CAR COLLECTOR
Volume 6 • Issue 34 • July–August 2017
The Scoop
CORVETTE
1953 CHEVROLET
CORVETTE ROADSTER
$231k / Worldwide
First-year Corvette brings
blue-chip money
— John L. Stein
Page 48
GM
1969 PONTIAC GTO
JUDGE
$78k / Auctions America
Ruling on a high-price Judge
that isn’t 100% factory
— Pat Smith
Page 50
Eight Sales That Define the Market
MOPAR
1969 DODGE DART
GTS 440
$81k / Mecum
Record price for Dodge’s
go-fast Dart
— Tom Glatch
Page 54
FoMoCo
1966 FORD FAIRLANE
GTA CONVERTIBLE
$63k / Auctions America
Drop-top mid-size Ford
muscle brings a big price
— Chad Tyson
Page 52
AMERICAN
™
8 AmericanCarCollector.com
Keith Martin's
Page 7
HOT ROD
1933 FORD 5-WINDOW
CUSTOM COUPE
$129k / Auctions America
A ’50s custom rod sensation
still has moxie
— Ken Gross
Page 56
AMERICANA RACE
1959 CADILLAC
COUPE DEVILLE
$47k / Auctions America
The right dollar figure
for a big statement
— Jeff Zurschmeide
Page 58
1989 CHEVROLET LUMINA
GOODWRENCH #3
$220k / Barrett-Jackson
Why the Intimidator’s car will
always bring a premium
— Jay Harden
Page 60
TRUCK
1972 INTERNATIONAL
1210 TRAVELETTE 4X4
$32k / Barrett-Jackson
Correct cash for a crew-cab
Cornbinder
— B. Mitchell Carlson
Page 62
Cover photo: 1959 Cadillac
Coupe DeVille www.mikiefariasphoto.com
1969 Dodge Dart GTS 440 , p. 54
Matt Magnino, courtesy of Mecum Auctions
July–August 2017
9
Page 8
The Rundown
COLUMNS
12 Torque: Horsepower wars heat up — Jim Pickering
42 Cheap Thrills: 1975–80 Chevrolet Monza
— B. Mitchell Carlson
44 Horsepower: Classic-car parts aren’t what they
used to be — Colin Comer
46 On the Market: Classic SUVs are here to stay
— John L. Stein
130 Surfing Around: Must-have automobilia
— Carl Bomstead
FEATURES
22 Good Reads: 1,001 Mustang facts, American
muscle supercars, factory lightweights and hunting
lost muscle — Mark Wigginton
26 Desktop Classics: 2015 Ford GT Auto Show
Version — Marshall Buck
28 Snapshots: Images from the Portland Swap Meet
82 Market Moment: 1971 Chevrolet Custom K5
Blazer 4x4 — Jay Harden
116 Market Moment: 2002 Chevrolet S-10 “Little Red”
truck — Jim Pickering
120 Junkyard Treasures: Selling off Dad’s collection
— Phil Skinner
USEFUL STUFF
16 What’s Happening: Car events of note
18 Crossing the Block: Upcoming auctions
24 Parts Time: Aftermarket pieces for your car
26 Cool Stuff: Detail with Jay Leno, model in motion,
and some modern tech
30 Wrenching: Cooling tricks for your classic or
muscle car
38 Your Turn: Mustang engines and a homemade
Corvette plug tool
40 Readers’ Forum: Is the Hellcat collectible?
90 One to Watch: 1971–74 Plymouth Road Runner
— Jim Pickering
10 AmericanCarCollector.com
118 The Parts Hunter: Tracking down rare parts and
pieces on the market — Pat Smith
122 Showcase Gallery: Sell your car in ACC’s
classifieds section
123 Advertiser Index
126 Resource Directory: Get to know our advertisers
AUCTIONS
66 Market Overview
Top 10 auction sales and best buys, and the
Cherokee’s place in the market — Garrett Long
70 Leake — Dallas, TX
Improving across every metric, Leake ends with a 66%
sales rate and $10.3m sold
— B. Mitchell Carlson and Roy Velander
84 Auctions America — Auburn, IN
No-reserve race cars and classics bring a 69% sales rate
and a $9m total — Kevin Coakley
94 Worldwide — Arlington, TX
No-reserve Monical Collection bumps sales rate to 78%
with $6.4m sold — Cody Tayloe
100 Branson — Branson, MO
Reasonable classics bring Branson to a 69% sales rate
with a $2.6m total — Andy Staugaard
108 Roundup
American vehicles from Silver in Vancouver, WA;
H&H in Duxford, U.K.; and Silverstone in
Northamptonshire, U.K. — Chad Tyson
and Paul Hardiman
Cheap Thrills, p. 42
Page 10
Torque
Jim Pickering
Horsepower Reborn
B
ack in April, the all-new Dodge
Challenger Demon hit the scene.
By now, I’m sure you’ve heard
all the metrics: 840 horsepower,
9.60s in the quarter, supercharger
feeding on cold air from the a/c system, and
a transbrake to help yank the wheels off the
tarmac. Dodge plans to lash together 3,300
of these monsters for the U.S. and Canada
this year. Dodge now owns the top-dog
spot in the current muscle-car wars — as
they’re building the next-level — and maybe
ultimate — instant collectible for a booming
modern muscle market.
Dodge did a good job of leaking bits
and pieces of information about the Demon
in the months leading up to its New York
debut. The Internet buzzed about items
such as optional seats and factory drag radials
— both firsts in the muscle world. Even
ACC’s editorial staff was caught up in that
long-building swell, so it didn’t surprise me
that most of the team assembled in my office
to watch the unveiling online.
Dodge didn’t waste much time getting
down to business: After the car rolled out,
the driver set his transbrake and the Hemi
chugged as it built boost. At the drop of
the pedal, the Demon sprang forward,
shrieking through a cordoned-off section
of warehouse. In my office, ACC Executive
Editor Chester Allen dropped a few choice
four-letter words as the Demon shot across
my screen, and then asked just how in the
hell we got here.
Culture power shift
How did we get here? What got us on the
path that led to a renewed Detroit muscle-car
war that brought us a 9-second factory drag
car with a warranty?
There are a lot of possible answers to
that question, including the new retro craze
that the 2005 Mustang started. Maybe it was
the 1997 LS1 engine or the 2004 5.7 Hemi.
Maybe it was the 2003 Mustang Cobra
Terminator or the 2007 GT500. But I think
you have to go further back to explain the
fire that brought us the Demon. Specifically,
to two cars from the hearts and minds of
two old-school car guys: GM’s Jon Moss and
Ford’s John Coletti — and to the culture they
kick-started in the process.
In 1995, GM Special Vehicle boss Jon
12 AmericanCarCollector.com
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
The horsepower shot heard ’round the world: 1993 Camaro ZL1 custom
Moss and his team built a 1993 Camaro
using a race-spec ZL1 427 big block. The car
started life as Moss’ company commuter,
but that new engine turned the Camaro into
a buzz machine for the 1995 SEMA show,
where it was used to show off GM’s performance
heritage and future.
Ford’s Special Vehicle Engineering boss
John Coletti saw Moss’ monster Camaro at
SEMA. In my mind, this moment sparked
this now-red-hot muscle-car war — when a
GM staffer leaned over to Coletti and reportedly
said, “I bet you haven’t got anything in
Dearborn that can tangle with this.”
With that, GM took a shot at Coletti,
the head of Ford performance, and Coletti
fired right back. His weapon of choice was
the Boss Mustang, built on a 1994 mule and
fitted with a mountain of a Boss 429 motor.
Job One: Shame Moss and his ZL1 Camaro.
After a couple of years of taunts, secret
mechanical upgrades and a back-and-forth
over the rules, a final showdown played out
in the pages of Car and Driver in January
2000.
That’s where I read about two modern
Big Three performance bosses turned street
racers who used the considerable resources
at their disposal to trounce each other on the
dragstrip. Maybe the Ford-versus-Chevy
thing had never really died, but this event
took the fight to a level that we hadn’t seen
since the 1970s.
It was easy to rally behind one or the
other, and thousands of car guys on either
side of the fight did just that. Both the Boss
and the Z were ridiculously quick cars, with
the Boss taking the final win with a 10.55
run to the Camaro’s 11.01.
I think that race, brought to us by
Detroit, played a big part in stoking a new
horsepower war in the market. And with
the addition of new technology to fuel evergrowing
performance figures, that age-old
desire to come out on top is now burning
hotter than ever across all the brands.
A best buy
Just a few days before the Demon was
introduced to a throng of reporters and
viewers around the world, Moss’ ZL1, with
somewhat less fanfare, crossed the auction
block at Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach
event. Formerly from the GM Collection, it
sold without reserve and on a scrap title for
$27,500, including buyer’s premium.
Word on the street is that prices on the
Demon will fall right around $85,000, which
is a heck of a deal considering the engineering
that went into it. But will something
come along from Chevrolet or Ford to unseat
the new king in a few years’ time? How will
Hellcat values change now?
We’ll have to wait to see who comes
out on top. But one thing I can say for sure
is the buyer of that old ZL1 got one of the
best deals of the year on a modern muscle
icon that helped get us back to the days of
horsepower.A
There’s nothing like a good grudge match to fire up
the modern muscle-car war
Page 14
WHAT’SHAPPENING
Let Us Know
About Your Events
Do you know of American-car-related events or happenings that we should publicize? Contact
us at: American Car Collector, P.O. Box 4797, Portland, OR 97208 or online at comments@
americancarcollector.com.
Jim Pickering
The Hottest Nights — and Days — in August
Hot August Nights is the best time of the year for many American car collectors. The massive event starts in Virginia City, NV, on August
4–5, and it then rumbles on to Reno from August 8 through 13. Thousands of hot rods, muscle cars, street rods and classic cruisers take over
both towns.
Event organizers claim that more than 800,000 gearheads and thousands of cars will show up. There is no way to see it all, so smart gearheads
keep going back. It’s always a little bit different each year, so it always seems new — but familiar as well.
This year, Motorsport Auction Group is putting on the big auction, which runs from August 10 to 12 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.
Most events are free, but the famous casinos in South Lake Tahoe and Reno remain cash on the table. www.hotaugustnights.net (NV)
Where Car-Guy Dreams Come True
The U.S. car industry is now mak-
ing the best muscle cars in history —
who could have imagined the Dodge
Demon in 1970 or 1986? There is no
better place than Detroit’s Woodward
Avenue to celebrate your 1965 Ford
Mustang, 1963 Chevrolet Corvette
Split-Window or the comeback
of turn-key, tire-smoking Detroit
Iron. The 23rd Annual Woodward
Dream Cruise rumbles to life on
August 19, and you’ll share the asphalt
with 40,000 hot classics, street
rods and muscle, muscle, muscle.
www.woodwarddreamcruise.
com (MI)
16 AmericanCarCollector.com
A Small Town’s Big Show
Back in 1972, a few gearheads showed off
20 cars and shared some food in Iola, WI.
Fast forward 45 years, and this year’s
Iola Car Show — from July 6 to 8 — will
welcome 120,000 people, 4,200 swapmeet
booths, 2,200 show cars and 1,600 campsites.
Are people seriously worried about the
future of car collecting? Not the people in
Iola, population 1,301.
This year’s show honors the 50th
Anniversary of Camaro and Firebird — and
Trans-Am Pony Cars. The first-ever Camaro
prototype will be on display.
A day pass is $10, and a weekend pass —
good for all three days — will cost you $18.99.
www.iolaoldcarshow.com. (WI) A
Page 16
CROSSINGTHE
Upcoming Auctions (Images are courtesy of the respective auction houses unless otherwise noted)
BLOCK
Mecum
Where: Monterey, CA
When: August 16-19
More: www.mecum.com
Last year: 344/706 cars sold / $50.1m
Worldwide Auctioneers
Where: Monterey, CA
When: August 17
More: www.worldwide-auctioneers.com
Star Car: 1970 Pontiac GTO convertible at Mecum in Denver, CO
JuLy
Silver Auctions
Where: Jackson Hole, WY
When: July 1–2
Last year: 31/89 cars sold / $364k
More: www.silverauctions.com
Vicari Auction Company
Where: New Orleans, LA
When: July 8
More: www.vicariauction.com
Petersen Collector Cars
Where: Roseburg, OR
When: July 8
More: www.petersencollectorcars.com
Silver Auctions
Where: Spokane, WA
When: July 8
Last year: 31/65 cars sold / $162k
More: www.silverauctions.com
Smith Auctions
Where: Cape Girardeau, MO
When: July 7–8
More: www.smithauctionsllc.com
VanDerBrink
Where: Norwalk, ID
When: July 15
More: www.vanderbrink.com
Featured cars:
• 1970 AMC Rebel Machine
• 1970 Pontiac GTO convertible
• 1962 Chevrolet Corvette convertible
18 AmericanCarCollector.com
Mecum
Where: Denver, CO
When: July 20-22
Last year: 403/605 cars sold / $11.1m
More: www.mecum.com
Star Car: 1948 Mercury Templeton Saturn at GAA in Greensboro, NC
GAA
Where: Greensboro, NC
When: July 27–29
Last year: 357/551 cars sold / $9.5m
More: www.gaaclassiccars.com
Featured cars:
• 1948 Mercury Templeton Saturn.
Featured in Motor Trend in 2013 and
was a participant at the 2012 Pebble
Beach Concours d’Elegance
• 1958 Cadillac Series 62
• 1957 Ford Thunderbird E-code
• 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
AuGuST
MAG Auctions
Where: Reno, NV
When: August 10–12
More: www.motorsportauctiongroup.com
Featured cars:
• 1968 Shelby GT500 fastback
• 1963 Chevrolet Corvette coupe
• 1969 Pontiac Firebird coupe
Southern Classic
Where: Jeffersonville, IN
When: August 12
More: www.southernclassicauctions.com
Rick Cole Auctions
Where: Monterey, CA
When: August 17–20
More: www.rickcole.com
Bonhams
Where: Carmel, CA
When: August 18
More: www.bonhams.com
Last year: 101/115 cars sold / $34.6m
Russo and Steele
Where: Monterey, CA
When: August 17–19
More: www.russoandsteele.com
by Garrett Long
Featured cars:
• 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Pro Touring
coupe
• 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
convertible
• 1966 Ford Mustang K-code fastback
RM Sotheby’s
Where: Monterey, CA
When: August 18–19
More: www.rmsothebys.com
Last year: 82/100 cars sold / $117.9m
Gooding & Company
Where: Pebble Beach, CA
When: August 19–20
More: www.goodingco.com
Last year: 69/79 cars sold / $60.1m A
GOODREADS by Mark Wigginton
Steve Magnante’s 1001 Mustang Facts
by Steve Magnante, CarTech, 336 pages, $4.19, Amazon
Steve Magnante is a fact machine. Whether in his books or maga-
zine articles or hosting auction broadcasts, he’s the car-guy equivalent
of a sports color man.
His newest book on
Mustang lore covers Mustangs
from 1964½ to the present,
but Magnante is quick to point
out there weren’t really any
’64½ cars — just early ’65s,
according to the VINs. And
we’re off!
Page after page is filled
with short items, organized
first by model year, then
broken down into sections on
the Legend and Lore, Body
and Interior, Engine and
Driveline, Suspension and
Brakes, and finally Number
Crunching and Press
Commentary.
Page after page is filled
with well-written, easy-to-
digest facts, gems and nuggets to amuse any reader.
1001 Mustang Facts is a fun read, and the short-bits structure
makes it a data-intensive delivery vehicle for all manner of arcane
facts about the various Mustangs. That structure also makes it the
perfect bathroom companion, which is nothing but praise.
Lineage:
(
Fit and finish:
is best)
Detroit Muscle: Factory Lightweights
and Purpose-Built Muscle Cars
by Charles Morris, CarTech, 192 pages, $37.52, Amazon
You could call the ’60s the horsepower decade, although the race
to put more ponies under your right foot started a bit earlier with
the introduction of the
Chevrolet V8 in 1955.
But by 1960, increased
performance was seen
as an important part
of any car company’s
sales toolkit.
Charles Morris
takes a detailed look at
the decade in Detroit
Muscle, highlighting
the models and the
folks who brought
more grunt to bear,
whether on dragstrips
or ovals.
Morris, who has
been drag racing
himself since 1966 (and inducted into the USA 1 Nostalgia Dragfest
Hall of Fame), packs a lot of facts into each sentence, so what appears
to be a slim volume is actually a data-rich drive down the race for
more horsepower.
Along the way, you learn about the cars that didn’t work as well
as winners, plus secrets from tuners and marketers. All of that data is
supported by beautifully printed color images. A good read.
Lineage:
Fit and finish:
22 AmericanCarCollector.com
Drivability:
Drivability:
The Complete Book of American Muscle
Supercars
by Tom Glatch, Motorbooks, 224 pages, $31.85, Amazon
Before the manufacturers got involved — heck, before supercar
was even a category — it was up to dealers and specialty shops to
turn street machines into something
a bit more. Sometimes a
lot more.
So it was dealers like Royal
Pontiac and Yenko Chevrolet
that kick-started box stock and
turned it into excitement on the
track. Then it was Shelby and
Hurst and Callaway who created
specialty performance vehicles.
Tom Glatch, a regular ACC
Contributor, has focused his first
book on the folks who, working
with or sometimes against the
car companies, turned up the
horsepower and handling, as well
as sales.
Cutting across time from the
’50s to the present, Glatch covers
some of the dealers, the specialty shops and, finally, the late-to-the-picnic
manufacturers who have now embraced the American supercar notion
(have you ever had a chance to drive a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat?).
It’s a handsome book, with plenty of history, lovely images by
David Newhardt and an energetic design. While in no way encyclopedic,
Supercars is a solid introduction to the American supercar, past
and present.
Lineage:
Fit and finish:
Drivability:
Lost Muscle Cars: 45 Stories of Hunting
the Most Elusive and Valuable Muscle Cars
by Wes Eisenschenk, CarTech, 240 pages, $21.89, Amazon
Archaeologists get hot under the collar finding things that a civili-
zation 1,000 years old barely thought about — nothing but everyday
objects.
That pretty much sums up
missing “classic” cars, in that they
weren’t classic at the time.
They were one-off show cars,
sometimes even lacking an engine
or running gear, or slight variations
on a production model, or given
away in a contest. But now the cars
are worth enough to turn car folks
into amateur detectives — automotive
gumshoes following any lead to
solve the mystery.
Author and editor Wes
Eisenschenk has collected 45 stories
about missing vehicles in Lost
Muscle Cars, but these cars are barely
half a century in age. Even in that
time, the leads go cold, paper trails
peter out and witnesses disappear, because in period they were just tools,
prototypes for sales or racing, promotional vehicles and more.
Reading tales of the old-car hunt can be as compelling as a new
mystery from your favorite writer, and it’s easy to connect the dots
and see how you, too, could be the person who finds the lost (fill in the
blank). Good read, and good hunting.
Lineage:
Fit and finish:
Drivability:
Page 22
PARTSTIME by Jim Pickering
New Products to Modernize Your Street Machine
Power in the Plate
The carburetor under your muscle car’s hood relies on an accelerator pump to transi-
tion from idle to throttle, shooting a stream of fuel down the throat of the engine to help
keep it from leaning out as you open up the throttle. The problem? That fuel needs to
atomize to burn effectively. Thompson’s Power Plate helps it do just that, breaking up the
pump shot into a mist that your engine can more easily consume. It’s a simple installation
with no grinding or modifications required, and the result, at least for me and my bigblock
Chevy, was much crisper throttle response off-idle and at cruise. Make your muscle
car jump for $40 at thompsonperformance.com.
Parts for your buick
With cars from the 1980s continuing
their climb up the value ladder, Classic
Industries has added a new catalog to their
lineup specifically for the 1973–1987 Buick
Regal, Grand National, T-Type, Turbo T
and GNX. The product line offers many
GM-licensed restoration parts, and includes
T-Top and vinyl top components, interior
parts and upholstery, sheet metal, emblems,
weather stripping and more. Order yours at
classicindustries.com.
Three Steps to Kill rust
POR’s three-step system to end the tin worm’s terror now comes in a simple Stop
Rust Kit. This kit has everything needed to use the POR-15 three-step system to stop rust
on metal surfaces. The result is a non-porous coating that seals and protects metal from
water, chemicals, salt and other corrosive contaminants. To find POR-15 products near
you, visit POrproducts.com/locator.
The right Coolant
Bargain antifreeze/coolant often doesn’t
24 AmericanCarCollector.com
contain the correct chemical formula, causing
corrosion and perforations within the
engine over time. Prestone has perfected this
solution in its patented Cor-Guard technology,
which is five times more effective at
protecting against corrosion than the leading
branded competitor. Prestone’s Cor-Guard is
available in Prestone Concentrate and 50/50
Prediluted Antifreeze/Coolant. Find a local
retailer and learn more at Prestone.com.
Page 24
COOLSTUFF
Let Leno Detail Your Car
Jay Leno has one of the most extensive car collections in the
world, and he knows what he wants when it comes to keeping
vehicles looking their best. Leno partnered with chemists and product
engineers to create his own line of premium car-care products, including
all the necessities for a quick clean in the driveway to a thorough
detail for the show field. Leno’s $99.99 Garage Deluxe Bucket
Kit comes with 16 ounces of Vehicle Wash, Quick Detailer, Hand
Wax and Tire & Trim Care, a variety of applicators, a 5-gallon wash
bucket, a grit guard, a microfiber super-drying towel, a chenille wash
mitt, and two microfiber towels. Check out the full line of products at
lenosgarage.com.
Tire-Pressure
Peace of Mind
Classic-car owners take
pride in a lack of unnecessary
technology on their
cars. But if we’re being
honest, some of those features
are nice to have from
time to time. FOBO is now offering a Bluetooth-enabled tire-pressure
monitoring system that can be fitted to your car simply with the
installation of their valve-stem sensors, which then connect with your
phone to give you real-time tire pressures. If you have multiple cars
in your fleet, the system allows you to track up to 19 vehicles. Find
out more at my-fobo.com and purchase the basic kit for $179.99.
by Chad Taylor
More Than a Model
UGEARS is part model, part toy, part 3-D puzzle, and completely
cool. Sure, it’s a model in the traditional sense that you must put it
together, but it offers much more than that. UGEARS models have
functional steering, a working suspension and an engine with pistons
COOLSTUFF
COOLSTUFF
COOLSTUFF
COOLSTUFF
COOLSTUFF
COOLSTUFF
COOLSTUFF
LSTUFF
Let Leno Detail Your Car
Jay Leno has one of the most e
STUFF
Let Leno Detail Your Car
Jay Leno has one of the most extensive car collections in the
world, and he knows what he wants when it comes to keeping
vehicles looking their best. Leno partnered with chemists and product
engineers to create his own line of premium car-care products, in-
cluding all the necessities for a quick clean in the driveway to a thor-
ough detail for the show field. Leno’s $99.99 Garage Deluxe Bucket
Kit comes with 16 ounces of Vehicle Wash, Quick Detailer, Hand
Wax and Tire & Trim Care, a variety of applicators, a 5-gallon wash
bucket, a grit guard, a microfiber super-drying towel, a chenille wash
mitt, and two microfiber towels. Check out the full line of products at
lenosgarage.com.
Tire-Pressure
Peace of Mind
Classic-car owners take
pride in a lack of unneces-
sary technology on their
cars. But if we’re being
honest, some of those fea-
tures are nice to have from
time to time. FOBO is now offering a Bluetooth-enabled tire-pressure
monitoring system that can be fitted to your car simply with the
installation of their valve-stem sensors, which then connect with your
phone to give you real-time tire pressures. If you have multiple cars
in your fleet, the system allows you to track up to 19 vehicles. Find
out more at my-fobo.com and purchase the basic kit for $179.99.
by Chad Taylor
More Than a Model
UGEARS is part model, part toy, part 3-D puzzle, and completely
cool. Sure, it’s a model in the traditional sense that you must put it
together, but it offers much more than that. UGEARS models have
functional steering, a working suspension and an engine with pistons
Race
Race Life Requirement
For the track-obsessed driver, Simpso
Racing has the bag you need to keep all
your gear in order. The Super Speedway b
has a heavily padded main compartment
for your suits, shoes, gloves, and head-an
neck device with a separate compartmen
for your helmet. A retractable handle and
wheels make air travel easy. Simpson ha
also equipped the bag with multiple grab
handles, allowing you to toss it around
whereever you need to go. See it at simp
sonraceproducts.com for $199.95.
DESKTOPCLASSICS by Marshall Buck
2015 Ford GT Auto Show Version
Shown here was the very first
release of the 2015 Ford GT from any
model manufacturer. This was made
by True Scale Miniatures (TSM), and
is replicated exactly as it debuted at
the 2015 North American International
Auto Show. This is a gem of a model —
one of the best that TSM has ever made.
Fit and finish is flawless.
The high-gloss “Liquid Blue”
metallic paint is perfect with super-fine
metallic. Interior is accurately detailed,
as is the top of the engine showing
through the rear windowpane. Wheels,
tires and brake detailing is superb. Even the minute chrome-and-blue Ford emblem on the nose looks just
right.
26 AmericanCarCollector.com
Detailing
Scale: 1:43
Available colors: Liquid Blue, Liquid
Red, Triple Yellow with stripes, Ingot
Silver with stripes, Matte Black with
stripes, plus more race versions
Quantity: Estimated 500 to 1,000
of each
Price: $85 to $195
Production date: 2016–17
Web: www.tsm-models.com
Ratings
Detailing:
Accuracy:
Overall quality:
Overall value:
is best
Page 26
SNAPSHOTS
A (Typically) Rainy Day at the
Portland Swap Meet
The 53rd annual Portland Swap Meet took over the Portland, OR, Expo Center in early April. More than 3,500 stalls of parts make this
annual event the largest of its kind on the West Coast, and parts hunters came out in droves — despite sideways rain — to hunt down items for
their projects.
Jim Pickering
Prime for a redo: 1947 Ford truck, asking $2,500
Jim Pickering
1967 Chevy Impala SS 427
Jim Pickering
409 or 348? Checking casting numbers to be sure
28 AmericanCarCollector.com
Jim Pickering
1955 Chevy wagon gasser
Page 27
Chad Taylor
Which wheel suits your hot rod?
Chad Taylor
A clean 1968 SS 396 el Camino tempts a potential buyer
Jim Pickering
One man’s scrap is another’s rare
radiator
Brian Baker
Need a vintage shop manual?
Brian Baker
A solid start to a Model A project
Jim Pickering
rare Mickey Thompson Cross ram
intake
Brian Baker
A running, driving ’59 Corvette with a clear title, asking $34k
Jim Pickering
1960–62 Pontiac eight-lug brakes
July–August 2017 29
Page 28
WRENCHINGHOW-TO
KEEP
YOUR COOL
Modern traffic can be tough on your
classic’s cooling system. Here’s how to
fight back without losing that stock look
by Jim Pickering and Chad Tyson
leaving more room and never being in a hurry. Trucks like this are
about enjoying the ride, right?
But summer is here, and if you want to actually use your old car or
C
truck, you can’t avoid modern, slow-moving traffic. Creeping along
in freeway gridlock on the way to a car show will have both you and
your classic boiling over in no time.
So it’s time to address that vital cooling system and make it work
better than it did when it was new — and that’s exactly what we did
to this old workhorse, while attempting to maintain a stock-ish look
that won’t stand out compared to the rest of the rig. Here’s how we did
it.
had Tyson’s farm-fresh 1963 Ford F-100 unibody is
almost completely stock from nose to tail, from the 292ci
Y-block V8 to its granny-geared 4-speed and drum
brakes. Compared to modern trucks, it’s slow and doesn’t
stop well. But a driver can compensate for that by just
SUMMIT RACING PARTS LIST
Derale rigid fan, P/N DER-17318, $33.97
Evapo-Rust Thermocure 32 oz., P/N SUM-TC001, $19.97
OTHER PARTS
Prestone antifreeze, 1 gallon, $12.47
2x4 Medium-Density Fiberboard (MDF), $7.42
Bondo fiberglass resin, 1 gallon, $37.97
Bondo fiberglass hardener, .74 oz., $5.77
Bondo fiberglass cloth, 8 square feet, $6.97 (2)
0.7 mil plastic dropcloth, 9x12, $4.97
Gloss black auto enamel, $4.10
Paint primer, $5.27
Stretch fabric, 1 yard, $6.99
Brushes, paint cups, gloves, $15
TIME SPENT:
Six hours
DIFFICULTY: J J
(J J J J J is toughest)
30 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 29
1
back on the
farm in
Wyoming, this
truck’s origi-
nal cooling system
was probably sufficient.
But that fourblade
fan spaced way
back from the 54-yearold
radiator isn’t going
to cut it in modern city
traffic, and an electric
fan won’t look right and
will tax the original generator-based
charging
system. Our solution: a
bigger mechanical fan, a
custom shroud, EvapoRust’s
Thermocure
treatment and some
fresh Prestone coolant.
4
2
Thermocure
is designed
to clean out
a vehicle’s
entire cooling system
— not just the
radiator, but also the
block, hoses and
heater core. This stuff
uses “selective chelation,”
a process in
which a large synthetic
molecule bonds
with metals and holds
them in solution —
specifically, in this
case, the iron in iron
oxide (aka rust). It’s
also non-toxic, noncorrosive
and biodegradable.
Fan shrouds direct the fan’s
suction through the radiator,
increasing its effectiveness.
Chad’s research suggested that
only the bigger-series Ford trucks had fan
shrouds in this era, and finding an OE piece
is tough. The only option here was to make
our own out of fiberglass, so we started by
measuring the width and height of the core
to serve as a blueprint. Note the mounting
holes in the radiator, which was likely the
same unit used across the F-series line.
3
6
using Thermocure is simple:
Drain the coolant and refill the
system with one 32-ounce bottle
for every two gallons of
water. Then run the car for a couple of
hours up to a couple of days. In that time,
it’ll clean out the system and free it of rust
and other deposits that inhibit cooling over
time.
We know the
shroud’s base
measurements,
but we
also need to know the
shroud’s depth. For
that, we have to mount
our new fan — a sixblade
18-inch Derale
unit from Summit
Racing (P/N DER-17318,
$33.97). This unit has
two more blades than
the stock unit and is the
same overall diameter.
7
5
Next, we used a hunk of cardboard
to verify the measurements
we just took — in this
case, 28 inches wide and 18½
inches tall. Making a cardboard template of
the radiator, and the mounting holes, serves
as a map that can be transferred to a wood
template.
We bolted on the new fan, using
the factory spacer and hardware,
checking for clearance all
around. This fan shared the same
dimensions as the OE unit, but with considerably
more air-moving ability.
July–August 2017 31
Page 30
WRENCHINGHOW-TO
9
Once cut, we hung the
MDF template on the
radiator and measured
depth to the middle of
the fan’s blades. This gave us
the overall depth of our shroud
— 2¾ inches to the face of the
MDF. Placing the fan with its
blades half covered by the shroud
promotes the best cooling.
8
After transferring our cardboard template to a
sheet of ¼-inch MDF composite wood, we cut out the
shape with a jigsaw and drilled our marked mounting
holes to match up
11
After cutting a
19-inch-diame
ter circle out o
MDF with our
jigsaw, we were in business
— our fan is 18 inche
so this gave a half-inch of
clearance between the fan
and the shroud. We also
drilled an alignment hole
through the center of the
circle, the 4x4 spacer and i
the radiator template at the
fan’s centerline in the truck
— about an inch below the
radiator core’s dead-center
mark. We used a screwdriv
to line everything up and
woodscrews to hold the
whole thing together.
10
Next up: We cut a
spacer from a cedar
4x4 post to 2¾ inches
using a miter saw.
12
Fiberglass resin will stick to wood, so we lined our
template with two layers of plastic drop cloth, pulled tight
and stapled at the rear.
32 AmericanCarCollector.com
13
Stretchy sports cloth from a fabric store works
great for this type of job. We covered the template with
about a yard and pulled the fabric tight, stapling it down
around the rear. Now the shape of the shroud is visible.
Page 32
WRENCHINGHOW-TO
15
resin-soaked cloth isn’t stiff
enough for this job, so you
need to add in fiberglass cloth.
We prefer cutting the cloth into
long three-inch-wide strips.
14
After mixing a batch of fiberglass resin and hardener, we painted on a
thick coat over our stretched fabric buck. Gloves and a respirator are a must
here, as this is a smelly, sticky mess. After letting the first coat set, we painted on
two more. Plan to have a bunch of gloves on hand, as well as several brushes.
16
The process here is simple:
Paint on a coating of resin to the
surface, lay the cloth on it, flatten
out any bubbles, and then paint
another thick coat of resin over the top. We
worked our way from one side to the other,
and then let it all set.
17
After the first layer set, we put down another, oriented
in a different direction. We used three layers of
fiberglass total, placed in various directions, over the
resin-soaked fabric.
34 AmericanCarCollector.com
18
After a few hours of dry time, we had a solid and
strong shroud to work with. I used a flapper wheel on
a pneumatic die grinder to level out the visible seams, and
a cutoff wheel to trim all the excess cloth from the edges.
Again, gloves and a mask are a must here, as is a long-sleeve shirt.
Page 34
WRENCHINGHOW-TO
20
using
¼-inch
mounting
hardware, we fit
the shroud and
made clearance
as needed for it to
sit up tight to the
radiator core. Our
measurements were
correct — good fit
and a solid half-inch
of clearance all
around the new fan.
19
21
22
We used that cutoff wheel around the perimeter of
the shroud to free it from the buck, and then flipped it
over, scribed a line around the center circle, and cut it out
as well, leaving us with a nice fiberglass shroud that fits
the truck’s radiator.
Fiberglass is not waterproof,
so you need to
seal it — you could use a
gelcoat, but we elected to
prime and paint this shroud instead
With
mockup
complete,
we also
drained out the
Thermocure, removed
the radiator, cleaned
the upper and lower
tanks with a wire
brush, blasted all the
Wyoming dirt from the
core with compressed
air, and painted the
whole unit with glossblack
enamel. After
the paint set, reassembly
was a snap.
23
36 AmericanCarCollector.com
After hanging the new shroud over the water pump,
we installed the new fan for the final time and bolted
the new shroud to the core using four ¾-inch long ¼-inch
bolts, nuts, washers to spread out the load, and lock
washers to hold it all tight.
Page 35
24
The final step was to fill the system with good,
quality antifreeze. Prestone prevents corrosion thanks
to its trademark Cor-Guard inhibitors, so it’s a good
choice to keep that just-cleaned cooling system operating
at its peak. Always shoot for a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water.
25
Proof of success is all in airflow — the fan is now only
pulling air from the radiator core (instead of from everywhere
under hood), and for the first time ever, this truck is
using the entire surface of that radiator — so much so
that our Thermocure brochure sucks right up to the face of the radiator
edge and stays there, even at idle.
26
Our final result blends in relatively well — and will fit in even better as Chad continues to clean up the engine compartment of
this ex-farm Ford. Now he need not fear any hot-day traffic, and he can turn it back to stock in a snap whenever he wants.
A
(Have you tried this project? Tell us about it at comments@americancarcollector.com)
July–August 2017 37
Page 36
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
Six or Eight?
I’ve just gone through the May/June issue of ACC, and it is very good, as usual.
Colin Comer’s ‘66 New Yorker is a cool ride. I really like big 4-door hard tops. It’s a body style that a lot of younger folks may have never
seen (or maybe only in pictures, not the actual cars.).
The ‘65 Mustang convertible on p. 93, Lot 1168 at Leake, is listed as having a 289 engine swap, with the later alternator versus generator.
Description indicates an original 6-cylinder engine, but the fifth digit of the VIN is the letter F. This would coincide with a 260 V8 being the
original engine.
A 170 (6) would have the letter U as the fifth digit of the VIN. The 200, which became the standard Mustang 6 in the fall of ‘64, would have
the letter T as the fifth digit of the VIN. — Paul Shanahan, Upper Darby, PA
Homemade C5 Corvette
Spark-Plug Tool
Over time and heat cycles, GM LS-motor
spark-plug boots weld themselves to their
spark plugs. This is not ideal when you go to
change plugs, as you’re working with limited
space to get sufficient grip and leverage
to remove the boot. Commercial tools are
available that look like long barbeque tongs,
curved pliers, or hooks, but they’re too big
and clumsy, can damage parts, don’t work
well and are expensive for what they are.
For a free fix, I came up with a simple
lever made with a 24-inch piece of 1x2-inch
scrap wood and 18 inches of 3/16-inch rope
that works stunningly well.
Assemble per the photo, remove the plug
wire from the coil pack (or distributor), fashion
the rope noose as shown, slide it down to
38 AmericanCarCollector.com
the plug boot, and pull tight. Place the short
end of the stick against a header bolt, and
easily pry off the plug boot by pulling back
the longer end. It won’t damage the boot,
pull out the wire, or damage the spark plug.
(The small clone shown was used to get at
the spark-plug boot under my Corvette’s
master cylinder.)
There you have it: a knuckle-saving tool
made in a couple of minutes that cost nothing
— and it works! — Jack Tockston, ACC
ContributorA
Page 38
READERS’ FORUM
Contact us at: American Car Collector, P.O. Box
4797, Portland, OR 97208 or online at comments@
americancarcollector.com
Crowdsourcing Answers
to Your Car Questions
These thoughts have been dawning on me as I consider selling my
This month’s ACC Reader’s Forum
question comes from Jeff P.:
The Hellcat used to be the hot ticket in the modern muscle
world, with its 707-hp engine and take-no-prisoners attitude.
What’s in store for it now that there’s a bigger, badder version
coming in the 9-second 840-hp Demon? Should owners sell
these cars, or are they going to hold value in the future, like a
426 Hemi ’Cuda?
Readers respond:
There is always going to be something faster and with higher
horsepower. Cars that have lasting value evoke passion and are
engrossing machines to become one with ... think Cobra. I don’t think
Hellcat. — David K., via email
n n n
Yeah, there’s always something bigger and badder around the
corner, but the Hellcat is a standout as the first American production
car to offer over 700 hp. Values may take a nosedive like any modern
“collectible,” but 426 Hemi cars were cheap in the late 1970s, too.
Demon may knock the Hellcat down, but don’t count it out. — Mike
M., via email
n n n
Yesterday’s news. Not collectible or iconic. — Jon H., via email
n n n
Hellcats were purchased to be the “top dog.” They no longer are.
Values on the Hellcat will be ho-hum. The same thing may happen
in the Corvette world. The Z06 may be demoted in prestige once the
ZR1 returns.
Then again, I suspect the ZR1 Corvette may become a bit elusive
to the general public due to a more limited production run and much
higher MSRP. That will likely keep the ZR1 on a much higher status
tier. If that does, in fact, happen, the Z06 will be able to continue to
be an “achievable” supercar in performance and respect. After all, we
have an abundance of respect for the Ferrari 458 and 488 in spite of
the existence of the LaFerrari.
40 AmericanCarCollector.com
C5 Z06 and buying a replacement. Yes, I am aware of the impending
ZR1, but will not wait for it since I expect the MSRP to be well above
$100,000 and thus a bit too rich for something that I will drive only a
few hundred miles per year.
Having grown up in the muscle car era of the ’60s, I learned the
hard way that it really doesn’t matter how fast you are, as there will
always be someone faster. Thus, power and speed become accessory
factors to the satisfaction of styling that needs to be considered in the
analysis. — Jerry D., via email
n n n
I think many people who purchase these cars will end up wreck-
ing them, just like in the ’60s and ’70s. So maybe 40 years from now,
our great-grandkids will be wishing they had a Hellcat the same way
we wish we had a 440 Challenger or a Hemi ’Cuda. — Ken P., via
email
n n n
The Demon is a different car, so I think Hellcat prices won’t be
changed too significantly. There are a lot of Hellcats on the market
right now, so prices are cooling, but future owners will want some of
the features that a Hellcat has to offer versus a bare-bones Demon —
even though the Demon is faster. — Cody L., via email
n n n
Think about this: Compare a ’66 Mustang 2+2 with a 289 to a ’66
Shelby GT350. People still want the 289, but what they really want
is the GT350. Same rule applies with these Mopars. — Earl C., via
email
n n n
It’s about speed and bragging rights. The Hellcat is bad, but
not the baddest anymore. The people buying the Demon have the
resources and are not 19 anymore; we want smiles per gallon today.
Next year it could be a 1,000-hp car and that’s what we will gravitate
to. — G.Q., via email
n n n
How do we know the muscle car world has gone crazy? When 707
horsepower isn’t enough. People still lust after 440 Six Pack E-body
cars even though the Hemi exists… I think Hellcats will do fine in
the long run. Still a lot of car regardless of the Demon. — Jim B., via
emailA
Page 40
Cheap Thrills
B. Mitchell Carlson
DeLorean’s
The Monza may be best remembered as GM making the best
of a bad situation, but these cars are worth a second look
ITALIAN VEGA
W
hen the Vega
program was
introduced in
1970, GM’s CEO
Ed Cole also went
forward with a program to build
the Wankel rotary engine under
license from NSU. The original
intent was to offer it in a sporty
new fastback hatchback design
called the Monza 2+2 for 1973,
and then later offer it in the Vega
as an option.
While sharing the Vega’s body
pan and wheelbase, the 2+2 was
four inches longer overall and
wider between the front strut towers,
so it became its own platform
known as the H body. However,
GM could not get a balance between
reliability, fuel consumption
and emissions issues sorted out
with the rotary, so it canceled the
program in 1974.
GM then had a production-
ready new car without a powertrain
to put in it. However, the
wider engine bay could accept
a small-block V8 with minimal
engineering changes, and that’s
how the world was introduced to
the Chevrolet Monza 2+2 for 1975.
While the V8 and styling were the big news, the newly introduced
110-hp 262-ci V8 (called the 4.3L) was an option. Standard was the
same 140-ci four (now called the 2.3L) found in the Vega. Folks in
California did have a 350-ci small block as the lone option in lieu of
the 4.3L. Yet it was a strangled 2-barrel that has the dubious distinction
of being the lowest-powered 350 every built, with 145 wheezy
horses.
A new look
If the engines were uninspiring,
the new package around them was a
breath of fresh air. Borrowing GM
styling cues and some from Ferrari,
John DeLorean famously called it
the “Italian Vega” — proof enough
that he was he was involved with
cocaine before starting his famed car
company. If anything, it looks like
a shrink-wrapped Camaro — espe-
42 AmericanCarCollector.com
cially from the rear.
The Monza 2+2 was awarded Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the
Year, which was either a blessing or a curse depending on your point
of view.
Midway in 1975, Chevy added a notchback Town Coupe to the
Monza line. Its ties to the Vega were more obvious, with upright
styling and single front headlights. 1976 saw few tweaks, with the
n optional cabriolet roof treatment to tap
l-luxury trend. For 1977, the 4.3L V8
, replaced by the 305-ci (badged as a 5.0L)
-block V8, available in all 50 states. It
ound a home in the Monza as the biggest
engine upgrade in all but the basic Town
Coupe. 2+2s and Coupes added Sportlevel
trim, plus the 2+2 front fascia was
grafted onto the coupes, as this was the
nal year for the Vega.
ffered in 1976, the Spyder Equipment
badass arachnid on the hood? Must be 1980
age (RPO Z01) featured sport suspension
with radial tires, sport steering wheel and
Page 41
fender emblems on any Monza sport. Keeping up with all the other
wannabe muscle cars of this era with animals on the hood, in 1977
Chevy added the Spyder Appearance Package (RPO Z02, and only
for 2+2 Sport models) for Z01s, with black-out trim, front and rear
spoilers, plus plenty of vinyl decals on the body sides and a toughguy
arachnid on the front of the hood.
Zombie Vegas
With the Vega finally put out of everyone’s misery after 1977,
Chevy realized that it didn’t have a compact wagon for 1978 to
compete with the still-popular Ford Pinto. As such, the Vega wagon
was reincarnated in December 1977 as the Monza wagon. It did
inaugurate a new single-headlight front fascia as the only thing that
didn’t look like a Vega, and was also used on the basic coupe and a
one-year-only S hatchback — another undead Vega.
All Monzas for 1979 got the wagon’s single-headlight front
fascia — except the 2+2 Sport. For the Monza’s final year of 1980, the
Spyder was a unified 2+2-only package (Z29) and only non-Bowtie
engines — the Pontiac 2.5L four and Buick 3.8L V6 — were under
the hood.
While the Monza rode the ebb and flow of whatever GM could
use at a given time, the car was actually something of a sales success.
Over three-quarters of a million were built in total, helped to some
extent by fluctuating of gas prices at the time, plus the second Arab
oil embargo in late 1979.
Also helping the Monza at the time was the use of the 2+2 in some
racing circles. IMSA competitor Al Holbert campaigned a highly
modified, Corvette-powered 2+2 in this series, becoming the IMSA
Camel GT champion in 1976 and 1977. Chevy even offered a similar
replica, called the Mirage, to include fender flares and spoilers fitted
by Michigan Automotive Technologies before shipment to dealers.
These kits were also available over the parts counter.
Engine-swapping field day
As they were engineered to a
price, used hard and minimally
cared for, attrition on Monzas has
been high. The few stock ones that
surface in the 21st century are by
and large low-mile “little old lady”
cars that were virtually forgotten.
More common are Monzas that
either had V8s put into them or had
their original V8s upgraded. A lot of
people did just that to varied levels
of quality and success.
While supporting these cars lo-
gistically is now not as easy as it used
to be, parts availability is vastly better
than any period import. As for the
small-block-powered cars, walk on
the side of the road long enough and
you’ll be able to rebuild the motor
with what you find. Aftermarket
restoration trim? Forget it. Best bet is
to score NOS that someone is shifting
on eBay, praying you’ll buy at the
99-cent opening bid.
For future collectibility, the
Detailing
Years produced: 1975–80
Number produced: 762,539
Original list price: $4,497
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $2,970
Engine # location: Stamping
pad on the passenger’s side
front of the engine block (V8)
Web: www.vcca.org, monza.
homestead.com/monza.html
Alternatives: 1975–80 Buick
Skyhawk and Oldsmobile
Starfire, 1976–80 Pontiac
Sunbird, 1970–80 Ford Pinto
ACC Investment Grade: D
Monza has a lot going both for and against it. It’s not the lowest ebb
of GM reliability and build quality, but they are down pretty low. Yet
with the few that have made it this far, the whole quirky 1970s car
thing does give traction in the market — especially for the few originals
that surface with low miles. Yet even for a vintage drag special,
they represent a lot of bang for the buck. A
Tune-up/major service: $150
Distributor cap: $12
VIN location: Base of the windshield
frame on the driver’s
side
Club: Vintage Chevrolet Club of
America
July–August 2017 43
Page 42
Horsepower
Colin Comer
HALF LIFE
LIVINGthe
New classic-car parts hardly compare to the originals they
replace. Maybe it’s up to us to solve that problem
Original Cobra exhaust manifold: 53 years and 134k miles
before needing a repair
“ H
alf-life” (denoted in scientific equations as t½
) is the
principle typically used to measure how long radioactive
decay takes to reduce something to half of its initial
value. Scientists, of which I am certainly not one, seem
to think t½
is constant. I, perhaps due to the previously
mentioned lack of education in this realm, do not — at least not as
it applies to old car parts. To me it seems like this half-life thing is
accelerating at an alarming rate.
Or, in other words, “they just don’t make them like they used to.”
I’ve been around old cars my whole life — many since they
weren’t so old. I’ve worked on cars as my profession for my entire
adult life. So I think I am uniquely qualified to say that we’re getting
fed a bunch of crap these days. Ever notice how you replace
a 50-year-old part that just failed and the new one makes it eight
months? You’re not alone. It appears to be an epidemic.
The question is, what should the acceptable full life of any given
component be? It seems the lowest bidder has been deciding for us.
44 AmericanCarCollector.com
replacement Cobra exhaust manifold gasket: One day and
250 miles before needing to be thrown out
Manifold problems
For example, when my wife and I were about to leave on the
Copperstate 1000 road rally in our unrestored 289 Cobra a few
months ago, I noticed a little extra exhaust noise. Turns out one of the
cast-iron “Y” exhaust manifolds had a little casting flaw right at the
hot spot, and it had turned into a pinhole.
This, while inconvenient, didn’t bother me in the least, as this
hunk of cast iron had lasted 53 years and 134,000 miles before
developing a tiny hole. This thing far outlived any reasonable expectation
of longevity — and it was easily repairable with a quick braze
job. But when I replaced the manifold, I also had to replace the old
exhaust-manifold gaskets.
About 250 miles into the rally, these new gaskets completely
burned out on the way into the Grand Canyon. I figured maybe it was
operator error — maybe I didn’t re-torque the bolts soon enough. So I
removed the manifold in a parking lot and replaced the gaskets again.
Page 43
Two-hundred miles later they had again transformed into a potato
chip-like crispy substance. I did this swap one more time, and you
guessed it, 200 miles later the newest ones were toast, too.
On the final go-round I just used some copper RTV silicone — no
gaskets at all. Guess what? That repair has held just fine.
What’s going on?
I did a little research and found that the gasket supplier decided
to use a non-heat-resistant material to make their exhaust-manifold
gaskets.
I know I may be in the minority of people who drive their old
Cobra extensively, but surely gaskets only designed for cars that idle
in and out of trailers can’t be acceptable to anybody, right? And yet
this supplier is selling them without issue.
Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated incident. We see all kinds of
new part failures in our shop. Countless ignition rotors made out of
a material that quickly burns through, immediately causing the car
to stop running when the coil’s spark is shorted directly to ground
through the distributor shaft. New brake cylinders whose rubber seals
self-destruct in two years or less. New ball joints that are loose before
they are even installed. New spark plugs with ceramic insulators that
fall out right from the box. Fuel-system components — supposedly
“ethanol safe” — that melt when exposed to ethanol.
And while fuel leaks and brake failures are no laughing matter,
I’ve also seen far more serious things, like new steering boxes with
gears inside that literally break apart because they are poor-quality
castings or were machined improperly.
We’re the source, and the solution
All of this might help explain why it seems so much harder to
maintain old cars today. You take your time to do a repair, buy the
best parts available, and find yourself having to do it again either
immediately or in short order simply because a new part has failed or
didn’t work right to begin with.
Let’s not even get into non-critical components like reproduc-
tion sheet metal, trim or soft parts. How many of you have had a
reproduction fender or door fit like an original? Or a new pre-stitched
seat cover or carpet set fit properly without major surgery? How
about getting a door or trunk lid to close with new weather stripping
installed?
The sad part is once you do go through the struggle of getting this
stuff to work, it just doesn’t last. Why does an original factory starter
last 40 years but the “premium quality” parts-store replacement
barely makes it clear of its two-year warranty? I’d be thrilled with a
component that offered a guarantee against half-life decay!
Of course I’d be irresponsible if I didn’t point out that we, as
consumers, are mostly to blame for all of this. We are conditioned
to shop for the best price on parts and the lowest bidder for a repair.
Somewhere along the line, the idea of value has been lost during the
drive for lower cost.
It’s kind of hard to unring that bell, and after all, these parts
manufacturers are playing the odds that big profits will outweigh
warranty claims and returned product. And from what I can see, that
bet is paying off. So are we being forced to accept poor quality, or are
we happily allowing it under the premise of “it’s available, and it isn’t
expensive”?
I wish I could offer a solution, but I can’t. All I can suggest is if
you find a good product, supplier or manufacturer that offers reproduction
parts that are of a superior quality, please keep using them
and spread the word. Stick with the guys that might cost a little more
but know the product and stand behind what they sell. Network with
owners of similar cars and share experiences on suppliers and even
the shops doing the work. Don’t shy away from paying more for quality.
Let’s do what we can to stop the spread of half-life! A
July–August 2017 45
Page 44
On the Market
John L. Stein
OH LORD,
Won’t You Buy Me a Big SUV?
Classic 4x4 utility vehicles are often less costly than muscle
cars and sports cars, and they are more robust daily drivers
This 1958 Chevrolet Suburban was a $44,000 no-sale
sold a resto-modded 1971 Chevrolet K5 Blazer for $220,000 in Palm
Beach, FL, last April (see “Market Moment,” p. 80). Although that’s
an exceptional result, models such as the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Ford
Bronco and others seem to be mirroring the rise of pickups in values,
albeit it a few years behind the trucks’ ascent.
One reason this is happening may be an inherent “authenticity of
C
purpose.” In their own way, SUVs are just as purposeful as muscle
cars or sports cars. While muscle cars were everyday coupes with
big-block engines, the SUV amalgam involved truck mechanical
underpinnings, passenger-friendly interiors and a body that bridged
the two.
Classic utilities are historically important, because their retail
success enabled the SUV and crossover segments, which today are
powerhouses of new-car sales. In some cases, these utility vehicles
are supplanting traditional sedans as high-volume sellers, thanks to
their lofty seating position, greater carrying capacity, off-highway
versatility and substantial visual presence.
Strong classic potential
For collectors, classic SUVs make good sense to own and use.
With a few exceptions, overall they aren’t as costly as established
segments such as muscle cars and sports cars, they are robust daily
drivers, they fit in fine at casual shows and you can use them for their
46 AmericanCarCollector.com
lassic 4x4 utility vehicles have come up in value in the
past few years, and the rising appreciation for them is both
interesting and appropriate.
Just as with cars, some vintage SUVs are now trading
for dizzying amounts. For example, Barrett-Jackson just
1969 Ford bronco, sold at $32,635 this year
intended purpose of towing or dirt-road travel with confidence. Plus,
since interest in classic SUVs appears to be growing, there’s reassurance
that the right models will ascend in value. We’re just getting into
this trend.
Furthermore, unlike unit-body 1960s and later cars, the typical
SUV’s body-on-frame construction could mean they are more
impervious to rust, and more repairable by “average” skill sets. (On
the downside, though, their versatility and available four-wheel drive
could mean that many SUVs were used as all-season tools in snowbelt
areas where salted roads and constant exposure to moisture were
prevalent.)
One thing is for sure, though: Over the nearly 70 years since the
first 4x4 Willys wagon appeared and kicked off the segment, there
have been plenty of different models to consider. Here are some of my
favorite classic and neoclassic American SUVs:
1957–59 Chevrolet Suburban: With roots back to 1935,
the Suburban is the longest-running U.S. vehicle nameplate. Early
versions were highly utilitarian, whereas today’s versions are comprehensively
upscale. Somewhere in the middle is the collector’s sweet
spot. I particularly like the fourth-generation 1955–59 Suburban,
which features exterior styling evoking the Tri-Five Chevys, along
with enough comfort to make them good traveling companions, stout
small-block powertrains, and most importantly, a 4WD option that
began in ’57. Current ACC median prices are $49,600 for the 1957
model and $44,610 for the ’58 and ’59.
1957–66 Dodge Town Wagon: For brute force in a classic
truck, the Power Wagon has it all. Big and beefy, this pickup was
capable of pulling a field cannon, carrying a crane or pushing a snow
Page 45
plow — and everything in between. A passenger version called the
Town Wagon debuted in 1957. Its heavy-duty design and engineering
mean it’s hardly the best choice for a short coffee run, but it will get
respect everywhere it goes. Power comes from a flathead inline-six,
and the design is so iconic that the division has retained certain
design cues over the years. Current ACC median price is $16,470.
1966–77 Ford Bronco: With Ford figuring to bring back the
Bronco for 2020, the original model will soon get renewed attention.
They’ve long been on the radar of certain folks, so consider these
pleasantly styled trucks (especially the Roadster model) poised for
further appreciation. The first-gen Bronco featured car-based 6-cylinder
or V8 powertrains, and its friendly size — just 12 feet, eight
inches long, with a nimble 92-inch wheelbase — made it more practical
than bigger trucks. As such, Broncos became valued members
of suburban households. The median sale price of this gen Bronco is
$31,350 year to date.
1958–60 International Harvester Travelall: This is one of
my favorites, due to the fact that it looks like a farm truck, and because
the Travelall name ended in 1975 and International disappeared
five years later as the maker of passenger vehicles. The second-generation,
quad-headlight 1958–60 Travelall was big and sturdy, although
its 6-cylinder engine made it neither swift nor powerful. A huge glass
area creates an attractive element, giving the Travelall a wondrously
airy greenhouse. They are fetching in two-tone paint with dog-dish
hubcaps and blackwall tires. Their median price is $34,590.
1984–91 Jeep Grand Wagoneer: Produced first by American
Motors and subsequently by Chrysler, the Grand Wagoneer was a
gentlemanly suburban/country ride packed with luxury features, a
big V8 up to 401 ci, and the de rigueur woodgrain bodyside applique
of its period. Today the big Grand Wagoneers, which weigh in at over
4,500 pounds, are the polar opposite of the new breed of eco-friendly
1988 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, sold at $16,165 in 2014
hybrid utes. Big, boxy and thirsty instead of sleek, aerodynamic and
efficient, they are a perfect anti-establishment statement dressed in
leather. Pricing in the ACC Pocket Price Guide points to a current
median price of $28,000 for 1984–86 models and $17,800 for 1987–91
models.
1949–65 Willys Station Wagon: This is another favorite, due
to its “just right” size, its recognition as the very first American 4WD
SUV, and Willys’ positive contribution to winning World War II.
Hardly a vigorous performer with its base 4-cylinder flathead engine,
the station wagon is best in a calmer setting than a fast-flowing
Interstate. Think backroads and dirt dual-tracks, with a couple of
bedrolls, a canvas tent, some fly rods and a green Coleman cooler in
back. At ACC’s median of $20,900, that’s my kind of living. A
July–August 2017 47
Page 46
PROFILE CORVETTE
1953 CHEVROLET CORVETTE ROADSTER
First-Year Boost
Courtesy of Worldwide Auctioneers
Given some
softening
in certain
areas of the
collector
market,
this sale
emphasized
the enduring
blue-chip
strength of
the original
Corvette
VIN: E53F001062
by John L. Stein
• Early production no. 62
• Highly decorated first-year example of “America’s
sports car”
• NCRS Duntov Mark of Excellence Award winner
• NCRS Top Flight Award winner
• Bloomington Gold Certified
• 235-ci, 150-hp Blue Flame Special 6-cylinder
engine
• Triple Carter side-draft carburetors
• Powerglide 2-speed automatic transmission
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 16, sold for
$231,000, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at the Worldwide Auctioneers’ Monical
Collection auction in Arlington, TX, on April 21, 2017.
It was offered without reserve.
There are few Corvettes as boring, and few
Corvettes as exciting, as the original 1953 model. Its
hand-built quality varied a bit in places, the performance
offered by its 6-cylinder, 150-hp “Blue Flame”
engine was just adequate for the day, and this new
“sports car” had only a 2-speed automatic transmission
with no manual-gearbox option.
Corvette’s few American competitors in the nascent
segment included the Willys Jeep-based Glasspar
G2 kit car and the old-school F-head (intake/inlet
over exhaust) Kaiser-Darrin. Various imports were
far more advanced, including British cars such as
the 6-cylinder, DOHC Jaguar XK 120, and early
V12, SOHC Ferraris. Although it seems ridiculous to
consider now, in the initial years, the U.S. sports car
market was so unproven that the Corvette wasn’t a
sure bet to even survive as a nameplate.
48 AmericanCarCollector.com
48 AmericanCarCollector.com
With only 300 units built in Flint, MI — all painted
Polo White with a black convertible top and a red interior
— today the first-year 1953 roadster is not only
in a super-limited club, but it represents the very tip
of the spear of the greatest legacy in American sports
cars. It also has one of the greatest legacies for sports
cars anywhere in the world, thanks to impressive
production volume, loyal owner and club bases, and a
terrific competition pedigree.
Whole lotta love
I love the 1953s because they pioneered the use of
fiberglass on a mass-production car, preceding even
the marine industry’s full switchover to the material. I
also love the ’53s precisely because they don’t have a
V8 engine, and as such are not all about bravado and
swagger — two elements that underpin every Corvette
from 1956 onward.
For these reasons, the 1953 Corvettes, really
“pre-production” cars in a sense, have always lived
and will always live in a unique bubble that deserves
special recognition.
And so, let’s look at this example sold by Worldwide
Auctioneers. Little history of the exact car was presented
in the auction materials, but what was revealed
is reassuring. It’s a fully restored example rather than
a survivor, and the restoration work was said to have
been done under caring ownership and to high and
accurate standards — although it wasn’t stated when
the resto occurred. The car was also stated to have
driven 1,000 miles since the work was performed, and
to “stand tall” in its running and driving condition.
Page 47
COLLeCTOr’S reSOurCe: You can easily track a car’s value over time with the ACC Premium Auction Database, featuring more
than 125,000 American cars searchable by year, model, VIN and more. Sign up for just $59 at www.AmericanCarCollector.com!
Detailing
Year produced: 1953
Number produced: 300
Original list price: $3,498
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $252,000
Club: National Corvette
Restorers Society
y, its life in two different museums prior to being
d in Texas included time with collector Bobby
al.
at matters more, however, is that this early-VIN
s earned a trio of truly significant awards.
t any early Corvette an NCRS Duntov Mark of
Excellence Award (in this case, one of only
14 1953 Corvettes to win this), an NCRS Top
Flight Award and a Bloomington Gold certifiation,
and that car has achieved a rare level of
nition with regard to Corvette awards. The only
step higher would be premium-level concours wins
such as Amelia Island, The Quail or Pebble Beach.
For what it’s worth
Examining the sale price of $231,000, this is 8.3%
below the median value for this model in the 2017
American Car Collector Pocket Price Guide (which
gives it an “A” rating). Given the softening seen in
much of the collector market during the past two or
so years, the sale looked solid and emphasized the
continuing appeal of blue-chip cars. And the 1953
Corvette is definitely a blue-chip car.
Putting this car’s sale price in context is interesting.
For instance, comparing this ’53 to a similar (at least
in appearance and performance) 1954 model, the ’53
is much rarer, with 12 times more of the later seriesproduction
’54s built. At $231k, its price averages just
3.1 times higher than the far more plentiful ’54 model’s
($82.5k in the ACC price guide). This means that although
it is 12 times scarcer, the ’53 is worth only three
times as much as the relatively common ’54. Huh.
It’s also interesting to see what $231k (plus or minus
about 10%–15%) can buy in other American collectibles
in the ACC guide. Actually, it’s an interesting
mix of low-production cars including a ’70 Plymouth
Hemi ’Cuda at $199.8k (652 were made), a 1965
Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Z16 at $200k (201 were
made), a 1953 Cadillac Eldorado convertible at $218k
(532 were made), and a 1969 Chevrolet Yenko Chevelle
at $250k (approximately 99 were made). Since these
are also heavyweight American post-war blue chips,
I’d say that puts the ’53 Corvette in some good lowproduction
company. Rest assured, ’53 ’Vette owners.
Why not more?
Considering that every one of the above alternatives
is V8-powered, this value comparison also means the
’53 Corvette, which has long been disparaged for its
milquetoast performance, in reality is strong from an
image standpoint. And yet as I wind up this analysis,
I’m left wondering why the debut-year ’53 ’Vette isn’t
worth a whole bunch more — say double or triple its
actual value.
It’s true that the above-mentioned Eldorado also
debuted for ’53 while the Chevelle debuted for ’65,
but somehow it seems the original Corvette should
warrant greater esteem. But many times (especially
right after the gavel strikes!) we can only shrug our
shoulders and admit that the market — oftentimes just
like life — is what it is.
In this case, on an April day in Texas, the market
confirmed what the current market trends suggest,
and that’s the fact that really good 1953 Corvettes are
worth $200k and change. The seller offered a strong
car with the awards and honors that matter, and the
buyer paid a price right in line with the market. Like it
or not, I have to call that fair all around. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Worldwide
Auctioneers.)
1953 Chevrolet Corvette
roadster
Lot S124, VIN: E53F001129
Condition: 2
Sold at $216,000
Tune-up/major service: $400
Distributor cap: $25
Chassis # location: Plate
screwed to left-hand
door-hinge pillar
Engine # location: On block
near distributor
Web: www.ncrs.org
Alternatives: 1957 Ford
Thunderbird F-code
convertible, 1957 Pontiac
Bonneville convertible,
1964 Ford Thunderbolt
ACC Investment Grade: A
Comps
1953 Chevrolet Corvette
roadster
Lot 1353, VIN: E53F001200
Condition: 1
Sold at $275,000
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale,
AZ, 1/16/2017
ACC# 6813239
1953 Chevrolet Corvette
roadster
Lot 125, VIN: E53F001274
Condition: 2
Sold at $275,000
RM Sotheby’s, Amelia Island,
FL, 3/13/2015
ACC# 264436
Mecum Auctions, Las Vegas,
NV, 2/27/2015
ACC# 257588
July–August 2017
49CC
49
Page 48
PROFILE GM
Built to Market
1969 PONTIAC GTO JUDGE
Courtesy of Auctions America
This price
doesn’t set
a new floor
for Ram Air
III Judges.
Rather, it
shows what
can happen
when an
astute
restoration
is performed
with popular
extras added
VIN: 242379Z119153
by Pat Smith
• 400-ci, 366-hp V8 engine
• 4-speed Muncie transmission with Hurst shifter
• Rare hideaway headlamps
• Complete PHS documentation including copy
of build sheet and window sticker
• Full body-off restoration
• Judge package
• Many other desirable factory options
• Outstanding condition and presentation
throughout
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 519, sold for
$78,100, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Auctions America’s auction in Fort
Lauderdale, FL, on April 1, 2017.
Pontiac Motor Division was on fire in sales through
the 1960s, with their intermediate GTO in the lead. In
1966, Pontiac sold 96,946 GTOs. By 1967, the competition
had caught up and sales fell back, as buyers were
having trouble finding cars that weren’t loaded to
the hilt in price and weight. Then, in 1968, Plymouth
kicked off an econo muscle car revival to suit the market
with their cheap and cheerful Road Runner coupe.
The solution seemed obvious to Pontiac marketers:
Make a budget GTO to go against the Road Runner.
Initial press feelers described the budget GTO as a thinpillar
coupe to be equipped with the good GTO suspension,
a high-performance engine and a bright color, all in
a package priced slightly lower than the standard GTO.
The first solution was a bright orange coupe with
white stripes called “ET.” The ET model fielded a hotcammed
Pontiac 350 4-barrel, manual transmission
and dual exhausts. They went all the way including
a bench seat and a chrome-nose LeMans body with
GTO hood. Test runs of the ET against some 383 Road
Runners showed the car was able to take on Plymouth.
So what happened?
50 AmericanCarCollector.com
Go big or go home
Two things killed the “ET.” Pontiac already had
a 350 HO LeMans, and Pontiac Division manager
John DeLorean hated the idea of a small-bore GTO.
During a presentation by the committee, his words
were, “Over my dead body. Don’t you know this is a
400-cubic-inch world?”
DeLorean ordered the staff to make the car fast and
worry about cost cuts later. From that moment on,
“budget GTO” died and a legend was born.
The “Judge” name was chosen by DeLorean when
he green-lit the revised concept car in the summer of
1968. Production was scheduled for early winter, in
time for showrooms to get their displays in February.
A major ad campaign with posters, jackets, badges
and even a song by Paul Revere and the Raiders put
the Judge out in front of everyone.
The Judge had no trouble staying out front with a
10.75:1-compression-ratio Ram Air III as standard
equipment. You also got a Hurst 3-speed manual
transmission, low-restriction dual exhaust, 3.55 axle,
blacked-out grille, 60-inch-wide spoiler, Rally II
wheels minus trim rings, body stripes and glovebox
door emblem. The package cost an extra $332 over the
Page 49
COLLeCTOr’S reSOurCe: You can easily track a car’s value over time with the ACC Premium Auction Database, featuring more
than 125,000 American cars searchable by year, model, VIN and more. Sign up for just $59 at www.AmericanCarCollector.com!
standard GTO.
ousel Red and either came
t vinyl interiors. Later on,
her standard GTO colors.
uarter-panel trim but missed
ox door emblem.
ket and muscle sweetheart
d of being a base model, a
uld be ordered with most
s. It was a cut above your
l muscle car in power, prese
and price — and it worked.
iac sold 6,833 Judges that
, which accounted for a little
% of the entire 1969 GTO
n.
or, a 4-speed Ram Air III
. A Royal Bobcat kit dropped
asily. If you were any good
, low 13s were a breeze,
de it a keen rival against
, Charger 440 R/Ts and SS
LeCTOr’S reSOurCe: You can easily track a car’s value over time with the ACC Premium Auction Database, featuring more
than 125,000 American cars searchable by year, model, VIN and more. Sign up for just $59 at www.AmericanCarCollector.com!
standard GTO.
ousel Red and either came
t vinyl interiors. Later on,
her standard GTO colors.
uarter-panel trim but missed
ox door emblem.
ket and muscle sweetheart
d of being a base model, a
uld be ordered with most
s. It was a cut above your
l muscle car in power, pres-
e and price — and it worked.
iac sold 6,833 Judges that
, which accounted for a little
% of the entire 1969 GTO
n.
or, a 4-speed Ram Air III
. A Royal Bobcat kit dropped
asily. If you were any good
, low 13s were a breeze,
de it a keen rival against
, Charger 440 R/Ts and SS
lar
lar cars to restore since the
1980s, and they recover quickly from market corrections,
gaining new ground each time. Compared to
its later 455-powered brethren, the ’69 Judge is still a
bargain. Only a convertible or Ram Air IV will break
the bank.
It used to be easy to get your dream Judge for about
$50k, but that started to change in 2014. The most
affordable Judge sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale
that year for $50,600 (Lot 1654). It wasn’t numbers
matching and had a few needs. Lot 969 was $10k more
and finished in Pro Touring style. The rest of the cars
offered brought $70k and up.
To understand where 1969 Judge prices are going,
look at what Ram Air IV Judges command. Those are
now knocking on the $100,000 door, and if they’re
numbers matching, the price goes even higher. Ram
Air III Judges crossed an important $50,000 psychological
threshold, too. They’re no longer affordable
for the average fan, and solid, no-excuses cars can
easily bring well above that amount. They now average
around $60k retail.
The remarkable $78,100 result achieved here is
striking, especially as the car has a few deviations
from stock, such as added power windows, power
brakes, AM/FM stereo with power antenna and a
woodgrain steering wheel. The PHS invoice shows
none of those options as factory-installed.
Although 1969 Judges are showing an uptick in the
market, this particular car has to be considered a
one-off. The price doesn’t set a new floor for Ram Air
III Judges. Rather, it shows what can happen when an
astute restoration is performed with popular extras
added. Chalk it up to sterling presentation and the
allure of power options.
This car wasn’t cheap, yet you couldn’t restore one
to this level for less than what was paid here, and a
Judge with these toys from the factory would cost even
more. Overall, the basics are sound and this car can
be converted back to stock without major problems
if desired. Given the continued strong interest and
demand for Judges, even at this price, I’d call this one
fairly sold and bought. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Auctions
America.)
1969 Pontiac GTO Judge
2-door hard top
Detailing
Years produced: 1969–71
Number produced: 6,725
(1969 2-door hard tops)
Original list price: $3,313
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $67,100
Tune-up/major service: $390
Distributor cap: $28
VIN Location: Plate next to
driver’s side dash, door
decal
Club: Pontiac Oakland Club
International
Engine # location: Partial
VIN between coolant
bypass hoses
Web: www.poci.org
Alternatives: 1969 Ford
Mustang Mach 1 Cobra
Jet, 1969 Dodge Charger
R/T 440, 1969 Chevrolet
Camaro SS 396 L78
ACC Investment Grade: B
Comps
Lot 790, VIN: 242379Z114040
Condition: 1Sold
at $74,800
Barrett-Jackson, Las Vegas,
NV, 10/12/2016
ACC# 6809762
1969 Pontiac GTO Judge
2-door hard top
Lot F480, VIN:
242379R184747
Condition: 2
Sold at $55,000
Russo and Steele, Scottsdale,
AZ, 1/13/2015
ACC# 257048
1969 Pontiac GTO Judge
2-door hard top
Lot 669, VIN: 242379G127904
Condition: 3Sold
at $55,000
Barrett-Jackson, Palm Beach,
FL, 4/11/2014
ACC# 243202
July–August 2017 51
Page 50
PROFILE FOMOCO
Mid-Size Market Muscle
1966 FORD FAIRLANE GTA CONVERTIBLE
Courtesy of Auctions America
Fairlane GTs
are usually
incredible
values
compared
to Pontiac
GTOs, but
this price
brings that
argument to
its knees
VIN: 6H44S144191
by Chad Tyson
• 390-ci, 335-hp S-code Thunderbird Special V8
• Sportshift automatic transmission
• One of 4,327 GTA convertibles in 1966
• Ground-up restoration on solid, original car
• Restoration utilized NOS parts
• AACA National First in Junior and Senior
• Appraised as “Condition 1” car
• Styled steel wheels
• Power top
• Buckets and console
• Visibility and courtesy light groups
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 539, sold for
$62,700, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Auctions America’s sale in Fort Lauderdale,
FL, on April 1, 2017.
In 1966, Ford introduced the fifth-generation
Fairlane. The updated model brought back the convertible
option after Ford dropped it from the Fairlane
lineup in 1959, and used stacked headlamps and just
a hint of the coke-bottle silhouette that defined design
at the time.
The factory-backed match race days were waning at
this point, but big, streetable power was far from finished
selling in the market. So as the track-dominating
Thunderbolts left the scene, in came mid-size family
cars with over 300 horsepower. They quickly became
commonplace.
Ford’s attempt at capturing the burgeoning
52 AmericanCarCollector.com
52 AmericanCarCollector.com
market, and taking on the popular Chevelle SS 396,
was to stuff a 335-hp, 390-ci V8 into that redesigned
Fairlane. The new cars became known as the GT and
GTA S-codes. The Blue Oval sold 37,342 GT/GTA
S-codes that first year, so they got something right.
Within the Fairlane lineup, the GT/GTA sat at the
top, followed by the 500 XL, then 500 and finally the
base models. The current market pricing bears this
out as well, but more on that in a minute.
Looking legit
With every sale, but especially when we’re talking
about more than credit-card money, verification and
authentication are vital. Buyers need to know whether
they’re actually buying the real deal.
Faking a 1966 Fairlane GTA is tough business. At
least it’s much harder than just an engine swap with
some decals added. For one, the S-code 390 was the
only engine for 1966 Fairlane GTs, so any variance
in the VIN (which Ford stamped in three locations —
radiator core support and one on each of the inner
fender wells) indicates things are not what they seem.
And if there is a clutch pedal? Someone ordered the
wrong emblems to fake the car, as in GTA, the A
stands for “automatic” (conversely making the GTs
manual-only cars from the factory).
This car’s authenticity is hardly questionable,
however, with copious judging, copies of original
paperwork and even a feature (and implicit blessing)
Page 51
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than 125,000 American cars searchable by year, model, VIN and more. Sign up for just $59 at www.AmericanCarCollector.com!
Detailing
Years produced: 1966–67
Number produced: 4,327
(1966)
Original list price: $3,068
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $35,200
Engine # location: Pad
forward of passenger’s
side cylinder head
n the Fairlane Club of America’s magazine.
A previous owner put the car through
round-up restoration from 1996 to 2000
sing New Old Stock. That owner was
supposedly looking for a solid, original
Springtime Yellow-with-black-interior car.
He found this one in Tallahassee, FL. After
ompletion, he then showed it at Carlisle Alld
Nationals invitational.
h so nice
s GTA is exceptionally well equipped, with
op, limited-slip differential and tinted glass,
among other options. Seems like the only knock is a
lack of disc brakes. Ford made front discs available
for the later 1966 Fairlanes, and the option became
standard for 1967 models.
Even the automatic isn’t necessarily a downer. Ford
issued a press release in September 1965 touting the
new Sportshift transmission “which offers complete
manual selection of the three forward Cruise-O-Matic
speeds by the driver… And, to put the frosting on the
cake, manual shifting is quicker than with a comparable
car equipped with a manual transmission.”
Given the manual-shift automatic feature’s
ubiquity in today’s world — you can even do it in a
Hyundai — it’s easy to forget that once upon a time,
many automatics had “D” for drive and no individual
lower-gear selections.
To me, this GTA is everything one would want in a
muscle car. Maybe it lacks the street cred of a GTO,
but the FE V8 pumps out the same rated horsepower
as a ’66 389-powered GTO and wins in cubic-inch
displacement. Where I should be going next is the
incredible value of GTs versus GTOs, but this price
brings that argument to its knees.
Top goes down, price goes up
These ’66 GTA convertibles rarely arrive at auc-
tion. By that measurement, it’s reasonable to wonder
how many of the 4,327 GTA convertibles are still
around. Granted, it’s likely more than the remaining,
running 4-door sedans, but if it is more than half of
the original number, I’d be surprised. In fact, this is
the only one seen in the past two years according to
ACC’s Premium Auction Database. Going back a little
further, Mecum sold a GT convertible for $56,160 at
their January 2015 Kissimmee sale (ACC# 6774646).
This is the most expensive 1966 Fairlane sold at
auction since Twin Cities sold an R-code Fairlane 500
for $160,500 in June 2015 (ACC# 678852). Our subject
car is also the 13th-highest-selling fifth-gen Fairlane
ever sold at auction. As such, it’s difficult to argue it
wasn’t well sold.
But what is it they say? Buy the best you can? I’d
say the new owner did just that. So with that thought,
I’d call this GTA drop-top both well bought and well
sold.A
(Introductory description courtesy of Auctions
America.)
1966 Ford Fairlane GTA
2-door hard top
Web: www.fairlaneclubofamerica.com
Alternatives: 1966–67
Pontiac GTO, 1966–67
Chevrolet Chevelle SS
396, 1966–67 Dodge
Charger
Club: Fairlane Club of
America
Tune-up/major service: $150
VIN location: Tag on driver’s
door
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
Lot S113, VIN: 6K40S227966
Condition: 3Sold
at $22,680
Mecum Auctions, Kansas City,
MO, 12/4/2013
ACC# 231901
1966 Ford Fairlane GTA
2-door hard top
MidAmerica Auctions, St.
Paul, MN, 6/21/2013
ACC# 225692
Lot 40, VIN: 6K40S168868
Condition: 1Sold
at $47,250
1966 Ford Fairlane GT
2-door hard top
Not sold at $35,000
Lot T331, VIN: 6A40S16464
Condition: 3+
Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee,
FL, 1/17/2013
ACC# 215180
July–August 2017
53CC
53
Page 52
PROFILE MOPAR
The Dart of War
1969 DODGE DART GTS 440
Matt Magnino, courtesy of Mecum Auctions
These mighty
midgets pack
the unique
combination
of Mr. Norm’s
innovation,
Hurst
Performance
influence
and mighty
Mopar 440
power
VIN: LS23M9B300686
by Tom Glatch
• M-code Dart GTS, one of 640 produced in 1969
• Frame-off restoration completed in 2010
• M-code 440-ci 375-hp engine
• 727 automatic transmission
• 8.75-inch rear end, 3.54 gears
• B5 Blue with black interior
• White tail stripes
• Copy of a Texas title from 1982
ACC Analysis This car, Lot S55, sold for
$81,400, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Mecum’s auction in Houston, TX, on April 8,
2017. It was offered with no reserve.
A big 383 in a small Dart? Chrysler Engineering
said it couldn’t be done. Of course, Norm Kraus and
the Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding Dodge dealership
in Chicago — a beacon of Mopar performance in the
1960s — didn’t agree.
“Dodge was supposed to give us a high-perfor-
mance Dart (Dart GTS) to be competitive against the
Malibu or the Camaro,” said Norm Kraus in a 2007
interview with ShowYourAuto.com, “and they said
they had a high-performance engine for us. When we
got the car in, the car came with a 273. Right away I
called up Dodge and said, ‘I thought we were getting
a 383.’ ‘Our engineers said it couldn’t be done.’ That
was the challenge.”
That was in 1967. Norm continued, “I wanted the
same thing that Ford and General Motors had. Put
54 AmericanCarCollector.com
54 AmericanCarCollector.com
a 330-horsepower engine in a car that’s under 3,200
pounds, you got a little performance, if I could get it to
the ground. And we knew how to get it to the ground.
“I called Denny (Hirschbeck) back in Parts, and I
said, ‘Let’s get a Dart in, and let’s get a 383 engine,
let’s put it in a Dart, let’s see what it takes to get it
there.’ The next morning, he comes in and says ‘it’s
done.’”
Now what to call the Dart? Back to the Parts
Department: “The only ‘S’ was this red ‘S’,” recalled
Norm. “I said, ‘Fine, it’ll stand out. Now it’ll be the
GSS, which stands for Grand Spaulding Special.’”
From big to bigger
Dodge’s General Manager, Bob McCurry, saw the
supposedly impossible car and told his engineers,
“Look at what the kids from Chicago built.”
From there, the 383-powered Dart GTS became
a factory option for 1968, based on Mr. Norm’s ’67
GSS conversions. Some concessions had to be made,
since power steering and air conditioning would not
fit in the cramped engine compartment, and a 4-speed
jolted the drivetrain on launch and could have shredded
the differential. But with the power-to-weight ratio
of a motorcycle, who cared about being limited to an
automatic and having no a/c or power steering?
By 1968, that 383 just didn’t seem quite as hot as
some of the new cars from GM and Ford. So Norm
Kraus got Hurst Performance to build 50 of the Dart
Page 53
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Detailing
S cars, this time powered by Chrysler’s
tal 375-hp 440 Magnum V8. Externally,
e engine was the same size as the 383, so
not?
Hurst already had experience with
ysler’s A-body compacts, building the
68 Hemi Dart and Hemi ’Cudas for Super
rag racing — at least with the 440, Hurst
o sledgehammer the inner fenders to get
o fit.
aulding Dodge was the exclusive dealer
m for $3,788 — hundreds less than many
rformance cars of the era. Mr. Norm’s ad
lled it “The mighty midget that’s got what
es to take what they’ve got!”
The GTS 440
A year later, Chrysler took over the 440 A-body
project, now calling them Dart GTS 440s. Dodge built
640 M-code 440 Darts in batches, rolling through
production every few weeks from Sunday, December
1, 1968, to Sunday, May 18, 1969. These cars were no
longer exclusive to Grand Spaulding Dodge, but many
of them were sold by Mr. Norm.
So how fast was this little exercise in excess? Drag
Racing Magazine, in its June 1969 issue, found out.
After changing their test car’s original E-70x14 tires
to something wider, they ran a 12.7-second 112-mph
quarter mile. That’s a shocking figure for even the most
exotic of 1960s performance cars — but don’t ask about
handling or braking capabilities, because this thing was
made for one purpose — point straight and hang on.
While it is possible to build a “tribute” (aka fake)
GTS 440 the same way Mr. Norm’s crew did, the
M-code in the fifth digit of the VIN identifies the real
thing. That’s what we’re looking at here.
Big money for a small rocket
Enthusiast Frank Remlinger runs the GTS Registry
for both the Dodge GTS and Mr. Norm’s GSS Darts,
and is a great resource for owners of these cars.
According to the GTS Registry, code F8 Dark Green
and B5 Bright Blue Metallic were the most popular
colors in 1969, and our featured Dart is one of those
desirable “B5 Blue” cars with a black vinyl interior
and standard white “bumblebee” stripe.
That, and the Dart’s overall excellent condition,
may explain why it recorded the highest sale price
we’ve seen for a GTS 440: $81,400.
This sale was not this Dart’s first rodeo, though, as
the same car was sold by Leake in 2013 for $69,300
(ACC# 231545), which then set the benchmark for
a 440 GTS price. That suggests that Mecum’s sale
was not an anomaly, but the minimal appreciation
in price over four years also tells me the GTS 440 is
still a rather unknown performance machine outside
hardcore Mopar circles.
Manufacturers rarely turned to outside contrac-
tors to build a special model unless it was a very
exotic, very low-volume model. You could spend up to
$550,000 for a Boss 429 Mustang built by Kar Kraft,
or over $200,000 for a Plymouth Superbird built by
Creative Industries, both of which were manufactured
in higher numbers. Yet these mighty midgets pack the
unique combination of Mr. Norm’s innovation, Hurst
Performance influence and mighty Mopar 440 power.
All that considered, suddenly this top-market Dart
GTS 440 sounds a little more like a well-bought bargain.
Even at a big-money price, I’d call this one both
well bought and sold. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Mecum
Auctions.)
1969 Dodge Dart GTS 440
Lot S120, VIN:
LS23M9B357868
Condition: 2+
Not sold at $140,000
Mecum Auctions, St. Charles,
IL, 10/2/2008
ACC# 117959
Club: The GTS Registry
Web: www.gtsregistry.com
Alternatives: 1969 Plymouth
Barracuda S 440, 1969
Chevrolet Chevelle COPO
427, 1969 Ford Mustang
428 SCJ
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
Tune-up/major service: $350
Distributor cap: $12.97
VIN location: Plate on driver’s
side instrument panel
behind windshield
Engine # location: Pad
located on the right side of
the block to the rear of the
engine mount
Years produced: 1969
Number produced: 640
Original list price: $3,871
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $69,300
1969 Dodge Dart GTS 440
Lot 457, VIN:
LS23M9B300686
(Subject car)
Condition: 1Sold
at $69,300
Leake Auctions, Dallas, TX,
11/23/2013
ACC# 231545
1969 Dodge Dart GTS 440
Lot 359, VIN:
LS23M9B351847
Condition: 3+
Sold at $19,225
Classic Motorcar Auctions,
Akron, OH, 3/30/2012
ACC# 197679
July–August 2017
July–August 2017 55
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Detailing
Year produced: 1951
Number produced: One
(Ford built 11,244 DeLuxe
Model 40 V8 5-window
coupes in 1933)
Original list price: $540
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $42,350 (all
1933 Ford)
Tune-up, major service:
Estimated $250
Cadillac V8 had a ’55 Caddy camshaft and sported
a McCulloch supercharger. Presently, the big Cad
mill is fitted with a three-carburetor intake and
Offenhauser finned valve covers. Similarly, the early
GM Hydra-Matic has been replaced
with a more-contemporary 700R4
overdrive automatic.
The rear axle, once a Columbia
2-speed, is now a beefy ’54 Oldsmobile
unit. The chromed wire wheels, with
decorative two-eared knockoffs, were
rare and expensive Chrysler options.
Hine built the vee-ed nerf bars (tubular
bumpers) himself, as well as the
chromed side exhausts.
Trophy hound
Ollie Hine hit the show circuit with
his creation, and not surprisingly,
he won awards every time the car
was shown. In the fashion of the era,
the car was headlined as Hine’s “25
Varieties,” and it starred at the Detroit
Autorama, and at the 12-day show that Ford Motor
Company held at its Rotunda in 1955 — when FoMoCo
embraced the growing rod-and-custom culture, inviting
just a handful of cars by the likes of George Barris,
Gene Winfield, the Alexander Brothers and other
custom celebrities. The company’s designers later borrowed
many ideas from the hot rod community.
Hine, who was in his 50s when the car was cam-
paigned, kept it all his life. After his death in 1985, his
son Jack repainted the car in a Jade hue, then sold it
to a man who promised to restore the car to the way it
had appeared when Oliver Hine built it.
When this gentleman became the consignor at
Auctions America, he offered the car with 60 years of
documentation and magazine features. Vintage photos
show the original color to be more gold than the
present-day orange.
Fittingly, after the restoration
was completed, the Hine ’33 won the
coveted Preservation Award at the
Detroit Autorama, decades after it
first starred in the same show.
Now what?
The winning bidder was Grant
Miller, a Pennsylvania car dealer who
admits he’s not a hot-rodder, “but I fell
in love with that car, and I just had to
have it. It’s a piece of jewelry.”
Mr. Miller bought an historic car with
irrefutable provenance and a remarkable
record of accomplishment. But he
also paid a handsome price, at the high
end of Auctions America’s $110,000 to
$130,000 estimate range.
That said, I think this was a fair deal for both the
seller and the buyer considering this car’s quality and
history. Miller plans to drive it in his town’s Memorial
Day parade. He can proudly display this copper
confection at major concours d’elegance, whenever
historic rods and customs are invited. It’s reportedly
a nice driver, and its lovely amalgam of multi-make
styling cues will no doubt have observers wondering
just what it is, which is exactly what happened when
Oliver Hines displayed it in the ’50s. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Auctions
America.)
1932 Ford Lakes roadster
Lot 210, VIN: 18155453
Condition: 2+
Sold at $187,000
RM Sotheby’s, Fort Worth, TX,
5/1/2015
ACC# 265231
Clubs: Goodguys, National
Street Rod Association
(NSRA)
VIN location: 18-prefix Ford
VIN is stamped on the front
frame rail on the driver’s
side
Web: www.good-guys.com,
www.nsra.com,
Alternatives: Any other
period hot rod with longterm
ownership and show/
magazine coverage history
ACC Investment Grade: B
Comps
1932 Ford Highboy roadster
Lot 132, VIN: 1874450
Condition: 1
Sold at $225,000
Bonhams, Carmel, CA,
8/15/2013
ACC# 227288
1932 Ford Highboy roadster
Lot S109, VIN: 18152025
Condition: 1Sold
at $742,000
Mecum Auctions, Anaheim,
CA, 11/13/2012
ACC# 213966
July–August 2017 57
Page 56
PROFILE AMERICANA
1959 CADILLAC COUPE DEVILLE
Big Iron Icon
www.mikiefariasphoto.com
Depending
on your point
of view, the
’59 Coupe
DeVille was
either the
first modern
Cadillac,
or the last
one worth
looking at
VIN: 59J093054
by Jeff Zurschmeide
• 390-ci V8 engine
• Automatic transmission
• Complete body-off restoration
• Power antenna, seats, windows, steering
and brakes
• Two-tone black-and-white interior
• Clock and radio
• Factory air conditioning
• Fender skirts
• Wide whitewall tires with factory wheel covers
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 520, sold for
$47,300, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Auctions America’s sale in Fort Lauderdale,
FL, on April 1, 2017.
A vintage Cadillac is always special, but in the
world of big iron, the 1959 Cadillac reigns supreme.
Love it or hate it, the smooth, sweeping body style
that debuted for ’59 represented a turning point for
Cadillac. It’s not the legendary fins — those were
reduced to vestigial folds by 1961. The 1959 Cadillac
showed the way towards the slab-sided designs that
would dominate the next four decades of Cadillac history.
Depending on your point of view, the ’59 Coupe
DeVille was either the first modern Cadillac, or the
last one worth looking at.
If you walked into a Cadillac dealership in 1959, the
top of the line was the Eldorado. However, the DeVille
58 AmericanCarCollector.com
58 AmericanCarCollector.com
line was not far behind. An Eldorado in this era got
Cadillac’s best engine and every box checked in the
option list. The DeVille got the standard engine, and
you could pick your own options.
The standard Cadillac engine was no slouch.
Displacement was raised from 365 to 390 cubic
inches for ’59, and you got 325 horsepower and 430
pound-feet of torque. Engine power passed to the rear
wheels through a 4-speed Hydra-Matic automatic
transmission, and you had your choice of two different
rear-end ratios: 2.94 (standard) or 3.21:1. Ordering
Page 57
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Detailing
Years produced: 1958–60
Number produced: 21,924
(1959)
Original list price: $5,252
Current ACC Median Price:
$37,400
Tune-up/major service: $200
Distributor cap: $13
VIN location: Left side of cowl
Engine # location: Lower left
side of cylinder block
the car with factory air also got you the 3.21 rear end.
The Eldorado engine was exactly the same as the
standard 390, except you got three Rochester 2-barrel
carburetors instead of a single 4-barrel Carter.
That was enough to yield 20 more horsepower and 5
additional foot-pounds. The Eldorado engine could
be ordered on any 1959 Cadillac for just $134.30, so it
was a popular option.
Apart from the engine, the Coupe DeVille offered
the same standard equipment as the base Series 6200,
plus power windows and two-way power seats. Power
steering and power brakes were standard across
all 1959 Cadillac models. The option list included
features such as cruise control, air-adjustable suspension,
power windows and locks, automatic headlight
dimmer, tinted glass, whitewalls, radio, and even a
power trunk lid.
The price for a new Coupe DeVille in 1959 was
$5,252, plus options. Cadillac built 21,924 of the
2-door hard-top coupes that year. That made the
Coupe DeVille the most popular style of the Series
6300 DeVille line, although combined sales of the two
Sedan DeVille models were higher.
A pink peacock
Our subject car is a delightful example of a ’59
Coupe DeVille. According to the seller, it has undergone
a complete restoration, and that certainly shows
in the photos.
Restorations are opportunities to put things right,
but they’re also a time when originality can be lost. A
little research on this car’s body plate turned up some
interesting facts, and the same research (which takes
less than an hour on the Internet) should be done on
any car that’s been through a restoration.
First, the car in question is indeed a real Coupe
DeVille. The cowl tag says the type is 59-6337, which
simply decodes as 1959 Series 6300 (DeVille) and the
37 indicates a Deluxe Coupe DeVille. The FW body
code indicates the body was made at the Fleetwood
factory.
Farther down the cowl tag, the trim code is 46,
which means the original interior was medium green,
and paint code 40-12 indicates the original color
scheme was two-tone, Gotham Gold with a white roof.
This makes sense, as Cadillac offered nothing like this
new shade of pink in 1959. Changing the interior to
black and white was a smart move, as the green would
not have been harmonious with the new exterior color.
Also on the cowl tag, this car was ordered with E,
H, K and Y options. Those stand for “EZ Eye” tinted
glass, a heater, an air conditioner, and the six-way
power seat, respectively. Radios were optional in 1959
but did not generate a cowl-tag code.
Icon status
It’s worth saying that none of this number sleuth-
ing really matters very much on this car. This is not
some ultra-rare-engine-code muscle car or factory
lightweight racer. The point of a 1959 Coupe DeVille,
especially in today’s bland styling world, is to stand
out, and as Bruce Springsteen sang, to “ride just like
a little bit of heaven here on Earth.” With the fender
skirts and period-correct wide whitewall tires, this car
surely achieves all those goals.
The sale price of this car reflects the work that has
gone into the restoration, and while it was not the
cheapest ’59 Caddy you could buy, it doesn’t come
close to the prices commanded by some top-shelf cars.
So all things considered, if you were in the market for
a look-at-me piece of Americana, it’s not a stretch to
say this car was both well bought and well sold. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Auctions
America.)
1959 Cadillac Series 62
coupe
Lot 2508, VIN: 59G111154
Condition: 3
Sold at $31,625
1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille
Lot 2416, VIN: 59J076444
Condition: 3Sold
at $25,850
Leake, Oklahoma City, OK,
2/21/2014
ACC# 239091
Club: Cadillac Country Club
Web: www.cadillaccountryclub.com
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
Alternatives: 1958–60
Lincoln Continental,
1957–63 Imperial,
1955–60 DeSoto FireFlite
1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille
Lot 359, VIN: 59J004758
Condition: 3Sold
at $36,300
Barrett-Jackson, Las Vegas,
NV, 9/25/2015
ACC# 270213
Leake, Dallas, TX, 11/15/2012
ACC# 214543
July–August 2017
59CC
59
Page 58
PROFILE RACE
1989 CHEVROLET LUMINA GOODWRENCH #3
Character Value
The script
name above
the window
has more to
do with this
hammer
price than
just about
everything
else
60
AmericanCarCollector.com
VIN: 5
by Jay Harden
A
uthentic Richard Childress Racing
serial #5, with a Chevy Lumina body,
sponsored by Goodwrench and raced by
Dale Earnhardt.
This NASCAR Cup car comes
with supporting documentation from crew chief
Kirk Shelmerdine, who personally inspected the
car and found it to be 100% true as raced by Dale
Earnhardt. This car was raced by Earnhardt in 1989
and 1990. The car was originally built as a Monte
Carlo Aerocoupe and was sponsored by Wrangler,
then in 1990 changed to one of the first Goodwrenchsponsored
Lumina Aerocoupes.
As documented, this car was the Atlanta race win-
ner and 500-mile record-holder. It was the last win by
one of the original RCR rear-steer cars. The current
owner purchased the car seven years ago. It has not
been restored in any way since. The fluids, fuel, etc.,
have been replaced; receipts included. A new, smaller
carburetor has been added for ease of operation. The
original Holley carburetor, from when the car was
purchased, comes with the car.
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 648, sold for
$220,000, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Barrett-Jackson’s sale in Palm Beach, FL, on
April 6–8, 2017.
As the resident Southerner on staff, I often field
questions such as, “Jay, what’s a grit?” “Jay, what’s
the difference between supper and dinner?” and “Jay,
why do people spend truckloads of money on old stock
cars?” Some of these questions are easier to answer
than others.
I’ve written about several retired NASCAR racers
over the past few years, but most were purchased inexpensively
and were likely to go on to lead an active
life in the vintage-racing arena. I find researching and
writing about those types of cars exciting because it’s
easy for me to imagine myself bringing one home and
beating it like a rented mule.
This car, at this price, is a bit different. It’s not
much of a stretch to assume this one has turned its
last competitive lap. Big-money stock cars are, like
the sport itself, a bit of a niche market within a niche
market.
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
Page 59
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Engineering the character
Parity in motorsport is a knife’s edge that virtually
all sanctioning bodies walk in an effort to limit undue
advantage. But perhaps nowhere in the top echelons of
racing is parity of machine so tightly regulated as it is
in NASCAR.
The organization’s top decision makers determined
many years ago that tighter racing, bigger crashes and
feuding teams would put more fans in the seats more
consistently than if the sport encouraged innovation
and freedom of ingenuity in engineering. As a result,
NASCAR is, unambiguously, all about the drivers. As
such, it is the personalities that drive the merchandising,
not the machines.
NASCAR’s history is riddled with some of the
most audacious, unabashed, and larger-than-life
characters in all of motorsport. If only one of those
personalities could be chosen to represent all that is
NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt would likely be the hardcore
fans’ choice — particularly if we base the results
on a quick Google search for “NASCAR tattoos.”
Dale easily owns 75% of the results. Throw Dale Jr. in
the mix, and the number jumps to 90%. Hell, Senior
simply dominates the search for “NASCAR back hair.”
Science doesn’t lie.
Dale was a hard-driving, take-no-prisoners
competitor with a Southern accent, a quick wit and
an insatiable appetite for victory lane. Millions of
fans saw him not only as one of them, but as the best
among them. As such, they christened him with what
I consider to be one of the most badass handles in all
of sports — “The Intimidator.” He was a high school
dropout who tapped, rubbed, spun and man-handled
his way up the ranks, and revealed himself to be a pillar
of resilience, dedication and hard work along the
way. The man was both hugely respected and hugely
despised, and, as such, was one of the most exciting
and polarizing figures in stock car racing history.
What’s notoriety worth?
If it seems like I’m waxing poetically about The
Man/The Myth/The Legend in an effort to butter you
up to justify the price paid here, I am. Dale’s untimely
death in the last corner of the 2001 Daytona 500
meant that he would never have an opportunity to
be the winningest racer in NASCAR history, and his
seven championships are matched by both Richard
Petty and Jimmy Johnson, the latter of whom is still
actively racing. These facts, however, matter very little
to the diehards. That’s why any attempt at solid valuation
in this territory is a bit like a shot in the dark, and
I’ll tell you why.
First, sale prices for retired stock cars are all over
the board. With documented large-sum sales virtually
nonexistent prior to the feeding frenzy of 2008/2009,
there simply is very little historical data to lean on.
The issue is only complicated by the fact that many
high-dollar sales see the proceeds handed directly to
charity, so the true value for highly desirable cars is
muddied quite a bit by generosity.
Second, cars that change hands over the $100k
mark are somewhat inconsistent in provenance. Most
are documented race winners, but not all. Some come
from championship-winning years, but not all. The
problem here is that few cars are one and done. Is a
10-race, no-win car more valuable than a two-race,
one-win car? Maybe.
Third, it’s incredibly difficult to quantify a popular-
ity contest. As I reasoned earlier, the cars themselves
vary physically from their competition in livery and
pilot only, so the script name above the window has
more to do with the hammer price than just about
everything else.
The Intimidator reigns supreme
The reality is that documented race winners piloted
by the top drivers will always pull the biggest money.
Exactly what that dollar amount may be varies year to
year and auction to auction. What I do find interesting
about the sale of these cars is that there seems to be
very little in the way of year-over-year turnover, which
leads me to believe that fans — true fans — quite
possibly buy these cars for the joy of ownership over
financial upside.
Sound too clichéd? Shortly after taking on this as-
signment, I made the long haul between Chicago and
Cleveland on the somewhat less-than-luxurious I-90.
Somewhere along the way, in the middle of open fields
and hardwood clusters, I was running the relevance of
a man who’s been dead for a decade and a half around
and around in my head. I was trying to understand
why someone was willing to separate themselves from
almost a quarter of a million dollars for an old race
car when I spotted it: Drug out to the edge of a field,
by what was likely no small effort, sat a brush-painted,
all-black school bus with an enormous 3 emblazoned
on the side.
Who is popular on any given Sunday has a tremen-
dous effect on the ups and downs in this market, and
when it comes to NASCAR, there are few, if any, who
can match The Man in Black. Well sold. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Barrett-
Jackson.)
July–August 2017 61
1989 Chevrolet Lumina
NASCAR
Lot 645.1, VIN: 5
Condition: 4Sold
at $110,000
Barrett-Jackson, Palm Beach,
FL, 3/31/2010
ACC# 160375
Detailing
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $27,820
(all NASCAR)
Year produced: 1989
Number produced: N/A
Original list price: Over
$100,000
Tune-up/major service:
$250-plus
VIN location: N/A
Engine # location: N/A
Clubs: Historic Grand
National, SCTA
Web: www.historicgrandnational.com,
www.scta-bni.
org
Alternatives: Any NASCAR
racer raced in period,
specifically with big-name
provenance
ACC Investment Grade: B
Comps
2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
NASCAR
Lot 167, VIN: 48267
Condition: 2-
ACC# 267175
Not sold at $95,000
Auctions America, Hilton
Head, SC, 10/30/2015
1989 Buick Regal NASCAR
Lot 146, VIN: 66112588
Condition: 4
Sold at $44,000
RM Auctions, Amelia Island,
FL, 3/10/2006
ACC# 41023
Page 60
PROFILE TRUCK
1972 INTERNATIONAL 1210 TRAVELETTE 4X4 PICKUP
Vintage Crew Cornbinder
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
Combine the
interest for
new crewcab
pickups
with the
few vintage
examples
built and
you have
a perfect
storm for
Travelettes
to move up
smartly in
value
62 AmericanCarCollector.com
62 AmericanCarCollector.com
VIN: B43204H331871
by B. Mitchell Carlson
military tires show-mounted on steel wheels with factory
hubcaps. The original Line Setting Ticket (build
sheet) is still taped to the back of the glovebox. It retains
the original radio. It has had only one repaint. It’s powered
by the original 345-ci V8 engine with automatic
transmission, has four-wheel drive with locking hubs
and dual gas tanks.
T
ACC Analysis This truck, Lot 328, sold for
$32,450, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Barrett-Jackson’s auction in Palm Beach,
FL, on April 7, 2017.
Crew-cab pioneer
The concept of a truck suited to move a crew of
workers surfaced in the years before World War II.
As the country was becoming more reliant on truck
transportation, workers needed to get to job sites that
his is a rare International Travelette 1210
4x4, ¾-ton, crew-cab short bed. A survivor
California International,
it
features factory
automatic, power steering, power brakes and
air conditioning. It has matching numbers.
Features include original IH-stamp bed bolts and
were farther away, and they needed to do it efficiently.
As such, aftermarket companies began to add second
rows of seats to truck cabs.
In the 1920s, with wood-framed cabs, this was
fairly easy, but as the 1930s all-steel cabs came into
the market, specialized body companies became
involved — usually by grafting a second cab behind
the original one. Most were on medium-duty trucks,
but they also applied the formula to pickups. After the
war, most truck builders had at least one aftermarket
upfitter building crew cabs as factory-authorized
conversions.
International was the first to offer a crew cab as a
regular option built in their factory. It was introduced
in early 1957 as part of the all-new A-line trucks. The
A stood for “Anniversary,” as they commemorated
the 50th anniversary of International Harvester’s first
truck.
These first Travelettes had three doors — one for
the driver and two on the curb side. This mimicked the
carryall Travelall, as both models shared door and
cab stampings. In 1961, the revised C-series (using a
lowered cab structure) ushered in a 4-door cab for
both Travelall and Travelette. Still, it would be two
more years before the next competitor — Dodge — of
Page 61
COLLeCTOr’S reSOurCe: The easiest way to track a car’s value over time is the ACC Premium Auction Database, featuring
more than 125,000 American cars searchable by year, make, model, VIN and more. Sign up at www.AmericanCarCollector.com.
Detailing
Years produced: 1969–75
Number produced: 82,810
(all 1972 U.S.-built Light
Line)
Original list price: $4,410
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $17,738
fered a factory crew cab. Ford followed suit in 1965,
although they weren’t made in-house until 1968.
By then the International Light Line was losing
market share in what was becoming a very competitive
pickup truck market, regardless of the number
of doors they had. IHC discontinued all light-duty
trucks, except the Scout, in 1975.
Not just for crews
By the end of those 18 years of Travelette
production, the need for space in the truck market
had evolved. While the primary target had been
businesses, IH also marketed the Travelette to rural
families — and not just for Pa to take Ma and the kids
into town for provisions while he was at the feed store.
IH also began tapping into the budding camping and
RV market with it. Advertising extolled the virtues of a
six-passenger pickup as the perfect truck for camping
as much as for the farm — if not more so.
By the time the last Travelette rolled off the as-
sembly line in 1975, changes in the work environment
(with workers driving to job sites in their own pickups)
and a boom in the RV market (despite the 1973 Arab
oil embargo) saw nearly as many of them used by the
campers and RVers as workers.
This was just a hint of changes to come in the
industry. During the 1990s, the combination of a
booming economy, growing market share for pickups
and a cultural shift towards “cowboy Cadillacs” in
rural markets saw crew-cab sales explode. This trend
continues today, where full-sized 4-door pickups are
now far more common than single cabs.
Opening doors of interest
Combine the interest and market share for new
crew-cab pickups with the few vintage examples built
(let alone still existing), and you have a perfect storm
for Travelettes to move up smartly in value.
Our featured truck generally reflects the interests
and tastes of today’s market. It comes closer to being
restored than modified, but it isn’t concours-lawnornament-nit-picky-correct.
It also has the necessary
trifecta of options that are virtually essential today:
power steering, power brakes and air conditioning.
The seats were reupholstered in a near-stock pat-
tern, one that I remember very well from my family’s
1972 Travelall. Another feature I remember well is the
dual-fuel-tank option — necessary with the bone-stock
but thirsty 345. The control was a dashboard-mounted
knob; pull out and turn to the left for the rear tank,
push in and turn to the right for the tank under the
front passenger’s feet. Get it wrong and the truck will
sputter to a stop within a mile (don’t ask me how I
know).
The only goofy changes (to me, at least) are the
matte finish on the otherwise-textbook 1970s dark
gold metallic and a set of vintage military-style nondirectional
tires. They may look mil-spec rugged, but
they prove that this truck’s builder never really went
off-roading with NDTs. Or in the rain. Or on ice. If
this Travelette is going to be anything other than a
garage queen, the new owner should really ditch them
for modern rubber.
Overall, with this truck’s good workmanship, the
model’s low survival rate, a now-popular body style,
and a stable vintage four-wheel-drive pickup market,
this price isn’t all that surprising. It may be a little
strong compared to the median market of the rest of
the remaining Travelette fleet, but its peers should
continue to climb in value rather than falter. Call this
one market-correct.A
(Introductory description courtesy of Barrett-
Jackson.)
VIN location: Driver’s side
frame rail, aft of the bumper
bracket, capacity plate
and VIN decal on the edge
of the driver’s side door
Engine # location: Machined
boss on the front of the
block
Web: www.nationalihcollectors.com
Additional: oldihc.wordpress.
com
Clubs: National International
Harvester Collectors
Club Inc.
Alternatives: 1972–80 Dodge
W200 Power Wagon
Crew Cab, 1968–72 and
1973–79 Ford F-250 Crew
Cab, 1973–80 Chevrolet
K-20/GMC K2500 Crew
Cab or Bonus Cab
ACC Investment Grade: B
Comps
Tune-up/major service: $350
Distributor cap: $15 to $36
(NOS)
1979 Chevrolet K30
Silverado 3+3 pickup
Lot S62.1, VIN:
CKL349B175059
Condition: 3+
Sold at $20,350
ACC# 6811932
Mecum Auctions, Kansas City,
MO, 11/30/2016
Lot 29, VIN: X25JKDG2572
Condition: 3Sold
at $6,372
Silver Auctions, Fort McDowell,
AZ, 1/16/2015
1979 Ford F-250 Ranger XLT
Super Cab pickup
ACC# 256979
1978 Ford F-150 Ranger XLT
Super Cab pickup
Lot 174, VIN: X14SKBE6156
Condition: 2Sold
at $13,230
MidAmerica Auctions, St. Paul,
MN, 6/21/2013
ACC# 225809
July–August 2017
63CC
63
Page 62
Sports Car Market
Keith Martin’s
™
“I’ve said it before
and I’ll say it again.
Simply the best
publication I’ve
ever read!”
— Larry S.,
Lima, OH
The Pocket Price Guide and Insider’s
Guide to Concours d’Elegance are
included with your subscription
www.sportscarmarket.com/concours
877-219-2605 Ext 1
Page 64
MArKeT OVERVIEW
Ups and Downs Prove That
Consistency is King
Plus, a forgotten boxy brother may soon get its due
MArKeT MOMENT
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Old pickups and SUVs are
in an auction golden age, bringing
sales that owners would
have thought impossible in the
mid-2000s. Fancy, chunky-tired
Broncos and pristine Land
Cruisers are almost a necessity at
high-end sales (probably to bring
a little PBR to a Champagne
event). But silently riding this
old-school, body-on-frame rise is
the original Jeep Cherokee.
In the ACC Premium Auction
This top-horsepower-for-’66 Chevrolet Corvette 427/425 coupe found a new home, selling for
$77,000 at Leake’s Dallas auction
by Garrett Long
A
uctions America had a stellar Auburn auction, selling $2m more than their 2016 sale, despite 50
fewer lots. I’m sure the no-reserve Level 5 Motorsports parts and cars had a part to play, but the
results were indicative of quality offerings.
Branson took a dip from last year but still ended the weekend with a 69% sales rate and a
$2.6m total. If Branson can maintain their strong sales rate with the greater number of lots they
usually offer, they will have a winning formula.
Worldwide dropped 44% in sales total, from $11.4m to $6.4m. But despite the plunge, the $11.4m in sales
last year was an outlier, and Worldwide settled into their usual number range with 111 lots and a 78% sales
rate.
Leake and Worldwide traded numbers this year, as it was Leake’s turn to achieve crazy totals. Hitting
$10.3m in sales from 438 lots offered, Leake was up 152% from last year and totaled almost $4m more than
any previous Leake sale, with 66% sold. A
BEST BUYS
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
coupe, $79,200—Leake, TX, p. 74
66 AmericanCarCollector.com
1968 Ford Mustang GT fastback,
$47,733—Silverstone, u.K., p. 114
1966 Dodge Coronet 500 2-dr
hard top, $57,200—Auctions
America, IN, p. 90
1972 Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne
pickup, $13,970—branson, MO,
p. 104
2011 Shelby GT500 Super Snake
coupe, $33,000—Leake, TX, p. 79
Database, we have a total of eight
1974–83 Cherokees in hundreds
of recorded auctions. To give
some reference, we have 463
first-gen Broncos and 481 boxy
Land Cruisers. It’s not like we
give preferential treatment, either.
We input every car of every auction
we cover into our database;
Cherokees just aren’t making it
to auction in the same numbers,
despite some 200k being made.
But with those eight
Cherokees, there is an obvious
trend mirroring their square brethren:
They are going up. Now, I
admit, eight isn’t exactly a number
most scientists or economists
would use to publish a paper. But
keep an eye out, Cherokee owners.
As we crest the classic-SUV
curve, you might just want to hop
off at the top. — Garrett Long
Page 66
MArKeT OVERVIEW
TOP 10
SALES THIS ISSUE
buy It Now
What to purchase in today’s market — and why
1 1969 Chevrolet
vertible, $616,000—
Worldwide Auctioneers,
TX, p. 97
KR fastback,
Roadster,
$220,000—Auctions
America, IN, p. 89
3 1953 Nash-Healey
$108,900—Auctions
America, IN, p. 90
4 1968 Ford Mustang
back, $104,500—Auctions
America, IN, p. 89
5 2010 Chevrolet
Hennessey HPE700
coupe, $82,500—
Branson, MO, p. 105
6 1954 Chevrolet
coupe, $79,200—Leake,
TX, p. 74
8 1954 Chevrolet
Corvette roadster,
$77,000—Worldwide
Auctioneers, TX, p. 96
9 1966 Chevrolet
$72,500—Auctions
America, IN, p. 86
Corvette coupe,
$77,000—Leake, TX, p. 76
10 1953 Buick Super
Woodie wagon,
Camaro Z/28
ible, $79,557—
Silverstone, U.K., p. 111
7 1969 Chevrolet
Corvette convertCamaro
GT 428 CJ fast-
2006–13 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
The supercharged 638-hp C6 ZR1, launched in 2009, was the media darling of auto journalists, a favorite
of bench racers and Chevrolet’s flagship. But while the ZR1 was competing in group car tests and claiming
its spot as King of Corvettes, the 505-hp LS7-powered Z06 was quietly becoming a track-day favorite and
contrasted the ZR1’s bruteness with a fine chassis-to-motor balance.
With fewer headlines and a solid number-two spot in Chevy’s Corvette lineup, the lack of the flagship
title has created a chance for deal hunters. C6 ZR1 sales in the ACC database show a current average value
of $73k, with just small dings taken off the price each year. The C6 Z06 median? $52k. That’s a lot of car for
the money.
The Z06 will never bring as much money as the ZR1, so if you are waiting for a financial opportunity,
wait for the ZR1 to drop more. But as a high-performance toy just as capable on the drag strip as it is on the
road course, a Z06 with a set of sticky tires and a brake-fluid flush is just about all you need.
— Garrett Long
Auctions and Totals in This Issue
$10.3m
$12m
$10m
$8m
$6.4m
$6m $5.6m
$4.7m
$4m
$2.6m
$2m
$364k
$0
Duxford, U.K.
March 29, 2017
H&H
68 AmericanCarCollector.com
April 21–22, 2017
Branson, MO
Branson
April 21–22, 2017
Worldwide
Arlington, TX
April 21–23, 2017
Dallas, TX
Leake
Vancouver, WA
April 22, 2017
Silver
Auctions America
Auburn, IN
May 11–13, 2017
Northamptonshire, U.K.
May 13, 2017
Silverstone
$9m
Corvette L88 con2
1968 Shelby GT500
Page 68
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
Leake — Dallas Spring 2017
Despite Ferrari headlines, American Iron dominates
the middle market
Leake
Dallas, TX
April 21–23, 2017
Auctioneers:
Jim Richie, Brian
Marshall, Dillon Hall,
Casey Enlow
Automotive lots sold/
offered: 290/438
Sales rate: 66%
Sales total:
$10,313,078
high American
sale: 1967 Chevrolet
Corvette convertible,
sold at $103,400
buyer’s premium:
10%, included in sold
prices
A few custom touches and affordability — 1991 Chevrolet Caprice 4-dr station wagon, sold at $3,520
ACC 1–6 scale
condition rating
for vehicles in
Market Reports
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:
Salvageable for parts
70 AmericanCarCollector.com
Report and photos by B. Mitchell Carlson
and Roy Velander
Market opinions in italics
installment drew an in-the-ballpark 438 cars for a full
three days of sales on their two auction rings.
Although this year the top sale — by a large margin
E
— was a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari, selling for a spectacular
$3.7m, American iron was right behind with four in
the top 10. Yet if we leave out the LaFerrari, and only
consider all the other sales, all numbers were up compared
with last year. This includes an improvement in
gross sales over last year’s event by over $2m. To further
appreciate these increases, this occurred while a competing
auction company was also conducting an event in the
DFW Metroplex on this same weekend — Worldwide
Auctioneers’ first sale in Arlington.
Topping out the domestics, and the last car to breach
a six-digit sale, was a well-restored 1967 Corvette
ach spring, the Dallas Market Center complex
is home to one of Leake Auction’s cornerstone
events. With a usual consignment turnout of
400 to 500 cars filling the Market Hall just
west of downtown Dallas, the April 2017
convertible. Powered by a 390-hp 427-ci big block with
a 4-speed, the factory-correct red-on-red drop-top was
sold at a very reasonable $103,400. This was also one
of over 40 cars that were part of the highlighted David
and Laura Williams Collection, all offered at no reserve.
Actually, all four of these top sales were from the
Williams Collection.
Not far behind the mid-year drop-top was another
convertible — their 1968 Shelby GT350, selling at
$90,750. Leading off the Saturday afternoon segment of
this collection was a 1969 Camaro Z/28 with originalto-the-car
Cross Ram induction. Going down as one of
the best deals of the day, this radio- and heater-delete
hard top changed hands at $79,200. Close behind was
the Williams Collection’s other mid-year Corvette, a
1966 coupe equipped with the 425-horse 427 and also
a real-deal red-on-red Corvette, selling for $77,000 to
round off the top 10.
Leake’s next event here is their annual fall auction on
November 17–19.A
Page 70
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
GM
#2486-1938 CADILLAC V16 sedan. VIN:
5270283. Dark blue/beige broadcloth. Odo:
4,021 miles. Dual sidemount spare-tire steel
covers. Older restoration, starting to unwind
a little. Presentable repaint, although the top
of the hood has a light orange-peel texture
to it. Body tag removed as part of the repaint,
reattached with flat-head screws.
Older presentable chrome work, with more
recently buffed-out stainless trim. Periodaccessory
driving lights and spotlights. AM
radio antennas under both running boards.
Gauges relettered by hand. Excellent upholstery
work on the seats, door panels and
headliner. Replacement carpets show only
light wear. Decent door fit. The motor is
somewhat grimy. Some of the wiring is held
in place with modern tie wraps. Older chassis
gloss-black paint job, now with most of it
flaked off the leaf springs. Car runs out well
without any obvious issues. Cond: 3+.
stained and oxidized carburetor, the engine
compartment is quite clean and well detailed.
Gloss-black paint on the chassis is
also starting to flake along component
edges. Cond: 3+.
amples that are staying true to stock, like
this one. The reserve was lifted at $15k,
garnering several more bids beyond that.
While it’s not a concours lawn ornament, I
heard plenty of positive comments about it
while I was evaluating it, and that should
continue for the new owner on show-andshine
night.
SOLD AT $60,500. This combination trunk/
rumble-seat body doesn’t offer much for
luggage space. Essentially, it’s a compartment
for the spare tire and for carrying either
a picture frame or a pizza. Not both at
the same time. I supposed you could put a
pan of freshly-baked rolls back there, as it
would then be a bun warmer—for the rumble
seat. As the entry-level Caddy, a series
60 is not a CCCA Full Classic; this one sold
well enough.
SOLD AT $52,800. The-new for-1938 redesigned
V16, with a 135-degree bank, was
almost a Boxer 16. Essentially a pair of
straight-eight engines with a common
crankshaft; each bank had its own carburetor,
distributor, coil, fuel pump and water
pump. I’m not saying that Cadillac is overdue
for a Bugatti Chiron competitor, but
you’ve got to admit that a pair of LT1s
joined front-to-back to form a mono-block
V16, in an ultra-luxurious sedan, would certainly
usurp BMW, Mercedes-Benz and
Bentley. Originally bid to $36,500 on the
turntable, but listed in post-event data by
the auction company as having sold postblock.
#2497-1938 CADILLAC SERIES 60 convertible.
VIN: 8271982. Light yellow/tan
cloth/brown leather. Odo: 1,855 miles. Period
aftermarket spotlights on either side of
the windshield and fog lamps. Older frameoff
restoration. Better-quality repaint still
presents quite well. Polishing compound in
most panel gaps and under the hood. All
chrome was replated and is now starting to
lose some of its luster. Good door fit. Allnew
door and glass rubber, when restored.
Reupholstered front seat now has some
light wrinkling on the bottom cushion, rumble-seat
area looks unused. Restored steering
wheel is like new. Newer carpeting in all
three compartments. Aside from the fuel-
72 AmericanCarCollector.com
#177-1954 CHEVROLET 3100 pickup.
VIN: H54S018742. Mint green/brown vinyl.
Odo: 43 miles. 235-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Frameoff
restoration in recent years, between
driver-grade and show quality. Better quality
than technically possible when new, thanks
mostly to modern two-stage paint. Door window
whisker seals not seated very well.
Dolled up with chromed bumpers front and
rear, stainless grille and front splash pan,
plus retro-looking step plates on the running
boards. High-gloss varnish side boards and
flooring for the pickup box. Authentically
reupholstered seat and visors, plus reproduction
headliner and floor mat. Lightly
painted engine now has rust forming on it.
Modern aluminum radiator. Cond: 3+.
#1149-1967 BUICK RIVIERA 2-dr hard
top. VIN: 494877H927732. White/black
vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 10,590 miles. 430-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. A/C compressor is now
missing and lines are taped over. Topical
repaint a few years ago, which is generally
presentable and keeps the rust off. Muted,
mostly original brightwork, although the
bumpers may have been replated decades
back. Mix of stock wheel covers and one of
the same design from a 1970 Corvette.
Door seals spliced with repair strips and are
missing all the stop bumpers, so they rattle
when shut. Newer economy-grade radial
tires. Roof vinyl has some sun fade, simulated
vinyl textured panel below the rear
window has been rattle-canned gloss black.
Seats show no appreciable wear. Old engine
repaint is now dull from heat cycling.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $11,550. In addition to 1967 Riviera
and 1969–73 Corvette, this wheel cover
was also used on 1970–71 Ford T-birds and
Ford LTDs. They just had different center
caps. Last seen at Mecum’s Kansas City
auction a month previous, making the trip
down here after it failed to sell at $8k (ACC#
6829737). It got two more bids past the reserve
being lifted at $9,750 (which was
more than enough the way it was).
SOLD AT $20,075. One can essentially do
a no-limit “Visa card” restoration on any
year of Advance Design pickup—even the
cabs are now being reproduced. As such,
it’s now more a case of looking at the quality
of parts, rather than the workmanship of
rejuvenating old, tired components. With the
continued strong values on all vintage postwar
pickups, we are also seeing more ex-
#2534-1968 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 164878F144190. Silver/
black vinyl. Odo: 71,287 miles. 327-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Equipped with power steering,
power brakes converted to a dual master
cylinder, later-production three-spoke SS
steering wheel and reproduction Rally
wheels on radials. Decent trim-off but glassin
base/clear repaint a few years back. Old
replacement windshield. Mostly decent original
brightwork. Extra mounting hole under
the passenger’s door mirror. Four OEM T-3
headlights. Poorly fitting right rear fender
cap. Doors sag slightly. Good seats, door
panels and dashpad—all likely original. New
carpeting, with a subtle carpeted mini console
between the transmission hump and
the dashboard to mount the modern CD
sound system. Aftermarket rear parcel-shelf
Page 72
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
speakers. Recently repainted motor. Aftermarket
4-barrel carburetor and open-element
air cleaner. Modern refrigerant a/c
fittings. Runs out well, if not a touch more
robust that stock. Cond: 3+.
cab. I was expecting at least an open-element
air cleaner or chrome valve covers.
Bidding hung at $12,500 until they managed
to get the consignor to cut loose his reserve,
then it got two more bids in short order before
getting hammered sold. No investment
potential here, just a good cruise-night special
with room to go back to a stock interior
at some point in the future.
SOLD AT $17,600. I get the impression that
this was a grandma’s favorite car, which
has subsequently been sexed up a bit. As
such, it’s best suited to be the cruise-night
special that it has become. Offered at no
reserve, bought and sold market-correct.
#1115-1969 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO
pickup. VIN: 136809K348916. Maroon
metallic/black cloth & vinyl. Odo: 44,664
miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Optional 300hp
V8, auto, power steering, power brakes
and a/c. Reproduction SS wheels with
newer radials. Pretty decent trim-off repaint
in recent years. Most trim buffed out when
off the car and some selective reproduction
emblem replacement. Heavier nicks and
scrapes on the door-frame moldings, with
new aftermarket stainless visors. Modern
spray-on bedliner on the cargo floor only.
Reupholstered in modern automotive cloth,
in a generic pleat. Moldy passenger’s side
headrest. Moderate-pushing-heavier carpet
wear and soiling. Vintage aftermarket AM/
FM/8-track stereo and toggle-switch panel
below it. Recent stock engine cosmetics,
including a better-quality motor repaint, new
alternator and aftermarket ignition wiring.
Cond: 3.
124379N590547. Hugger Orange/black
vinyl. Odo: 59,301 miles. 302-ci V8, 2x4-bbl,
4-sp. Equipped with Cross Ram induction,
cowl-induction hood, M22 4-speed, radio
delete, heater delete, center console, rear
bumper guards and the original date-coded
Rally wheels shod with reproduction Wide
Tread GT tires. Jerry MacNeish’s High Performance
Chevrolet registry certified this as
a real-deal car, as equipped from new. Superb
base/clear bare-body repaint. Door
gaps slightly wider at the front than the rear,
but otherwise fit well. Bumpers replated to
original finish quality. All-reproduction interior
soft trim, with no appreciable wear. Repainted
dashboard to windshield filler panel,
including the VIN tag. Exceptionally clean
engine bay. Clean undercarriage. Cond: 2+.
7
#2500-1969 CHEVROLET
CAMARO Z/28 coupe. VIN:
original built sheet, restored to basically
match its original configuration. Factory options
include a/c, Positraction rear axle,
power steering, full-gauge dashboard, West
Coast mirrors, rear step bumper, full tinted
glass, push-button AM radio and full wheel
covers. Restoration deviations are the addition
of correct, stock-style power brakes,
smaller mirrors and using 1980s vintage
GM truck Rally wheels shod with all-season
radials. Steel cargo-box floor configuration,
fully coated with spray-on bedliner. Superb
bare cab repaint. Reproduction chrome emblems
and alloy trim. Reproduction door
panels. New seats. Engine has been used
enough since it was repainted that it’s now
greasy on the front and bare metal is fully
surface rusted. Non-stock dual-chambered
muffler exhaust. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $79,200. Despite assertions that
this car was correct, it hammered sold for
less than a lot of folks thought it should.
This also was the general start of a sales
trend for the rest of the collection. Bought
very well, as it essentially sold right for a
well-restored Z/28, but with a complimentary
Cross Ram setup thrown in. As far as how
the seller did, we only present that it sold at
Barrett-Jackson’s 2014 Scottsdale auction
for $143,000 (ACC# 6725182).
SOLD AT $14,850. I was a bit surprised
that they went bone-stock under the hood,
considering the deviations from stock in the
“
#439-1972 CHEVROLET K10 Cheyenne
1/2-ton SWB 4x4 pickup. VIN: CKE142B139910.
Black/black cloth & vinyl. Odo:
98,740 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Per the
Anyone thinking that they’ll hold off on
getting a 1967–72 C/K truck until the
prices recede had better rethink that
proposition.
1972 Chevrolet K10 Cheyenne 1/2-ton SWB 4x4 pickup
74 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $39,600. About the only way you
can upgrade the configuration of this pickup
would be to find one in a color more to your
liking (if black isn’t your thing), or actually
restore it back to 100% original configuration.
Anyone thinking that they’ll hold off on
getting a 1967–72 C/K truck until the prices
recede had better rethink that proposition.
As the trucks continue to move up in value,
only examples in less desirable colors or
configurations are treading water in price.
This very desirable rig saw the reserve
passed at $33k and the bidding continued
past it unabated.
#2432-1974 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS
Hurst W-30 coupe. VIN: 3J57T5M319948.
White/white vinyl half roof/white vinyl & red
cloth insert. Odo: 17,573 miles. 455-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Equipped with a/c, Positraction
rear axle, tilt steering column, swivel bucket
seats, power windows, power door locks,
AM/FM stereo, and a Hurst dual-gate
shifter. Light overspray on the undercarriage
from the repaint. Some light paint lifting
along the windshield perimeter masking
line. Excellent reproduction graphics
”
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LEAKE // Dallas, TX
application. Good older bumper rechrome.
Hood ornament is something of a bobblehead.
Passenger’s door fit is off, and both
rattle due to the stop bumpers being missing.
Generally clean, tidy and stock under
the hood. Dusty air cleaner and top of the
brake master cylinder. Good seat upholstery,
with more wear and fading on the
cloth inserts than the rest of the seat. Cond:
3+. SOLD AT $13,475. In 1974, a Hurst/
Olds W-30 was the pace car at Indy. This
one has turned up a couple of times in our
database, the last time being here three
years ago and not selling for 10 grand
(ACC# 251680). This time around, either
this was enough to jostle it loose or the consignor
had enough of paying for consignment
fees.
#794-1991 CHEVROLET CAPRICE 4-dr
station wagon. VIN: 1G1BL83E9MW252072.
White/maroon velour. Odo: 113,932
miles. 5.0-L fuel-injected V8, auto. Fitted
with Camaro IROC wheels on newer offbrand
quasi-performance tires. Average
repaint, with good masking. Additional pinstriping
in orange and red accenting bodypanel
outlines. Decent door fit. Dark window
tint film added to all glass, except the windshield.
Good original brightwork. Bone-stock
under the hood. Newer battery and alternator.
Heavier wear on the driver’s side seatbottom
piping, but the rest of the interior
shows minimal wear—significantly less that
its 113k miles and 26 years of age would
lead one to assume. Second and third rows
look like they’ve been folded down for most
of the car’s existence. Unkempt used-car
undercarriage. Runs out well and stock.
Cond: 3.
#2506-1966 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 194376S113597.
Rally Red/red vinyl. Odo: 64,161
miles. 427-ci 425-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Optional
power windows, AM/FM radio and
knockoff alloy wheels—now on gold-line
radials. Stated it has its original trim tag,
showing it to be a true red-on-red car. Upper
portion of the block stamping pad with
the unit sequence number has been milled
or filed to the point that it’s illegible. Body
prep and paint application are better than
technically possible in 1966. Good door fit
and shut lines. Minimal waviness to the upper
bumper surfaces on good plating. Allreproduction
interior soft trim, expertly
installed and showing only minimal signs of
use. Light surface rust on the rear transverse
spring-mounting hardware, but the
rest of the undercarriage presents well with
stock finishes. Generally authentically detailed
under the hood, now showing light
flash rust on all bare-metal components.
Glossy upper radiator hose, dull lower hose
with incorrect clamps. Cond: 2.
CORVETTE
9
underhood trimmings. Recent replacement
seats, carpeting and door panels. Original
dashpad is starting to split at the seam
along the driver’s side. New brake lines and
shocks. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $19,250. The 1969 sidepipes
don’t come off too badly, filling in an area
generally ignored in the era of integral bumpers
and giving some flash to an otherwise
vast expanse of painted plastic. On the
other hand, they also come off as oversized
rocker panels without 1968–72 small
chrome bumpers to balance them out, although
better balanced than the half plastic/
half chrome 1973s. Offered towards the end
of the day on Friday as part of a no-reserve
grouping, selling as a slightly better deal for
the consignor than the buyer.
SOLD AT $3,520. This was the first year of
the final generation of the rear-wheel-drive
B-body sedans and wagons. By the time
they went out of production in 1996, they
had already attracted a cult following that
continues today (including yours truly, having
drunk the Kool-Aid and owned a ’91
Olds Custom Cruiser for several years).
While minty low-mile examples will break
into five-digit prices quite easily, the majority
of the fleet with over 100k on the clock are
very reasonably priced (cheap). While this
has easily at least another 187k miles left to
go if it’s regularly maintained, the final bid is
the market. If anything, the IROC wheels
help (as it’s a common change-out) while
the pinstriping more than hurts the value.
76 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $77,000. No mention was made if
this had any show time on the NCRS circuit
or Bloomington Gold, although it’ll need
some light touch-up and correcting before
the new owners should go that route. And it
did find a new home, as it was part of the
no-reserve collection that sold on Saturday
afternoon. The engine-stamping issue may
have kept very serious buyer’s hands in
their pockets, but this top-horsepowerfor-’66
all-red coupe was still a pretty good
buy.
#193-1974 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
VIN: 1Z67T4S403201. Yellow/
black vinyl/black leather. Odo: 29,685 miles.
350-ci 250-hp V8, 4-bbl, auto. Fitted with
1969-style sidepipes. Factory-installed optional
a/c, power steering, power brakes, tilt/
tele steering column, AM/FM radio and both
types of vinyl tops—hard and soft. True to
being authentic repaint, it has overall very
light orange peel. A few light cracks are beginning
to surface around both door handles.
Decent door gaps. Replacement
hard-top vinyl didn’t bond well. Recent engine
repaint, but the stamping pad is very
difficult to read due to surface rust. Freshly
coated exhaust manifolds. Mostly stock
#2529-2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
Commemorative Edition convertible. VIN:
1G1YY32GX45128996. LeMans Blue/gray
cloth/gray leather. Odo: 30,091 miles. 5.7-L
350-hp fuel-injected V8, 6-sp. Optional Z51
Sport Suspension. Window sticker displayed
is not for this car. 30,091 miles from
new and all original, aside from fluids, tires
(being upgraded to zero-pressure Michelin
Pilot Sports), and economy-grade battery.
Paint is in as-delivered-from-GM condition—if
not slightly better, with some of the
typical light orange peel buffed out of it.
Front spoiler is chalky from buffing compound
residue, especially noticeable with
the tire dressing. Light discoloring on the
brake calipers from heat cycling. Squeaky
clean and bone-stock under the hood. Light
discoloring on the center console lid and
door pulls. Minimal wrinkling on the driver’s
seat bolster. Dealer-prep film over the carpeting.
Light road spray on the undercarriage.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $22,000. While I’m biased because
I have an identical coupe, with 70k
more miles, I’ll also say that these final-year
C5s are starting to be picked up by Corvette
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LEAKE // Dallas, TX
enthusiasts who are put off by the increasingly
complex subsequent generations. I, for
one, prefer my mechanical door handles
over the C6 and C7 solenoids. While C5s in
the general marketplace are approaching
the lower ebbs of depreciation, minty virgins
like this promise to do well in the future—if
not immediate future. Another one from the
no-reserve Williams Collection that was well
bought.
FOMOCO
#1126-1956 FORD THUNDERBIRD convertible.
VIN: P6FH356152. Raven Black/
white hard top/black & white vinyl. Odo:
51,922 miles. 312-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Power
steering, brakes and seat, engine dress-up
kit and Town & Country AM radio options
included. All confirmed as being correct
from new on the car, with a copy of the original
“Eminger invoice” displayed with it.
Claimed to be unrestored, if you don’t consider
an older repaint as restoration work.
Okay door fit. Bumper chrome is getting a
bit dull, but still presentable in context to the
rest of the car. Hard-top moldings have
sanding scratches in a few places. Classic
Thunderbird Club International decal on the
windshield. Door panels, carpeting and
seats look too good to be 62 years old, but
are far from pristine, either. Older engine
fluff-and-buff is still generally presentable.
Cond: 3.
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Optional 4-speed transmission,
AM/FM radio and power nothing.
Shoddy prep work with a minimal-effort
older repaint. Several light dings on the tops
of the front fenders. Older replated bumpers,
but the rest of the chrome has light to
moderate pitting. Doors rattle a bit. Aftermarket
high-rise intake manifold, carburetor
and aluminum radiator. Oddly routed aftermarket
coolant-recovery system mounted
on the driver’s side fender apron. A couple
of vacuum lines are cut off and plugged.
New vinyl on the front seat bottoms, in a
generic pleat. New carpeting repaired and
redyed dashpad. Modern tach mounted
below the dashboard. Black leather steering-wheel
rim cover. Big-bore aftermarket
exhaust gives off a throaty-yet-raspy report.
Cond: 3.
All-reproduction interior soft trim, well fitted.
While it’s been fitted with modern four-wheel
disc brakes under those 17-inch alloy
wheels, they kept the old rusty single-bore
master cylinder. Cond: 3+. NOT SOLD AT
$18,500. I really don’t want to know the
thought process that goes into putting all
the work (and money) into converting the
car to four-wheel disc brakes, but keeping a
grungy old master cylinder that isn’t up to
the task. It’s not even power assisted (not
that it’ll help when the pedal goes all the
way to the floor). All the conversion kits I’m
aware of—including those for Corvairs—at
least are set up with an unassisted dual
master cylinder. Toss in a big built-up FE
block, and it all adds up to problems. While
leaving the auction block, it was stated that
it was going to take closer to $25k to sell it.
Can’t be because it has that much into it for
parts. Enough was bid for this fantasy Fairlane.
SOLD AT $21,725. Those of us who value
original paperwork and authenticity in our
vintage vehicles can thank Lois Eminger for
starting the ball rolling. Decades ago, she
worked for Ford and also owned a pink
1957 T-bird. When she got wind that Ford
was going to shred the shipping invoices for
2-seat T-birds over 10 years old, she asked
if she could get the copy for her car. Corporate
response was basically, “if you take
one, you have to take them all”—and she
did. Now those invoices are available from
the Vintage Thunderbird Club International
thanks to her willingness to take them.
While well-restored 1955s and 1956s are
bringing better money, the hordes of middling
examples like this one still sell for the
same money they did 25 years ago—which
mirrors this sale perfectly.
#2536-1964 MERCURY MONTCLAIR Marauder
4-dr hard top. VIN: 4Z58Z550049.
Black/red vinyl. Odo: 20,125 miles. 390-ci
78 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $13,475. This was the first full
year of the Marauder fastback package, as
it was introduced during 1963 on 2-door
hard tops only. For 1964, not only was it
available on all three model ranges—Monterey,
Montclair and Park Lane—but also in
both 2-door and 4-door hard tops. It’s a bit
unusual to find one with four doors and four
speeds, but that’s one of the things I liked
about it. However, it’s got two doors too
many for most folks, so on the surface it
may seem odd that this no-reserve car sold
well. It got there because the new buyer’s
father won one new in a contest, and it was
delivered to him by the buyer’s grandfather,
who was a Mercury dealer.
#2495-1966 FORD FAIRLANE convertible.
VIN: 6H45C134615. Red/white vinyl/
red vinyl. Odo: 83,766 miles. 390-ci V8,
4-bbl, 4-sp. NOM 390-ci V8. Originally a
yellow-with-black-interior non-XL Fairlane
500 equipped with a 2-barrel 289 V8 and
C-4 automatic. Well, at least it’s still a Ford.
Also has OEM-type a/c and a period-correct
optional AM/FM radio. Pretty paint job and
rocker-stripe application. Some paint lifting
on the center of the hood. Deeper windshield-wiper
scratches on the glass.
#469-1969 SHELBY GT500 fastback. VIN:
9F02R483056. Competition Orange/black
vinyl. Odo: 59,375 miles. 428-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Per the displayed Marti Report, sold
new in Milwaukee, WI, with only 3.50-ratio
Traction-Lok differential, Sport Deck rear
seat, AM radio and tire upgrade as options.
Bare-body restoration performed at least a
decade ago. Excellent repaint in the stock
special-order color. Door and trunk shut
lines are pretty good, but the fiberglass
hood—like original production—leaves a lot
to be desired. Light fogging on the original
grille surround, but most of the remaining
brightwork is either replated or reproduction.
Newer reproduction seats, door panels and
carpet. Engine is well detailed to stock—
only the hose clamps are not authentic. Car
smelled like antifreeze for about an hour
after it was driven into the hall, but no green
puddles were under it. Cond: 3+.
NOT SOLD AT $75,000. If you don’t recognize
the color from the Shelby palette, it’s
because it is factory special-order paint.
The Marti Report shows that Ford referred
to it as “Competition Orange,” while the
Shelby American window sticker calls it
“Competition Red.” To me, it’s the classic
ambulance and school-bus Omaha Orange
(a perennially available Ford truck color for
fleets) and would’ve been readily available
in the paint pots at River Rouge. Marti’s
database stated that it was one of 15 1969
GT500s painted in this hue. Bidding hit a
Page 77
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
brick wall at this amount, which does seem
to be a bit shy of the market, even with a
few bits that should be attended to on the
car.
#490-1969 FORD F-250 pickup. VIN:
F26YRE29315. Harbor Blue/dark gray cloth.
Odo: 90,339 miles. 428-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Repowered with a 428 big block. Said motor
has several performance parts on it, such
as high-rise manifold, carburetor, air cleaner
and chrome valve covers with neat and tidy
workmanship. Stated that it had a frame-off
restoration within the past two years. Very
good bare-metal prep and paint application.
Black spray-on bedliner. A bit incongruent
with chrome bumpers and entry-level
painted grille. All emblems are reproduction.
Good original FoMoCo West Coast mirrors.
Well-fitted doors. Reproduction dashpad
and door panels. Seat redone in modern
automotive cloth, with good workmanship.
Upgraded to carpeted floor, sliding rear window
and electronic retro-look radio. Aftermarket
alloy wheels fitted with oversize
off-road radials. Cond: 2-.
wings—front and rear—to almost require
FAA certification. 7,862 miles from new and
looks the part. No discernible paint damage
from road abrasions, just some light polishing
swirls if the light is right. Clean enough
to be sterile under the hood. Carroll Shelby
memorial decal on the radiator brace cover.
Minimal seat-bottom and carpeted floor-mat
wear and soiling. The heaviest-wear items
on the whole car are the rear tires (fancy
that). Washed-off undercarriage. Cond: 2.
harness. Clean undercarriage. Runs out
well. Cond: 2-. NOT SOLD AT $19,000. I
can tell that the consignor really didn’t know
trucks this old, as the windshield wipers
were pushed above the crank-out windshield,
likely thinking that they won’t work.
Either that, or he wants to scratch the paint
on the roof. Not only do the pivoting wiper
arms work well, but I’ve actually used the
wipers with the windshield cracked open on
a hot, sticky day with a fine drizzle (poor
man’s air conditioning) on my various old
Internationals. Plymouth-marketed Dodgebuilt
pickups from 1937 until 1941 only occasionally
come onto the market. I’d have
expected it to have sold for at least $20k,
and apparently so too did the consignor.
SOLD AT $33,000. The week before this
auction, my house sitter had just bought a
bone-stock 2011 GT500, with a mere 550
hp, yet with similar miles on the clock for
$38k and was beside himself over how little
this car brought. The only downside here is
if you wanted bone stock or don’t like Kona
Blue with red stripes, but otherwise this
Mustang on meth is as cheap as you can
get 700-plus horsepower in a near-new car.
Bought exceptionally well.
MOPAR
NOT SOLD AT $23,000. In the era of the
1967–72 Ford F-series, the 428 was never
fitted into a light-duty truck. The ubiquitous
390 or truck-unique 360 kid-brother FE
block, were the “big blocks” assigned that
task. I rather liked this big beast, if for no
other reason that I grew up around my
dad’s Skyview Blue and Wimbledon White
’68 F-100. I can even live with the few nonstock
indiscretions beyond the 428 under
the hood, as the seat and steering wheel
are easily redone, while the wheels keep
me from dealing with multi-piece rims. I
wasn’t the only one here to have a jones for
it, as there were a lot of guys bidding on it,
but since the consignor also apparently
liked it a lot also, the reserve wasn’t
dropped.
#2519-2011 SHELBY GT500 Super
Snake coupe. VIN: 1ZVBP8JS4B5145421.
Kona Blue & red/black leather.
Odo: 7,862 miles. 5.4-L supercharged V8,
6-sp. Beyond the usual Super Snake specifications,
is additionally fitted with a 2.8-liter
Kenne Bell supercharger, in Stage III tune
with 18.5 pounds of boost, shifter with linelock
button, bigger-bore stainless exhaust
system, 4.10 Positraction nine-inch rear
end, Brembo brakes, upgraded wheels,
custom embroidered headrests and enough
#2430-1939 PLYMOUTH PT81 pickup.
VIN: 8628437. Dark green & black/black
vinyl. Odo: 50,870 miles. Better-quality
body-off restoration, but not quite to
concours levels. A few painted surfaces,
such as the cab corners and dashboard,
have some light orange peel. Two-tone incorrectly
includes the grille in black with the
fenders. The few pieces of chrome on the
truck have been replated or are replacements;
the more plentiful (if barely) stainless-steel
pieces have been polished. Good
door fit. Tidy seat upholstery work, with no
appreciable wear. Clean and generally welldetailed-to-stock
engine compartment. Inside
of the horn bell is painted red. Some
modern wire has been run along with the
reproduction cloth-insulated wiring
#1143-1967 DODGE CORONET R/T 2-dr
hard top. VIN: WS23L75113353. White/
gold vinyl. Odo: 57,822 miles. 440-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Aftermarket power windows and
power door locks. Accessory gauges on the
center console. Good older repaint, with
some light overspray on the undercarriage
and masking lines around the vent windows.
Older aftermarket chambered dual-exhaust
system makes that 440 sound quite beefy.
Torque Thrust-D alloy wheels shod with
radial tires that are down to the wear bars.
Good door and panel fit—or at least on par
with original build quality. Hood fit is not as
good—and won’t unlatch. Lots of small
dents and dings on the bright drip-rail moldings.
New reproduction door panels and
seats show no appreciable wear. Older
wrapped vinyl steering-wheel rim cover.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $25,850. By the looks of the gold
seats and door panel inserts around everything
else black, I’d guess that this originally
had an all-black interior. Access under the
hood to the fender tag would’ve answered
that. Bid exceptionally well at $23k on the
block, even considering that it was a nosale.
Leake’s post-event data shows this as
a sale later in the weekend—maybe the
buyer got the hood opened?
#1161-1968 DODGE D100 pickup. VIN:
1161853738. White/gray cloth & black vinyl.
Odo: 33,379 miles. 225-ci I6, 2-bbl, 3-sp.
Dealer-installed a/c. Homemade wood sideboards,
with matching cargo-box floorboards.
Stated that a “frame-off restoration”
was completed on the truck. It’s more like
the cab and box were taken off and repainted,
as the chassis is generally original
July-August 2017 79
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and lightly surface-rusted. Good bare cab
and box repaint. New door seals, but without
door-stop bumpers or plugs for the window-bolt
access holes. Generic
replacement seat upholstery, correct rubber
floor mat and door panels. Modern seat
belts. Crazed steering-wheel-hub emblem.
Original paint on the engine, but the valve
cover has been painted matte black. Clean
fender aprons and cowl, with dingy motor.
Foil wrapped around the fuel line in an attempt
to suppress vapor lock. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $17,600. Within the past few
years, these have actually started to turn up
at collector car auctions, as they’ve previously
been missing in action compared to
Chevys and Fords of this era. While all
1960s pickups have either done exceptionally
well or just increased in value a bit,
Dodges of this era pretty much are all in the
latter category; undoubtedly part of the reason
they hadn’t turned up much at auction.
Considering this is pretty much bare bones
for ’68, including the ubiquitous Slant Six
under the hood (my preferred choice to the
318 any day), this did pretty well here. The
reserve was passed easily at $15k, garnering
a few more bids.
#2461-1968 DODGE DART 2-dr hard top.
VIN: LS23H8B348661. Avocado Green
Metallic/green vinyl/green vinyl. Odo: 2,296
miles. 383-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Fitted with
Cragar SS mag wheels, shod with modern
Redline radial tires. Stated that it had copious
quantities of documentation, but no
copies of any of it were with the car. Stated
that it had a bare-body restoration in 2008,
and still looks darn nice a near decade later.
Good base/clear repaint. All brightwork was
replated, professionally polished or reproduction.
Door shut lines and body gaps on
par with original build quality. Stated that it
has got a beefed-up cam and a heavy-duty
Hayes pressure plate as part of the drivetrain
rebuild. All-reproduction interior soft
trim, with the exception of the crash pad in
the middle of the steering wheel. Showquality
engine bay. Clean-as-a-whistle undercarriage.
Cond: 2. NOT SOLD AT
$35,000. Mopar purists will note that the
383 in this car is painted standard-issue
Chrysler blue-green, rather than high-performance
Hemi Orange, since it’s the garden-variety
big-car 300-hp version (also
found in grandma’s Polara) in lieu of the big
Magnum. They had enough of a job stuffing
a big block in, so power steering was not
available. Then again, the hardcore Mopar
loony loyalists (such as my assistant Roy)
already knew that and can and will tell the
story by heart about how these were further
tweaked by Grand Spaulding Dodge into
the 440-powered GSS in more space than I
can make room for here. There was no
doubt that this was Roy’s favorite car here,
and I actually liked it too, for its sleeper
look. If Publisher Martin gets rid of the SCM/
ACC Viper, it better be to make room for
this.
#2516-1968 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER
2-dr sedan. VIN: RM21H8G196070. Petty
Blue/black vinyl. Odo: 61,451 miles. 383-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Factory special-order paint,
yet sparsely equipped. Professionally restored
by a marquee specialist to match the
original configuration, with minimal signs of
wear or use since. Authentically repainted—
nice but not perfect. Splendid door and
panel gaps. All replated or reproduction
brightwork. All four headlights are halogens.
Modern non-OEM windshield. Reproduction
Magnum 500-type wheels, shod with Redline
radials. All-reproduction interior soft
trim, showing no appreciable wear. Ditch
the Wal-Mart battery and add the additional
belt for the alternator (yeah, I know getting
two belts to work together is a PITA) and
the engine bay would be concours-correct.
Darn near sanitary undercarriage, even if
it’s missing the replicated inspection markings.
Cond: 2.
AMERICANA
#1154-1957 DIAMOND T M52 Modified
quad cab 6x6. VIN: 5786. Flat black/dark
gray cloth. Odo: 18,186 miles. 478-ci fuelinjected
I6, 5-sp. Dashboard-mounted dataplate
states that it’s an M52 5-ton semi
tractor, but actually has an M35A1 2½-ton
chassis and powertrain. Converted into a
six-man cab by grafting two G742-series
lower cabs (the forward one likely from the
dataplate’s M52) and extending the roof of
one M35 removable hard top. Hard top fitted
with a sliding rear window. Interior lined
with foil-lined foam insulation, front and rear
seats from a Dodge Ram pickup, satellite
radio and automotive a/c. Banged-up cargo
box shortened from a standard military
drop-side 2½-ton cargo truck. Class III hitch
welded to the back of the frame. Rattle-can
paint job, inside and out. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $10,450. Easy parts interchangeability
was a major reason that the Department
of Defense standardized the Cold-War
era REO-designed G742 series “Eager
Beaver”-style military truck (better known as
a “Deuce and a Half,” to those of us who
wore pickle suits and were charged with
driving them). As such, parts copulations
like this are common, once Uncle Sam mustered
them out of active duty. Along with
“bobbed” trucks—removing the trailing tandem
rear axle and shortening the frame—
the phantom crew cab is becoming a
popular conversion for Deuce and a Halfs—
even if the proportions look goofy with the
unaltered wheelbase and tandem rear axles
like this one. Hammered sold after the reserve
was lifted, for all the money in the
world.
SOLD AT $31,900. Built on the first day of
Road Runner production, this was one of a
handful painted in the Petty Racing team
colors to promote King Richard driving in
the 1968 Daytona 500 on the auto-show
circuit, and claimed to be one of three
known to still exist. The perfect car for a
Mopar Petty-phile. Short on the money at
no reserve. Sold very well.
80 AmericanCarCollector.com
#432-1971 INTERNATIONAL SCOUT
800B utility. VIN: 882827G433351. Light
green metallic/black vinyl. Odo: 48,791
miles. 304-ci V8, 2-bbl, 4-sp. Optional V8,
4-speed, dual fuel tanks, rear seat and AM
radio. The consignor states that it has had
two owners and that the 48,971 indicated
miles are correct from new. Decent maskedoff
repaint in base/clear. Aftermarket bumpers—and
stock spare-tire carrier—painted
off the truck. Light dings on the tailgate.
Modern aftermarket radio antenna. Good
door and glass seals. Either exceptionally
good original seat upholstery or lightly worn
authentic replacements. Light to moderate
Page 80
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
MARKETMOMENT
1971 Chevrolet Custom
K5 Blazer 4x4
SOLD at $220,000
Barrett-Jackson, Palm Beach, FL, April 6–8, 2017, Lot 681
// Dallas, TX
MARKETMOMENT
1971 Chevrolet Custom
K5 Blazer 4x4
SOLD at $220,000
Barrett-Jackson, Palm Beach, FL, April 6–8, 2017, Lot 681
gauge
gauge fading. In-truck engine repaint in recent
years. All-replacement hoses, hose
clamps and ignition wiring. Recently
undercoated. Shod with economy-grade
older radials. Cond: 3+.
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
I really do, but spending $220,000 on one is simply over the top. Yes,
we’ve seen sale prices steadily climb for the early Blazers, Broncos, and FJs over the past
few years, but the climb started about as close to rock bottom as you can get. Seeing these
first-generation off-roaders cross the block for $30k, $40k, and even $50k is growing more
commonplace every day. But $220k?
Without having actually been in the room when this blatant disregard for return on invest-
What in the world happened here? I love the early Blazers,
ment went down, it’s difficult to speculate why at least two people absolutely had to have
this truck. Although it’s the perfect color, has the perfect stance, is stompin’ around on some
aggressive rubber, and has an LS under the hood, this is basically just a tastefully lifted truck
with a late-model engine/tranny swap.
Sure, it has slick paint and a complete interior, but so what? Parts for these trucks are
readily available and relatively cheap. LS motor swaps are a dime a dozen. This isn’t the first
Blazer ever built, nor was it the last. It’s not original, obviously, and there’s really nothing in
the way of extensive craftsmanship happening here. It’s a good, clean, bolt-on truck.
But at four or five times what I would have reasonably expected, this was very, very well
sold.A
— Jay Harden
SOLD AT $20,350. In theory, the model
800B shouldn’t have existed. International
Harvester’s original game plan was to introduce
the all-new Scout II at the start of the
1971 model year, in late 1970. With its tooling
and engineering issues not fully sorted,
a dolled-up version with minor tweaks expanding
upon the existing model 800A was
released late in 1970 as the 800B to mark
time until the Scout II was introduced in mid
calendar-year 1971, also marketed as a
1971. With an eight-month limited production
span coupled with the general interest
in vintage SUVs, there was plenty of interest
in this ’binder. The reserve was off by
$17,500, yielding a sale a few bids later that
may seem strong to some, but it was really
at least market-correct, if not well bought, if
it’s intended to be a keeper.
#414-1972 JEEP J-2000 pickup. VIN: J2A242XN32420.
Light green metallic/white
vinyl & multi-color cloth. Odo: 80,386 miles.
360-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Modern aftermarket
front push-bar bumper, accommodating an
aftermarket electric winch. Aftermarket steel
wheels shod with radials. Original options
include a/c, power steering and brakes.
Masked-off base/clear repaint over a minimally
prepped body. Decent door fit. Modern
plastic tailgate protector. 1970s in-dash
AM/FM/cassette deck. Seat bottoms are in
slightly better condition than the lightly yellowed
backrest and heavily yellowed armrests.
Box speakers are also hung on the
roof of the cab, helping to hold up the cardboard
headliner that’s starting to droop.
Very busy under the hood. Engine is difficult
to keep running. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $13,200. 1972 was the first year
82 AmericanCarCollector.com
AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 81
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
that AMC ceased using the Gladiator model
name for these trucks. Instead, in keeping
with the three major manufacturers at the
time, Jeep used a letter prefix/number suffix
scheme. Upping the ante on C-10s, D-100s
and F-100s, Jeep started their numbering
convention with half tons as J-2000s. These
just don’t surface at auctions too often,
mostly due to the majority of the fleet being
used hard and put away rusty. This one
needs some mechanical help—despite
claims that the engine was “recently serviced”—so
nobody was willing to venture
past 10 grand. Likely seeing the booming
1970s’ pickup market, the consignor was
firm and fast at a $12,500 reserve, which
didn’t get met on the block, but it paid off by
the end of the weekend as a post-block
sale.
#173-1991 AM GENERAL HUMVEE SUV.
VIN: 112814. Desert Tan/tan vinyl/green
vinyl. Odo: 58,386 miles. 6.2-L fuel-injected
V8, auto. Essentially as when decommissioned
from military service condition. Remaining
graphics indicate that it was an
Army National Guard asset. Canvas doors
and top over the passenger’s area only,
wide open in the rear. Rough-and-tumble
pads on the bare steel seat buckets. Driver’s
door frame is sprung and won’t close.
Repainted chassis, grille guard and wheels,
shod with older retread tires. Center of the
grille guard is bowed in at the center. Generally
runs and functional—at least in the
building. Stated that the title was “in transit,”
but does not wear any license plates.
Cond: 4+.
NOT SOLD AT $15,000. Bid on where it
was parked, as it was too wide to fit on the
ramps and carousel (which can also be construed
as a hint for anyone who thinks that
they can just park one of these in a typical
single-stall garage). The consignor must
have really had a get-rich-quick pie-in-thesky
reserve, as it barely spent a minute up
for bids. With Humvees getting bid on and
selling weekly on the government contractors’
website, they are now far from being
hard to find. Actually, the hardest part is
finding one that actually has a state title
assigned to it, rather than the paperwork
releasing it from the government—which
doesn’t always get you a title. You can pay
far less for one with just as much or less
ambiguity from the vendor’s auctions. A
July-August 2017 83
Page 82
AUCTIONS AMERICA // Auburn, IN
Auctions America — Auburn
Spring 2017
Wide Auburn offerings — from race cars to tanks —
bring substantial sales
Auctions
America
Auburn, IN
May 11–13, 2017
Auctioneers:
Mike Shackelton, Brent
Earlywine
Automotive lots sold/
offered: 237/343
Sales rate: 69%
Sales total:
$9,048,255
high sale: 1941
Packard One-Eighty
Darrin convertible, sold
at $360,000
buyer’s premium:
10%, included in sold
prices
ACC 1–6 scale
condition rating
for vehicles in
Market Reports
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:
Salvageable for parts
84 AmericanCarCollector.com
Stock-looking outside, custom inside — 1938 hudson Terraplane custom pickup, sold at $33,000
Report and photos by Kevin Coakley
Market opinions in italics
S
ometimes less is more. Take, for example,
Auctions America’s 2017 spring sale in
Auburn, IN. This year’s sale, while presenting
50 fewer lots, eclipsed last year’s sales total by
more than 25%.
Opening day was dedicated to the no-reserve sale
of all the seized assets from Level 5 Motorsports.
The 343 lots presented included several race cars,
car-hauling trailers, tools, equipment, parts, scooters
and more. And we’re not talking cheap, either, as this
team did Grand-Am, American Le Mans and USCC in
a notoriously first-class manner. Their 2015 Bruce High
Performance trailer came in as the fifth-highest sale of
the weekend, selling for $231,000.
Sales of the remaining lots took place over the fol-
lowing two days, with other notable sales including an
AACA and CCCA National Prize-winning 1941 Packard
One-Eighty Darrin Convertible Victoria, selling just a
hair under the low estimate for $360k, and an original,
low-mileage 1968 Shelby GT500 KR fastback that sold
at $220k — or 10% over the pre-sale high estimate.
From the more unusual offerings, how about a World
War II tank? A 1944 Buick “Hellcat” open-turret tank
sold for $247,500, which looked like a pretty strong
result. Some notable no-sales included a beautiful
maroon 1969 Boss Mustang coming short on a high bid
of $240k, and a 2016 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat bid
up to $52,500.
As usual, the auction wasn’t the only attraction.
There was robust participation in the car corral and
swapmeet lots, as well as the first Triple Crown Meet,
which included the world’s two oldest car clubs: the
AACA and CCCA. The weekend wouldn’t be complete
without a celebrity appearance, and this year was no
exception, with Discovery Channel’s Diesel Brothers
showing up to sign autographs and hang out with the
fans.A
Page 84
AUCTIONS AMERICA // Auburn, IN
GM
#3038-1950 BUICK SPECIAL custom sedan.
VIN: 35447623. Black/gray cloth. Odo:
1,477 miles. 430-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Paint
shows some sanding prep issues. Panel fit
a little wonky. Exterior brightwork showing
micro-scratches. Decent engine compartment
and interior. Many modifications including
a 1968 Buick 430-ci motor, front and
rear sub-frames from a 1968 Buick, rear
airbags, a/c and power brakes. Cond: 3.
Black & wood/red vinyl & cloth. Odo: 57,063
miles. 322-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Paint and
wood finish look well done and holding up
well. Wood joints and body fit look good as
well. Nicely presented engine compartment.
Exterior trim looks great, interior looks neat
and tidy except for the missing window
crank on the right rear door. Twelve-volt
electrics. Gauges are said to work, but not
the radio. Recent service includes new fuel
tank and rebuilt carburetors. Cond: 2.
10
#3132-1953 BUICK SUPER
woodie wagon. VIN: 16985358.
Cond: 3+. NOT SOLD AT $50,000. Last
recorded at Bonhams’ Boca Raton sale in
2013, where it was a no-sale, bid to $48,000
(ACC# 5941565). I concur with the reporter
who at that time suggested the lack of factory
air would hold this car back. It’s nice,
but I don’t see it going up significantly from
this price level anytime soon. Seller probably
should have let it go.
#3089-1960 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 01837N238213. Dark
gray/tri-tone red & white cloth & vinyl. Odo:
29,943 miles. 348-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Original
paint really showing its age: faded, flat
with stains. Exterior trim shows wear commensurate
with age. Decent driver-quality
engine detail. Missmatched headlights. Interior
okay, except for the screws running
along the bottoms of the door cards.
Equipped with factory a/c, dual antennas
and a Continental kit. Cond: 3.
NOT SOLD AT $17,600. Certainly the high
bid wouldn’t cover the modification costs on
this car. That being said, considering the
rarity of the body style, were these modifications
a good idea or should it have remained
stock? I’m thinking, from a financial
standpoint, keeping it stock probably would
have made more sense. I don’t blame the
consignor for holding on for more, but it
could take some work to find the right buyer.
#3007-1951 CHEVROLET 5700 COE
pickup. VIN: HEA1062089. Metallic silver/
patterned cloth. Fuel-injected I6, auto. Paint
looks decent, hood fit a bit off. Powered with
a mid-mounted Cummins diesel. Exterior
brightwork is a mixed bag from good to
rough. Custom interior with a/c and custom
gauges. Set up for fifth-wheel hauling.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $72,500. The news that the carbs
were rebuilt and the gas tank replaced
comes as no surprise. This car was last
recorded as a no-sale at Mecum Kissimmee
in January 2008 at $95k (ACC# 1572950).
Prior to that there are three other sales in
’07. The first in August at Gooding in Pebble
Beach, where it was bought for $105k
(ACC# 1571731), prior to economic crash.
My guess is someone bought it for a quick
flip and the bottom dropped out. It wasn’t
sold at any other sale in our system until
now, so it got put away without draining the
gas; the gas turned to varnish—you know
the drill. Seems like the woodie market has
gone soft; time will tell if it ever comes back.
I’d call this sale market correct—well bought
and sold.
#3086-1960 CADILLAC SERIES 62 convertible.
VIN: 60F112805. Olympic White/
white vinyl/red leather. Odo: 87,001 miles.
390-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Paint and panel fit
look good. Exterior brightwork showing
some pitting and micro-scratches. Chrome
flaking off on the rear bumper. Top looks
decent. Rear window a little dull. Nicely detailed
engine compartment except for the
new aluminum radiator, which looked out of
place. Driver’s door cover screwed in at the
bottom. Interior trim showing some pitting;
equipped with power steering and brakes.
SOLD AT $41,800. This was starting to look
a little rough around the edges; that being
said, it looks like it was originally well done
and there’s still a lot of life left in it. Last recorded
at Mecum’s Houston sale in April
2013, where is sold for $53,500 (ACC#
6740941). This one looks like a good deal
for both the buyer and seller.
86 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $34,650. This car looked really
good in the catalog; unfortunately, the paint
condition is pretty rough. All that said, it
probably looks pretty good going down the
road and it’s got factory a/c. Looks like the
selling price is spot-on; this was a fair deal
both ways.
#3004-1962 OLDSMOBILE SUPER 88 custom
wagon. VIN: 625T02840. Two-tone
Candy Apple Red/red leather. Odo: 4,138
miles. 502-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, 5-sp. Custom paint
looks well done, shows a few scratches but
nothing too terrible. Exterior brightwork showing
some pitting and micro-scratches, but
otherwise serviceable. Eighteen-inch Boyd
Coddington wheels could use a good polish.
Engine compartment dusty but neat. Custom
interior with added center console, upholstery
holding up well. Equipped with Tremec
5-speed manual, four-wheel disc brakes,
Ford nine-inch rear end, air-ride suspension,
three-inch Flowmaster dual exhaust, a/c, tilt
wheel, custom sound system, roof rack and
factory power windows. Front spoiler fitted
TOP 10
Page 85
AUCTIONS AMERICA // Auburn, IN
looks a little sketchy on this car. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $26,950. As I was looking this car
over, I was asked how much I thought it
would sell for. I said probably about what
the paint job cost. I probably wasn’t too far
off. The consignor claimed there was
$85,000 invested; I don’t doubt it. Althought
it sold for over the pre-sale estimate, I still
have to call it well bought.
#2085-1962 BUICK ELECTRA 225 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 818009116. Regal Black/red
leather. Odo: 72,098 miles. 401-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Paint shows well. Minor pitting on taillight
surrounds. Decent engine-compartment
detail. Interior showing some driver’s
seat cracking; looks like the dashpad has
been re-covered. Dry and cracking weather
strips. Equipped with factory air, floor console
and Rally-style wheels and aftermarket
auxiliary gauges. Cond: 3+.
NOT SOLD AT $17,500. I opened the hood
on this car and a heavy gasoline smell
wafted out of the engine compartment. I
suspect there’s a gas leak lurking somewhere.
Estimate was correct at $20k–$25k.
This car should pull a higher offer than what
it drew here; another Buick struggling for
respect.
#3153-1963 BUICK RIVIERA 2-dr hard
top. VIN: 7J1103195. Black/black vinyl.
Odo: 87,223 miles. 401-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Nice black paint showing some minor
scratches. Exterior trim showing some pitting
here and there. Factory wire wheel covers,
decent engine-bay detail. Interior looks
to be holding up very well. Equipped with
factory a/c, power steering, brakes, windows
and antenna. Cond: 3+.
cars to take off; I can’t understand why they
don’t get as much love as a Chevy Impala.
This one was nice, well equipped and well
bought at this price.
#3093-1964 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE
Malibu SS 2-dr hard top. VIN: 45837L113023.
Ermine White/Aqua vinyl. Odo: 4,070
miles. 327-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Paint looks
spectacular. Exceptional panel fit. Brilliant
exterior trim. Spotless engine compartment.
Original black interior changed to Aqua,
which presents well. Equipped with M21
close-ratio 4-speed, 10-bolt Positraction
rear end with 3.08:1 gears. Factory tach
and dash clock. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $27,500. I keep waiting for these
SOLD AT $40,000. I spoke with the consignor,
who said he was moving it on because
he didn’t have much time for it. A
multiple AACA award winner and a beautiful
July-August 2017 87
Page 86
AUCTIONS AMERICA // Auburn, IN
presentation. A good deal here today. Well
bought.
#2061-1971 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD El
Deora wagon. VIN: 681691Q1999193.
Yellow/brown vinyl/brown leather. Odo:
36,096 miles. 500-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Paint
shows cracking, fading, crazing and chips.
Faux-wood trim has tape down the sides.
Variable panel fit; the hood is particularly
out of whack. Exterior trim is worn, as you’d
expect for its age. Custom grille surround
looks good. Vinyl top is separating from the
roof in the front rise. Glass shows some
scratches, especially on the tailgate glass.
Interior looks as bad as everything else.
Body modifications by ASC (American Sunroof
Corporation). Ordered new by Evel
Knievel. Cond: 3-.
engine (really, that’s a surprise). Manual
transmission, Rare “split window” from the
first year of production (how about the only
year?). One of 10,594 coupes built in 1963.
Very nice example.” Put this one in the wellbought
column.
opinion, this car was a bargain at this price;
well bought indeed.
CORVETTE
#3090-1962 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: 20867S111084. Roman
Red/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 28,634
miles. 327-ci 250-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Red
paint looks fresh and well done. Good panel
gaps. Exterior brightwork showing some
micro-scratches. Top looks fairly new, but
the fit looks a little baggy on the top edges.
Excellent engine compartment detail. Interior
looks great—nothing to gripe about.
Cond: 2-.
NOT SOLD AT $19,000. The Knievel bump
didn’t do much here. Reported to have been
registered by anyone but his Evel-ness,
yawn...it’s still an ugly, useless car.
#3008-1971 BUICK GS convertible. VIN:
434671H203782. Red/black vinyl/black vinyl.
Odo: 27,633 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Red paint looks great. Top looks fresh
and well fitted. Decent engine detail. Unmolested
interior. Ram Air. Column shift and
bench seat. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $59,400. A condition 2 car at a
condition 3 price. As the base model, it’s not
likely to pull the big money. Still, well
bought.
#3123-1963 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 30837S109541. Riverside
Red/red vinyl. Odo: 67,973 miles. 327-ci V8,
4-bbl, 4-sp. Paint looks fresh and well done.
Excellent exterior brightwork. Spotless engine
compartment. Windshield showing
some wiper wear. Spotless interior looks
like new. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $20,350. Last recorded sold at
Barrett-Jackson’s West Palm Beach auction
in April 2011 (ACC# 6771098). Coming in
just over the low estimate looks like a market-correct
result. Fair deal both ways.
#2072-1987 BUICK GRAND NATIONAL
coupe. VIN: 1G4GJ1171HP432768.
Black/two-tone gray cloth. Odo: 34,687
miles. 3.8-L turbocharged V6, auto. Paint
looks to have been done well. Engine compartment
presents well. Clean interior with
no excessive wear. Equipped with factory
T-tops, a/c, AM/FM radio, power brakes and
steering. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $12,375. Okay,
it’s not a GNX, but it’s close. In my
88 AmericanCarCollector.com
#2054-1969 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 194379S715950. Black/saddle
vinyl. Odo: 53,339 miles. 350-ci 300-hp V8,
4-bbl, 4-sp. Black paint shows lots of
scratches and the fiberglass shows lots of
cracks. Rust emerging on the rear bumpers.
Driver-quality engine detail. Equipped with
factory air, T-tops, new sidepipe exhaust, tilt
wheel, four-wheel disc brakes, 4-speed and
factory gauges. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $16,610. Preserve or restore? Its
sale price leaves room for some cleaning
up, perhaps even a full-blown restoration.
But leaving it alone might produce a better
result. Either way, put this one in the wellbought
column.
FOMOCO
#3046-1938 FORD DELUXE coupe. VIN:
4520035. Black/tan cloth. Odo: 37,187
miles. Paint showing some scratches and
normal wear. Exterior trim a mix of good
and bad. Nose trim painted argent. Nice
chrome artillery wheels, with caps and rings.
Some delamination emerging in glass.
Driver-quality engine detail. Dry-rotted running-board
rubber coming undone.
Weatherstripping mostly rotten and rough.
No excessive interior wear, just gauges that
are dingy and dull. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $69,000. This one sold far below
the low estimate; maybe the seller was in a
pinch. They might have pulled a few more
dollars with some additional specific information.
The consignment card listed “V-8
SOLD AT $26,950. I thought this one
looked familiar, because I wrote it up as a
no-sale from the Auctions America Auburn
Fall auction last year, where it was bid to
Page 87
AUCTIONS AMERICA // Auburn, IN
$21,000 (ACC# 6804693). I suggested
some attention to detail might bring up the
price, but apparently another round on the
block was all it took. It ran here with the only
difference being two more miles on the odo,
but pulling a few thousand more. Congratulations!
Well sold.
#3060-1940 FORD DELUXE coupe. VIN:
54544240. Maroon/brown broadcloth. Odo:
11,993 miles. Maroon paint almost 10 years
in is still looking good. Decent exterior
brightwork with added bumper guards. Engine
compartment shows well. Electric fuel
pump added. interior looks unworn and well
done. Cond: 3+.
go. The results reflect the effort. Good luck
with this one; it’s nice, but its value is not
going back 10 years any time soon.
#3068-1959 FORD GALAXIE 500 retractable
hard top. VIN: H9FW147971. Torch
Red & Colonial White/tri-tone red, white &
black. Odo: 69,678 miles. 352-ci V8, 4-bbl,
3-sp. Repaint of undetermined age looks
decent. Nice front and back bumpers, but
the side trim pieces are pretty rough. Wiper
scratches in the windshield. Decent engine
compartment. Interior is original and shows
expected wear, but it’s not worn out.
Cond: 3.
away steering wheel. Provided with original
bill of sale, showing an all-in price of $5,805.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $220,000. This one kind of blew
me away. It really shows the result of low
miles and a well-documented history. The
result marched past an optimistic pre-sale
high estimate of $200k and any current
price guides. Well sold, by a lot.
SOLD AT $26,950. Formerly on display at
Snook’s Dream Cars Museum in Ohio. Offered
here with no reserve. Someone got a
very good buy on this car. Sold a good bit
below the low estimate.
SOLD AT $31,900. Another no-reserve offering
from the Snook’s Dream Cars Museum
and another good deal sold well
below the ACC database values and a reasonable
low estimate.
#3108-1940 MERCURY EIGHT custom
coupe. VIN: 99A157242. Metallic pearl blue
& green/white pearl leather. Odo: 6,792
miles. Chopped, shaved and stretched.
Body and paint done to a very high standard.
Dirty wide whites on steel rims with
full spinner wheel covers. Full-custom interior,
as the paint-and-body-work is done to a
very high standard. Lots of money invested
in this build. Cond: 2.
#3122-1968 SHELBY GT350 convertible.
VIN: 8T03J19320502136. Dark green metallic/
black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 27,473
miles. 302-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp. Paint looks
great. Brilliant exterior brightwork. Top inch
of the radio antenna is bent at a 90-degree
angle. Convertible top looks fresh and fits
well. The under side of the car looks as nice
as the top side. Spotless engine compartment
with all the manufacture tags and
markings present. Interior shows no signs of
wear. Cond: 2+.
#3117-1968 FORD MUSTANG GT
428 CJ fastback. VIN: 8F02R215456.
Highland Green/black vinyl. Odo:
42,366 miles. 428-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Beautiful
paint, body fit, engine compartment and
interior. Marti Report confirms numbers and
colors, GT equipment group. Cond: 2.
4
SOLD AT $104,500. While the value on
these cars has been a little flat, this was still
a great deal. Well bought by a pretty wide
margin.
MOPAR
NOT SOLD AT $50,000. Last recorded sold
in September 2007 at RM Monterey, with
the same amount of miles for $137,000
(ACC# 1570525). I think this may have
been the last deal in ’07 before the financial
markets came crashing down. This Rick
Dore creation certainly is one of a kind, and
the market for something like this is limited.
It looked like someone took it out of storage
without any serious attention and gave it a
NOT SOLD AT $100,000. With the exception
of the Boss 429 this weekend, the bigblock
Mustangs were pulling big money. I
don’t know if the lack of a big block held this
back, but I think the presentation trumps the
smaller motor; this one deserved a much
stronger result.
#3124-1968 SHELBY GT500 KR
fastback. VIN: 8T02R20319102492.
Light green/ black vinyl. Odo: 22,994
miles. 428-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Paint not
great. Evidence of pinstripes buffed out on
hood-header panel and C-pillars. Otherwise
decent engine compartment and interior.
Equipped with factory gauges and fold-
2
July-August 2017 89
#2067-1941 PLYMOUTH SPECIAL DELUXE
sedan. VIN: 11371063. Jib Green
Metallic/cream broadcloth. Odo: 34,912
miles. Paint shows some orange peel, but
otherwise looks good. Exterior trim looks
shiny and dent-free. Clean, well-done engine
compartment. Broadcloth interior looks
fresh and unworn except the interior has a
mysterious, funky smell to it. Cond: 2.
TOP 10
TOP 10
Page 88
AUCTIONS AMERICA // Auburn, IN
ONETO WATCH
A Focus on Cars That are Showing Some Financial Upside
SOLD AT $9,625. This car was reported to
have had three owners since new, and has
a string of awards from the AACA and National
Plymouth Owners Club, and was a
prize-winning finisher in the 1995 Great
American Race from Ottawa, Canada, to
Mexico City, Mexico. I’m not sure what the
smell was inside; I would hope a good
steam cleaning might help that situation, but
this smells like a good deal to me; well
bought.
#3113-1966 DODGE CORONET 500
2-dr hard top. VIN: WP23H67242453.
Hemi Light Green/black vinyl/black vinyl.
Odo: 84,486 miles. 426-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto.
Nice paint over a solid body, rear trunk trim
a little dull, decent engine compartment presentation,
interior looks neat and unworn.
Certification from Galen Govier. Cond: 3+.
1971–74 Plymouth
Road Runner
I
’ve never really been much of a fan of the second-gen Mopar B-body and its “fuselage”
look. To me, it’s sort of bulbous and overinflated. Or at least it used to be.
The look is starting to grow on me, and I’m clearly not alone. I keep seeing these
cars pop up in modern car
culture, from appearances in
Motor Trend’s “Roadkill” to the
most recent prime ride for Dominic
Toretto in the current “The Fast
and the Furious” feature film. In
terms of screen-based star power,
this body is not exactly the second
coming of the ’69 Charger, but it’s
heading down that path.
These cars lived through the
end of the original muscle car era.
In 1971, you could order up a Road
Runner or GTX with a 440+6 or a 426 Hemi, and those cars are
leading the pack in terms of values. After that year, power fell
off a cliff, thanks to the change to net versus gross ratings, lower
compression due to unleaded fuel requirements and rising insurance
premiums on muscle. Those cars aren’t valued as much as
the earlier examples, save for maybe the five or so 440+6 versions
built in 1972 before Plymouth realized that the engine wouldn’t
comply with new regulations. 1973 and 1974 models have a different
nose and updated body panels.
Looking just at Road Runners, the current median value from
Detailing
Years built: 1971–74
Number produced:
Number sold at auction
in the past 12
52,457 (Road
Runner)
Average price of those
cars: $26,811
months: 10
Number listed in the
ACC Premium
Database: 129
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $22,000
A
90 AmericanCarCollector.com
AmericanCarCollector.com
this era is $22,000, which is down from 2014’s high-water mark of
$28,875. But while the numbers here aren’t bearing out a growth
trend — at least not yet — the proof is in pop culture. These have
a distinctive look that high-profile players are now showing off,
and that will boost the bottom line on cars like this every time.
— Jim Pickering
SOLD AT $71,500. Last recorded sold at
Russo and Steele in Hollywood, FL, in
March of ’08, having done 9 miles since
(ACC# 1640164). They were pretty expensive
miles, because the result today is about
$12,000 less than almost 10 years ago. Put
this down as well bought — really well
bought.
AMERICANA
#2080-1937 HUDSON TERRAPLANE
coupe. VIN: 706692. Maroon & black/brown
SOLD AT $57,200. You see that “H” in the
VIN? That denotes a Hemi, which is what
you want. Was this car a good deal? Oh
yeah. There’s meat left on the bone with
this one.
#3116-1969 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER
2-dr hard top. VIN: RM23J9A142007. Light
Yellow/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 56,896
miles. 426-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto. Nice paint,
panel fit and exterior trim. Good engine
compartment detail. Vinyl top showing some
emerging bubbles. Nothing to ding on the
inside. Looking sharp with factory steel
wheels and Air Grabber intake. Cond: 2.
BEST
BUY
Page 90
AUCTIONS AMERICA // Auburn, IN
cloth. Odo: 96,577 miles. Paint looks presentable
with no major problems. Exterior
brightwork a little rough. Argent-painted
bumpers. Driver’s door window glass is broken—held
together with shipping tape.
Driver-quality engine detail. Interior looks
presentable, but the upholstery material
doesn’t look correct. Equipped with a slideout
pickup bed. Cond: 3-.
Nice stock wheels, caps and rings with wide
whites. Tight engine compartment contains
a small-block Chevy with a very desirable
auto-parts-store chrome dress-up kit. Interior
updated with tilt-wheel column, Dolphin
gauges, seat belts and a/c. Cond: 3.
not showing any excessive wear. Said to
come with soft top and side curtains, but I
didn’t see them around. Cond: 2. SOLD AT
$108,900. With a little over 500 of these
cars produced between 1951 and 1954,
there can’t be too many still out there. A
former participant in the Concours of America
at St. John’s in Plymouth, MI, in 2015,
coming in a bit over the high estimate. I’d
call it well sold and bought.
NOT SOLD AT $14,000. A little investment
could go a long way here. Get the bumpers
replated and replace the driver’s door window
glass and you’ve gone from a 3- to a
3+. The new owner should fluff this up a bit
to easily get to the lower estimate of $20k.
#3148-1937 PACKARD SUPER EIGHT
limousine. VIN: 398249. Black/brown
broadcloth. Odo: 63,891 miles. Paint shows
lots of scratches and chips. Exterior trim
looks decent, considering its age. Roof insert
looks loose. Lots of delaminating glass.
Engine compartment nothing to write home
about. Interior is worn and tattered.
Equipped with dual sidemounts, trunk-back
external luggage rack. Cond: 4.
SOLD AT $33,000. Other than a look under
the hood, the only visual resto-mod giveaway
was the dash, steering wheel and column.
Hard to say if the updates helped or
hurt the price here. I’m guessing it had a
neutral effect. I’ll call this one well bought.
#3106-1947 DIAMOND T 201 pickup. VIN:
T745258. Red & green/brown vinyl. Odo:
494 miles. 236-ci I6, 1-bbl, 4-sp. Beautiful
fresh paint. Good panel fit. Exterior brightwork
is brilliant. Engine detailed to a high
standard. Interior looks very correct and
well done. Cond: 2-.
#3111-1953 PACKARD CARIBBEAN convertible.
VIN: L411958. Maroon/tan canvas/
brown & white vinyl. 327-ci I8, 2-bbl, auto.
Beautiful paint along decent body panel
gaps. Brilliant exterior shiny bits. Top looks
fresh and well fitted. Spotless engine compartment.
Interior upholstery could use a
good cleaning. Chrome trim in presentable
condition. Cond: 3+.
NOT SOLD AT $70,000. This is a pretty
rare car and it was pretty well done, having
won the AACA Senior National First prize in
2010. The consignor was right to hang on;
the money just wasn’t there today.
SOLD AT $49,500. Pickup trucks continue
to be strong, and they don’t get much stronger
than the Diamond T. This result is spoton
market correct for the price and a bit of a
deal when you look at the presentation.
NOT SOLD AT $15,000. The consignment
card optimistically referred to the car as a
“great restoration candidate.” Yeah, if you
have a fat wallet burning a hole in your
pocket. The cost for a proper restoration
would never be recovered; considering that,
the consignor would have been wise to let
this go. I don’t foresee any higher offers
anytime soon.
#3058-1938 HUDSON TERRAPLANE custom
pickup. VIN: 8845914. Red/black vinyl.
Odo: 4,665 miles. Paint looks decent. There
are a couple of filler pieces between the
bottom of the bed and the running boards
that don’t fit well, otherwise decent panel fit.
92 AmericanCarCollector.com
Saddle Tan leather. Odo: 57,295 miles.
252-ci I6, 2x1-bbl, 3-sp. Paint looks to have
been done to a high standard and is holding
up well. Exterior brightwork looks good, wire
wheel covers complete the look. Engine
compartment looks neat and tidy. Interior
3
#3129-1953 NASH-HEALEY
ROADSTER. VIN: NHA1453. Red/
SOLD AT $22,550. Small issues aside, this
result was better than the auction house
anticipated, but I’d still call it a good buy. If
you compare it to Toyota FJs or Ford Broncos
from the same period, this one is a bargain.
A
#2027-1973 INTERNATIONAL SCOUT II
utility. VIN: 3S8S8CGD40477. White/blue
cloth. Odo: 49,202 miles. 304-ci V8, 2-bbl,
auto. Paint looks fresh and well done. Doors
sag when opened and don’t latch well—
passenger’s door won’t latch at all. Some
pitting on the exterior brightwork. New allterrain
tires with factory wheel covers. Undercarriage
sprayed with heavy black paint.
Driver-quality engine compartment. Interior
looks fresh and unmolested. Cond: 3.
TOP 10
Page 92
WORLDWIDE AUCTIONEERS // Arlington, TX
Worldwide — The Texas
Classic Auction
The market has cooled, but there is always a demand
for rare Corvettes
Worldwide
Auctioneers
Arlington, TX
April 21–22, 2017
Auctioneer:
Rod Egan
Automotive lots sold/
offered: 87/111
Sales rate: 78%
Sales total:
$6,446,625
high sale: 1969
Chevrolet L88 Corvette
convertible, sold at
$616,000
buyer’s premium:
10%, included in sold
prices
Described as the most original in existence — 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 convertible, sold at $616,000
Report and photos by Cody Tayloe
Market opinions in italics
ACC 1–6 scale
condition rating
for vehicles in
Market Reports
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:
Salvageable for parts
94 AmericanCarCollector.com
Classic Auction, as it has been called in the past, was
renamed the “Texas Classic Auction.” Escaping from
the questionable weather in Houston, this year’s sale
was held at the Arlington Convention Center just outside
Dallas.
The two-day sale kicked off Friday with a private
F
collection, formerly owned by Texas-based collector
Bobby Monical. The Monical Collection was offered
entirely at no reserve. The sale continued on Saturday
with the Texas Classic Auction, which offered a good
mix of American muscle and European offerings. The
auction is a precursor to the Concours d’Elegance of
Texas, which also moved from Houston to Dallas.
Overall sales here were $6.4m with a healthy 78%
sell-through rate, which is down by $5m when compared
to their sale in Houston a year ago. The sell-through rate
saw an improvement of 6%, aided by the absolute sale of
the Monical Collection.
While most of the top sales went to the Europeans,
there were many significant and notable examples from
American manufacturers, with Corvettes reigning
ollowing their first-ever Scottsdale sale,
Worldwide Auctioneers recently announced
their inaugural California auction, which is set
to kick off Monterey Car Week this year. As
the company continues to expand, the Houston
supreme. The top spot for an American marque and
second-highest overall of the sale went to a highly original
1969 Corvette L88 convertible that sold for $616k.
Another significant Corvette, a 1953 with plenty
of pedigree, sold out of the Monical Collection at a
no-reserve price of $231k. Aside from Corvettes, a 1961
Chrysler 300G convertible and a 1937 Cord 812 SC
phaeton were also among notable sales and both out of
the Monical Collection, selling for $148,500 and $176k
respectively.
This year, Worldwide’s sale coincided with Leake’s
Spring Dallas event, taking place about 20 miles away.
I talked with Richard Sevenoaks, Leake’s president, at
his sale, and he said he was pleased to have Worldwide
in town at the same time as some competition in a lively
market. Despite the auction overlap, attendees were still
able to hit both venues.
While the offerings at Worldwide were well
researched and some near premium, the atmosphere
was casual and not stuffy. I overheard two guests, one
of whom visited Worldwide’s Scottsdale sale, discussing
their positive experiences working with Worldwide and
feeling at ease with the way the lots are handled here
from the rostrum.
The aforementioned Monterey sale is next on the
docket for Worldwide, followed by their 10th return to
Auburn the following month.A
Page 94
WORLDWIDE AUCTIONEERS // Arlington, TX
CLASSICS
#39-1939 CORD 810 Beverly sedan. VIN:
81017944. Cream/brown leather. Odo:
90,540 miles. Solid restoration candidate.
Paint missing throughout and down to bare
metal. Crazing and scratches in other
places. Brightwork is heavily pitted. Glass is
clear, with some front windscreen delamination.
Panels align nicely. Body is straight
overall. Interior carpet worn. Interior stainless
on the steering wheel is pitted. Other
hardware is decent. Headliner in good condition.
Upholstery is in very good condition,
with rear armrests recently re-covered. Auxiliary
fan mounted to the column. Rubber is
unsalvageable. Cond: 4+.
SOLD AT $58,300. The marketing photos
had this one looking much more tired and
worn out than it really was in person. Refreshingly,
all the expensive components
and parts that would be required for a restoration
appear to be there, making this one
quite solid. Cadillac produced only 400 Eldorado
Broughams for 1957. Despite the
premium price of $13,000, GM allegedly lost
about $1,000 per car. Adjusted for inflation,
the car would cost nearly $115,000 today.
It’s not unusual to see these climb over the
$100,000 mark, making this one well sold at
nearly half price. It’s not perfect, but it’s all
there.
SOLD AT $33,000. Two 4-door Cord sporting
sedans were offered in 1936: the Westchester
and the Beverly. This one was
acquired by the consignor in 2011 from the
Glenn Pray estate and is said to wear one
repaint after changing from its original color
of maroon many years ago. It’s refreshing to
see some use in the mileage. One in this
condition is only worth what someone will
pay, and the market has been set. A Cord
for the price of an Accord. Fair price for
buyer and seller.
GM
#40-1957 CADILLAC ELDORADO
Brougham sedan. VIN: 5770146803.
Black/blue cloth. Odo: 15,226 miles. 365-ci
V8, 2x4-bbl, auto. Deep scratches down to
metal on left front fender and door. Paint
shows heavy crazing throughout. New front
and rear bumpers with other brightwork
slightly pitted. Panel alignment is good.
Some waviness in the trim on the right rear.
A few small dents in the stainless roof.
Great interior in excellent original condition.
Foul smell. Some bunching and warping on
the top of the dash vinyl. Headliner is in
good condition. Rubber needs replacing
throughout. Cond: 4+.
#8-1962 OLDSMOBILE STARFIRE convertible.
VIN: 626M13999. Chariot Red/
white vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 92,893 miles.
394-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Older restoration in
very good condition. Dry spray and minor
orange peel here and there. Some age fading
throughout. Panel alignment is good.
Chrome is lightly pitted. White top has
creases from operation. Driver’s door is out
slightly at the rear. Rubber is holding up
well. Interior is very nicely restored. Carpets
have been replaced and show some minor
wear. Interior illumination functions properly.
Pitting on window switches on the center
console. Screen printing is all intact.
Cond: 2-.
shows age with light surface rust throughout.
Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $6,600. 1962 marked the first
year for the turbo and top-of-the-line Corvair
Monza Spyder. Collectors seem to either
love them or hate them, and values are
nothing to write home about. But if you are
new to the hobby and looking for something
different, your chariot has arrived. Bidding
started low, as reflected by the selling price,
and did not seem to gain a great deal of
traction. While it may not be the car for everybody,
it was very well bought, especially
for a Monza Spyder. No harm, no foul on
this one.
CORVETTE
8
SOLD AT $41,800. Offered at Worldwide’s
Houston sale in 2014, where it did not sell
with a high offer of $37,000 (ACC#
6709185). One mile has been added to the
clock since that sale. There, we noted that
the restoration was a body-off seven-year
project, but it was not noted when it was
completed. It appears seldom driven but
has still managed to unwind down to driver
quality. Past sales hover right around where
this one landed, so no big upsets here. Offered
at no reserve; the price is market-correct.
#9-1962 CHEVROLET CORVAIR 900
Monza Spyder coupe. VIN: 209270160994.
Metallic green/green vinyl. Odo:
53,746 miles. 145-ci turbocharged H6, 4-sp.
Older restoration unwound to driver quality.
Paint dimples on the hood, with a few prep
issues in other places. Scratches here and
there that are down to metal. Light pitting on
brightwork. Rubber is older but not yet failing.
Delamination on driver’s door vent window.
Slightly foul interior odor. Chipped
paint throughout the interior. Carpets are
worn and dirty. Unrestored engine bay
96 AmericanCarCollector.com
925. Pennant Blue/ beige vinyl. Odo: 238
miles. 235-ci 150-hp I6, 3x1-bbl, auto. One
of 300 examples finished in Pennant Blue.
Low restoration miles showing little use.
Numbers-matching older restoration in good
overall condition. Delamination on the windscreen
edges. Light pitting on brightwork,
with minor but noticeable scratching on the
bumpers. Passenger’s door is extremely
hard to close. Gaps around the trunk are
excessive. Interior is extremely tiny. Carpets
have been replaced. Vinyl is all in good order.
Driver’s door panel shows some scuffing.
Cond: 2.
#30-1954 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
roadster. VIN: E54S001-
SOLD AT $77,000. Four color choices were
made available in 1954, with Pennant Blue
being the most common after Polo White.
Still, the color accounts for less than 10% of
production for 1954, and was the only color
that was offered with a beige interior. Last
seen in 2011 at Worldwide’s Houston Classic,
where it sold for $86,900 (ACC#
2399764) and our reporter commented that
it was “well sold.” Missing from this car is
the pedigree often associated with blue-chip
Corvettes, such as NCRS or Bloomington
awards. The price here was fair, all things
considered.
TOP 10
Page 95
WORLDWIDE AUCTIONEERS // Arlington, TX
#161-1963 CHEVROLET CORVETTE custom
coupe. VIN: 30837S120505. Argento
Nürburgring/black leather. 6.2-L supercharged
V8, 6-sp. Split-Window on a modern
C7 chassis. Supercharged C7 engine.
Very exquisite build that blends old with
new. Excellent paint and coachwork. Door
fit is probably better than factory. Rubber
has all been replaced. Interior is very tidy.
Custom door panels. New gauges in old
locations. Power-window controls include
vent windows relocated to center console.
Radio hidden behind vent on dash. Hidden
door in glove compartment that reveals original
VIN and fender tag. Modern BMW donor
seats. Cond: 1-.
SCM, this L88 has only rolled a single mile
since Mecum offered it at their Anaheim
sale in 2012. There, it did not sell with a
high bid of $550k (ACC# 5214347). In 2013,
Gooding offered it at their Scottsdale sale,
where it changed hands for $825k (ACC#
5606950). The market has cooled, but there
is always a demand for rare Corvettes. The
catalog estimated this one between $650k
and $750k, which is a bit steep in today’s
market, but it was still a decent deal.
FOMOCO
NOT SOLD AT $200,000. The builder was
on site representing the car for the
consignor. He said his shop specializes in
custom Corvettes, but they only do one
over-the-top build such as this per year. He
mentioned this build was his first foray into
3-D printing, which assisted him with the
many one-off parts. Looking at the attention
to detail, there is little doubt that the low
catalog estimate of $225,000 was likely
near the break-even point. Although the car
did not sell, it was later found on a dealer’s
website for an undisclosed price.
194679S721263. Le Mans Blue/black vinyl.
Odo: 19,886 miles. 427-ci 430-hp V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. F41 suspension, Positraction, J50/J56
heavy-duty power brakes, engine-block
heater, K66 transistor ignition and audio
alarm. Described as the most original in
existence. Original paint is beginning to
craze in places. A few touch-ups on the
nose in a color that is not exact. Paint faded
in areas, but this adds to the charm. Panel
alignment is good overall. Entry-door stainless
scratched from use. Touched-up rear
deck from hard-top installment damage.
Carpets are original and good for age.
Seats show some collapsing of the foam.
Gauges are clean and clear. Good screen
printing still intact on dash pieces. Cond: 3.
1
#132-1969 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
L88 convertible. VIN:
SOLD AT $15,400. Trucks always seem to
fare well in Texas, and this one was no exception.
It was a great 20-footer, but up
close, the age of the restoration was obvious
and it had a few needs that could use
addressing. Overall, it was a good driver
ready for a Saturday night cruise-in. There
is a lot of aftermarket support in the pickup
truck arena so the sky’s the limit if someone
is into customization. Offered at no reserve,
very well sold given recent transactions.
SOLD AT $616,000. Also seen in July’s
#11-1955 FORD FAIRLANE Crown Victoria
2-dr sedan. VIN: U5DW232669. White/
tan vinyl. Odo: 54,961 miles. 272-ci V8,
2-bbl, auto. Continental kit and fender skirts.
Older restoration in good overall condition.
A few paint chips that are touched up here
and there. Paint touched up above the left
rear window. Light pitting on brightwork
throughout. Other glass is in good condition.
Rubber is cracked and hard around the
doors. Interior is in good condition. Seats
and door panels show very well. Headliner
reveals some staining around the rear
#14-1953 FORD F-100 pickup. VIN: F10D3D10734.
Maroon/brown & gray blanket.
Odo: 68,517 miles. 215-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp.
Older refreshing showing age. Paint beginning
to fade, with prep issues throughout.
Passenger’s door takes a considerable
amount of effort to close. Windscreen rubber
is new, with other gaskets having tears
throughout. Passenger’s door glass has
been replaced with Lexan and is extremely
scratched and faded. Running boards show
wear. Wood in bed is in decent condition.
Three boards were cut too short, with a
smaller piece wedged in to make up the
difference. Seat is loose. The carpets are
dirty with a large tear and wear at the driver’s
position. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $23,100. A local and very casual
gentleman with long, white hair, who was
dressed in beach attire and accompanied
by his four-legged companion, fell in love
with this car while walking through the gallery.
His enthusiasm for the car was apparent
as he shared with many people,
including members of the Monical family,
that he just had to have it. When the bidding
opened, he held back before easing into the
bidding and coming out victorious. He did
well and the car stays in Dallas area, where
it was originally built. Well bought.
#28-1960 FORD GALAXIE Sunliner convertible.
VIN: 0R55Y100647. Black/white
vinyl/white & black vinyl. Odo: 73,565 miles.
352-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Quality restoration
but showing age. Well equipped with AM
radio, power brakes, front seat, steering, top
and windows. Black paint is deep and well
applied, with clearcoat scratches and age
imperfections throughout. Bumpers are on
the dull side. Other brightwork is decent,
with slight pitting here and there. Vinyl top is
good overall. Passenger’s door plunger
must be pushed in very far to release the
door latch. Seat upholstery and door panels
are in very good condition. Carpets are
slightly worn. Nicely restored engine.
Cond: 2-.
window. Dash pulls are in good order with
screen printing intact. Carpet appears
slightly old and dingy and is bunched
around the transmission tunnel. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $53,900. Last sold at Worldwide’s
Houston sale in 2015 with two less miles on
the odometer for the exact same amount as
the no-reserve sale here (ACC# 6783835).
This year model was a one-year-only body
style, and previous sales over the past few
years can regularly be had for under $30k,
albeit for a lesser-condition car. Parts can
be scarce and restorations costs will add up
quickly, so having one in this condition is
well worth the price of entry. Well bought
then and well bought now.
July-August 2017 97
TOP 10
Page 96
WORLDWIDE AUCTIONEERS // Arlington, TX
#151-1963 SHELBY COBRA Dragonsnake
roadster. VIN: CSX2093. Pink/black
leather. Odo: 12,699 miles. 289-ci V8, 4x2bbl,
4-sp. Said to have the most wins of any
competition Cobra in history, holding titles in
four separate classes. By no means perfect,
but well preserved. Chipped paint on hood
near driver’s-side cowl. Painted graphics
restored to look authentic. Seats point to
some use, while carpets show little wear.
Shifter boot has a large tear. Racing slicks
look like they have visited the track a time
or two. Engine is tidy. Underside is clean.
Cond: 3-.
to begin with. I covered one of the other
examples produced in Grabber Green at
Mecum’s Dallas sale in 2013. Showing less
than 1,000 post-restoration miles, it commanded
a sales price of $198k, and I commented
that it was very well bought (ACC#
6449314). Since then, values have continued
to increase. Worldwide showed an estimate
of $275k to $325k.
AMERICANA
NOT SOLD AT $825,000. This one has
crossed the block six times now in the past
10 years. First offered in 2007 at Mecum’s
Kissimmee sale, where it sold for
$1,417,500 (ACC# 1569156). In 2011, it did
not sell at Mecum’s Monterey sale with a
top offer of $825,000 (ACC# 6765224). It
returned to Mecum’s Kissimmee sale in
2012, where it sold for $901,000 (ACC#
4776369). In 2014, it was offered at Mecum’s
Houston sale, where it was a no-sale
at $1.1m (ACC# 6708869). In 2016, RM
Sotheby’s handled the consignment at their
Phoenix sale, where it sold for $990,000
(ACC# 6798575). Offered here with a catalog
estimate of $1.1m–$1.3m, it was a nosale.
#115-1970 FORD MUSTANG Boss 429
fastback. VIN: 0F02Z126291. Grabber
Green/black vinyl. Odo: 35,514 miles. 429ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. In the Boss registry as KK
2302. Marti Report. High-quality restoration
as is typically performed on many a Boss
429. Paint is nearly flawless, with a few very
minor prep issues. Doors are a shade off
from the rest of the car. Rubber and gaskets
have all been replaced. Interior is restored.
Carpets have been replaced. Threshold
shows few signs of entry and exit. Pedals
show little wear. Cond: 2+. NOT SOLD AT
$210,000. Said to be one of 43 built in
Grabber Green; the original build sheet was
found inside the car during the restoration,
although it was pretty far gone. The mileage
was not reset at the time of the restoration,
as the car was a fairly low-mileage example
98 AmericanCarCollector.com
“
#42-1960 AMC RAMBLER Ambassador
sedan. VIN: H100777. White & pink/gray &
pink cloth. Odo: 553 miles. 327-ci V8, 4-bbl,
3-sp. Nice older restoration with very little
use. Paint appears well applied and good
overall quality. Brightwork has been redone
but shows light pitting on the bumpers.
Glass is clean and clear. Driver’s door is out
at the top rear; otherwise, panel fit is good.
Rubber has been replaced. Interior is nicely
restored. Carpets have been replaced.
Seats have been reupholstered. Dash paint
is very nice. All screen printing, knobs and
door hardware show well. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $18,700. Said to be built by enthusiasts
at the old factory using leftover
parts. This example was part of the Sterling
McCall Old Car Museum before being acquired
by the consignor in 2007. Auction
previewers were drawn to this one, possibly
because of the striking paint colors or the
unusual nature of the car itself. The restoration/build
costs likely outweigh the purchase
price, especially given the sourcing challenges
that go along with a not-so-popular
model of an orphaned brand. Offered at no
reserve, the price paid was fair. It could
later be found for sale on a dealer’s website
for $30,000. A
Said to be built by enthusiasts at the
old factory using leftover parts.
1960 AMC Rambler Ambassador sedan
”
Page 98
BRANSON // Branson, MO
Branson — Spring 2017
A first-time collector or restorer’s gold mine brought
substantial sales
Branson
Branson, MO
April 21–22, 2017
Auctioneers: Brent
Earlywine, Jeff Knosp
Automotive lots sold/
offered: 134/193
Sales rate: 69%
Sales total:
$2,625,795
high sale: 2010
Chevrolet Camaro
Hennessey HPE700
coupe, sold at $82,500
buyer’s premium:
10%, included in sold
prices
One of only 24 produced — 2010 Chevrolet Camaro hennessey hPe700 coupe, sold at $82,500
Report and photos by Andy Staugaard
Market opinions in italics
ACC 1–6 scale
condition rating
for vehicles in
Market Reports
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:
Salvageable for parts
100 AmericanCarCollector.com
Mark would wake up each morning trying to decide
which selection from his garage and hangar he would
drive and fly that day. He was a close personal friend and
mentor to Jim Cox, who owns the car auction today. It is
only fitting that this auction be dedicated to him, as he
surely had a hand in its outcome. He will be missed.
This year’s sale saw some damp weather, but Jim and
T
Kathy Cox had one of their best auctions ever, scoring a
sell-through rate of almost 70% and taking $2,625,795 to
the bank.
Branson is generally a great venue for some good
buys, and this year was no different, with plenty of good
cars available at reasonable prices. Overall, there were
91 fewer consignments here compared with the October
auction, but the company still managed to sell 134 — or
five more than was achieved in the fall. The sell-through
rate grew to 69% versus the 45% achieved in October.
The offerings in their past two auctions have improved
immensely, and the results show it.
With half of their sales going for under $24k with
his year the collector car and airplane markets
lost one of their biggest enthusiasts — Mark
Trimble. Mark started the Branson Auction
almost 40 years ago. He lived for collecting
cars and airplanes — in fact, locals said that
a median price of $15k, Branson’s offerings are aimed
squarely at someone looking to get a project car in decent
condition, or a first-time collector. Branson owner
Jim Cox reinforced this goal when he said the purpose of
the Branson auction is to “present you with the opportunity
to purchase a project car that you can afford so that
you and your son/daughter or kid down the street can
have a restoration experience neither will ever forget.”
The field consisted of mostly a good cross section of
American cars and trucks with a few European cars in
the mix. The top American sale was a 2010 Chevrolet
Camaro Hennessey HPE700 for $82.5k. Second was a
1941 Packard One-Twenty convertible that sold for $77k.
A 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 for $57.5k was a very
good deal. Another good buy and an excellent project
car was a 1949 Chevrolet Fleetline Deluxe for $16k.
And how about a 1972 Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne for just
under $14k? These were just a few of the good deals this
time at Branson.
You always get the friendly hometown treatment
in Branson, whether you are a buyer, seller or visitor.
There is plenty to do in and out of the auction. The next
Branson auction is scheduled for October 20–21, 2017,
and they are already taking consignments. Take a look at
what they have to offer at www.bransonauction.com.A
Page 100
BRANSON // Branson, MO
GM
#596-1959 OLDSMOBILE 98 convertible.
VIN: 599M16465. Frost Blue/blue cloth/tricolor
blue cloth & vinyl. Odo: 96,319 miles.
394-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Optioned with power
steering, brakes, windows, seats, trunk and
antennas. Older repaint still shows well with
tasteful pinstriping. Continental kit makes
this thing look really big. A lot of gap shows
on driver’s side door. Interior is very nice
and includes original tri-color cloth and vinyl
seats. However, front carpet is stained and
some door chrome is fading. Convertibletop
rubber needs to be replaced. Engine
bay and underside are good and match the
topside quality. Wheels include original hubcaps.
Custom headlights added. Cond: 3+.
#584-1962 CADILLAC SERIES 62 convertible.
VIN: 62F065425. Red/white vinyl/
red leather. Odo: 89,384 miles. 390-ci V8,
2-bbl, auto. Optioned with power everything.
Body and paint are in fair condition with
some signs of rust. Rubber door seals need
replacement. Chrome and trim are slightly
pitted inside and out. Interior looks to be
original in good condition, consistent with its
age and mileage. Engine bay and underside
are generally good and clean. Exhaust is
rusted. Vinyl top is worn and needs replacement.
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $14,500. A decent driver-quality
car that could be a show car with minimal
expense and a lot of elbow grease. The
auction listing states, “This is a nice unmolested
Muscle Car!” According to the ACC
Pocket Price Guide, the median value for
this car is $22.7k. Deduct $8k for its nonoriginal
327 engine and you come up with
the selling price. The car appeared in Branson
last October and was a no-sale at
$16.5k (ACC# 6810798). Well bought and
sold, but the seller must wish that they
would have taken the high bid in October.
NOT SOLD AT $20,000. A classic Olds 98
in good condition. These big boats won’t be
seen much longer on the auction circuit because
buyers who want them are becoming
more scarce every year. However, they do
demand a solid place in automobile history
and their likes will probably never be seen
again. If I had an auto museum, this one
would be in it. Seller should have taken the
high bid.
#580-1961 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE convertible.
VIN: 861P3725. Coronado Red/
white vinyl/Coronado Red leather. 389-ci
V8, 3x2-bbl, auto. Older repaint in excellent
condition with only minor polishing
scratches. Chrome and trim are excellent,
with minor scratches. Interior is original tritone
leather and really looks sharp. Engine
bay and underside match the topside quality.
Wheels are factory alloys with original
chrome hubcaps and rims surrounded by
new rubber. Cond: 2+.
NOT SOLD AT $23,500. The high bid was
right on the money for the condition of this
car. To get more, the seller needs to do at
least a complete cosmetic restoration. The
pitting of the chrome and trim is a concern,
as well as rust seen in several areas. It appears
that the car was exposed to excessive
moisture. The seller should have taken
the money and run.
#234-1964 CHEVROLET IMPALA SS 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 41447R106703. White/
cream vinyl. 327-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Repaint
not so good with lots of overspray. Fit is
good all around. Chrome and trim are generally
good but could be restored to realize
maximum show appeal. Interior is good for
its age but needs a new carpet. The engine
is a non-original (NOM) 327. Engine bay
and underside are good but need to be detailed.
Wheels are nice with factory SS hubcaps.
Glass is clear all around. Cond: 3.
#225-1965 PONTIAC LEMANS GTO replica
convertible. VIN: 237675P340979.
Red/white vinyl/cream vinyl. Odo: 50,988
miles. 389-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, auto. Recent repaint
poorly done. Chrome and trim need
restoration. Fit is just fair. New seats look
nice, but dash and doors distract from interior.
Engine needs paint along with detailing
in the engine bay. Underside needs restoration
to match the top side. Windshield is
cracked right down the middle. Cragar mags
are nice and really set it off. Optioned with
power steering and brakes. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $20,900. This GTO clone looks
really great at 20 feet. However, the devil is
in the details. It will come nowhere near the
$60k a true 1965 GTO convertible could
bring, but will fool some of the people some
of the time. Sold for a little under what it
should as a 1965 LeMans.
SOLD AT $46,200. This car looks like it just
came of the Pontiac assembly line. I doubt
you would find one in better condition. Back
in the ’60s, Pontiac made some of the most
beautiful cars in the world, and this is one of
them. A fair deal for both buyer and seller.
Well bought and sold.
102 AmericanCarCollector.com
“
#228-1965 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN utility.
VIN: C1465Z161649. Tan & white/tan
herringbone cloth & vinyl. 283-ci V8, 2-bbl,
auto. Paint is dull, could use a repaint. Fit is
good all around. Chrome and trim are good
for its age. Interior needs restoration but is
good for its age. Engine bay and underside
need detailing. Glass is clear all around but
frames are slightly rusted. Wheels would
look a lot nicer with some detailing. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $13,750. A mostly original Suburban
that has good investment potential with
They do demand a solid place in
automobile history and their likes will
probably never be seen again. If I had an
auto museum, this one would be in it.
1959 Oldsmobile 98 convertible
”
Page 102
BRANSON // Branson, MO
a little money and a lot of elbow grease.
Right now it is just driver quality but could
be a show vehicle. Good buy at the sales
price, with some room to work on restoration.
#577-1970 PONTIAC GTO Judge 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 242370P127817. Cardinal
Red/black vinyl. Odo: 39,200 miles. 400-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Paint is generally very
good, but slightly wavy and bubbled in
spots. Fit is good, but the doors are a bit
bouncy. Chrome and trim are all very good.
Interior is very good for its mileage. Engine
bay and underside are very nice with new
exhaust. Factory mag wheels are supernice
and really set it off. Glass is mostly
clear with minor scratches. PHS documentation
and build sheet included. Cond: 2-.
#506-1970 CHEVROLET C10 pickup. VIN:
CE140S128164. Burnt Orange & white/
black vinyl. Odo: 27,331 miles. 350-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Frame-off restoration very nicely
done. Paint, chrome and trim are very good,
with minor polishing swirls. Door fit looks to
be off from top to bottom. Interior is very
good, but a little too much chrome on the
door panels for my taste. Engine is nicely
done—just the right amount of chrome and
gloss level. Underside is clean but shows
some rust. Bed is clean, with thick bedliner
spray. Wheels really look nice and set truck
off. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $13,970. This is a very nice truck
and one that is in high demand on the auction
circuit. As long as it runs out right—and
it should with its late-model 350—it represents
a good investment potential. The
sales price was about $5k below what it
should be. Great buy.
SOLD AT $23,650. Very nice truck with a
popular color combination and born in the
right year. Would like to buy this one for my
grandson. Selling price is fair given its condition.
Both buyer and seller should be
happy with this deal.
NOT SOLD AT $42,000. This is a real-deal
GTO Judge with original matching-numbers
engine. In fact, most of the car looks to be
original. It sold at Mecum Palm Springs in
2015 for $48.6k, then was sold again at
Leake Tulsa in 2016 for $44k. Its high bid
here in Branson was $42k. For whatever
reason, it can’t break into the low $50k
range where it belongs.
Blue & white/blue houndstooth cloth & vinyl.
Odo: 83,343 miles. 350-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto.
Optioned with power steering, power
brakes, factory tach, cruise control and a/c.
Nice repaint in very good condition. Fit is
mostly good, but passenger’s door does not
completely close. Front bumper chrome
needs restoration to match body quality;
otherwise, chrome and trim are in good condition.
Non-original late-model 350 engine
bay needs detailing. Underside is clean.
Rally wheels with chrome spinners and
rings really look nice. Nice touch with thickly
sprayed bed liner and new tonneau cover.
Cond: 3+.
#220-1972 CHEVROLET C10 Cheyenne
pickup. VIN: CCE142S204660.
#279-1973 CHEVROLET CAMARO RS
coupe. VIN: 1587K3N142947. Maroon/
black herringbone cloth & vinyl. Odo: 88,882
miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Poor body,
paint, chrome and trim. All are candidates
for restoration. Fit is sloppy. The seats look
nice with new herringbone seat covers, but
the rest of the interior is poor. Engine bay
and underside are extremely dirty and both
need a cosmetic restoration. Minor
scratches on glass all around. Cond: 3-.
NOT SOLD AT $11,500. This car might
have sold to a higher bid if it had been cosmetically
restored. After all, it is a 1973 Camaro
RS. However, it will never sell for
much more than the high bid in its current
condition.
#278-1976 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
VIN: 2W87Z6N597643. Burnt Orange/Burnt
Orange vinyl. Odo: 79,682 miles. 400-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Repaint shows well at 20 feet,
but a closer inspection shows numerous
scratches, chips and cracks. Passenger’s
104 AmericanCarCollector.com
BEST
BUY
Page 103
door fit is off. Minimal chrome in fair condition.
The interior is very good for its age and
mileage. Engine bay is very good. Underside
needs to be restored to match topside
condition. Mag wheels with chrome rings
and raised-white-letter tires look nice.
Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $14,300. This car is a
level above daily-driver condition and begs
for a complete restoration. With the popularity
of Trans Ams these days, it would pay
for the new owner to do so. Price paid was
about right for its condition. Both buyer and
seller should be pleased.
#248-1976 PONTIAC FIREBIRD Formula
coupe. VIN: 2U87M6N533191. Blue/blue
vinyl. Odo: 78,422 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Paint is poor with scratches, chips and
overspray in the wrong places. Fit is also
poor with bouncy doors. Chrome and trim
are fair but could use restoration. Interior is
really rough and needs restoration. Engine
bay is poor, with too much gloss black paint
for my taste. Underside needs cleaning.
Glass is fair with minor scratches. Cond: 3-.
glass, and the rear glass has streaks.
Cond: 3-.
BRANSON // Branson, MO
CORVETTE
#526-1982 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Collector
Edition coupe. VIN: 1G1AY078XC5106383.
Silver & black/silver vinyl. Odo:
10,390 miles. 350-ci 200-hp fuel-injected
V8, auto. Original paint in very good condition.
Passenger’s door fit looks a bit wide.
Smoked removable T-top glass in great
condition. Interior looks like new, with minor
wear. Clean and presentable engine bay
and underside. Alloy wheels are very nice.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $25,300. These Y88 Trans Ams
are hot right now at auctions. However, this
particular T/A needs some help. It was sold
here in Branson two years ago for $21,330
(ACC# 6783770). In that time it only accumulated
20 miles. However, the owner had
a 19% gain in two years—not a bad return
on their investment. Well sold.
2G1FT1EW-1A9117882. Black/black
leather. Odo: 4,250 miles. 6.2-L supercharged
V8, 6-sp. Body, paint and fit are all
excellent, with just a few minor chips. Engine
bay is nicely detailed, showing off the
big supercharged LS9 725-hp engine. Interior
is very good. Tinted glass is clear all
around. Lightweight alloy wheels wrapped
with Michelin Pilot Sport 2 rubber add to the
appeal. An exceptional car. Cond: 2+.
5
NOT SOLD AT $15,000. This car needs
some work. In fact, I am surprised that it bid
as high as it did. Seller should have taken
the money and ran to the bank.
#261-1978 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
VIN: 2W87K8L184824. Black/tan vinyl.
Odo: 77,401 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Options include a/c, WS6 handling package,
tilt steering column, power windows
and power locks. The radio is not original.
The build sheet confirms the Y88 package.
Paint is fair, with numerous scratches and
chips. Fit is sloppy. Trim needs restoration.
Interior looks to be mostly original but needs
restoration. In fact, the mirror control lever
and driver’s side door handle are hanging
down against the door panel. Engine bay
and underside need detailing. Minor chips in
“
SOLD AT $82,500. Number 14 of 24 produced
by Hennessey Performance. Since
1991, racer John Hennessey’s company
has been making fast cars even faster. This
Camaro is no exception. According to the
auction listing, it has a top speed of 201
mph. If you love horsepower, this is the car
for you. It’s hard to place a value on that
kind of speed, but someone at Branson did.
I can only assume that both the buyer and
seller were happy.
Since 1991, racer John Hennessey’s
company has been making fast cars even
faster. This Camaro is no exception.
2010 Chevrolet Camaro Hennessey HPE700 coupe
#574-2010 CHEVROLET CAMARO
Hennessey HPE700 coupe. VIN:
SOLD AT $21,175. Beautiful color scheme.
This collector-edition Corvette was the last
of the C3 series. It came with unique hatchback
rear glass and Crossfire engine. With
its low mileage and excellent condition, the
buyer paid a premium but bought a beautiful
collectible. Well bought and sold.
#237-2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
VIN: 1G1YY32G245113473. Red/
black cloth/black vinyl. Odo: 48,783 miles.
5.7-L 350-hp fuel-injected V8, auto. Paint
very good to excellent. Fit is good all
around. Engine bay shows off the LS1 engine
nicely. Underside is very good to match
topside quality. Vinyl seats have some
cracking consistent with age but overall the
interior is very good. Glass is clear. Build
sheet, window sticker and order invoice included.
Cond: 2-.
”
SOLD AT $20,500. This is one nice C5 Corvette.
It has obviously been well kept and
pampered. Not an investment car by any
means but a great starter car for those
wanting to take part in the Corvette world. It
will show well, drive well and go on those
long club trips without worry. At a median
market price of $19k, the hammered price is
right on. Good deal for both buyer and
seller.
July-August 2017 105
TOP 10
Page 104
BRANSON // Branson, MO
FOMOCO
#244-1939 FORD DELUXE custom roadster.
VIN: SP25929LA. White Diamond
Metalflake/black leather. Fiberglass-bodied
street rod. Paint is excellent and sparkling in
White Diamond Metalflake. The body consists
of removable hard top and suicide
doors. Fit is good. Chrome and trim need no
more work. Interior contains tilt steering,
digital instruments, a/c, power windows, CD
sound system and leather bucket seats.
Engine bay is very nice, showing off its Corvette
LS1 engine. Underside matches the
topside quality. A set of Foose wheels underscore
the beauty of it all. Cond: 2-.
#223-1949 FORD F-1 pickup. VIN: 98RC187820.
Red/tan vinyl. Odo: 65,533 miles.
239-ci V8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Older restoration
very nicely done. Paint still shows well.
Panel fit, chrome and trim are very good.
Interior is nice. Engine bay needs a cosmetic
restoration to match the quality of the
truck body. Underside is good. Nice steel
wheels with original dog-dish hubcaps
mated to wide whites. Glass is good and
clear. The bed wood is very nice. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $28,600. This is one beautiful
street rod. There is not much more to do on
this one. Street rod values are hard to estimate
because the beauty of each one is in
the eye of the beholder, or builder. In this
case, the eye of the seller and the buyer
saw the same beauty. Great buy at $28.6k.
There is no way you could build your own
for this price.
#246-1949 FORD F-3 pickup. VIN: 98RY253997.
Red/tan vinyl. Odo: 212 miles. 239ci
V8, 2-bbl, 4-sp. Older restoration. Paint
and body are good but need more shine. Fit
is good all around. Chrome and trim are
good but could use some buffing up. The
interior is nicely restored and includes new
dash gauges. It is optioned with an exceptionally
rare a/c system under the cab. Engine
bay and underside are very nice and
match the topside quality. Glass is clear all
around. The bed wood has been nicely finished.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $18,425. A very clean and popular
F1 pickup. This one is a good example
and sold slightly below market value. Well
bought.
#514-1956 FORD F-100 custom pickup.
VIN: F10D6R25447. Light green/tan vinyl.
Odo: 143,420 miles. 4.0-L fuel-injected V6,
auto. Body and paint are excellent. Fit is
good. Underside is partially done, needs to
be completed. Trim and chrome are very
good. Glass is good all around. Engine bay
fair, needs detailing. Bedliner very nicely
done. All-steel body on a 1999 Ford Explorer
4WD chassis and drivetrain. Vintage
Air, upgraded radio, Mickey Thompson rims
wrapped in chunky tires. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $28,600. An old truck body on a
newer truck frame. A good combination and
a beautiful truck. I guess you would call this
a resto-truck. Price was in line with most
well-done trucks, especially a 1956 F-100.
Fair deal for both buyer and seller.
SOLD AT $20,625. This F-3 was a frameoff
restoration from a rust-free original truck.
The price paid here seems fair given the
current market. Good deal for both buyer
and seller.
106 AmericanCarCollector.com
#241-1960 FORD F-100 pickup. VIN: F10J0N20610.
Red/red & white vinyl. 351-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Paint is good but needs to be
buffed out to eliminate orange peel. Fit is
generally good but suffers from the typical
Page 105
BRANSON // Branson, MO
old-truck door bounce. Chrome and trim are
good but need some restoration. Engine
bay and underside need detailing. Interior is
very nice and the best part of this truck.
Windshield and door glass are good. Side
vents need replacing. Good-condition steel
bed contains protective rubber mat.
Cond: 3+.
about what a common 1965 Mustang coupe
should sell for. The Alice Cooper name did
not impress the bidders.
MOPAR
#247-1968 PLYMOUTH SATELLITE Road
Runner replica convertible. VIN: RH27D8G234159.
Orange & black/white vinyl/black
vinyl. Odo: 93,742 miles. 440-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Recent repaint with minor buffing
swirls. Chrome and trim are very good. Interior
is very nice and looks to be original.
Aftermarket chrome wheels really look great
and show well. The engine bay is good but
the engine needs to be detailed, if not repainted.
Underside needs detailing to match
the top side. Glass is clear all around.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $16,775. This truck is not a show
truck but could easily be brought up to that
level with a small investment. It appeared in
Branson a year ago in exactly the same
condition when it sold for $14.3k (ACC#
6799509). The new owner picked up a couple
thousand dollars, giving a 16% return on
investment in a year. Plus, the owner was
able to enjoy it for a year. Well bought and
sold.
#613-1965 FORD MUSTANG coupe. VIN:
5R07C205623. Black/red vinyl. Odo: 2,437
miles. 289-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Paint and interior
are very good. New white-faced instruments
present well against the black and
red car colors. Driver’s door fit is a bit off.
Chrome and trim need to be restored. Engine
is dirty and dripping oil. Underside is
dirty and needs to be detailed to match the
topside. Glass is good all around. Cond: 3+.
very popular on the auction circuit. This one
seems to be mostly original but just in driver
condition. A good cosmetic restoration
would do wonders for its presentation, as
well as its bidding. A few dollars spent on
presentation might have gotten the job
done.
SPECIAL
#605-1977 SOROSUUB CORP. X-34
Landspeeder replica roadster. Sand/black
vinyl. Auction listing description: “Offered
here is a full-sized working replica of Luke’s
X-34 Landspeeder from the 1977 “Star
Wars” film. The custom fiberglass body
comes from the mold of a fan who spent
100s of hours painstakingly researching &
then carving it to the correct dimensions of
the original screen-used landspeeder. From
there, a custom tube chassis was designed
with air shocks and an on board compressor
for adjustable ride height. The landspeeder
is powered by an electric Club Car
golf cart engine with all drive components
also from the Club Car so parts are readily
available.” Cond: 1.
SOLD AT $23,925. Although this car is a
basic Plymouth Satellite, it shows well. It is
a well-done Road Runner clone that would
fool most people. (Thanks to the seller for
being honest, because it would have fooled
me). The market value of a Road Runner is
about double that of a Satellite, so it pays to
do the conversion. Well sold.
AMERICANA
#226-1979 JEEP CJ-5 SUV. VIN: J9M83AC063938.
Red/tan cloth/black vinyl. Odo:
35,049 miles. 258-ci I6, 2-bbl, 4-sp. Body
and paint look to be original and in good
condition for its age and mileage. Engine
bay and underside are poor. Interior shows
its rough usage and age. Glass is fair with
NOT SOLD AT $18,000. According to the
auction listing, this car was “previously
owned by Rock n’ Roll legend, Alice Cooper.
Alice had this car restored to his personal
specifications including fresh glossy
black paint with red decals, new red interior,
custom gauges, GT front grille, fog lights
and 15” wheels with new rubber. It is accompanied
by an original registration in Alice’s
name, his Arizona historic license plate
and a photocopy of the title in his name.
Alice has also boldly signed the glovebox
door.” With all of that, the high bid was just
NOT SOLD AT $27,000. I included this
“car” from a place far, far away just for fun.
Apparently this thing moves on its own
power and was built with the intention of
loading on and off trailers. I was actually
surprised that the bid ran up to $27k. Of
course, there is no way to estimate a value
for it—although Luke sold his for 2k credits—but
is was fun seeing it cross the block
and watching people bid on it. Maybe there
is someone out there who will pay the reserve
price. According to Luke, ever since
the XP-38 model came out, the demand for
the X-34 just isn’t there, and it showed with
a no-sale here. Good luck finding an XP-38,
though. A
CAR COLLECTOR
minor scratches. Painted steel wheels do
not do anything for its appeal. Cond: 3. NOT
SOLD AT $11,000. The CJ-5 is currently
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July-August 2017 107
877.219.2605 Ext. 1
AMERICAN
™
Keith Martin’s
Page 106
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ROUNDUP
Selected Sales Combined in One Comprehensive Report
American Highlights
at Three Auctions
GM
#102-1955 OLDSMOBILE 88 2-dr sedan.
VIN: 557C67605. White & blue/white vinyl &
blue velour. Odo: 95,118 miles. 324-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Door jambs are different shade
of white than body. Good-sized ding in driprail
trim on driver’s side. Chipped paint and
surface rust evident above rear glass trim.
Black California plates with no date tags.
Missing passenger’s side turn-signal cover,
leaving the amber bulb exposed. Bug guts
surrounding the bulb. White-and-blue theme
carries inside. Blue wheels might have once
matched hues with the body, but no longer.
Dents and dings in full wheel caps.
Cond: 2-.
1967 Chevrolet Chevelle 2-dr hard top, sold for $36,180 at Silver Auctions,
Vancouver, WA
Silver
Vancouver, WA — April 22, 2017
Auctioneer: Mitch Silver
Automotive lots sold/offered: 40/98
Sales rate: 41%
Sales total: $363,798
high sale: 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle 2-dr hard top,
sold at $36,180
buyer’s premium: 8%, minimum of $250,
included in sold price
Report and photos by Chad Tyson
H&H
Duxford, u.K. — March 29, 2017
Auctioneers: Simon Hope, Julian Royse
Automotive lots sold/offered: 78/120
Sales rate: 65%
Sales total: $5,551,373
high American sale: 1961 Chevrolet Corvette
convertible, sold at $62,987
buyer’s premium: 12.5%, minimum of $187,
included in sold prices ($1.00 = £0.80)
Report and photos by Paul Hardiman
Silverstone
Northamptonshire, u.K. — May 13, 2017
Auctioneers: Jonathan Humbert
Automotive lots sold/offered: 54/75
Sales rate: 72%
Sales total: $4,667,433
high American sale: 1954 Chevrolet Corvette
roadster, sold at $79,557
buyer’s premium: 12.5%, included in sold
prices ($1.00 = £0.80)
Report and photos by Paul Hardiman
NOT SOLD AT $15,000. Anyone surprised
there’s an AARP Premier Member sticker in
the back window? I’m not saying these cars
appeal to people of a certain age and no
one else, but I’m just saying it seems that
way. Not necessarily Tri-Five-era cars in
general, but the Olds, Cadillac and Buicks
aren’t hauling around younger families like
they once might have. All that said, there
wasn’t the right buyer here. Bid was light by
several grand, as compared with recent
sales. Silver Auctions, Vancouver, WA,
04/17.
#98-1958 CHEVROLET DEL RAY 2-dr
sedan. VIN: 858L172731. Brick Red/black
vinyl. Odo: 71,549 miles. 396-ci V8, 2x4-bbl,
auto. Flat paint stands out among the overpolished
offerings. Lone license plate sitting
on rear package tray. Tags expired
10/2014. Del Ray vinyl script on quarters
matches OMF Racing script in back glass.
Car card says auto transmission, but there’s
still a third pedal and an apparently manual
shifter sticking up from the floor. Cond: 3.
1954 Chevrolet Corvette roadster, sold for $79,557 at Silverstone, u.K.
108 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $12,690. Definitely for the rat-rod
fan, even if the trim is too nice to qualify.
Page 107
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Seller’s card states, “This coupe drives and
looks great and ready for your next car
show!” The expired tags and transmission
confusion didn’t hold back bidding, as the
car sold where it should have. Anything
more and it’d need to be an Impala. Silver
Auctions, Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
#42-1960 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 860S10064. Majestic Amethyst
Metallic/gray velour. Odo: 62,175
miles. 389-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Two distinct
purples going on here—one on exterior
panels and one in engine bay, trunk, wheels
and jambs, and they don’t complement one
another. Per papers accompanying car,
exterior purple from 2007 Chevy HHR, with
the appropriately obnoxious name. Other
purple looks like it was stolen from the
Joker. Sidepipes are cool here. Cracking
vinyl on front seat sides. Big tub of detailing
equipment in cavernous, carpeted trunk
(gray, not purple). Bulb missing from trunk
lamp. Three 1960 Pontiac shop manuals on
front seat. Purple seat belts front and rear to
match painted purple dash (the comic-book
color). Cond: 3+.
family that had owned it 22 years. A lot of
car for the money, and $6k is really not that
much for novelty value. H&H Auctions,
Duxford, U.K., 03/17.
#29-1963 CADILLAC ELDORADO convertible.
VIN: 63E139468. White/white
canvas/red vinyl. Odo: 21,487 miles. 390-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Great presence—a length
of 223 inches will get you that. I like the colors,
as the bright red vinyl interior isn’t terribly
obvious walking up to the car. Paint
shines nicely under the lights. Numerous
off-color touch-ups on tailfins—almost looks
like someone just splashed on whiteout.
Right rear spat sticks out at the back.
Cracked paint exposing a little bit of body
filler in four spots around the body. Slightly
cloudy gauges match the equally dirty carpet
and the somewhat-fitted vinyl seats.
None stand out as bad, however. Moderately
dirty engine bay just needs a good
scrub. Cond: 3.
OUNDUP
GLOBAL
SOLD AT $10,530. Once you go custom...
you must lower your asking price... sometimes
significantly. Recent sales for 1961–
64 Bonneville 2-dr hard tops come to a
median of $39k. You tell me if there was too
much purple going on here. Seller likely
realized this was as good an offer as they
were going to get and cut bait. Silver Auctions,
Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
#39-1961 CADILLAC ELDORADO sedan.
VIN: 61D110498. Eng. # 14122243. White/
gray leather. Odo: 34,068 miles. 390-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Straight, repainted, some poorman’s
chrome on front-bumper trim, interior
all there but a little tired. The perfect cruiser,
and a bit unusual in the U.K. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $15,660. Caught my eye right
when I walked into the auction hall. If only
we still made cars like these! Seemed to me
to be a cared-for car. Maybe not with carte
blanche, but it has neither the appearance
of being shuffled from dealer to dealer nor
of being shuttered away in a barn. An overall
used but loved feeling was my impression.
A slightly depressed price makes
sense for a slightly depressed car. I’d just
take it as-is and not worry too much if there
is some incidental contact in a parking lot.
Fair deal. Silver Auctions, Vancouver,
WA, 04/17.
SOLD AT $6,299. First registered in the
U.K. in 1989. Offered at no reserve, from a
#66-1967 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE Malibu
2-dr hard top. VIN: 1361771114113.
Sunburst Orange/black vinyl/black cloth.
Odo: 54,990 miles. 327-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
“Look at the paint!” Mitch Silver’s signature
auction line (to my mind, at least) wholly
applicable here. Claimed 500 miles since
frame-off restoration/modification. Vinyl top
well fitted. Modern console integrated into
interior rather well, helped by custom upholstery.
Auto Meter tach strapped to the column,
matching the volt/oil/water trio below
the dash. Possibly original radio not hooked
up. Smoothed firewall and body-color engine
bay a little off-putting here, more of a
street rod thing than muscle car. Classic
Auto Air a/c system. Small block “approximately”
rated at 350 ponies. Cond: 2+.
July-August 2017 109
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SOLD AT $36,180. Another of the nonstock
muscle cars at Silver. Difference here
was that it sold. It attracted all the right attention,
as there seemed to be a line around
the car most of the morning into afternoon.
Strong price for a car in good condition. The
custom choices didn’t wow me, but there
were a few people here that obviously
thought otherwise. I wonder how repeatable
this price is, however. Silver Auctions,
Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
#50-1968 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO SS
396 pickup. VIN: 138808Z166390. Torch
Red/ black vinyl. Odo: 39,674 miles. 396-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Clean paint and graphics.
Seller states frame-off restoration 20 years
prior; also that engine is number matching,
but that’s the only part they directly claim as
such. Rest of powertrain—12-bolt and
Turbo 400—should stand up to whatever
the driver wants to do to it. Power steering
and discs make driving easy. Driver’s door
card a bit of a mess, with the lock ferrule not
clipped in and bent window fuzzies. Rest of
interior clean and newish. Glovebox door
latches askew. Buyer can choose steel Rallies
already on it, or opt for chromed Torq
Thrust lookalikes when purchased.
Cond: 2-.
fuel-injected V8, auto. Paint would stand out
in the deep blue sea. Top body molding not
staying put in all spots. Aftermarket carbonfiber-look
gauges, with blue accenting to
match the electric exterior paint. Auto shifter
done to look as a manual. CD player in
dash. Convertible boot thrown on back seat,
with underside showing plenty of wear. Stat
sheet states original 350 block and heads,
but with a 0.030 bore and a whole host of
other goodies: TRW pistons and rings,
COMP’s 268 roller cam, CVF racing pulley
set, Edelbrock intake, MSD Digital 6AL,
MSD Atomic EFI and Optima battery in
trunk. Cond: 2-.
done wrap-around steering wheel makes
me wonder what it’s covering. Rust where
windshield meets dash. Cond: 2. SOLD AT
$12,636. My affinity for these front-wheeldrive,
119-inch-wheelbase American grand
tourers aside, this had as nice an interior as
any older car at the sale. Not everything
was perfect, as those spots of rust should
give pause but aren’t going to keep the car
off of the road. Oldsmobile pumped out
26,497 of these for 1968, so they aren’t
rare. But this was an above-average example
for a middle-of-the-market price. The
latest ACC Pocket Price Guide pegs the
market median at $12,400 for ’68 Toronados.
Cap tip towards the buyer here. Silver
Auctions, Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
NOT SOLD AT $17,000. Perhaps it’s best
to describe this car as a by-the-book-ifsomebody-else-told-you-what-a-resto-mod-was
job. Confusion of car’s purpose is
summed up by seller, “Completely rebuilt,
restored and modernized to drive like a
brand new 2016 vehicle.” Well, which is it?
Restored or modernized? Also, the transmission
has a 2,500-rpm stall convertor, but
just 2.73 gears. These contradictions in purpose
make it easy to see why bidding
stopped where it did, as stock ones tend to
reach mid-$20k pretty easily. Good luck
next time to the seller, but the right buyer
has to come along to get a higher bid. Silver
Auctions, Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
NOT SOLD AT $16,500. VIN checks in as
an SS. Auto might be a drawback for some,
but it shouldn’t have held back bidding this
much. The market median value for third
gens is nearly double this bid at $28,200, so
the seller was right to refuse this lackluster
bid. A crowd gathered around the car most
of the preview and start of auction, but the
right buyer wasn’t in the hall. Won’t be hard
to top this bid next time. Silver Auctions,
Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
#64-1968 PONTIAC LEMANS convertible.
VIN: 237678B102903. Viper Blue/black
canvas/black vinyl. Odo: 388 miles. 355-ci
110 AmericanCarCollector.com
#67-1968 OLDSMOBILE TORONADO 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 394878M623465. White &
dark green/dark green vinyl/black vinyl.
Odo: 41,801 miles. 455-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Various minor nicks and dings in two-tone
paint except for one big one on top of
fender. Vinyl top smooth, no obvious rust
bubbles. Odd discoloration, as a much
brighter green than the surrounding vinyl,
on section underneath rear window. Roof,
drip rail and window trim could use a polish.
Window weatherstripping falling apart.
Deep, dark green upholstery almost as dark
as the black carpet, and in remarkable condition.
Barely a dent in driver’s seat. Flat
floor makes cabin feel huge. Poorly
#65-1969 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO
pickup. VIN: 136809Z366928. Red/black
velour. Odo: 1,107 miles. 408-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. 396-ci V8 bored 0.060 over, with LS6
heads. Newish trim and glass. Deep, gorgeous
paint. Black-painted bedliner, with
panels done separately. All the right alphabet-soup
parts and names from mail-order
parts catalogs: COMP Cams valvetrain,
Barry Grant carb, Optima, MSD, B&M, K&N,
Vintage Air a/c, all the way down to the BF
Goodrich T/As. Headers bluing nicely. Spotless
brake booster, but most everything in
engine bay clean and tidy. Interior done in
same fashion: Painless harness, Auto Meter
gauges, Billet Specialties, Thunder Road
dash, and LEDs everywhere. Four-wheel
disc brakes. Cond: 2+.
NOT SOLD AT $20,000. A resto-mod with a
clear purpose—street fun. Dude sitting in
driver’s seat was more than happy to crank
it over and rev it up. Runs out like a monster—a
good thing in this case. But all for
naught today. Perhaps having a stock El
Camino nearby wasn’t what this car (or
seller) needed. Seen previously at Mecum’s
2016 Portland auction, where it didn’t sell at
a high bid of $25k (ACC# 6809065). The
bids are trending the wrong direction, but I
think that was more of the crowd than the
car here. Silver Auctions, Vancouver,
WA, 04/17.
#49-1972 CHEVROLET C10 Cheyenne
Super pickup. VIN: CCE142S142548. Blue
& white/blue vinyl. Odo: 12,246 miles. 350ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Lots of clean, painted
parts in engine bay—except radiator support
bolts, all of which seem to have surface
Page 109
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GLOBAL
rust. Nice contrast against the black, I suppose.
Crate engine. A/C needs recharging.
Aftermarket stick-on reflective panels on
underside of hood. Best-condition bench
I’ve seen in one of these. Cheyenne 10 Super
script in remarkable shape, so likely not
original. Only deformity on driver’s seat,
with the leg grooves already worn in. Mirrored
glovebox door. CD player in place of
radio, part of $3k system. Wood panel
around gauges in decent shape. Spray-in
bedliner painted same blue as body. Cooper
Cobra Radial G/Ts on super-shiny
chrome wheels. Cond: 2.
men of a certain age, but this bid was above
the current market median ($21,200) for an
average car. Well, the Bicentennial edition
ones go for $44k, but there are just 200 of
those. GM made 14k of these “last convertibles,”
and with emissions where applicable,
I’m a little surprised it did this well. That’s
what originality gets you, but not really, as
the seller is still holding out for more. Good
luck. Silver Auctions, Vancouver, WA,
04/17.
NOT SOLD AT $24,000. Made me miss
Editor Pickering’s old K10. But what a crazy
world it has become when $24k won’t get
the high bidder this truck. It’s a damn nice
truck, but one could easily argue it’s too
nice. It really is only a matter of time for the
market to catch up with what the seller
wanted here. Silver Auctions, Vancouver,
WA, 04/17.
#53-1976 CADILLAC ELDORADO convertible.
VIN: 6L675S6Q246590. Copper/
tan cloth/tan vinyl. Odo: 31,364 miles. 500ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Seller’s note says it’s a
time capsule, with 31k original miles and
just two owners from new—likely the fate of
many of the ’76 convertibles. Trim along
windshield reveals scratches, but nothing
major. Scar along top of passenger’s door,
but not into primer. Wrinkly, baggy front
seats make me wonder how much padding
is left. Rear seats in much better shape.
Interior clean otherwise. Surface rust on
master cylinder, body bolts and horns.
Components for a/c system are new. Lots of
oxidation on alternator—like it went through
a salt spray. Cond: 3. NOT SOLD AT
$23,000. Nice and original are the best I
can say about this car. I know the ’76 Caddy
convertibles hold a special place for
“
574. Eng. # 0646917F54YG. White/red
leather. Odo: 44,381 miles. 235-ci 155-hp
I6, 3x1-bbl, auto. Nicely restored five years
ago, from what sounds like a very original
car, and well kept since, although new interior
is leather rather than vinyl. One small
paint chip in right edge of bonnet. Excellent
chrome. Cond: 1-.
CORVETTE
6
#326-1954 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
roadster. VIN: E54S004-
Sports Car Market
Keith Martin’s
The Insider’s Guide to Collecting, Investing, Values, and Trends
™
SOLD AT $79,557. An indicator of how
carefully this has been kept was when the
owner whinged about the display card resting
against the left wheelarch... Oh well, it
bodes well for the next owner, who paid a
U.K.-market-correct sum. You have to wonder
how much more it would have been
An indicator of how carefully this
has been kept was when the owner
whinged about the display card resting
against the left wheelarch...
1954 Chevrolet Corvette roadster
”
Subscribe to SCM
today and become a
collector car insider
www.sportscarmarket.com
July-August 2017 111
TOP 10
Page 110
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ROUNDUP
worth if left properly original, as it sounds as
if it’s only one step removed... Alas, it’s too
late. Silverstone, Northamptonshire, U.K.,
05/17.
#83-1961 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
VIN: 10867S107539. Maroon &
white/black vinyl. Odo: 92,018 miles. 283-ci
230-hp V8, 4-bbl, 3-sp. Restored 2007 and
looks little used since, as it all presents very
well. Paint still nice, interior vinyl good with
excellent dash and instruments, motor in
factory finishes and no add-ons. Cond: 2-.
FOMOCO
#71-1940 MERCURY EIGHT sedan. VIN:
99A133396. White/blue & white sparkly vinyl.
Odo: 69,730 miles. Decent repaint of
unknown age. Door fit not perfectly aligned
on passenger’s side. Engine, radiator, exhaust
and wiring wear their age proudly.
Flathead has thickest V-belt I’ve ever seen
running the accessories. Glass washer-fluid
jar hooked up to hoses. Real surprise when
opening door with sparkly white-and-blue
seats and door panels. Two-tone-blue dash
featuring a column shift. Trunk light wiring
just hanging wrapped in electrical tape, not
connected to anything in particular. Cond: 3.
bay haphazardly. Les Schwab battery on
already corroding posts. Interior is a clash
of eras. Seats possibly from a ’90s minivan.
Plastic loop to hold the pillar-mounted seat
belts still sandwiched between the seat
back and headrest on both sides—rather
jarring. Whitewalls pretty clean. Missing a
lug on driver’s side rear wheel. Cond: 3+.
NOT SOLD AT $13,500. The seller wants
somewhere north of here for this one, apparently.
But recent sales for the customized
post-war Ford customs hover a little
above $14k. Seems the buyers knew that
here and bid accordingly. Silver Auctions,
Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
SOLD AT $62,987. On the money for a
nice, stock, restored C1 in the U.K. May
look cheapish in dollars thanks to the shift in
exchange rates since last June. H&H Auctions,
Duxford, U.K., 03/17.
#59-2002 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
VIN: 1G1YY32G425116243.
Red/black cloth/tan leather. Odo: 102,900
miles. 5.7-L 350-hp fuel-injected V8, auto.
Well-kept late-model ’Vette. C7 Stingray
emblems added to fenders. Seller’s notes
indicate they kept it in the garage when not
in use and they have all service records.
Plenty of road rash on front bumper cover.
Fog lamps hazing over. Driver’s seat shows
appreciable wear and passenger’s getting
there. Z06 wheels. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $12,690. Although it was tucked
about as far away from the stage as possible—while
still being inside—people still
walked back to check over this Mercury. I
even heard a pair of guys remark how nice
it was to see one that hadn’t been streetrodded.
Seems to me that enough of them
have been chopped, channeled and
frenched to the moon and back that working
over a 4-door sedan just isn’t worth the extra
effort. Pre-war car sold for post-war
money. Even the regular sedans can bring
in double this without much more polish.
Perhaps the sparkles scared away bidders.
Silver Auctions, Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
SOLD AT $11,772. Well, based on current
laws, we know they (any auto manufacturer
in the U.S.) won’t be making pop-up headlights
anymore. So in that sense this was a
dying breed. But otherwise it was the same
car that’s available in the random upperlevel
used-car lot. You know the kind—Audis,
Bimmers, probably a Caddy CTS or
two. But the price paid here was likely better
than that random dealer. This auction featured
a number of later-model cars that
brought similar under-market results. Good
job by the buyer hopping in at this price.
Silver Auctions, Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
112 AmericanCarCollector.com
#38-1948 FORD DELUXE 2-dr sedan. VIN:
899A2346655. Blue/gray velour. Odo:
70,587 miles. 239-ci V8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Painter
did a good job, as there are minor nicks and
scratches but no obvious prep errors. Pinstriper
did even better. Doors open suicidestyle.
Blue-dot taillamps. Dark window tint.
Clean engine bay in nearly all black, save
the carb, fuel pump, oil-fill tube and
chromed alternator. Wires crossing the
#100-1959 FORD THUNDERBIRD 2-dr
hard top. VIN: J9YH145819. White/tan vinyl.
Odo: 61,561 miles. 430-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Repaint from 18 years ago holding up
pretty well. Some chips on trunk edge. One
larger spot of peeling. Black paint in C-pillar
trim mostly gone. Trim needs polishing.
Bright blue valve covers and white air
cleaner assembly serve to highlight surfacerusted
exhaust, master cylinder and transmission
housing. J-code pumped out 350
horsepower when new. Transmission reportedly
rebuilt recently. Sheepskin seat
covers over good-condition upholstery.
Back seats show practically no wear. White
paint worn off most of steering-wheel ring.
Gauge lenses a little hazy. Rubber between
back seat and package tray seriously deteriorated.
Cond: 3.
NOT SOLD AT $12,000. The bid was light,
as the median for these is $16,800. And this
one belongs at the median. It’s not perfect,
but nothing jumps out as an immediately big
bill. So I credit the seller for sticking to his
guns, knowing what it’s worth. Better luck
next time. Silver Auctions, Vancouver,
WA, 04/17.
#58-1965 FORD F-100 pickup. VIN: F10JR616185.
Blue/blue vinyl. Odo: 79,845
miles. 351-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Awfully shiny
paint, but that’s rather commonplace on old
trucks. Chrome kept to a minimum. I’d say
an appropriate minimum, but the late-model
plastic side mirrors (with chrome back) stick
out like a sore thumb. Bumpers, wheels and
grille painted same white. Dash is a touch
warmer shade. Pioneer cassette radio in
place of original, again with chunky plastic
bits clashing with rest of interior (Out Of
Sight Audio, anyone?). Vinyl upholstery fit
Page 112
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acceptable, but nothing to brag about.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $11,340. The joy of simplicity.
That’s what these trucks make me think.
Then I think of how reasonably priced they
still can be. Median value for ’65 F-100s is
currently at $12,375. Sure, 10 years ago
this might have gone for half this price, but
that’s nothing compared to the accelerated
rise in late ’60s and early ’70s pickups.
Seems to be a good truck for a fair price,
and that leaves the buyer as the one likely
to come out ahead on this deal. Silver Auctions,
Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
#368-1968 FORD MUSTANG GT fastback.
VIN: 8T02S213425. Green/
green vinyl. Odo: 53,902 miles. 390-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Really sharp—and bone stock.
Probably refurbed a while back rather than
fully restored. Body fit and finish pretty
good, although a couple of small dust marks
in paint. Rear bumper a little micro-blistered.
Still with 8-track, seat vinyl wearing well,
motor stock in factory finishes. Complete
with build sheet and service book with 109
(!) stickers. Cond: 2-.
#43-1986 FORD MUSTANG SVO hatchback.
VIN: 1FABP28T4GF217904. Black/
black suede. Odo: 28,348 miles. 2.3-L turbocharged
I4, 5-sp. Hood scoop gives this
one away as not the normal Fox body. Bit of
a ding in passenger’s fender. Clear lenses.
Odd chunk missing from rear spoiler, with
discoloration making it obvious. Additional
rear spoiler included with sale. Rear Blue
Oval emblem weathered. Tires with plenty
of shine, but wheels not cleaned well. Lots
of tread left. Photocopies of parts of paperwork
presented. Per seller’s notes the car
was purchased from the original owner in
2007 in Baltimore, then shipped to Vancouver,
WA. Cond: 3.
value at $8,250 over the past two years, but
consistent with condition. Fair bid made—
I’m not sure when or where the owner will
get a better one. Silver Auctions, Vancouver,
WA, 04/17.
#25-2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD convertible.
VIN: 1FAHP60A84Y101441. Platinum
Silver/black cloth/black leather. Odo: 90,513
miles. 3.9-L fuel-injected V8, auto. Wrinkled
top, seemingly stored down. Dealer stickers
on windshield proclaiming “beautiful car with
both tops and low miles.” Except in all caps.
A cursory search with CARFAX says this
car has 28 records with them. Good-sized
ding in bumper cover near passenger’s side
fog lamp. Professionally detailed interior.
Porthole hard top located away from car
beside auction stage. Keys, fobs and books
come with the sale. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $3,024. These SVO Mustangs
certainly weren’t barn burners, and not
nearly as tunable as the 5.0 engines, so it
seems they get lost in the shuffle. That and
no reserve on the sale nets the buyer here
a deal. Recent sales have hit a median of
nearly double this price—$6,400. Not deal
of the day, but in the conversation. Silver
Auctions, Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
#5-1999 FORD MUSTANG GT coupe. VIN:
1FAFP42X8XF110346. Red/black cloth.
Odo: 43,313 miles. 4.6-L fuel-injected V8,
auto. Done up with Saleen S281 decals, but
missing the oh-so-vital supercharger. Colorado
U.S. Army plates without date tags
attached. Front end looks like it was parked
in front of gravel pit and someone took a
string trimmer to the rocks—tiny dings mark
up the front bumper cover from side to side.
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $47,733. Imported to the U.K. in
2004, with only one previous owner. Unusual
to find one in England that hasn’t
been made into a “Bullitt” clone—and all the
nicer for it—but it’s been saved by mostly
sitting on display in a Ford dealer showroom
since it arrived. That may be what helped it
to a strong price (’66 289 fastbacks start at
around £25k/$30k here, near this one’s
lower estimate, although one with similar
condition and history to this might have got
as much). Well sold, but thoughtfully
bought, as S-codes are almost as quick as
a 428 Cobra Jet (325 vs. 335 hp, 427 vs.
440 lb-ft), and half the price. Silverstone,
Northamptonshire, U.K., 05/17.
114 AmericanCarCollector.com
NOT SOLD AT $13,000. These cars are
much more fun to drive than they are to look
at. Sadly, those looks are tough to get past.
These last Thunderbirds share the same
platform as the underrated Lincoln LS sedan.
Ford offered few options for the Premium
trim-level Thunderbirds, but the hard
top was one of them. Good bid for a potentially
good car tells me the owner should
have taken it. It will be a long time before
these ’Birds get anywhere near their $38k
MSRP. Silver Auctions, Vancouver, WA,
04/17.
#74-2007 FORD MUSTANG GT/CS convertible.
VIN: 1ZVFT85H375281381. Vista
Blue/black canvas/black & gray vinyl. Odo:
37,037 miles. 4.6-L fuel-injected V8, 5-sp.
Seemingly straight from the dealer in 2007,
until the details start popping up. There’s a
Hurst shifter ball. Seller lists over $8,200 of
performance and appearance parts. Biggest
bit of wear evident is on the parking-brake
lever. Clearcoat added over vinyl stripes,
which also appear on the top of windshield
NOT SOLD AT $5,500. It’s a GT, but it’ll be
a while before these fourth-generation Mustangs
are perceived as anything more than
used cars. With that as our starting point,
where did this high bid fall in the market?
It’s a little light, with the median GT coupe
BEST
BUY
Page 113
ROUNDUP
GLOBAL
frame, so it’ll take a polish. GT/CS ($1,895
option) adds two-tone seats, floor mats,
side stripes and additional body add-ons.
No performance increase from the package,
however. Cond: 2+. NOT SOLD AT
$22,000. It’s neither cool enough (like a
Shelby) nor old enough (like an SVT) for
any amount of parsing the build numbers to
matter right now. In another 10 years it
might be of interest that this was #189 of
374 Vista Blue of 2,598 2007 GT/CS convertibles.
Right now it’s a great-condition,
modified-a-bit, used car. Even then this was
serious money offered by the high bidder.
I’ve seen three of these sell for half of this in
the past two years. At some point the market
will likely hit the seller’s asking price, but
I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
Silver Auctions, Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
MOPAR
#103-1954 PLYMOUTH BELVEDERE 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 13736464. Black/light blue &
black vinyl. Odo: 47,582 miles. 230-ci I6,
1-bbl, auto. Paint hides no scratch, swirl or
nick. Trim is possibly repairable. Plenty of
edge chips all around trunk lid, along with a
large chunk of missing paint next to logo.
Continental kit adds another foot and a half
to the length. Spotlights on both sides seriously
cool. Upholstery reminds me of a funeral
home I once visited. Door-panel blue
different than seat and dash blue. Paint
nearly worn off of inside of driver’s door
where an arm might hang out of the window.
Gauge lenses like a typical Vancouver
April day—cloudy. Kelsey-Hayes wire
wheels and wide whitewalls in decent
shape. Cond: 3-.
NOT SOLD AT $11,500. I know this result
was a disappointment. During the preview, I
was chatting with Mitch Silver and he mentioned
that he’d sold one of these recently
for around $40k. Small wonder this one
went unsold. We see a lot more of the mid’60s
Coronets—rather than these third-generation
ones—at auction, so price comps
aren’t as common (ACC has tracked just
two 1955–56 successful auction sales in
two years). Can’t blame the consignor for
bringing it back home. Silver Auctions,
Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
NOT SOLD AT $10,000. The high bid here
is plenty for the condition as presented.
Auction photos show the car with dealer
sticker years in the windshield. These were
the top-of-the-line Plymouths in 1954, but
that makes them the best of the basics. Issues
with the paint probably scared off
some bidders. Not sure why the seller didn’t
take the generous bid and run. Silver Auctions,
Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
#99-1955 DODGE CORONET 2-dr hard
top. VIN: 34939507. Salmon, black & white/
white vinyl & blue cloth. Odo: 97,469 miles.
270-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. These three colors
would look positively silly on nearly every
#51-1963 DODGE POLARA 500 2-dr hard
top. VIN: 6432178556. Red/white & red
vinyl. Odo: 25,854 miles. 440-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Engine from 1970. Generic radiator
hoses. Old parts in engine bay are highlighted
by shiny new ones. Edelbrock Torker
intake. Tach stuck to steering column at
dash. Redline marker set at 5,000 rpm.
Slight leak at modified diff—Posi rear narrowed
10 inches with 3.91 gears. Leaf
springs inset four inches, with modified
tubs. Surface-rusted exhaust pipes. Great
presence—right stance with Centerline
wheels supporting thick Firestone tires in
back overshadowing skinnier ones up front.
Sidewalls cracking all around. ’63 Washing-
“
other car here, but they aren’t bad here.
Good paint, with no major blemishes. Front
chrome trim and bumpers in decent
shape—need only a cleaning to really
shine. Some micro-pitting on the hood V
emblem. Even door, hood and trunk gaps.
Acres of clear glass. Green growth on exterior
window felt. Smells like a 62-year-old
car inside. White vinyl graying. Cloth seat/
door card pattern holding up well. Missing
passenger’s side kick panel. Push-button
transmission. Clean engine bay—worst part
is oxidizing firewall. Cond: 3+.
ton State plates affixed with no date tags.
Cond: 2+.
NOT SOLD AT $18,750. Is it just me or
does every 1963 Dodge look the same?
Reminded me of the old ACC 440—well,
minus the 500-ci aluminum Hemi and expertly
tucked roll cage. This one is set up for
some drag racing, but not all the way. Occupies
a weird, in-the-middle spot—neither
factory nor a full custom job, but bringing it
back to factory would cost some coin.
Seems the buyers didn’t know what exactly
to do with it either, as the bidding reflected.
Silver Auctions, Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
#111-1967 DODGE D200 pickup. VIN:
1261727556. Tan/black vinyl. 225-ci I6,
2-bbl, 3-sp. Paint with orange peel for days,
but it only adds charm. Several spots of
sloppy tape lines along windows and trim.
Bit flaking off at front of driver’s side of stepside
bed. Rust inside bed at wheelwells. Pot
metal headlamp trim warped and dinged as
pot metal always is. Nothing pretty or fancy
about the interior. Just black vinyl and carpet,
with three-on-the-tree shifting. Metal
door interior surface painted same as body.
Bright red horn cap on steering wheel. Big
chrome wheels are chunky enough to not
seem weird, but they highlight the lack of
chrome elsewhere. Cond: 2.
Further proof that Dodges, without
diesels or fun color-themed packages,
get little respect in the market. Four
grand? Really?
1967 Dodge D200 pickup
July-August 2017 115
”
Page 114
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
MARKETMOMENT
2002 Chevrolet S-10
“Little Red” truck
SOLD at $20,350
Barrett-Jackson, Palm Beach, FL, April 6–8, 2017, Lot 74
VIN: 1GCCS14W82X5532EX
NOT SOLD AT $4,000. Further proof that
Dodges, without diesels or fun color-themed
packages, get little respect in the market.
Four grand? Really? I’m glad the seller put
a reserve on it. It was one of the better-condition
trucks at the sale, but with the focus
(frequency of models at auction, aftermarket
parts availability, etc.) mostly on Chevys
and Fords of the era, the lack of interest is
not wholly surprising. Silver Auctions,
Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
#17-1971 PLYMOUTH DUSTER 2-dr hard
top. VIN: VL29G1B135699. Black/black
vinyl. Odo: 27,905 miles. 340-ci V8, 4-bbl,
5-sp. Great stance with the back end jacked
up a few inches. Clean vinyl graphics. Black
paints shows all the swirls. By “built 340” I
think the seller means accessorized with the
parts-catalog best-seller list: aluminum radiator
and matching fan shroud, MSD 6AL
digital ignition control, K&N air filter, braided
stainless fuel line and more. Interior looking
mostly stock, attractive in all black, and no
console for the definitely-not-stock Tremec
5-speed. There’s also an Autogage tach
screwed into the dash. Gauges clean and
clear, but odometer numbers much dingier.
Car card states “gas gauge fluctuates, no
heater, no wipers.” Cond: 3+.
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
My first new car was a 2001 Chevrolet S-10 pickup. Regular cab,
metallic green, 2.2-liter four and 5-speed manual. It did an okay job of being a truck, but it
was painfully slow and not much fun to drive. I put about 30,000 miles on that truck before I
moved on to something else, all the while dreaming of dropping an LS1 under its hood.
Some of GM’s engineers were thinking the same thing. Here’s the proof.
This ex-GM Collection S-10 is fitted with a Camaro powertrain — LS V8, T56 6-speed
manual, and more. It has an Impala SS Positraction 4.10 rear end and the S-10’s ZQ8 sport suspension
package with some upgraded
brakes and Corvette Z06 wheels.
It’s the perfect parts-bin formula for
performance — big engine, small body.
Fun in a truck-shaped package.
The only trouble here lies in the
VIN — or specifically, the last two
characters, which denote this as a
GM experiment that probably isn’t
licensable in most states. There’s no
title, either — bill of sale only. It does
have GM provenance, but it’s worth
noting that the last time we saw it sell,
at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2009, it
made $30,800.
The fun here, at least for me, would
be in driving this truck, and the new
owner won’t likely be able to do that
on public roads. So while $20k’s a
good deal on a piece of GM Collection
history that I don’t think is set to lose
more value, not being able to use it is a
deal-breaker for me. No dream-turnedreality
here. Not a bad buy, but I’d call
it well sold. A
116 AmericanCarCollector.com
AmericanCarCollector.com
NOT SOLD AT $19,750. Well, when the
seller’s card says “Approx $30k in receipts,”
and the bid is below $20k, it’s usually a safe
bet (if there is a reserve) that the seller will
be bringing it back with them. Sure enough,
that’s the case here. The seller is going to
have to address the stated issues to sniff
what they reportedly sunk into the car. Even
then, they should temper their expectations.
This was a solid bid for a mostly solid car.
Silver Auctions, Vancouver, WA, 04/17.
A
FOLLOW
ACC
— Jim Pickering
Page 116
The Parts Hunter
Pat Smith
When to Pump the Brakes on NOS
Pads and shoes have a shelf life — and nobody can see if
they’re OEM or not
#292087958463 NOS 1967 GTX taillamp assembly. 4 photos: Item condition:
New. eBay. Connersville, IN. 4/30/2017.
“NOS GTX Plymouth taillight assembly #2853561. This auction content has
been in an auto body shop for many years and some parts have the typical
shelf wear from either being in box or just sitting on a shelf.”
Sold at $395.00.
Some parts on a car will break the bank. Usually they’re items no one reproduces
or they’re “crash parts,” as they’re known in the trade. Now, molded
plastic isn’t hard to do, but the demand for a housing from a two-year-only
body built in fair numbers to start with is low. So why did this part get almost
$400? The answer is no one makes an entire assembly yet. You can buy a
set of lenses or you can buy a pair of chrome lens accent covers, but not the
entire housing. Furthermore, the accent covers cost more than this part. So
for someone who needs to replace a blitzed housing, this was a good deal.
XL500 2-door was a svelte car, and when
packed with a 7-liter engine, it was a mover.
Finding parts for these cars in the soft-trim
and options field isn’t easy. Door edge
guards tend to be pricey when reproduced,
so this New Old Stock set at under $50
delivered to your door was a good deal, no
matter what make we’re talking about. To
put it in perspective, I’ve seen GTO dooredge
guards go for quadruple this amount,
and they weren’t NOS.
#122419312895 1967
Ford Galaxie XL500
2-dr NOS door edge
guard kit C7AZ6220910-A.
3 photos.
Item condition: New.
eBay. Leola, PA.
5/1/2017.
“NOS door edge
guards, $10 shipping
in Continental U.S.”
Sold at $35.99.
The 1967 Galaxie
#371935918057 Brake Linings
1936–41 GMC Chevrolet Truck. 4
photos. Item condition: New. eBay.
Coffeyville, KS. 4/30/2017.
“Set of 8 brake shoe linings for 1936–
41 GMC/Chevy trucks. Goodyear
brand part number DL654. Fits both
front and rear wheels. Made in the
good old USA. Four linings are 2
inches wide by ¼-inch thick and 14¾
inches long. Four linings are 3 inches
wide by ¼-inch thick and 18 and 5/32
inches long. They do not have tapered
rivet holes. They have been in storage
for years and are in excellent condition.”
Sold at $29.95.
Another instance where New Old Stock doesn’t make sense in a drivable restoration. Brake
pads and shoes also have a shelf life. Ever drive a car that makes squealing noises like a pig
under a gate? You checked the wear sensors on the pads and there’s lots of life left. Chances
are they’re old brakes and the resins that make up the pad have dried out. The same thing
happens to brake shoes. Technically they will work, but in the field, they’re sub-par performers
and will probably make a lot of noise. The reason ancient, original manufacturer parts with
factory numbers sell is for use in static display on concours show cars. These, on the other
hand, were well sold.
#302231883941 1972 Cadillac Rear Bumper Guards. 5 photos. Item condition: New. eBay. Worth, IL,
4/30/2017.
“Up for auction is a pair of new vintage rear bumper guards marked for a 1972 Cadillac. These are
heavy-duty USA-made guards. Chrome plating has box wear, nothing major, no rust or dents. Rubber
strips are in great shape, not brittle. Comes with mounting hardware. These should also fit other years.”
Sold at $49.99.
These are a set of nice-looking aftermarket bumper guards. If you own a classic land shark that’s really
nice except for the bumper guards, which have either turned white from waxing or are chewed up or
have rusty bases, this kit is a decent low-dollar way out. Genuine Caddy bumper guards are a bit narrower
with a vertical white accent strip. They don’t show up very often, but when they do, they won’t be
under $50. A good deal for the driver-level cruise-night Caddy until you can find an original pair.
118 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 117
viewing is an NOS OEM glove surround trim bezel. This is the metal
ring (not plastic) that goes around the passenger’s side of the dash
outlining the glove box area. This one has the black insert; the XLT
and Lariat had the wood grain. It is factory-correct for the 1973–77
models. However, if you want to upgrade your 1978–79 models from
the plastic to metal trim ring, this is what you’ll need. The plastic
ones fade and sometimes split; you will not have that problem with
the metal chrome one.”
Sold at $160.
If you needed any proof the vintage-truck market is a go-go, this
auction is as good as any. The glovebox trim ring for an F100 is now
a big-dollar item. By the way, the early Broncos do not use these
pieces — not even the upscale Ranger. I suspect the seller meant
the full-size Bronco that came out in 1978 and shared the same
dash as the pickup. 1970s F100s have come on strong as collectibles,
and we’re seeing an equal number being restored to original
or resto-fied for better drivability. Price paid was high, but how many
originals are left out there?
#132168803722
NOS OEM 1973–79
Ford Truck
Bronco Glovebox
Surround Bezel.
1 photo. Item condition:
New. eBay:
Tipp City, OH.
4/30/2017.
“What you are
#222488252880
Beautiful Restored
1941, 1946, 1947,
1948 Chevrolet
Truck Radio B47.
12 photos,
Item condition:
Remanufactured.
eBay. Elizabethtown,
KY. 5/1/2017.
“Delco model
98R792. The original 6-volt Deluxe push-button model B47 for trucks
and cars. Also included are the hard-to-find original Chevrolet mounting
brackets attached (brackets can be removed to adapt to year
and model) and the two original special front-mount bolts, nuts and
washers. Cosmetics are excellent. Ready to install with nice original
electromagnetic loudspeaker placed inside the cabinet. The nice
original ivory push-buttons work in both settings and function with no
chips. New fuse link, working pilot lamp. The radio receives stations
as it should and plays fine.”
Sold at $359.
Working radios from the 1940s are somewhat rare, as not many
vehicles got them in the first place. Everything was optional before
the mass-production 1970s. This is a refurbished unit ready to go and
it looks great — if you like radios that resemble a cross between a
Pullman car and diner. The late Art Deco influence really gives this
radio character. Priced less than most reproduction 1960s stereo
receivers, this is a good deal for the restoration fanatic. A
July–August 2017 119
Page 118
JUNKYARDTREASURES
Two Seagrave fire trucks — one from the early 1950s (left) and a famous “Waterfall”-grille unit from the 1940s
Thinning Dad’s Collection
Ray Utter collected hundreds of
classics in Oklahoma, and now it’s
time for them to find new homes
Story and photos by Phil Skinner
S
tarting in the 1950s, Ray Utter of Shawnee, OK, began acquiring a wide
assortment of automobiles. These included Packards, Cadillacs and
Studebakers. But Utter had a sporty side too, loved early XK Jaguars and
MG roadsters and, according to his son, around 1956–57, was the owner of
a 1953 Ferrari 340MM Vignale Spyder as well as the #96 Jaguar XK 120
alloy-bodied roadster.
Old Ray had hopes of restoring many of the vehicles
that followed him home. However, time and life got in
the way, and many of the projects never materialized.
Since his death in 2010, the cars have sat, many of them
sinking into the ground.
His son Ray Jr. recently decided to clear away some
of the underbrush just to see what was hiding in the
bushes. I was invited to walk the property, and both of us
were surprised with what we found.
We saw several Jaguar XKs as well as several MGA
roadsters. We also discovered a huge pile of 1960s and
1970s vintage Japanese motorcycles. There were also
some very intriguing commercial vehicles, including an
interesting-looking International Fageol van from 1954.
We also saw several fire trucks from as far back as 1920,
and two former television mobile broadcasting units.
While Ray Utter Jr. doesn’t consider himself in the
parts-selling business, he acknowledges that it is time
to start downsizing some of his cars. He is open to
inquiries from interested parties and is willing to sell
entire vehicles. If you have an interest or an inquiry as to
something that might be in this collection, contact Ray
Utter Jr. at 405-921-2059. A
120 AmericanCarCollector.com
In 1940, Plymouth was a full-size sedan, fitting
six comfortably, eight on occasion, and 10
when needed
Wearing a Fageol body on a 1954 International chassis, this unusual van
hauled a number of cars to the utter Collection
Page 120
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GM
1952 Chevrolet 3100 pickup
1956 Pontiac Star Chief Custom
Catalina 2-dr hard top
Metallic blue/saddle. 1,194 miles. V8,
4-sp automatic. The recipient of a frameoff
restoration that has logged just under
1,200 miles. Features vivid aesthetics, an
air-conditioned cockpit, a modern drivetrain
with a proven GM small block that’s guaranteed
to haul plenty of, well, whatever
you need to haul. Ready for a pickup you’ll
be proud to show off? Take a close look at
this awesome Chevy! $79,900 OBO. RK
Motors. Contact Troy, Ph: 704.596.5211.
Email: troy@rkmotors.com Web: www.
rkmotorscharlotte.com/sales/inventory/
active/1952%20Chevrolet%203100%20
Pickup%20Truck/135845 (NC)
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air custom 2-dr
hard top
S/N 31847J170795. Dark green/78,000
miles. V8, 2-sp automatic. 327/300hp, Iowa
car, excellent condition. Contact Don, Ph:
1.226.421.2328. (ON)
1967 Pontiac GTO HO convertible
Lime Green/brown. 87 miles. V8, 4-sp automatic.
Fresh out of a professional, $350k
build, this Chevy is a literal manifestation of
“only the best.” If you’re looking for a storied
custom that attracts big crowds and even
bigger trophies, it’s prime time for Limetime!
$145,900 OBO. RK Motors. Contact Troy,
Ph: 704.596.5211. Email: troy@rkmotors.
com Web: www.rkmotorscharlotte.com/
sales/inventory/active/1955%20Chevrolet%20Bel%20Air/135610
(NC)
122 AmericanCarCollector.com
S/N C856H10768. Sandalwood & Sun
Beige/Sandalwood & Sun Beige leather.
62,300 miles. V8, automatic. Factory 317
ci, 4-barrel carburetor, Hydramatic. Low
miles, drives nice, overall very good condition.
Professional repaint in 2006, much
trim rechromed/buffed. Newer Coker radial
tires. Original nice matching leather interior.
Comes with lots of literature, sales brochures,
etc. No PS or PB, clock does not
work. Have 2012 appraisal for $28k. Owned
11 years. Located in Portland with ’56 Oregon
license plates. $24,000 OBO. Contact
Tim, Ph: 971.279.5878. Email: twgodfrey@
hotmail.com (OR)
1963 Chevrolet Impala SS
2-dr hard top
Rallye Green & white stripes/black. 94,000
miles. V8, 4-spd manual. Numbers matching,
rebuilt original DZ302, M20 4-speed,
PS, PB, ZL2 hood, standard interior, gauges
and console. Nut-and-bolt restoration,
one respray since new. very clean #2 condition.
Contact Charles, Ph: 206.427.9606,
email: cottageblue@msn.com. (WA)
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS LS6
2-dr hard top
Willow Gold/black vinyl. 113,000 miles. V8,
3-spd automatic. All numbers matching! I
have owned this 442 since 1986. This car is
equipped from the factory with power seat,
remote mirror, Rallye stripe, AM-FM stereo,
sport wheel, power steering, air conditioning
and vinyl roof. It was repainted the
factory original color Willow Gold in 1988.
New vinyl top at time of paint. Body is in
really nice condition with no rust. Chrome
bumpers have been replated. Car always
stored inside. Newer 2½-inch exhaust with
balance tube and stock trumpet outlets. It
is in excellent condition and has a rebuilt
numbers-matching TH400 automatic.
Contact Fred, Ph: 919.418.0337, email:
fredough@aol.com. (NC)
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 2-dr
hard top
1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS coupe
sole, power steering and front disc brakes.
Contact Richard, Ph: 503.577.8226, email:
richmaloney@aol.com. (TX)
1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30
2-dr hard top
S/N 124377L109731. BMW Glacier Silver
Pearl/black & gray leather & vinyl. 240
miles. V8, 6-spd automatic. Show-quality
custom with modern 430-hp LS3 engine
and 6-speed automatic transmission. Allnew
systems including electrical, brake,
cooling, fuel and exhaust. Power seats,
windows, brakes and steering. New leather
and vinyl upholstery. Listed on Craigslist,
Fresno, CA, for additional photos,
description and pricing. Contact Jim, Ph:
559.353.4637, email: jim_ish@yahoo.
com. (CA)
1968 Oldsmobile 442 2-dr hard top
Ebony Black/black. 73,396 miles. V8, 4-sp
manual. The beneficiary of a body-off rotisserie
restoration that was conducted by a
seasoned 442 expert. This striking Olds
pairs an original 455-cubic-inch Rocket V8
with an original Muncie 4-speed and correct
black on black aesthetics. And if you’re the
kind of gearhead who likes to take their
metal to the show, it’s the lust-worthy trophy
king you’ve been devoutly saving for!
$149,900 OBO. RK Motors. Contact Troy,
Ph: 704.596.5211. Email: troy@rkmotors.
com Web: www.rkmotorscharlotte.com/
sales/inventory/active/1970%20Oldsmobile%20442%20W%2030/135844
(NC)
1971 Oldsmobile 442 convertible
S/N 34467M151955. Saturn Gold/white.
73,000 miles. V8, 3-sp automatic. One of
1,096 automatic convertible 442s. Survivor
with 65% original paint, top and interior.
Numbers-matching block and transmission.
Highly documented with window
sticker, broadcast sheets and more. A host
of options: a/c, tach, tilt, PW, PS, power
top, AM-FM stereo, 8-track and dual-gate
shifter. Drives like new. $47,500 OBO.
Contact Jason, Ph: 414.688.0604. Email:
jstrits@sbcglobal.net Web: goo.gl/photos/
MUJXfAvGJEn37gv18 (WI)
1979 Pontiac Trans Am coupe
Black/tan. 2,879,159,334 miles. V8, 4-sp
manual. 6.6-L (403-ci), 4-bbl carb, manual
trans., W72 package, WS6 package, Pontiac
Historical Society documentation. Extensive
history/documentation including window
sticker, contract application, original 10-day
temporary permit, copies of titles and sales
of the car, repair orders dating back to 1979,
log book kept by owner in the ’80s, original
warranty info with original owner’s name
and original owner’s manual. $30,000 OBO.
Contact Craig, Ph: 214.232.2608. Email:
craigbas77@gmail.com (TX)
CORVETTE
1957 Chevrolet Corvette convertible
Signet Gold/black. 80,604 miles. V8, 4-sp
manual. This GTO is a real 4-speed HO
car. One of 1,591 HO convertibles built in
1967. Drivetrain is NOM, but engine was
rebuilt to HO 360-hp specs. Full body-off
rotisserie restoration in 2005 with less than
1,000 miles since. PS, PB with front discs
and tilt wheel. $80,000 OBO. Contact David,
Email: dpilkins@yahoo.com (VA)
S/N 136370K185271. Cranberry Red/black.
4,005 miles. V8, 4-spd manual. 454-ci
big-block engine, M22, Posi rear end with
two original and verified build sheets, built
at Kansas City Leeds plant, documented by
Rick Nelson and complete owner history.
Cowl-Induction, bucket seats, center con-
S/N E57S101498. Black/red. V8, 3-spd
manual. 283/270 hp, 3-speed. NCRS Top
Flight (2016). Ownership history back to
1968. Two tops (hard top unrestored). Two
sets of wheels and tires. Judging sheets
Page 121
Showcase Gallery
available. Send email for photo gallery.
Contact Jim, Ph: 253.845.3975, email:
james.shepherd7@comcast.net. (WA)
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray
convertible
ful car. Contact Barry, Ph: 469.628.2360,
email: barry@bloomingcolorsnursery.
com. (TX)
1970 Chevrolet Corvette convertible
S/N 30867S118349. Red/red. 94,790 miles.
V8, 4-spd manual. 327/340-hp with manual
trans. Matching numbers and meticulously
cared for. Comes with both hard and soft
tops. Loads of history and paperwork and a
blast to drive. $49,500 OBO. Mark V Motors
LLC. Contact Dustin, Ph: 315.271.7828.
Email: markvmotors@aol.com (NY)
1966 Chevrolet Corvette convertible
S/N 194676S118937. Sebring Silver/silver
leather. 27,588 miles. V8, 2-sp automatic.
327/300 hp “CE”, black top. Options: headrests,
AM/FM, power antenna, telescopic
column, side exhaust, knockoffs, Goldline
radials. 1991 stunning body-off restoration
and 2012 show-quality repaint. Everything
works properly and the car is a delight to
drive and show. $64,900 OBO. Contact
Greg, Ph: 317.490.3418. Email: greg@
esmindy.com (IN)
1969 Chevrolet Corvette T-top coupe
Cortez Silver/black leather. 49,900 miles.
V8, 4-spd manual. 350/350hp, Muncie
4-speed, numbers matching with excellent
paint and interior. Clean engine and undercarriage.
Power windows, everything works
except the clock. I am third owner. Beauti-
Advertisers Index
American Car Collector ..............................125
Auctions America .........................................13
Autosport Groups .........................................73
Barrett-Jackson ............................................93
Camaro Central ............................................75
CarCapsule USA ..........................................77
Charlotte AutoFair ......................................103
Chevs of the 40’s .......................................109
Corvette America ............................................6
Custom Autosound Mfg., Inc .......................83
Dr. ColorChip Corporation ...........................83
EMS Automotive .........................................113
Evans Cooling Systems Inc. .........................27
Evapo-Rust ...................................................33
Greensboro Auto Auction .............................65
Grundy Insurance .........................................21
S/N 1G1YY0787F5126061. Red/red.
14,000 miles. V8, 4-sp automatic. This
Corvette is a real gem. It is a one owner
for 28 years, original vehicle with 13,900
documented miles. Looks and drives like
brand new. Condition: 1-, with some wear
on driver’s seat side bolster, otherwise
flawless. Air conditioning blows cold and
converted to R134A. No leaks whatsoever,
no scratches or dings. Always stored
covered and in heated garage, regularly
serviced with synthetic oil changed twice
a year regardless of mileage. It was purchased
in 1985 by a middle-aged business
owner, acquired by me in 2013 from the
same, now elderly, original owner. The car
has brand new Goodyear tires, original tires
included with sale. All original documentation
including the original window sticker,
title, dealer invoice, GM Protection Plan
documents, delivery receipt and complete
service records. Includes these options:
Automatic transmission with overdrive,
six-way power seat, power door locks,
cruise control, Delco-Bose stereo system,
Z51 performance handling package, rear
window defroster, removable transparent
roof and red leather bucket seats. Contact
me with any questions regarding this pristine
Corvette. $12,000 OBO. Contact Mark,
Ph: 802.343.8700. Email: mbennett8700@
aol.com (VT)
S/N 19467OS410099. Monza Red/Saddle
leather. 65,000 miles. V8, 4-spd manual.
350/350 hp with manual transmission.
Original and unrestored. NCRS 2nd
Flight. Needs frame repair. New Saddlecolored
top. Ridgetop Restorations.
Contact Mark, Ph: 715.385.3341, email:
daddy19581955@yahoo.com. (WI)
1985 Chevrolet Corvette coupe
FOMOCO
1955 Ford Thunderbird convertible
originality. $24,500 OBO. Tom Miller Sports
Cars. Contact Thomas, Ph: 908.693.5723.
Email: tom@millersportscars.com (NJ)
1965 Shelby Cobra CSX
Continuation roadster
S/N P5FH194712. Red/red & white. 5,400
miles. V8, Frame-off restoration, SVO 351
aluminum-head box motor, serpentine belt
system, MSD, 2½-inch ceramic-coated
Borla exhaust, ATO C4, Dana Posi 44, front
discs, smoothed bumpers, Rocket salt flats,
black canvas soft top and red hard top, top
storage rack and car cover. $41,500 OBO.
Contact Grant, Ph: 623.980.0014. Email:
gpavolka@gmail.com (AZ)
1956 Lincoln Premier 2-dr hard top
Black/camel. 121 miles. V8, 5-sp manual. If
you’re searching for a fresh twist on an old
favorite, forget about project cars pieced
together from leftovers. And forget about
sloppy replica builds that shame their fabled
predecessors. Call your friends at RK Motors
Charlotte and pick up this razor-sharp
roadster. It’s pristine, rare and ready to rock
and roll! $229,000 OBO. RK Motors. Contact
Troy, Ph: 704.596.5211. Email: troy@
rkmotors.com Web: www.rkmotorscharlotte.
com/sales/inventory/active/1965%20
Shelby%20Cobra/135828 (NC)
1968 Ford Mustang GT Convertible
Black/red. 62,000 miles. V8, 368-ci engine,
power steering, brakes and windows, original
interior, dual mirrors, road lamps and
radial tires. $21,500. OBO. Contact John,
Ph: 216.341.0397. (OH)
1964 Ford Mustang convertible
Sunlit Gold/black. 73,515 miles. V8, 4-sp
manual. Verified Marti Report, true J-code,
GT 302-ci. Original miles, clear Arizona
title. West Coast native and history. Flawless
body and paint. Excellent condition. No
disappointments. $45,000 OBO. Contact Al,
Email: arizonaclassiccar@cox.net (AZ)
V8, automatic. Two owners, with last ownership
from 1971. 260 V8, rebuilt a few
years back, power top, power steering. New
radiator, heater core, water pump, gas tank,
updated to new dual master cylinder, new
brake lines, rebuilt power steering valve
and slave, all-original interior, new battery.
This car is a nice driver, and retains a lot of
Hagerty Insurance Agency, Inc. ..........................67
Hot August Nights .................................................4
Ideal Classic Cars ..........................................14–15
JC Taylor .............................................................91
Jim Meyer Racing Products Inc. .......................104
JJ Best Banc & Co ..............................................99
JJ Rods ...............................................................71
Lucas Oil Products, Inc. ....................................101
Lutty’s Chevy Warehouse ...................................87
McCollister’s Auto Transport.............................132
Metal Rescue .....................................................123
Michael Irvine Studios .......................................131
Mid America Motorworks ......................................3
Motorsport Auction Group LLC .............................5
Mustang America ..................................................7
National Corvette Museum ................................119
National Parts Depot ...........................................69
New England Auto Auction ...............................117
Obsolete & Classic Auto Parts, Inc. ....................17
Original Parts Group ............................................23
Palm Springs Exotic Car Auctions ...............19
Park Place LTD .............................................81
Passport Transport .......................................95
Performance Racing Oils ............................106
Petersen Collector Car Auction ..................119
Petty’s Garage ..............................................11
Pilkington Classics Automotive Glass ............2
POR-15 .........................................................25
Prestone .......................................................41
Race Ramps .................................................35
Ronald McDonald House .............................98
Russo and Steele LLC ..................................17
Sports Car Market ......................................111
Steve’s Auto Restorations Inc. .....................43
The Chevy Store Inc ...................................113
The WheelSmith ...........................................45
Thomas C Sunday Inc ................................111
Volunteer Vette Products .............................39
Weezy ...........................................................85
Zip Products, Inc. .........................................47
July–August 2017 123
Page 122
Showcase Gallery
1968 Shelby GT500 KR fastback
1964½ Plymouth Savoy Lightweight
Race 426 Hemi Cross Ram 2-dr sedan
S/N 8T02R20315602419. Highland
Green/Saddle. V8, 4-spd manual. One of
13 King of the Roads with these options.
Framed Elite Marti report, 428-4V CJ engine,
3.50 Traction-Lok rear end. Authentic,
meticulous rotisserie restoration by Bill
Andrews of HRE Motorcars Freeport, NY.
$189,900. Paramus Lamborghini. Contact
Eddie, Ph: 201.783.6507. Email: EJones@
DrivePrestige.com (NJ)
1970 Shelby GT350 fastback
S/N 0F02M482967. White/dark red. V8, automatic.
PS, PB, very nice and correct car
with one very good repaint, rare dark red
interior. One of 32 with this great-looking
combination, Marti Report. $65,000 OBO.
Contact Jerry, Ph: 330.759.5224. Email:
jbenzr@aol.com (OH)
2002 Lincoln Blackwood 4-dr pickup
Black/Blackwood Bed/black. 71,000
miles. V8, 4-spd automatic. Blackwood
was Lincoln’s effort to beat Cadillac to the
luxury-truck market. The factory really went
beyond normal trucks, using an aluminum
bedliner with LED lighting. There were
only about 3,300 produced for 2002, which
makes it a modern-day unicorn. The truck
has recently had a full tune-up, new brakes
and the wheels detailed. Please feel free
to contact me with any questions you may
have. Contact Jay, Ph: 310.902.0698,
email: azvetmn@yahoo.com. (AZ)
MOPAR
1955 Chrysler C300 2-dr hard top
S/N 3141246868. White/red. 218 miles.
V8, automatic. 1964-1/2 factory Lightweight
Hemi Savoy. Shown in the 2006 Mopar
Performance calendar (copy goes to buyer)
and acknowledged by Mopar experts (Galen
Govier & others, in Davis book) as a
top-tier car. This rare car is a time capsule.
Two Govier authentications, window sticker,
original fender tag and copy for shows.
Infrequently raced in the early to mid-’60s
in the Midwest as the “Hemi Harvester“
but never fully caged, tubbed or cut up.
First-class restoration by top restorer Scott
Tiemann upon its sale to a major collector.
1990 to date largely spent in two well-maintained
collections. It has won its class and/
or Best of Show at many major West Coast
Mopar shows and high-level concours and
is acknowledged by Mopar experts as the
best seen. Never abused and used little, its
floors and unibody are factory original and
straight. Factory-original K-head engine,
correct wiring, optional front American Mags
and steel rears with period M&H slicks.
Car has unique and rare parts. The original
lightweight Corning rear window, perfect
Plexiglas side windows. Body including all
the ORIGINAL aluminum is flawless and
has all the ORIGINAL lightweight pieces
including alloy hinges, brackets, lightweight
front bumper, etc. Body and engine have
correct factory build markings and paint
swatches. Engine and trans are refreshed.
The first of the factory Mopar Super Stocks.
Will sell together with the 1968 Plymouth
Barracuda Hurst Hemi Super Stock. A
package of the first and the last factory
Mopar Super Stocks. Contact Roald, Ph:
415.608.1901. Email: tra.kasco@gmail.
com (CA)
1968 Plymouth Barracuda Hurst
Hemi BO 29 Super Stock racer
Hurst dual gate shifter (rare and expensive),
interior excellent, period 2 1/8-inch
Hooker headers now ceramic-coated, dual
three-inch stainless track exhaust added for
shows. Car used only for show after restoration.
Car now has NOS Keystone mags
(used on Sox & Martin cars) with correctsize
Goodyear slicks. Full set of 1970
dated Centerlines with Firestone slicks
originally on car are included. Many spare
parts acquired over the years available. For
serious Mopar collectors. Will package with
64½ Savoy Lightweight, which is the best
of the best. Own the first and last of the SS
Hemi Mopars. Hemis don’t get any better
than these iconic cars. Contact Roald, Ph:
415.608.1901. Email: tra.kasco@gmail.
com (CA)
1976 Dodge B200 custom van
AMERICANA
1955 Packard 400 mock convertible
coupe
Cream & tan/cream & copper. 75,000
miles. V8, 3-sp automatic. Three owners.
Restored in 2008, won Best in Class in
first show in 2009, driven sparingly since.
Gorgeous car, PW, PS, PS, PB, AT. No
rust, runs and drives excellent, needs
nothing, hop in and take to a show. This
is not a convertible but made to look like
one. $27,499 OBO. AutoArcheologist.com.
Contact Dave, Ph: 860.398.1732. Email:
Dave@AutoArcheologist.com Web: www.
AutoArcheologist.com (CT)
RACE
1960 Indianapolis rear-engine racer
Yellow/black vinyl, shag carpet, diamond
plate & faux fur. V8, 3-spd automatic. Good
times, old-school shaggin’ wagon with
double side doors. These short-wheelbase
vans were everywhere in the ’70s and ’80s.
Just try to find a solid, mostly original one
now. Most are rusted out and off to the
car crusher. Originally an Arizona van and
is mostly rust-free. Runs great with many
upgrades including complete new wiring,
Edelbrock carb, new 2½-inch exhaust,
headers, brand-new seats (with swivel
captain’s chair bases), rare Mopar Performance
hood with scoop, and more. Email
for full details. A few needs to be showready,
with the biggest item being some
minor body work and a paint job. Trades
considered. Contact Stan, email: bighifive@
sbcglobal.net. (TX)
Blue/black. V8, Believed to be an early-’60s
rear-engine Indy car. Has small-block
Chevrolet engine, 2-speed Halibrand
H-2210 gearbox, Hilborm fuel injection
and NHRA blast-prop bell housing, Vertex
magneto and Weaver Bros dry-sump oiling
system and period wheels. Engine
does run. $69,500 OBO. Contact Phil, Ph:
317.432.0414. Email: rockg930@gmail.
com (IN) A
S/N 3N551076. White/tan. 106,000 miles.
V8, automatic. All original except for lower
front seat leather. From the West Coast,
excellent condition with 106k miles, PS,
PB, power windows, power seats. Everything
works, but radio needs new vibrator.
Great driver, always garaged, just tuned,
all records since 1994. Additional images
and info available. Contact Albert, Ph:
814.466.6115, email: bav1140@comcast.
net.
124 AmericanCarCollector.com
S/N BO29M8B299131. Black/V8, February
of 1968 build, #75 of total run of mixed SS
Dart and Barracudas. Largely unused from
new. Never caged or tubbed, thus from
’70 on it was not allowed to run by NHRA
due to no cage. Unibody, floors and torque
boxes not twisted or bent like A-bodies
that were raced without a cage. Original
black rear carpet under large rear window
unfaded, floors have factory primer, no rust
and original taillight plastic perfect. History
from 1980 known, bu ’68 delivery to
’80 unknown. Apparently, car was stored.
8¾ diff with factory heavy-duty drag axle
remain. Owned by the Hemi Club president
for many years. In magazines and pictured
painted yellow in Hemi book prior to complete
black-paint restoration. Also featured
post-restoration in Mopar 2006 calendar.
Very correct, has won many shows and
concours, in #1 condition and needs nothing.
Correct date-coded wiring, original blue
coil. Hidden MSD 6 ignition replaced dead
blue-box ignition but have original unit.
Period-correct SW oil and temp gauges
and correct Jones mechanical tach. Brakecylinder
bores stainless bushed, correct
It’s so
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Page 123
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AmericanCarCollector.com
Keith Martin’s
h these options.
Framed Elite Marti report, 428-4V CJ en-
gine, 3.50 Traction-Lok rear end. Authentic,
meticulous rotisserie restoration by Bill
Andrews of HRE Motorcars Freeport, NY.
$189,900. Paramus Lamborghini. Contact
Eddie, Ph: 201.783.6507. Email: EJones@
DrivePrestige.com (NJ)
1970 Shelby GT350 fastback
S/N 0F02M482967. White/dark red. V8, au-
tomatic. PS, PB, very nice and correct car
with one very good repaint, rare dark red
interior. One of 32 with this great-looking
combination, Marti Repo
Keith Martin’s
Page 124
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Put your company in the ACC Resource Directory. Call 877.219.2605 Ext. 218,
or email advert@americancarcollector.com
Auction Companies
Auctions America. 877-906-2437.
Auctions America specializes in
the sale of American Classics,
European sports cars, Detroit
muscle, hot rods, customs and
automobilia. Headquartered at the
historic Auburn Auction Park in
Indiana, Auctions America boasts
an expert team of full-time specialists
who offer 190 years’ combined
experience, making them uniquely
qualified to advise on all aspects
of the hobby.
www.auctionsamerica.com. (IN)
Barrett-Jackson Auction. 480421-6694.
480-421-6697. For over
four decades, the Barrett-Jackson
Auction Company has been
recognized throughout the world
for offering only the finest selection
of quality collector vehicles, outstanding
professional service and
an unrivaled sales success. From
classic and one-of-a-kind cars to
exotics and muscle cars, BarrettJackson
attracts only the best. Our
auctions have captured the true
essence of a passionate obsession
with cars that extends to collectors
and enthusiasts throughout
the world. A television audience
of millions watches unique and
select vehicles while attendees
enjoy a lifestyle experience featuring
fine art, fashion and gourmet
cuisine. In every way, the legend
is unsurpassed. N. Scottsdale Rd,
Scottsdale, AZ 85251.
info@barrett-jackson.com.
www.barrett-jackson.com. (AZ)
Bonhams is the largest auction
house to hold scheduled sales
of classic and vintage motorcars,
motorcycles and car memorabilia,
with auctions held globally in
conjunction with internationally
renowned motoring events.
Bonhams holds the world-record
price for any motorcar sold at auction,
as well as for many premier
marques.
San Francisco: 415-391-4000
New York: 212-644-9001
Los Angeles: 323-850-7500
London: +44 20 7447-7447
Paris: +33 1 42 61 10 10
www.bonhams.com/motors
126 AmericanCarCollector.com
Douglas County Fairgrounds,
Roseburg, OR; September—
Oregon State Fairgrounds, Salem,
OR. On the I-5 corridor. We offer
knowledgeable, fast, friendly “hassle-free”
transactions. Oregon’s #1
Collector Car Auction. www.petersencollectorcars.com
(OR)
Leake Auctions. 800-722-9942.
Leake Auction Company was
established in 1972 as one of the
first car auctions in the country.
More than 40 years later, Leake
has sold over 34,000 cars and
currently operates auctions in
Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Dallas.
Recently they have been featured
on several episodes of three
different reality TV series — “Fast
N Loud” on Discovery, “Dallas Car
Sharks” on Velocity and “The Car
Chasers” on CNBC Prime.
www.leakecar.com. (OK)
Premier Auction Group.
844-5WE-SELL. The auction professionals
that have been taking
care of you for the last two decades
have partnered together to
create a team that is dedicated to
providing the utmost customer
service and auction experience.
We applied our 83 years of auction
experience to build a platform
ensuring that every aspect of our
company exceeds your expectations.
Join us for the Gulf Coast
Classic March 17 & 18, in Punta
Gorda, FL.
844-5WE-SELL / 844-593-7355
www.premierauctiongroup.com
info@premierauctiongroup.com
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)
RM Sotheby’s, Inc. 800-2114371.
RM Sotheby’s is the world’s
largest collector car auction house
for investment-quality automobiles.
With 35 years’ experience, RM
Sotheby’s vertically integrated
range of services, from restoration
to private-treaty sales and
auctions, coupled with an expert
team of car specialists and an
international footprint, provide an
unsurpassed level of service to the
global collector car market.
www.RMSothebys.com. (CAN)
Palm Springs Auctions Inc.
Keith McCormick. 760-320-3290.
Family owned and operated for
28 years. Producing two large
classic car auctions per year in
Palm Springs, CA. Each auction
features over 500 cars. Held in
November and February every
year. www.classic-carauction.com
informed experts in the industry.
Fax: 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)
Worldwide Auctioneers. 866273-6394.
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)
Buy/Sell/General
21 South Auto Gallery. 480-9866460.
Located in Mesa, AZ, 21
South Auto Gallery specializes in
the sale of high-quality European
sports cars and American muscle.
Whether you are looking for an
investment-grade collector car or
a fun weekend cruiser, we would
love to make your dreams a reality.
We also buy classic cars in any
condition. (AZ)
Petersen Auction Group of
Oregon. 541-689-6824. Hosting
car auctions in Oregon since 1962.
We have three annual Auctions:
February—Oregon State
Fairgrounds, Salem, OR; July—
Russo and Steele Collector
Automobiles. 602-252-2697.
Specializing in the finest American
muscle, hot rods and custom
automobiles and European sports;
Russo and Steele hosts three
record-breaking auctions per year;
Newport Beach in June; Monterey,
CA, every August; and Scottsdale,
AZ, every January. As one of
the premier auction events in the
United States, Russo and Steele
has developed a reputation for its
superior customer service and for
having the most experienced and
Allard Motor Works LLC. The
Allard Motor Works J2X is a handcrafted
version of the famed British
competition roadster that stirred
the crowds in Europe and the
Americas in the early 1950s. Our
modern J2X MkIII, recognized by
the Allard Register, integrates the
latest technology into the original
design, to provide a safe, comfortable
and reliable vehicle without
compromising performance.
www.allardj2x.com • info@
allardj2x.com • 877-J2X-1953 •
facebook.com/allardj2x.com
Page 125
and motorcycles. Let us share that
with you. www.idealclassiccars.
net (FL)
California Car Cover Company.
800-423-5525. More than just
custom-fit car covers, California
Car Cover is the home of complete
car care and automotive lifestyle
products. Offering the best in car
accessories, garage items, detailing
products, nostalgic collectibles,
apparel and more! Call 1-800-4235525
or visit Calcarcover.com for a
free catalog.
Classic Car Dashes.
Sales@ClassicCarDashes.com.
Specializing in reproduction and
replacement dash pads for many
of your favorite cars, trucks and
SUVs. Each pad is manufactured
as close as possible to original
specs. All dash pads offer quality
in both fit and appearance and are
manufactured in the U.S.
www.ClassicCarDashes.com (PA)
Classic Fit Covers.
sales@ClassicFitCovers.com.
Welcome to Classic Fit Covers.
We specialize in custom fit car
covers and seat protectors for
classic and modern vehicles. At
Classic Fit Covers you get quality
materials, superior craftsmanship
and fast delivery...all at a great
price. We have you covered!
www.ClassicFitCovers.com (PA)
two days in Phoenix after the car
was picked up and it beat us back
to the East Coast.”
5-Star Reviews
Let Us Earn Yours
directconnectautotransport.com
Motorcar Portfolio LLC. 330-4538900.
Buy, sell, trade, auction of
affordable antique, classic, collector
vehicles. Bob Lichty offers over
40 years’ experience in the classic
car industry. Motorcar Portfolio,
LLC. has been serving NE Ohio
and the world since 2004. Let us
help with your needs. See our
current inventory at our website
www.motorcarportfolio.com (OH)
Intercity Lines Inc. 800-221-3936.
Gripping the wheel of your dream
car and starting the engine for the
first time is a high point for any
enthusiast. We are the premier
enclosed auto transport company
that will ensure your car arrives
safely for that experience. For over
35 years our standards for excellence
have clients returning time
and time again. Trust the Best.
Trust Intercity Lines.
www.Intercitylines.com.
Mustang America. 844-249-5135.
Mustang America is a new company
initially specializing in first
generation (1965–1973) Mustang
parts, interiors and accessories.
Launched by Corvette America,
Mustang America provides the
same level of world-class customer
service, product quality and
fast delivery. We look forward to
serving the vintage Mustang enthusiast.
www.MustangAmerica.com (PA)
Ideal Classic Cars.
855-324-0394. Our goal as a company
is to showcase the highest
investment-quality, restored classic
cars to the world; while offering
these vehicles at a fair market
price. Our attention to detail is
unsurpassed. If you are looking for
a true investment car that will go
up in value...contact us. We have
a full sales and service department.
We also provide shipping
worldwide. We are in business
simply because of our love and
passion for classic cars, trucks
Park Place LTD. 425-562-1000.
Founded in 1987 in Bellevue, WA,
our dealership is locally owned and
independently operated. The fouracre
Park Place Center features
an Aston Martin sales and service
center, a Lotus dealership, and we
have one of the largest selections
of collector & exotic cars available
in the Northwest. We consign, buy
and sell all types of vehicles. We
also have an in-house service center
and high-end Auto Salon.
www.ParkPlaceLtd.com (WA)
Classic Car Transport
Direct Connect Auto Transport.
800-668-3227. “The driver was
friendly and helped our son feel
comfortable about moving his
lowered ’59 Volkswagen Beetle
classic auto. The driver communicated
well during pick up and
delivery. It was fast, too. We spent
Reliable Carriers Inc. 877-7447889.
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
McCollister’s Auto Transport.
800-748-3160.
We have transported thousands of
collector vehicles over the past 35
years all across the United States,
whether they are moving an
exotic, street rod, vintage racer or
muscle car. With our experienced
drivers trained to ensure the finest
protection and our customized,
lift-gated, air-ride trailers, we make
sure your vehicle safely arrives
on time. www.McCollisters.com/
AutoTransport
Passport Transport. 800-7360575.
Since our founding in 1970,
we have shipped thousands of
treasured vehicles door-to-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.
Thomas C. Sunday Inc. 800541-6601.
Established in 1970,
Thomas C. Sunday Inc. provides
clients with fully enclosed, crosscountry,
door-to-door service.
Thomas C. Sunday Inc. are
well-seasoned experts in the field
of automobile transportation, hiring
only Grade-A drivers, and offering
clients the best possible service at
competitive pricing. Fully licensed,
insured and bonded. Call 1-800541-6601
or 717-697-0939, Fax
717-697-0727, email:
info@sundayautotransport.com
Collection Management
RideCache – Organize, Manage,
Preserve your Collection. Your
documentation represents 5% or
more of your vehicle’s value — yet
it is fading away in folders and
binders susceptible to loss or
damage. Let our professionals
take those binders and turn them
into organized, protected, transferable
digital resources — all for
less than the cost of a high-end
detailing service. Learn more at
ridecache.com/ACC.
Corvette Parts &
Restoration
Mid America Motorworks.
800-500-1500. America’s leader
in 1953–2016 Corvette parts
and accessories. Request a free
catalog at www.mamotorworks.
com. (IL)
July–August 2017 127
Page 126
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Put your company in the ACC Resource Directory. Call 877.219.2605 Ext. 218,
or email advert@americancarcollector.com
Events—Concours,
Car Shows
Paragon Corvette
Reproductions. 800-882-4688. At
Paragon, you’ll receive the finest
quality of 1953–96 Corvette parts
and experience in the industry.
Our catalogs and website are filled
with hundreds of helpful schematics,
photos and tech-tips. Our
Vintage Department has a treasure
chest of NOS and used parts.
Look up our Stick With Us
Discount Program and our firstonline-order
savings. Call us or
visit www.paragoncorvette.com
to order today. (MI)
Volunteer Vette Products. 865521-9100.
1963–2004 Corvette
Parts and Accessories. Supplying
Corvette restoration parts and
accessories for 30 years. Visit our
website at
Leasing-Finance
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.
www.volvette.com and take advantage
of the Free Shipping offer
on orders over $150. You can also
speak with us directly by calling
865-521-9100. New parts are
added daily, so if you can’t find it,
give us a call. (TN)
The Quail, A Motorsports
Gathering. 831-620-8879.
A prominent component of
Monterey Car Week, The Quail
is a world-renowned motorsports
event featuring one of the world’s
finest and rarest collections of
vintage automobiles and motorcycles.
The Quail maintains its
intimacy and exclusivity by limiting
admission through lottery ticket
allocations. Admission is inclusive
of six gourmet culinary pavilions,
caviar, oysters, fine wines,
specialty cocktails, champagne,
and more. Web: signatureevents.
peninsula.com. (CA)
J.J. BEST BANC & CO. provides
financing on classic cars ranging
from 1900 to today. Visit our website
at www.jjbest.com or call
1-800-USA-1965 and get a loan
approval in as little as five minutes!
Grundy Insurance. 888-6478639.
James A. Grundy invented
Agreed Value Insurance in 1947;
no one knows more about insuring
collector cars than Grundy! With
no mileage limitations, zero deductible*,
low rates, and high liability
limits, our coverages are
specifically designed for collector
car owners. Grundy can also insure
your daily drivers, pickup
trucks, trailers, motorhomes and
more — all on one policy and all at
their Agreed Value.
www.grundy.com (PA)
Zip Products. 800-962-9632. Zip
customers know that the voice on
the other end of the phone is a
true enthusiast. Someone who, in
minutes, can hold in their hands
any item in stock. Further, someone
with knowledge of, experience
with, and genuine affection for, the
car we hold so dear: Corvette.
www.zip-corvette.com (VA)
Corvettes for Sale
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! 503256-5384
(p), 503-256-4767 (f)
www.thechevystore.com (OR)
American Collectors Insurance.
1-866-887-8354. The nation’s
leading provider of specialty insurance
for collectors. We offer affordable,
agreed-value coverage
for all years, makes, and models
of collector vehicles. Since 1976,
we have provided superior service
and broad, flexible coverage.
Experience our quick quoting and
application process, as well as our
“Real Person” Guarantee every
time you call. Email: Info@
AmericanCollectors.com
www.AmericanCollectors.com (NJ)
128 AmericanCarCollector.com
J.C. Taylor Insurance. 800-3458290.
Antique, classic, muscle or
modified — J.C. Taylor Insurance
has provided dependable, dynamic,
affordable protection for
your collector vehicle for over 50
years. Agreed Value Coverage in
the continental U.S., and Alaska.
Drive Through Time With Peace of
Mind with J.C. Taylor Insurance.
Get a FREE instant quote online at
www.JCTaylor.com. (PA)
Riverside Military Academy
Champions and Heroes.
404-237-2633. June 1–3, 2018
A 3-day hijinx competitive rally,
1-mile driver time trial and
juried Contest of Elegance for
Champions and Heroes (race
cars through 1974) from the
Carmel Concours on the Avenue
producer. info@rmachampionsandheroes.com,
www.rmacham-
pionsandheroes.com (CA)
Insurance
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)
Premier Financial Services. 877973-7700.
Since 1997, renowned
customer service and honest leasing
practices have made Premier
the nation’s leading lessor of luxury
and performance motorcars.
We are small enough to ensure
your business gets the attention it
deserves, and large enough to
finance any new, used, or vintage
car over $50,000. Contact Premier
at 877-973-7700 or info@pfsllc.
com. www.premierfinancialservices.com
(CT)
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)
Museums
LeMay Family Collection
Foundation. LeMay Family
Collection Foundation at
Marymount Events Center near
Tacoma, WA, hosts an epic back
Page 127
drop for your next event. Home to
500 fabulous collector cars, worldclass
art exhibits, and assorted
ephemera, consider your next
event here. Weddings, swapmeets,
conventions, auctions. The
facility can likely exceed your expectations.
Visit during the 37th
annual open house along with
13,000 other enthusiasts. 253-2722336
www.lemaymarymount.org. (WA)
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
AutoBahn Power. Performance
+ Looks + Durability + Comfort
= Autobahn Power! Autobahn
Power is a veteran of vehicle
modifications, parts and accessories.
Our specialty has been to
carry products that are better than
original equipment in performance,
safety and quality. Our warehouse,
service shop and retail store are
located in the Midwest for good
access to all parts of the USA. We
have completed literally hundreds
of project cars. These performance
vehicles are in 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.
Evapo-Rust® 888-329-9877.
Evapo-Rust® rust remover is safe
on skin and all materials except
rust! It’s also biodegradable and
earth-friendly. Water soluble and
pH-neutral, Evapo-Rust® is nontoxic,
non-corrosive, non-flammable,
and contains no acids, bases
or solvents. Evapo-Rust® is simply
the safest rust remover.
www.evapo-rust.com
info@evapo-rust.com (AR)
coolants. Evans eliminates water
vapor, hotspots and boil-over,
resulting in a less pressurized,
more efficient cooling system and
preventing corrosion, electrolysis
and pump cavitation. Evans also
protects down to -40°F and lasts
the lifetime of the engine.
See how it works at
www.evanscoolant.com (CT)
work on collector cars — including
detailing, restyling and general
maintenance. Race Ramps provides
solutions even for low clearance
cars. Complete line includes
Trailer Ramps, Service Ramps,
Rack and Lift Ramps, and the bestselling
FlatStoppers to prevent tires
from flat spotting during long periods
of storage. www.raceramps.
com. (MI)
Super Chevrolet Parts Co.
503-256-0098. Restoring Classic
Chevrolets Since 1980. Serving
the Chevrolet enthusiast for over 25
years. Since 1980, we have provided
the highest quality restoration
parts and accessories for:
1967–1981 Camaro
1964–1972 Chevelle & El Camino
1962–1972 Nova
Store Hours:
Tuesday–Friday 9:00 am–5:00 pm,
Saturday 10:00 am–3:00 pm.
Closed Sunday and Monday. 8705
SE Stark St, Portland OR 97216.
sales@superchev.com
www.superchev.com (OR)
Restoration—General
National Parts Depot. 800-8747595.
We stock huge inventories
of concours-correct restoration
parts for:
1965–73 and 1979–93 Mustang
1967–81 Camaro & Firebird
1964–72 GTO, Tempest & LeMans
1964–87 Chevelle, Malibu &
El Camino
1948–96 F-Series Ford Truck
1947–98 C/K 1/2-ton Chevy Truck
1966–96 Bronco
1955–57 Thunderbird
www.nationalpartsdepot.com
Custom Autosound
Manufacturing. 800-888-8637.
Since 1977 providing audio solutions
for classic car and trucks.
Covering over 400 application our
radios and speakers fit the original
location without modification. Keep
the classic look of your vehicle
while enjoying state-of-the-art
audio. Check out all of our products
at www.customautosound.
com. Or if you’d like a free catalog,
call 800-888-8637 (CA)
Cosmopolitan Motors LLC. 206467-6531.
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)
Corvette America. 800-458-3475.
The No. 1 manufacturer and supplier
of interiors, parts and wheels
for all generations of Corvettes.
Our Pennsylvania manufacturing
facility produces the finest quality
Corvette interiors and our distribution
center is stocked with thousands
of additional Corvetterelated
products. Corvette America
is a member of the RPUI family of
companies. Visit
www.CorvetteAmerica.com (PA)
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. (CA)
Evans Waterless Coolant is the
solution to running too hot. With a
boiling point of 375°F, our revolutionary
liquid formulation is a superior
alternative to water-based
Race Ramps. 866-464-2788.
Lighter. Safer. Stronger. Offering
the ultimate way to display and
July–August 2017 129
Mercedes-Benz Classic Center.
1-866-MB-CLASSIC. (1-866-6225277).
The trusted center of competence
for all classic
Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts.
Located in Irvine, CA, the Classic
Center is the only sales and restoration
facility in the U.S. exclusively
operated by Mercedes-Benz. Over
50,000 Genuine Mercedes-Benz
Classic Parts in its assortment.
From small services to full groundup
restorations, work is always true
to original. Ever-changing showcase
of for-sale vehicles. We are
your trusted source. www.mbclassiccenter.com.
(CA)
Park Place LTD. 425-562-1000.
Founded in 1987 in Bellevue, WA,
our dealership is locally owned and
independently operated. Our restoration
department works full time to
restore vehicles of every year,
make and model to provide an
award-winning finish. We consign,
buy and sell all types of vehicles.
We also have an in-house service
center and high-end Auto Salon.
www.ParkPlaceLtd.com A
FOLLOW
ACC
Page 128
Surfing Around
Carl Bomstead
Automobilia at Auction
Carl’s thought: There’s gold in eBay listings! No, there really is, as the buyer of an ex-Iraqi army tank recently
discovered. Seems the British military collector bought the Type 69 tank, which was one of many the Iraqi army
used in the 1980s, for about $41,000 on eBay. While inspecting it for any left-over ammunition, he found 60
pounds of gold bars. At a current price of $1,235 per ounce, his discovery is worth over $1.3m. The gold bars are
believed to have been looted during the invasion of Kuwait. The tank buyer is waiting to see if the authorities will
allow him to keep his unexpected treasure.
Here are a few more items of interest — and while “golden,” there were no surprises.
EBAY #222434856046—
1933 PRESIDENTIAL
INAUGURATION LICENSE
PLATE. Number of bids: 32.
SOLD AT: $4,069.99. Date
sold: 3/19/2017. This was the
first year inaugural license
plates were issued, and the
tradition almost ended with President Trump. However, at the last
minute, a few were issued. This one was from the collection of the
ambassador of Peru and was in very acceptable condition. This
was, of course, the first inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt,
who was the 32nd president of the United States.
MORPHY AUCTIONS LOT
152—AUTO-LITE ELECTRIC
SERVICE PORCELAIN
NEON SIGN. Estimate:
$8,000–$12,000. SOLD AT:
$11,400. Date sold: 4/22/2017.
This large single-sided sign
measured 47 x 82 inches and
had bullnose ends with good gloss and color. The yellow sections
were stained, but there were no offensive chips or dings. It was in
good working order and had the original mounting can. Price paid
was up there, as a double-sided example sold for $5k or so a year
ago. I do recall passing on one of these many years ago, thinking
the asking price of $1,200 was out of line. Times change.
EBAY #152425548237—1956
FORD SUNLINER CONVERTIBLE
TIN TOY BY MANSEI
HAJI. Number of bids: 31.
SOLD AT: $1,358.33. Date Sold:
2/12/2017. This very attractive
lithographed tin toy was about
11½ inches in length and was
in very nice condition. It was
complete with a reproduction box that completed the display. It was
finished in the “right” colors and had rubber tires and “real” steering.
Price paid was reasonable enough, and the toy will make a nice
addition to any collection.
EBAY #371872916462—1957
CHEVROLET 91-PAGE DEALER
CATALOG. Number of bids: 20.
SOLD AT: $412.99. Date sold:
2/27/2017. This 91-page 1957 Chevrolet
Dealer Catalog was filled with
illustrations and specifications for
130 AmericanCarCollector.com
the entire model line, including Corvette and station wagons. It also
included several pages on the newly introduced Ram Jet Fuel Injection.
It was complete and in very nice condition. If a ’57 Chevy of
any sort resides in the car barn, then this was a must-have.
MORPHY AUCTIONS LOT
928—AUTOMOBILE CLUB
OF AMERICA MEMBERSHIP
DASH PLAQUE. Estimate:
$1,400–$2,400. SOLD AT:
$2,700. Date sold: 4/23/2017. The
Automobile Club of America was
founded in 1899 and operated
in the New York area. The small
brass club plate was used in the
1910–1920s time frame, and while the catalog stated this may be
the only one known, they show up every now and then. There was
paint loss on the background, but the flag was not damaged. Price
paid seems like a bunch considering the condition and that it is far
from the “only one.”
EBAY #122387101402—1950s
CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP
NEON CLOCK. Number of bids:
21. SOLD AT: $1,935. Date sold:
3/17/2017. This clock was from
a dealership in Maryland and
was in decent condition, with a
bit of surface rust on the face. It
measured 20 inches in diameter
and is fairly common. The price
paid was in line, and the clock will
make a great addition to a Chevy car barn.
MORPHY AUCTIONS LOT
55—AMERICAN MODEL
#187 CLOCK FACE GAS
PUMP. Estimate: $4,000–
$6,000. SOLD AT: $22,800.
Date sold: 4/22/2017. This
style pump was used in
the late 1920s and had two
dials with one hose. It had
been restored with a few
issues noted. The globe and
decal were fantasy pieces
with a correct white hose
and brass nozzle. A notvery-exciting
pump that sold
for a bunch. A