slender, and in his late 70s, he stood, all alone, dead-center of
the row I was wading up. I strolled up next to him, pivoted deliberately
towards the Monza he was studying, and said, “Well, what do
you think?” He shifted his weight toward me without ever breaking
his stare, and, as if he’d been expecting me, said, “Incredible. Just
incredible...”
Untouched only once
After hours of exploration, Jack and I eventually circled back
around to have a long look at the 20 or so signature cars of the
sale. These were the cars and trucks that had been stored inside the
dealership all these years, including a ’58 Chevy Cameo, a ’58 Chevy
Apache, and a ’78 Corvette Pace Car — all of them still brand-new
under decades of dust.
Unfortunately, the crowd’s respect for the cars loosened up as
the event progressed. The Cameo, which had remained hidden and
protected for over 50 years, was hit hard by the bidders and specta
Page 32
FEATURE THE CARS THAT TIME FORGOT
tors. Its doors were tugged open and slammed closed; its bedrails
supported lazy elbows; its seat foam was squished for no other reason
but to elicit painfully obvious observations: “It really is like new!”
Handprints and smeared dust rapidly eroded five decades of peace.
I saw a man scrawl his name in the gunk that covered a white 1963
Corvair Monza coupe that would later sell for $40,000. I saw water
bottles lying in battery trays. Leftover hotdog foil was tossed in cowl
vents. It was hard to watch. No one seemed to mind.
With the day rapidly closing and a suddenly cool breeze escorting
clouds in overhead, Jack and I trudged over to a collection of tools,
NOS parts, and dealership paraphernalia arranged haphazardly in
the dirt. I discovered a complete 1960 Chevrolet Essential Service
Tools kit in its original cardboard packaging. The tools themselves
aren’t exactly rare, but this set had never been used. The Kent Moore
manual included in the kit, the one that specified where each tool was
to be used and how, appeared as if it had never been peeled open.
I remember looking up from the stacks of boxes and parts and
manuals sitting in the dirt and thinking that this must be some sort of
mistake. Rain was threatening. Surely, whoever was responsible for
all these treasures was running in circles, desperately searching for a
tent or tables or, at the very least, a tarp. Surely this stuff wouldn’t be
sitting in the mud when I showed up the next morning.
I wish I had been right.
Business time
The sun had just begun to peek over the horizon when I stepped off
the Saturday morning trolley running out to the field from downtown
Pierce. The gathering crowd was immense, and it pulsed like a colony
of ants on the move.
What I already knew was this: The cars that had been stored inside
were incredible. The cars that had been left outside were not, regardless
of what their odometers said. The locals were fantastic, and,
without effort, managed to be friendly, inviting, and exceptionally
accommodating.
Only two mysteries remained. The first: How much for the
signature cars? What about everything else — the oddballs and the
trade-ins? The long-beds and the four-doors?
By now, the crowd’s mood had shifted. The full-face smiles from
only 12 hours earlier were replaced with deeply set jaws and quick
eyes, careful to hide any tells.
Buyers managed to stake out adequate vantage points around
the signature cars, some spilling over into the neighboring rows of
soybeans. It was along that border, between legumes and legend, that
I met a man named Pat. He stood broad-shouldered and flannelled,
giving new meaning to “3 on the tree”
with a seasoned poker face and a reserved countenance. But a thick
buyer’s guide and legal pad undermined his efforts.
He had his eye on a rose-colored, four-door ’57 Chevy Bel Air (Lot
7L) in remarkably complete and salvageable
condition. It was a trade-in, with about
47,000 miles on the clock. According to
Pat’s literature, a running, #4 condition car
should fall somewhere between $4k and
$7k. Pulling out his legal pad, he flipped
a page or two over the back and found the
hand-drawn value grid, one of many, which
he created specifically for the car.
The way he saw it, the fact that the car
didn’t run would normally knock the value
down a notch, but he conceded that this
Bidders and onlookers were able to get up close and personal with the cars
34 AmericanCarCollector.com
The rose-colored ’57 Bel Air
Page 33
unless you were a bidder — and even then — getting to the auction action was difficult
crowd probably didn’t mind the lack of function. He then assumed
nothing here would sell on the low end of the value spectrum, and
reasoned $7k would be about right. He then looked up from his
pad, scanned the crowd, and decided, given the circumstances, that
number would probably need to be doubled. He rounded up to a clean
$15,000, and then added an extra two grand just to be safe. That
would be his limit.
I couldn’t argue with his logic, but $17,000 for a static Bel Air with
too many doors struck me as steep. I was staring the car down, trying
to justify Pat’s math, when Yvette VanDerBrink started the show. She
and her crew stood atop a flatbed trailer equipped with a PA system
and hitched to a shiny white Chevy pickup. Thousands of people
turned at attention and stared silently.
Big money
The first objects on the block were assorted NOS bits and dealer-
ship swag — chum in the water. If there were any doubts as to
whether the Lambrecht name was going to up the ante, the answer
came in the form of a $600 yardstick. The sharks were hitting everything
in sight.
By the time attention turned to the signature cars, the crowd was
primed. The mass of onlookers was stone-silent. No one wanted to
miss the big numbers, and the numbers got big in a flash: $140,000
for the Cameo. $80,000 for the Apache. $80,000 for the Corvette.
One-two-three.
Whenever Yvette yelled “SOLD!” eyes would roll, heads would
nod, and knowing glances would be exchanged. Some simply saw a
bunch of old cars selling for the price of a house. Others saw some of
the most well-preserved examples of our automotive history, deserving
of every dollar spent.
Interestingly, the signature cars accounted for less than 5% of the
total cars available. Would those few cars, and the Lambrecht legend
itself, be enough to make the rest of the lots memorable? We were
about to find out.
With the sale of the signature cars complete, Yvette and her crew
turned the corner and began making their way down the eastern-most
row of vehicles. About midway down that first row sat Pat’s rosecolored
’57.
Bidding started at $5,000 and blew past Pat’s ceiling of $17,000 in a
Cars were forklifted into orderly rows for the auction
January-Feburary 2014 35
matter of seconds. The number climbed to $20k, then $25k, and then
$30k. It finally sold for $39,375 with commission — well over twice
what Pat thought would be outlandish.
The new owner, a soft-spoken Georgia native with a dark beard
and camo cap, sidestepped the herd as they migrated past. When I
asked him about his motivation and the number it took to put the car
on a trailer, he said, “I know it won’t be worth what I paid for it for at
least another 15, 20 years, but I don’t really care. I like the car, and I
think eventually the Lambrecht story, being a part of this sale, will
hold up. People are gonna remember this.” And what to do with the
car? “I plan on takin’ it home, cleanin’ it up, gettin’ it runnin’, and
drivin’ the hell out of it. Just like it is.”
A piece of history
Sunday evening, in the last moments of light and the last moments
of the auction, Yvette’s dad was picking the surrounding relics out of
their slumber with an enormous forklift and pitching them on trailers.
I thought about the other car legends I’ve been told, and how the
best of them live in a foggy world, where the realities of everyday
life don’t really play a part. Why would someone hide a Shelby for
decades, or fill a warehouse in Portugal with collector cars and leave
them there? It makes no sense.
I kept hunting for answers as to why Mr. Lambrecht did it.
Fortunately, I couldn’t find any. A
Page 34
FEATURE THE CARS THAT TIME FORGOT
“How do you just put a new car
in a field and let it rot away?”
— ACCer Jim Besch of Joliet, IL
Preview day in Pierce, NE — the calm before the swarm
MYSTERY, MADNESS
AND MOTORS
Story and photos by Tony Piff
62 never-titled “MSO cars.” Vehicles filled the tiny dealership and a few scattered
36 AmericanCarCollector.com
U
nbelievable fact #1: For 50 years, Pierce, NE, Chevy dealer Ray
Lambrecht refused to resell any used car he received as a trade-in.
Unbelievable fact #2: He also refused to sell any new car that failed to
sell after the close of the model year.
The accumulated hoard eventually totaled more than 500, including
warehouses, but most were just driven out of town to a
wooded lot surrounded by soybean fields, parked, and
left for dead.
Lambrecht closed shop in 1996, and the cars
stayed put. It would be yet another 17 years before
Lambrecht, now age 95, would finally decide to sell.
Nebraska was ground
zero for one of the
craziest auctions in
collector-car history
Prepping the stage for history
To prepare the auction site, VanDerBrink Auctions
spent weeks clearing and leveling the swampy thicket,
extracting hundreds of cars from the mire. (A pixelated
Google Earth view shows nothing more than a
dozen or so sun-bleached cars scattered around a small
overgrown forest.) The cars were then forklifted into
orderly rows, and the remainder were trucked in, with
the 19 best-preserved cars at center stage. A string
of power lines was installed to power floodlights that
illuminated the field after sunset.
“I wanted to see history,” said Mike Purin of Peoria,
AZ, grinning broadly on preview day. “This is history.
If I had a dealership, I’d buy one of these cars and put
it in my showroom.”
“I just wanted to see what a madhouse it would be,”
Page 35
“This is the next
generation of hot rods”
— Todd Heitman of South Sioux City, NE
Projects and parts
Beyond the headlining MSO cars destined for five-
digit prices and permanent climate-controlled storage,
450 other vehicles underwent the scrutiny of an
entirely different set of die-hards: the project people.
“This is the next generation of hot rods,” said Todd
Heitman of South Sioux City, NE, examining a beige
1979 Impala wagon cocooned in a layer of grime.
“There’s a heck of a good car under there. Change the
wheels and go cruise.” That car ultimately sold for
$13,125.
“The bodies are straight, clean and perfect,” said
Dave Marsh of Austin, TX. Marsh traveled to Pierce
with his sights on a single lot: a massive blue 1954
6100 Series utility truck on duallies with no bed. “I
don’t know what it is about that truck,” he said. “I’m
about love. I fall in love with things.” As the auction
procession advanced closer, Marsh grew visibly nervous.
“I got butterflies,” he said, and excused himself
to prepare mentally.
It was all over in about 60 seconds. “I went to $10k
and quit,” he said afterward, flush with endorphins. “I
feel good. I should’ve stopped at $8k.” With commission,
the price came to $11,025. Maybe the winning
buyer loved the truck even more than Marsh did.
Dedicated gearheads descended in droves to see history in the making
said Chris Paugh of Edwardsville, KS.
An electric atmosphere of joyous bewilderment unified families and strangers
filtering through the rows of weathered hulks. It seemed almost unnatural to pass
another human without making eye contact, smiling, shaking one’s head in disbelief
and sharing some comment on the ridiculousness of it all.
But this field of lost American iron wasn’t just a spectacle to behold. For the thou-
sands of dedicated gearheads who registered to bid, this weekend represented that rarest
of opportunities: the chance to rescue a classic car that had not been touched in decades.
To preserve and protect
Preservation-minded collectors, many of whom had traveled long distances by
plane, wore expressions of frustration and disappointment. For these people, the
widely reported story that Lambrecht was a shrewd automotive investor who “loved
cars” did not ring true.
“How did you not sell a big-block muscle car in the muscle-car era?” said Troy
Campbell (an ACCer from Kansas City, MO), referring to a 1969 Chevelle SS 396,
now rusting through and badly damaged from storage.
“How do you just put a new car in a field and let it rot away?” said ACCer Jim Besch
of Joliet, IL. “I think Lambrecht just hid them so he didn’t have to deal with them.”
Pierce locals offered little insight, couching their appraisals of the man in polite
euphemisms like “eccentric” and “thrifty.”
Even the cars stored indoors were not safe from the perils of neglect. The “star
car,” a 1958 Cameo pickup with 1.4 miles (see the profile, p. 60), featured a dented
roof caused by a collapsed ceiling.
Damaged sheet metal notwithstanding, the truck was a time capsule, still show-
ing stenciled yellow sequence numbers on its quarter-windows. The Cameo was
Saturday morning’s opening automotive lot, and bidding quickly sailed over the
predicted $100k, confirming that deep-pocketed collectors were here, ready to play
hardball. Final price for the Cameo: $147k.
The 62 MSO cars alone totaled $2.1m, for an average price of $34k apiece.
The one that got away — Dave Marsh with the
coveted 1954 6100 Series utility truck
January-Feburary 2014 37
Didn’t get screwed
There were a lucky few who managed to procure a
Lambrecht souvenir without paying an arm and a leg.
Bill Hartwig of Fremont, NE, was amused to see
a Lorensen Pender dealership tag on the trunk of an
impossibly trashed 1953 150 4-door. Hartwig was born
in Pender, NE, and after the car sold, he expressed his
interest in the badge to the new owner, who welcomed
him to it. But none of Hartwig’s tools fit the oddly
sized screws.
Later, he spotted a tiny screwdriver in the dirt. It fit
perfectly.
“The guy paid $450 for the car and wasn’t going to
charge me for the badge. I gave him 10 bucks for it.” A
Page 36
FEATURE THE CARS THAT TIME FORGOT
According to
Tony Piff
The world may never know why Ray Lambrecht abandoned so many cars
Like it or lump it, Ray Lambrecht
conducted business his own way
A HARD SELL
by Jay Harden
B
y the time Saturday afternoon rolled around, I was exhausted.
I had been cruising through acres of old cars and
curious buyers since sunup. I needed a break, so I shimmied
back into the protective cover of a mid-’70s Chevy
pickup bed, sans tailgate, and put up my feet.
The majority of the other visitors had long since abandoned the
field where Ray Lambrecht’s hoarded spoils were being unceremoniously
divvied up among strangers. The truck I sat in was almost
dead-center in the middle of the field, surrounded by brand-new junk
cars serving as sofas and conversation starters for a couple hundred
content, exhausted voyeurs. Auctioneer Yvette VanDerBrink and
her crew were still slogging through the crowd atop their motorized
pulpit, trolling for big fish with every old car.
How the hell did all of this happen?
The Lambrecht family and VanDerBrink both made an effort to
spin Ray’s collection as a love affair with the automobile, and one that
the old man knew would be of value someday. I’m sure that’s partly
true, but it can’t be the whole story. No one who “loves” cars allows a
forest to gorge itself on the pretties, do they?
the local sources I
pestered, Ray was
known as a good
man, but could be
a bit cantankerous
and ornery at times.
He did business his
way, and that meant
when he wrote down
the sale price for a
car, you could take
it or you could shop
somewhere else.
Evidently, he wasn’t
always in the mood
to sell cars, either.
According to one
lifetime local, who
for the sake of smalltown
politics will
remain anonymous,
there were “just days
when Ray wouldn’t
sell any cars.”
As I sat in the sun in the back of that truck, thinking all this over, I
struck up a conversation with a local named David Hoffman.
Accompanied by his wife and two young sons, David was visiting
the sale not to buy, but to people-watch. With the friendly, honest
temperament that seemed to define Pierce natives, he, like everyone
else in town, knew all about Ray and his glut of unbuyable cars. He
had spent much of his life driving past this field and its off-limits
contents, and could hardly believe the volume of the turnout.
When I asked if he had any interest in trying to buy a car out of the
lot, he just laughed and shook his head. His wife then shot him a curious
glance, and asked, “Well, did you tell him about the truck?”
Just after high school, David walked through the doors of
Lambrecht Chevrolet with his eye on a shiny new 1976 Cheyenne
half-ton pickup in white and red. At that time, “(Ray) just wanted
too much for it. It was too expensive. I tried to talk him down a few
hundred dollars, but he wouldn’t hear it.” With a light, yielding smile,
he continued, “A few weeks later, I was driving down this road,” he
motioned toward the main street fronting the field, “looked out here,
and there it sat. It’s been here ever since.”
That truck, Lot 44L, unused and neglected for almost 40 years,
sold later that day, to someone else, for $21,000. It had 4.4 miles on
the clock. A
Courtesy of Jeannie Lambrecht
Courtesy of Jeannie Lambrecht
Ray Lambrecht, shown with his wife, Mildred, opened his
dealership shortly after returning from World War II
38 AmericanCarCollector.com
Tony Piff
The truck David Hoffman had wanted since 1976
Page 38
Cheap Thrills
B. Mitchell Carlson
FIVE SLEEPERS
S
BOWTIES AND BLUE OVALS
AREN’T THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN
ince most of the rest of this issue might make you think the
world has a bad case of “Chevy on the Brain,” allow me to
suggest five cheap performance sleepers from the LincolnMercury
division.
Generally, Lincoln and Mercury variants of Ford cars
bring less money in the current collector-car market. This also rings
true with Buick-Olds-Pontiac cars versus Chevrolets. That means
you can get a lot more car for your money with one of these makes,
assuming you don’t care that there isn’t a Blue Oval or Bowtie on the
grille.
Let’s look at one driver-quality example from five different price
points:
1
$5,000 — 1979 and 1982–86 Mercury
Capri RS / 5.0 fastback
The Capri nameplate has been all over the Lincoln-Mercury land-
scape since its first use by Lincoln in 1950. After the European-built
Capri of 1971–78 ceased to be imported, the name was used on the
Fox-bodied Mustang marketed by Mercury for 1979.
Powertrains were exactly the same between the two nameplates,
meaning that for a real small-block Ford (read that as 302 cubic
inches), the 1980–81 models took a timeout. While Ford made lots of
marketing hay with “The Boss Is Back” in mid-1982 with the 302’s
return, it also returned to the Capri as the RS —equivalent to the
Mustang GT. After 1984, the RS became the 5.0 (something of a cross
between a Mustang GT and LX).
On the downside, the factory-built drop-top never made it to the
Capri, so the fastback hatchback is the only choice. While RSs turn
up once in awhile, the limited-edition gold-trimmed 1983 Crimson
Cat (in maroon) and mid-’82 through ’83 Black Magic (in, ahem,
well… black) editions are all but extinct today, especially equipped
with the optional 302.
2
$10,000 — 1984–86 Mercury Capri RS ASC
McLaren 5.0 SC fastback or convertible
From 1984 through the end of Fox-bodied Capri production in
1986, ASC McLaren upfitted these cars with enhanced handling and
European-esque styling, and they also offered a convertible.
The ASC McLaren convertibles were not at all like factory-built
Mustangs. These cars were true two-seaters with a cloth top not
unlike Mercedes-Benz SLs with a three-section plastic rear window.
Offered through the Lincoln-Mercury dealership network as a
factory-authorized converter, they cost $3,380 for the sport coupe and
$9,290 for the sport convertible in 1985. As such, only 933 were done
for the three years that Capris were part of the program, although
most (522) went the full route with the drop-top conversion.
The conversion work was about as good as possible in the mid-
1980s, and the few that are around today have held up well. $10k
should get you a nice driver-grade convertible or a minty no-excuses
low-mile fastback.
40 AmericanCarCollector.com
3
3
2
from Lincoln-Mercury
1
Courtesy of Scott Nonnenman
$15,000 — 1985–89 Lincoln Continental Mark
VII LSC; Cars & Concepts / Roush GTC Stage II
Yes, you read that right — a Roush Lincoln.
Cars & Concepts offered Lincoln-Mercury dealers a Grand
Touring coupe version of the Mark VII LSC in three steps with two
major stages. The base Stage I was centered mostly about aero appearance
upgrades in either monochromatic Midnight Black or Arctic
White, while the Stage II is where Jack Roush and company entered
the picture and expanded upon that with two more levels.
The first-level Roush Stage II got a heavily modified suspension,
with modified airbag springs and a rear axle Panhard arm. The final
step got a Roush-built 4-barrel 351W, backed up with either a T-5
5-speed or a beefed-up AOD. That engine upgrade added $14,265
on top of the $8,504 it cost for Stage I and Stage II mods, meaning
that by the time you’d built one to ultimate specs, you’d pretty much
bought the equivalent of two Mark VII LSCs with one to show for it.
Production was extremely limited (generally agreed to be about 50,
with 351-powered Stage IIs numbering perhaps 10) and finding one
today in any condition is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
Minty Stage I cars easily fall just short of this price point, but if
you can find a good verifiable Stage II driver, $15k should be right
Page 39
4
in the zone, although a real-deal show-quality Stage II with a 351 is
already a “whatever the market will bear” commodity.
4
$25,000 — 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente
HiPo two-door hard top
By 1964, the Comet was in need of a sportier identity, hence the
Caliente series. Caliente means “hot” in Spanish, but most were lukewarm,
with 2-barrel 289s like what was in my mom’s Galaxie 500
sedan. What it really took to make the Caliente hot was the top-shelf
engine option — the HiPo 289.
Considering that the Falcon, Comet, and Mustang all shared the
same platform, this was pretty much a no-brainer to engineer.
A drop-top may be out of our $25k price cap unless it’s ratty, but
$25k for anything else with a HiPo from the factory — regardless of
the model — is a buy.
5
$35,000 — 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator
428 Cobra Jet two-door hard top
Akin to the 289 HiPo, one would assume that anything that came
from the factory with a 428 Cobra Jet under the hood is a top commodity.
But this isn’t necessarily true.
I’m constantly amazed at how cheaply Cobra Jet Cougars and
Cyclones sell. Put a Pony on the grille and they would all but double
in price. That being the case, this Eliminator is essentially a restyled
and well-equipped Mustang Mach 1.
While 428 Cobra Jet-equipped Mustangs took a big hit in the circa
2008 market shift, the Eliminators weren’t affected as much since they
were never at the insane prices to begin with. However, with upper-tier
muscle cars moving up in value again, Cobra Jet-powered Eliminators
should once again prove to be a stable buy yet slowly move up in
value. Drag Pack Super Cobra Jets will likely be out of bounds here,
but if one pops onto this playing field, grab it and run. A
5
January-February 2014 41
Page 40
Horsepower
Colin Comer
A TIRE FRYER
in concours clothing
THERE REALLY IS NOTHING LIKE SURPRISING SOMEBODY
BY HITTING 4TH GEAR AND GOING SIDEWAYS
In other words, the right
guy for this job.
The mission was to
build the ultimate GTO
sleeper, a car that could run
high-12-second quartermile
times but looked
dead-stock to anybody
outside of a concours judge.
It also had to be 100%
streetable. I wanted to take
people that had never been
in a GTO before and have
them get out, legs shaking,
and say, “Now I understand
what all the fuss is about!”
Deceptive? Perhaps. But
fun.
Colin’s ’65 gTO — don’t be fooled, this isn’t another wheezy trailer queen
“optimized” cars, a “money where your mouth is” kind of thing.
The car I’ll use as our lab rat is my 1965 GTO convertible.
R
True sleeper Goat
A little over 10 years ago, I wanted to build a GTO hot rod — a
sleeper in the spirit of the original Royal Bobcat cars, but optimized
by taking full advantage of modern technology wherever possible.
Ideally it would be a 1965 4-speed, Tri-Power convertible — in black.
Seems simple, doesn’t it? On paper, yes. In reality, no. Factory black
paint is rare on any muscle car, and extremely rare on a ’65 GTO
’vert. While I found a lot of decent cars to use as a starting point, none
checked all the boxes.
But in 2004, I got lucky. While visiting Pontiac restoration
guru Scott Tiemann, the conversation turned to my hunt for a ’65.
Unbeknownst to me, Scott had a triple-black ’65 4-speed convert
tucked away and was waiting to restore it. After telling him my plan
(and a lot of arm twisting), Scott sold me his car with the understanding
that he would do the restoration. Scott is an accomplished drag
racer who is usually bound to Concours Gold standards in his restorations,
but he is also a driving force behind the Pure Stock Drag series.
42 AmericanCarCollector.com
ecently, the Big Man, aka Jim Pickering, and I had our
usual exchange of emails wherein he tries to get me to
write something that fits his vision for the magazine. He
suggested, in the wake of my offering ideas on how to
optimize vintage cars, that I write about one of my own
Hidden power
Since the original block
was long gone, we found
a properly date-coded 421 block and went all-out to build a “Royal
Bobcat Cheater”-style engine. While I initially topped it with a set of
correct ’65 heads and a big tight-lash solid-lifter cam, I was concerned
about having to always use race gas with nearly 12:1 compression.
On top of that, we just couldn’t get it to run like I wanted. So we
made the decision to use Edelbrock aluminum heads, which not only
dropped the compression to a much more pump-gas-friendly 10:1, but
also flowed far better than the stockers. We milled off all the casting
numbers and identifying marks and did our best to make them look
like cast-iron heads before painting them Pontiac Blue. Other than the
“peanut” spark plugs, they are fairly convincing.
We used a ’66 Tri-Power intake because they have a larger center
carburetor than the ’64–’65 setup. The carbs were heavily massaged,
re-jetted, and tweaked to work as well as possible, and while I know
I am giving up a LOT of power over using a modern intake and big
4-bbl, I can’t bring myself to not have a 3x2 setup on my dream GTO.
It also has a factory Ram Air pan and open-hood scoop. We used castiron
1967 exhaust “headers” and connected them to a custom 2.5-inch
stock-looking exhaust. On the engine dyno (with real headers), the 421
made just over 500 hp, and just as much torque.
For the transmission, we put M21 close-ratio gears in the original
M20 case, and it twists the power through a custom aluminum driveshaft
(painted cast gray) to the original (rebuilt) 3.90 Saf-T-Track rear
with HD Moser axles. I also used a Centerforce clutch. Believe it or
not, nothing has broken. Yet!
Page 41
metallic shoes, larger wheel cylinders, upgraded hardware and
cryo-treated drums. On the interior, we yanked the heater and radio
and replaced with factory “delete” parts in the spirit of having a barebones,
go-fast GTO.
Hammer down
So how does it work? For its intended purpose, extremely well.
Immediately after restoration at the 2008 Supercar Reunion, I let my
wife be the first to drive it down the quarter-mile. Mind you, she had
never drag-raced before. After a few practice runs, she clicked off a
13.399 at 106.32 pass on the 14-inch Redline tires, leaving the line at
just off idle. Needless to say, we were all pretty pleased with that.
Since then, like any fresh resto, I’ve played with it further and it’s
Standing the test of time at gateway Motorsports Park
Suspension, tires, brakes
Initially we set up the chassis with soft original springs and 80/20
drag shocks up front, and used a lot of little tricks to get the weight to
transfer to the rear tires. We retained the original manual steering box
as well. It drove like crap. So it got new springs and gas shocks all the
way around, and a Borgeson quick-ratio manual steering box went in,
all helping to eliminate some of the diabolical handling.
We fitted G70-14 bias tires, as used in 1967–70, in place of the
skinny 1964–66 7.75-14s, in a futile attempt to get some of the power
to the ground, which kinda works. When I want to try harder to break
stuff, I have a pair of era-correct 14-inch M+H Racemaster slicks I
bolt on the rear.
We kept the manual drum brakes but fitted them with carbon
even healthier now — the next time it hits the strip, with the M+H
tires installed, I am positive I can see those 12s we planned for.
What would I do differently? Well, I’m still pretty tempted to put
Jerico guts into the transmission for the ability to pull off clutchless
shifting to really blow people’s minds.
My goal was never to make a ’65 GTO into something it isn’t,
so it doesn’t handle or stop like a modern car and has no creature
comforts. With a 4-speed, 14-inch tires, and a 3.90 gear, it sure isn’t
a high-speed touring car, either. What it does do, thanks in large part
to a thoughtful build using hidden modern tweaks, is run like we all
want a muscle car to run. It uses pump gas, doesn’t get hot, is tight as
a drum, and looks like a 100-point concours resto. Which is really,
really helpful in getting suckers — err, I mean passengers — to take
a ride. There really is nothing like surprising somebody by hitting 4th
gear and going sideways.
After all, as great as factory-correct is, deep down don’t we all just
want to go burn rubber? A
January-February 2014 43
Page 42
Corvette Market
John L. Stein
Is that Corvette project
really
WORTH IT?
DO THE MATH. IF YOUR CALCULATED HOURLY RATE IS UNDER
SHOP-SWEEP WAGES, SAY THANKS, TURN AROUND, AND RUN
If you want to take on a Corvette project, you’ll have to ask yourself some key questions first, starting with “why?”
O
rphaned puppies whimpering in an apple crate. A
spurned ex, lonely in the corner at the local bar. A derelict
and abused ’82 Pace Car in a side yard. They’re all
tempting targets for the “fix-it man,” ordained by some
mysterious genetic code to saunter up, jump in and take
over. We’ve all done it, I suppose — and sometimes for good reason.
But those puppies may chew up your house, and that spurned ex
has probably already had a few too many. What about the car? How
can we determine when a needy Corvette is really worth all the effort
it’ll take to restore it?
The first advice I’d give someone in the market for a project is to
ask himself “why?” The way I see it, there are four typical answers to
that question, and each has its own way to motivate adopters to knock
on opportunity’s — or sometimes jeopardy’s — door.
44 AmericanCarCollector.com
almighty profit
This is a seductive and dangerous master. Salvaging any old car is
costly, especially if you farm out body and paint, plating, interior and
component rebuilds. So if you’re considering a significant restoration,
make sure the model is worth the time and expense. For instance, it
costs about the same to redo a 300-horse 1964 Sting Ray as it does a
1967 Tri-Power 427. But surprise, the ’67 will be worth at least 283%
more when you’re through.
Do it: When the numbers pencil out way in your favor, and
remember to factor in your time. From the probable resale value,
subtract the purchase price and the cost of all outside goods and
services. The remainder is your profit, into which you should divide
the projected number of hours your project will take. This result is
your hourly rate.
Page 43
Run away: If the math stinks. If your calculated hourly rate is
under shop-sweep wages at Junior’s Garage and Ferret Grooming, say
thanks and turn yourself right around. (Or as an alternative, you can
tell the seller a new number that would make the math work for you.)
Your emotional rescue
Ah, the emotional allure. You had a ’58 when you and Sheila first
met. It’s a model you’ve wanted your whole life. Dad had the same
year and color. If rescuing and rehabbing a car for such emotional
reasons is important, I say more power to you. Just be forewarned that
unless there is something special about the particular car you’re about
to have tattooed into your wallet — such as that it actually is Dad’s
old Navy car — the smarter path might be to find one that’s already
done, and then pay the seller market value.
Do it: This is the one and only, and if you don’t grab it now, you’ll
likely never have another chance.
Run away: If emotions have made you blind to reality — specifi-
cally the time, space and dollars that a big project will take. I can
practically guarantee that every half-finished project for sale on eBay
— and there are plenty of ’em — started with an emotional rush that
the seller couldn’t maintain. He’s now selling at a loss.
For the love of the game
Nothing matches resurrecting a mechanical device with your own
two hands. You do the work that improves the beast, and then you’re
the first in decades to turn the key and hear the starter whir, the lifters
clatter, and the thrum of exhaust. Resurrecting any car from a deep
sleep is a fantastic experience, probably second only to the thrill of
the initial find.
Do it: When you like the year and model, you’re comfortable
with the car’s condition and completeness, you see a workable path to
success, you have time, skills and place to do the work, and the math
pencils out.
Run away: The car’s totally abused. Sometimes, the closer you
look at an old car, the less appears worth saving. And since picky
restorers hate flaws, starting with a rust bucket, collision victim or
hatchet job is asking for heartburn. In this case, keep on digging for
better bones.
So happy together
Maybe the best kind of Corvette project is the one that builds
kinship between you and your spouse, child or parent — or maybe
a sibling or amigo. Then the long hours in a crowded garage aren’t a
penance at all — they’re a gift. But work out the details of who pays
for what before you acquire that dusty ’90 ZR-1, including whose
garage it will live in, how you’ll divide the labor, and who will own
the gleaming rocket when done.
Do it: You both love the car, you’re in total agreement on who
owns it, who does what and at whose expense, and you are committed
to a schedule and a strategy.
Run away: While the kinship that a restoration project can bring
is invaluable, make sure the math pencils out. Because you don’t want
to end up stressed and deep underwater with your beloved partner in
slime.
When it comes down to it, you’re the only one who can decide
whether a project is really worth tackling. Go in with eyes open, and
hopefully you’ll come out the other side happy, and with the completed
Corvette you’ve always wanted. A
January-February 2014 45
Page 44
PROFILE CORVETTE
1978 CHEVROLET CORVETTE INDY PACE CAR EDITIONS
Three of a kind
Dan Duckworth, courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Why the
enormous
price spread
for what was
essentially
the same
make and
model?
by John L. Stein
respectively.
Every collector-car situation is unique, with parameters
and factors changing with every sale. And that’s
why, in an analytical sense, it’s interesting when we
can compare apples to apples by examining several
identical models, all sold during a short time period.
And that’s just what happened with these three cars.
But why the enormous spread for what was essentially
the same make and model? Pull up your favorite garage
creeper as ACC tells all.
Let’s look at some of the details, in ascending order
of price:
T
ACC Analysis
his past summer, a trio of 1978 Pace Car
Edition Corvettes sold over the course of
36 days. That’s not unusual in the auction
world, but this was different. These cars
brought $10k, $20k, and an astounding $86k,
remote-operating mirrors, power windows and door
locks, and air conditioning — plus the Pace Car side
decals.
Otherwise it was not well optioned, featuring only
the base 185-hp L48 engine, an automatic transmission,
and the tape player. Our ACC reporter didn’t
cover the car in his report, but from the images, we
can call this car somewhere around a #4 condition.
Generally, the car presented well enough outside and
inside, with the difficult-to-match silver leather seating
looking especially nice.
driver or project?
Under the hood, however, the busy engine bay
offered mixed messages, with fresh-appearing paint
on the engine together with other components that
looked weathered. Along with the warning that the
car had not been started or driven recently, a missing
air-conditioning V-belt gave the impression that some
time and attention would be needed.
Buying a non-running car is always a gamble, but
Dan Duckworth, courtesy of Mecum Auctions
$10,165 — Lot F5, Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX,
September 4–7, 2013; VIN: 1Z87L8S904569
This Pace Car was part of a 150-plus car collection
and had not been run in some years. Like all the 1978
Pace Cars, it featured removable glass roof panels, a
tilt-telescopic steering column, AM/FM radio (this one
the RPO UM2 version with an eight-track tape player),
46 AmericanCarCollector.com
46 AmericanCarCollector.com
in this case I believe someone actually made a strong
buy for a couple of reasons. First, usually someone
with the resources to collect more than 150 vehicles
also has the resources to buy good examples. This one
looked generally good inside and out, and the appearance
of a repainted engine suggests — although by
no means conclusively — that an overhaul (or at least
a validation of fitness) had been done at some point.
So while the non-running status helped keep bidding
down, it may have also paid dividends for the buyer if
the entire package turns out to be solid.
In that case, a fresh battery, fluid changes, lube and
safety check may be all that’s necessary to have a viable
runner. There was very little risk at $10k, so this
one looks like a score, considering the market for nice
base-engine cars is around $20k
Page 45
ACC
Digital Bonus
Until its sale in the VanDerBrink auction in Pierce,
NE, the only time this Corvette ever saw any action
was on April 26, 1978, when it left Bowling Green, KY,
heading for Nebraska by rail. That it was subsequently
delivered to Lambrecht Chevrolet, parked there
without ever even being unwrapped, and then left idle
for more than 35 years is the stuff of legend. Although
some might call it a life unfulfilled instead.
The four miles showing on the odometer strictly rep-
David Newhardt, courtesy of Mecum Auctions
ns, Chicago,
8S905175
output 220-hp
uncie M21
ox, and repre,073-mile
car,
r held all the
s was as good as
ot in 1978.
sitive elements
nal Pace Car
cluded in a box
ad of fouling
ides of the
he inclusion of
d manuals, and a
rect RPO UP6
o. (“Breaker,
breaker; Cooter, good buddy, you got yer ears on?”)
In short, this Pace Car is just what you’d hope to find
if you wanted one — a low-mileage example with
evidence of careful ownership since new.
Market price, smart buy
This car presented reasonably well, although
various minor flaws were apparent, including some
swirling on the black body sides, slightly blemished
seat upholstery, and either water-spotted or blemished
alloy wheels. Under the hood, the L82 looked authentic
and unmolested, right down to the now-oxidized
fasteners and mousy period GM wiring. We could call
this a solid #2 car, bordering on #2+.
With no decals and apparently low mileage, this
example looked like a smart buy to me. L82 4-speed
cars in good shape tend to trade between $20k and
$40k, and this one’s low mileage and good condition
were key to its value.
For the price of a new Fiat 500, the valets will
definitely park this one front and center on Saturday
night. It was twice the money of the Dallas car, but
way more than twice the car. Call it a fantastic buy.
resented whatever distance the car covered on its way
from the assembly line to its train trip, plus occasional
movements between storage spots at the Lambrecht
dealership. As well, no set up, pre-delivery service or
detailing was ever done, as the cardboard protectors
were still on the floors, plastic still covered the seats
and steering wheel, and the little center hubcabs and
Pace Car door graphics were likewise still in their
original boxes.
And having never been sold, the car was still on its
MSO. The auctioneers didn’t so much as dust the car
off, and it certainly looked the part of Rip Van Winkle
with its decades-old coating of dirt.
Car myth and auction fever
Disheveled as the car appeared, the legend defi-
nitely came home to roost on auction day, as a local
gent outbid all comers to nab the car he’d eyed for
so many years in the window of the local dealership.
Unquestionably, the price paid was way north of the
$19,500 to $36,000 ACC price-guide estimates for ’78
base-engine Pace Cars — especially considering this
one had an automatic transmission and only the AM/
FM/CB radio option.
Not only was this car’s $86k price more than eight
times the cost of the first ’78 Pace Car on our list, but
the price put this C3 Shark in the same neighborhood
as some very good first- and second-generation
Corvettes.
But theoretically, under all the dirt and grime from
years of storage, this car should be as close to perfect
as you would have found back in ’78. The trouble is,
condition didn’t really factor into this deal, at least not
as much as the car’s story did.
The bottom line
The car-collecting skill set is something of a voodoo
cocktail — part mechanical aptitude, part financial
analyst, part historical sleuth, and part emotional
savant. When all these talents contribute to help you
find a truly special car, the world is fine. But when one
of them goes haywire — either totally underperforming
or else being grossly overenthusiastic — the
outcome can spin you into a ditch. How can we really
make heads or tails out of such a wide spread in
prices?
The bottom line is this: The Mecum cars sold right
where they should have, based on their options and
condition, and both were smart buys in this market.
But the Lambrecht car was by all accounts off the
charts, and there’s nowhere to go but down in terms of
its dollar value — especially if the new owner drives it
anywhere but onto the lawn at Bloomington Gold.
But don’t rush to judgment too quickly. When you
B. Mitchell Carlson
$86,400 — Lot 15L, VanDerBrink Lambrecht
Collection, Pierce, NE, September 28, 2013;
VIN: 1Z87L8S904699
consider that this Pace Car may be something more
than just a NOS Corvette, specifically the fulfillment
of a lifelong dream for its new owner, the $86k sale
price was not only money well spent. It was actually
cheap.A
January-February 2014 47
January-Feburary 2014
47CC
1978 Chevrolet Corvette
Indy Pace Car Edition
Lot S18, VIN: 1Z87L85904223
Condition: 2+
Sold at $20,865
Mecum Auctions, Champaign,
IL, 6/28/2013
ACC# 22542
Detailing
Year produced: 1978
Number produced: 6,502
Original list price: $13,653
Current ACC Valuation:
$19,500–$36,000 (L48),
$21,500–$40,000 (L82)
Tune-up cost: $300
Distributor cap: $12
Chassis #: VIN plate under
lower left windshield corner
Engine #: On block in front of
right cylinder head
Club: National Corvette
Restorers Society (NCRS)
More: www.ncrs.org
Alternatives: 1976 Cadillac
Eldorado convertible, 1995
Chevrolet Corvette Indy
Pace Car Edition convertible,
1998 Chevrolet
Corvette Indy Pace Car
Edition convertible
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
1978 Chevrolet Corvette
Indy Pace Car Edition
Lot 141, VIN:
1Z87463S902571
Condition: 2+
Sold at $17,280
Silver Auctions, Coeur
d’Alene, ID, 6/15/2013
ACC# 222578
1978 Chevrolet Corvette
Indy Pace Car Edition
Lot 329, VIN: 1Z87485902242
Condition: 1Sold
at $31,350
Auctions America, Carlisle,
PA, 4/26/2013
ACC# 216186
Page 46
PROFILE GM
Top-tier Chevelle
1965 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE MALIBU SS 396 Z16
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
After
nearly a
half-century,
the Z16
Chevelle is
still one of
the most
wanted
cars in the
country
VIN: 138375K167720
by Tom Glatch
• One of 201 Z16 Chevelles produced
• One of three known factory Tuxedo Black/black
Z16 Chevelles
• Documented with the original window sticker
and Protect-O-Plate
• Sold new at Doane Chevrolet in Dundee, IL
• Listed in the General Motors Z16 Memo
• Drag raced when new
• Frame-off nut-and-bolt restoration performed
by Buddy Herin
• 396/375-hp engine, aluminum intake manifold
• 4-speed manual transmission
• Power steering and brakes
• Bucket seats with console, 160-mph speedometer
• Dash-mounted clock on padded dash
• Mag-style wheel covers and Goldline tires
ACC Analysis This car, Lot S128, sold for
$214,000, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Mecum’s Dallas auction on September 1,
2013.
Throughout the ’60s, Chevrolet’s “Z” designa-
tion always meant something special. The 1963 Z11
Biscayne was a lightweight Super Stock contender
with aluminum fenders and bumpers and a special
427 version of the “real fine” 409 engine. The Z06
Corvette that same year was a road racer with a
36-gallon fuel tank and all the factory racing goodies.
The first Z/28 Camaros (1967–69) were street
machines but built with the performance components,
48 AmericanCarCollector.com
including four-wheel disc brakes and the special
302 V8, that needed to be homologated to race in the
SCCA Trans Am series. The decade ended with the incredible
ZL1 Camaro, the ultra-expensive, ultra-rare
drag-race machine powered by an all-aluminum 427
derived from Chevy’s Can-Am program. In between
all this was the 1965 Z16 Chevelle. But its purpose was
very different.
Building a legend: SS 396
An internal Chevrolet memo stated, “This is a spe-
cial project, to create a stir about the new 396 engine.
Having this engine at [a] 375 hp rating in a light car
results in a street machine that may be the most potent
and ‘ fun’ car in the country.” (emphasis theirs).
The mystique that developed around the Z16 was
no accident, as it was clearly spelled out in the same
memo: “Since the car is not advertised, etc., — making
it an “unlisted” car, it could with good exposure
become the most wanted car in the country — especially
in view of the fact that only 200 (all coupes) are
to be built.” Actually, two prototypes, 198 production
coupes, and a one-off convertible for GM Executive
Vice President Bunkie Knudsen, were built, and about
72 are known to survive. This was a smart way to both
test the market for an all-new high-performance midsize
Chevrolet, and to build buzz to help sell upcoming
1966 SS 396 models, should the project be a success.
Performance cars from the ’60s were carefully engi-
neered from mostly existing components, with very few
unique items created just for that specific model. The
Page 47
ACC
Digital Bonus
Z16 was no different, and the internal memo
listed all of the factory parts that would go
into this car: the stronger boxed frame from
the Chevelle convertible, a shortened rear
d brakes from the Impala, and heavypension.
The only transmission
e was the durable Muncie close-ratio
d manual. Inside, the Z16 featured
ry Chevelle comfort and convenience
, and the price of about $4,500 was
p there in Corvette country.
Built to go fast
ut the rest of the Z16 seemed to be
ased on Teddy Roosevelt’s philosophy
o “speak softly and carry a big
tick.” Just three colors were available,
Regal Red, Tuxedo Black and a
light Crocus Yellow. The rear of the
Z16 had a unique black and chrome
trim panel which framed Chevelle 300-style
aillights, and other than the small “396” emms
and fake mag wheel covers, the Z16 didn’t
m “race me!” but rather said, “Go ahead, make
” under its breath. And the 375-hp big stick it
ed under the hood certainly delivered.
opular Hot Rodding saw 14.6 at 100 mph in the
ter mile, as always at the mercy of the tracrovided
by the street-tire technology of the
t Motor Trend magazine said, “Performance
n our spec panel are extremely impressive,
re inadequate inasmuch as they don’t tell the
f how this car will accelerate over 100 mph.
dle doesn’t hang there, but goes on wiping
the face of the 160-mph speedometer until the engine
redlines. It’s the hottest of the hot intermediates.”
Selling the muscle
The Chevrolet internal memo also described the
marketing plan for the Z16. “The car will get special
distribution in that it will be directly offered to people
who a) have demonstrated their enthusiasm for
‘special’ performance products by Chevrolet; b) have
means and potential for maximum exposure of the
car.”
One of those rare people who met both criteria was
Dan Blocker, who played Hoss Cartwright on the
hugely popular “Bonanza” TV show. He bought his
Crocus Yellow Z16 from Nickey Chevrolet in Chicago.
Detailing
Year produced: 1965
Number produced: 201
(including two prototypes
and one convertible)
Original list price: $4,586
Current ACC Valuation:
$125,000–$200,000
Tune-up/major service: $150
Distributor cap: $10.99
Chassis #: Driver’s side
A-pillar
Engine #: Pad forward of
cylinder head on right side
Club: The Z16 Registry
More: www.z16chevelle.com
Alternatives: 1969 Chevrolet
Yenko Chevelle, 1970
Chevrolet Chevelle SS
454 LS6, 1965 Chevrolet
Corvette 396/425
“Bonanza” was sponsored by Chevrolet, and the cast
also appeared in Chevrolet advertising. Blocker also
owned a Chevy-powered Genie sports racer in the
USRRC and Can-Am series, sponsored by Nickey.
Enthusiasm? Maximum exposure? Blocker’s purchase
of a Z16 was a perfect fit.
Other prominent Z16 owners included publisher
Robert Petersen, Briggs Cunningham, A.J. Foyt and
Phil Hill.
Rare and expensive
In December 1964, Chevrolet Engineering built the
first Z16 prototype, exactly as the memo spelled out.
Ordered by Z16 project manager D.H. McPherson,
it began life as an SS 327. Once it was completed
and final testing done, the car was driven for several
months by McPherson. It may have spent time at GM’s
Milford, MI, and Arizona Proving Grounds, and was
on hand at the Z16 Chevelle’s official introduction in
the spring of 1965. That car still exists. It sold at Russo
and Steele’s Scottsdale sale in 2006 for $412,500
(ACC# 40456), and again in 2009 at Mecum’s Indy sale
for $355,100 (ACC# 120622). It is by far the most valuable
Z16 in the world, and since it’s the first, that value
is understandable. The Dan Blocker Z16 also survives,
and it sold in 2005 for $273,000 (ACC# 39564).
Our featured Z16 doesn’t have that kind of prov-
enance, but a car like the Z16 doesn’t necessarily need
it. After all, if you step back and take a look at which
Chevrolet performance packages were most potent
and most popular over the muscle-car era, you’ll
inevitably land on the SS 396 Chevelle and El Camino,
and those both started here.
Other Z16s have been selling at and around the
mid-$100k level for some time now, but excellent
examples can and do bring more when conditions are
right. And they were here: This is a superb, accurate
restoration of a well-documented car. It also walks
softly in Tuxedo Black paint — one of 12 Z16s ordered
in that color, and one of three to also have a black
interior.
With the exception of the Z16 #1 prototype and
the Dan Blocker car, this was the second-highest
sale of a Z16 we’ve seen. Clearly, even after nearly a
half-century, the Z16 Chevelle is still one of the most
wanted cars in the country. But at this price, I’d still
call it well sold. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Mecum
Auctions.)
January-February 2014 49
ACC Investment Grade: A
Comps
1965 Chevrolet Chevelle
SS 396 Z16 prototype
Lot S122, VIN:
138375B118040
Condition: 1Sold
at $355,100
Mecum Auctions, Indianapolis,
IN, 5/13/2009
ACC# 120622
1965 Chevrolet Chevelle
SS 396 Z16
Lot S711, VIN:
138375K176243
Condition: 2Sold
at $154,000
Russo and Steele, Scottsdale,
AZ, 1/15/2009
ACC# 119318
1965 Chevrolet Chevelle
SS 396 Z16
Lot 660, VIN: 138375K167369
Condition: 2
Sold at $194,700
Barrett-Jackson, West Palm
Beach, FL, 3/27/2008
ACC# 116125
Page 48
PROFILE FOMOCO
Underdog muscle on the rise
1970 FORD TORINO 429 CJ TYPE N/W
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
The new
owner not
only got
a Torino
Cobra Jet
with Marti
Report, he
also got the
only one
made as a
Type N/W
VIN: FOR30C140910
by Patrick Smith
B
50 AmericanCarCollector.com
50 AmericanCarCollector.com
efore the new generation Torino came out
in 1970, the Ford Dealers Association in
Oregon got together with an idea to promote
the new body style. The special Torino
would be unique to the Northwest, and 601
were to be produced.
Available in three colors, this one is Pacific Blue
with a black hood, dual chrome hood-lock pins, dual
racing mirrors, rocker panel racing stripes and argentstyled
wheels.
Of the 395 Type N/W models made, only five are
429s and only one is a 429 Cobra Jet. This is the car.
Chrome Super Stock wheels and radials were added
(original wheels and covers go with car). The only
other change was to the rear differential. The 3.01 ratio
was replaced with a 3.70 gear locker. All of the original
tags are still located on the engine, transmission
and rear differential. Numbers matching.
Only 12 Torinos were built with non-Ram Air
Cobra Jet engines. It comes with a cool recent photo of
the original owner and salesman with the car parked in
front of the still-operating Ford dealership.
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 678, sold for
$66,000, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Barrett-Jackson’s Las Vegas auction on
September 28, 2013.
The Ford Torino underwent a major restyle in the
spring of 1967 under stylist Bill Shenk, Ford’s youngest
senior designer at the time. Shenk was supposed
to create a 1970 Montego body as a backup for executives
to consider during the usual in-house styling
competition. He’d been told that Mercury already had
their contender ready. Left to his own devices, Shenk
broke a rule and used red instead of the standard
Silver Di Noc to cover his clay body, which made
his design stand out during the review process. Lee
Iacocca liked Shenk’s design so much that he stole it
from Mercury to be the next Ford Torino. Fairlane
had been Iacocca’s baby, and he liked the aggressive
lines of Shenk’s new design.
A special Torino
Regional promo cars are one way automakers juice
sales in springtime. When the Oregon Ford Dealers
Association saw the new Torino, they got excited and
decided to repeat the “California Special” magic that
had worked so well for the Mustang. With that, the
Torino Type NorthWest (N/W) was born.
Every Type N/W came with matte black hood and
locking pins, body-color sports mirrors, argentstyled
road wheels with trim rings, Wide Oval tires,
and rocker panel graphics with “Type N/W” on the
rear quarter panel. It was a package car to some
degree. Only three colors were offered: Pacific Blue,
Washington Green and Oregon Orange. These were
Grabber colors with special names.
Page 49
ACC
Digital Bonus
Rare power
Only 395 of these cars were built.
Looking at some of the production
breakdowns reveals a microcosm of
the Ford Torino owner circa 1970.
e interested in
y, not tire-frying
5 Type N/W models
9 powered and only
et. Fifteen had the
rel engine and the
e fitted with standard
ines. The paint color
ribution repeats
he story, with 177
of the Type N/W
Torinos sold in
Pacific Blue, 142
in Washington
Green and only
76 in florid Oregon Orange. Most
cars had black vinyl upholstery
th bench seats.
e Cobra Jet was highly venomous,
h ratings of 370 horsepower at 5,400
pm, while the Super Cobra Jet had
“just” 375 horsepower. Those figures
were pure fiction. Ford fudged
he ratings to gain favorable ratings
rag racing and insurance premiums.
rag Pack option with your Torino
J status. That added a 3/8-inch fuel
line, Holley carburetor, four bolt main bearings with
heavy-duty rod caps and forged pistons, engine oil
cooler, and a solid-lifter camshaft. Strangely, the $155
upgrade didn’t warrant a separate engine code in the
VIN. The only way to tell is to check your axle code
for a 3.91 or 4.30 ratio. A Drag Pack Torino could be
either a C- or J-code engine. The J code means your
Cobra Jet had a shaker air scoop.
Road tests from the era reveal 13.99-second ETs at
101 mph — that meant the SCJ was capable of mixing
it up with 4-speed Six Pack Chargers, W30 442s, and
1967 GTO Ram Airs. With better tires and refinements,
they run faster at the drag races today.
Detailing
Year built: 1970 (Type N/W)
Number built: 395 (Type
N/W)
Original list price: $3,560
Current ACC Valuation:
$15,000–$30,000
Tune-up/major service: $250
Distributor cap: $14.41
VIN: Plate on driver’s side
dashboard, tag on driver’s
side door.
Engine #: D0VE or D1VE
engineering code on block,
partial VIN stamped below
driver’s side cylinder head
on block. Actual casting
date is on lifter valley.
still a bargain buy?
In today’s market, the Torino is an affordable buy
compared with its GM or Mopar rivals. Although
Torino Cobras have appeared on countless bargain
muscle-car lists, they don’t draw auction heat the way
Mach 1 CJs, Six Pack Mopars, or Ram Air GTOs do.
But this strong sale could be a signal that bargainbasement
days are over for Torino Cobra Jets.
Torino enthusiasts are detail-oriented and
dedicated to restoring these cars to show-condition.
That’s tough, as reproduction parts supply is weak
for Torinos, and Cobra Jet parts are scarce and expensive.
For all Torinos from this era, bodywork often
means using donor cars. Generally, restoring one is
hard work compared with a GM or Mopar, and doing
so gives little financial payoff — at least until recently.
The Torino CJ sales record is one of steady, in-
creasing growth over the past five years. The few cars
I found that sold ranged from $25,000 to $73,700 for
a Super Cobra Jet — and that car came with a bench
seat and column-shift automatic, no less. More revealing
is the number of no-sales of high-quality restored
429 Cobras. Clearly, owners know what these cars
are worth compared to similar makes, and in a lot of
cases, they’re holding out for better offers.
Looking at the big picture, it
seems that experienced enthusiasts
are filling up their collections
with less-common examples of
high-performance muscle cars, and
they’re choosing the best examples
they can find. Likewise, new buyers
are finding deals by choosing a
no-questions, numbers-matching
big-block Ford instead of opting for
a more popular GM or Mopar with a
dubious past.
The new owner of this car not only
got a 4-speed Torino Cobra Jet with
Marti documentation and a fresh
rebuilt numbers-matching driveline,
he also got the only one made as a
Type N/W. With that in mind, this
was a smart purchase with a lot
of potential. Both buyer and seller
should both be happy here.A
(Introductory description cour-
tesy of Barrett-Jackson.)
January-February 2014
51CC
51
Club: Fairlane Club of
America. www.fairlaneclubofamerica.com
Alternatives: 1969 Dodge
Charger R/T 440+6, 1970
Oldsmobile 442 W30, 1967
Pontiac GTO Ram Air
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
1970 Ford Torino Cobra
Lot 670, VIN: 0A38J171876
Condition: 2
Sold at $55,000
Barrett-Jackson, Palm Beach,
FL, 4/4/2012
ACC# 197608
1970 Ford Torino GT CJ
Lot S67, VIN: 0H35C107810
Condition: 3+
Sold at $47,700
Mecum Auctions, Kansas City,
MO, 3/29/2012
ACC# 197674
1970 Ford Torino 429 Cobra
with Drag Pack
Barrett-Jackson, Orange
County, CA, 6/25/2011
ACC# 182575
Lot 340.2, VIN: 0A35C131004
Condition: 2Sold
at $73,700
Page 50
PROFILE MOPAR
1969 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA FORMULA S FASTBACK
Plymouth’s balanced pony
With only a
few tweaks,
Ronnie
Sox sent a
4-speed 340
through the
lights at a
big-blockkilling
13.33
seconds at
106.5 mph
52 AmericanCarCollector.com
52 AmericanCarCollector.com
VIN: BH29P9B199722
by Tom Glatch
• Rare, matching-numbers 1969 Barracuda
Formula S
• 340-ci engine with rare 4-speed manual
transmission
• Fresh restoration with 500 test miles
• In storage for 30 years before show-winning
restoration
• Built with high-quality original and reproduction
parts. Only deviations from stock are the addition
of an Edelbrock carburetor with electric choke and
Mopar performance electronic ignition, along with
March pulley set
• Trunk and cargo area house an Alpine amplifier
and Infinity speakers to allow music via iPod
hookup hidden under dash
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 131, sold for
$47,300, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Barrett-Jackson’s Las Vegas auction on
September 26, 2013.
On April 1, 1964, a new kind of automobile was in-
troduced to the American public. It had a sporty look,
yet had room for five passengers and plenty of cargo.
V8 power was available, too. Car Life magazine reported,
“Few cars we have driven for our continuing
series of road tests have stirred up so much interest
among the motorists encountered during the period of
the test.” The revolutionary 1964½ Mustang? No, that
would be revealed 16 days later.
In what must be the worst timing of any automobile
launch, the Plymouth Barracuda was actually the first
“pony car” announced. Both new cars were similar
in concept — the Barracuda was built off the compact
Valiant, while the Mustang came from the Falcon. But
that is where the similarities stopped.
Off on the wrong foot
Ford hid the Falcon in a long-hood/short-tail body
that was the essence of sportiness. Along with the
smashing style went enough performance options to
keep most buyers happy, at least at first.
The Barracuda, on the other hand, looked like a
Valiant with a fastback top grafted on, which, in fact,
it was. Even the official name, “Plymouth Valiant
Barracuda,” and the plethora of “Valiant” badges
tacked on it did nothing to hide this fact.
The Barracuda was actually a pretty good car, but
first impressions are hard to change. The result was
the 1964½ Mustang is still the most successful new
automobile in history. In comparison, the Barracuda
was merely a footnote.
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
Page 51
ACC
Digital Bonus
Formula S
Things improved in 1965, when the
Formula S option was added to the
a lineup. With the help of
gineer/rally racer Scott
e addition of stiffer suspener
brakes and a more
3-ci V8 made the Formula
e Barracuda should have
rom the start. But by the
966 model year, 126,058
s had been built, versus
Mustangs.
outh didn’t give up, and big
re made to the Barracuda in
st notably new sheet metal
pletely distanced it from the
s and Valiants that shared
e A-body platform. Now it
s available in hard top and
nvertible form, as well as the original
stback.
Performance was also increased, with the
dition of an optional 383 B-block V8 later
at year, and a 440 version of the same
ngine in 1969. It was a true shoehorn job
o get this large engine in the A-body engine
artment, and items such as power steering,
c brakes, and air conditioning no longer fit.
her performance option became available
rysler’s high-winding new 340 small block,
ely rated at 275 hp (the NHRA factored it
. Whether mated to the Formula S model or
ar ’Cuda 340 model, this became, in many
eal all-around Barracuda.
Best in balance
e magazine wrote, “In choosing between
the ’Cuda 340 and the ’Cuda 440 then, it depends on
what the buyer is looking for. If he wants acceleration
and performance alone, the 440 will deliver, thank
you. But for a ‘complete’ car, one not so fast, but one
that handles and stops, the obvious choice is the 340.
Indeed, there are such obvious discrepancies between
the superb way the ’Cuda 440 goes, and the way it
does other things (like, for example, stop) that in many
ways it is a disturbing automobile…. As it stands
now, the 440 is not a good, or complete, package.
Everything it does, except for dragstrip performance,
Detailing
Years produced: 1967–69
Number produced: 1,431
(1969 Formula S 340
fastback)
Original list price: $2,999
Current ACC Valuation:
$18,000–$35,000
Tune-up/major service: $150
Distributor cap: $12.97
Chassis #: VIN plate on the
driver’s side instrument
panel behind windshield
Engine #: Pad located on
the right side of the block
to the rear of the engine
mount
Club: Walter P. Chrysler Club
More: www.chryslerclub.org
Alternatives: 1969 Ford
Mustang 351, 1969
Chevrolet Camaro 350,
1969 Pontiac Firebird 350
ACC Investment Grade: C
the smaller 340 ’Cuda does better.”
But Hot Rod magazine found that the 340 was even
better than the 440 on the strip. In what was one of
the all-time great road-test coups, Ronnie Sox just
happened to be doing some development of a 340
Barracuda for Plymouth the day the Hot Rod editors
were to pick up their test car. That’s right, the late,
legendary “Mr. 4-Speed” of Sox and Martin fame.
He agreed to help Hot Rod get the most out of their
track test, and with only the addition of a Holley carb,
Edelbrock manifold, and Hooker fenderwell headers,
Sox sent the 4-speed 340 through the lights at a bigblock-killing
13.33 seconds at 106.5 mph.
Even running through mufflers, he consistently
turned 13.70 times. Hot Rod’s conclusion? “We agree
with Ronnie Sox’s opinion that the ’Cuda 340 held
more interest and pleasure value than many other
super-cars. This little runner is a super-car, without
any doubt attached. It is also a “pony-car,” a compact,
a work-horse, and a sizeable threat on the drag
strip. The price isn’t all bad either.”
Small-block power, big-block money
Buyers of American performance often believe in
“bigger is better” — the larger the engine’s displacement,
the better the automobile, and the higher the
price they are willing to spend. This ’69 Barracuda
buyer bucked that trend. He must have listened to
Ronnie Sox.
In the modern market, sales of these
cars are surprisingly uncommon, but
Mecum sold a nice ’67 383 fastback in
May 2013 for $32,100 (ACC# 224005),
while Barrett-Jackson sold a similar ’69
’Cuda 440 in 2010 for $48,400 (ACC#
155052). That makes this sale look
especially strong.
Granted, our feature car is very
original, beautifully restored, and has
been mildly “restified” to make it an
even better driver, but few small blocks
of any kind sell for big-block money.
This 340 Formula S was very well sold,
but considering the overall bang for the
buck of this package, I think the price
Barrett-Jackson.)
January-February 2014
January-February 2014
53
Comps
1966 Plymouth Barracuda
Formula S
Lot T302, VIN:
BP29D62673640
Condition: 2Sold
at $15,635
Mecum Auctions, Indianapolis,
IN, 5/19/2010
ACC# 162749
1968 Plymouth Barracuda
Formula S 383
Lot S99, VIN:
BH23H8B175622
Condition: 1-
Not sold at $55,000
Mecum Auctions, Kansas City,
MO, 4/9/2010
ACC# 160291
1968 Plymouth Barracuda
Formula S 383
Lot SP37, VIN:
BH23H8B153436
Condition: 2+
Sold at $41,800
RM Auctions, Novi, MI,
4/25/2009
ACC# 120358
was still a great value for the buyer. A
(Introductory description courtesy of
Page 52
PROFILE HOT ROD & CUSTOM
1933 FORD MODEL 40 HIGHBOY ROADSTER “THE MEXICAN BLACKBIRD”
Good look, great price
© 2013 Courtesy of Auctions America
It’s hard to
find fault
with any
aspect of
this old-style
roadster.
You can’t
assemble
these rare
parts and
have a car
built as nicely
for $70k
54
AmericanCarCollector.com
VIN: 1825841
by Ken Gross
• Period style chopped ’33 Ford highboy
• SCoT-supercharged Ford flathead
• Vintage speed equipment and instruments
• Dash panel signed by Billy F. Gibbons
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 3156, sold for
$70,400, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Auctions America’s Auburn, IN, sale on
August 30, 2013.
Thirty-three’s a charmer
Ford Motor Company broke the Model A mold
with the stylish 1932 model, equipped with a thenremarkable
221-ci V8 engine. But the 1932 Model 18,
which hot-rodders called the “Deuce,” proved to be a
one-year wonder. Starting in 1933, more substantial
restyling became a way of life at Ford.
E.T. “Bob” Gregorie adapted the ’33 styling from
a design he’d penned for the English Ford Model Y.
The look was more contemporary, thanks to a vee’d
grille, a tapered body, a double-drop frame and a
full X-member chassis. The new Model 40 moved the
flathead engine forward, and a 200-ci 4-banger was
still available. The ’33 chassis, stretched six inches
for a 112-in wheelbase, improved the proportions.
Sweeping fenders and a slanted windscreen added to
the illusion of speed and modernity.
Hold that thought for a moment...
Kirk F. White, a Philadelphia Main Line scion
with a taste for fast cars, raced a blown T-bird at the
Kansas City NHRA “Nats” in the 1960s, campaigned
a Ferrari 512 at Sebring with Roger Penske and Mark
Donohue, and provided the Sunoco Blue Ferrari 365
GTB/4 Daytona that Dan Gurney and Brock Yates
drove cross-country in the first “Cannonball Run.”
Kirk’s pioneering car auctions in Bryn Mawr, PA,
in the early ’70s, with a colorful horse auctioneer
named Omar Landis, offered everything from Ferrari
GTOs to Vincent Black Shadows at what now look like
giveaway prices.
The consummate collector, Kirk was shilling
Spindizzies (motorized 1940s-era model tethercar
racers), historic motorcycles, toy trucks, tin and
cast-iron toys and historic hot rods at Hershey before
anyone else realized their value. White’s evocatively
penned, long copy ads in Hemmings intrigued all who
read them, and some of the cars he sold over the years
included the ex-Tommy Foster ’32, the Ray Brown
roadster, and the Doane Spencer T-bird.
His website (www.kirkfwhite.com) is always filled
with interesting buys, and Auctions America featured
a large collection of his memorabilia, posters, models
and cars at their Labor Day Weekend Sale in 2013.
One of Kirk’s cars offered was our subject car. This
aggressive-looking ’33 Ford highboy roadster was
originally built by John Marchman of Houston, TX.
Page 53
ACC
Digital Bonus
Detailing
Year produced: 1933
Number produced: 4,349
(All 1933 roadsters)
Original list price: $490
Current ACC Valuation:
$55k–$100k, depending on
build quality, history and
condition
Tune-up/major service: $300
VIN: Stamped in left frame rail
just before cowl
Engine #: On bellhousing
Clubs: Goodguys, National
Street Rod Association
(NSRA), Early Ford V-8
Club of America
Cars with authentic vintage histories are increas-
ingly rare, so another path to getting one involves
gathering up the right old parts and assembling a steel
car, the way it might have been built back in the day.
So what if there’s no history? That begins the minute
you finish it and fire it up.
Starting with a ’33 Ford steel roadster body and
frame, Marchman loaded a 276-ci bored and stroked
flathead with authentic period speed parts — a SCoT
blower topped with twin Stromberg 97s, a set of finned
high-compression heads (curiously, with the maker’s
name removed), a Winfield cam, and Johnson adjustable
tappets, as well as a set of headers and loud
mufflers.
The devil’s in the details
Other mods included tapered Guide headlamps,
Dodge tail lamps, a chopped windshield and a neat
canvas top with a mail slot rear window, a chromed
Mor-Drop front axle, steel artillery wheels with
big-and-little blackwalls, and ’33 Ford caps. Inside
the dash was chock full of desirable Stewart-Warner
gauges, including a gennie police speedometer, and
was signed by Houston’s own musical genius, Billy
Gibbons from ZZ Top.
A 3-speed, ’40 Ford column shift transmission with
a Lincoln-Zephyr close-ratio first and second-gear
cluster, a Columbia two-speed rear, and finned ’40
Lincoln hydraulics ensure this baby can accelerate
hard and cruise nicely, with its occupants coddled
on a handsome leather bench. The early Ford banjo
steering wheel, finished in white, is a nice touch. As
my pal Joe Caputo likes to say, this car has “The
Look.”
“Mexican Blackbird” is the name of a rockin’ ZZ
Top tune about a “hot as a pepper” prostitute from
south of the border. It was the perfect name for a
spicy car. Marchman kept the “Blackbird” for a few
years, and enjoyed driving it before White acquired
it. Looking as though it was ready for plenty of showand-go
thrills, it sold for considerably less at the
auction than it would cost to build.
The right stuff
It’s hard to find fault with any aspect of this old-
style roadster. The Mobil Oil Pegasus decals on the
cowl sides hint at unbridled speed and power. The
’33’s stock louvered hood sides were left off so you
couldn’t miss the polished blower and heads.
A turn-key hot rod, with everything done, including
a way-cool name, it was purchased by Richard Munz
of Madison, WI, whose hot-rod hoard includes the
famous Tommy Foster ’32, the Woodward-MoellerEast
’32 roadster and two more 75th Anniversary
“Most Significant” award-winning Deuces. Richard
didn’t have a ’33, and he said he’d always liked the
’33–’34 model’s rakish lines. “I thought it was selling
very reasonably,” he said.
I’d have to agree with him, too. You can’t assemble
these rare parts and have a car built as nicely for
$70k. If you want to make it your own, for a nominal
sum, you could buy a set of new steel fenders from
Steve’s Auto Restorations and have a perfect yearround
rod, or just drive it like it is, which is what
Munz plans to do.
For his $70,400, Munz got a finished car that’ll
turn heads, and the blown flatty puts out enough
punch to make things entertaining. There’s nothing
the matter with a Ford
“underhead valve” V8
that can’t be cured with
forced induction — SCoT
blowers are reliable (if
you remember to grease
the end bearings), and
they can really wake up
a flathead.
Kirk White added,
“That car is a great
driver. It was a fair sale
all around.” I’d call
it well sold, and very
well bought. Bye-bye,
1934 Ford Custom roadster
Lot 714, VIN: 181204495
Condition: 1
Sold at $110,000
Barrett-Jackson, Reno, NV,
8/8/2013
ACC# 227247
More: www.good-guys.com,
www.nsra-usa.com
Alternatives: 1934 Ford
roadster, 1932 Ford roadster,
1936 Ford roadster
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
1932 Ford Model B roadster
Lot 785, VIN: 1816704
Condition: 2
Not sold at $115,000
Auctions America, Burbank,
CA, 8/3/2013
ACC# 227156
Lot 157, VIN: SW08036PA
Condition: 3+
Sold at $90,750
1932 Ford Model B
“Golden Rod”
RM Auctions, Amelia Island,
FL, 3/9/2013
ACC# 215680
Blackbird! A
(Introductory descrip-
tion courtesy of Auctions
America.)
November-December 2013
January-February 2014
55
Page 54
PROFILE AMERICANA
1952 HUDSON HORNET SEDAN
Classic cruiser, NASCAR roots
Pawel Litwinski, courtesy of Bonhams
Hudson’s
racing
exploits
brought
people
into the
showroom in
the ’50s, and
that legacy
continues to
add to their
allure today
VIN: 183883
by Carl Bomstead
introduced in the step-down in 1948, but enlarged to
308 cubic inches. The most powerful Six on the market,
it was soon campaigning on the stock-car tracks, rolling
up six first-place finishes on the NASCAR circuit.
Since its recent acquisition, over $5,000 has been
H
56 AmericanCarCollector.com
56 AmericanCarCollector.com
spent on further mechanical refurbishment. Showing
fewer than 58,000 miles, this cosmetically original
Hornet, with recorded history from new and replete
with all of its original books and manuals, is ready to
buzz into only the fifth garage it’s ever resided in.
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 509, sold for
$27,500, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Bonhams’ “Preserving the Automobile” sale
at the Simeone Foundation in Philadelphia, PA, on
October 7, 2013.
The first Hudson rolled off the production line in
July 1909. With the deep pockets of Joseph L. Hudson
of Hudson Department Store fame, and the acute
business acumen of Howard Coffin and Roy Chapin,
the company had become the 11th-biggest automaker
in the country by the following year, in a field that
included hundreds.
udson highlighted the 1951 model year with
the new Hornet model, empowering the
already dramatic step-down design with a
larger engine. The heart of the Hornet was
an evolution of the new Super Six engine
Hudson continued to prosper with the development
of “closed” models so drivers and passengers were
not exposed to the elements, and they quickly adopted
the new developments of the era, such as the self
starter.
By 1929, Hudson stood in the third spot in U.S.
automobile sales behind Ford and Chevrolet. As
the Depression took hold of the country, Hudson
continued with expensive innovations that were not
appreciated by the buying public. But the company did
manage to survive while a lot of others did not, and
after the war, Hudson was poised for unprecedented
growth.
New look, slick performance
In 1948, Hudson introduced the Super Six with
unit-body construction. Sales brochures referred
to the new car as “monobuilt,” with the floorpan
suspended from the bottom of the chassis. The chassis
also extended past the rear fenders, giving the car a
much lower look than everything else available on the
market at the time.
Before the war, Hudson had set an impressive 102
official American Automobile Association (AAA) Class
C and D records for speed and endurance, which
had a positive impact on sales. So when the Hudson
Hornet was introduced in 1951, with its more powerful
308-ci inline six and a lower center of gravity created
by the “step-down design,” the racers took notice.
Page 55
ACC
Digital Bonus
Detailing
Years produced: 1951–57
Number produced: 35,921
(1952 Hornets)
Original list price: $2,749
Current ACC Valuation:
$19,000–$25,000
Chassis #: Right front door
post
Engine #: Right front side
of block
Club: Hudson Essex
Terraplane Club
More: www.hetclub.org
Alternatives: 1952 Pontiac
Chieftain, 1952 Oldsmobile
98, 1952 DeSoto Firedome
ACC investment Grade: C
Comps
From factory to competition
Marshall Teague, a Daytona Beach resident and
runner-up in the first race sanctioned by NASCAR
in 1948, quickly realized the potential for the new
Hudson Hornet and went to Detroit to visit the
Hudson Motor Car Company without so much as an
introductory appointment. In what would be unheard
of in today’s corporate world, he walked away
with company support and cars for his new team of
“Fabulous Hudson Hornets.” It’s regarded as the first
stock-car racing team to be supported by a Detroit
auto manufacturer.
One of Teague’s first stops when he returned to
Daytona Beach was to Smokey Yunick’s “Best Damn
Garage in Town” to invite him to join the new team.
Smokey knew nothing about stock-car racing, but he
did know engines, and with his knowledge of physics
and chemistry, he could determine how far to push
an engine before, as he said, it “blowed.” He also
carefully studied the NASCAR rule book and quickly
determined that you could run anything you wanted
that was “within the spirit of competition.”
The combination of Teague, Yunick and the new
step-down Hudson Hornet with the Twin-H power,
“severe usage” performance parts supplied by
Hudson and the special 7-X engine was almost unbeatable.
Overall, Hudson won 27 of the 34 NASCAR
Grand National races in 1952.
Hudson, however, was a victim of its own success.
The unibody design was expensive to update, and
with planned obsolescence now a part of the car
world thanks to the Big Three and their annual body
changes, the Hudson soon looked dated and tired.
Hudson merged with Nash to form AMC, but the
marque vanished into history in 1957.
Setting the value
Hudson’s racing exploits certainly brought people
into the showroom in the ’50s, and that legacy continues
to add to their allure today. Pricing them, however,
is like tacking Jell-O to the wall, as their values
are all over the board. For example, Mecum sold a
rather ragged ’52 Hudson Hornet for $7,000 in June
2012 (ACC# 209127), while Gooding & Company sold
an outstanding example at their August 2012 Pebble
Beach sale for $178,750 (ACC# 212005). Several others
are in the ACC Premium Auction Database in the low
$50k range.
November-December 2013
January-February 2014 57
57CC
So where does our subject car fit in the overall
scheme of things? First off, it was a well-documented,
low-mileage, four-owner car that appeared to be very
original. It also has the “Twin-H Power” dual-carb
308-ci high-performance engine, which adds to its
desirability. Documentation includes the original service
policy, owner’s manual, radio manual, workshop
book, accessory folder, clock tag and original Hudson
key fob.
But if you read between the lines of the auction
copy, the picture becomes a little clearer. It’s claimed
to be “cosmetically original,” which likely means
the brightwork needs some help and the paint is
unwinding a bit — not a bad thing if you’re a stickler
for originality, but if not, it’ll take time and money to
clean up. The seating is stated to be original, too, but
an excellent replacement package is available for ’52
Hudsons, which is a big plus.
From here, considering the price paid and the gen-
eral state of the market for good cars in great shape,
it looks like there is room for some cosmetic spiffing
up of the car while still being on the right side of the
equation. So at the end of the day, I have to call this a
solid transaction for both parties, with a slight nod to
the buyer. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Bonhams.)
1953 Hudson Hornet
Lot S157, VIN: 7C214181
Condition: 4+
Sold at $7,000
Mecum Auctions, St. Paul,
MN, 6/22/2012
ACC# 209127
1951 Hudson Hornet
convertible
Lot 145, VIN: 7A112278
Condition: 2Sold
at $99,000
RM Auctions, Amelia Island,
FL, 3/13/2010
ACC# 159831
1953 Hudson Hornet sedan
Lot 378, VIN: 7C265361
Condition: 2
Sold at $88,000
RM Auctions, Anaheim, CA,
6/27/2008
ACC# 117333
Page 56
PROFILE RACE
2009 DODGE CHALLENGER DRAG PAK
10s in a plain white wrapper
David Newhardt, courtesy of Mecum Auctions
If you’re a
professional
drag racer,
you already
know what to
do. Finish it,
strap yourself
in, and let
’er rip
VIN: N/A
by Dale Novak
• One of approximately 90 factory-built
• Identification plate with unique serial number
sequence
• Primed and painted body
• 6.1L Hemi engine prepared for drag racing
• Special BIW modified for drag racing and
approximately 1,000 lbs lighter than
production
• Composite lift-off hood with functional scoop
• Lightweight drag-race-only front-brake assembly
• Lightweight cooling module with electric fan
• Lightweight instrument panel assembly
• Special cable-operated throttle pedal and linkage
• Manual rack-and-pinion steering
• Polycarbonate door windows
• Front-chin spoiler
ACC Analysis This Drag Pak Challenger, Lot
ing buyer’s premium, at Mecum’s Chicago, IL, sale
held on October 10–12, 2013.
Let’s go racing
In 2009, Direct Connection, Chrysler’s Mopar
Performance Division, made a calculated decision to
design, build and release a revival example of Mopar’s
factory-built race cars, reminiscent of the late 1960s.
These cars were to honor the 40th anniversary of the
notorious 1968 Dodge Hemi Dart and Plymouth Hemi
Barracuda — cars that ruled the streets and the strips
of the U.S. when they were launched.
58
AmericanCarCollector.com
F246.1, sold for $24,610, includThese
new Drag Pak cars were constructed on the
new-generation Challenger platform, and they were
purpose-built, track-prepared weapons. The 2009
models, of which 100 were reportedly built, came
out of the box equipped with a factory race-prepared
6.1L Hemi V8 similar to the engine used in the SRT8,
but with a bunch of performance tweaks such as 12:1
pistons, a special long-runner intake manifold, a
unique throttle body, and a special hydraulic roller
cam to boost power well beyond the 425-hp rating of
the street versions. For 2009, that engine was coupled
to the buyer’s choice of either a 5-speed automatic or
6-speed manual transmission.
But there were no driveshafts, differentials or
racing wheels. Those items were to be selected and
installed by each individual end user. Other things
left off included windshield-wiper assemblies, HVAC
units, rear seats, body sealer, sound deadener, power
steering, underbody heat shields, fuel tank assemblies
and exhaust systems. The door glass was replaced
with thin polycarbonate, front and rear glass was only
temporarily mounted (for easy removal when fitting a
roll cage), and side mirrors were deleted.
And, crucially, these cars were also built without
airbags, and all side- and rear-impact bracing was
removed. That may not have been a big deal in the
’60s, but it made these cars illegal for road use in
today’s world. To keep everyone honest, Chrysler
shipped these cars without VINs. No late-night cruising
one of these downtown — you’ll never legally drive
one of these on the street.
Page 57
ACC
Digital Bonus
Weapons-grade lightweight
On the track, however, those parts savings added
up in a big way. The Drag Pak Challenger tipped the
scales at a stripped-down 3,200 pounds, compared
with the tamer street-legal Challenger SRT8, which
settled on the curb at 4,140 pounds. That nearly 1,000e
the Drag Pak a real-deal 10-second
livered, these cars were sanctioned
, Super Stock and Comp Eliminator
y are truly a modern-day rebirth of
g cars sold in the late 1960s.
e car’s credibility and legacy, the legBig
Daddy” Don Garlits is reported
o have purchased the first 2009 dragrace-package
car and has raced it in
NHRA competition. His car retained
the factory white paint and blackedout
hood and added Garlits Dodge,
“Big Daddy” graphics and longitudinal
black stripes. Naturally,
adding to the retro theme, the car is
plastered with speed-parts stickers
and various minor sponsor graphics.
t certainly adds to the credibility that
ows these cars when they show up at
auction.
a promising future?
tions most often brought up with these
ter on usability and collectibility.
Drag Pak cars are certainly rare, and they are also
without question genuine factory race cars with great
drivetrains and an aura of coolness yanked right out
of the 1960s.
When new, the 2009 Drag Pak cars sold for a shift
under $40,000. A few Drag Pak cars have hit the market
over the past few years, and one could assume that
those ones were initially bought as instant collectibles,
which haven’t panned out in the short term, or as wannabe
drag-racer dream cars that were never finished.
Either way, the few I’ve seen sell at auction have
sold for around $30,000 each for “as-delivered” examples,
with well-done completed cars finding about
$65,000–$85,000, depending on their components and
race notoriety.
But these are factory-produced race cars. Why
don’t they sell for more? It all comes down to that
Detailing
Years produced: 2009–11
Number produced: 90–100
in 2009, depending on the
source
Original list price: $39,999
Current ACC Valuation:
$25,000–$35,000
Tune-up/major service: $500
Distributor cap: N/A
Chassis #: N/A
Engine #: N/A
Club: NHRA
More: www.nhra.com
Alternatives: 2012 Chevrolet
Camaro COPO, 2009 Ford
Mustang Cobra Jet, 2011
Challenger Drag Pak (V10)
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
crucial point about VINs and registration.
If these cars were street-legal, like the ’68s they
were meant to celebrate, their valuations would
dramatically change. Naturally, they wouldn’t and
couldn’t be delivered like this in the modern-day
nanny state we live in.
But think about any factory lightweight purpose-
built drag car from the 1960s and their prices today.
Part of their appeal is not only their finite production
and horsepower-to-weight ratios, but also what those
cars represented in the days before insurance companies
and government agencies put the kibosh on them.
Street cred was part of the myth, and that’s missing
from this strictly race-only Drag Pak’s equation.
Build it or store it?
This car sold slightly below the current market
value for unfinished, as-delivered examples. So what
should the new owner do with it?
If you’re a professional drag racer, or you just want
something to instill instant fear down at the local
Friday night drags, you already know what to do.
Finish it, strap yourself in, and let ’er rip. And with
complete running cars seeing a premium over the
price this one brought, building it might be the smart
move, at least in the short term.
However, originality is more important than ever
when it comes to muscle cars from the ’60s, and it
drives the market today, especially at the top levels.
If you have one of these stored away, it makes sense
to keep it there. The current market has not been all
that favorable for these, and that is mainly due to their
limited use.
In the long run, either option will likely be a
worthwhile investment. As we inch toward a world of
fossil-less-fuel cars, guys who can recall the wrap of
open headers in a cammed-up big block will gravitate
toward the new-gen muscle cars and their race-spec
versions — and I think they’ll likely be willing to pay
up for them.
With that, I’d call this Challenger well bought,
not only by the price paid, but as a steward of what
may be one of the last runs of factory-built gasoline-
powered lightweight drag cars ever built. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Mecum
Auctions.)
January-February 2014
59
Courtesy of Auctions America
2009 Dodge Challenger
Drag Pak
Lot 4127, VIN: N/A
Condition:
Sold at $30,000
Auctions America, Auburn, IN,
9/1/2013
ACC# 229092
Courtesy of Mecum
2009 Dodge Challenger
Drag Pak
Lot U48, VIN: N/A
Condition:
Sold at $31,030
ACC# 223424
Mecum Auctions, Indianapolis,
IN, 5/18/2013
Courtesy of Mecum
2009 Dodge Challenger
Drag Pak
Lot U94, VIN: N/A
Condition:
Sold at $32,100
ACC# 223425
Mecum Auctions, Indianapolis,
IN, 5/18/2013
Page 58
PROFILE TRUCK
1958 CHEVROLET APACHE 31 CAMEO
Time-capsule truck
OFILE TRUCK
1958 CHEVROLET APACHE 31 CAMEO
LE TRUCK
1958 CHEVROLET APACHE 31 CAMEO
Time-capsule truck
truly
truly unique,
so disregard
your price
guides
UCK
1958 CHEVROLET APACHE 31 CAMEO
Time-capsule truck
truly unique,
so disregard
your price
guides
black roof. The body is in excellent condition. The ro
LE TRUCK
1958 CHEVROLET APACHE 31 CAMEO
Time-capsule truck
truly unique,
so disregard
your price
guides
black
black roof. The body is in excellent condition. The roof
has damage from a building roof collapse due to snow.
The damage is to exterior skin and not to the interior.
The windshield is cracked from the hit.
T
60 AmericanCarCollector.com
60 AmericanCarCollector.com
ACC Analysis This truck, Lot 11L, sold for
$147,000, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at the VanDerBrink Auctions sale of the
Lambrecht Chevrolet Collection in Pierce, NE, on
September 28, 2013.
Style and functionality
The Cameo was on its final half year of production
in 1958. While it was hardly a rip-roaring success, it
did open the door to the industry as the first pickup
with fully integrated styling.
Up until the introduction of the Cameo with the
all-new Task Force Chevrolets and GMCs in mid-1955,
truck rear-fender styling was all about functionality.
However, the Cameo was more cosmetic than functional,
as the package was nothing more than large
he vehicle was purchased new by Ray
Lambrecht for Lambrecht Chevrolet
Company. It has 1.3 miles and has NEVER
been sold to the public. It is on original invoice.
The truck is turquoise in color with a
fiberglass fenders added to a regular old-style narrow
short box. The all-new 1957 Ford F-series made
full-width styled beds commonplace — and standard
equipment — but it was the presence and sales of the
Cameo that cemented Ford into committing to the new
design.
Knowing they had just been trumped in their own
game, GM’s designers and engineers endeavored to
come up with their own Fleetside pickup box. They
were not quite ready when the restyled quad-headlight
1958s were introduced in the fall of 1957, so the Cameo
soldiered on for another half year. As such, only 1,405
were built in the Cameo’s abbreviated final year.
who saved new trucks in 1958?
This truck was ordered new by Ray Lambrecht
Chevrolet, built at the Kansas City assembly plant,
shipped to the dealership, and never sold. It retains its
original body ticket, confirming that it was always a
Lambrecht truck, equipped with a deluxe heater as its
only option.
It wasn’t disclosed if Ray had always intended
to keep it or if it just happened to end up unsold. A
theory that I have on why it initially may not have sold
is that the dashboard had the worst paint job I’d ever
seen on a new vehicle. It had runs, sags, and patches
B. Mitchell Carlson
Page 59
ACC
Digital Bonus
of dull finish from spraying it too close and too thick.
It would not surprise me if that’s what turned off
potential buyers in 1958.
Couple that with the new and less costly Fleetsides
arriving shortly afterward, and it was pretty easy to
see why this truck was yesterday’s news and still at the
alership at the end of the model year.
This was also the first new Chevy that Ray decided
o keep rather than blow out at the end of the year.
er the Cameo, he saved several 1959 cars and a
-ton cab and chassis truck, then a few cars from
ost years — ranging from no 1961s to eight pickups
d two cars from 1964. The last old new car was a
990 Lumina APV.
ollection or tax-man inventory?
Several of the locals I talked to during the weekend
f the auction theorized that these cars continued to be
rried as inventory, hence an expense for Ray’s busiss,
becoming a loss over a few years. Considering
at every single person I talked to who lived in the
ea was of the opinion that the only thing that really
attered to Ray was money, this is very plausible. The
mily representative neglected to comment on exactly
y he saved them, so we’re forced to speculate.
He certainly wasn’t overly concerned about this
uck’s preservation. It was among a number of unsold
w vehicles that were stored in a nearby building
at had its roof cave in one winter approximately 35
ars ago. This is why the truck had a dent in the roof
d a cracked windshield — it was so untouched that
ards of glass were still on the top of the dashboard
t auction time.
No attempt was made in recent years to start it — let
one get it running — although Ray cared enough
out it to move it into a service bay of his dealership
ilding. Yet beneath the dust, dent, dead bat in the
d, and general state of decline, it is still the ultimate
mplate to restore a 1958 Cameo to factory stock.
qua albatross
While a lot of folks fantasize about having a “new”
old car, reality can be far more brutal. The doubleedged
sword of owning one of these is that unless you
like to — and have the means to — trailer the vehicle
to and from shows and never drive it, you will lose
money on it.
The moment something like this turns a wheel on
a public road, it is no longer a new old car or truck,
and it is worth less. Instead of being NOS, it becomes
a low-mileage used car. If you can afford and support
such a vehicle, and enjoy the fact that every person
who wants to restore one will come calling to you as a
template to restore theirs, go for it. If you want to drive
Detailing
Years built: 1955–58
Number built: 1,405 (1958)
Original list price: $2,231
Current ACC Valuation:
$25,000–$55,000
Tune-up/major service: $200
Distributor cap: $10
VIN: Spot-welded plate on the
driver’s side door frame
Engine #: Passenger’s side of
block, near the distributor
Club: Classic Chevy Cameo
& GMC Suburban Pick
Up Club
it, shop elsewhere.
The new buyer from New Hampshire said he plans
to keep the truck exactly as it is and create a “found
in the dealership” display at a museum.
A choice of one
From the moment that I first heard about the auction,
I knew that this Cameo was going to be the top sale.
Why? While there are the occasional new Chevy
cars from the 1950s and 1960s floating around in the
market from dealers who squirreled one away — not
62 like Ray did — no other new old Cameos are known
to exist. Couple this with the increasing interest in
vintage pickups and the story of this auction going viral
and subsequently becoming a TV marketing fairy tale,
and this truck ending up at the top of the heap was a
no-brainer.
It also didn’t surprise me that it sold for what it did.
It is truly unique, so disregard your price guides —
before, during, and after its sale.
Before I left for Lambrecht, I told various non-car
people what I felt was going to be the top sale and
what it would bring. At that time, I unilaterally told
them that it was going to be the Cameo for “somewhere
north of 100 grand,” with several betting me
lunch that I was nuts. Well, I haven’t had to buy lunch
for quite some time now.
Not a market mover
Now that it sold and everyone’s heard about it (to
include a multitude of inaccurate selling prices), the
wannabes are jumping out of the woodwork, with all
consignors seeming to think that a one-off sale is now
the new market.
A similar truck was offered on the same weekend
at Barrett-Jackson’s event in Las Vegas, selling for
$37,950. Two weeks later, another was offered at the
Branson auction, selling for $45,000. That truck was
actually built 502 units after Lambrecht’s — with the
consignor going so far as to proclaim that his was a
better truck, since the Lambrecht truck “needed to
be restored.” Never mind that I could’ve filled this
column entirely with ways that truck was inaccurate.
I also imagine that every ’58 Cameo that may possibly
come onto the market within the next five years is now
in a body shop getting repainted in aqua and black.
However, try as they might, those trucks still aren’t
going to be all-original with 1.3 miles, albeit lightly
damaged from less-than-careful storage. And that’s
really the point here: We’ll likely never see something
like this offered for sale ever again, and with that in
mind, this sale price wasn’t out of line. A
(Introductory descriptions courtesy of
VanDerBrink Auctions.)
September-October 2013
January-February 2014 61
61CC
1958 Chevrolet Apache 31
Cameo
Lot 659, VIN: 3A58K109252
Condition: 3
Sold at $55,000
More: www.cameotruckclub.
com
Alternatives: 1955 Chevrolet
Cameo, 1957 GMC
Suburban Carrier, 1958
Dodge D-100 Sweptside
pickup
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
1958 Chevrolet Apache 31
Cameo
Barrett-Jackson, Reno, NV,
8/8/2013
ACC# 227207
Lot 668, VIN: 3A58K109252
Condition: 2+
Sold at $38,500
Barrett-Jackson, Palm Beach,
FL, 4/5/2013
ACC# 216031
1958 Chevrolet Apache 31
Cameo
Lot F86, VIN: 3A58S109931
Condition: 3
Sold at $23,850
Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX,
10/6/2011
ACC# 186168
Page 62
MARkET OVERVIEW
For complete results of each auction
covered in this issue, scan this code
or go to http://bit.ly/YLyfw2
From Chevys in Nebraska
TOP 10
sales this issue
1. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette
L88 convertible,
$3,424,000—Mec-TX,
p. 102
2. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette
convertible, $1,605,000—
Mec-IL, p. 76
3. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
ZL1 COPO coupe,
$567,100—Mec-TX, p. 98
4. 2012 Shelby gT500
Super Snake coupe,
$500,000—B-J, p. 72
5. 1957 Chevrolet Corvette
“airbox” convertible,
$310,300—Mec-TX, p. 100
6. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
yenko coupe, $294,250—
Mec-TX, p. 98
7. 2005 Ford gT coupe,
$256,800—Mec-IL, p. 78
8. 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
convertible, $225,500—
B-J, p. 68
9. 1970 Pontiac gTO Judge
convertible, $214,500—
WWA-IN, p. 100
10. 1937 Cord 812
Sportsman convertible,
$159,500—WWA-IN, p. 96
BEST BUYS
1. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
ZL1 COPO coupe,
$567,100—Mec-TX, p. 98
2. 2012 Chevrolet Camaro
COPO coupe, $110,000—
B-J, p. 68
3. 1960 Pontiac Bonneville
convertible, $47,300—
DkC, p. 98
4. 1946 Lincoln Continental
convertible, $42,000—
R&S, p. 84
5. 1990 Chevrolet Corvette
Callaway Aerobody
coupe, $11,550—
WWA-IL, p. 102
64 AmericanCarCollector.com
VanDerBrink’s Lambrecht Chevrolet auction totaled $3,037,046 in Pierce, NE
by Tony Piff
long career, the successful Chevy dealer socked away
more than 500 cars, many of which had never even
been titled. Inexplicably, these “new” cars were often
just carted out to a field and left to rot. And in late
September, that’s exactly where the auction took place.
An estimated 18,000 people turned out to witness the
once-in-a-lifetime sale, and nothing was cheap. In all,
512 lots sold for a cumulative $3m, led by a dusty 1958
Chevrolet Cameo pickup that sold at a whopping $147k.
V
n n n
That same weekend, Barrett-Jackson held its an-
nual sale in Las Vegas. Totals grew by an impressive
41%, rocketing to $32m from $22.7m last year. The top
non-charity American car was a 1931 Lincoln Model
K convertible at $352k, followed a 2005 Ford GT at
$275k and 1967 Shelby GT500 E convertible at $225k.
Barrett-Jackson maintained a 99.5% sales rate among
the 659 lots and saw an average price per car of $49k.
n n n
Russo and Steele joined in on the Las Vegas
action this year and achieved $3.5m in total sales. The
anDerBrink’s sale of the Lambrecht
Chevrolet Collection in Pierce, NE, will
no doubt stand as one of the most talkedabout
automotive events of this decade.
Over the course of Ray Lambrecht’s
auction house sold 102 out of 237 consignments for
a 43% sales rate and $35k average sold price. A 1967
Shelby GT500 E Super Snake was the high American
sale at $130k. Rounding out the podium were a 1957
Studebaker Golden Hawk and a 1957 Chevrolet Bel
Air, sold at $88k and $86k, respectively.
n n n
This October, Mecum packed up its annual “Fall
Classic” sale, previously held in St. Charles, IL, and
reopened with “Mecum Chicago” in Schaumburg, IL.
615 out of 917 cars successfully changed hands (67%),
to the jingle of $18.2m total and an average of $30k per
lot. That compares favorably with the $11.6m achieved
in St. Charles last year. Top honors went to the 1963
“Harley Earl” Corvette convertible at $1.6m. A 1969
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 broke the half-mill barrier,
selling at $535k, and a 1967 Shelby GT500 “Eleanor”
found $268k.
n n n
We conclude this issue with highlights from eight
sales in our Global Roundup: Lucky in Tacoma, WA;
Mecum in Dallas, TX; Worldwide in Auburn, IL;
Auctions America in Auburn, IL; Vicari in New
Orleans; Masters in Minot, ND; Dan Kruse Classics
in Austin, TX; and Worldwide’s sale of the Burt
Collection in Lake Forest, IL. A
to the Lights of Las Vegas
THE LAMBRECHT CHEVROLET COLLECTION TOTALED
$3M, LED BY A DUSTY 1958 CHEVROLET CAMEO PICKUP
THAT SOLD FOR A WHOPPING $147K
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
Page 64
BARRETT-JACKSON // Las Vegas, NV
Barrett-Jackson — Las Vegas 2013
MY PERSONAL FAVORITE WAS THE SPOTLESS 1951 “PONTIAC SERVICE”
SEDAN DELIVERY, SOLD AT $43K
Report and photos
by Dan Grunwald
Market opinions in italics
from 524, and the sales rate held solid at just
under 100%. The dollars increased as well,
from $23m last year to over $32m this year.
That’s a boost of more than 41%.
Nearly 85% of the offerings were
T
American cars and trucks. Most were 1950s
Barrett-Jackson
Las Vegas, NV
September 26–28, 2013
Auctioneers: Assiter and Associates. Tom
“Spanky” Assiter, lead auctioneer
Automotive lots sold/offered: 656/659
Sales rate: 95.5%
Sales total: $32,080,895
High American sale: 1957 Lincoln
Continental Mark II coupe, sold at $700,000
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold
prices
1961 Chevrolet Corvette convertible 283/275-hp Fuelie with 4-speed, sold at $143,000
and newer vintage, along with a nice selection
of resto-mods and high-quality, recently built
hot rods. A custom 1955 Ford F-100 sold for
a whopping $132k, and a 1955 Chevrolet
3100 made $99k, but stock trucks performed
strongly as well, such as a 1970 Bronco at
$33k and a 1958 Chevrolet Cameo at $38k.
Another top seller of note was a 1970
Chevelle LS6 convertible that sold for a
respectable $178k. My personal favorite
was Lot 366, a spotless 1951 Pontiac Sedan
Delivery with a “Pontiac Service” logo
painted on the rear panels. It sold for $43k.
This event is still growing substantially
every year. Barrett put the 2013 attendance
numbers at nearly 70,000, including 1,258
registered bidders. Of those, 517 were firsttime
bidders and 168 were foreign — all good
news for both Barrett-Jackson and the market
as a whole.
As usual, multiple cars sold not for profit,
but for the benefit of charitable causes. The
top three lots were charity cars: a 1957
Lincoln Continental Mark II coupe at $700k,
a 2012 Dodge Charger NASCAR racer at
$500k, and a 2012 Shelby GT500 Super
Snake coupe, also at $500k. More than $2.2m
was raised for charity during the three-day
event, with 100% of the proceeds donated.
If you excluded the 1,258 bidders from
2012 Shelby gT500 Super Snake coupe, Wounded Warriors charity car, sold at $500,000
66 AmericanCarCollector.com
the 70,000 attendees, that still leaves 68,000
people who simply bought day or event
passes to see the show. As far as I know,
this is the least expensive entertainment that
money can buy in Las Vegas: more than 650
old cars of exceptional quality, all for sale,
and all in one place. A
his September saw Barrett-Jackson
return to Nevada for its sixth annual
Las Vegas auction, and this year’s
event was even bigger than last year.
Total consignments increased to 659
Page 66
BARRETT-JACKSON // Las Vegas, NV
GM
#800-1950 CADILLAC SERIES 62 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 506258173. Red & white/red
& white leather. Odo: 4,677 miles. 460-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Mild resto-mod with power
brakes, a/c, digital dash. Engine of unstated
origin. Good paint and chrome with light
pitting on rear “V” emblem. Variable door,
hood and trunk gaps. Scratches on rear
glass. Modern tape player. Cond: 3+.
instantly and idles smooth. Miles are since
restoration. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $225,500.
Wonderful restoration in unusual and appealing
colors. I couldn’t find a flaw. Well
sold.
#687-1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 2-dr
hard top. VIN: VC57A134700. Red/red &
black vinyl & cloth. Odo: 4,846 miles. 283-ci
fuel-injected V8, 3-sp. Seven-year-old restoration
said to have all matching codes, including
engine, transmission and rear end.
Some trim scratches and a couple of small
trim dents. Interior and most chrome look
good; paint still looks pretty good. Continental
spare tire and fender skirts. Tinted glass.
Tar-top battery. Clean engine. Said to be
driven weekly. Cond: 2.
Car Craft and Hot Rodding magazines. Sale
price looked fair considering what it must
have cost to create.
SOLD AT $41,800. Said to be a driver that
has recently completed some long road
trips. Fairly bought.
#174-1954 OLDSMOBILE 98 HOLIDAY
2-dr hard top. VIN: 549M34867. Two-tone
blue/gray & blue cloth. Odo: 70,999 miles.
324-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Lots of paint fisheyes
and some old corrosion on hood. Chrome
bumpers show well, but other bright trim is
showing age. Lots of glass delaminating in
various places. Plastic-covered seats.
Power antenna, a/c and rear speakers. This
was top of the line in 1954. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $63,800. I like the 3-speed trans
and fuel-injection combination on this car.
Reminds me of my glory days. (I sold my
’57 for $800.) This one was fairly sold and
bought in today’s market.
#122-1967 BUICK RIVIERA 2-dr hard top.
VIN: 494877H926475. Blue/black vinyl/
black leather. Odo: 9,729 miles. 430-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. New paint, chrome and new
custom leather interior with billet steering
wheel. Some original dash components
show age. New stereo with new front and
rear speakers. Headers on 430-ci engine.
Scratches on passenger’s side glass. On
22-inch chrome wheels. Drum brakes.
Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $23,650. Appears to be an older
restoration that is due for a freshening. This
sold for $23,100 two years ago at BarrettJackson’s
2011 West Palm Beach sale
(ACC# 178255), which would seem to confirm
this market-correct price.
Copper/tan cloth/copper & tan cloth & vinyl.
Odo: 7 miles. 283-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Highlevel
rotisserie resto by Snodgrass Restoration.
Superb paint and chrome. Starts up
8
#736-1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR
convertible. VIN: VC57232527.
SOLD AT $22,000. Costs less than a ’71
Chevelle and it can haul your new recliner
home. Fair to both buyer and seller.
Black/black leather. 7-L fuel-injected V8,
auto. New Central Office Production Order
#47 of 69 ordered from GM. Factory-new
with aluminum LS7 and lots of aftermarket
racing upgrades. No a/c, power steering or
power brakes. Racing seats and fabric
side-window fence fitted. Cond: 1-.
#719-2012 CHEVROLET CAMARO
COPO coupe. VIN: 2012COPO047.
#303-1971 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO SS
350 pickup. VIN: 136801L151340. Black &
gold/black vinyl. Odo: 21,095 miles. 350-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Shiny black shows some
prep flaws. Light pitting on chrome bed
trims. Scratches on rear bumper and tailgate
top trim. Some windshield scratches.
Front bumper shows old pitting under new
chrome. With cowl-induction hood and a/c.
Left the factory with a 4-speed and now
sports a Turbo 350 auto. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $36,850. Looks like a very nice
cruising machine with some mild upgrades.
Well sold.
#634-1970 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28
coupe. VIN: 124870N546968. Red & white/
black & gray leather. Odo: 5,049 miles. 377ci
fuel-injected V8, 6-sp. Well-executed
resto-mod with 377 small-block and fuel
injection. Paint is great except very rough
and poor around center grille; one small
door edge chip. Custom Sparco interior,
Hurst shifter, Pro Comp instruments, Vintage
Air and Wilwood brakes. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $49,500. Very cool, fresh restomod
has been featured as a cover car on
68 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $110,000. Not street legal. Sold
on bill of sale only. Comes with build number
only. No actual VIN, no odometer. Car
#32 sold for $151k at MidAmerica St. Paul
in June (ACC# 225798), so this price looks
like a deal.
CORVETTE
#699-1961 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: 10867S104310. White &
TOP 10
BEST
BUY
Page 68
BARRETT-JACKSON // Las Vegas, NV
silver/white cloth/red vinyl. Odo: 99,875
miles. 283-ci 275-hp fuel-injected V8, 4-sp.
A couple of paint prep flaws visible on the
front. New chrome, including the windshieldsurround.
Dent-free hubcaps. New interior.
Cond: 1-.
much. Last seen in February of 2012 at
Leake in Oklahoma City, where it failed to
sell at $39k (ACC# 196848). Before that, it
sold for $50k at Mecum Dallas in October of
2011 (ACC# 190677).
#328-1971 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 194371S121645. War Bonnet
Yellow/black leather. Odo: 87,735 miles.
454-ci 365-hp V8, 4-bbl, auto. Very nice
new paint and chrome. Replaced windshield
with black-out on bottom makes it impossible
to check for rust issues on windshieldsurround.
Power brakes, a/c, power
steering, AM/FM, tilt telescopic wheel and
leather interior. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $143,000. A strong price with no
advertised AACA, NCRS or Bloomington
Gold documentation. Last sold for $63k at
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach sale in April
2012 (SCM# 202332).
#716-1963 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 30837S120761. White/black
vinyl. Odo: 653 miles. 327-ci 340-hp V8,
4-bbl, 4-sp. Good paint and chrome. Some
light scratches on rear glass with well-fitting
trims. Visible dents on aluminum console
trim plate. Cracks on driver’s-side dashpad.
Said to have a matching-numbers engine,
which is factory detailed. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $33,000. Looks like a solid car
with a good option list. The automatic might
keep the price down, but with nearly 500
ft-lbs of torque, who needs a 4-speed? A
good driving Corvette at a fair price.
FOMOCO
SOLD AT $104,500. AACA Award-winner.
One of five ’63 Corvettes in this sale, and I
liked this one best. Sold at a market-correct
price.
#433-1967 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 194377S116043. Yellow/black
leather. Odo: 10,653 miles. 327-ci 350-hp
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Shiny paint shows lots of
prep flaws up close. Chrome looks okay.
Some trim has scratches and fit issues.
Original tinted glass. With sidepipes and a
big-block hood. Cracked and dry leather
interior. Cond: 3.
#683-1932 FORD MODEL B roadster. VIN:
DMV52553NV. Red & black/black leather.
Odo: 237 miles. Created for SEMA 40th
anniversary in 2006. Built with a new steel
Dearborn Deuce body and all-new custom
parts. Ford V8 power with a/c, chrome
shorty sidepipes, Moon aluminum fuel tank
and aluminum radiator with electric fan.
Wide white fats and skinnies and smoothie
wheels with SEMA logo hubcaps. Some
bluing shows on chrome headers. Cond: 1-.
custom features a “Fatman” frame, Mustang
II front and Ford rear, 350-ci F.I. engine,
700R4 trans, power steering and brakes,
a/c and Air Ride. Full custom interior with
digital gauges. Remote door and trunk
openers and a folding soft top. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $101,200. Iconic Lincoln Zephyr
body that excited lots of viewers—and bidders.
It sold for $95k at Barrett-Jackson
Scottsdale 2012, which we called “strong
but not silly money for a well thought-out
custom” (ACC# 192568). After expenses,
seller probably came out about even.
#650-1950 FORD “Golden Ruby” 2-dr
sedan. VIN: HODL161023. Candy Black
Cherry/white leather. Odo: 1,631 miles.
350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Wonderful Candy
Black Cherry paint with gold scallops.
Frenched headlights and taillights. Chrome
dual spotlights. Wide whites and old Fiesta
Flipper hubcaps. All-new chrome and custom
white leather interior with long-handle
floor shifter. Disc brakes, a/c, solenoid trunk
and door latches, Air Ride suspension and
rack-and-pinion steering. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $39,600. Gorgeous ’50s Ford
custom that sold cheap compared with the
cost of building it.
SOLD AT $79,200. Still looks like new. Very
high-quality build. Seems like a marketcorrect
price for this car, and a good deal
considering the original money invested.
SOLD AT $55,000. A decent 20-footer, but
lots of details let it down up close. The selling
price seemed slightly strong but not by
70 AmericanCarCollector.com
#729-1939 LINCOLN ZEPHYR convertible.
VIN: 2905102. White/ivory leather.
Odo: 1,199 miles. 350-ci fuel-injected V8,
auto. If you look hard you can spot a few
visible paint flaws. Built by Deco Rides and
displayed at Pebble Beach and SEMA. Full
#484-1956 FORD THUNDERBIRD convertible.
VIN: P6FH196642. Coral/white
porthole hard top/white soft top/coral &
white vinyl. Odo: 45,300 miles. 312-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Older paint shows lots of flaws,
mostly age-related but also edge chips and
pits. Chrome showing lots of scratching with
wavy front bumper. Cracked weatherstrips.
Interior starting to age out as well. Still looks
really sharp at 20 feet. Optional 312-ci 225hp
engine with dress-up kit. Cond: 3.
Page 70
BARRETT-JACKSON // Las Vegas, NV
factory spec. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $35,200. An older restoration that
is aging equally in all areas but that needs a
new owner with time and Benjamins to
spend on it. Sold commensurate with
condition.
#667.1-1966 FORD MUSTANG fastback.
VIN: 6F09T141634. Maroon & gold/black
leather. 302-ci supercharged V8, 4-sp. A
T-code 6-cyl Mustang decorated to emulate
a GT350 H. 302 engine with 2x4 and 6-71
blower sticking through hood. Chrome roll
bar and racing belts on high bolster seats.
Full digital dash and instruments. Spotless
paint. Some scratches on rear glass. Suspension
with inboard disc brakes. Also has
nitrous oxide, just in case. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $500,000. Lots of sponsors. A
great cause that always draws big money at
Barrett-Jackson. It will probably never be
driven again. Just resold and resold and
resold. As it should be.
MOPAR
SOLD AT $57,200. A real looker, and most
people will never know it’s a fake. The upside
here has to be the fun factor.
#731-1999 SHELBY SERIES 1 convertible.
VIN: 5CXSA1813XL000247. Silver &
maroon/black & gray leather. Odo: 4,275
miles. 4.0-ci fuel-injected V8, 6-sp. Essentially
a new Shelby in “as-delivered” condition;
some heavy scratches through the
paint on passenger’s rocker. Optional
supercharged engine. #247 of 249 built.
Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $80,300. Equipped for racing but
way too nice to race. Hertz never rented
one of these! It last sold for $10,350 at
Brooks’ 2000 Carmel sale, when we described
it as a “full-blown show car... worth
much more than the sold price in parts
alone” (ACC# 10397). Seems like the seller
should be happy today.
#633-1966 FORD MUSTANG convertible.
VIN: 6F08K351783. Red/black cloth/tan
vinyl. Odo: 3,826 miles. 289-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Lots of circular sanding visible under
the paint on the trunk lid. Chrome shows
well. Some windshield chips and heavy
wear on the windshield header. A few trim
scratches and dents. New Pony seat covers.
Interior side panels show some age.
Some pulling visible on dashpad. Looks to
be an original soft top. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $123,200. This wasn’t an instant
hit for Carroll Shelby for numerous reasons—marginal
reliability being one of
them. But this one was second from the end
of the run, so any production issues were
probably sorted out by the time they were
putting it together. Last sold in 2010 for
$80k at Barrett-Jackson’s Costa Mesa sale
(ACC# 165347). Well sold.
SOLD AT $36,300. This original K-code
Mustang looked like a decent sunny-day
driver. Priced correctly.
#327.1-1967 SHELBY GT500 KR replica
fastback. VIN: 7F02C179496. Red &
white/black vinyl. Odo: 34,087 miles. 429-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Started out as a 289/2-bbl
Mustang. Now reincarnated as a Shelby
GT500 KR with new bits and trim inside and
out. Shiny new paint looks just a bit thick.
Good chrome. All glass shows scratches.
New interior. Right side rocker trim not fit to
72 AmericanCarCollector.com
P8JS9C5240817. Red, white & blue/black &
red leather. 5.4-L fuel-injected V8, 6-sp.
Wounded Warriors charity car with thousands
of signatures (some starting to fade
from cleaning). Completed the 2012 High
Five Tour across America (48 states), raising
money and awareness for American
military personnel and their families. Now
being sold to support the Wounded Warriors
charity. (Built with a Super Snake high-performance
package by Shelby.) Cond: 2.
4
#3000-2012 SHELBY GT500 Super
Snake coupe. VIN: 1ZVB-
#346-1956 DESOTO FIREFLIGHT Sportsman
2-dr hard top. VIN: 62050931. Pink &
gray/cream & rose cloth & leather. Odo:
52,238 miles. 330-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Good
paint with some orange peel on roof. Good
chrome (and lots of it). New leather-andcloth
interior. Power steering, brakes, seats
and windows. New period-correct wiring.
Original buyer’s contract, build sheet and
letter from Chrysler Historical Society.
Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $62,700. A few small flaws put
this car into the “well sold” category. It
recently no-saled at Russo and Steele
Monterey at a high bid of $44k (ACC#
227040), after selling at Barrett-Jackson
Palm Beach in April for $40k (ACC#
216024).
AMERICANA
#728-1941 WILLYS STREET ROD roadster.
VIN: AZ342016. Dark Coffee & Sand/
black leather. 454-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Dennis
Taylor swoopster body on a custom powder-coated
tube chassis. Superb flamed
paint. Suicide doors. Heidts, Wilwood, Air
Ride Technologies, Dakota Digital, Boyd
Coddington wheels and a 454 crate engine.
Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $80,300. Gorgeous street rod
built to a very high level with a real exotic
feel about it. Hard to value, as these are all
pretty different, but considering the build
cost, this was a deal. A
TOP 10
Page 72
MECUM AUCTIONS // Schaumburg, IL
Mecum Auctions — Chicago 2013
IT WAS THE PERFECT VENUE FOR THE HARLEY EARL 1963 CORVETTE
CONVERTIBLE, WHICH SOLD FOR $1.6M
Report and photos
by Dan Grunwald
Market opinions in italics
917.
I
f you weren’t in the Chicago area during
the second week of October, you missed
one of the best days of autumn. The temperature
was a balmy 70 degrees, and
the cars on offer at Mecum numbered
This auction used to be called the
Mecum Fall Classic, held at the Pheasant
Run Resort in St. Charles, IL. It is now
“Mecum Chicago,” and it takes place at the
Schaumburg Convention Center near O’Hare
International Airport.
The convention center is large and modern,
with plenty of spectator seating and a
Mecum Auctions
Schaumburg, IL
October 10–12, 2013
Auctioneers: Mark Delzell, Mike Hagerman,
Bob McGlothlen, Jim Landis, Matt Moravec
Automotive lots sold/offered: 615/917
Sales rate: 67%
Sales total: $18,209,888
High American sale: 1963 Harley Earl
Corvette convertible, sold at $1,605,000
Buyer’s premium: 7% (minimum $500),
included in sold prices
The Harley Earl 1963 Chevrolet Corvette 327/300-hp convertible, sold at $1,605,000
good ventilation system that made it pleasant
to sit without enduring exhaust fumes. As
usual, the Mecum team moved the sale along
with precision and ease, as if they’d been
selling at this location all along. The cars
moved in one door, across the stage, and out
the other door quickly and efficiently.
Mecum is known for selling muscle cars,
hot rods and Corvettes, and those cars made
up the meat of this sale. It was the perfect
venue for the famous Harley Earl 1963
Corvette convertible, which sold for $1.6m.
This car is no stranger to the auction circuit
and has been a gold-standard investment,
netting impressive profits for each of its past
three owners.
One surprise was the “Hemi Under Glass”
Collection. The four-car lot was heavily publicized
and was expected to bring somewhere
north of seven figures. But when bidding
stalled at $750k, they were declared a no-sale.
While these cars are some of the most famous
drag cars ever raced, not all of them are
original cars. As the catalog made explicitly
clear, the original car was destroyed and
rebuilt as an exacting replica. No one could
tell the difference, but bidders may have been
put off by the story — or maybe the serious
collectors would prefer just one car. We will
have the chance to see, as Dana Mecum gave
notice that the cars would be offered again at
Kissimmee in January as individual lots.
There were 11 cars that brought more
than $100k, but that’s not to say everything
was expensive. Twenty-two cars sold under
$5k, with the trophy going to a 1982 Cadillac
DeVille at $2,500.
The average sold price was $30k overall,
Offered as a four-car lot, the “Hemi under glass” Collection didn’t find a new home
74 AmericanCarCollector.com
up from $22k last year. Sales totals took a big
leap forward as well, to $18.2m from $11.6m.
Not a bad weekend’s work for Dana Mecum
and his crew. A
Page 74
MECUM AUCTIONS // Schaumburg, IL
GM
#F98-1951 CHEVROLET 3100 pickup.
VIN: 20JPK10630. Blue/brown vinyl. Odo:
28 miles. 235-ci I6, 2x1-bbl, 3-sp. Brandnew
restoration. Looks showroom new
everywhere, including weatherstrips,
gauges and in-dash original-style radio.
Engine enhanced with dual carbs on an
Offenhauser intake and Offenhauser aluminum
valve cover. Dual exhaust. Cond: 1-.
#S208-1970 PONTIAC GTO Judge 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 2423701115425. Silver/blue
vinyl. Odo: 39,614 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Heavily documented original-mileage
Ram Air III Judge with a fresh frame-off restoration.
A couple of paint flaws on the Endura
bumper and sanding scratches on the
rear glass. Said to be matching-numbers.
Interior console lid color looks mismatched.
Wide door gaps. Cond: 2+.
window looked factory-new. Buyer paid a
mid-market price for a top car. Well bought.
S114012. Blue/ white vinyl/blue & white
leather. Odo: 26,000 miles. 327-ci 300-hp
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Built for Harley Earl in 1963
with factory custom sidepipes and a custom
interior with a/c. Flat-face 1965–67 design
gauges. Glovebox door has altimeter, accelerometer,
temp gauge and vacuum
gauge. Four-wheel disc brakes. Comes with
an extra set of Goodyear original blue-stripe
tires on aluminum rims. Cond: 1.
2
#S110-1963 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: 30867-
SOLD AT $37,985. One of the nicest restored
’50s pickups I’ve seen. The bidding
was spirited, with multiple active bidders to
the end. Well bought, well sold.
#S162-1962 PONTIAC CATALINA 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 962P9663. Black/red tri-tone
vinyl. Odo: 35,105 miles. 389-ci V8, 2x4-bbl,
4-sp. Some light trim dents on window trim
and scratches on rear glass. No wiper arms.
New bucket-seat interior with newer Autometer
tach. Powered by a Pontiac aluminum
389 with high-performance parts specially
built for Mickey Thompson. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $71,155. Last seen at Mecum St.
Charles in 2011, where it no-saled at $65k
(ACC# 189330). Sold at market-correct
price today.
#S190-1970 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
VIN: 228870L108283. White & blue/blue
vinyl. Odo: 84,948 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Good paint with some pinholes. Good
chrome and trim. Right taillight lens broken.
Rear glass shows scratches. Interior has
some light wear. PHS documentation.
Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $1,605,000. One of the most
iconic custom Corvettes ever, showing better
than new. Sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale
in 1999 for $152k (ACC# 12779) and
again at Mecum Indy in 2010 for $980k
(ACC# 162650). A true American automotive
investment piece.
FOMOCO
SOLD AT $56,175. Seen recently at Mecum
Indy in May, where it no-saled at $85k
(ACC# 224087). A very special car built by
Pontiac’s Department X back when the
factory could find ways to do that. Most of
these cars had dog dishes rather than eightlug
wheels. Well bought.
#F183-1964 CHEVROLET IMPALA SS
convertible. VIN: 41467F151331. White/
black canvas/red vinyl. Odo: 73,352 miles.
327-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Fresh rotisserie restoration
done to high level 500 miles ago.
Paint, chrome, trim and interior all look new,
SOLD AT $43,870. Sold for $37k at
Mecum Indy 2012 (ACC# 201886), then
no-saled at $40k at Mecum Indy 2013
(ACC# 224103). For a car with PHS docs
and presenting this well, I have to call it well
bought in today’s market.
CORVETTE
#S157-1962 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: 20867S109639. Black/
black hard top/black vinyl. Odo: 21,206
miles. 327-ci 360-hp fuel-injected V8, 4-sp.
Top Flight award winner in June 2012.
SOLD AT $23,540. A well-done Model A
roadster that still shows very well. A good
buy for this condition.
#S150-1950 MERCURY CUSTOM coupe.
VIN: 50LA37308M. Maroon/white leather.
Odo: 19,953 miles. 350-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, auto.
Chopped-top Merc features dual dummy
#S24-1931 FORD MODEL A roadster.
VIN: A1577586. Blue & black/tan cloth/
brown leather. Odo: 410 miles. Some pitting
on chrome trunk rack and cowl lights.
Visible chips on front fender. AACA National
1st in 1995. Cond: 2+.
as do windshield, header chrome and
gauge faces. Some dents on the passenger’s
seat trim. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$58,850. A meticulous restoration that
brought top money. Well bought and sold.
76 AmericanCarCollector.com
Looks factory-new in most every respect,
inside and out, top to bottom. Driver’s door
fits wide at the bottom. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$117,700. Even the hard top plexiglass rear
TOP 10
Page 76
GLOVEBOXNOTES MECUM AUCTIONS // Schaumburg, IL
By B. Mitchell Carlson
2014 Ford F-150 XLT
SuperCrew 4x4 pickup
spotlights, frenched antenna and headlights.
Lake pipes, fender skirts and Sombrero
hubcaps. Now with a/c and three
Stromberg deuces on a 350 Chevy. Stone
chips in the paint on the front of the hood.
Cond: 2. SOLD AT $37,450. A really cool
sled, bid to $35k at Mecum Indy last spring
and not sold (ACC# 223930). Perhaps the
same bidder acquired it today.
Price as tested: $42,055
Equipment: 360 HP 5.0-liter “Coyote”
VVT FlexFuel V8, 6-speed SelectShift
automatic
EPA mileage: 14/19, 16 combined; 17.5
observed
Likes: The 4-valve 5.0 “Coyote” V8
— essentially a detuned and FlexFuelcapable
version of the Mustang GT — is
very responsive and sounds good, even
in stock form. While the EcoBoost V6
may be rated at five more horsepower
(wow), it’s working harder and sounds
like a Maytag. With a load, the Coyote
will beat it and not need premium fuel
to boot. The tailgate step was a “do not
pass Go without it” option in my book.
As far as I’m concerned, this built-in and
intuitive arrangement is right up there
with sliced bread, sex and air tools.
Dislikes: In an era in which 436-hp
Corvettes can get 30 mpg at 80 mph,
it’s annoying that this gets the same gas
mileage as my 1978 Lincoln with half the
speeds in the transmission and a 4-barrel
460 under the hood. And there’s the
clutch pedal. It’s missing. And you won’t
find one in a new half-ton pickup built
by anyone. I may not be smarter than an
onboard computer, but I’d rather choose
my own gears and have the option of
instantly disconnecting the driveline by
myself if conditions warrant, thank you.
Verdict: What I’ve learned over the
years is that there is not one vehicle
that can do it all for most enthusiasts. A
specific vehicle for a specific application
will always work out better than an
SUV, CUV, or WTFUV attempting to do
everything with a compromise. For those
of us in the northern climes, where our
collector cars retire for the winter, or have
the need for a truck, a Coyote powered
F-150 is a good way to go. It will placate
your need for V8 power while enduring
whatever winter tosses at you or hauling
whatever you need — if not your muscle
car behind it on a trailer.
Fun to drive:
Fun to look at:
Overall experience:
78
AmericanCarCollector.com
½
#S198-1965 SHELBY DAYTONA replica
coupe. VIN: CSX2601MX. Blue/black
leather. Odo: 3 miles. 302-ci V8, 4x2-bbl,
4-sp. Daytona coupe built with Shell Valley
Body. A few light prep flaws in paint. Jagged
scratch right in front of driver on windshield.
Twenty-two-gallon racing fuel cell
and full-sized spare mounted under rear
window. Cond: 1-.
mile car should. No visible flaws.
Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $256,800. Very few of
these cars were driven to any extent, and
they are starting to show up on the auction
circuit today looking for a profit on the original
$150k MSRP. Sold right on the money.
A car still on MSO sold two weeks earlier for
$275k at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas (ACC#
228083).
MOPAR
#S29-1953 DODGE CORONET Sierra
wagon. VIN: 47001465. Red & silver/gray
leather. Odo: 2,142 miles. 241-ci V8, 2-bbl,
3-sp. Beautifully restored to much better
than new with slight custom touches. Flawless
paint. All-new high-quality chrome and
full leather interior. Hemi V8 with a 3-speed
overdrive trans. Ram hood ornament. Looks
as good under as on top. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $48,150. Replicated to emulate
the Dan Gurney Daytona. I don’t see many
of these at auction, but I liked this one
enough to call it a decent buy.
#S168-1969 FORD MUSTANG Mach 1
fastback. VIN: 9T02R151100. Gold/black
vinyl. Odo: 56,345 miles. 428-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. High-quality Champagne Gold paint
and very good chrome and trims. Interior
has some light age issues but nothing serious.
Super Cobra Jet Drag package. Shaker
hood. Has Elite Marti Report. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $36,380. This rare two-door Coronet
wagon looked a bit funky and a lot fantastic.
I really liked this car. Fully priced, but
seems like a deal compared with what you’d
pay for a comparable Nomad.
#S145-1965 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA
“Hemi Under Glass” fastback. VIN: N/A.
Black & gold/black racing bucket. 426-ci
fuel-injected V8, auto. Part of the the fourcar
“Hemi Under Glass” collection, offered
as one lot. Built by Bob Riggle as a faithful
replica after the original car was destroyed.
Edge chips on doors. Removable plexiglass
rear window to access engine. Thin “shell
only” bucket seat with racing harness.
Gauges limited to oil temp and pressure.
“See-through” hole in dash, in order to see
the track when wheel-standing. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $64,200. No-saled at $52k at
Mecum Kissimmee in January 2011 (ACC#
168849), but sold soon after for $54k at
Mecum Indy in May 2011 (ACC# 179379).
Today’s sale looks market-correct, with a
little profit in the seller’s pocket.
#S219-2005 FORD GT coupe. VIN:
1FAFP90S15Y401163. Red &
white/black vinyl. Odo: 2,047 miles. 5.4-L
fuel-injected V8, 6-sp. Looks as a 2,000-
7
NOT SOLD AT $750,000. One of the most
famous drag-race cars ever. Maybe not the
fastest, but a serious crowd-pleaser. First
sketched out on a napkin by Ray Brock for
George Hurst to build as a promotional item
for the Hurst brand. It’s always hard to sell
four cars as one lot. Look for these to be
offered in Kissimmee as separate lots.
#F164-1970 DODGE CHALLENGER 2-dr
hard top. VIN: JH23H0B191059. Orange/
brown vinyl. Odo: 10,293 miles. 340-ci V8,
4-bbl, 4-sp. Paint, chrome and trim look new
TOP 10
Page 77
MECUM AUCTIONS // Schaumburg, IL
with some visible orange peel. Scratches on
all side glass. Missing trim screw at headlight.
Very clean engine. Clean original
interior with minimal wear. Wide passenger’s
door gap. Cond: 2.
vacuum-powered windows. Doors close
solidly and hold firm. Built in a converted
bomber plant in Willow Run, MI. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $43,870. The final year of Frazer
using leftover parts and the only year with
an automatic transmission available. Pretty
rare, especially in such complete condition,
but price seemed a little strong for an oddball
orphan four-door convertible.
SOLD AT $44,940. Its fourth appearance at
auction in three years. After no-saling at
$30k at McCormick’s Palm Springs auction
in February 2011 (ACC# 177431), it successfully
sold at $28k at Barrett-Jackson
Las Vegas in September 2011 (ACC#
188206) and again at $39k at Barrett-Jackson
Scottsdale in January 2012 (ACC#
193561). Sold again at a market-correct
price today.
#S152.1-1970 PLYMOUTH ’CUDA convertible.
VIN: BH27G0B126861. Silver &
black/black canvas/black leather. Odo: 297
miles. 572-ci fuel-injected V8, 4-sp. Pro
Tourer with 572 Hemi V8 and manual trans.
Power windows, locks and a/c. Shaved door
handles. Good paint. Wide hood and door
gaps. A couple of windshield stone chips.
Full custom interior with analog gauges.
Cond: 1-.
#S220-1956 NASH AMBASSADOR Custom
sedan. VIN: V12244. Blue & navy blue/
blue cloth & leather. Odo: 40,938 miles.
352-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Generally okay paint
has lots of fisheyes on hood. Chrome shows
light scratching but nothing serious. Excellent
original-look leather and cloth interior.
Continental spare tire. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $26,750. Nobody restores one of
these. It is a large car with lots of chrome
and four doors, from a forgotten make that
the mainstream doesn’t care about. The
sale price doesn’t come close to the restoration
cost. A
SOLD AT $97,370. An impressive, wellexecuted
custom with just light break-in
miles since it was built. Recently seen at
Mecum Monterey, where it no-saled at $90k
(ACC# 230948); before that, a $100k nosale
at Mecum Indy in May (ACC# 224026).
Price paid today therefore looks bang-on
correct.
AMERICANA
#S69-1951 FRAZER MANHATTAN 4-dr
convertible. VIN: F516B001016. Green/
white cloth/green & brown cloth & leather.
Odo: 24,029 miles. 226-ci I6, 1-bbl, auto.
Good new paint and chrome. Wide driver’s
door gap. New top and interior. Trico
January-February 2014 79
Page 78
RUSSO AND STEELE // Las Vegas, NV
Russo and Steele —
Las Vegas 2013
THE “BARN FIND” 1966 FORD FAIRLANE WAS BUILT AS AN R-CODE REPLICA
MORE THAN FOUR DECADES AGO; IT SOLD FOR $43K
Report and photos
by Jack Tockston
Market opinions in italics
sales. Their Vegas sale in late September
coincided with the well-established BarrettJackson
sale held there, and the success of
both events shows that Las Vegas has the
potential to become another car-collecting
hub. The city has thousands of affordable
rooms, great entertainment, and venues well
suited to collector-car auctions.
R
Russo and Steele
Las Vegas, NV
September 26–28, 2013
Auctioneers: Jeff Stokes, Rob Low,
Dan Rouse, Phil Gee, Frank Bizarro
Automotive lots sold/offered: 102/237
Sales rate: 43%
Sales total: $3,533,540
High American sale: 1967 Shelby GT500
Super Snake, sold at $130,000
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold
prices
1966 Ford Fairlane R-code replica 2-door hard top, sold at $43,000
Russo’s signature “auction in the round”
format puts bidders right in the midst of the
action. Padded bleachers close in on each side
of the auction block offer a comfortable seat
and a great view. As the cars roll through,
bidders and spectators are invited to “come
on down” for close-up inspections, or to just
join in the excitement as the ringmen whoop
up the intensity.
Outside in the storage area, security was
tight as a drum, with guards on 24-hour
patrol. Even with my media credentials, it
took a call from CEO Drew Alcazar before I
could be admitted. With the string of thefts
that happened this summer during Monterey
Classic Car Week still fresh in my memory,
it was reassuring to see Russo taking matters
so seriously.
A 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake man-
aged to break the six-digit barrier, selling at
$130k. It was the most expensive American
car of the sale, followed by two 1957 cars:
a Studebaker Golden Hawk at $88k and a
Chevy Bel Air at $86k. The top Corvette was
a 1966 427/390 convertible at $77k.
Two ’50s wagons made a great impression
and found good money. A 1956 Nomad now
sporting dual 4-barrels on a 350 SBC was
well presented and made the right $55k.
The ’58 Mercury Voyager wagon was an
even rarer sight. It looked immaculately
show-ready from every angle, and I was not
surprised to see it fetch $66k.
Another car that generated a ton of buzz
1957 Studebaker golden Hawk coupe, sold at $88,000
80 AmericanCarCollector.com
was a 1966 Ford Fairlane, built as an R-code
replica more than four decades ago, then
socked away and forgotten. Now offered as a
restored “barn find,” it offered performance,
history and a great story, and at $43k it was
well bought and sold. A
usso and Steele grew their auction
calendar by 100% this year, adding
new sales in Las Vegas and
Newport Beach on top of longrunning
Scottsdale and Monterey
Page 80
RUSSO AND STEELE // Las Vegas, NV
GM
#S714-1926 CADILLAC 314 phaeton. VIN:
122354. Celery & olive/tan cloth/ tan
leather. Odo: 84 miles. Pleasing colors, tall
imposing presence, long 138-inch wheelbase.
Paint aged on Fisher body but holding
well. Nickel-plated radiator and headlights
could use a dollar’s worth of polish. Panels
and gaps good, no rust, minor storage rash.
Interior clean, nice tan leather seating fore
and aft, thick original wood steering wheel,
clock inoperable. Looks ready for parades
and touring. Cond: 3+.
ished stainless. Custom interior, front and
rear buckets, white gauges, power steering,
a/c. Crate 350-ci Ramjet V8 (350 hp).
Wilwood power brakes all around. None
better. Cond: 1-.
underhood, correct 800-cfm Rochester
Quadrajet, rebuilt TH400 trans, Delco battery
underscores originality goal achieved.
Mint top to bottom. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $85,800. There are some beautiful
’57 Chevys out there, but I’ve seen
few, if any, done to this level. I kept walking
around it, awed by the design, attention
to detail and quality of workmanship.
Huge price for a ’57 Chevy post, and worth
every penny.
SOLD AT $58,300. 21-inch wheels, solid
lifters, and roller cam sound like contemporary
mechanical specs. I’m calling this well
bought and sold.
#S662-1956 CHEVROLET NOMAD
wagon. VIN: VC56S003474. Bronze &
cream/tan vinyl. Dual 4-barrels on small
block of unspecified displacement,
automatic transmission. Quality paint on
waveless panels, no dings or road rash.
Chrome and stainless excellent, glass good.
Polished American mags. Interior redone to
original level, save for the digital gauge
cluster and nice wood steering wheel by
Grant. Looks good, sounds good, sits right.
Cond: 2.
#F407-1962 CHEVROLET CORVAIR
Greenbrier camper van. VIN: 2R126S109746.
Bronze & white/white steel poptop/multi-striped
vinyl. Odo: 94,120 miles.
145-ci H6, 2x1-bbl, 4-sp. Placard says
“Unrestored paint and interior,” with careful
miles traveled. Rust-free with minor touchups.
Decent tires on original steel rims and
stock hubcaps. No crash damage or major
paintwork. Interior clean. Gear includes
pop-up roof, window screens, camp stove,
cooler, folding chairs, cookware, flatware,
spotting scope and lantern. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $28,600. A one-of-one Holy Grail
muscle car, reeking with investment potential.
The pleasing stealth street colors attract
no attention, but cred remains for the knowing.
The ACC Pocket Price Guide values
these at $29k–$35k, so this was perhaps
the bargain of the day. Exceptionally well
bought.
CORVETTE
#F491-1961 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: 10867S107228. Jewel
Blue/white vinyl/blue vinyl. Odo: 45,261
miles. 350-ci 300-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Original
283 V8 replaced with 350 of unknown
spec, age or mileage. Heavy orange peel
on lower panels, crack above gas door,
paint bubbling at left rear. Trunk lid skewed.
Deck drilled for missing hard top. Stainless
shows use, bumper chrome thin. Serviceable
interior, driver’s seat has small split,
stock radio replaced with JVC cassette,
turn-signal assembly broken, clock inoperable.
Driver-quality underhood. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $55,000. ’56 Nomads play second
fiddle to ’57s at auction, but this was an
exceptional example. The period color
combination, subtle upgrades and overall
impression of quality made this one stand
out. Buyer and seller did well on this deal
and should be satisfied.
#S678-1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 2-dr
sedan. VIN: VC57S101305. Pearl white/
ivory leather. Odo: 1,511 miles. 350-ci fuelinjected
V8, auto. Magnificent pearl white
paint, perfectly straight panels and shutlines.
Nosed and decked, shaved doors,
flawless one-piece chrome bumpers, pol-
82 AmericanCarCollector.com
NOT SOLD AT $12,000. VW camper vans
have brought some silly money in the past
two years, but the Chevy version hasn’t followed
suit. This example was better than
average, and the 4-speed stick was a plus
to some. Recently sold for $9,500 at Mecum’s
Monterey auction just weeks ago
(ACC# 227513), making this look like a
failed quick flip at a market-correct high bid.
#S611-1972 BUICK GS 455 Stage 1 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 4G37U2-Z104427.
Sandalwood/black vinyl/dark green vinyl.
Odo: 68,550 miles. 455-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Real GS 455 Stage 1. Matching-numbers
California car was ordered new with 37 options.
Flawless paint, panels, vinyl roof,
chrome and stainless. Ram Air hood,
chrome factory Rallys, BFG white
letter tires, correct T-3 headlights. Interior
fresh and clean, a/c blows cold. Immaculate
SOLD AT $37,000. As a Corvette owner
since 1962, I’m saddened to find one lacking
pride of ownership. As presented, this
one had little collector value. However, if
one happened to have a correct date-coded
283 under the work bench, there’s a chance
of putting this one right. Maybe the winning
bidder had one, since price paid was $7k
above low estimate.
#F495-1961 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: NV10867S106436. Tuxedo
Black & silver/black vinyl/Fawn vinyl.
Odo: 46,000 miles. 283-ci 230-hp V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Older repaint of average quality. Right
door slightly out. Chrome and stainless ser
Page 82
RUSSO AND STEELE // Las Vegas, NV
QUICKTAKE
1968 Chevy II Nova coupe
SOLD at $25,680
Mecum Auctions, Schaumburg, IL, October 10–12, 2013, Lot T59
I’ve always loved sleepers, and this $25k Nova had me wishing I’d been in Chicago
for the Mecum sale in October.
Novas make great drag cars — they’re light and simple, and some came with big blocks
from the factory, so fitting one is pretty easy. This car wasn’t a big-block car originally, but
it is now, and it had
some great parts — the
kind of stuff experienced
car guys install
after they’ve grenaded
weaker pieces in the
past. And most of those
parts were hidden from
casual view.
The good stuff
included a 454 with
a steel crank and
rectangle port heads,
custom roller cam and
roller rockers, MSD
6AL ignition, ceramic
headers, and a Holley
950 HP race carb — the kind with adjustable air bleeds for ultra-fine tuning.
That engine’s coupled to a Muncie M21 and a Ford nine-inch with a Detroit Locker rear
end (with no Posi clutches to wear out) that’s been fitted with traction bars. In short, it’ll likely
survive whatever abuse you want to beat into it — from drag racing to street/strip cruising.
’68s are unique among third-gen (1968–74) cars. 1968 was the only year of this generation
still designated as a Chevy II, and it featured a lot of one-year-only parts, including special
emblems and a different dash. A lot of people wouldn’t notice most of it, but Nova guys do, and
some consider these early cars more desirable because of those pieces.
Finally, it wore a recent resto and looked great on color-matched steelies. The interior was
understated in black with a custom wheel, a tach, a pair of modern gauges, and a Hurst shifter.
For $25k, this was a deal considering how nice it looked, and the time and money spent on
the parts used to build it. I’d call it very well bought. A
— Jim Pickering
SOLD AT $50,000. Black on black is everpopular,
and this ’Vette got lots of attention
parked outside and on the block. Restored
13 years ago, it still looked good today. Well
bought and sold.
#S610-1970 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 194370S408708. Yellow/black
vinyl. Odo: 56,607 miles. 350-ci 300-hp V8,
4-bbl, auto. Decent respray on straight, uncracked
panels. (Placard says “Butternut
Yellow,” but the yellow for ’70 was “Daytona.”)
Front air dam molded into lower fascia
looks bulky and vulnerable. Big-block
hood. Period aftermarket alloys dull. Interior
original. Engine compartment lightly
cleaned, some chrome bits, crinkle black
valve covers. Looks to be a nice driver. No
reserve. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $18,700.
84
AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $39,000. Compared with Lot
F491, the other ’61 Corvette (sold at $37k),
this was the better one, still with original
engine and uncracked bodywork. It was no
show car, but it could be brought up a
grade. Final result seemed fair for both
seller and buyer, with money left in the kitty
to fix shortcomings without snorkeling.
#S661-1966 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: 194676S107102. Tuxedo
Black/black vinyl/black leather. Odo: 7,269
miles. 327-ci 350-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Frameoff
restoration in 2000, 15k miles since.
Panels and gaps to factory standard, driver’s
door shuts hard. Paint still deep, bumpers
rechromed, now showing minor road
rash on front and windshield. New tires on
uncurbed factory alloys. Interior stock,
clean. Engine compartment looks stock and
original. Cond: 3+.
vicable. Interior clean, stock seat coverings
look newer than door panels and dash.
Thick paint in both jambs is heavily chipped.
Right armrest loose. With rare power windows.
Car was born a Fuelie, confirmed by
higher-redline tach. Underhood dusty, all
shields present, stock generator remains.
Cond: 2-.
Page 84
OURCARS
1959 CHEVROLET
Corvette convertible
Owner: Dale Novak, ACC Contributor
Purchase date: July 2004
Price: $36,000
Mileage since purchase: Less than 600
Recent work: New mufflers, tune-up, chassis
lube, purge/refill rear differential and coolant.
Originality wasn’t this car’s strong suit, but
the mild changes were reversible. The
molded-in air dam and dull Bricklin-style
alloys were not design improvements, then
or now. Buyer and seller should be pleased
with the result.
FOMOCO
of old cars, my wife and I decided
we wanted another classic.
We wanted something to take to the local
shows, cruise-ins and the occasional drive
to picturesque Door County, WI. We decided
on a classic Corvette mainly due to
the resale market if we ever decided to part
ways with it — as there always seemed to
be a decent market for a nice old Corvette.
The search began, hitting the Internet
After a hiatus from the world
to track down a car that we could both
agree on. After gazing at what seemed like
hundreds of Corvettes, we practically gave
up. Then, one morning with a cup of coffee
in hand, I clicked on my saved search
in Auto Trader Classics, and there it was:
a shimmering Inca Silver 1959 Corvette
with an incorrect-yet-alluring white
interior. We agreed on it immediately. The
original color combination, abundance of
chrome, and sleek, graceful lines hooked
us like seagulls to a handful of wafting
potato chips.
The car was never meant to be an
investment. We bought it purely for enjoyment.
A Corvette purist would scoff at the
NOM engine (that looks completely stock),
the Hurst shifter and stock seats finished
in a never-offered white vinyl upholstery.
But the car has been remarkably robust,
looks and runs great, and will break the
rear tires loose on demand. Case in point,
I peeled one of the rear mufflers open like
a banana during a spirited drive along a
rarely traversed two-lane blacktop, thus
the recent exhaust work.A
#F459-1932 FORD MODEL B replica
roadster. VIN: DR142373CAL. Red/black
cloth/black vinyl. Odo: 1,615 miles.
2007-built all-steel ’32 Ford roadster on TCI
chassis. Immaculate presentation. Body
preparation and red paint flawless, panels
and shutlines perfect. Headlights mounted
low. Black cloth convertible top, chrome,
and polished alloys mint. Black vinyl interior,
high-dollar square-weave gray carpeting,
tach by driver’s right knee. $4,500 sound
system. Full-dress Chevy ZZ4 crate 350
(350 hp), polished Edelbrock 4-bbl, roller
cam, block-hugger headers, aluminum radiator
with electric fan, GM 700R4 trans,
eight-inch Ford rear. Cond: 1-.
RUSSO AND STEELE // Las Vegas, NV
gauges pitted, lenses fine. Power windows
work, clock doesn’t. Original flathead V12
looks completely stock, no leaks or seeps.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $42,000. It’s wonderful to find
one of Edsel’s babies still powered with an
original flathead V12 instead of an OHV
replacement. The basic body design,
according to myth, came from a designer
sketch completed in a single hour. It took
much less time than that to find a new
owner, who paid about $18k under low
estimate for one of the best buys of the day.
An exceptional investment well bought.
#F440-1954 FORD CRESTLINER Skyliner
2-dr hard top. VIN: 04GF100890. Ivory/
green plexiglass/ivory & green vinyl. Odo:
29,094 miles. 239-ci V8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Car
presents as new, no bodywork evident, all
brightwork mint. Trademark green-tint
Skyliner plexi roof insert. Minor stone chips
on hood front, glass and weatherseals
excellent. Repro interior well fitted, embroidered
Ford crest on package shelf. Engine
clean with optional 4-bbl to produce 160 hp,
versus 120 with usual 2-bbl. Attractive and
orderly. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $33,000. This pro-built steel
roadster looked fresh out of the box. An
iconic and minimalist vehicle; presentation
was top line with zero demerits, despite a
lengthy search for nits to pick. Six years old
with 1,615 miles implies a babied life as an
undercover garage queen. An astute gearhead
snapped this up for the cost of the
parts. This is the one I woulda, coulda,
shoulda...
#F472-1946 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
convertible. VIN: H141516. Maroon/
tan cloth/tan leather. Odo: 53,446 miles.
305-ci V12, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Refinished in lacquer
in 1999, and holding up well. Grille and
bumper chrome in exceptional condition,
rear bumper lightly pitted. Straight panels,
hood fit off. Convertible top water-stained.
Spotlight fitted. Interior good, bezels on
86
AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $23,375. Placard said engine
was a flathead, but the correct first-year
OHV Y-block engine with Holley 4-bbl carb
was underhood. Also confusing, the first
number of the VIN was “O” where a “U” is
expected to signify a V8. If verifiable as correct,
I think this could easily reach its high
estimate of $38k. For now, I’m calling this
one well bought.
#S655-1958 MERCURY VOYAGER
wagon. VIN: M8JE500867. Oxford Gray &
Flamingo Red/black & red vinyl. Odo:
76,142 miles. 383-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Immaculate
presentation. Show paint and per-
BEST
BUY
Page 85
RUSSO AND STEELE // Las Vegas, NV
fect brightwork, straight panels, even gaps,
flawless hubcaps. Interior flawless with no
evidence of use. Engine bay deep detailed
to showroom 1958 without the brochures.
Cond: 1-.
loys, recent white-letter tires. Interior serviceable.
Underhood holds original 427
side-oiler V8 spinning C6 Merc-O-Matic,
and 3.50 Traction-Lok rear end. Rare machine,
and good alternative to pedestrian
Mustangs. Cond: 2.
ible. VIN: 7432674186. Brown metallic/tan
vinyl/tan vinyl. Odo: 85,122 miles. 170-ci I6,
1-bbl, auto. One older respray in original
brown metallic. No-rust California car. Hood
sits high. Thin chrome on front bumper, rear
bumper good. Aftermarket side trim. Convertible
top shrinking. Interior stock, steering
wheel badly cracked at hub, dull plastichrome
shows age on dash, door cards and
transmission buttons. Slant-six engine
clean, original radiator, no leaks or seeps.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $66,000. If there was a concours
for station wagons, this would earn a prize.
Everything worked, including the electric
rear window. The car sold at Russo and
Steele’s 2012 Scottsdale auction for $63k
(ACC# 191565). It no-saled at Russo’s
Monterey sale this August at $50k (ACC#
227140). Price here might seem high, but
where is another in this condition? Call it
well bought and sold.
#S671-1966 FORD FAIRLANE R-code
replica 2-dr hard top. VIN: 6A40S167362.
Wimbledon White/black vinyl. Odo: 57,704
miles. 427-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp. Originally a
289 car, per A-code VIN. White, straight
body, fiberglass hood with leading-edge
scoop, steel wheels, poverty caps, blackwall
tires. Black interior, radio delete, two basic
bucket seats. 427-ci engine clean, dual
Holley carbs, Drag Pak, headers, dual
3.5-inch exhaust, Toploader 4-speed manual.
Wonderful presentation. License plate:
“R CODED.” Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $38,500. I almost passed by this
rare piece, but the badging caught my eye.
Back in the day, Dan Gurney road-raced
Cougars with some success in the Trans Am
series, but not with big-block power. The
ACC Premium Auction Database shows
three GT-Es offered since 2010, ranging from
$75k (Worldwide Houston 2013, ACC#
224339) to $182k (Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale
2011, ACC# 170280), plus one $70k
no-sale (Mecum Indy 2012, ACC# 201862).
This rare car was very well bought.
MOPAR
#F524-1963 DODGE DART GT convert-
SOLD AT $7,975. This drop-top Dart has
probably endured its share of derogatory
comments about its brown hue over five
decades. Price seemed a bit generous for
condition, but it was rust-free, it ran and the
top goes down, so no harm done. Repainting
it Resale Red might have been a more
profitable choice, but I digress. A
SOLD AT $43,000. A very old barn-find
clone, with drivetrain “in the car for over 40
years,” then fully restored by Danny Vadnais
(a Duntov Award-winning restorer, according
to the catalog). Buyer obtained an
interesting, usable conversation piece that
will be welcome at nostalgic drags everywhere.
Well bought and sold.
#S626-1968 MERCURY COUGAR GT-E
2-dr hard top. VIN: 8F91W536157.
Red/white vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 33,562
miles. 427-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Ten-year-old
restoration holding up well. Red paint presentable,
brightwork and glass good, no
major dings or evidence of body repairs.
Correct and rare big-block badging, AR al-
January-February 2014 87
Page 86
VANDERBRINK AUCTIONS // Pierce, NE
VanDerBrink Auctions — The
Lambrecht Chevrolet Collection
THE FIVE TOP SELLERS, STILL ON MSO AND NEVER TITLED,
HAD A CUMULATIVE 26.5 MILES ON THEIR ODOMETERS
Report and photos
by B. Mitchell Carlson
Market opinions in italics
T
he Lambrecht Chevrolet auction
in Pierce, NE, was by far one of
the biggest automotive events of
the year. Aided by the last-minute
announcement that the History
Channel was going to tape and air the
Saturday portion of the two-day sale, interest
and subsequent attendance swelled for an
event that had already gone viral online.
The Nebraska Highway Patrol estimated
the crowd at 18,000. Approaching the auction
site, located two miles outside of rural
VanDerBrink Auctions
Pierce, NE
September 28–29, 2013
Auctioneers: Yvette VanDerBrink,
Dale Pavlis, Aaron Williamson, Terry Brickner
Automotive lots sold/offered: 512/512
Sales rate: 100%
Sales total: $3,037,046
High American sale: 1958 Chevrolet
Apache 31 Cameo pickup, sold at $147,000
Buyer’s premium: 5% for onsite, 8% for
online, included in sold prices
1958 Chevrolet Apache 31 Cameo pickup, showing 1.3 miles on the odo — $147,000
Pierce, there were five-mile-long traffic
jams on both Friday (inspection day) and
Saturday. Toss in some early morning rain,
followed by overcast skies and temperatures
in the 50s on Saturday, and it was a venerable
vintage-auto pilgrimage.
By the time auctioneers offered up the first
vehicle, however, the sun was shining, and it
was on the way to becoming a warm — and
very pricey — day.
Saturday saw sales totals of $1.8m on 166
Buyers and onlookers swarmed Pierce
88 AmericanCarCollector.com
cars, led by the first vehicle in the row of the
19 better cars and trucks. This was the 1958
Apache 31 Cameo pickup, realizing $147,000
(see the profile, p. 60). The rest of the top
five were a 1963 Impala hard top at $105k, a
1958 Apache 31 stepside pickup and a 1978
Corvette Indy Pace Car Edition at $86k each,
and a 1964 Impala hard top at $79k (for more
info on the Pace Car, see the Corvette profile,
p. 46). These five vehicles, which were still on
their original Manufacturer’s Statements of
Origin and had never been titled, had a cumulative
total of 26.5 miles on their odometers.
The Lambrecht halo effect continued
for both days — not only on the other MSO
vehicles, but also on the trade-ins that had sat
outside and not aged well. The established
“crush bid” of $350 was rarely invoked,
and only on Sunday. In addition, parts and
automobilia also sold incredibly high as well
— despite the auction company’s poor coordination
with online bidders. As a measure of
the prices, a NOS 1962 Lambrecht Chevrolet
yardstick sold for $600. Yes, just one.
Sunday was another fine day in northeast
Nebraska, and while the crowds were down a
bit, the auction was still well attended. Despite
almost all of the Sunday vehicles being weathered
and damaged used cars, sales continued
to be strong.
All told, sales were nearly $2.5m before
factoring in the 5% buyer’s fee for the more
than 3,100 onsite bidders, or 8% for the 2,700
bidders online.
With so many bidders, spectators, and TV
viewers all traveling or tuning in to be a part
of this legend come to life, it’s a safe bet to say
that the Lambrecht Chevrolet Auction will be
remembered for a long time to come.A
Page 88
VANDERBRINK AUCTIONS // Pierce, NE
GM
#350L-1949 OLDSMOBILE 98 convertible.
VIN: 499M3727. Aqua/aqua leather. Odo:
77,632 miles. 303-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Old
trade-in, left to rot outside for decades.
Generally solid on the outside, with a few
dings and small dents that could be worked
out. With several inches of leaves on the
floorboards and no top material left, I
wouldn’t expect the floor to last long. Most
brightwork is still on the car, if barely. Glass
is delaminating. Seats are bare, rusty
frames. Generally complete under the hood,
so you’ll know what to replace. Cond: 5-.
bargain, this was still not too badly bought.
(Aside from shipping costs.)
#7L-1957 CHEVROLET 210 sedan. VIN:
VB57K104394. Dusty Rose/gray cloth &
white vinyl. Odo: 47,377 miles. 283-ci V8,
2-bbl, auto. Kept in the dealership for decades.
Decades of caked-on dust. Wiping
the grunge off reveals excellent original
paint, chrome, and stainless trim. Clean
original interior just needs a good cleaning.
Door seals are soft and pliable. Period
“Smokey the Bear” bumper sticker on
bumper. Cond: 3-.
when he puts it into a museum. (I can’t help
but notice the number of aqua-and-black
Cameos suddenly consigned to auction
immediately after this sold...) See the profile,
p. 60.
#1K-1959 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 2-dr sedan.
VIN: D59K119033. Copper & white/
two-tone gray cloth & vinyl. Odo: 55,292
miles. 283-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Decent original
paint in need of buffing. White will need
to be stripped. Rust starting to poke though
lower rockers. Only missing the right front
headlight and turn-signal trim—rest is in
pretty decent shape. Cracked windshield.
Motor is in car, but not much connected to
it. Carb, air cleaner, exhaust manifolds,
water pump, radiator, distributor, hoses and
belts are inside the car. Seats would be
pretty decent if they can be cleaned.
Cond: 5.
SOLD AT $9,975. This dead Rocket Eight
attracted lots of interest—it was all but impossible
to get a photo without someone
around it. While it would be valuable once
restored, getting there from here will be a
long haul. Not that it can’t be done, but for
what this brought, you’ll be upside-down
before the car leaves the body shop, with
trips to the machine shop and trim shop left
to go. Even as a parts donor, there’s not
much of an upside here.
#10L-1956 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 4-dr
hard top. VIN: C56K086795. Plum & white/
gray nylon & white vinyl. Odo: 50,220 miles.
235-ci I6, 1-bbl, auto. Sparsely equipped,
with Powerglide automatic, in-dash clock,
and AM radio the extent of the options.
Stored in the service area of the dealership
for decades. Last oil-change sticker shows
that it was done at 34,223 miles in June
1959. Nice original paint and chrome under
decades of dust and grime. Period-replacement
Wards Riverside tires still hold air.
Cond: 4+.
SOLD AT $39,375. The ambient oil vapor
from the degreaser made the very dusty
Dusty Rose paint almost look like it was
sooty but actually helped preserve it. Not
too many four-doors were kept this original
over the years, as most were used up and
parted out for two-doors and convertibles. A
little steep for being a used, non-MSO car,
but makes some sense considering the
originality and hype.
#11L-1958 CHEVROLET APACHE 31
Cameo pickup. VIN: 3A58K118014. Turquoise
& black/gray & white nylon. Odo: 1
mile. 235-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Stored since
new. On original invoice. Truck has never
been dealer-prepped, retaining protective
coverings on seat, unit sequence numbers
on glass, floor mat behind seat. Dented roof
and cracked windshield from a roof caving
in on it; truck was then moved inside the
dealership. Some rust staining from dripping
water. Bed wood still intact, with a dead bat
along for the ride. Fabulous interior. HUGE
paint run on dashboard helps explain why it
never sold when new. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $18,900. The ’59s didn’t fare well
out here, as there was one pilferer over the
years who fancied their parts in particular.
Reportedly, the thief even had the audacity
to come back to the Lambrechts after being
convicted to ask for his tools back. Like
most out here, this was a lot to pay for a
project, but at least it was one of the most
complete ’59s out here.
#121L-1960 CHEVROLET CORVAIR 700
sedan. VIN: 00769K112531. Ermine White/
silver & gray vinyl. Odo: 1 mile. 140-ci H6,
2x1-bbl, auto. New inventory with 1.7 miles.
Worst exterior damage is a healthy dent in
the roof. Paint is pock-marked with plenty of
surface rust. Floor has plenty of surface rust
but no blowouts. Water has seeped though
the dent in the roof, contributing to overall
heavy interior corrosion. Engine bay complete,
but heavily corroded and moused.
Cond: 5.
SOLD AT $31,500. From the first year of
4-door GM hard tops, and a car that nobody
seems to have saved. They were plentiful
back in the day, and this was a true time
capsule of a good used car for circa 1959.
Sold to a lass from Australia who wanted a
Tri-Five to bring back home. While not a
90 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $147,000. Being a half-year-only
model for 1958 (the Cameos went away
when the regular-production all-steel Fleetside
box went into production in mid-year),
these are rare enough, with just 1,405 built.
Combine that with 1.3 miles and being the
poster child for this sale (literally), it’s little
wonder that this sold for nearly $150k. The
new owner intends to leave it exactly as-is
SOLD AT $3,150. Among the Corvair cognoscenti,
owners of 1960 cars are known
as “Cavemen,” due to the austerity and
uniqueness of these first-year models.
They’ll feel right at home with this one. This
was the least expensive “new” Corvair out
Page 90
VANDERBRINK AUCTIONS // Pierce, NE
here but for the real old-timers, anything
north of $50 was too much money.
#5L-1963 CHEVROLET CORVAIR Monza
2-dr hard top. VIN: 30927W264244. Red/
red vinyl. Odo: 17 miles. 145-ci H6, 2x1-bbl,
4-sp. Exterior very dirty; a portion shows
what appears to be manure. A cursory wipe
of a small area shows the paint to still be in
very good condition. (Note: I didn’t lick my
finger for a taste-test.) Seats, headliner and
carpet in fabulous condition. Bottom half of
engine has something you never see: the
original inspection marks on the valve covers
in grease pencil. Shod with five original
bias-ply tires. Cond: 3.
superb condition. Bird bombs on the trunk
have discolored the paint. All four original
tires hold air, although they were sitting flat
for years. Beautiful original interior, better
than any repop kit out there. Still has the
shipping plastic on the seats and door-sill
protectors. Dusty engine bay should clean
up easily. Cond: 3.
ered with a half-century of dust, dirt, and
grime. Paint and chrome very well preserved,
thanks to ambient oil mist in the
shop. Nobody makes a reproduction interior
that looks as good as this one. Under the
slight mustiness, you can dectect a hint of
new car smell inside. Full complement of
new owner paperwork in glovebox. On
MSO. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $105,300. While this one may
need some paintwork on the trunk, the 327
and color combo made it more desirable
than Lot 3K, the teal ’64 that sold for $76k.
SOLD AT $44,100. After the new owner got
the keys, he opened the trunk, and it looked
just like new, featuring four virgin wheelcovers.
Starting at a $10k opening bid, Yvette
appeared surprised to see nearly every
hand with a bidder’s card shoot up. The car
sold again immediately after for $2k less,
confirming that this was strong money but
not insane, all things considered.
#124L-1963 CHEVROLET CORVAN 95
van. VIN: 3R125S108451. Light blue
metallic/Fawn vinyl. Odo: 46 miles. 145-ci
H6, 2x1-bbl, 4-sp. Damaged side doors
won’t fully close, admitting water, mud and
critters. Engine access “mail slot” in back
also got hit, so it will not open for engine
access. Some original plastic on the seats,
plus soiling and sun fade. Unpleasant odor.
Cond: 5-.
#40L-1964 CHEVROLET C10 pickup. VIN:
4C154J161283. Blue/tan vinyl. Odo: 4
miles. 230-ci I6, 1-bbl, 4-sp. Never sold or
titled—still on MSO. Sun-faded paint, with
light surface rust on hood and cowl. Tailgate
missing, bed wood rotted away. Radiator
removed (somewhat carefully), along with
the battery. Crystal-clear 1964 oil in the
crankcase, and the motor is loose. Excellent
seat, once the dust gets washed off of it.
The mice started to have their way with the
original owner’s manual and warranty
packet. Floor-mat rolled up, exposing the
original white foam insulation on floorboard.
Cond: 5+.
SOLD AT $78,750. If there was one car that
really deserved to be cleaned up out here, it
was this one. Having spent the past 49
years exclusively in the dealership—with
Ray constantly declining offers to buy it—
this was one of the finest cars here. The
famous collector who picked it up has the
resources and good taste to give it the care
it deserves. And no, it wasn’t Leno.
#35L-1965 CHEVROLET C10 pickup. VIN:
C1545J154822. Maroon & white/. Odo: 5
miles. 283-ci V8, 2-bbl, 4-sp. Optional V8,
heavy-duty 4-speed, AM radio, and deluxe
trim with two-tone paint. Said paint is actually
pretty good, with minimal surface rust.
Heavier body damage from a tree falling
onto the box sides and hood. Broken windshield.
Seat is missing, with the floor mat
rolled up and lying by the gas tank. Radiator
intact. Cond: 5-.
SOLD AT $19,950. Despite cab-over
Corvairs gaining in value by leaps and
bounds in recent years, this price even defies
logic. Unless there’s a nice rust-free
van in El Segundo that will become a “Lambrecht
Legend” via leapfrogged VIN tag, this
is silly money.
#24L-1963 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 31847J340437. Red &
white/red vinyl. Odo: 11 miles. 327-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Never sold; has invoice and
MSO. Exterior is dirty from years of storage
inside the dealership. However, wiping off
small areas reveals paint and chrome in
92 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $24,300. This was one of the
better 1964 trucks out of the line of eight.
The owner of the gas station that used to be
across the street from Lambrecht Chevrolet
said that these trucks sat behind his shop
for years, with the wood all rotted away by
’78. By the early ’80s, they had all made
their way to the Lambrecht farmstead to
continue their decay and be picked over by
the local ne’r-do-wells. The buyer should
hang on to this one for a while, replace the
missing parts and stabilize the decades of
neglect, rather than contemplate flipping it.
#1L-1964 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2-dr hard
top. VIN: 41847S267633. Ermine White/red
vinyl. Odo: 4 miles. 327-ci V8, 4-bbl, 3-sp.
Per the window sticker still attached 49
years later, equipped with 250-horse 327,
standard 3-on-the-tree, tinted windshield,
full wheelcovers and whitewall tires. Cov-
SOLD AT $19,440. Sold online to bidder in
Texas. This truck had the worst body damage,
but it was one of the few with a V8 in it.
Good luck.
#6K-1969 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE SS
396 2-dr hard top. VIN: 136379K416726.
Medium blue metallic/white vinyl/white vinyl.
Odo: 75,837 miles. 396-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Equipped with 375-hp big block, 4-speed,
center console, power brakes and Magnum
500-style wheels. Parked outside for
Page 92
VANDERBRINK AUCTIONS // Pierce, NE
several years after sustaining heavy roof
damage. Paint baking off tops of doors and
rear flanks. Rust-out in rear wheelwells.
Interior vinyl has faded and warped significantly.
Missing rear window. Cond: 5.
SOLD AT $29,160. Sold to an online bidder
who paid crazy money for a rusty, heavily
damaged car. At least he can pull the original
drivetrain and VIN off. Expect to see this
reincarnated in the future.
#46-1977 CHEVROLET VEGA hatchback.
VIN: 1V77B7U102358. Buckskin Tan/ Buckskin
Plaid cloth & vinyl. Odo: 6 miles. 140-ci
I4, 2-bbl, auto. New car on MSO. Parked
outside for extended period and badly
weathered. Lightly baked paint. Rust around
bottom of hatchback window. Dull trim might
buff out. Rusty where the drip moldings
used to be. All four original tires on the steel
sport wheels are in decent shape. Heavy
fading of most the interior. Heavily soiled
seats might clean up. Steering wheel
getting sticky from age; hazy gauge faces.
Mice have gone after the owner’s manual
and warranty packet on the floor. Engine
bay complete. Cond: 4-.
even NOS. Call it a hunch, but I suspect
that the onsite buyer was wearing coveralls
with a front pocket full of hundred-dollar
bills—just the type of guy with friends who
will be impressed when he shows up at the
coffee shop in a new 34-year-old grain truck
(and I don’t mean Starbucks).
#118L-1982 CHEVROLET CHEVETTE
Scooter hatchback. VIN: 1G1AJ68C3CA170718.
White/black cloth. Odo: 817
miles. 1.6-L I4, 2-bbl, 4-sp. Per the remains
of the original window sticker, ordered by
Lambrecht Chev for a retail price of $5,605.
Moderate moss accumulation. No chrome,
just decals. Heavily faded bumpers. Doors
difficult to open; hinges seem rusted. Dusty,
sun-faded, bare-bones interior. Complete
and rusty under the hood. Original glassbelted
14-inch tires still hold air. Cond: 4-.
nothing to do with the IPC values. See profile,
p. 46.
FOMOCO
#286L-1964 FORD CUSTOM sedan. VIN:
4P54V196258. White/blue vinyl. Odo:
31,275 miles. 223-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Old
used car trade-in, sitting ever since. Original
dealer’s sticker from Mimick Ford of Madison,
NE, on rear valance panel. Heavy
moss and vegetation on hood and roof.
Paint damage on the sides from trees growing
next to it. Most chrome and trim is still
there and in pretty decent shape. Minimal
rust-out of the rare-to-find rear bumper, but
it still needs work to be a core. Complete
under the hood. Cond: 5-.
SOLD AT $11,025. Final year of the infamous
Vega. Lousy interior quality hurt this
car the most, but lousy engineering of the
aluminum engine block didn’t help either.
No upside here, but if you’re a Chevy
completist in need of a “new Vega,” this was
your car.
#77L-1979 CHEVROLET C70 Custom
Deluxe 5-ton truck. VIN: C17DE9V157500.
White/black vinyl. Odo: 5 miles. 427-ci V8,
4-bbl, 5-sp. New truck still on MSO. Twopage
build sheet on the glove box.
Equipped with air-brake equipment,
9,000-pound front and 18,500-pound rear
axles, 5-speed transmission with 2-speed
rear axle, power steering, AM radio,
Bostrom driver’s air seat and air horns. Kept
outside and moderately weathered, but
worst damage is from parts thieves. Missing
SOLD AT $5,775. The best way to describe
a Scooter package is that it’s the next best
thing to a fleet vehicle. (Actually, this car
was even more austere than the Chevette
issued to my dad’s boss when they worked
for the Bell System.) This may be the only
time a new Chevette ever sold for more
than the window sticker. Granted, it took 31
years to do it, and only by $170....
CORVETTE
#15L-1978 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Indy
Pace Car edition coupe. VIN: 1Z87L8S904699.
Black & silver/silver leather. Odo: 4
miles. 350-ci 185-hp V8, 4-bbl, auto. New
car stored indoors. Never dealer prepped;
IPC decals in box, center caps and emblems
removed and in the back. Thirty-five
years of dust and mouse droppings on outside,
minimal yellowing of protective plastic
on steering wheel inside. A weekend spent
cleaning up the engine will make it ready for
Bloomington Gold. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $810. If it were closer to Portland,
ACC’s Assistant Subscriptions Manager
Cassie Sellman could have had a readily
available parts car. However, there’s not
much here that would be worth reusing—
and I can’t justify $810 for a side window for
my station wagon. Bought by someone online
who thinks that rear bumper is more
solid than it actually is—and who hopefully
can come pick it up rather than hiring someone
to haul a parts car.
#65L-1972 FORD PINTO Runabout Sprint
hatchback. VIN: 2U11X275172. White &
light blue/white vinyl. Odo: 95,281 miles.
122-ci I4, 2-bbl, 4-sp. Used car traded in
and parked ever since. Complete under the
hood. Rust-out at shock towers and rockers.
Heavier sun fade on paint and graphics,
with surface rust taking hold. Driver’s door
glass broken. Broken grille and lightly
dinged bumpers. Interior is complete but
very dirty and rough from exposure.
Cond: 5-.
front bumper, most of dash, steering wheel,
door panels, and other miscellaneous parts.
Cond: 5+. SOLD AT $16,275. Behold: the
only Mark IV 427 big-block here, and it’s
94 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $86,400. For all of you out there
with one of these on the MSO (and there
are a lot of you), do not adjust your set
price. The buyer lived in the area and had
eyed this particular car since it was new. He
vowed that if he ever had the ability, he’d
buy it and set it free. So this price has
SOLD AT $683. Over the years, I’ve seen
several Sprint Mustangs and even a Sprint
Maverick, but this is the first time I’ve run
into a Sprint Pinto since the ’70s. (The
Sprint appearance package commemorated
the 1972 Olympics.) Bought by an online
bidder in Florida, so the most expensive
part will be shipping. A
Page 94
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
Selected Sales Combined in One Comprehensive Report
American highlights
at eight auctions
1970 Pontiac GTO Judge convertible, sold at $214,500—Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn
Vicari Auctions
New Orleans 2013
New Orleans, LA—August 9–10, 2013
Auctioneers: Joey Fortner, Ken Buhler
Automotive lots sold/offered: 79/146
Sales rate: 54%
Sales total: $1,954,530
High sale: 1966 Shelby GT350, sold at $162,000
Buyer’s premium: 8%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Phil Skinner
Auctions America
Fall Auburn
Auburn, IL—August 28–September 1, 2013
Auctioneer: Brent Earlywine
Automotive lots sold/offered: 774/1,134
Sales rate: 68%
Sales total: $27,543,203
High sale: 1930 Duesenberg Model J, sold at
$1,540,000
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold prices
Report by Kevin Coakley, Photos by
Patrick Coakley
Worldwide Auctioneers
2013 Auburn Auction
Auburn, IL—August 31, 2013
Auctioneer: Rod Egan
Automotive lots sold/offered: 67/81
Sales rate: 83%
Sales total: $4,119,615
High sale: 1933 Auburn Twelve convertible
sedan, sold at $275,000
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by B. Mitchell Carlson
Lucky Collector Car Auctions
2013 Fall Classic
Tacoma, WA—August 31–September 1, 2013
Auctioneer: Jeff Stokes
Automotive lots sold/offered: 94/200
Sales rate: 47%
Sales total: $1,576,835
High sale: 1959 Cadillac Series 62 convertible,
sold at $110,000
Buyer’s premium: 8%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Jack Tockston
96 AmericanCarCollector.com
Masters Auctions
Motor Magic Classic Car Auction
Minot, ND—September 1, 2013
Auctioneer: Kevin Huston
Automotive lots sold/offered: 71/107
Sales rate: 66%
Sales total: $1,152,622
High sale: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, sold at $42,745
Buyer’s premium: 3%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Stuart Lentzke
Mecum Auctions
Dallas 2013
Dallas, TX—September 4–7, 2013
Auctioneers: Mark Delzell, Jim Landis,
Mike Hagerman, Bobby McGlothlen
Automotive lots sold/offered: 986/1,385
Sales rate: 71%
Sales total: $37,678,828
High sale: 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88
convertible, sold at $3,424,000
Buyer’s premium: 7% (minimum $500), included
in sold prices
Report and photos by Cody Tayloe
Worldwide Auctioneers
The Burt Collection
Lake Forest, IL—September 21, 2013
Auctioneers: Rod Egan, John Kruse
Automotive lots sold/offered: 121/121
Sales rate: 100%
Sales total: $1,579,537
High American sale: 1937 Packard Twelve
cabriolet, sold at $80,300
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Joseph Seminetta
Dan Kruse Classics
Austin 2013
Austin, TX—September 28, 2013
Auctioneer: Daniel Kruse
Automotive lots sold/offered: 119/177
Sales rate: 67%
Sales total: $2,538,030
High sale: 1965 Shelby continuation Cobra, sold
at $154,000
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Cody Tayloe
CLASSICS
10
#60-1937 CORD 812 Sportsman
convertible. VIN: 2494F. White/
black cloth/red leather. Odo: 14,884 miles.
Sold new as a supercharged export car to
Uruguay. Restored in that country 2008–11
before being repatriated. Replacement supercharger
hand-built as a new unit. Decent
repaint, but lifting along tops of doors. Modern
windshield in a frame that could’ve been
replated a lot better. Light wrinkling on
seats; leather on door panels still looks
new. Fabulously restored dashboard and
gauges. Tidy engine bay with a few modern
touches for reliability. No reserve. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $159,500. There are more than a
few 1930s driveline components that can
benefit from discreet use of modern technology.
One of my now late buddies was a 3M
machinist that came up with a way to replace
the common line shaft on a ’32 Nash
generator/water pump unit using sealed
waterproof bearings and a flex joint between
the two sub-assemblies (all done in less
than a week of lunch hours). This 812 may
not win many concours, but it would likely
be my first pick for an ACD club tour.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
08/13.
GM
#47-1934 LASALLE SERIES 50 convertible.
VIN: 2107058. Orange & black/black
cloth/black leather. Odo: 46,427 miles. Restored
around Y2K. Superb paint and very
even door and panel gaps. All chrome replated.
Well-fitted modern top. Well restored
under the hood. Glove leather used on the
seats, including the rumble seat out back.
Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $151,250. For 1934, LaSalle
separated itself more from parent Cadillac
mechanically with an inline eight that was
based on Oldsmobile’s but cast under con-
TOP 10
Page 95
ROUNDUP
GLOBAL
tract and finished by Cadillac. LaSalle also
used their own transmission (prized by hotrodders
years later) and an open driveshaft.
Strikingly well finished, even if the Great
Pumpkin paint job is a bit garish for a Depression-era
car (although in theory a new
LaSalle could have been painted in a nonstock
color for an extra fee). Sold well.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
08/13.
#797-1949 BUICK SUPER convertible.
VIN: 15023248. Black/red vinyl. Odo:
85,529 miles. 248-ci I8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Unfinished
frame-off project. Body remounted, no
convertible top, but mechanism is repainted,
installed, stowed. Painted ten years ago,
panel fit okay, old chrome, toothy grille complete.
Red mohair seating, instrument panel
all there, black rubber flooring. Straight
eight rebuilt with 35k miles, 6-volt battery.
New clutch and pressure plate 500 miles
ago. Starts and runs well. Comes with
“many extra parts to hoard or sell.” Cond: 4.
SOLD AT $37,400. As the last car of the
evening, it ended the proceedings on a high
note, generating a spectacular sale for a
spectacular car. Even if it has “two doors
too many” for most dealers out there.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
08/13.
#S921-1951 CHEVROLET STYLELINE
sedan. VIN: JAM277171. Red/tan & brown
stripe cloth. Odo: 35,693 miles. 216-ci I6,
1-bbl, 3-sp. Reportedly a barn-find car, originally
red, fire-chief markings. Interior headliner
still from factory; seating redone, some
staining and minor wear and tear. Chrome
original and in decent condition for its age.
Heater is the only creature comfort. No
signs of hits or panel replacements. Even
exterior rubber seals and weather strip in
decent condition for its age. Cond: 2-.
bargain” (ACC# 209024). Well sold here a
little over a year later, but still not a bad deal
for the new owner. Auctions America, Auburn,
IN, 09/13.
#45-1958 BUICK SPECIAL convertible.
VIN: 4E1077802. Glacier White/white
vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 8 miles. 364-ci V8,
2-bbl, auto. Only 80 miles since restoration.
High-quality paint and brightwork to localshow
standard. Correct panel gaps. Restored
interior. Power steering and brakes,
no a/c. Stock cup-holder for four drinks in
the open glovebox. Continental spare tire.
Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $15,400. This “slopeback” Buick’s
silhouette reminded me of a period ChrisCraft
runabout. The first 600 or so made
had this rear end, subsequently changed to
a squareback and stand-up spare, making
this Super 56C arguably rare. Too nice to
become a yard planter, and much work
needed to finish, it will take a Buick enthusiast
with time and money to see the project
through. Well sold. Lucky Collector Car
Auctions, Tacoma, WA, 08/13.
#82-1949 OLDSMOBILE 76 sedan. VIN:
496M14692. Light green metallic/green
cloth & vinyl. Odo: 18,560 miles. 231-ci I6,
2-bbl, auto. Released from the GM Heritage
collection in 2009. Claimed generally original
with actual miles. Paint looks too good
to be original, but does have some light patina.
Excellent chrome and trim, wonderful
door and panel fit. Superb original interior,
with slight hints of new-car smell and old
wool. Recent cleanup under the hood. Darn
nice for being mostly original. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $14,040. While this was a factory
red car, that was the end of this seller’s concession
to originality. He thought the faux
fire-chief graphics would get the car sold,
and it appears he was right. An appealing
car, well presented and well sold. Vicari,
New Orleans, LA, 08/13.
#5208-1957 OLDSMOBILE SUPER 88
convertible. VIN: 577L02657. White/black
woven vinyl/red & white leather. Odo:
81,571 miles. 371-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, auto.
Otherwise-nice paint shows some chips and
cracking near driver’s door vent. Excellent
brightwork. Well-detailed engine compartment.
Brilliant interior chrome trim, white
leather yellowing. $125k reportedly invested,
including added J-2 carburetor.
No reserve. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $68,200.
When this car sold at RM Plymouth in July
2012 for $52k, the reporter called it “a
SOLD AT $41,800. One of the nicest cars
of the auction. Well restored and ready to
enjoy. Well bought. Worldwide Auctioneers,
Lake Forest, IL, 09/13.
#6026-1960 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO
pickup. VIN: 01280L05770. Red/black &
white vinyl & cloth. Odo: 49,092 miles. 350ci
V8, 4-bbl, 3-sp. Paint looks like it might
be original; holding up okay. Exterior trim
shows the expected wear. Driver-quality
engine detailing. Non-original 350 engine of
unspecified vintage equipped with aftermarket
electronic ignition. Acceptable interior
January-February 2014 97
Page 96
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
condition. Rubber weatherstrips starting to
dry out. Equipped with black vinyl tonneau
cover, power steering and brakes. Cond: 3.
was still on the low side for a 442 convertible.
Well bought. Dan Kruse Classics,
Austin, TX, 09/13.
SOLD AT $19,800. This was a decent
driver-quality El Camino that could be used
for normal daily driving without stressing
over the flawless condition. It looked like a
market-correct result. Auctions America,
Auburn, IN, 09/13.
#51-1960 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE
convertible. VIN: 860S3323. Black/
black vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 24,525 miles.
389-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Fresh deep black
paint showing few flaws. Good trim with
bright chrome. Both doors out slightly but
otherwise decent panel fit. Nice soft top
looks new. Glass is clear, rubber in very
good condition. Bucket-seat option and very
clean interior. Scratches and missing paint
on dash. Factory eight-lug wheels. Engine
is driver-quality with fluid residue noted on
top of intake manifold. Cond: 2+.
#S134.1-1969 CHEVROLET
CAMARO Yenko coupe. VIN:
124379N615382. Hugger Orange/black
vinyl. Odo: 5,526 miles. 427-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Yenko Camaro number YS9637. Optioned
with COPO packages 9561 and
9737. Older restoration showing age.
Badging showing wear. Numerous paint
flaws. Cowl faded with paint chips at windshield
base and behind passenger’s door.
Glass appears original with light scratches
throughout. Cheap vinyl Yenko decals on
front seat headrests are peeling off. Driver’s
carpet worn. Tidy engine with reproduction
chalk and crayon marks. Cond: 3+.
6
Muncie M22 4-speed manual. Attractive
paint with only a few minor flaws. Passenger’s
door slightly out. Brightwork average.
Interior clean and period-correct. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $567,100. Top-drawer ZL1s were
selling for almost twice as much six and
seven years ago, making this a relative bargain.
This one had good options and was
well documented with ownership history
going back to the original buyer. A comparable
car sold earlier this year at Russo and
Steele’s Scottsdale auction for $605k
(ACC# 214983), making this one well
bought. Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX,
09/13.
#F218.1-1969 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE
SS 2-dr hard top. VIN: 136379K454543.
Silver/black vinyl/black vinyl. 540-ci V8,
4-bbl, 5-sp. 674-hp big block, Richmond
5-speed manual-overdrive transmission. Air
Ride Technologies suspension. Recent
build showing some use. Glossy paint with
small chip on passenger’s side door. Mostly
new chrome and stainless. Light scratches
on windshield. Upgraded gauge package.
Newly refinished seats and door panels.
Although massive, the engine looks at
home and is not overdone. Clean undercarriage
with upgraded suspension. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $47,300. The consignor specialized
in vehicles formerly owned by celebrities
as well as movie cars. This wide-track
Pontiac reportedly spent the past 20 years
in the personal collection of a picture car
coordinator for Hollywood and has probably
been very well maintained with a fleet of
vintage vehicles. Fine examples will often
go for double what was paid here, making
this well-equipped example well bought.
Dan Kruse Classics, Austin, TX, 09/13.
#88-1968 OLDSMOBILE 442 convertible.
VIN: 344778Z119018. Blue/white vinyl/
cream vinyl. Odo: 83,781 miles. 455-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Frame-up restoration 20k miles
ago. Paint is showing age with a few cracks
and small bubbles throughout. Rubber very
dry. Missing strip of trim on passenger’s
rear fender. Worn interior door pulls. Seat
base paint flaking. Missing wiper knob. Engine
is driver-quality. Claimed 500 hp not
consistent with factory ratings. Has “W-30”
badges but no red fender wells. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $19,250. While this one had its
needs and inconsistencies, the sales price
98 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $294,250. This same car last
sold out of the Keith Hutson Yenko Collection
at Mecum St. Charles 2005, where one
lot of five cars sold for $1,785,000, or $357k
each (ACC# 39581). After years of decline,
the market is ticking up a bit. This one is an
older restoration that has some cosmetic
needs, but at the end of the day, it’s a
Yenko you could drive and enjoy. Well
bought and sold. Mecum Auctions, Dallas,
TX, 09/13.
VIN: 124379N 64294. Garnet Red/red vinyl.
Odo: 5,143 miles. 427-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Number 62 of 69 built. Said to be only one
in this color combination; one of 12 with a
3
#S127-1969 CHEVROLET
CAMARO ZL1 COPO coupe.
SOLD AT $51,360. “SS” badged with no
documentation, but that’s really irrelevant at
this point, given the extensive list of upgrades.
Other than wheels and tires, the
exterior appears stock, but the car is hiding
a beast of an engine and modern suspension.
While there is never a shortage of
Chevelles available for sale, this one was
especially nice and likely sold for less than
the build cost. Given the slight overall decline
in the Chevelle market, this one was a
good deal for both parties. Mecum Auctions,
Dallas, TX, 09/13.
#52-1969 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
VIN: 223379N106455. White & blue/blue
vinyl. Odo: 77,258 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. PHS confirms restoration to original
spec. Repainted in 2000 with better-than-
BEST
BUY
BEST
BUY
TOP 10
TOP 10
Page 98
GLOVEBOXNOTES
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
By John L. Stein
2014 Chevrolet Silverado
1500 Z71 4WD LTZ Crew
Cab pickup
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
original workmanship. All correct T-3 headlights.
Engine rebuilt in 1985 3k miles ago
and still very clean. Minimal wear on the
repro interior. Clean undercarriage. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $82,500. From this first year of
production until the last one was built in
2002, Pontiac paid SCCA $5 per car sold
for use of the trademarked “Trans Am”
name. Reserve met at $75k, for a marketcorrect
sale. Worldwide Auctioneers,
Auburn, IN, 08/13.
Price as tested: $49,050
Equipment: 5.3-liter, 355-horsepower
EcoTec3 V8 with direct injection, 6-speed
automatic transmission, shift-on-the-fly
4x4
EPA mileage: 16/22
Likes: This is probably the best pickup I
have ever driven. Over a week I used it to
tow and haul nearly 1,000 miles from sea
level to 8,000 feet, averaging 20.2 mpg.
Inside, my digital sound meter registered
a library-quiet 60 dBA at 70 mph, and
the heated and air-conditioned front
seats are comfortable. Remarkably, the
nav system shows USFS trails, making it
easy to explore with the dual-range 4x4
system. A tow rating of 9,500 pounds
seals the deal.
Dislikes: The navigation system won’t
display USFS trails from greater than a
relatively close-up 0.25-mile elevation,
making it difficult to plot a long-distance
off-road trek. Likewise, the nav screen
doesn’t pan smoothly at the swipe of a
finger. And lastly, the Z71 off-road package
raises the step-in and bed heights,
making it harder to climb into the cab or
load cargo.
Verdict: This is one pickup I’ll be telling
people about for a long time. It embodies
everything I hold dear in a truck: roomy
and quiet crew-cab interior, motorcyclefriendly
six-foot, six-inch bed, good
towing capacity and fuel economy, and
genuine off-road capability. At nearly
$50k, the Silverado Z71 is hardly cheap
— until you consider it can tow your Lola
T70 and toy-box trailer, take your family
on vacation or follow the Baja 1000 route,
all in confidence, comfort and safety.
Fun to drive:
Fun to look at:
Overall experience:
Atoll Blue/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo:
22,835 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Restoration
completed within last few years and
150 miles. PHS documentation confirms all
done to original spec. Better-than-original
paint quality. Lousy gap between Endura
nose and the body—rather like original. All
headlights are correct T-3s. Light soiling in
the reproduction seat pleats. Light soiling in
the authentically detailed engine bay. Fresh
master cylinder and brake lines. Cond: 2+.
9
#64-1970 PONTIAC GTO Judge
convertible. VIN: 242670P255726.
steering wheel, speedo bezel pitted. Numbers-matching
drivetrain, underhood dusty,
all shields in place. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT
$61,050. This looked sinister in black with
silver coves, and dual quads atop a mouse
motor made a desirable package. Last sold
at Mecum Indy in May 2013 for $54,035
(ACC# 223014). Seller turned down a high
bid of $60k at Mecum Monterey in August
(ACC# 230573), which would seem to confirm
this price. Buyer obtained a driver-quality
Corvette with cash to spare for fixing and
potential future profit. Lucky Collector Car
Auctions, Tacoma, WA, 08/13.
E57S105073. Onyx Black/black vinyl/red
vinyl. Odo: 29,513 283-ci 283-hp fuel-injected
V8, 4-sp. Former NCRS Top Flight
award-winner. Older restoration with minor
paint cracks on driver’s door, chips around
trunk and light scratches on hood and front
fenders. Chrome like new. Good rubber all
around. Early signs of delamination on passenger’s
window. Wear on driver’s seat.
Carpets a little worn and slightly dirty. Engine
in good shape but visually worn from
older restoration. One of 43 that were built,
and said to be one of 17 or 18 that still exist
today. Cond: 2.
5
#S121-1957 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
“airbox” convertible. VIN:
SOLD AT $214,500. While upper-eschelon
muscle cars still haven’t returned to where
they were six years ago, Judge convertibles
didn’t drop all that far anyway. This one had
plenty of action on it both onsite and with
phone bidders. A handful of Judge convertibles
have sold above $230k since 2010, so
call this one well bought and sold. Worldwide
Auctioneers, Auburn, IN, 08/13.
CORVETTE
#514-1957 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
VIN: E57S100989. Black Onyx &
silver/black vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 90,609
miles. 283-ci 245-hp V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp.
Straight fiberglass, light scratches in paint,
thin chrome on bumpers. Windshield has
light wiper scratches that may polish out.
Ugly large blemish on right side of hard top,
deep scratch on back window. Repop seats
and door panels look recent, minor chip in
SOLD AT $310,300. One of the rarest of
first-generation Corvettes, this well-documented
“airbox” was the pinnacle of American
performance in its day. With almost
every option available except power windows,
this frame-off-restored former racer
also included thorough documentation.
They do not come up for sale too often, and
this one was well bought. Mecum Auctions,
Dallas, TX, 09/13.
#32-1960 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
VIN: 00867S105724. Red/red hard
top/red vinyl. Odo: 2,894 miles. 350-ci 400hp
V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp. Recent restoration
done very well. Slight paint run on nose.
Factory-correct panel fit. Trim appears fresh
and is in great condition. Small area of delamination
on windshield. Newer carpets,
seat fabric and most interior trim. Upgraded
350-ci engine in excellent condition matching
rest of the car. Aftermarket wheels.
Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $66,000. This was a
very nice restoration, which the owner said
he drove every couple of weeks to help
keep things in good running order.
100 AmericanCarCollector.com
TOP 10
TOP 10
Page 100
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
described as matching-numbers. Rear end
sits too high. With power steering, brakes
and windows, AM/FM, no a/c. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $22,000. Last sold for $18,700 at
RM’s 2003 Phoenix sale (ACC# 30248).
This was a solid-looking car that did not
look like it had spent its life at the track. The
simple mechanics and robust structure
would make this a fun track-day toy. Well
bought. Worldwide Auctioneers, Lake
Forest, IL, 09/13.
Although it was not stated when the restoration
took place, at least one can assume
with the mileage that the bugs have been
worked out and not feel guilty about putting
the car on the road. Market-correct price for
condition. Dan Kruse Classics, Austin,
TX, 09/13.
677S118414. Marlboro Maroon/black vinyl/
black vinyl. Odo: 39,796 miles. 427-ci 430hp
V8, 4-bbl, 4-speed. One of 20 produced
in 1967. Documented with tank sticker, vintage
photos and time slips including the first
run. Thought to be the only 1967 L88 convertible
to retain its original body panels.
Restored in mid-’90s and showing some
age. A few touch-ups on hood. Driver’s door
slightly out at bottom. Mostly original interior
extremely well kept. Passenger’s door trim
adhesive coming loose at armrest. Engine
appears factory-fresh with no heat damage
on paint. Cond: 2+.
1
#S123-1967 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
L88 convertible. VIN: 194-
SOLD AT $27,500. Last seen at Auctions
America’s Auburn sale in June 2012, where
it no-saled at $22k (ACC# 202158). The
cost of making it “correct” with a high-quality
respray and other minor items would quickly
put you underwater on a car that was a
perfectly nice driver as it sat. At that, well
bought. Worldwide Auctioneers, Lake
Forest, IL, 09/13.
#86-1988 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Challenge
coupe. VIN: 1G1YY2187J5113467.
White/black cloth. Odo: 3,062 miles. 5.7-L
245-hp V8, 4-sp. Roll bar, five-point harnesses.
Some paint overspray on rubber
molding. (Did we have an off-track excursion?)
Sold on bill of sale only. Cond: 2-.
YY2184H5111640. Teal/graphite leather.
Odo: 29,159 miles. 350-ci 390-hp turbocharged
V8, 4-sp. Paint consistent with its
age. Interior worn and torn. Removable
smoked-glass roof. Twin Turbo Callaway
Aerobody conversion (designed by Paul
Deutschman) replaces the nose and tail
caps, as well as the side panels. Twin turbos
bring hp up to an estimated 390. One of
an estimated 59 produced for 1990.
Cond: 3+.
#21-1990 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
Callaway Aerobody coupe. VIN: 1G1-
SOLD AT $11,550. I spoke to the new
buyer after the sale. He did not like the teal
color but could not pass up the good deal.
Only 29k miles, but how many of them were
smoking the rear tires? Well bought. Worldwide
Auctioneers, Lake Forest, IL, 09/13.
SOLD AT $3,424,000. A world record price
for a Corvette of any year sold at auction. In
2009, one of only two 1963 Corvette Grand
Sport roadsters failed to meet reserve at
$4.9m at RM’s Phoenix auction, but it is
believed that the consignor had paid even
more for it (ACC# 119050). Although these
do not come up for sale often, the early L88
market has been heating up, and that trend
continues upward with this sale. What
seems well sold today might feel like a bargain
when we look back on this sale in the
future. Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX,
09/13.
#10-1968 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 194378S426717. LeMans
Blue/blue vinyl. Odo: 44,379 miles. 427-ci
390-hp V8, 4-bbl, auto. Current paint oversprayed
on badges and trim, yet undersprayed
on door jambs. Orange peel on
hood. Good chrome. Good panel fit. Not
102 AmericanCarCollector.com
TOP 10
BEST
BUY
Page 101
ROUNDUP
GLOBAL
FOMOCO
#6093-1930 FORD MODEL A roadster.
VIN: A3771173. Washington Blue & black/
beige canvas/brown vinyl. Odo: 13,055
miles. Paint shows lots of touch-ups and
cracking. Dull exterior brightwork. Rims
freshly powder-coated and shod with new
Goodyear rubber. Top looks new and in
good shape. Grungy untouched engine
compartment. Decent unoriginal interior.
Equipped with cowl lights, dual sidemount
my head as to why it’s such a hot potato.
Auctions America, Auburn, IN, 09/13.
#57-1946 LINCOLN MODEL 76 convertible.
VIN: H150351. Blue metallic/dark blue
cloth/tan leather. Odo: 1,607 miles. 305-ci
V12, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Older cosmetic restoration.
Repaint still presents well. Bumpers and
some smaller trim were replated well, but
the complex grille is lacking workmanship or
is a tired original. Fitted with a modern
electric fuel pump. Clean engine bay shows
use. Well-upholstered seats and door panels.
Optional hydraulic power windows and
AM radio. Modern FM radio converter
body cared about any other HV-12 series
Lincoln, and more times than not they were
cannibalized to keep a Continental going.
As a no-reserve sale, a slight nod goes to
the buyer. Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn,
IN, 08/13.
#F135-1949 FORD WOODIE wagon. VIN:
98BA665834. Midland Maroon Metallic/
brown vinyl. Odo: 51,906 miles. 239-ci V8,
2-bbl, 3-sp. Unforgiving dark maroon paint
showing signs of age with dull spots, cracking
and light scratches. Wood is in great
shape. Prominent front grille is scratched.
Delamination on rear side widows and driver’s
vent window. Rubber in decent shape
spares and a removable trunk. Cond: 4.
SOLD AT $17,750. This one has been on
the 2013 Midwest tour: Prior to it trading
hands at Mecum Indy in May for $18k
(ACC# 223565), it sold for $23k at Mecum
KC in April (ACC# 225196). Hell, if the body
is solid (which it appeared to be), it’s worth
more than the sale price here. Scratching
mounted beneath dash. Cond: 2-. SOLD
AT $42,350. Incorrectly cataloged as a
“1946 Lincoln Continental,” this is in fact the
standard Lincoln convertible. After WWII,
Lincoln ceased using the Zephyr name. As
such, the non-Continental models were either
referred to as just Lincoln or by the
model number of the body style. However,
while everybody saved Continentals, no-
with some tears. Poor door alignment with
rubbed areas inside jambs. Cracked steering
wheel, but interior otherwise decent.
Seats in good shape. Rubber floor covering
worn. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $52,430. Seems
January-February 2014 103
Page 102
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
cheap, but it no-saled at $58k at Mecum
Kissimmee in January 2012 (ACC# 200386)
and at Mecum Indy 2012 at $48k (ACC#
205503), which suggests that this price reflects
the market accurately. Mecum Auctions,
Dallas, TX, 09/13.
#41-1953 FORD CUSTOMLINE coupe.
VIN: B3PG154429. Black/white vinyl. Odo:
70,138 miles. 239-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto.
Reportedly reconditioned in 2010. Waves in
paint and heavy orange peel. Newer
chrome. Clean engine bay. Nicely restored
interior. Power brakes, no a/c. Cond: 2-.
#5226-1956 FORD FAIRLANE Crown Victoria
2-dr hard top. VIN: P6LV154212.
Pink & black/pink brocade cloth & white vinyl.
Odo: 8,820 miles. 312-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Pink and black paint very well done.
Exterior brightwork commensurate with age.
Chrome wires with wide whites really pop.
Glass shows some scratches. Nicely done
engine compartment with period battery.
Interior in good shape. Cond: 3+.
seat material and carpet. Very presentable
engine with a few dress-up pieces. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $13,750. A nice-looking car for
not much money. These are robust to drive
and mechanically simple, with good parts
supply due to high production. Well bought.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Lake Forest, IL,
09/13.
#94-1953 FORD F-100 pickup. VIN: F10D3L13281.
Red/gray cloth. 302-ci fuel-injected
V8, auto. Flawless paint, bed wood,
and trim. Hood opens to front or rear. Rolled
rear pan with non-stock taillights, shaved
door handles. Beautiful brightwork. Crate
Ford 302 with GT40 aluminum heads, aftermarket
fuel injection and headers. Gorgeous
gray cloth upholstery with digital
dash and power windows. Vintage a/c.
Four-wheel disc brakes, with a Volare subframe.
Seventeen-inch Boyd’s wheels.
Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $40,700. Claimed to be one of
one to roll out of the factory with this paint
and interior color combination. I don’t know
what, if any, premium can be placed on that
claim, but the final result looked marketcorrect,
if not a bit of a bargain. Auctions
America, Auburn, IN, 09/13.
#803-1963 FORD GALAXIE convertible.
VIN: 3J69Z158356. Rose Beige/white
vinyl/white & Rose Beige vinyl. Odo: 96,865
miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Well-loved,
well-maintained, rust-free drop-top. New
repaint of good quality, brightwork mostly
good with minor pitting noted. Power seats
have new covers, nice dash and wheel,
power windows, original AM radio. Clock
and a/c inoperative. Underhood clean, new
three-core radiator with dual electric fans.
Power steering and brakes. Nice cruiser.
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $7,700. These have shown a
steady increase in value over the last few
years, but an average one will still run you
less than $10k. This one had the V8 swap
going for it with several upgrades and was
generally clean, but it was difficult to ignore
the paint finishes. Sold market-correct considering
the work needed. Dan Kruse Classics,
Austin, TX, 09/13.
#S552-1966 MERCURY S-55 convertible.
VIN: 6H54Q520114. Emberglo/white
Colortex/black vinyl. Odo: 8,807 miles. 428ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. A very rare car with the
hottest setup ever in a Mercury, and in a
very unusual factory color to boot. Fairly
decent cosmetic re-do, but masking 101
was missed. Pretty sure mileage is on second
go-around or reset to zero. Runs out
well. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $40,170. Not tarted up with faddish
things like huge wheels or jarring colors.
This was a rod for the ages. Well
thought out, properly optioned, and beautifully
assembled. My only gripe is the nonO/D
transmission. So sue me, I like relaxed
highway cruising. So nice to see a Ford engine
in a Ford rod. Cliché though it is, you
couldn’t build it for the price. Masters Auctions,
Minot, ND, 09/13.
104 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $23,925. Depending on demographics,
big ’60s Fords are sometimes a
hard sell at auctions. This example was a
pretty, well-presented convertible that would
attract purists. Those seeking a flashy color
might look elsewhere. The sale price felt
market-correct, so both parties should be
satisfied. Lucky Collector Car Auctions,
Tacoma, WA, 08/13.
#167-1964 FORD FALCON 2-dr sedan.
VIN: 4R19U127864. Red/black vinyl. Odo:
57,627 miles. 302-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Very
clean car, but low-quality paint prep and
application. Most glass okay. Modern
wheels and tires. Clean interior with newer
SOLD AT $30,240. I honestly can’t recall
seeing another 1966 S-55 at auction ever—
let alone with the most desirable powertrain—so
this was quite a treat. Seller kind
of knew what he had. He was looking for
something in the mid-$30k range, but with
cash on the table, his mind got right real
quick. Probably top of the market for the car
on the block, but in top-shelf condition, this
could be a $50k car to the right people.
Vicari, New Orleans, LA, 08/13.
#30-1969 SHELBY GT500 fastback. VIN:
9F02R482767. Grabber Yellow/black deluxe
vinyl. Odo: 16,991 miles. 428-ci V8,
4-bbl, 4-sp. 428 Super Cobra Jet with Drag
Pack and Sports Deck rear seat. Restored
to concours standards, judged once, then
corrected by a Shelby specialist based upon
the results. Better-than-OEM paint quality.
Typical bowed fiberglass hood, like they all
were when new. Concours-ready engine
bay. A bit more detailing needed on the undercarriage
for national concours standards,
but darn nice otherwise. Minimal soiling and
wear on restored interior. Repro inspection
stickers on windshield. Cond: 2.
Page 103
ROUNDUP
GLOBAL
rear-axle ratio. No visible rust, but would be
somewhat covered by side trim. Cond: 3+.
reveals it was owned by a smoker.
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $110,000. While the Marti Report
stated that it’s one of eight GT500 Drag
Pack cars in Grabber Yellow, it seems like
I’ve been running into 1969 and ’70 Grabber
Yellow Shelbys all over the place this summer.
Must be one of those cycles we see in
Auctionland, where you never see a certain
type of car for years, then a dozen are
flooding the auction staging lanes. Bid to
$95k on the block, and by the end of the
night announced “sold.” Worldwide Auctioneers,
Auburn, IN, 08/13.
#70-1973 FORD F-350 Ranger Camper
Special pickup. VIN: F35HCQ44715. Medium
Ginger Metallic/brown vinyl. Odo:
57,202 miles. 390-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Body
very straight, minor dings on trim. Paint very
good original. Aftermarket rear bumper steel
and surface-rusted. Interior excellent, including
black-brown speckled rubber floor.
Add on dealer a/c, cruise control, and 3.73
SOLD AT $5,150. Nicer than Lot 74, a 1974
F-250, even with almost 10 times the mileage,
excepting the lack of 4WD. The oddlooking
140-inch wheelbase makes for
better weight distribution with a slide-in
camper as well as a vertical storage spot for
the spare in front of the right rear tire. Fit
new 16-inch wheels, add the camper or
boat trailer and go. Well bought. Masters
Auctions, Minot, ND, 09/13.
#S564-1973 FORD MUSTANG Mach 1
fastback. VIN: 3F05Q233146. White/black
vinyl. Odo: 34,995 miles. 351-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. On the plus side, it’s a real-deal Mach
1, equipped with Q-code Cleveland V8, disc
brakes, Magnum 500 wheels, power steering,
NACA hood, full gauge package, and
more. On the down side, it was restored on
a budget a few years back, with little trim
parts now working their way loose. Interior
SOLD AT $16,200. The last of the breed.
Of course they had grown to be a bit big,
but they were so much better than the soonto-arrive
Mustang II. These cars are still on
the soft side, and for a car in this model
year with no bigger engine available, seller
should be happy it did this well. For the new
owner, a little investment in cosmetics might
yield some profit down the road. Vicari,
New Orleans, LA, 08/13.
#74-1974 FORD F-250 pickup. VIN:
F26YRU87422. Red/red & black vinyl. Odo:
6,026 miles. 360-ci V8, 2-bbl, 4-sp. Original
paint good overall, with “Neche F.D.” on
doors and hood. F-250 badge partly missing.
Gorgeous grille protected by brush
guard. Edges bumped and scraped, befitting
a 40-year-old lightly used municipal
vehicle. Molded plastic water tank still in
box. Bubbles over left rear tire; rust-through
near the bumper. Interior very nice. Radio
delete plate. P.T.O. lever on floor. Used-car
January-February 2014 105
Page 104
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
engine compartment. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $10,815. An interesting combination
of almost-new with patina. The only
vehicle at the auction with a real use for
spotlights, and it had two. This truck generated
a lot of interest, both on site and at
ACC headquarters. It could serve as a
concours tool if the need arose, as even the
hood hinge mounts were still galvanized. Or
you could just drive it, slowly, as with 4.10
gears you don’t want to go much over 55
mph. (Trust me.) Well bought and sold.
Masters Auctions, Minot, ND, 09/13.
MOPAR
#5206-1965 DODGE CORONET lightweight
replica 2-dr sedan. VIN: W157190267.
Brilliant Silver/red vinyl. Odo: 70,214
miles. 426-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Altered wheelbase
done very well; Mercedes-Benz “Brilliant
Silver” also well done. Panel fit, not so
much. Spotless engine compartment sports
faux injection stacks over 4-bbl carb. Sparse
interior looks good; equipped with vintage
air. Cond: 3+.
fuel leak underneath. Unrestored engine in
average condition. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT
$19,795. From the Michael Scott Collection.
He purchased this vehicle because he had
one identical to it after returning from Vietnam.
Very nice condition for an all-original
car, given the mileage. Although highly optioned
with power steering, bucket seats,
console, deluxe woodgrain steering wheel
and more, the items that may have put off
some bidders were the auto tranny and
smaller of the two R/T engines. But it is still
an original timepiece and a deal for the new
owner. Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX,
09/13.
#1-1967 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA 2-dr
hard top. VIN: BH23D72293644. White/
white vinyl. Odo: 3,349 miles. 318-ci V8,
2-bbl, auto. Documented with copies of
build sheet and original invoice. Older average-quality
repaint holding up well with a
few flaws. Front window rubber replaced
with incorrect seal and silicone filling in
gaps. Straight body with mostly original trim
showing age. Tidy interior overall very nice.
Engine paint flaking from age and use.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $20,600. The eye-catching color
and good initial impression were let down
by details—the biggest of which is the VIN
decoding as a base-level 383 2-bbl car.
Well sold. Masters Auctions, Minot, ND,
09/13.
#S136.1-1970 DODGE CHARGER R/T
NASCAR Cross Ram 2-dr hard top. VIN:
XS29U0G174601. Orange/black vinyl/black
vinyl. Odo: 88,163 miles. 426-ci V8, 2x4-bbl,
5-sp. True 1970 R/T Charger with Xstamped
NASCAR Cross Ram powerplant.
Modern additions such as big brakes, large
wheels and tires, and aftermarket performance
exhaust. Upgraded Tremec 5-speed
transmission. Recent rotisserie restoration.
Flawless paint and brightwork. New rubber
everywhere. Interior shows virtually no
wear. Engine shines like new. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $40,000. There’s a limited market
for this kind of car. That said, you couldn’t
build one for this kind of money, so I have to
call it a good buy. Auctions America, Auburn,
IN, 09/13.
#S99-1967 DODGE CORONET R/T 2-dr
hard top. VIN: WS23L77192460. Green/
black vinyl. Odo: 91,980 miles. 440-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Unrestored with a few very
small paint bubbles on passenger’s side.
Chrome shows minor pitting in places.
Small scratches in glass and solid older
rubber all around. Clean interior. Slight
SOLD AT $12,375. The first lot of any auction
is always tough, and this one seemed
to fare quite well. Described by the consignor
as a 318, but the D-code VIN indicates
a 273 from the factory. The car was
well documented with original invoice and
build sheet, but the owner’s statement was
not cross-referenced with the build sheet.
Dan Kruse Classics, Austin, TX, 09/13.
#8-1970 DODGE CHALLENGER R/T replica
2-dr hard top. VIN: JH23L0B184885.
Sublime/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 61,687
miles. 383-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Good repaint
with some wrinkles visible in top. Peeling
black plastic at base of windshield. Originalappearing
bumpers with dinged front. Glue
visible around rear window. Good body prep
with proper gaps. Bad spots in paint on rear
spoiler. Very nice interior looks like a mix of
old and new. Underhood very clean with
some aftermarket touches. Factory a/c with
power steering and manual brakes.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $139,100. This car no-saled at
$90k at Mecum Indy in May 2013 (ACC#
223446). Receipts included document that
you could not duplicate this car for the price
sold here if you were to build it yourself. The
consignor says there is $80k in the engine
build alone. The new owner bought the car
right for less than the estimated $150k and
without a two-year wait. Mecum Auctions,
Dallas, TX, 09/13.
AMERICANA
#17-1949 HUDSON SUPER SIX convertible.
VIN: 49178709. Burgundy/white cloth/
red leather. Odo: 12,680 miles. 262-ci I6,
2x1-bbl, 3-sp. Matching-numbers engine
with a recent comprehensive rebuild. Later
“Twin-H Power” carb setup added. Tidy interior.
Pitted and dull brightwork. Nicely preserved
wood dash. Paint scratched and
dull. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $36,850. A darling of the show
(despite it having some cosmetic needs).
Aerodynamic, with flowing lines. I would
106 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 105
ROUNDUP
GLOBAL
normally be concerned with 1949 unibody
construction, but the dropped floorpans and
chassis girders made for a fairly stable platform.
Well bought. This car will show much
better with a quality wetsanding and detail.
Only 121 gross hp, but kids will know the
marque from the movie “Cars.” Worldwide
Auctioneers, Lake Forest, IL, 09/13.
#47-1953 PACKARD CARIBBEAN convertible.
VIN: 26782341. Gulf Green/white
vinyl/green & white vinyl. Odo: 65,528 miles.
327-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. A solid car in need of
a total restoration. Tired paint, pitted
chrome. BB-sized holes in windshield—but
no worries, as there is a new one in the
Cond: 5. SOLD AT $31,900. The parts
seemed complete, and restored examples
can bring six figures, but this car needs just
about everything. Market-correct price.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Lake Forest, IL,
09/13.
#56-1967 JEEP JEEPSTER Commando
SUV. VIN: 870101610188. Red & white/
white nylon/red & white vinyl. Odo: 82,165
miles. 225-ci V6, 2-bbl, auto. Amateur paint
with excessive orange peel and cracked
seams. Poor top fit, no rear window. Buick
“Dauntless” V6. Power brakes. Turbo-Hydramatic
GM 3-speed. 4WD. Cond: 4.
#W125.1-1984 JEEP CJ-7. VIN: 1JCCE87E5ET016732.
Silver/tan hard top/
brown vinyl. Odo: 80,231 miles. 258-ci I6,
2-bbl, auto. Fresh restoration with new
paint, chrome, hardware and graphics. Dull
spot on front bumper. Scratches on driver’s
door handle. Good panel fit. Poor paint prep
on hard top with scratches on rear glass.
Fresh interior. Spots of delamination on
rear-view mirror. Tidy and clean original
engine. Cond: 2-.
back seat. Deeply cracked seats. Power
brakes, top and windows. Continental rear
tire. One of 750 made. Title in transit.
SOLD AT $14,850. A fun toy for sunny days
only in its current condition. Well sold. But
robust mechanicals and a hearty frame
should make for minimal problems. Worldwide
Auctioneers, Lake Forest, IL, 09/13.
SOLD AT $17,120. CJs, Scouts, Broncos
and Land Cruisers have done very well
lately, and this one was no exception. Parts
for these are generally inexpensive, and
everything from body panels to seats can be
swapped with factory-appearance replicas.
For the price paid, it’s not hard to find one in
this condition (or build yourself). Well sold.
Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX, 09/13.A
January-February 2014 107
Page 106
The Parts Hunter
Chad Tyson
Big-money parts and
accessories from around the country
is not NOS, but in exceptionally good shape. Not ported or altered. Accelerator cable and
return spring brackets are custom. Air filter CNC machined from billet aluminum includes a
K&N washable element, anodized and CNC ball end mill engraved in tribute. For this auction
I am also including a set of jets for tuning.” 29 bids. Sold at $7,600.
Last issue, we saw an inline carb sell for $2,550. This is what the whole setup (with some
labor-intensive custom touches) can cost. Well sold.
#231043289956—Ford Boss 302 Intake,
Carburetors and Jet Set. 12 photos.
Item condition: Remanufactured. eBay,
Bettendorf, IA.
“Complete Cross Boss induction set up
with the DOZX 9510A carb (875 cfm)
fanatically restored to a high functional and
cosmetic standard including some unique
custom parts. Ready to run. All soft goods
new. Every functional aspect of the carb
blueprinted. Castings inspected, found to
be crack-free, no stripped threads or flaws.
All gasket surfaces inspected, tested for
flatness. The Cross Boss intake manifold
#360745560184—1914 American LaFrance
Fire Engine Type 10 Transaxle. 10 photos.
Item condition: Used. eBay, Galena Park, TX.
“Transaxle from a 1914 American LaFrance
ladder truck. I opened up the covers on it and
the gears look fantastic. There is a very thick
black coating of lube all over the gears and I
see no rust on any of them. Ring and pinion
gears also look brand new. Everything rotates
as it should. I believe with a simple flushing
and cleaning the transaxle will be ready to
use. The main casting is made of bronze. There is a date code of 1914 stamped in the
bronze near the differential cover.” 1 bid. Sold at $1,800.
If you’re into antique fire engines, you were probably the bidder here. Something tells me
that most of these pieces and parts are already with the people who are interested in them.
However, once in awhile, one pops up on eBay or at a swapmeet.
and transmission will fit other year Buicks. Very rare item.” 5 bids. Sold at $3,431.76.
This is the 6-cylinder to have for this era of Buick. They made 20 more horsepower than
the Standard version (50 hp). Appears to be nearly plug-and-play, but it’s wise to pop open
the side covers and look at the internal parts. I’ve seen more complex engines last longer in
storage, but every storage situation is different. Well bought if just a carb and fluid change
gets it running. Fairly bought if it takes much more.
#290965964453—1927 Buick Straight-Six
Engine and Transmission. 11 photos. Item condition:
Remanufactured. eBay, Mount Clemens,
MI.
“Buick Master (large) engine, 274 ci. #198334.
Completely rebuilt to factory specifications seven
years ago and properly stored, but never fired or
run. New bearings, pistons, rings, rebuilt head,
etc. Complete with starter, generator, distributor,
water pump etc. Carburetor is not available.
Transmission shifts gears properly. This engine
108 AmericanCarCollector.com
#436—1969 Chevrolet 350-ci V8 with
Muncie 4-speed. 1 photo. Item condition:
Used. Bonhams, Philadelphia, PA.
“A small-block Chevrolet V8 engine, number
V08267WK; with Mickey Thompson
valve covers and an Edelbrock intake manifold
and carburetor complete with Muncie
4-speed transmission.” Sold at $475.
These aren’t a factory-mated pair. The
WK suffix in the engine ID says this block
originally bolted to a Turbo-Hydramatic, not
the accompanying M21 4-speed. Still, this
will at least cover core charges if they aren’t
operational or rebuildable. Well bought.
no damage. There are some spots on the
insides of the bars. I just don’t want to bend
the bars messing with it. The one I used in
my sedan was in the same shape. I painted
mine flat black on the backside since you
can’t clean the back once it’s installed. The
pictures I took are current and of the grille
listed.” 19 bids. Sold at $742.
Price paid is as much as a new reproduction
piece sells for. Slightly well sold since
repops don’t have any “spots” to address
and rectify.A
#121185765130—
1937 Chevrolet
Grille. 3 photos.
Item condition:
Used. eBay,
Humble, TX.
“Grille for a 1937
Chevy car with
the top trim.
Reproduction of
unknown brand.
The finish is
very good but
not perfect. The
bars are nice and
straight and show
Page 108
Showcase Gallery
Sell Your Car Here! Includes ACC website listing.
Showcase Gallery color photo ad just $66/month
($88 non-subscribers).
Text-Only Classified ad just $15/month
($25 non-subscribers)
Three ways to submit your ad:
Web: Visit americancarcollector.com/classifieds to upload your photo
(300 dpi jpg) and text, or text only. Secure online VISA/MC payments.
Email: Send photo (300 dpi jpg) and text, or text only, to classifieds@
americancarcollector.com. We will contact you for payment information.
Snail mail: ACC Showcase, PO Box 4797, Portland, OR 97208-4797,
with VISA/MC or check.
25 words max, subject to editing. Deadline: 1st of each month, one month
prior to publication.
Advertisers assume all liability for the content of their advertisements. The publisher of
American Car Collector Magazine is not responsible for any omissions, erroneous, false
and/or misleading statements of its advertisers.
GM
1951 Buick Estate woodie
wagon
1965 Chevrolet El Camino
pickup
Light blue/dark blue. 149,000
miles. I8, 2-spd automatic. I’m
looking for a new home. My
owner of 40 years is downsizing.
I’m very rare and I must
say, I am in very good condition,
particulary for my age. I
admit I’m not a perfect 10, but
I would say I’m a real 8.5. Just
call my owner. $52,000. Contact
Phil, 425.466.8186, Email:
4philt@gmail.com (WA)
Red/black. V8, 3-spd automatic.
No rust, beautiful paint. 350ci,
350 auto. Air conditioning,
power steering, power disc
brakes, Magnaflow exhaust, 12bolt
rear. Great driver. $18,000
OBO. Contact Bryan, Email:
afxdude40@yahoo.com (OR)
1966 Oldsmobile Delta 88
2-dr hard top
Blue/blue. 96,000 miles. V8,
3-spd automatic. New, nearly
flawless paint. Tilt/telescopic
steering wheel, rare headrests,
dash perfect, four new shocks,
Advertisers Index
ACC Scottsdale Insider’s Seminar ......26
AuctionAZ.com ...................................107
Auctions America .................................19
Barrett-Jackson ....................................17
Bennett Law Office ...............................79
Blue Bars ............................................102
Camaro Central ....................................77
Charlotte AutoFair ................................99
Chevs of the 40’s .................................97
Chubb Personal Insurance ...................13
110 AmericanCarCollector.com
Collector Car Price Tracker ................111
Corvette America ..................................43
Corvette Repair Inc. ............................4-5
County Corvette .....................................2
Dealer Accelerate .................................89
Full House Motorsports LLC ................11
Grundy Worldwide ................................41
Hagerty Insurance Agency, Inc. ...........67
Hagerty Insurance Corporation ............95
Hiprides.com ......................................109
Infinity Insurance Companies .............116
Iowa Auto Outlet ..............................62-63
JC Taylor ..............................................75
Jim Meyer Racing Products Inc. ..........79
Green/tan. V8, 4-spd manual.
350-hp, matching numbers, indicated
55,000 mile car, power
steering, repro knockoffs, Teakwood
steering wheel. Sell or
trade for Corvette. Contact K.
A., 248.626.5500, Email: kal@
thepdmgroup.com (MI)
Law Offices of Bruce Shaw ..................93
Leake Auction Company ....................115
Lucky Collector Car Auctions .............101
Lutty’s Chevy Warehouse ....................21
Mac Neil Automotive Products Ltd ......87
Michael Irvine Studios ..........................91
Mid America Motorworks .....................27
Mustangs Unlimited ...........................105
National Parts Depot ............................29
Original Parts Group .............................69
Palm Springs Exotic Car Auctions .......73
Paramount Classic Cars .......................83
Park Place LTD .....................................23
Passport Transport ...............................81
White/Matrix. 613 miles. Turbocharged
V6, 4-spd automatic.
Car was purchased directly
from Pontiac Div. with MSO
(per PHS, 25th car built).
Never titled or registered. Per
appraiser: awe-inspiring, completely
original, meticulously
maintained. Day one documentation.
$65,000. Contact Judith,
203.235.3446, Email: jfpanciera@msn.com
(CT)
CORVETTE
1965 Chevrolet Corvette
convertible
new front suspension, new
alternator, new heater core. V8
runs smooth. Drives great and
ready to go anywhere. No rust,
Southern California car. Honest
driver. $11,500 OBO. Contact
Adam, 760.310.6122, Email:
commander3@cox.net (CA)
1989 Pontiac Trans Am 20th
Anniversary Festival Pace
Car coupe
1965 Chevrolet Corvette
coupe
S/N 194375S110192. Tuxedo
Black/black. V8, 4-spd manual.
Fuel-injected, export, tanker
coupe. Bloomington Gold
Special collection, NCRS Top
Flight awards, and Duntov Mark
of Excellence award. Contact
Terry, ProTeam Corvettes,
419.392.2701, Email:
tmichaelis@charter.net (OH)
FOMOCO
f1966 Shelby GT350
astback
S/N SFM6S2040. Green/black.
V8, 4-spd manual. Runs great,
numbers-matching former show
car, driven little. In family for
long time. No rust, ever. Original
bill of sale, full ownership
history. $125,000. Contact
David, 801.699.3928, Email:
ferrariguyv12@aol.com (UT)
f1968 Shelby GT350
astback
S/N 1820. White w/blue Le
Mans stripes/black. V8, 4-spd
manual. Extremely rare Paxton
Petersen Collector Car Auction ..........113
Pro-Team Corvette Sales, Inc ..............85
Putnam Leasing ......................................3
Reliable Carriers ...................................65
Silver Collector Car Auctions ...............39
Street Shop, Inc..................................109
The Chevy Store Inc ...........................103
Thomas C Sunday Inc ..........................79
TYCTA ..................................................31
V8TV Productions Inc. ..........................71
Vanguard Motor Sales .....................14-15
Volo Auto Museum ..............................6-7
Watchworks ........................................112
Zip Products .........................................45
Page 109
Showcase Gallery
supercharged car. California
car, restored in ’90s. Has Marti
Report and original invoice.
Looks and drives beautiful.
$95,000. Contact Paul,
248.808.4222, Email: paulchoukourian@yahoo.com
(MI)
1969 Ford F-100 pickup
Blue & white/blue. 48,000
miles. V8, 3-spd automatic.
Amazing, low-mileage, original
F100. Zero rust, superb
condition throughout. Comes
with original Protect-O-Plate,
owner’s manual, jack. Great
history. 100% correct and original.
$21,500 Firm. Matthew L.
deGarmo Ltd., 203.852.1670,
Email: matt@degarmoltd.com
Web: www.deGarmoLtd.com
1972 Lincoln Continental
Mark IV Cartier coupe
S/N 2Y89A832918. Medium
Green Metallic/Forest Green
leather. 22,000 miles. V8, Automatic.
Condition 1- stunning MK
IV. 22k original miles, all-original,
chalk marks from assembly
line still visible. Underside as
nice as top. Runs perfect. Last
year of big V8. Cartier clock
edition. $22,000. Contact Bill,
585.233.1727, Email: wgreener@bsk.com
(NY)
2011 Shelby GT350 fastback
S/N 1ZVBP8CF1B5116751.
White. 4,000 miles. V8, 6-sp.
white with Guardsman Blue
stripes. Light and fast with
razor-sharp handling, perfectly
balanced and powerful. One
owner, never raced, with all
manuals, records and promo
materials. Break-in done correctly.
Kept in an air-conditioned
garage in FL. Like new.
Contact Dan, 508.561.8616,
Email: drourke@aol.com (FL)
S/N JH23GOB160608. V8,
Extensive performance upgrades
for street, strip and
track. Show-quality new build
with test miles only. Additional
photos and specs available.
Make offer. Contact Thomas,
715.458.2277, Email: bob@
lcars.com Web: www.lcars.com
(WI)
V8, One-off constructed on
C-2 competition chassis. 220
hp Chrysler Hemi, aluminum
body. Well documented, known
ownership. $750,000. Fantasy
Junction, 510.653.7555, Email:
sales@fantasyjunction.com
Web: www.fantasyjunction.com
(CA)
WHAT’S YOUR
CAR WORTH?
FIND OUT AT
Maroon/black. I4, 3-spd manual.
AACA-certified race car.
Many awards. Notable
drivers. DOHC McDowell head
on Ford B block. Winfields,
starter, Rudge wire wheels,
spares, historic album. $37,500.
Contact Fred, 717.277.5701,
Email: racer33@comcast.net
(PA) A
NOW FREE! The world’s largest collector
car price guide based on
over 500,000 sold transactions
from
. Updated weekly.
www.collectorcarpricetracker.com
MOPAR
1970 Dodge Challenger T/A
pro-touring 2-dr hard top
RACE
1952 Cunningham C-3 West
Palm Beach coupe
1945 Dreyer sprint car racer
It’s so
easy!
We’ve made
uploading your
Showcase
gallery listings
online easier.
As an added
bonus, we
now feature
multiple
images for our
web listings.
www.AmericanCarCollector.com/classifieds
January-February 2014 111
Page 110
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, 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)
Palm Springs Auctions, Inc.
Keith McCormick. 760.320.3290.
Family owned & operated for 28
years. Producing 2 large classic
car auctions per year in Palm
Springs, California. Each auction
features over 500 cars. Held in
November & February every year.
www.classic-carauction.com
Leake Auctions. 800.722.9942,
Join Leake Auction Company as
they celebrate 40 years in the collector
car auction industry. Their
unsurpassed customer service
and fast-paced two-lane auction
ring makes them a leader in the
business. Leake currently operates
auctions in Tulsa, Oklahoma
City, Dallas and San Antonio. Visit
them online at www.leakecar.com
or call 800.722.9942.
Russo and Steele Collector
Automobiles. 602.252.2697,
602.252.6260. 5230 South 39th
St., Phoenix, AZ 85040.
info@russoandsteele.com;
www.russoandsteele.com. (AZ)
Silver Auctions. 800.255.4485,
2020 N. Monroe, Spokane, WA
99205. silver@silverauctions.com.
www.silverauctions.com. (WA)
Lucky Collector Car Auctions.
888.672.0020, Lucky Collector
Car Auctions is aptly named after
Harold “Lucky” Lemay. Based in
the majestic, pastoral ground of
Marymount, home to the Lemay
Family Collection Foundation
near Tacoma, WA, the collection,
formerly the biggest in the world
according to Guinness, now hosts
an unrivaled event center, art collection
and charitable foundation,
which features two exceptional
collector car auctions a year. www.
luckyoldcar.com (WA)
Worldwide Auctioneers.
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.
worldwide-auctioneers.com. (IN)
Classic Car Transport
L.A. Prep. 562.997.0170, L.A.
Prep brings its 30 years of experience
transporting vehicles for the
automotive industry’s top manufacturers
to discriminating luxury
and exotic car owners and collectors
across the United States.
Its highly-skilled and experienced
staff delivers an unsurpassed
Reliable Carriers, Inc.
877.744.7889, As the country’s
largest enclosed-auto transport
company, Reliable Carriers faithfully
serves all 48 contiguous
United States and Canada.
Whether you’ve entered a
concours event, need a relocation,
are attending a corporate event or
shipping the car of your dreams
from one location to another, one
American transportation company
does it all. www.reliablecarriers.
com
Corvette Parts &
Restoration
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
112 AmericanCarCollector.com
level of service and takes care of
your car with the highest quality
equipment available in trucks and
trailers that are as clean and well
maintained as the valuable assets
that they carry.
www.LAPrepTransport.com
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-the-art satellite transport
tracking. Complete service for
vintage races, auctions, relocations.
www.intercitylines.com. (MA)
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 enthusiasts’
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.
County Corvette. 610.696.7888.
Sales, service, parts and restoration.
When it must be right.
www.countycorvette.com. (PA)
Passport Transport.
800.736.0575, Since our founding
in 1970, we have shipped thousands
of treasured vehicles doorto-door
with our fully enclosed
auto transporters. Whether your
prized possession is your daily
driver, a vintage race car, a classic,
a ’60s muscle car or a modern
exotic, you can depend on
Passport Transport to give you the
premium service it deserves. We
share your appreciation for fine
automobiles, and it shows.
www.PassportTransport.com.
Corvette Repair. The Leader
and most recognized NCRS,
Bloomington Gold & Triple
Diamond Award winning
Corvette repair shop in America.
Breathtaking state of the art restorations,
with the highest attention
to detail and workmanship to any
C1, C2 or C3 Corvettes. Compare
our hourly rate and be surprised...
or shocked. Contact Kevin J.
Mackay at 516.568.1959
www.corvetterepair.com (NY)
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)
Street Shop, Inc. 256.233.5809.
Custom 1953–1982 Corvette
replacement chassis and driveline
components.
www.streetshopinc.com. (AL)
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 C6, only
Corvette Central has it all.
www.corvettecentral.com. (MI)
Page 111
County Corvette. 610.696.7888.
The most modern and bestequipped
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)
Insurance
Chubb Collector Car Insurance.
1.866.CAR.9648, The Chubb
Collector Car Insurance program
provides flexibility by allowing you
to choose the agreed value and
restoration shop. Broad coverage
includes no mileage restrictions
and special pricing for large
schedules. For more information,
contact us at 1(866)CAR-9648 or
www.chubbcollectorcar.com.
Hagerty Collector Car
Insurance. 800.922.4050.
Collector cars aren’t like their latemodel
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)
Leasing
Putnam Leasing. 866.90.LEASE.
For over 25 years, Putnam
Leasing has been the leader in
exotic, luxury, and collector car
leasing. This honor comes from
Putnam’s unique ability to match
the car of your dreams with a
lease designed just for you. Every
Putnam Lease is written to provide
maximum flexibility while conserving
capital, lowering monthly
payments, and maximizing tax
advantages. It’s Putnam’s way of
letting you drive more car for less
money. For leases ranging from
$50,000 to more than $1 million,
with terms extending up to 84
months visit www.putnamleasing.
com or call 1.866.90.LEASE. (CT)
Legal
Law Offices of Bruce Shaw,
Collector Car Fraud Specialists,
www.shawlaws.com. A motorhead
law firm with real practical
knowledge and experience in the
Collector Car Field. Experience:
Chain of speed shops, Body
Shops, Car Dealerships, former
NCRS judge as well as licensed
attorneys. Estate planning and
divorce settlements concerning
Collector Cars. 50 State
Representation. 215.657.2377
Museums
LeMay Family Collection
Foundation. LeMay Family
Collection Foundation at
Marymount Events Center near
Tacoma, WA, hosts an epic
backdrop for your next event.
Home to 500 fabulous collector
cars, world-class art exhibits, and
assorted ephemera, consider your
next event here. Weddings, swap
meets, conventions, auctions.
The facility can likely exceed your
expectations. Visit during the
37th annual open house along
with 13,000 other enthusiasts.
253.272.2336
www.lemaymarymount.org
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)
Parts—General
Cosmopolitan Motors, LLC.
206.467.6531, Experts in worldwide
acquisition, collection management,
disposition and
appraisal. For more than a quarter
century, Cosmopolitan Motors has
lived by its motto, “We covet the
rare and unusual, whether pedigreed
or proletarian.” Absurdly
eclectic and proud of it. Find your
treasure here, or pass it along to
the next generation. www.cosmopolitanmotors.com
(WA)
Mustangs Unlimited. Since 1976,
Mustangs Unlimited is YOUR
best source for 1965–present
Mustang, 1965–70 Shelby, and
1967–73 Mercury Cougar Parts.
Call or visit our website to receive
a full-color catalog full of the parts
you need with the best prices in
the industry. With two fully stocked
warehouses, we have the largest
“in stock” selection of parts.
Visit us online at www.mustangsunlimited.com
or join us
on Facebook or Twitter for the
latest buzz in all things Mustang.
Customer Satisfaction is goal #1.
Phone: Connecticut 888.398.9898,
Georgia 888.229.2929.
1965–73 and 1979–93 Mustang
1967–81 Camaro & Firebird
1964–72 GTO, Tempest & Lemans
1964–87 Chevelle, Malibu &
El Camino
1948–29 and 1980–96 F-Series
Ford Truck
1966–96 Bronco
1955–57 Thunderbird
Delivery of your parts averages
just 1–3 days!
www.nationalpartsdepot.com
National Parts Depot.
800.874.7585, We stock huge
inventories of concours-correct
restoration parts for:
Original Parts Group, Inc. With
over 30 years’ experience, OPGI
manufactures and stocks over
75,000 of the finest restoration parts
and accessories for GM classics at
the best prices anywhere. The largest
selection of Chevelle, El Camino,
Monte Carlo, GTO, Le Mans,
Tempest, Gran Prix, Bonneville,
Catalina, Cutlass, 442, Skylark, GS,
Riviera and Cadillac classic parts
anywhere. Visit www.OPGI.com or
call (800) 243-8355.A
January-February 2014 113
Page 112
Surfing Around
Carl Bomstead
Automobilia on eBay
and beyond
Carl’s thought: An auction company in Laguna Niguel, CA, was poised to offer Lance Alworth’s
ring from the 1972 Super Bowl, with bidding set to start at $44,000. One problem: The ring had been
stolen many years ago from Alworth’s friend’s restaurant in San Diego and had dropped out of sight.
A couple in Palm Springs claimed they had acquired the ring as collateral on a loan and entered it
in the auction. They also called Alworth to see if he wanted it back. Even though he told them it had
been stolen, their price to him remained a steep $40k. So Alworth called the authorities, and he got his
ring back after 21 years.
For the Palm Springs couple, this was not a good auction experience. Here are a few that were a lot
better:
EBAY #121177074589—
1939 WALT DISNEY SUNOCO
CANVAS BANNER.
Number of bids: 1. SOLD
AT: $599.99. Date sold:
9/22/2013. Disney licensed
at least two oil companies
to use their characters to
promote products. Sunoco
offered a couple of different
styles of blotters along with banners and other promotional material
that featured Mickey, Minnie and Pluto as part of their promotion.
This was one of three different 36-inch x 58-inch canvas banners
offered by the seller from the 1939 promotion. Condition was acceptable,
and the image of Donald in the car was way cool. To my
mind the price was not out of line.
EBAY #161051811165—
1965 CORVETTE
OWNER’S KIT. Number of
bids: 10. SOLD AT: $900.
Date sold: 6/29/2013. This
unused owner’s kit included
a 10-karat gold lapel pin,
patch and owner’s card that
had the VIN of a Glen Green
Fuelie roadster. The seller
also included the original
bill of sale and a copy of the
window sticker for the Corvette. Pricey, but if you owned the car, so
what?
EBAY #121162253505—1965 “BIG
DADDY” ED ROTH “RAT FINK”
REVELL MODEL STORE DISPLAY.
Number of bids: 9. SOLD AT: $535.
Date sold: 8/26/2013. This threepiece
hanging hobby-shop store
display urged kids to buy “Rothfink”
Revell Monster models. The largest
piece was 13x10, and the entire display
was in excellent condition. The
kids even had a chance to name one
of his next models and win a free kit.
If you are from the era or remember Big Daddy’s Rat Fink characters,
then this was a must. Someone did indeed step up.
114 AmericanCarCollector.com
EBAY #390680370644—EARLY
ONE-PIECE GLASS TEXACO
GAS-PUMP GLOBE. Number
of bids: 42. SOLD AT: $16,655.
Date sold: 10/22/2013. This extremely
rare one-piece globe was
used in the 1915–17 time frame
and was vented on top. The seller
said he found it in an attic a year
ago and had obviously not made
any attempt to clean it. Aside
from the dirt, it had a few minor
chips on the mounting flange and was missing the metal surround
for the vent. It was not cracked and was in remarkable condition
considering its age. The holy grail for gas-globe collectors and sold
appropriately.
EBAY #321231176651—
DUESENBERG HOOD
ORNAMENT. Number
of bids: 28. SOLD AT:
$1,800. Date sold:
10/25/2013. The “Duesenbird” was the standard hood ornament
used on Js and SJs between 1929 and 1937. It cost $25 when new,
and this was the correct two-piece construction compared with the
more recent reproductions, which are cast in one piece. A bit pricey
considering the condition, but then again, they are rarely offered in
any condition.
EBAY #231026953772—
1968 SILVERSTONE CORVETTE
JIM BEAM SAMPLE
DECANTER. Number of
bids: 1. SOLD AT: $5,000.
Date sold: 8/9/2013. This
was stated to be the original
sample of 12 Silverstone
Corvette decanters that were
made for the IAJBBSC—International
Association of
Jim Beam Bottle and Specialties Club. The Silverstone Silver paint,
code 986, was unique to 1968, and the seller said it was impossible
to match if you were respraying a decanter. No documentation was
offered, but one buyer went for the tale and forked over some tall
green. I hope there was at least a touch of product left in the decanter
if all was not as it should be. A