Silver Auctions AZ, Fort McDowell, AZ, Jan 18–19, 2018
Gooding & Co., Scottsdale, AZ, Jan 19–20, 2018
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Page 6
CAR COLLECTOR
Volume 7 • Issue 38 • March–April 2018
The Scoop
AMERICAN
™
Cover photo: 1955 Ford
Thunderbird custom
convertible
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
Eight Sales That Define the Market
CORVETTE
1996 CHEVROLET
CORVETTE GRAND SPORT
$24k / Barrett-Jackson
Daily-driver money for an
up-and-coming Corvette
— John L. Stein
Page 50
8
AmericanCarCollector.com
GM
1968 CHEVROLET
CAMARO SS 396 REPLICA
$75k / Barrett-Jackson
A big price for a Camaro
that started life with a six
— Patrick Smith
Page 52
FoMoCo
1966 SHELBY GT350 H
FASTBACK
$253k / Bonhams
Carroll Shelby ownership
boosts value on this Hertz
— Dale Novak
Page 54
MOPAR
1968 DODGE HEMI
CHARGER R/T
$124k / Gooding & Co.
Bargain–priced Hemi on a
set of General Lee wheels
— Tom Glatch
Page 56
Keith Martin's
Page 7
CUSTOM
1955 FORD THUNDERBIRD
CUSTOM CONVERTIBLE
$286k / Barrett-Jackson
Big bucks for the best
’Bird ever?
— Ken Gross
Page 58
AMERICANA RACE
1946 FORD SUPER DELUXE
STATION WAGON
$63k / RM Sotheby’s
The market speaks on a
driver-quality woodie
— Carl Bomstead
Page 60
1957 KURTIS KRAFT 500G
INDY RACER
$308k / Worldwide
A deafening, brutal racer
at the right price
— Thor Thorson
Page 62
TRUCK
1984 CHEVROLET K10
CUSTOM PICKUP
$55k / Barrett-Jackson
“Fall Guy” replica rises
to the occasion
— Jeff Zurschmeide
Page 64
1957 Kurtis Kraft 500G Indy racer, p. 62
Courtesy of Worldwide Auctioneers
March–April 2018
9
Page 8
The Rundown
COLUMNS
12 Torque: Why trucks are up and Tri-Fives are leveling
— Jim Pickering
44 Cheap Thrills: The cheapest cars of Arizona 2018
— B. Mitchell Carlson
46 Horsepower: Kicking tires at ACC’s Arizona
Seminar — Jay Harden
48 On the Market: The best first collector cars
— John L. Stein
146 Surfing Around: Gotta-have automobilia
— Carl Bomstead
FEATURES
22 Good Reads: 1001 Drag Racing Facts, The
Definitive Firebird and Trans Am Guide, 1969 Ford
Mustang Mach 1 and The Essential Buyer’s Guide: Ford
Mustang Fifth Generation — Mark Wigginton
26 Desktop Classics: 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
— Marshall Buck
28 Snapshots 1: 100 Years of Chevy Trucks
— Jeff Zurschmeide
30 Snapshots 2: Sights of Arizona 2018 — ACC staff
76 Market Moment 1: 1972 Chevrolet Cheyenne
Super 10 pickup — Jim Pickering
126 Market Moment 2: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door
hard top — Jim Pickering
138 Junkyard Treasures: A hot spot for cars and
parts in the Arizona desert — Phil Skinner
USEFUL STUFF
14 What’s Happening: Car events of note
16 Crossing the Block: Upcoming auctions
24 Parts Time: Aftermarket pieces for your car
26 Cool Stuff: Items for fun, items for work
32 Wrenching: Installing a modern windshield-wiper
system in a classic Camaro
38 Your Turn: More Pinto thoughts, Ford engines, and
setting the record straight on a Boss 302
10 AmericanCarCollector.com
40 Readers’ Forum: Has the truck market peaked?
70 Buy It Now: 1973–91 Chevrolet Suburban
— Chad Tyson
122 One to Watch: 1994–98 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra
— Chad Taylor
136 The Parts Hunter: Tracking down rare parts and
pieces on the market — Pat Smith
140 Showcase Gallery: Sell your car in ACC’s
classifieds section
142 Resource Directory: Get to know our advertisers
145 Advertiser Index
AUCTIONS
68 Market Overview
Top 10 auction sales, best buys and SUVs climbing
the market — Chad Tyson
72 Barrett-Jackson — Scottsdale, AZ
B-J sells 1,721 cars for $113.8m in their desert mega-sale
— Michael Leven
82 Mecum — Kissimmee, FL
Kissimmee event offered 2,952 cars, selling 2,045 of them
for $89.4m — Morgan Eldridge
90 Leake — Dallas, TX
Cadillacs lead the way in the $6.5m sale
— B. Mitchell Carlson
102 Mecum — Kansas City, MO
KC Fall brings in over $8.2m on 389 vehicles sold
— Brett Hatfield
114 Russo and Steele — Scottsdale, AZ
Auction at the repaved Talking Stick Resort nets
$17.9m on 457 cars sold — Brett Hatfield
124 Roundup
American vehicles from Gooding & Co. in Scottsdale,
AZ; RM Sotheby’s in Phoenix, AZ; Bonhams in
Scottsdale, AZ; Worldwide in Scottsdale, AZ; Silver
Auctions AZ in Scottsdale, AZ; and GAA in
Greensboro, NC — Joe Seminetta, Carl Bomstead,
Sam Stockham, Daren Kloes, B. Mitchell Carlson,
Mark Moskowitz, Jeff Trepel, Larry Trepel
Page 10
Torque
Jim Pickering
Anatomy of a High Price
Trucks are up and Tri-Fives are leveling. Here’s why
B
ack in the days before I had any
real responsibilities, most of
my weekends slipped by in the
garage. In those days, daylight
turned to dark unnoticed, as I
spun wrenches on my ’66 Chevy. Sometimes
I’d stop to eat.
My neighborhood, like many of yours,
was built out of car waypoints. For those
of us young people who spoke the car
language, it’s how we navigated our world.
There were Chevelles, GTOs, classic trucks
and more sprinkled around. They never
seemed to move, so we referenced them
like points on a map. One of these was
notorious: a mossy ’55 Chevy 2-door post
that sat, open to the elements, almost exactly
halfway between the high school and the
auto-parts store where all the local car-guy
kids worked, shopped or just loitered.
Leaning against its rusty front bumper was
a spray-painted wooden sign that was about
as friendly as the hollow end of a shotgun.
“NOT FOR SALE,” it read, in all caps.
I imagine that owner had good reason for
that sign, but for the car kids who dreamed
of owning that car — which was all of
us — it was a constant reminder of what we
couldn’t buy even if we could have afforded
it. The Tri-Five was off-limits, and every
time we went to the parts store, we were
reminded.
My friend Josh lived just up the street
from the no-sale ’55. His hot rod was a 1969
Chevrolet C10, handed down to him from his
dad. Those trucks were common among the
younger crowd, as they were numerous, cool
and cheap. He used to scream by that ’55
in his C10 on the way to the parts store. He
still has the truck, along with a few others,
and used to always wave to me from it when
I still had my ’72 Chevy K10 and we’d pass
each other. About once a month he posts a
video on social media of that truck smoking
the tires, or a picture of his daughter sitting
in it. Twenty years on, it’s like a member of
his family.
That old ’55, on the other hand, up and
disappeared one day. Maybe it sold, or
maybe it was finally just shoved inside.
Nobody among the local car-guy crowd
seemed to know. It, along with our trips to
the old brick-and-mortar parts store, simply
slipped away unnoticed while we were
focused elsewhere.
12 AmericanCarCollector.com
A new market
Our question of the month focuses on
the truck market — specifically the boost
in truck prices out of the Arizona auctions
this past January. Once again, nicely done
GM pickups and SUVs, especially from the
1967–72 era, saw increases across the auction
block. When will the upward trend slow
down? See what ACC readers had to say
about it on p. 40.
For me, the key question there was this:
Should a classic truck be worth the same
amount of money as a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air?
This year, at least in a few cases, they were.
To me, that’s a fundamental shift in the
market. Seeing something as iconic as a
Bel Air bring a price on par with a 1972
Chevrolet truck is an indication of a seismic
jolt in our world. It’s like a movement of
neighborhood market waypoints that had for
years sat undisturbed.
Tracking trends in the market requires
equal parts sociology and economics — a lot
of times, experiences are what drives prices
— or, in the case of the Tri-Five Chevy
today, a lack of them.
The truck market is booming because
they have been ubiquitous across several
generations. As such, just about everyone
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
This 1972
Chevrolet
Cheyenne
Super 10
pickup sold
for $50,600
and this 1957
Chevrolet Bel
Air 2-door
hard top sold
for $56,000 at
the Arizona
auctions. Do
these price
similarities
reflect a
fundamental
shift in the
market?
Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
has a tactile memory of one. Conversely,
Tri-Fives have been off-limits to an entire
generation of collector — the collector
who is now starting to spend money in the
market. As such, prices are leveling off on
the Tris and moving up on the pickups.
What’s even more interesting to me is
the types of trucks that have been bringing
solid money. Correctness doesn’t seem to
factor in here as much as it might for, say, the
Corvette world. Today’s truck buyers aren’t
as concerned with what’s right versus what’s
cool. That will change as this market gets more
sophisticated, with the best trucks bringing
good money because they’re both sharp looking
and correct. There is no Bloomington Gold
or NCRS for trucks, but I expect there will be.
I still want a Bel Air and I probably
always will. I still think the “Two Lane
Blacktop” ’55 Chevy is way cooler than
anything Steve McQueen drove, including
the “Bullitt” Mustang.
But given a choice between any of those
cars and my old ’72 K10, I’d take the truck
and not look back — even if the responsibilities
of adult life doomed it to sit in front of
my house, holding up a “NOT FOR SALE”
sign and serving as a reminder of carefree
weekends and lost time. A
CROSSINGTHE
Upcoming Auctions (Images are courtesy of the respective auction houses unless otherwise noted)
BLOCK
by Chad Tyson
Star Car: 1952 Kurtis KK4000 single-seater at Bonhams’ Amelia Island sale
MARCH
GAA
Where: Greensboro, NC
When: March 1–3
Web: www.gaaclassiccars.com
Last year: 423/553 cars sold / $13.7m
Specialty Auto Auctions
Where: Loveland, CO
When: March 3
Web: www.specialtyautoauctions.com
Bonhams
Where: Amelia Island, FL
When: March 8
Web: www.bonhams.com
Last year: 73/86 cars sold / $10.5m
• 1913 American Tourist Touring
Web: www.goodingco.com
Last year: 69/88 cars sold / $30.6m
Featured cars:
• 1954 Dodge Power Wagon
• 1969 Dodge Super Bee 2-door hard top
Hollywood Wheels
Where: Amelia Island, FL
When: March 9–10
Web: www.hollywoodwheels.com
RM Sotheby’s
Where: Amelia Island, FL
When: March 10
Web: www.rmsothebys.com
Last year: 134/150 cars sold / $70.8m
Featured cars:
• 1964 Shelby Cobra 289 roadster
• 1956 Chrysler 300B
Web: www.motostalgia.com
Last year: 46/88 cars sold / $4.6m
Featured cars:
• 1995 Dodge Viper RT/10 roadster
• 1948 Pontiac Torpedo 2-door sedan
Mecum
Where: Kansas City, MO
When: March 16–17
Web: www.mecum.com
Last year: 309/496 cars sold / $7.4m
Featured cars:
• 1968 Shelby GT350 convertible
• 1967 Buick GS convertible
Featured cars:
• 1940 Buick Super wagon
• Star Car: 1930 Duesenberg Model J
Imperial cabriolet
Featured cars:
• Star Car: 1952 Kurtis KK4000 singleseater
Gooding & Company
Where: Amelia Island, FL
When: March 9
16 AmericanCarCollector.com
Smith
Where: Cape Girardeau, MO
When: March 10
Web: www.smithauctionsllc.com
Motostalgia
Where: Amelia Island, FL
When: March 11
GAA
Where: Greensboro, NC
When: March 22–24
Web: www.gaaclassiccars.com
Silver AZ
Where: Fort McDowell, AZ
When: March 30–31
Web: www.silverauctionsaz.com
Southern Classic
Where: Murfreesboro, TN
When: March 31
Web: www.southernclassicauctions.com
Page 16
CROSSINGTHE
BLOCK
Star Car: 1930 Duesenberg Model J Imperial cabriolet at RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island
APRIL
Mecum
Where: Houston, TX
When: April 5–7
Web: www.mecum.com
Last year: 552/804 cars sold / $21m
Dan Kruse Classics
Where: San Antonio, TX
When: April 7
Web: www.dankruseclassics.com
Feature cars:
• 1971 Plymouth ’Cuda convertible
• 1967 Pontiac GTO convertible
RM Auctions
Where: Fort Lauderdale, FL
When: April 6–7
Web: www.rmsothebys.com
Last year: 280/408 cars sold / $17.1m
Barrett-Jackson
Where: Palm Beach, FL
When: April 12–14
Web: www.barrett-jackson.com
Last year: 501/504 cars sold / $20.6m
Feature cars:
• 1953 Cadillac Eldorado convertible
• 2006 Ford GT coupe
Leake
Where: Dallas, TX
When: April 13–14
Web: www.leakecar.com
Last year: 290/348 cars sold / $10.3m
Silver
Where: Vancouver, WA
When: April 14
Web: www.silverauctions.com
Last year: 40/98 cars sold / $364k
18 AmericanCarCollector.com
Branson
Where: Branson, MO
When: April 20–21
Web: www.bransonauction.com
Last year: 134/193 cars sold / $2.6m
Worldwide
Where: Arlington, TX
When: April 21
Web: www.worldwide-auctioneers.com
Last year: 87/111 cars sold / $6.4m
VanDerBrink
Where: Longview, TX
When: April 21
Web: www.vanderbrinkauctions.com
Southern Classic
Where: Jeffersonville, IN
When: April 28
Web: www.southernclassicauctions.com A
GOODREADS by Mark Wigginton
1001 Drag Racing Facts
by Doug Boyce, CarTech, 334 pages, $19.19, Amazon
If your trivia night has a drag-racing category, here’s your free
pass to the roar of the crowd and free drinks. 1001 Drag Racing Facts
is an obvious misnomer,
though. Each of the entries
is filled with more
facts, bulging with data
on every page.
Author Doug Boyce
brings his long history
in the sport, plus his
experience writing
books on all aspects
of drag racing, to this
compendium of amazing
facts about drag
racing’s golden years,
from the ’50s through
the ’80s.
Pick a page, any
page, and be dazzled
with another “I didn’t
know that” moment.
For instance, did you
know tennis star
Pancho Gonzalez successfully
campaigned
a 389-ci Cadillac-
Lineage:
(
powered gas dragster? Me neither.
Fit and finish:
Drivability:
is best)
1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1: Muscle Cars
in Detail No. 9
by Mike Mueller, CarTech, 96 pages, $16.10, Amazon
If you think of the cereal aisle and General Mills when you think
brand proliferation, you might instead think of the Ford Mustang in
1969. There were no fewer than six models, from the GT to the Boss
302 and 429s, the
Shelby GT350 and
500s, and finally the
Mach 1.
The Mach 1 came
in a “Sportsroof”
fastback only, which
was more than made
up for by eight
engine choices,
from stock 351-ci
Windsor to the 428ci
Super Cobra Jet.
And it was a strong
seller, with nearly
80,000 units going
out the door the first
year (so strong they
dropped the GT
line).
Mike Mueller, longtime Ford fan
and motoring writer, takes on the Mach 1 in this series from CarTech.
It’s a short, concise and well-done look at the model. There are color
images on every page, and even auction results for those of you in a
collecting mood.
Lineage:
Fit and finish:
22 AmericanCarCollector.com
Drivability:
Lineage:
Fit and finish:
Drivability:
The Definitive Firebird & Trans Am Guide:
1970½–1981
by Rocky Rotella, CarTech, 224 pages, $31.33, Amazon
This is the second volume of Rocky Rotella’s look at one of GM’s
answers to the Ford Mustang. Starting out as a project code-named
Panther, GM created the
F-body Chevrolet Camaro
and Pontiac Firebird. After
the initial run, GM created
a new platform, and both
the Camaro and Firebird
launched in late 1970 were
a refinement on the original.
The second version of the
Firebird, while still using
plenty of parts from the same
bins as the Camaro, had a
new look front, back and
side.
Under the leadership of
Pontiac chief designer Bill
Porter, the new Firebird was
influenced by European
design, especially the rearend
influences that came with
John DeLorean bringing a
DeTomaso Mangusta to the studio for inspiration.
Rotella, who grew up in a Pontiac family, has brought the same
level of detail to the second volume as the first, filling the book with
pages of build codes, advertising from the time and interviews with
the men who created the Firebird.
Lineage:
Fit and finish:
Drivability:
The Essential Buyer’s Guide: Ford Mustang
Fifth Generation, 2005 to 2014
by Matt Cook, Veloce, 64 pages, $19.38, Amazon
While we are on the Mustang beat, it’s worth looking at the reboot
that came in late 2004
with the S197 ’Stang.
The Essential
Buyer’s Guide series
has a specific goal, giving
you enough data at
the 30,000-foot level to
learn about a car you are
thinking about owning,
or helping you decide on
the right one to buy if
you are already in love.
With minimal graph-
ics and a focus on cost,
potential weaknesses
and drivability, the
books, and this one in
particular, are little more
than a smart shopper’s
guide, a starting-off
point on a new automotive
adventure.
It’s a handy start,
and an inexpensive way
to know enough so that you aren’t simply standing and staring at your
potential investment, hands in pockets and looking bemused.
Page 22
PARTSTIME by Jim Pickering
New Products to Modernize Your Street Machine
Firing Both Barrels
Holley’s Sniper EFI 2300 is designed
to bolt right up to intakes that would
have originally used a 2300 Holley flange
2-bbl carb — Fairlanes, F100s, Javelins,
Mustangs, Thunderbirds, Cougars, etc. With
two 100-pound injectors mounted internally,
it can support up to 350 hp. Four-wire
hookup makes installation easy, as does its
throttle body-mounted ECU. It also comes
with an internal fuel pressure regulator,
which simplifies fuel plumbing needs. Best
of all, it’ll self-tune, giving your classic
unmatched drivability and economy. $1,099
at summitracing.com.
A new Cab
United Pacific Industries has reproduced the 1932 Ford truck cab in steel exactly like
the original, complete with doors, door latches and rear cab hardwood inner structure.
The cab is stock height and comes with black EDP coating to protect it from rust in transit.
It’s an officially licensed Ford restoration product, available with or without a working
cowl vent. $14,995 at uapac.com.
Go Manual
If you’ve got a classic Camaro with an
Hotwire that LT engine
GM’s LS engine is a popular engine for aftermarket swaps, and the new-design direct-
injected LT engine will be too — especially now that Hotwire Auto has designed a selfcontained
wiring harness for the 2014-and-up Gen V engines. This harness comes with
its own fuse block, connections and relays, and is made to order for your application. It
can be made to work with either a manual transmission or GM’s new 8-speed automatic.
Get it for $1,210 at hotwireauto.com.
24 AmericanCarCollector.com
automatic and you’ve always wanted to
swap in a 4-speed, Camaro Central’s got
you covered with a bunch of the parts you’ll
need in one part number. Their Chevy
Bellhousing Kit is a factory-reproduction
setup, complete with a bellhousing, flywheel
inspection cover, clutch fork, ball-retaining
spring, throwout bearing, clutch-fork boot
and clutch-fork pivot ball. Available for both
10.5-inch and 11-inch clutch applications.
$289.95 at camarocentral.com.
Page 24
COOLSTUFF
Toolbox Trade-up
kle Garage’s Car
t the ticket for the
our classic. These
have a heavy-duty
handle and are
built of powdercoated
steel for
rust resistance.
Best of all, they
come covered
in color graphics
o add some peronality
and maybe
e you a laugh. If
you don’t want to throw
tools in one and use it in the car,
each would be just as at home in your man cave. Pick out yours at
bustedknucklegarage.com for $49.95.
Mechanical Art
These Boehm Stirling hot-air model engines are the perfect indoor
winter activity. They
are made of incredibly
well-machined parts
and of high-quality
materials. You get to
assemble the engine
itself as well as any
accessories you wish
it to power, such as a
model of an oil pumpjack.
When finished,
you are left with a
great-looking piece of
art and a functioning
engine built with your own hands. The model engines start at $205.
See all of the available products at boehm-stirling.com.
Funnel Fanatic
This funnel storage kit from
Summit Racing may seem like
overkill, but think back to the last
time you changed the oil on your
car. Did you set down your funnel
to check the level and it left you a
nice puddle of fluid on your bench?
Did it drip on the floor while you
raced to grab a rag? This kit features
a powder-coated funnel holder
with spring-action cradle that can
be wall- or toolbox-mounted. The
funnel will stay upright and let the
remaining oil drip into the catch
container below. No more mess.
Grab one at summitracing.com
for $34.99.
DESKTOPCLASSICS by Marshall Buck
1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Another great muscle-car release from the good guys at Auto World is this edition, produced to celebrate
the Camaro’s 50th anniversary. It is a somewhat limited release, but less scarce than the 602 1967 Z28s
Chevrolet produced.
It looks great in Nantucket Blue with detailed
Rally wheels shod with Redline tires. It is very well
finished and packed with a lot of detail including a
full list of working features: opening doors, hood,
trunk, tilt seat backs, steerable front wheels, working
suspension, the driveshaft rotates as rear wheels roll,
and my favorite little detail — the glove compartment
door is functional with a working hinge.
Interior has it all, including cloth seat belts lying
on the front bucket seats. The one not-so-great issue
is that the steering wheel rests on the driver’s seat.
Pop open the hood, which has functional scissor
hinges, and you’ll find a terrific-looking detailed 302 engine and compartment. Great value.
26 AmericanCarCollector.com
Detailing
Scale: 1:18
Available colors: Nantucket Blue
Quantity: Approximately 1,000
Price: $95
Production date: 2017
Web: www.autoworldhobby.com
Ratings
Detailing:
Accuracy:
Overall quality:
Overall value:
is best
by Chad Taylor
A Detailer’s Dream
One of the worst parts about cleaning our cars is vacuuming the
interior. Heavy-duty shop vacuums are bulky and never seem to have
a long enough hose, and
your household vacuum
doesn’t roll and will just
tip over, hitting your car
on its way. This is where
MetroVac’s Vac-N-Blo car
vacuum and dryer comes
in. This vacuum is small
in size but big on power
and it can roll where you
go or be carried on your
body. It features a six-footlong
hose, two 20-inch
extensions, and a number
of accessories, including a crevice tool and blower nozzle for when
you want to clean those hard-to-reach places. Buy the Vac-N-Blo
Classic for $385.99 at metrovacworld.com.
Page 26
SNAPSHOTS
Chevy’s Truck Turns 100
A look at Chevy’s past — and future — workhorses
Story and photos by Jeff Zurschmeide
C
hevrolet recently invited American Car Collector to the
heart of truck country in Dallas, TX, for a retrospective on
the first 100 years of Chevy Trucks and an advance peek at
the 2019 Chevy Silverado.
The first Chevrolet truck — a flatbed mule made from
car parts — was sold in 1918. The truck was developed for hauling
parts around the factory, and its utility as a production vehicle soon
became obvious. One hundred years later, Chevrolet is still making
trucks, and a lot of history has been recorded. I stopped in to drive
some of that history before taking a look at the newest Chevy truck to
join the family. A
Image courtesy of Chevrolet
Chevrolet
dropped the
2019 Silverado
into the event by
helicopter. The
Z71 Trail Boss
edition includes
a two-inch body
lift. Chevy didn’t
share a lot more
details than that.
The oldest truck at the
Chevy Trucks centennial
event was this 1926
Chevrolet Superior X utility
express one-Ton stake
truck. It’s powered by a
171-cubic-inch, 4-cylinder
flathead engine rated at 35
horsepower.
Trucks were sold with
no bed and an open-top
cab, to be finished by the
customer. The Series X was
new in 1926 and featured
a new 3-speed unsynchronized
manual transmission
with a floor-mounted
shifter. Brakes were limited
to the rear wheels.
28 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 27
The stepside bed was the only bed available in 1956. Although the Cameo line had introduced smooth sides made of fiberglass
in 1955, the steel fleetside bed design didn’t join the Chevy lineup until 1958. Chevrolet moved the shifter from the
floor to the steering column in 1948, and three-on-the-tree remained available through the 1987 model year. The diamondshaped
gauge cluster is similar to that used in the Bel Air passenger cars.
This Cheyenne was state of the art with dual-circuit brakes, retractor seat belts, two-speed electric wipers, and safety
glass. More importantly, 1971 was the first year that front disc brakes were standard. This truck, like most of its era, came
with a column-shifted 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 350 transmission. Buyers enjoyed a heater and optional AM/FM radio.
The truck was purchased by Chevy from a farmer in Wisconsin. The factory restoration team put together this resto-mod
for the 2013 SeMA show. The aftermarket steering wheel is the only visible clue that this 1978 Silverado is not completely
original. The e-RoD crate LC9 engine in the 1978 Silverado makes 336 horsepower and 350 foot-pounds of torque.
March–April 2018 29
Page 28
SNAPSHOTS
American Highlights
in Arizona
Chad Tyson
A 1948 Tucker 48 anchors a spread of elegant American iron at RM Sotheby’s
Jim Pickering
Shelby Cobras aren’t exactly known for spacious interiors,
but c’mon. okay, it was actually a children’s car at RM
Sotheby’s, and it sold for $18k
Jim Pickering
Chad Taylor
A 1933 Boydster III, on its way to a $110k sale at BarrettJackson
30 AmericanCarCollector.com
A 2007 Shelby GT500 draws lookers at Bonhams
Page 29
Jim Pickering
1990s cars continue to grab a growing
share of the market, as evidenced by
the lineup at Barrett-Jackson
Jim Pickering
1967 Ford Mustang custom fastback, sold for $126,500 at Barrett-Jackson
Chad Taylor
Plenty of room to hide bodies in this
1939 Cadillac Series 75 convertible
coupe at RM Sotheby’s
Chad Tyson
A 1960 Ford Galaxie Starliner waits in the queue for the auction in the round at
Russo and Steele
Chad Tyson
A 1964 Chevrolet Impala racer with a
14-71 blower on top of its 540-ci big
block requires a parachute at Russo
A 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 trails exhaust across the lot at Russo and Steele
Chad Tyson
Page 30
WRENCHINGHOW-TO
NO RAIN ON
The Detroit Speed Selecta-Speed Wiper kit will help your classic with all-weather usability
wipers it was born with during the Johnson administration.
Those original wipers still work, but they’ve never been ideal —
YOUR PARADE
I
Here’s how to bring your muscle car’s windshield
wipers into the modern era
by Jim Pickering
t may be tough to imagine, but your average 1960s American
muscle car is now 50 years old. And during that time, while it
probably had a few engine swaps or performance upgrades, a
bunch of different wheels and tires and other routine maintenance,
I’m willing to bet your car is still sporting the two-speed
especially in a passing quick spring rain, when the two speeds you
have don’t line up with what you really need to see the road in front
of you. That’s a big reason why a lot of us leave our classics in the
garage at the threat of rain, especially since our modern cars handle
rainy-day visibility so much better than our classics do.
Detroit Speed’s Selecta-Speed wiper kits, available for a variety
of ’60s American cars, solve that problem. They use a modern
32 AmericanCarCollector.com
wiper motor and control unit that’s been
engineered to bolt up to your classic car’s
firewall, giving you five delays as well as
low and high speeds. You can set the system
and forget it, rather than keeping one hand
on the dash to switch your old unit on and
off as needed.
These systems come complete with
their own wiring, so no hacking on your
original harness is required for installation.
Just supply power and ground and you’ve
got a modern wiper system hiding in your
Mustang, Corvette, Nova, Chevelle, Camaro,
or Chevy truck.
We ordered a kit for a 1968 Camaro from
Summit Racing to show you how easy the
conversion is. Here’s how we did it.
SUMMIT
RACING
PARTS LIST
TIME SPENT:
Two hours
DIFFICULTY:
J J
(J J J J J is
toughest)
P/N 121301,
Detroit Speed
Selecta-Speed
Wiper kit, $550
Page 31
1
Here’s our 1968 Camaro’s original wiper motor and
wiring. Before starting the disassembly process, we first
disconnected the battery negative terminal to kill all power to
the car.
2
We unplugged the two factory connectors from the
original motor and set them aside to be wrapped up and
hidden away. Three screws held this motor to the firewall.
3
With the wiper motor pulled away from the firewall, the motor’s arm and its
7/16 retainer nut were visible. Removing that nut and arm freed the motor from the
car.
4
To gain better access to the
linkage assembly and its ballsocket
end, we elected to remove
the car’s cowl panel and wiper
arms. This isn’t absolutely required, but it
makes the job a lot easier. A quick twist of a
prying tool pops the wiper arms free — we
used a rubber mat and some cardboard to
avoid scratching the paint.
5
A few screws under the hood
are all that held this panel in
place. We removed them, then
carefully pulled the panel and set it
off to the side.
March–April 2018 33
Page 32
WRENCHINGHOW-TO
6
With that panel out of the way, the ball socket and
3/8-inch nuts holding it in place were a lot easier to
access — no risk of losing any parts down in the cowl.
Loosening those two nuts frees the old ball-socket end from
the wiper linkage.
7
The new wiper motor is bolted to a thick aluminum
bracket that’s been specially machined to fit the firstgen
Camaro. Also note the arm-and-ball-socket assembly,
which has a slightly different angle from stock. This motor
comes in the park position — all we did was grease the ball end before
installing it in the car.
9
8
Installation of the motor is simple — three countersunk 10-24 stainless steel
bolts, provided in the kit, affix the new bracket and wiper motor to the firewall.
next up, we reconnected the
wiper motor arm’s ball socket
to the linkage assembly. The
quickest tool for the job here is a
nut driver. These 3/8-inch nuts just need to
be snug.
10
With
the
motor
installed, it was
time to turn ourattention
to the
switch. We
couldn’t reuse the
original here, so it
needed to come
out. This one used
a set screw to fasten
the knob and a
nut to hold the
switch to the dash
— but we didn’t
remove the switch
itself yet.
34 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 34
WRENCHINGHOW-TO
11
The one modification that must be made here is to
drill a 5/32-inch hole in the dash for the new switch’s
anti-rotation tab. The Detroit Speed instructions come
with a handy template to cut out, which when oriented
correctly, shows you exactly where to drill. The hole is hidden underneath
the switch bezel, so even if you reinstall stock parts in the future,
you’ll never see it.
12
once we had the template hanging over the original
switch, we used a center punch to mark where our 5/32inch
hole would be drilled. Then we removed the original
switch and drilled our hole, tucking the factory wiring up
and out of the way for possible future use.
13
With the hole drilled, we
fished the new switch up into
the dash and in place. Note
we’ve pulled the driver’s side vent
out for better access to the switch. The hole
lined up perfectly with the tab on the switch,
keeping it from rotating.
15
14
A threaded bezel holds the
switch tight to the dash, and
an Allen-head set screw holds
the new knob on the new switch.
36 AmericanCarCollector.com
The brain of the operation is this control module, which comes with its own
bracket that you can bolt to the brake-pedal support bracket. We elected to affix
ours to the inside of the body under the A-pillar, next to where the driver’s side
vent exits into the interior. We used two pieces of double-sided trim tape — just
make sure it’s accessible and near the wiper motor.
Page 35
16
Installing the wiring is as
simple as plugging the switch
pigtail into the control module
and routing the main harness
through the firewall and out to the wiper
motor. There’s an optional washer pump as
well, and the harness has a provision for
that. We didn’t add it here, so we just
tucked that wire up under the dash. All in all,
this is a clean look, and it takes up less
space inside the engine compartment.
17
Hooking up power and ground is all that this kit
needs to function. We ran a wire to a keyed hot source
on the fuse panel and found a good ground on the steering
column under the dash, then used shrink tube to seal
the connection.
18
With everything else installed and tidied up under
the dash and inside the engine compartment, we
reinstalled the header panel and wiper arms, being careful
to get the wipers sitting as level as possible.
19
Hooking up the battery was the final step. With the
key on, we hit the new switch and tested the new system
and all its delays, while being careful to make sure the
wipers parked where they should and didn’t hit anything.
Now this Camaro is ready for any spring rain — and it will be more
drivable because of it.
A
no need to hide in the garage now when it rains
Page 36
YOUR TURN
Tell Us What’s On Your Mind
Setting the Boss Straight
When I received my most recent
American Car Collector (January–February
2018) publication, I immediately opened
it up and when I came to p. 8, I noticed a
review of a 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302. I
very quickly turned to p. 54 in order to read
the profile by Jeff Zurschmeide.
After reading the profile of the car in
question, I had to reread the complete article
one more time, as I was somewhat shocked
as to what I had just read. The contributor
clearly missed some vital details on the car.
Let me start out with this sentence from
the article:
“Our subject car is a 2012 Boss 302 in
black over red, with the Recaro and Torsen
option.”
With the large pedestal rear spoiler and
large chin spoiler or the unique red wheels,
how could anyone not know that this was
not a standard Boss 302 but, in fact, was a
Laguna Seca Edition? The unique black/
red color combination indicates a Laguna
Seca model. In addition, Recaro seats and
the Torsen differential were standard equipment
and not optional on the LS model as
indicated above, with the only option on the
LS model being a car cover.
“It’s called out as the Pilot Laguna Seca
edition car on the windshield but not in any
of the auction company documentation.”
Aside from the windshield graphics,
I am not sure how the contributor missed
the following information that was clearly
published in the catalog under Lot 55:
Hand Built in 2010 as Pilot Production
#001
1 of 12 produced. Only 5 believed to
survive
“But this car sold at auction for an eye-
popping $80,300, which is fantastic for the
seller but could be ridiculous for the buyer.”
The above statement by the contributor
speaks for itself. To completely not un-
More Pinto Thoughts
Collectible Pintos? If any will ever be
“collectible,” my order would be:
• 1971 with the Rallye option, for firstyear
provenance, and arguably the most
desirable trim package
• 1971 Runabout. A mid-year model
that was a hasty response to the Vega
hatchback
• 1972 Pinto wagon. Later years got those
ugly 5-mph bumpers like almost every
other U.S.-market car
Honorable mention:
• 1977–79 Cruisin’ Wagon with the paint
38 AmericanCarCollector.com
1977 Ford Pinto Cruisin’ Wagon
graphics and porthole windows, if one
can stand those ghastly front and rear
bumpers.
derstand that this was the very first Pilot
Production vehicle assembled and the first
Laguna Seca model to be released to the
general public when the information was
provided to him is inexcusable.
I bought “PP0001” a number of years ago
from Ford and was the first titled owner of
this car once it became available from the
Ford Motor Company, and owned this car
until the beginning of last year.
Last January (2017), I took PP0001 to
the Mecum Car Auction in Kissimmee, FL,
after which time the reserve was not met.
It should be noted that while on the auction
block with Frank and Dana, the bidding
for PP0001 got to just short of $74,000,
including the buyer’s premium. I did not lift
the reserve but elected to send the car to the
“Bid Goes On Desk.”
A day later, with the help of one of
Dana’s other sons, the car sold at the “Bid
Goes On Desk” to two brothers in Texas for
a higher sum.
Based on the above information, I would
suggest that the Mecum crowd in Kissimmee
a year ago knew exactly what this car was
worth and bid it up accordingly. That is
exactly what happened in Waxahachie, TX,
this past October.
Just to be clear, I absolutely love your
publication. I consider this automotive profile
an isolated instance and just wanted to
provide some understanding as to why this
car sold for what it did not only in Texas but
also in Florida. — Harry, via email
ACC Editor Jim Pickering responds:
Thanks for your note, Harry, and for setting
us straight on the Laguna Seca Boss.
The electronic version of the catalog we
referenced clearly differed from the print
version, omitting important details. We
should have caught it.
As for the value statement, yes, I’d say
that confirmation of the car’s Pilot Laguna
Seca status certainly made the price paid
more understandable.
All the other Pintos can be laid to rest. —
Craig P., Calgary, AB, CAN
Which Engine?
Mr. Carlson’s story on the Mercury
Comet (“Cheap Thrills,” p. 44, January–
February 2018) has an incorrect reference
when talking about the “truck-based
250-cubic-inch” engine. The 250 was a
longer-stroke 200; perhaps he is confusing
that with the Ford truck (and large car)
engine which displaced 240 and 300 cubic
engines? That was a completely different
engine line. — Scott M., via email. A
Contact us at: American Car Collector, P.O. Box 4797, Portland, OR 97208
or online at comments@americancarcollector.com
Courtesy of Motostalgia
Page 38
READERS’ FORUM
Crowdsourcing Answers
to Your Car Questions
Contact us at: American Car Collector, P.O. Box 4797, Portland, OR 97208
or online at comments@americancarcollector.com
Has the Truck Market Peaked?
Vintage trucks remain popular sellers, but can prices really keep going up for the foreseeable future?
This month’s Readers’ Forum question:
Classic trucks have been bringing strong prices at auction for several years now, and January’s Arizona results saw the same
trends continue into 2018, with several shiny 1967–72 GMs bringing over $50k and a number of other makes and models also
bringing solid money across the Scottsdale and Phoenix auctions.
Has the truck market peaked, or is there still room for values to grow? Which models do you think are maxed out and which ones
still have more potential upside? Should a nice C10, done up with all the right options, really be worth the same money as a decent
1969 Ford Mustang fastback or 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air?
Readers respond about truck prices:
The first-series C10, 1960–66, still has room to run. All the others
are probably nearing peak. I know this because I have a beautiful ’66
SS 396 and my ’60 C10 gets a tremendous amount of thumbs up. Way
more than the Chevelle. — Gabby L., via email
n n n
The truck market has not peaked, but it makes no sense unless
you are a retired plumbing contractor with more money than you can
spend. — Bill Warner, Jacksonville, FL
n n n
Not at all! There are a multitude of years, models, options and
colors to choose from. Just about everyone can relate to trucks. If you
didn’t own one, you knew someone who did. They are the all-American
workhorses. As the years passed, they became more luxurious
and car-like in comfort and features. There were the “muscle trucks”
— big-block equipped with short beds. Special editions like the GMC
street coupe, Beau James, Gentleman Jim, Warlock, Li’l Red Express
and more. There were beautiful two-tone paint schemes and lots of
chrome. What’s not to like? — Bill T., via email
n n n
Yes, old trucks will continue to rise in cost. Chevy, Ford and
40 AmericanCarCollector.com
Dodge are good investments now and for the future. Mustang vs. old
truck? Old truck all day long. Can you tell I like old trucks? — Brad
S., via email
n n n
They are out of control. I see them falling back to the $20,000
level. — Jack, vintagevettesllc.com, via email
n n n
The recent high prices for these old trucks continue to amaze me.
But over the years our hobby has seen so many surges in values, only
to see them settle out years later. I think buyers who pay these kinds
of prices will have a tough time recouping their investment if and
when they tire of owning these older pickups.
But, on the other hand, if the buyer is happy with what they paid
and they realized their dream by owning a classic truck, more power
to them. Buy what makes you happy and what you can afford. In the
end that’s really what this hobby is supposed to be about. — Dave
Hollen, Glasgow, PA
n n n
Have truck prices peaked? Probably not. However, there are still
some out there at sub-Scottsdale prices. I’ve been to sales where very
nice ’67–72s, as well as less-expensive later GM trucks, have sold for
Page 39
reasonable money (as usual, Fords and other makes usually command
even lower prices). In a couple of cases, these trucks were bought by
dealers who then put a healthy mark-up on them. So by some careful
shopping, you can still get them for far below $50k.
I hope they stay affordable — not for any personal desire to
own one, but as an entry point into the hobby. — John Boyle, ACC
Contributor
n n n
The trucks of the ’50s and ’60s will see a big price increase in
2018, and 4x4s of the ’70s will also come on big! — Zon Davison,
Mooresville, NC
n n n
I have been part of the ’67–72 truck craze for years and do feel
that this segment is peaking.
As I am writing this, I am working the last few details to get my
’72 2wd Blazer listed or maybe sent to an auction in the very near
future in the hope that I can enjoy this peak, since I have had to relocate
to the East Coast and do not have the space for my rig.
I have placed value in the ’72s with the disc brakes and the last of
the body styling over the years of this segment, although I have had a
’71 Cheyenne. I have enjoyed base models that were turned into customs,
a couple of Super Cheyennes, a Highlander, a ’72 GMC with a
’67 front clip and LS combo, and also another ’72 2wd Blazer like the
one I am finishing now.
I have traded in this market space for over 15 years and I am now
seeing a shift toward the later square-bodies (’81–87). I believe that
there are a few items that have influenced this shift: First is that the
’67–72 short-beds are just getting to the point where buying one done
right is too far of a reach for most folks in this marketplace. The
second is the drivability of the square-bodies while keeping that clas-
Jay Parrish’s 1972 GMC LS
sic styling — they have a/c, power windows, power steering and disc
brakes offered as stock options. I would be interested to see what is
the percentage increase over the past five years in this space, because
from what I have followed I have seen an uptick.
However, I feel that the GMC is still undervalued and in many
aspects offered more than its Chevy cousins. I am enclosing a picture
of my ’72 GMC LS-swapped short-bed that I took to Barrett-Jackson
a few years ago. As you can see, they had me lined up with two ’72
Cheyenne short-beds. Each of the Cheyennes sold for over $10k more
than my truck and both were older builds. — Jay Parrish, via email
n n n
Given our collective history with trucks, especially the pickup, it
may dip but never die. — Rob Pietrafesa, via emailA
March–April 2018 41
Page 42
Cheap Thrills
B. Mitchell Carlson
Arizona Fun in the
CHEAP SEATS
O
nce again, back by popular demand, I present the bottom
of the sales chart from Arizona 2018 — the lowestselling
street-legal American production car from each
auction venue. As in previous years, we’ll rate each to
see if they are actually cheap, thrilling or well bought.
Or just a cheap, scary money pit. So, here we go, from the most spent
to the least:
(
is best):
these cars advertised in the newspaper’s classified ads for the same
price this sold for here. And don’t think that this was some Fright Pig,
either. This example was competently restored.
If you want to scratch off “buy a Full Classic” from your collector
car bucket list, a Series 60 Special is the cheapest way to do it for a
good-running car. Just don’t wait to flip it thinking you’ll make big
money when they are finally fully appreciated, or it’ll be part of your
estate sale.
1953 Kaiser Dragon sedan
Gooding & Company Lot 25, VIn 001894
Sold for $34,000
While the “Dutch” Darrin-designed 1951 Kaiser was almost
avant-garde when new, by 1953 it was just another frumpy, cherubic
American sedan. That’s when Kaiser decided that they had nothing to
lose and spiced up the basic sedans with a number of styling packages
that ranged from “cute” to “what were they drinking?”
Between was the Dragon, which was the top-tier Kaiser model
for 1953 only. Underneath the bamboo wicker-styled vinyl top and
slightly plusher appointments was the same taxi-grade Continental
“Red Seal” engine found in every other Kaiser and Checker Cab.
This was also the biggest reality check of all our low sales, as
Gooding had a $70k to $90k guesstimate on the no-reserve car. The
former AACA award winner was worth all of what was bid and the
buy fee, but it was still the top money of all the bottom sales.
Cheap:
Thrilling:
(Unless your house is furnished in mid-century wicker)
Well-bought factor:
1941 Cadillac Series 60 Special sedan
Worldwide Auctioneers Lot 41, VIn 6342534
Sold for $28,600
The 1938–42 Cadillac Series 60 Special is just like the 1955–57
T-bird — they are stylish and have always been collectible, but values
are firmly stuck in park.
I remember as a teenager in the late 1970s and early 1980s seeing
44 AmericanCarCollector.com
1953 Chevrolet 210 Deluxe 2-door sedan
RM Sotheby’s Lot 135, VIn B53n158908
Sold for $17,920
I can almost hear the late Kenny Buttolph, former Research
Editor for Old Cars Weekly and Price Guide, chirp in, “It’s a nice
car — very nice car,” since he absolutely loved pre-Tri-Five post-war
Chevys. Heck, he even kinda looked like them. Yet that’s why lowermile
original examples of these are not bringing strong money — that
Cheap:
Thrilling:
(Especially if you voted for Wendell Willkie in 1940 —
no third term!)
Well-bought factor:
Page 43
demographic is going off to their Great Reward.
This was strong money for the genre, as the car had always been
well cared for and was essentially original (and has a complete paper
trail since it was bought new). It’s also quite bare bones, with the only
factory options being the Powerglide automatic and heater.
If you, like Kenny did, appreciate these cars, you could do worse
for the money. There were scaled-down kids’ cars here that brought
double what this Chevy sold for.
Cheap:
Thrilling:
(Especially if you like Ike — and not on Facebook,
either)
Well-bought factor:
there everything was a wild card. There was a panel-truck roof
grafted to a pickup box, rear fenderettes fashioned from old license
plates, and the prerequisite tractor grille up front. All in all, it came
off as a stunt double from “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
Part of the appeal of the Rat Rod movement is affordability. We
also talk a lot about modified cars being worth the sum of the parts,
so do the math. For this price, it was damn near worth it across the
scale for the mobile scrap pile that it was.
Cheap:
Thrilling:
(Especially if you’re due for your tetanus booster)
Well-bought factor:
1988 Mercury Cougar coupe
Russo and Steele Lot Sn870, VIn 1MeBM60FJH654113
Sold for $2,200
This wasn’t all that horrid
of a car. It had the
EFI 5.0 V8 from the
Mustang, which was
rather clean and tidy.
Yet on the outside, the
devil’s in the details,
and items such as broken
mirrors that were
taped into place (until
1989 Dodge Shelby Dakota pickup
Bonhams Lot 8, VIn 1B7FL96Y2KS114902
Sold for $13,200
During the 1980s, Carroll Shelby and Lee Iacocca resurrected the
concept of the muscle pickup. The Shelby Dakota was born.
Dodge had introduced the V6 Dakota Sport for 1989, so it only
made sense to have Ol’ Shel shoehorn in some 5.2-L V8 power. This
one-year-only Shelby Dakota was the 1,077th made out of the production
run of 1,500 — one of 995 done in red.
This one was restored by a marque specialist, who went above
and beyond to replicate the crappy build quality (yet it looked like
a precision Swiss watch compared to the original low-mile Land
Rover Defender on the docket). It was pretty on the outside, but the
refurbished interior showed its 137,531 miles — that’s 687,665 miles
in dog years and approaching Do Not Resuscitate for most domestic
trucks from 1989.
At best, this was a drivers’ collectible in the same sense that diecast
model cars are collectible — because it says so on the box.
Cheap:
Thrilling:
(Especially if you have a Shelby Series II)
Well-bought factor:
1937 Chevrolet “rat rod” compilation
Barrett-Jackson Lot 3, VIn AZ365122
Sold for $4,400
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
Winning out B-J by one
bid less than a very nice
original 1988 Pontiac
Fiero GT was this ratrod
creation. It might
have had a 1937 Chevy
truck frame, but it also
had an Arizonaassigned
VIN. Most of
the cab looked to be
from 1937, but from
the tape faded away) show that it led the life of a disposable daily
driver. Cheap enough here for a car to be parked at the airport for a
week with a fresh battery.
For this kind of coin, if you hate the rather polarizing design of
the Cougars of this era, you have a 5.0 donor that’s turn-key ready
to drop into your project. Any way you look at it, it was a reasonably
cheap deal.
Cheap:
Thrilling:
(Unless your secretary still owns theirs, because you
don’t pay them enough and they can’t afford a Camry)
Well-bought factor:
1983 Lincoln Continental sedan
Silver Auctions AZ Lot 305, VIn 1MRBP97FoDY700588
Sold for $1,836
It’s easy to say that the
1980s itineration of the
Continental as a standalone
model will always
be known as the 1980–
85 Cadillac Seville
wannabe. And to a certain
extent, that’s right.
But at least the
Continental’s 302-ci V8 was bulletproof and the optional diesel engine
actually worked.
This example is loaded up like a downsized 1980s luxobarge
should be: LED instrumentation, power everything, half an acre
of fake wood interior trim, and individual dual power overstuffed
leather seats with controls over the transmission hump. The only
thing missing is a synthesized “your door is ajar” message.
It’s easy to believe the 88,478 indicated miles, as this was in better
shape than the odometer would lead you to believe.
Even among Lincoln aficionados, you rarely see these anymore.
For once, the cheapest car was the best buy.
Cheap:
Thrilling:
(Especially if you think a Cadillac Seville from this
same year is too risqué-looking)
Well-bought factor:
A
March–April 2018 45
Page 44
Horsepower
Jay Harden
EMOTIONAL
INVESTMENT
It’s one thing to know the smart play, but another thing entirely
to act on it
truth, there was very little
to disagree about. I’ve been
known to go toe-to-toe
with a fencepost or two in
my time, but even I found
myself nodding my head
and appreciating the commentary.
Among the five of us,
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
Are Thunderbirds my favorite? no. But that didn’t stop me from choosing an over-the-top ’55 as
my personal vehicle of choice from Barrett-Jackson’s lineup
in ways that are both entertaining and insightful. There are times,
however, when I just can’t help but wonder where all those words land
once they’re shot out into the ether.
That’s why when Editor Pickering invited me to participate in
T
this year’s ACC writer’s panel at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale sale, I
jumped at the opportunity to join him, Carl Bomstead, B. Mitchell
Carlson and Sam Stockham in front of a living, breathing audience.
Pickering asked each of us to reflect on the current market and then
choose two vehicles to buy, two to sell and two to hold. The forum
would then be an opportunity for each of us to dive into the specific
rationale for our choices, as well as a chance for a little back-andforth
banter where our opinions failed to align. Never one to shy away
from a good argument, I couldn’t pass up the invitation.
Two to buy, sell and hold
Now, you might expect that a panel with birthdates and personal
expertise as widely varied as ours would have much to argue, but, in
46 AmericanCarCollector.com
he process of writing for and contributing to the publication
of a magazine can, at times, feel a bit like a long, lonely,
one-way conversation. We report, we analyze, we predict,
and we assess — all in an effort to create content that we
hope you find engaging, thought-provoking and relevant
we’ve contributed to hundreds
of pieces of content
for ACC, ranging from
profiles to market reports to
columns and everything in
between. As a result, I don’t
think any of us were all that
surprised by each other’s
picks to buy, sell and hold,
but that wasn’t the interesting
part of our discussion.
Where things turned on
their head, for me anyway,
was when it came time for
each of us to divulge our
personal vehicle of choice off the sale’s docket.
The smart thing to do would have been to support our arguments
by following our own advice, but that’s not what happened. None of
us, aside from Pickering, who is supposed to be the voice of reason in
this crowd, chose vehicles from the “Buy” category we had just spent
an hour advocating to our live audience. Hell, Bomstead didn’t even
pick an American car.
In fairness, Carl was the only one of us who, when asked to pick
one car, actually picked one car, so he at least gets credit for following
directions.
Sam picked a kit-car, one that he readily admitted was little more
than a dashingly visceral cash-disposal machine, and a 1977 Pontiac
Can Am. You read that right — a 1977 Pontiac. Why? Because, according
to him, it was too ugly to pass up.
B. Mitchell chose a 2017 Ford GT, a 1940 International pickup,
and a 1972 Chevy Blazer — the latter only because it was a dead
ringer for the one his neighbor had when he was young.
As for me, well, my picks weren’t much better. Both Jim and Sam
selected first-gen Thunderbirds for their “Sell” category, and I agreed
fully, mostly because I don’t like Thunderbirds. But that didn’t stop
me from picking an extensively modified Ridler-award-winning ’55
that hid not a single minute of the thousands of hours that went into
its making.
Page 45
My other favorite? An ’84 K-10 long-bed shined
up as the spittin’ image of Lee Majors’ bermjumping,
bad-guy-wrecking man-mobile from the
’80s TV show “The Fall Guy.” Brilliant, huh? As it
turned out, both are profiled in this issue on pages 58
and 64, respectively.
Buying on emotion
So what exactly is the common thread here? We
all unapologetically chose vehicles that spoke to us in
some very personal way, common sense be damned.
It’s one thing to know the smart play, but another thing
entirely to act on it. Was this a quintessential case of
“Do as I say, not as I do”? Not exactly.
Although American collector cars are analyzed
and scatter-plotted and bar-graphed as an investment
grade market, we’re not dealing with stocks and
bonds here. To deny the inevitability of irrational and
emotionally charged decision making in this market
is to deny the true purpose that draws thousands
upon thousands of consignors, bidders and spectators
out into the middle of the desert every January — we
are enthusiasts first and foremost.
Buying and selling old cars for the sole purpose of turning a profit
other favorite? An ’84 K-10 long-bed shined
up as the spittin’ image of Lee Majors’ berm-
jumping, bad-guy-wrecking man-mobile from the
’80s TV show “The Fall Guy.” Brilliant, huh? As it
turned out, both are profiled in this issue on pages 58
and 64, respectively.
Buying on emotion
So what exactly is the common thread here? We
all unapologetically chose vehicles that spoke to us in
some very personal way, common sense be damned.
It’s one thing to know the smart play, but another thing
entirely to act on it. Was this a quintessential case of
“Do as I say, not as I do”? Not exactly.
Although American collector cars are analyzed
and scatter-plotted and bar-graphed as an investment
grade market, we’re not dealing with stocks and
bonds here. To deny the inevitability of irrational and
emotionally charged decision making in this market
is to deny the true purpose that draws thousands
upon thousands of consignors, bidders and spectators
out into the middle of the desert every January — we
are enthusiasts first and foremost.
Buying and selling old cars for the sole purpose of turning a profit
can
can be a risky undertaking for even the savviest of market hawks,
which is exactly why ACC’s contributors work so hard to deliver upto-the-minute
information in the form of indisputable fact. We record
the sales and crunch the numbers and log the data so that you can
make informed decisions to maximize your profit and minimize your
risk, if, you know, you’re into that kind of thing. But those numbers,
while vitally important, can’t ever tell the whole story.
Once our panel adjourned, Sam, Jim and I spent an hour or two
cruising the grounds to decompress and get some fresh air. We made
our way up and down the rows of outdoor lots, trying to cover as
much ground as possible before responsibilities pulled each of us in
different directions.
The first of our collective picks that we stumbled across was Sam’s
’77 Can Am. As we nit-picked and circled, inspected the shaker and
measured the doors (this big!), the smile on Sam’s face told the story
that won’t be published.
As for the buyer, we may need to track him down. Lot 425 sold for
just $26,400, including buyer’s premium. A
March–April 2018 47
Page 46
On the Market
John L. Stein
THIRSTFIRST
for a
Under $5,000
1987–93 Cadillac Allanté
Under $20,000
1968 Chevrolet Corvette coupe
When buying your first collector car, choose the experience
you want to have — and then go live it
doctor’s office; or 3) You love American collector cars. Let’s hope it’s
the latter.
While there’s a strong likelihood that ACC readers already own
T
an American collector car or two (or 20, or 200), I recognize that not
every reader does. After all, a reader may be the spouse, child, parent,
uncle, niece, cousin, aunt or friend of a subscriber. You’re curious
about collector cars, but not an owner. In that case, this column is
intended for you.
Its purpose? To imprint you with the collector-car “virus,” and
lead you gently toward the precipice of ownership. Don’t worry, you
can thank me later.
Using the 2018 American Car Collector Pocket Price Guide as a
roadmap, here are four groups of “starter” American collector cars
at different price points. They are presented here with full recognition
that some readers will have alternatives in mind, or just flat-out
disagree. ACC welcomes your input, so please let us know what you
think. Until then, though, I’m your “On the Market” columnist, and I
approve this message.
ACC Top Pick Under $5,000
1987–93 Cadillac Allanté
There are only three American cars in the 2018 ACC Pocket Price
Guide with median values listed at $5,000 or less. One is the 1970
Cadillac Coupe DeVille (76,043 built) at an even $5k, another is the
48 AmericanCarCollector.com
he fact that you’re reading American Car Collector is probably
due to one of three reasons: 1) You mistook it for a copy
of Cat Fancy, and were astonished to discover that some
Cheetahs, Cougars and Bobcats actually have wheels; 2)
You discovered ACC while idly waiting in the barbershop or
1988–91 Chrysler TC by Maserati (7,300 built) at $3,500, and the third
is the 1951–52 Packard 200 at $4,500. Therefore, as the Dark Overlord
of this column, I’m going to bend the rules, bypass those three and
include the 1987–93 Cadillac Allanté instead. It tips in at $5,500.
The Allanté required the combined resources of General Motors
and Pininfarina in Italy to design and build. In its debut, the Allanté
was luxurious, sporty and exotic, and thrust Cadillac into a leadership
role the division is still pursuing today. And it is relatively rare;
whereas 166,187 Corvettes were built from 1987 to ’93, only 21,433
Allantés were produced. The car eventually faded out of the scene,
and has been a bottom dweller in the value tank ever since. However,
this Caddy actually has a lot going for it:
• Exotic Italian-American design and engineering.
• A premium product from GM’s pre-eminent division.
• Sophisticated Northstar DOHC, 32-valve V8 for 1993.
• Low current prices ready to ascend.
ACC Top Pick Under $20,000
1968 Chevrolet Corvette coupe
There are legions of great cars to choose from in this price range,
including this first-year “Shark” 1968 Corvette coupe (9,936 built),
the 1963 Buick Riviera (40,000 built), the 1967 Mercury Cougar
XR-7 (27,221 built), the 1971 Oldsmobile 442 (5,475 built), and
interestingly, the 1988 Callaway Corvette turbo (125 built). This was
a hard call to make, but the 1968 Corvette coupe won out as a great
first-time collector’s ride for several reasons:
• The chrome-bumper Corvettes of 1968–72 offer the C3 generation’s
best styling, which now is maturing beautifully.
• Good small-block C3 Corvettes are a fun driving experience.
Page 47
Under $35,000
1966 Ford Mustang 2+2 fastback
• Parts are plentiful and generally reasonably priced.
• C3 “Sharks” are swimming up in value.
• Chrome-bumper Sharks know how to draw a crowd.
ACC Top Pick Under $35,000
1966 Ford Mustang 2+2 fastback
With 35,698 2+2 fastbacks compared with a whopping 499,751
notchback coupes built for 1966, this stylish Mustang, valued at
$34,500, is the rarest of all 1965–66 variants, and it is also the sportiest.
When equipped with a V8 engine and 4-speed transmission, it
provides much of the flavor of a Shelby GT350 at less than 8% the
current price of the original 1965 GT350 (521 built), and less than a
quarter the price of a 1966 GT350 (1,368 built).
To slide even further under the price radar, you can settle for one
with a 6-cylinder engine and automatic transmission — although be
forewarned, drive quality, prestige and resale value will all suffer.
Strong points include:
• The 2+2’s high desirability and relative rarity among early
Mustangs bodes well for future value bumps.
• It’s the basis for the street Shelby GT350, Hertz’s GT350 H “renta-racer,”
and factory Shelby GT350 R racer.
• Absolutely iconic in design;
singlehandedly started the ponycar
wars.
• A frequent conversation starter.
• Huge parts availability at reasonable
prices.
ACC Top Pick
Under $50,000
1967 Pontiac GTO
convertible
Reasonably plentiful and well
loved, the ’67 GTO (“Goat”) convertibles
(9,517 built) offer much for
their current $44,500 valuation. The
400-ci big-block V8 is powerful,
and is available with both dual-gate
automatic or manual transmission.
Plus, options such as power brakes
and steering make the cars easier to
drive. And then there is the convertible
experience.
Nothing tops an empty two-lane,
a big V8 under the GTO’s hood
scoop, and feeling the sun on your
Under $50,000
1967 Pontiac GTo convertible
shoulders. By the way, in this “Under $50,000” compilation, the ’67
GTO drop-top narrowly beat out the 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T
(4,630 built) at $43,000 and the 1966 Oldsmobile 442 convertible
(2,853 built) at an even $50k. Various other Goat attributes include:
• The GTO is considered the father of muscle cars.
• “Borrowed” by Pontiac from Ferrari, the GTO name is still
highly regarded.
• Unlike Camaros, Mustangs, Challengers and ’Cudas, GTOs
were only built with big-block V8s, making each and every one
badass.
• It’s a big car, roomy enough for four adults and luggage.
Buy the experience
The cars cited above, of course, are just a few of the hundreds or
even thousands of possibilities that exist for American car collecting
between, say, the 1908 Ford Model T and the 2018 Ford GT.
Besides reading every issue of ACC cover to cover, referencing
the Pocket Price Guide that comes with subscriptions is a great way
to learn what’s out there — and what you can expect for your money.
Regardless of what kind of car you’re interested in, though, please
just do us one favor: Buy it for the experience you want to have —
and then go live that experience. You’ll be glad you did. A
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
Regardless of which American collector car you ultimately choose, never forget that the
whole point is to get take it out and enjoy it
March–April 2018 49
Page 48
PROFILE CORVETTE
1996 CHEVROLET CORVETTE GRAND SPORT COUPE
Ready to Rise
If this Grand
Sport’s
owners
had tucked
it away,
expecting a
big payoff,
they lost this
round. The
winner may
well be the
person who
just bought it
VIN: 1G1YY2257T5600868
by John L. Stein
• No. 868 of 1,000 1996 Corvette Grand Sports
produced
• One of 810 Grand Sport coupes
• 29,959 actual miles
• Sold new in Michigan
• Resided on East Coast for seven years before
moving west
• Admiral Blue paint with an Arctic White stripe
and red hash marks
• Two-tone interior with Torch Red leather seats
• LT4 5.7-liter V8 engine
• 6-speed manual transmission
• Gloss black five-spoke wheels
• Gloss black front brake calipers
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 166, sold for
$24,200, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale,
AZ, on January 20, 2018. It was offered with no reserve.
Designed as Cobra killers, in 1963 Chevrolet’s
skunkworks built five Grand Sport racers to take
back the track from the Shelby American juggernaut.
While General Motors’ ban on racing soon torpedoed
the effort, the name Grand Sport lived on in infamy,
resurfacing in 1996 for a one-year swansong for the
aging fourth-generation Corvette platform. The ’96
Grand Sport was a Regular Production Option (RPO)
called Z16, which cost $3,250 on the coupe and $2,880
on the convertible.
Included in the Grand Sport coupe were the
outstanding 330-hp LT4 engine, Admiral Blue paint
50 AmericanCarCollector.com
50 AmericanCarCollector.com
with a white stripe and twin red hash marks on the
left front fender, wide 17-inch wheels and tires from
the ’95 ZR-1 (now painted black), rear fender flares,
a choice of black or two-tone Torch Red and black
interior, sport seats, and a few other cosmetic touches.
The Grand Sport convertible lacked the coupe’s rear
fender flares and had narrower tires fitted. Exactly 810
coupes and 190 convertibles were made.
A surprisingly good buy
A popular refrain of auction-goers is, “I paid
too much.” That was not the case here, as this
wonderful-looking Grand Sport, showing less than
30,000 miles on the odometer, sold at no reserve for
less than the cost of a 2018 Toyota Prius or Honda
Accord. Furthermore, it went for 20.6% below the
current American Car Collector Pocket Price Guide
median value of $30,500. Adding insult to injury, the
price guide already lists the car as a “C” investment
(downgraded from a “B” in earlier years) due to a
14% value decline from 2017.
Let’s dissect the situation, starting with elements
in favor of the 1996 Grand Sport. First, the pushrod
LT4-powered Grand Sport is considered a pinnacle of
fourth-generation Corvettes — an honor shared with
the final-year DOHC, 32-valve 1995 ZR-1.
Second, few Grand Sports were made (the 1,000 build
volume of GS coupes and convertibles represents just
4.6% of total ’96 Corvette production), and they can’t
easily be faked because the specialized paint and interior
would be expensive to reproduce — and even if such
cloning were successful, the VIN would still be wrong.
Jim Pickering
Addtional images courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
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!
Detailing
Year produced: 1996
Number produced: 810
Original list price: $40,475
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $30,500
Club: National Corvette
Restorers Society
Engine # location: Right-front
cylinder-head deck
Tune-up/major service: $200
VIN location: Plate at base of
windshield
Web: www.ncrs.org
Alternatives: 1995 Chevrolet
Corvette ZR-1, 1996
Dodge Viper RT/10 convertible,
2006 Chevrolet
Corvette coupe
And third, in recent years, certain cars from the
1980s through 2000s have started hopping, possibly
in part because successful Millennials can now afford
influential vehicles from their youth.
Some Grand Sport perspective
All of the above pluses are genuine strong points
for the Grand Sport. However, one detriment is that
the 1996 GS coupe is more than four times as plentiful
as the ’96 GS convertible. Across all segments of the
collector world, the exclusivity borne by limited production
is a positive. Put more simply, compared to the
Grand Sport convertible, the coupe is fairly common.
As an interesting side note, here are some other
collector-grade American coupes in the ACC Pocket
Price Guide — one from each decade during the 1950s
through 1990s — with roughly similar production
numbers as the 1996 Grand Sport coupe:
• 1957 Corvette 283-hp Fuelie (756 built) — ACC
median value of $92,500 with an “A” rating
• 1967 Camaro Z28 (602 built) — ACC median
value of $92,500 with an “A” rating
• 1974 Pontiac Trans Am SD-455 (943 built) — ACC
median value of $82,500 with a “B” rating
• 1987 Buick GNX (547 built) — ACC median value
of $114,000 with an “A” rating
• 1998 Dodge Viper GTS (837 built) — ACC median
value of $41,500 with a “B” rating
Like wine, cars appreciate with age
Researching this brief list of vehicles was most
educational, because it allowed comparing, for
the first time, values of post-war American sporty
cars with a build quantity between 500 and 1,000.
Choosing one car more or less
empirically from each decade,
my main requirement was that
it be a high-performance model
built in sufficient quantities so
as to be attainable by a large
number of people. As such, I
bypassed low-production units
like Camaro ZL1s and Corvette
L88s. I likewise bypassed
well-known cars like the 1965
to 1968 Shelby GT350s, even
though in some years they fit
the profile, in favor of the less
well-known Camaro Z28. Just
because.
My findings? In an admit-
tedly disputable, arguable and grossly general way,
this casual experiment suggests that epic cars from
the 1950s through 1970s are still the icons of our
collecting universe, but also that cars of the 1980s
are playing a strong game of catch-up — at least in
certain circumstances. Cars from the 1990s? Not so
much — yet. And that may be exactly the reason our
subject ’96 Grand Sport sold for such easy money in
Scottsdale.
Since there was nothing to dislike about or dis-
qualify this car, there is practically no other viable
explanation for its low sale amount except its age
— aside from the possibility that the right buyers just
weren’t in the room when it sold.
If cars’ traditional early depreciation and later
appreciation are graphed, the resulting curve would
be a lazy inverted parabola: A years-long initial value
decline, followed by a low, flat middle, and eventually
climbing up and out. The height and steepness of the
parabola’s edges would naturally vary by car and
environmental conditions, but in general, that’s the
way of the car world.
The 1996 Corvette Grand Sport coupe cost $40,475
new. Not counting inflation, the 2018 ACC median
value of $30,500 represents a 24.6% value drop after
22 years, and the selling price of our subject car
represents an even greater 40.2% value drop.
If the Grand Sport’s previous owners had tucked it
away all these years, expecting a big payoff, they absolutely
lost this round. Instead, the winner may well
be the person who bought it in Scottsdale — because
I’d gamble that the 1996 Grand Sport’s real action
will happen in the next 10 years. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Barrett-
Jackson.)
1996 Chevrolet Corvette
Grand Sport coupe
Lot F237, VIN:
1G1YY2251T5600042
Condition: 2+
Sold at $77,760
Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee,
FL, 1/25/2015
ACC# 257179
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
1996 Chevrolet Corvette
Grand Sport coupe
Lot 1028, VIN:
1G1YY2253T5600110
Condition: 1Sold
at $40,150
Russo and Steele, Monterey,
CA, 8/17/2017
ACC# 6846756
1996 Chevrolet Corvette
Grand Sport coupe
Lot T122, VIN:
1G1YY2254T5600634
Condition: 1Sold
at $55,000
Mecum Auctions, Indianapolis,
IN, 5/16/2017
ACC# 6836038
March–April 2018
51CC
51
Page 50
PROFILE GM
Parts Made Whole
1968 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS 396 REPLICA CONVERTIBLE
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
This car
started life
as an inline
6-cylinder
convertible.
Reborn as
a stomping
big-block
SS, it blew
right past the
ACC median
valuation for
a real-deal
car
52 AmericanCarCollector.com
VIN: 123678N462130
by Patrick Smith
3.55-ratio rear end, center console with gauges,
tachometer, power top, steering and disc brakes, Delco
AM radio, front and rear spoilers and Rally wheels.
This Camaro is finished in Matador Red with black
convertible top and black striping.
T
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 772.1, sold for
$74,800, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Barrett-Jackson’s auction in Scottsdale, AZ,
January 13–21, 2018. It was offered with no reserve.
Chevrolet had a knockout seller of a pony car with
the 1967 Camaro, so 1968 was a year of careful tweaking
instead of big changes. Small changes included
an all-new Astro Ventilation system, which eliminated
the side wing windows. Additionally, the grille and
taillamps were revised. Camaro got a new console
molded completely in plastic with saw-tooth gauges
instead of a pot-metal top plate with circular gauges.
The interiors were improved with expanded vinyl for a
nicer feel and appearance.
Buyers went crazy when they saw the SS package,
which originally was limited to the new 350 small
his Camaro convertible underwent a highquality
body-off restoration completed in
October 2017. It is powered by a 396-ci engine
and Muncie M20 4-speed manual transmission.
It features a 12-bolt Positraction
block. By March of ’67, there was a 396 version available.
For 1968, engineering changes included a switch
to five-leaf rear suspension on high-output models,
and staggered shocks, dashboard-mounted VIN plate
visible on the driver’s side through the windshield, a
vacuum-operated hideaway headlamp system for the
Rally Sport and the continuation of the big-block SS
396 option introduced in March of 1967.
Evolution of the theme
For 1968, you could choose from four different
396 engines. They included the 350-hp L34, the
325-hp L35 or the 375-hp L78 solid-lifter monster. An
aluminum-head L89 version of the engine also existed.
The 396 came with a high-performance hood with twin
non-functional stacked intakes. Transmission choices
included Muncie close- and wide-ratio 4-speeds and
a heavy-duty M22 along with the TH400. Hurst shifter
handles didn’t appear until 1969.
The L34 was scarce, with 2,579 engines made. The
L78 occupied the middle position, with 4,575 engines,
while the L89 aluminum-head 396 is right up there
with bigfoot sightings — just 272 made. The most
common SS 396 Camaro was the L35, with 10,773
units produced. It’s what this car’s packing between
the fenders, along with some very nice options like
console, custom interior, pedal dress-up, tachometer
power steering and power disc brakes. Finished like a
brochure car in Matador Red with black fender stripes
and Rally wheels, it was built to create envy and
desire within every Chevy fanatic.
Page 51
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
Years produced: 1967–68
Number produced: 16,927
(1968 V8 convertible)
Original list price: $2,908
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $36,000
Engine # location: Milled pad
below cylinder head, front
passenger’s side
Clubs: Camaro Research
Group
A do-it-yourself SS
Even Jim Phelps from “Mission Impossible” would
be stumped searching for an SS 396 4-speed convertible.
They just don’t show up that often. Production
breakdowns by body style aren’t known, but demand
has outstripped supply.
That’s one reason why our subject car, which
started life as an inline 6-cylinder convertible, later
became a stomping big-block SS. The VIN’s third digit
is 3 instead of 4, revealing its original 6-cylinder status.
The seller took a few liberties by adding chrome
valve covers and spoiler package. Dolling up the car
paid off with an out-the-ballpark figure when the gavel
fell.
The ’68 L35 SS Camaros have been selling in the
mid- to high-$40k range unless the car is a super-rare
L78 or L89 example. This one got almost a third more
than that — way above the ACC median recorded to
date. But this sale doesn’t mean 1968 Camaros are on
fire. If anything, it’s further proof that drivable classic
cars are hot, as evidenced by a number of LS-powered
pro-touring Camaros that sold for similar amounts at
this same event.
In this case, clearly two people liked what they
saw at a popular auction where TV cameras, good
restorations and big prices are the norm. But within
this successful sale also lies a bigger story being
played out across the nation: an increased focus on
usability, driver friendliness and guilt-free motoring.
Worry-free
Factory-original big-block Camaros aren’t ideal for
modern road trips for a variety of reasons, but remove
the numbers-matching part from the equation and
suddenly the ride gets friendlier because the worry
falls away. From there, owners can add hidden comforts
such as an overdrive gearbox, modern rotating
assembly and better brakes to make a lesser Camaro
downright fun. If it does get in an accident, the stakes
are relatively low — after all, we’re not talking about
some expensive preserved original rarity here.
Up until now, that was the thought process. And then
this car, and others like it at Barrett-Jackson, brought
prices on par with what originals had been doing and
blew most of that reasoning out of the water.
This was a stout price to pay for a Camaro that isn’t
exactly what it appears to be, and that makes it very
well sold, as you could buy something similar for a lot
less — especially with an older restoration. But the
truth of the matter is that building something like this
from scratch would very likely cost close to what was
bid here, and this one was reportedly just completed
four months ago, so it’s as clean as they come.
There’s no doubt that the new owner paid a
premium for this ride. Is it a trend or was it due to a
couple of bidders simply trying to outdo each other in
a high-profile setting? For that answer, we’ll just have
to wait and watch. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Barrett-
Jackson.)
Tune-up/major service: $250
Distributor cap: $13.56
VIN location: Driver’s side
dashboard
Web: www.camaros.org
Alternatives: 1968 Mustang
GT 390, 1968 Dodge Dart
GTS, 1968 Pontiac Firebird
400
Investment Grade: C
Comps
1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS
396 convertible
Bonhams, Greenwich, CT,
6/4/2017
ACC# 6836129
Lot 180, VIN: 124677N221699
Condition: 1Sold
at $44,000
1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS
convertible
Lot SP42, VIN:
124678N328047
Condition: 1Sold
at $55,899
Collector Car Productions,
Toronto, CAN, 4/6/2014
ACC# 243316
1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/
SS 396 convertible
Lot S121.1, VIN:
124677N180816
Condition: 2Sold
at $66,340
Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX,
9/5/2013
ACC# 227409
March–April 2018 53
Page 52
PROFILE FOMOCO
Shelby’s Hertz
1966 FORD MUSTANG GT350 H FASTBACK
Courtesy of Bonhams
If it was
good enough
for Carroll
Shelby, it’s
good enough
for me. It’s
the type of
Shelby that is
surely worn,
but likely not
worn out
VIN: SFM6S707
by Dale Novak
• Carroll Shelby’s personal GT350 H
• On display at Shelby Automobiles since 2008
• Desirable Hertz “Rent-a-Racer” Shelby
• Iconic Wimbledon White with factory-painted Le
Mans stripes
• The ultimate in provenance and ownership history
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 16, sold for
$253,000, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at the Bonhams Scottsdale Auction held at the
Westin Kierland Resort & Spa on January 18, 2018.
The car was offered with no reserve.
This 1966 Shelby GT350 H was one of 999 Hertz
Shelbys built for the 1966 model year — at least that’s
the number most frequently quoted; however, various
sources have cited numbers from 936 to 1,002. As
such, they are not entirely rare, but finding one for
sale can be a challenge, as they are very desirable and
don’t tend to stay available for long.
Our subject car was one of the batch of Hertz “rent-
a-racers” originally ordered by the Hertz corporation.
While the vast majority of those cars were produced
wearing the Hertz-branded color scheme of black with
gold stripes, chassis S707 was built as you see it here
— white with blue stripes. That was common for a
GT350 and entirely uncommon for a GT350 H edition.
Chassis S707 was originally delivered to a Hertz
location in San Diego, CA, in January of 1966. After
being thrashed about and probably treated to a few
ketchup-laden fries tossed about the cabin, it found
its way to the first retail owner, Fred Johnson, on
September 7, 1967. Sometime after that, Fred sold the
54 AmericanCarCollector.com
54 AmericanCarCollector.com
car to Mike Shoen of Vancouver, WA, who modified
it with a 1965 GT350 tach pod, R-model apron, valve
covers, roll bar and R-model wheels.
Driven by Shelby
As reported by Bonhams, chassis S707 then found
its way to its third owner, Mr. Carroll Shelby himself.
That instantly transformed this Shelby Mustang from a
tattered old driver to a tattered old driver with a great
story to tell.
Until this sale, the car had never left the Shelby
Collection. It was featured in Petersen’s Complete
Ford Book and was displayed at the Imperial Palace
Automobile Collection in Las Vegas. At some point,
chassis S707 was brought back to its original specifications
with the exception of the wheels.
One can quickly discern that our subject car is a
bit tired and certainly showing its age. The engine
bay is somewhat ratty, the paint appears to be heavily
orange-peeled, the interior is soiled and the carpet is
faded. Based on the condition of the very old Goodyear
Wingfoot tires, I’d say the car hasn’t been exercised in
a very long time. It was reported as a #3 example, but
I’d dig a bit deeper and knock it down to a #4+.
That said, who cares? My take on it is pretty simple.
If it was good enough for Carroll Shelby, it’s good
enough for me. In fact, I love the car, warts and all.
It’s the type of Shelby that is surely worn, but likely
not worn out.
Being a West Coast car all its life, the body is very
likely in great shape and hasn’t been invaded by
the tin worm. It’s the best type of Shelby, if you ask
Page 53
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Naturally, none of our comps were
actually owned by Carroll Shelby. This is
the only comp that was actually owned by
the man who created them. Better still, he
bought the car as the third owner (if you
don’t count the Hertz ownership). That says
a lot without ever knowing one more thing
about the car. Carroll liked it enough to
own it. And he didn’t own it for a year or
two — he kept the car for many years and it
was still part of the Shelby Collection when
it was sold. It’s about as close as you will
ever get to using a time machine and transporting
yourself back to 1966 and buying a
car directly from Team Shelby.
The fast take on the fastback
Bonhams’ pre-sale estimate on the car
me — one that you can lay into and enjoy for the street
weapon that it is. Most GT350s have simply become
over-restored garage furniture. That’s fine from
an investment standpoint, but terrible for what the
machine was designed to do.
The Shelby effect
So how did the sold price of chassis S707 fare in the
world of 1966 GT350s? Did the Carroll Shelby provenance
check the right boxes on the auction block?
Using the ACC Pocket Price Guide, we can see a
median value placed on a typical, well-sorted GT350
H of $147,000, with a 20% ding for an automatic
transmission. The transmission deduction is more
relevant to a production GT350 (not an H model),
simply because the Hertz models were more likely to
be outfitted with an automatic — so we can toss that
out for this evaluation.
Racing through the sold comps, I intentionally
researched non-Hertz models because those cars will
generally bring a bit more at auction than a Hertz edition
— not a ton, but enough to give them a leg up. The
three I selected sold (or bid to) a low of $143,000 and a
high of $297,000.
was $150,000 to $200,000. Most forums
and conversations I managed to find online suggested
that they thought the car would sell for more — some
speculating $300,000 all in. But there’s a method
to the Bonhams valuation. The low estimate likely
fired up plenty of collectors thinking that they could
be in the running and maybe even buy the car under
$150,000. This quiet exuberance can quickly multiply
the bidder activity, and Bonhams did a superb job of
promoting the car, as articles about chassis S707 were
all over the Web.
Given the overall condition and presentation, had
this been an ordinary GT350 H in the uncommon
white/blue color combination, I would have suggested
about $110,000 to $130,000. But, we aren’t talking
about just any weathered 1966 GT350 H.
Condition aside, given the provenance and the
stories this Shelby could tell, it was wisely bought.
Carroll Shelby may be gone, but his effect on our collective
high-performance American-iron car culture
lives on. And that, my fellow car aficionados, comes
with a price.
The car was well sold but astutely bought for the col-
Detailing
Year produced: 1966
Number produced: 999
Original list price: $3,865
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $147,000
Tune-up/major service: $500
Distributor cap: $10
VIN location: Tag on left inner
fender apron
Engine # location: Right side
of engine block
Club: Shelby American
Automobile Club
Web: www.saac.com
Alternatives: 1963 Chevrolet
Corvette 327/360 Z06
coupe, 1967 Chevrolet
Yenko Camaro, 1969 Ford
Mustang Boss 429
ACC Investment Grade: A
Comps
1966 Shelby GT350 fastback
Lot FR0084.5, VIN:
SFM6S068
Condition: 2-
Not sold at $200,000
GAA, Greensboro, NC,
11/3/2017
ACC# 6852518
lector who cherishes the unique Shelby provenance. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Bonhams.)
1966 Shelby GT350 fastback
Lot 1072, VIN: SFM6S250
Condition: 1Sold
at $297,000
Russo and Steele, Monterey,
CA, 8/17/2017
ACC# 6846484
1966 Shelby GT350 fastback
Lot S734, VIN: SFM6S439
Condition: 2Sold
at $143,000
Russo and Steele, Scottsdale,
AZ, 1/18/2017
ACC# 6817036
March–April 2018
55CC
55
Page 54
Icon or Original?
1968 DODGE HEMI CHARGER R/T 2-DOOR HARD TOP
Did the seller
really think
evoking
the image
of Bo and
Luke Duke
would cause
some fan to
mortgage the
doublewide
for this
Charger?
VIN: XS29J8B302022
by Tom Glatch
A
56 AmericanCarCollector.com
56 AmericanCarCollector.com
lmost 100,000 Chargers were sold in
1968, with 17,584 of them outfitted with
the Road/Track package. Of those, only
475 were produced with the optional
426 Street Hemi, including the example
offered here. Making this car even more desirable is
its rare color combination of dark blue over an Electric
Blue interior.
Mopar restoration expert Julius Steuer purchased
the car and, in 2009, restored it at his shop in Los
Angeles. David Mikkelson acquired it shortly after
the restoration was complete and later passed it to the
current owner. Today, this Hemi Charger R/T presents
with aggressive-looking American Racing Vector
wheels, popularized on the iconic 1969 Charger used
in the TV show “The Dukes of Hazzard.” The original
wheels are included in the sale, along with two original
build sheets, jack and spare.
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 111, sold for
$123,750, including the buyer’s
premium, at Gooding & Company’s auction in
Scottsdale, AZ, on Saturday, January 20, 2018. It was
offered with no reserve.
They say image is everything, and in the automotive
world there is no greater proof than the 1968 Dodge
Charger. Underneath the sheet metal was Chrysler’s
familiar B-body architecture. Even under the hood
were Chrysler’s well-known powerplants, with the
base Charger model getting the 318 V8 small-block,
while the performance R/T model had the 440
Magnum standard. The pinnacle, of course, was the
“elephant” in the room, the 426 Hemi.
But where Dodge struggled to sell 15,788 of the old
fastback 1967 Chargers, 96,100 of the ’68 Chargers
flew out the showroom doors, including 475 with the
Hemi. Demand was so high that the Hamtramck plant
couldn’t keep up, and the St. Louis plant also began
building Chargers. Product Planning thought only
20,000 would be sold, based on the history of the
previous model.
Double diamond image
The difference was the sleek “double diamond”
shape and “flying buttress” roof of the new Charger.
Diran Yazejian, a designer in the Dodge Studio at the
time, told allpar.com: “Bill Brownlie, Dodge Studio
Executive Designer, wanted an evolutionary design
from the ’66 — a fastback. Meanwhile, off in a corner
of the Dodge Studio, Richard Sias was making a 1/10scale
‘speed form’ clay model. It was ‘aircrafty’ and
had the double-diamond shapes built into its form, but
it wasn’t a fastback… the ‘sail panels’ made it look
fastback enough to satisfy Brownlie.”
When Car and Driver tested the ’68 Charger, they
remarked, “The only 1968 car which comes close to
challenging the new Charger for styling accolades
is the new Corvette, which is remarkably similar to
the Charger, particularly when viewed from the rear
quarter… Originality takes guts in Dodge’s position
as the smaller division of the number three automaker,
but the Charger’s aerodynamic wedge theme is not
only distinctly new but it is very like the new breed of
wind-tunnel tested sports/racing cars which are just
now making their debut in the 1967 Can-Am series.”
Of course, the Charger R/T was more than just a
Brian Henniker, copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company
Page 55
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Detailing
Years produced: 1968–70
Number produced: 475
(1968 Hemi cars)
Original list price:
Approximately $4,110
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $116,000
With all this performance image
e Charger,” Car and Driver said,
d to order an engine to go with
n you’re talking a Chrysler
e performance engine is the Hemi.
’t more honest horsepower availwroom
floor than you get from
e monster.” They recorded 0–60
e quarter-mile in 13.5 at 105
his was in a Charger packed with
ng in at 4,346 pounds.
emi Charger has so much going
toration, the provenance of the
, the rarity and desirability of
426 Hemi power, and the very unusual factory color
scheme. Yet auctioneer Charlie Ross fought to squeeze
out the last dollar on a no-reserve sale for a car of this
quality. Why?
The Duke factor
While it may seem like a small detail, I think the
Vector wheels this car wore at the sale hurt its value.
Did the seller really think evoking the image of Bo
and Luke Duke would cause some fan to mortgage the
doublewide for this Charger?
First impressions count for a lot, especially at auc-
tion, and it’s important to remember just where this
car was — the Gooding auction is known for high-end
offerings from Porsche and Ferrari, and as such it
draws in a high-level demographic. These are serious
collectors in a social setting.
Selling a high-end automo-
bile is no different than selling
a high-end property, and realestate
agents will spend the
extra money to properly stage
a home with designer furnishings
and décor to help move it
for the maximum price. I have
no problem with someone driving
a car like this on modern
rubber; you don’t realize how
much tires have changed
until you drive a ’60s muscle
machine on bias-ply skins. And
as we’ve noted in ACC before,
wheels are all about taste,
and they’re an easy swap, so
owners should feel free to do
what they want. But to sell
something like this — especially
in a high-class setting
— practicality and personal preference must take a
back seat to the proper staging of the automobile. That
means keeping things as “showroom” as possible.
When this beautiful dark blue Hemi Charger
was featured in Motor Trend Classic, writer Steve
Magnante wrote: “It may come as a shock, but this
musclecar-loving automotive journalist is of the opinion
that Warner Brothers’ hit TV series ‘The Dukes of
Hazzard’ did more than anything else to tarnish the
legend of the Dodge Charger. Sure, the show was fun
and exciting and should be applauded for its automotive
theme in an otherwise nonautomotive network
television landscape. But let’s face facts: Bo and Luke
Duke absolutely victimized the General Lee. What else
can you call splashing horrid orange paint over its
sleek Coke-bottle form, painting that stupid flag on the
roof, and treating it like a stolen dune buggy?”
The proof is in the numbers: This car itself had a
great look, great restoration, rare color and the right
equipment. And yet, despite all that, this final price
came in at just over the current median of $116,000 for
a ’68 Hemi Charger. Were buyers who came to bid on
classic Ferraris really going to fight it out for a topnotch
Hemi Charger that looked like the General Lee?
As they say, image is everything.
On the flip side, at the price paid, this was a great
deal for the new owner considering the car’s condition
and specifications — and it came with a set of stock
wheels. Very well bought. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Gooding &
Company.)
Club: Winged Warriors/
National B-Body Owners
Association (NBOA)
Engine # location: Pad
located on the right side of
the block to the rear of the
engine mount
Web: www.wwnboa.org
Alternatives: 1968 Pontiac
GTO, 1968 Oldsmobile
442, 1968 Plymouth Road
Runner
ACC Investment Grade: A
Comps
Tune-up/major service: $350
Distributor cap: $12.97
VIN location: Plate on the
driver’s side instrument
panel behind windshield
1968 Dodge Hemi Charger
R/T 2-dr hard top
Lot 1309, VIN:
XS29J8B179231
Condition: 1Sold
at $150,700
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale,
AZ, 1/17/2017
ACC# 6825752
1968 Dodge Hemi Charger
R/T 2-dr hard top
Lot 694, VIN: XS29J8B360735
Condition: 1Sold
at $132,000
Barrett-Jackson, Palm Beach,
FL, 4/6/2017
ACC# 6833926
1968 Dodge Hemi Charger
R/T 2-dr hard top
Lot F120, VIN:
XS29J8B266091
Condition: 1Sold
at $137,800
Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee,
FL, 1/24/2012
ACC# 200298
March–April 2018
March–April 2018 57
Page 56
PROFILE HOT ROD & CUSTOM
1955 FORD THUNDERBIRD CUSTOM CONVERTIBLE
Top T-bird
It’s probably
time to put
some miles
on this baby,
knowing
that you’re
driving one
of the fastest,
best-looking,
and most
expensive
Thunderbirds
ever
58
AmericanCarCollector.com
VIN: P5FH257687
by Ken Gross
• 2012 Detroit Autorama Don Ridler Award winner
• 2012 Goodguys Custom Rod of the Year
• 2012 SEMA Mothers Polish Excellence in Design
winner
• 2012 Legend Cup winner
• Featured in Street Rodder Premium and AutoWeek
• 1150-hp twin-turbo V8 by Gale Banks
Engineering
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 1417, sold for
$286,000, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction in
Scottsdale, AZ, on January 20, 2018. It was offered with
no reserve.
Ford Thunderbirds are rarely customized, as they’re
clean cars to begin with. Seldom restyled back in the
day, most ’Birds simply received the sports car or
custom-rod treatment, with a few memorable exceptions.
The late Doane Spencer bought a ’55 ’Bird brand
new from the factory, modified its Y-block V8 and
fitted Halibrand kidney-bean knockoffs. Don Tognotti,
the Oakland Roadster Show promoter, commissioned
Rick’s Body Shop in Sacramento to do a snazzy green
’55 ’Bird with scallops, reversed chrome wheels and
sidepipes. George Barris redid a couple of later T-birds
for his wife, Shirley. And legendary pinstriper Larry
Watson’s “Vino Paisano” ’58 Thunderbird became a
panel-paint classic.
The right stuff
Built by an all-star cast, this ’55 ’Bird received the
full treatment, and as hot rodders like to say, “there’s
not a lot of Henry left.”
Dwayne Peace, who commissioned the car, had his
son Jonathan (a design major at the Art Center College
of Design in Pasadena) pen an elegant, Europeanthemed
look. The builders backed it up with solid
engineering. The extensively restyled body — every
panel was modified — sits on a one-off handmade
rectangular and tubular chassis by Torq’d Design Lab
(Jonathan and his brother Matt’s shop in Tyler, TX) and
Sparc Design.
Devil in the details
The wheelbase was stretched three inches to 105
inches for even better proportions. It’s powered by a
Gale Banks-built, 6.15-liter twin-turbo V8 with Banks/
Dart aluminum heads and an ACCEL Gen VI EFI system,
good for 1,150 hp and 925 ft-lb of torque. Handling
that power is a reworked Bowler 4L80E automatic
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
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transmission, coupled to a
Moser nine-inch rear with
triangulated suspension and
Ridetech coil-overs.
The brakes are huge SSBC
13.6-inch rotors with fourpiston
calipers. Ron Davis
Racing hand-built the hidden
radiator and the dual intercoolers.
There’s a three-inch
custom Borla stainless exhaust
system, and since the classic
’Bird bumpers (originally with
the pipes through the bumper
guards) gave way to thin,
recessed bumpers, the exhaust
exits through a one-off tip.
Jesse Greening’s shop,
Greening Auto Company in
Nashville, did much of the
custom fabrication. That work
included a hidden internal roll
cage, relocated front fender
openings, and redesigned rear
quarters. Greening fabbed
twin fuel tanks and made a custom steel dash with bespoke
Classic Instruments gauges and a Movado clock.
The interior, with its bucket seats and modern
console, was custom made by Paul Atkins, and there’s
lots of billet aluminum trim. Custom taillights (each one
whittled from an aluminum billet), three-piece billet
spoke wheels and Pirelli P-Zero rubber, a chopped
wraparound windshield
Glasurit Brilliant Red p
Advanced Plating ensur
that “no detail was
left untouched and
no expense was
spared in the build
of this historic, oneof-a-kind
vehicle.”
Money talks
Why does anyone invest
this amount of time, talent and money
in a custom car? Probably for the same reason many
well-heeled enthusiasts and their restorers vie for Best
of Show at Pebble Beach and Amelia Island.
The top two most important show awards in hot rod
circles are the “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster”
Detailing
Year produced: 1955
Number produced: 16,155
Original list price: $2,444
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $29,000
Engine # location: N/A
Clubs: Goodguys, National
Street Rod Association
(NSRA)
Tune-up/major service:
Estimated $350
Distributor cap: N/A
VIN location: Plate on
right-hand side of engine
compartment on firewall
Web: www.goodguys.com,
www.nsra.com
Alternatives: Other mid–’50sera
sports cars
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
nine-foot trophy at the Grand National Roadster Show
each January and the Don Ridler Memorial Award at
the Detroit Autorama every March. The AMBR winner
must be an American roadster or touring car up to and
including 1937 (the last year Ford built a true roadster,
a car without wind-up windows). The Ridler requirement
is less restrictive, and it can be awarded to a car
(or a truck) in any body style. Both
hly coveted by owners
and car builders.
The Peace corps
wanted to compete
for the “Pirelli
Great 8”— the
eight finalists for
the 2012 Ridler.
They did better than
hat, winning the coveted
urely bringing joy
to the talented craftsmen who sweated the details
on this stunning car. The ’Bird went on to win awards
at Goodguys, the Golden Builder Award (Hot Rod and
Restoration Show in Indianapolis), the Legend Cup
(Chicago World of Wheels), and the Chairman’s Cup
(Classy Chassis Invitational in Houston).
And the winner is?
The latest ACC Pocket Price Guide
rates the current median price for ’55
Thunderbirds at $29,000, so $260k would
appear to be a lot of money. But I reckon the
cost to build this car was considerably more
than the winning bid.
There aren’t any major shows left for the
new owner, so it’s probably time to put some
miles on this baby, knowing that you’re driving
one of the fastest, best-looking and most
expensive Thunderbirds ever. I’d call this a
great deal for the buyer — and if the Peaces
were the ones to sell it here, they can take
comfort in having won all those awards for
their efforts.A
(Introductory description courtesy of
Barrett-Jackson.)
March–April 2018 59
1957 Ford Thunderbird
“Battlebird” racer
Lot 135, VIN: C7FH170266
Condition: 3
Sold at $280,500
1957 Ford Thunderbird
D/F-code convertible
Lot F228, VIN: D7FH202136
Condition: 1Sold
at $275,600
1955 Ford Thunderbird
convertible
Lot 355, VIN: P5FH191216
Condition: 3+
Sold at $39,600
Barrett-Jackson, Uncasville,
CT, 6/23/2016
ACC# 6803667
Mecum Auctions, Indianapolis,
IN, 5/17/2011
ACC# 179366
RM Auctions, Monterey, CA,
8/13/2010
ACC# 165772
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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
Year produced: 1946
Number produced: 16,920
Original list price: $1,422
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $68,200
Tune-up/major service: $300
VIN location: Left frame rail
Engine # location: Top of
bellhousing
Club: National Woodie Club
Web: www.nationalwoodieclub.com
Alternatives: 1948 Packard
Station Sedan, 1946
Oldsmobile 60 Series
station wagon, 1947 Buick
Super Estate Wagon
The first Model A wagon was completed in 1928
and went to “Skylands,” Edsel Ford’s new summer
estate at Sea Harbor, ME — the estate is now owned
by Martha Stewart. The Ford Depot Wagon was just
the thing for the caretaker to drive when meeting
“Fairlane,” Edsel’s parlor car, when the train arrived
in Maine.
In January 1929, the first Ford wood station wagons
were officially announced. Promoted for use at
country clubs and estates, the rugged attractiveness
and construction proved popular and 6,529 were produced
the first two years. They were popular with the
Hollywood set, which of course added to their allure.
The in-house solution
The 1940 Deluxe Station Wagon was the first that
was built by Ford at the Iron Mountain plant. They
were fully integrated, from the harvesting of the
timber to loading the finished bodies on the boxcars.
Quality was also stated to be greatly enhanced.
The war ended automotive body production but
the Iron Mountain plant stayed busy building 80% of
the U.S. wood gliders. As the war concluded, Henry
Ford II, returning from Navy duty, took the reins at
Ford. Station wagons were not high on his list, and he
planned on shuttering the outdated Iron Mountain facility.
Steel was, however, in short supply but wood was
not. So with that, the Ford woodie was back in business
and they were quickly snapped up by those who wanted
a distinctive vehicle or needed a practical second car.
The 1946 Ford Wagon was offered with a V8 and,
later in the model year, a 6-cylinder motor. It was
priced at $1,422. Production was a respectable 16,920.
A brown leatherette top was specified, but factory
photos show that black was also used. Maize Yellow,
as our subject wagon was finished, was not listed as a
factory body color in 1946 — it was, however, available
in 1947 and 1948 on convertibles.
This car’s wood was stated to be original and there
were noticeable dark stains around the bolt holes and
joints. The roof leatherette had been replaced and
properly tacked to the roof frame. The trim piece that
covers the tacks over the drip rails was missing. While
it is a difficult piece to find, it is a tell that other items
may have also been overlooked.
The market has not been kind to Ford woodies as
of late. But Ford buyers, to their credit, are a discerning
lot, and many of the recent offerings have had
significant issues. In this car’s case, the wood needs to
be refinished, the body repainted in a factory-correct
color (unless it can be proven that this was, in fact,
the original hue) and the proper drip-rail trim piece
installed, at a minimum. It could, of course, be used as
a driver as-is, and if that’s the case, the price paid was
about right in today’s market. All in all, call this one a
decent deal all around. A
(Introductory description courtesy of RM
Sotheby’s.)
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
1947 Ford Super DeLuxe
station wagon
Not sold at $59,000
Lot 317, VIN: 71A1495096
Condition: 2+
McCormick’s, Palm Springs,
CA, 11/17/2017
ACC# 6854041
1948 Ford Super DeLuxe
station wagon
Lot 423, VIN: 899A2051506
Condition: 2Sold
at $50,600
Bonhams, Los Angeles, CA,
11/11/2017
ACC# 6854039
1947 Ford Super DeLuxe
station wagon
Lot S134, VIN: 799A1657450
Condition: 2
Sold at $71,500
Mecum Auctions, Portland,
OR, 7/17/2016
ACC# 6803678
March–April 2018
61CC
61
Page 60
PROFILE RACE
1957 KURTIS KRAFT 500G INDY RACER
Brutal Glory
Courtesy of Worldwide Auctioneers
As the
ultimate
automotive
expression of
John Wayne
and Dwight
Eisenhower’s
America,
at least one
vintage
Indy car
belongs in
every racingoriented
collection of
Americana
62
VIN: KK500G2
by Thor Thorson
• Fifth-place finisher at 1957 Indianapolis 500 with
Andy Linden
• “Smokey” Yunick’s first Indianapolis 500 entry
(1958)
• Driven at Indy in 1958 by Motorsports Hall of
Fame inductee Paul Goldsmith
• AACA Senior First Place Award and Race Car
Certification
• Multiple awards; appearances include 2005
Goodwood Festival of Speed
• Great presence; offered in top operating and show
condition
• Crowd pleaser with “Offy” power and onboard
starter
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 30, sold for
$308,000, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at the Worldwide Auctioneers’ sale in
Scottsdale, AZ, on January 17, 2018.
I wrote this paragraph over 13 years ago and it still
applies: “There’s something about Indy Roadsters that
just oozes ’50s Americana. They’re the big, muscular
farm boys with butch haircuts, a trucker’s tan and an
aggressive smile, sort of daring you to take them on.
They never went to college for all that sophistication
stuff, never saw much reason to. They’re all about
being real strong, fast against their peers, and lookin’
good to the others at the drive-in.”
In the 1950s, America stood confidently astride
the world with “can do” optimism and a cocky assurance
that the way we did things was always the best.
AmericanCarCollector.com
If globalization even existed as a word, it meant us
showing the rest of the world how to do things better.
Sophistication, tact, and humility were attributes for a
different time and place; at that time, the racing cars
that had evolved in the U.S. specifically to succeed in
American automobile racing ruled our imaginations.
A better race car
The evolution of American oval-track racers
has had a number of distinct steps from 1911 to the
present. The phases most relevant to today’s subject
started in 1937, when Indianapolis adopted the
international Grand Prix rules of the time (single-seat,
4.5-liter [272-ci] normally aspirated or 3-liter supercharged
cars). The intent was to get the European
teams to come to Indianapolis to race, but with a few
spectacular exceptions, that never worked out. What
did happen is that American builders who had been
playing with dirt-track racers modified those cars into
something that would work on a four-mile paved oval
for 500-mile races.
These cars are known as the “upright” racers
because the driver sat in the middle of the car above
the driveshaft with his legs on either side of the transmission.
They were tall and narrow, almost exclusively
powered by the Offenhauser 270 engine, and they
dominated Indianapolis until the early 1950s.
In 1952, the Cummins Engine people hired Frank
Kurtis to build a suitable Indianapolis racer using
their diesel truck engine. Faced with the reality that
the engine was very tall and heavy, Kurtis came
Page 61
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!
up with the idea of laying the engine on its side in
the chassis. This allowed the center of gravity to be
dropped substantially and moved to the left, and it
allowed the driveshaft to go down the left side of the
car, beside the driver instead of under him.
Although that car was never much of a success,
the concept blew everybody away. Instead of tall and
narrow, the car became low and wide, and the engine
mass offset to the inside of the “always turn left”
racer meant that centrifugal force loaded all tires
more equally in the turns so they had better handling.
By 1953, all the competitive cars followed this lead
and had offset the engines and drivelines to the left
side, beside the driver. Since the Offy engine wasn’t
nearly as tall as a diesel, they remained upright in the
chassis. The new look reminded people of the hot-rod
roadsters that were popular in California, so they
became known as “Indy roadsters.”
The final step in the evolution of this concept
came in 1957, when builders started laying the Offy
engine on its side, thus further lowering the profile
and center of gravity to create what became known as
the “laydown roadsters.” These cars dominated Indy
until the Europeans arrived with their mid-engined
revolution of the mid-1960s and changed everything.
The categories are thus “uprights,” “roadsters” and
“laydown roadsters.”
From France to Indy
The Offenhauser engine is every bit as iconic and
all-American as the cars it powered, and its evolution
is equally fascinating. The story begins in 1912 in
France, where three intuitive driver/mechanics built
a radically new grand prix engine for Peugeot. It was
the first dual-overhead-cam engine and used four
valves per cylinder — an entirely new concept. For the
1913 version of the engine, they devised a gear-tower
cam drive, made the intake valves larger than the exhausts,
and designed a barrel-shaped crankcase with
circular support webs for the main bearings to give an
extraordinarily stiff and strong mechanical base for
the cylinders. On top of that they created the world’s
first dry-sump oiling system. It was the first “modern”
racing engine.
Peugeot was very successful with the car in Europe
and decided to send several cars to Indianapolis in
1913 and 1914. Once here, one of the cars made it to
California, where it was sent to Harry Miller’s shop
for repairs. Recognizing a brilliant concept, Miller
more or less stole the design and started making his
own racing engines, which, with some evolutionary
changes, dominated American auto racing through
Detailing
Years produced: 1953–60
(classic Indy Roadsters)
Number produced:
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $308,000
(this car)
Approximately 50 Kurtis,
120 total various makers
Original list price: $20,000
($10k for chassis, $10k for
engine)
the 1920s. Miller later sold the design to his head
mechanic, Fred Offenhauser. The Offy engines in Indy
Roadsters remain remarkably similar to their 1913
Peugeot ancestor: evolved, of course, but recognizable.
Deafening exhilaration
Returning to the sunburned, muscular farm-boys-
with-an-attitude image for a moment, nobody has ever
suggested that these cars are easy or comfortable to
drive. They are brutal, intimidating, hot and noisy.
The driver is exposed to everything, with his right
elbow not three inches from the rear tire (or from the
Speedway outside wall if you dare get that close to it),
the engine is hard-mounted to the frame and shakes
like a crazed paint mixer at all speeds, and the methanol
fuel is dumped into the intake stacks at about a
gallon a lap with appropriate fumes, heat and smoke.
The noise is deafening, and if something goes wrong,
what happens to you is purely a matter of luck. Sounds
like a pretty good definition of exhilarating, doesn’t it?
In spite of the intimidation factor, they can be a lot
of fun to drive. I have maintained a sister 500G for a
client for over 25 years, and every few years we take it
to a suitable event to stretch its legs. Yeah, it’s heavy,
hot, rough, noisy, and a little scary to drive, but with
suitable caution it’s not particularly dangerous, and
wow, does it give you an appreciation for the guys
who drove these things for real.
A dedicated market
The market for these cars is small but very real. As
the ultimate automotive expression of John Wayne and
Dwight Eisenhower’s America, at least one belongs
in every racing-oriented collection of Americana.
Chromed, polished, and brightly painted for maximum
impact from new and with history and heroism dripping
off even the lesser examples, these are classic
“shiny objects” to anchor any serious showcase garage.
They seldom come available, though, and almost
never at auction, so the market is difficult to follow.
Values generally range from $250,000 to $600,000
and up, with originality, sponsorship (color scheme),
history and famous drivers being the primary
variables. The upright cars and laydown roadsters
are more rare than classic roadsters and thus more
valuable. Our subject car was a good, if somewhat
ordinary, example and sold at the lower-middle of the
range. At that price, I would say it was fairly bought.
A
(Introductory description courtesy of Worldwide
Auctioneers.)
March—April 2018 63
Engine # location: N/A
Club: Historic Champ/Indy
Car Association
VIN location: Tag on frame in
engine compartment
Cost per hour to race: $500
(easy use)
Web: champindycar.com
Alternatives: 1952–60
various manufacturers Indy
Roadsters
ACC Investment Grade: A
Comps
1952 Kurtis Kraft 400/Bowes
Seal Fast Special
Lot 127, VIN: 346
Condition: 2
Sold at $495,000
RM Sotheby’s, Amelia Island,
FL, 3/14/15
ACC# 264367
1957 Snowberger Kurtis
Indy racer
Lot F450, VIN: N/A
Condition: 2
ACC# 46490
Not sold at $125,000
Russo and Steele, Monterey,
CA, 8/17/2007
1958 Kurtis Kraft 500G Indy
Racer
Lot 122, VIN: KK500G215
Condition: 2
Sold at $53,544
Bonhams, Monterey, CA,
8/10/02
ACC# 29332
Page 62
PROFILE TRUCK
1984 CHEVROLET K10 CUSTOM PICKUP
Tribute to the Unknown Stuntman
This truck’s
buyer might
be a real
fan of “The
Fall Guy”
TV show, or
maybe this
’80s custom
is indicative
of where
market
interest is
going
64 AmericanCarCollector.com
64 AmericanCarCollector.com
VIN: 2GCEK14H2E1225070
by Jeff Zurschmeide
rear axle and a 10-bolt front axle with 4.10 gears and
open differential with custom truss. It has custom
driveshafts and a six-inch suspension lift. The body is
all GM sheet metal and is painted with Martin Senour
primer, sealer, base colors and clear coat.
It has a custom bed box with side access doors
T
(as seen in the television series), and a custom-made
winch mount and brush guard with WARN 8274
winch.
Other features include custom eight-spoke chrome
wheels by Stockton Wheel, wrapped in Dick Cepek
Fun Country tires with a bed-mounted spare. The
interior was completely restored and has Lee Majors’
autograph and a period-correct Cobra CB with whip
antenna.
A large lot of “Fall Guy” memorabilia, including
cast autographs, toys, games, records, script and
magazines are included with the truck. Restoration
his 1984 GMC 4x4 “Fall Guy” re-creation
pickup is powered by a rebuilt 350-ci 4-barrel
engine with dual exhaust and a rebuilt
TH400 automatic transmission with a rebuilt
NP208 transfer case.
Both axles have been rebuilt: a 10.5-inch, 14-bolt
was completed by Vincennes University Automotive
and Collision Repair students in Vincennes, IN.
ACC Analysis This truck, Lot 207, sold for
$55,000, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction in
Scottsdale, AZ, held January 13–21, 2018. It was sold
at no reserve.
If you’ve always wanted a TV or movie vehicle, the
best way to get one is to buy a tribute build. A replica
is better because the vehicles actually used to film the
show are generally beat up and not nearly nice enough
to drive around and enjoy. Film crews typically use
several different vehicles for interior and exterior
shots, and a whole separate set of safety-prepped
vehicles for stunts.
A case in point is this tribute to the trucks used in
“The Fall Guy” TV series.
Unless you’re one of the half-dozen hardcore fans
who remember the show clearly, “The Fall Guy” was
about a Hollywood stuntman who also worked as a
bounty hunter on the side. Lee Majors was the star,
and even sang the show’s tedious theme song. “The
Fall Guy” ran for five seasons in the first half of the
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
Page 63
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.
1980s before it was relegated to
cable reruns.
The thing about the “The Fall
Guy” is that the main character’s
GMC K10 4x4 was arguably
the best part of the show. Every
episode featured that truck jumping
over things, driving through
explosions, going off cliffs, and just
generally taking the kind of abuse
that GMC wanted you to believe
their trucks could withstand.
According to Hollywood lore, the
studio destroyed several trucks
doing the stunts, and eventually
built a special mid-engine truck to
do the jump scenes.
The Rounded Line era
If you’re a “Fall Guy” fan, this
tribute is the truck you want. This
rig never saw the inside of a 20th Century Fox studio,
but there’s a lot to admire. For one thing, the Rounded
Line GM trucks of the 1970s and ’80s are just now
becoming collectible. The Rounded Line era started
for both Chevy and GMC in 1973 and ran until 1987.
Paradoxically, this generation of GM trucks is also
known as the Square Body or Box Body era.
Collectors have ignored this generation of GM
trucks up until now, mostly because these rigs weren’t
old enough to be interesting. Now it’s time to take
another look. Buyers in this era had a choice of all the
common GM V8 engines, or the venerable GM straight
six. You could even get the late, unlamented 6.2-L
diesel V8.
Rounded Line trucks were built with the usual GM
manual- or automatic-transmission options. This was
also the first era in which GM offered full-time 4WD
with a center differential, and then shift-on-the-fly
4WD with automatic locking hubs. Technology was
moving fast in the 1980s.
The “Fall Guy” tribute truck
Although the studio used various different 1980 and
1981 GMC trucks on the show, this tribute is based on
a 1984 Chevrolet. The truck comes with a trusty 350
V8, which should be good for up to 210 horsepower
and 300 ft-lb of torque. The TH400 automatic transmission
is plenty tough enough to handle the available
power.
This truck comes with a New Process 208 shift-on-
the-fly transfer case. This system can be shifted into
high-range 4WD at speeds up to 25 mph. Once shifted,
you can drive at any speed.
As a tribute, the truck is a faithful reproduction of
the trucks used in the show, but it has been completely
restored and it’s pretty nearly perfect. That’s what you
really want if you’re a “Fall Guy” fan, right? You want
a truck that looks and drives just the way you dreamed
the truck on the show would. Not coincidentally, that’s
also what you want if you’ve never heard of the TV
show. You want a really solid example of a mid-’80s
GMC 4x4 with a few choice aftermarket upgrades.
That’s what this is.
They paid how much?
All this brings me to the price, and there’s no
denying that $55,000 is an eye-popping figure for a
mid-’80s pickup truck.
Most GMC trucks from this generation are still
selling under $10,000, and the next-highest price for
a comparable truck is $39,600 (ACC# 6835250). This
truck’s buyer might be a real fan of the TV show, or
it’s possible that the money was there because this
truck is indicative of where the market is going.
Previous generations of GM trucks are seriously
valuable at this point, so it stands to reason that the
Rounded Line years are next. Further, most trucks are
subjected to hard outdoor lives so that very few reach
34 years of age without serious wear and tear.
You won’t find a carefully restored example
like this very often, and if the amount paid is
more than the truck is really worth today, that
could change tomorrow.
One final thought on collecting mid-’80s
trucks: Factory originality and provenance is
a desirable attribute in real classics, but these
trucks were made for modification. The presence
of well-implemented and period-correct
aftermarket mods on a truck like this is no
bad thing. If you lived through the ’80s, this
truck looks like what you would have bought
if you had enough money back then, complete
with the roll bar and off-road lights. That
alone can make it worth the price paid. A
(Introductory description courtesy of
Barrett-Jackson.)
March–April 2018
65CC
65
1974 Chevrolet C10 Custom
Deluxe pickup
Lot F16, VIN: CCV1441163400
Condition: 3+
Sold at $33,000
Mecum Auctions, Indianapolis,
IN, 5/21/2016
ACC# 6799883
1975 Chevrolet K10
Silverado pickup
Detailing
Years produced: 1973–87
Number produced:
Approximately 400,000
(1984)
Original list price: $7,127
Current ACC Median
Valuation: $13,750
Engine # location: Pad on
front of block, ahead of
passenger’s side cylinder
head
Tune up/major service: $200
Distributor cap: $12
VIN location: Driver’s side,
base of windshield
Club: GM Truck Club
Web: www.gmtruckclub.com
Alternatives: 1975–86 Ford
F-150, 1973–87 Chevrolet
K10, 1972–1993 Dodge
Ram
ACC Investment Grade: B
Comps
Lot 801, VIN: CKM145J135311
Condition: 1
Sold at $25,300
Barrett-Jackson, Las Vegas,
NV, 10/13/2016
ACC# 6809759
1977 Chevrolet K20
Scottsdale pickup
Lot T120, VIN:
CKL247F442630
Condition: 3+
Not sold at $15,500
ACC# 256604
Mecum Auctions, Kansas City,
MO, 12/5/2014
Page 66
MARKET OVERVIEW
Arizona Totals Slightly Down
from Last Year
SUVs are following pickups’ rise in the market
CHAD’S QUICK TAKE
Is there a run on sport util-
This price may soon look like a bargain — 1971 Ford Bronco SuV, sold at $36,300 at
Worldwide’s Scottsdale auction
by Chad Tyson
Arizona auction week kicks off the new year of car collecting. Often it’s a chance for snow-weary folks
to get some winter sun, but it also sets a tone for the year to follow. Overall auction totals were down from
$261m last year to $252m this year, but that doesn’t mean each auction fell into that trend. Pickups remained
strong sellers and were joined by sport utility vehicles as auction standouts. Let’s dive a little deeper to
explore those subjects:
Barrett-Jackson held their 47th annual Scottsdale auction, again hosting the lifestyle event for tens of
thousands on the ever-changing grounds at WestWorld. Other than the standard 99% sell-through rate and
now sixth-consecutive year selling over $100m in cars, Barrett hit an important milestone — over $100m
raised for charity to date. Top sale of the auction, and one of those charity cars, was a 2017 Ford GT that
brought in $2.5m in bidding for the Evernham Family-Racing for a Reason Foundation, plus an additional
$50k from the donator, Ron Pratte.
Mecum’s Kissimmee super-sale keeps hitting milestones of its own. This year marked four consecutive
years of total-sales growth in a row. A staggering 2,952 cars rolled across the block, with 2,045 of them finding
new homes totalling $89.4m in sales — up 6% over last year’s total.
Russo and Steele continued their sales in Scottsdale with a second year in a row at Talking Stick Resort.
Rains last year caused a bit of a mud pit, but new asphalt, and no precipitation, paved the way to an average of
nearly $3k per car over last year’s results.
B. Mitchell Carlson headed down to Leake’s Dallas fall sale at the Dallas Market Center from November
17 to 19. Among the $6.5m in sales, he noted the high mark was predictably the Ford GT offered there. Leake
found it a new garage for a slightly below-market $280,500.
It’s not just a snow-bird issue. Kansas City plays host twice a year to Mecum. Their fall sale ran
November 30 to December 2, and pulled in over $8m. High sale was also a Ford GT, this time at $291,500.
Our Roundup market report fills you in on other highlighted lots from the rest of the Arizona auctions and
GAA’s November classic-car sale in Greensboro, NC. A
BEST BUYS
1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS
Pace Car edition convertible,
$47,300—WWA, AZ, p. 127
68 AmericanCarCollector.com
1968 Shelby GT500 fastback,
$95,200—RM Sotheby’s, AZ,
p. 132
1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo
Hawk 2-dr hard top, $26,400—
Mecum Auctions, Mo, p. 112
1969 Shelby GT350 fastback,
$55,550—Russo and Steele, AZ,
p. 120
1965 Chevrolet Corvette convertible,
$77,000—Mecum Auctions,
FL, p. 86
ity vehicles? ACC has tracked
truck prices for years and
noted explosive growth over
the past several. In Arizona in
2013, I was walking around
Barrett-Jackson with Editor
Pickering, and we were just
gobsmacked at the bids buyers
were throwing up for these old
workhorses. I had that same
feeling this year, just with
the pickup’s more civilized
brethren — the SUV.
I dug through the past
two years of data from
Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale
extravaganza and Mecum’s
Kissimmee sell-apalooza. With
those two behemoths as my
data points, was there any fire
to the SUV smoke I saw?
Looking strictly at sold cars
marked either SUV or utility as
a body style, the numbers paint
an ascending — if not insanely
so — picture. Barrett’s 2017
versus 2018 numbers: 64 sold
for $2,403,720; 87 sold for
$3,319,910. That’s a 38% jump
in total dollars at just one
auction. Mecum’s comparison
over the same time period
shakes out this way: 122 sold
for $2,375,300; 98 sold for
$2,014,320. It may not be a
sure-fire bet that SUVs are
tracking the same as pickups,
but there are increases in
important measurables across
the country.
— Chad Tyson
Page 68
MARKET OVERVIEW
ToP 10
SALES THIS ISSUE
Buy It now
What to purchase in today’s market — and why
1 1963 Shelby Cobra
$962,500—Gooding &
Co., AZ, p. 130
2 1964 Bill Thomas
$660,000—Russo and
Steele, AZ, p. 122
racer, $308,000—WWA,
AZ, p. 134
4 1970 Plymouth
2-dr hard top,
$275,000—Mecum
Auctions, FL, p. 86
5 2005 Ford GT
$253,000—Bonhams, AZ,
p. 130
7 1953 Chevrolet
8 2005 Ford GT
$250,000—RM Sotheby’s,
AZ, p. 128
Russo and Steele, AZ, p.
120
9 1970 Buick GSX
$148,500—BarrettJackson,
AZ, p. 76
2-dr hard top,
10 1970 Dodge Hemi
2-dr hard top, $148,500—
Barrett-Jackson, AZ, p. 80
Challenger R/T
coupe, $236,500—
Corvette roadster,
H fastback,
Hemi Superbird
500G Indy 500
Cheetah coupe,
courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
3 1957 Kurtis Kraft
1973–91 Chevrolet Suburban
Perhaps you (or your parents) never had a Chevy Suburban, but a neighbor probably did. My family had
a late-’80s Silverado. I remember I loved the scalloped blue paint, and how I didn’t have to sit next to my
siblings on long rides across Nebraska. We each had a row to ourselves!
I know that’s just a part of our collective Suburban memories. Let’s not forget that the longest continu-
ously used nameplate in the automotive world — Chevrolet’s Suburban — is still going strong. GM first
used that name in 1935 on the Chevrolet Carryall Suburban. It wasn’t the only vehicle named as such, but it
was the most succesful.
I think the current sweet spot is the square-bodies. For the seventh-generation Suburban (1973–91), GM
Leake, TX, p. 98
6 1966 Shelby GT350
coupe, $280,500—
practically made the same body for 18 years, while adding bells and whistles along the way. The biggest
change was when GM transitioned to fuel injection in 1987.
K5 Blazers earned serious coin at Barrett-Jackson, with the average sales price of the 10 offered pegged
at $37,950. That’s decent Camaro money. The pair of square-bodies at B-J this year averaged $14,300. I don’t
think Suburbans will ever capture the market’s attention like Blazers, Broncos and CJs, but that just means
there might be some time to find the best one for your situation.
Auctions and Totals in This Issue
$100m
$120m
$140m
$20m
$40m
$60m
$80m
$0
— Chad Tyson
289 roadster,
70 AmericanCarCollector.com
Nov 30–Dec 2, 2017
GAA
Kansas City, MO
Nov 17–19, 2017
Mecum
Dallas, TX
Leake
Greensboro, NC
Nov 2, 2017
Kissimmee, FL
Jan 5–14, 2018
Mecum
Barrett-Jackson
Scottsdale, AZ
Jan 13–21, 2018
Worldwide
Scottsdale, AZ
Jan 17, 2018
Russo and Steele
Scottsdale, AZ
Jan 17–21, 2018
Bonhams
Scottsdale, AZ
Jan 18, 2018
Jan 18–19, 2018
RM Sotheby’s
Phoenix, AZ
Silver Auctions AZ
Fort McDowell, AZ
Jan 18–19, 2018
Gooding & Co.
Scottsdale, AZ
Jan 19–20, 2018
$6.9m
$17.9m
$25.2m
$36.1m
$3.4m
$49.4m
$6.5m
$8.2m
$10.2m
$89.4m
$113.8m
Page 70
BARRETT-JACKSON // Scottsdale, AZ
Barrett-Jackson — Scottsdale 2018
What keeps Barrett-Jackson the top dog isn’t the sizzle,
it’s the steak
BarrettJackson
Scottsdale, AZ
January 13–21,
2018
Auctioneers:
Mast Auctioneers;
Joseph Mast, lead
auctioneer
Automotive lots sold/
offered: 1,729/1,749
Sales rate: 99%
Sales total:
$113,770,305
High sale: 2017 Ford
GT coupe, sold at
$2,500,000
Buyer’s premium:
10%, included in sold
prices
Barrett-Jackson creates A Lifestyle event in Scottsdale with something for everyone
Report and photos by Michael Leven
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
B
72 AmericanCarCollector.com
arrett-Jackson showed once again why
they continue to dominate the increasingly
competitive Scottsdale auction scene by
cranking out another great show for the tens
of thousands of visitors who come by to take
it all in…and bid on cars. An endless midway with
booths ranging from auto manufacturers to art galleries
to custom bed makers and everything in between
makes it a genuine something-for-everyone affair. It
truly is, as B-J likes to promote, A Lifestyle Event.
Of course, there were all the usual suspects looking
at cars and being seen: TV personalities, race drivers,
captains of industry, musical stars, and this year even
a former President of the United States (Mr. Bush 43)
selling a car for charity.
What keeps Barrett-Jackson the top dog isn’t the
sizzle, however — it’s the steak. And they bring lots and
lots of it, and then keep bringing it. Of course I’m talking
about the cars. This year, 1,749 of them, to be exact,
and focused on their bread and butter: serious muscle
and resto-mods, and lots of other great street machines.
But B-J is also upping the ante on its Salon offerings,
of which there was a small but very nice selection. To
show how serious Craig Jackson is about capturing
more of the classic-car market, he has brought in Nick
Smith from Bonhams to lead the charge.
Of the cars on offer, those sold included all but a
few of the Salon cars, which, unlike the other lots, did
have reserve prices on them. The final tally for all automobile
sales was $113,770,305. Charity sales reached
$6.21 million and are included in that total. For
perspective, aggregate sales at all the Arizona auctions
reached $252m, so B-J accounted for over 45% of the
week’s total dollar sales. In other words, their result is
almost equal to the other six auctions combined. Like
I said, top dog.
High non-charity sale for an American, um, vehicle
from the seven-day auction was for a full-sized 1965
Chevrolet Corvette cut-away demonstrator, which
showed the inner workings of the car in motion,
including engine and transmission parts, suspension,
et cetera, while suspended on an eye-level pedestal.
It sold for $1.1m and will be a fantastic piece for the
Corvette collector who thought he had everything.
As for actual running and driving items, the highestselling
American car was a 1969 Camaro ZL1 painted
Hugger Orange and in magnificent condition — it
hammered for $770k. Next on the domestic front
was the Wimbledon White 1966 Shelby Mustang
prototype topped with a one-only light blue vinyl roof
and selling for $605k. Then there was a 2006 Ford
GT Heritage edition that went for a healthy $495k.
Rounding out the top five was a (Holy Grail) 1968
Corvette L88 wearing LeMans Blue that was well
bought at $495k as well.
There were a number of cars that found new homes
at very modest prices as well. A 1986 C4 Corvette
with 33k miles went for a song at $9,000, while a 69kmile
’78 Pontiac Trans Am changed hands for an even
twenty grand. Another bargain was an all-original
1997 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra that lived its whole life
in rust-free Arizona, had a 4.6-L V8, a 5-speed, and
only 26k miles; it sold for only $9,900.
All said and done, the Barrett-Jackson crew hit
another one out of the park, and all the other houses at
Arizona auction week are going to have to work hard
to knock them off the top step. A
Page 72
BARRETT-JACKSON // Scottsdale, AZ
GM
#698-1948 GMC COE custom pickup.
VIN: WA98246098. Red & black/gray cloth.
Odo: 25,590 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
All-GMC build: ’48 COE cab, ’55 long bed
(eight feet) all mounted on a ’78 one-ton
chassis. Paint well applied, but some fisheyes
and debris. Driver’s door needs adjustment.
Exterior trim a mix of good original
and new custom pieces. Smaller-diameter
wheels mimic period commercial truck style.
Cherry-stained bed wood with gas filler recessed
in floor. Modern seats covered in
gray cloth. Gray carpet and hand-made interior
trim around doors and windshield.
Cond: 2.
#1061-1948 CHEVROLET FLEETLINE
custom fastback. VIN: 5FKG46049. Gray
metallic/tan vinyl. Odo: 227 miles. 510-ci
fuel-injected V8, auto. Chopped, shaved,
nosed, Frenched head- and taillights, and
with ’46 grille grafted in. Show-quality paint
and panel work. All formerly chrome items
now painted gloss black—plus-size Coys
wheels with baby moons painted black too.
Interior uninspired—shiny mottled caramel
vinyl with black piping didn’t look good in
the ’70s, either. Cadillac engine with fuel
injection, Camaro front clip, four-link nineinch
Ford rear end, air suspension, disc
brakes all around. Cond: 2.
miles. 5.7-L fuel-injected V8, 6-sp. Very
well-executed custom, with a 2017 Goodguys
Builder’s Choice award. Frenched,
modern headlights, custom taillights,
shaved door handles and smooth firewall.
Paint excellent. Two-tone colors very handsome.
Bumpers and grille painted in matte
silver metallic. Color-coordinated interior
with suede inserts very well done. LS1
power, with Tremec 6-speed. Modern plussize
Torq Thrust wheels. PS, Vintage Air.
Ford nine-inch, four-link rear end, AccuAir
suspension and Wilwood brakes underneath.
Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $51,700. A very nice build with
excellent attention to detail. One of my favorite
vehicles of the auction. Very well
done and looks like it came from the GMC
factory this way. Unfortunately, it was way
too nice to use, as it would otherwise make
a bitchin’ tow rig for a 1950s race car! Still
would be a great piece for parades and
other light duty. Final price did not cover the
build cost, so fairly bought.
SOLD AT $63,800. Even with all the highgrade
surgery that’s taken place, the final
shape of this custom remains disjointed and
unfinished. Modern color scheme also at
odds with the awkward curves. I kept trying
to feel some love for this car, but the more I
looked, the less I liked. In my years of writing
about auctions, I’ve never done this before,
but I’m going to call this car well sold
just because it’s so-o-o-o wrong.
#1013-1954 CHEVROLET 210 custom
2-dr sedan. VIN: B54J145390. Copper &
tan/rust leather & tan suede. Odo: 2,853
SOLD AT $77,000. With some unique,
tasteful finishes and a modern engine, this
build was more interesting than many. Despite
the top-drawer execution and an
award of note, nothing here is really new or
inventive, so in a few years this will be just
another hot rod and begin to lose value. In
the meantime, the new owner has a damn
nice ride that can still be shown and enjoyed.
Both parties in this transaction should
be happy.
#1016.2-1966 BUICK SKYLARK Gran
Sport convertible. VIN: 446676H162515.
Red/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 72,086
miles. 401-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp. One of
seven Gran Sports built in ’66 with the 401
Nailhead, 2x4-bbl, 4-speed combination.
There certainly would have been even
fewer convertibles. Looks to have been restored
some time ago and very nicely; Junior,
Senior and Presentation award winner.
Rich trim-off paint with only slight swirl
marks. Interior sound but not overdone; top
appears to have seen little use. Redline
tires on chrome-ringed Rally wheels. Engine
compartment tidy and correct; not overly
shiny. From the Richard Hubbard Collection.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $79,200. Aside from the bright
red color, this was an otherwise under-
74 AmericanCarCollector.com
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BARRETT-JACKSON // Scottsdale, AZ
stated, gentleman’s muscle car. With a
0–60 time of under 7 seconds, it was quite
formidable for a big sedan in 1966. I would
have liked it better in a more subtle color,
but it still looked mighty fine. And so it
should, as almost 80 large is big money for
this car. But the rarity of its options makes it
a bit of a unicorn, and coupled with its quality,
warrants this result.
#1076-1966 CHEVROLET NOVA SS 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 118376N104742. Ermine
White/black vinyl. Odo: 71,773 miles. 327-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. As plain a Jane as there
could ever be—a white compact with steel
wheels and dish hubcaps. Redline tires give
away the stealthy look to any attentive
passersby, however. Restored very well in
2013 and still as-new. Single-stage paint
done to high standard. Spartan interior
equally milquetoast—all trim and gauges
excellent. Home-made spacers on fender
mounting bolts beautifully machined, but
definitely not correct. Engine rebuilt. Dualsnorkel
air cleaner, new clutch and pressure
plate. Cond: 1-.
MacNeish report. Very good multi-stage
paint, with appropriate orange peel. Stripes
under clear coat. Very slight rippling in rear
fenders may indicate replacement at some
time. Trim new. Some scratching on side
windows. Yellow and black houndstooth
upholstery well done but slightly overstuffed.
Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $117,700. Maybe I’m getting less
picky (or more accepting) with age, but the
yellow interior wasn’t nearly as garish as I
would have guessed. Personal tastes aside,
I certainly did appreciate the special nature
of this rare combo. More importantly, so did
the bidders, who took this odd duck to a
fantastic but well-deserved result. Hard to
imagine this was the new owner’s first rodeo,
so I’m sure this Z/28 will have plenty of
good company at its new home.
SOLD AT $80,300. Like the Dart GTS 440
sold the previous day (ACC# 6857934,
$82,500), this little gem was born of the
“let’s put a powerful V8 in a little car” philosophy.
Unlike the Dart, however, these
L79 Novas got by with a less-powerful,
lighter-weight, small-displacement engine.
But 350 horses in a compact car was nothing
to discount at a green light. Knowledgeable
bidders knew what they were looking
at but even so, the result here is light—by at
least $10k—and the new owner got a good
deal on a great car.
#789.1-1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28
coupe. VIN: 12437L529392. Yellow/yellow
& black houndstooth. Odo: 147 miles. 302ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Certainly one of not-verymany
yellow-over-yellow Z/28s made...ever.
Extremely well done to better than new, but
not over-restored. Matching engine, “correct”
transmission. Fully documented via
“
#1013.1-1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS
coupe. VIN: 124379L503956. Azure Turquoise
Metallic/black vinyl. Odo: 115 miles.
396-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. L89 aluminum heads.
Concours-quality restoration. Very small nits
are some light rippling in door panels, and
trunk was very slightly high—likely a function
of new seals. Paint superb, trim and
glass new, as is interior. Engine compartment
mostly well presented but with some
less-than-tidy wiring, likely per factory.
Rides on color-coded steelies and poverty
caps. Comes with Protect-O-Plate, window
sticker and original owner’s manual.
Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $77,000. A really attractive car
This little gem was born of the “let’s
put a powerful V8 in a little car”
philosophy.
1966 Chevrolet Nova SS 2-door hard top
”
March–April 2018 75
Page 74
BARRETT-JACKSON // Scottsdale, AZ
MARKETMOMENT
1972 Chevrolet Cheyenne
Super 10 Pickup
SoLD at $50,600
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale, AZ, January 13–21, 2018, Lot 488
VIN: CCE142F328711
with tons of come-hither and an exceptional
restoration. And a 396 with those very rare
heads to boot—only 311 Camaros were so
ordered in ’69. I’ve seen lesser L89s sell for
more and can only attribute this somewhat
subdued result to one of two things: There
was no overt claim that “that” engine and
“those” heads were sold with “this” car, or
somebody got a very good deal. Discussion
to be continued....
Yellow/black vinyl. Odo: 33,969 miles. 455ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Restored by Dave Kleiner
at unspecified date. Fully documented by
Wayne Roberts and the GSX Historical Society.
One of 278 GSXs in 1970. Matchingnumbers
engine and a “correct” transmission.
Paint better than factory, with only
demerits minor polishing swirls and large
thin spot under driver’s mirror. Trim all excellent,
but not too shiny. Seat covers good
but a little baggy. Modern battery in engine
bay which is clean and tidy—not overdone.
Retains original build sheet. Cond: 2+.
9
#1107-1970 BUICK GSX 2-dr hard
top. VIN: 446370H301968. Saturn
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
The truck market has been on fire for the past several years, but
this year’s Barrett-Jackson sale seemed to kick it up a notch with respect to the prices paid
across the block for good examples of vintage workhorses.
As has been the case in years past, GM’s 1967–72 trucks and Blazers were at the front of
the pack, and this shortbed C10 is a good example of a seller hitting the market with exactly
what it wants — and getting a good return for the effort.
This pickup had all the right stuff: shortbed configuration, good color, big-block engine,
Cheyenne Super package with all the correct woodgrain trim and dash pieces, factory tach,
AM/FM radio, factory a/c, bucket seats with center console, wood bed floor, tilt column, bumper
guards and more. Beyond that, the engine was a newer ZZ454 fitted with FAST electronic
fuel injection, which should make it quite drivable. Add to that power steering and power disc
brakes and you’ve got a classic hauler that
will drive like a newer rig. It’s the best of both
worlds.
This truck was also really fresh — it had
covered just 300 miles since restoration, and
only 50 miles since the new injected ZZ454
was installed. That’s both good and bad —
obviously, it was in immaculate shape, but 50
miles is hardly enough to shake down a new
engine, especially one that is injected, even if
it will tune itself.
This truck brought $50,600, which is the
new market level for a ’72 with all the right
stuff. An original engine and OE carb could
have maybe done a little better, and as these
trucks are easy to build from a catalog of
repro parts, it would have been nice to see the
original SPID showing how many of these rare
options were there from the factory. But the
market doesn’t seem to require proven originality
for stout prices. At least not yet.
All in all, call this a market price on one
76 AmericanCarCollector.com
76 AmericanCarCollector.com
of the newer shining stars of the American
market.A
— Jim Pickering
SOLD AT $148,500. This price isn’t without
precedent, but it is very, very strong and at
the absolute tippy-top of the market for a
non-Stage 1 car. For that kind of scratch,
one should expect a concours-ready piece,
which this car is not. I was not at the block
when it ran, so I cannot say that there were
multiple buyers involved who had to have
THIS car, but that would be the most obvious
explanation for such a tremendous result.
Very well sold.
#992-1971 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
VIN: 228871N102462. Lucerne Blue/blue
vinyl. Odo: 49,056 miles. 455-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. A very fetching bird from before the
days of flashy graphics and giant screaming
chickens. Mostly better-than-new frame-off
restoration save for some paint blemishes
around hood. Random fisheyes and debris
in clear coat too. Bird decal on nose starting
to shrink. Unpainted honeycomb wheels.
TOP 10
Page 76
BARRETT-JACKSON // Scottsdale, AZ
Dash very good and seats just starting to
break in. One of 885 ’71 T/As with 4-speed
and 455 HO V8, which churns out a stumppulling
480 ft-lb of torque. From the Dave
Hall Collection. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT
$73,700. Always good to see these early,
relatively conservative-looking T/As that
actually hark back to the original BFGoodrich
“Tire-Bird” racers that inspired their
name. This one had only test and tune
miles since its restoration and still looked
great. Perhaps not quite as spendy as the
later Super-Duty Trans Ams, this marketcorrect
price is still pretty stout when compared
to other muscle cars from 1971, the
beginning of the end for performance. All
should be very pleased with this outcome.
CORVETTE
#796-1969 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 194379S716263. Tuxedo
Black/black vinyl. Odo: 48,263 miles. 427-ci
435-hp V8, 3x2-bbl, 4-sp. A decent car that
lacked pop. Repainted at some time, with
mostly good prep and application. Rear
spoiler cracked at left rear, with checking
along entire length. Passenger’s side rear
fender with prep issues emerging that hint
at later repair. T-tops well aligned. Some
scratching on rear window. Factory sidepipes.
Vacuum issue as left headlight door
popped open—repaired before second inspection.
Interior mostly very sound, with
console showing some wear. Not especially
rare, as more than 2,700 427s were built
that year. Cond: 2-.
might have once been half-decent. Cracks,
some bubbling, and touch-ups don’t help
the first impression. Widely variable gaps—
rear fender caps badly aligned. Trim pitted
throughout. Glass mostly clear with some
scratching on left quarter; sealer bleeding
on rear fastback window. Seat covers good
and carpet faded. Gauges, dash dull, as is
cracked steering wheel. Cond: 3-.
#621-2001 FORD MUSTANG Bullitt
coupe. VIN: 1FAFP42X61F215247. Highland
Green/gray leather. Odo: 270 miles.
4.6-L fuel-injected V8, 5-sp. Not rare with
over 5,000 built. Bullitt mods mostly cosmetic
except lowered and stiffened suspension.
Claimed as-equipped with unspecified
optional items, but does have a 3.27 limitedslip
diff. As-delivered quality everywhere
save some scratching on the rear bumper
and creasing on driver’s seat. Correct stylized
Torq Thrust wheels. Original base price
of $26,230. Comes with a Marti Report. Another
pickled, instant classic—that isn’t.
Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $39,600. Equipped with the Qcode
Cobra Jet 428 and a manual transmission;
it wouldn’t surprise me if this old
warhorse saw more than its share of time at
the strip, which might account for the low
(indicated) miles and lack of any recent love.
Regardless, it has lived a hard life. Pity. Winning
bid reflects the malaise, as one in better
condition would command another $10k–
$15k. Price is strong, but even with a possible
rebuild and cosmetics, the new owner
shouldn’t be too far behind the curve.
#1040.2-1970 MERCURY COUGAR Eliminator
2-dr hard top. VIN: 0F91G534085.
Yellow/black vinyl. Odo: 25,000 miles. 302ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Highly documented example
with appearances in several
publications, including two magazine covers.
One of 146 final-year Boss 302 Eliminators.
Originally yellow, then blue, now
yellow again—paint very good. Otherwise
restored to factory level, with a few small
nits; alignment of decal application off in
places, hood askew, other gaps variable.
Interior surfaces also nice, with gauges
clear and bright. Hurst shifter. Scuttlebutt on
this one is that the engine is reportedly not
original. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $45,100. The menacing demeanor
of this shark was somewhat diminished
with its one headlight up, winking to
the viewer. C3 Corvettes, in particular the
big-block cars like this one, have been on a
steady rise for several years now, and this
was the expected result for an above-average
car. For perspective, however, the winning
bid would buy you a correct, low-spec
C1 or C2 example. Still a fair result, and
there’s value left for improvements.
FOMOCO
#532-1969 FORD TORINO fastback. VIN:
9A46Q165224. Yellow/black vinyl. Odo:
3,634 miles. 428-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. A tired
old thing in desperate need of some TLC.
Paint dull, faded—looks like an old redo that
78 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $21,450. While this generation
Bullitt often trades in the low-to-mid-$20k
range, it’s difficult to explain this result given
the break-in mileage and condition. Okay,
so this one was based on a then-old Fox
platform. And with only 265 hp, it had way
more show than go. But I reckon it’s to do
with timing. A meaner, faster and betterhandling
Bullitt Mustang arrives mid-2018
and far better captures the spirit of the
iconic movie. I know which version I prefer.
Even so, this one was very well bought.
#1001.2-2008 SHELBY GT500 KR 40th
Anniversary coupe. VIN: 1ZVHT88S185178672.
Vista Blue/black leather. Odo: 28
miles. 5.4-L supercharged V8, 6-sp. Ex-Ron
Pratte Collection. Carbon-fiber hood, splitter
and mirrors. 40th Anniversary badging.
Forged aluminum wheels made by Alcoa.
Dash signed by Ol’ Shel himself—no surprise
there. Functionally it’s a brand new,
undriven 2008 car. No surprise there, either,
given the double-digit miles. Cond: 1.
SOLD AT $110,000. While normal Cougars
usually represent good value to car collectors,
the various Eliminator models shatter
the mold and can be quite pricey, like this
one. If the engine is not actually original,
this car looks a bit expensive. If it is, this
result is market-correct. If I had been bidding
on this car, for this much money I
would have to have no doubt about its correctness.
SOLD AT $66,000. Well bought? Well sold?
Both? It’s a hard one to call, as this one has
some unique things about it that some value
more highly than others. To wit, it’s a limited
edition, it came from a very prestigious and
well-known local collection, fewer than 10%
of them were Vista Blue, and, not least, it
has just 28 miles on it. In that order of im
Page 78
BARRETT-JACKSON // Scottsdale, AZ
portance, these traits seem to have conferred
a 10%–20% premium over market.
Seems like a lot to me, as I like to drive
mine.
MOPAR
#869-1969 DODGE DART GTS 2-dr hard
top. VIN: LS23M9B236089. Medium green
metallic/white vinyl. Odo: 51,923 miles. 440ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. A highly optioned example
of a very desirable car, with original
build sheet and order invoice from none
other than Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding
Dodge. Well restored and only let down by
paint chips around passenger’s door, poor
gaps, some scuffed glass, sloppy caulking,
and no longer pristine white seat covers.
Equipped with performance hood, HD
brakes, sports console, bucket seats, console-mounted
tach, wood steering wheel,
two-speed wipers, special radio and that
oh-so-important Sure Grip rear end.
Cond: 2-.
bright, interior vinyl with checked cloth inserts
taut and crisp. Equipped with ps, pb,
Track Pack, tach. All fender tags intact and
matching. Cond: 1. SOLD AT $143,000.
Sold recently at 2017 Mecum Indy for
$77,000 (ACC# 6838005). At first glance,
the white vinyl top on this big orange bruiser
seems a touch out of place, but the period
look is actually quite captivating once fully
taken in. And any lingering illusion of this
rare bird being “kinda girly” would be immediately
shattered at the stoplight. At least
two people got the memo and bid this to an
extremely healthy but not incomprehensible
price. While very well sold, it was also well
bought.
#1330-1970 DODGE HEMI CHALLENGER
R/T 2-dr hard top. VIN:
JS23ROB218163. Go Mango/black vinyl.
Odo: 721 miles. 426-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp.
Show-field quality paint. Everything else to
same level save the panel gaps, which were
arguably better than factory. Lots of NOS
parts used in restoration, including tires.
Non-original, but correct date-coded Hemi
and transmission. PS, pb, Dana 60 Trak
Pak. Mileage indicated since restoration.
Decoded by Galen Govier. Multiple feature
stories in magazines and 2017 Goodguys
Muscle Car of the Year. One of only 123
Hemi Challenger R/Ts in 1970. Cond: 1.
10
SOLD AT $82,500. With direct ties to bigtime
drag racing, Grand Spaulding had 440
Darts built by Hurst to promote their performance
image before the factory took over
the program. Save for a factory Hemi racer,
this one-of-640 Dart is as far a cry from its
indestructible, little-old-lady slant-six-powered
siblings as it could be. While this sale
price is not unprecedented, it does represent
the top of the market for what Mr.
Norm’s advertised as “The Mighty Midget.”
All parties should be pleased.
#1020.1-1970 DODGE CHARGER R/T 2-dr
hard top. VIN: XS29V0G146362. Hemi
Orange/white vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 63,063
miles. 440-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, 4-sp. Absolutely
top-drawer work from stem to stern on this
one-of-116, 440 Six-Pack Charger R/T from
1970. Four-speed Pistol Grip adds to rarity.
Long panels straight as a pin—show-quality.
Paint smooth and glassy. Every aspect of
appearance done to spectacular level. Crisp
vinyl top, trim pristine, glass clear and
belts, special signed and serialized plaque,
Letter of Authenticity. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $88,000. While only 19 of these
specials were actually built, several of them
have crossed the block or been sold privately
within the past few years. Between
2013 and 2018, results have ranged from
$51k to $104k, with a few no-sales in between.
So while these numbers indicate a
premium over a garden-variety RT/10, it’s
hard to say exactly what it is. This one sold
in the middle of the range, so let’s call it an
average price and fairly bought and sold.
AMERICANA
SOLD AT $148,500. Previously sold at
Mecum Seattle 2015 for $162,000 (ACC#
6784688). Everything about this very tasty
Go Mango R/T was better than new, and
the only minuses were the replacement engine
and transmission—not uncommon, as
most of these were driven hard in the day.
Consignor, who offered extensive documentation
and was with the car every time I
walked by, was expecting well over $200k,
which was not out of line. Despite a sterling
presentation in every way, somebody stole
this car for a song. New owner will be over
the moon when it sells next time.
#1016-1996 DODGE VIPER RT/10 convertible.
VIN: 1B3BR65E4TV100682. Wimbledon
White/black leather. Odo: 3,881
miles. 8.0-L fuel-injected V10, 6-sp. The fifth
of 50 planned Carroll Shelby Edition Vipers.
Modified, offered exclusively by Fitzgerald
Motorsports. Changes mostly cosmetic, but
also included some mods to boost hp by
almost 35. Three-piece custom wheels with
white centers. Side curtains. Shelby logo
embroidered into seats, four-point Schroth
80 AmericanCarCollector.com
#853-1951 HUDSON HORNET convertible.
VIN: 7A60917. Yellow/tan canvas/ burgundy
leather. Odo: 97,912 miles. 308-ci I6,
2-bbl, auto. A 10-footer in the shade...
Claimed to have been restored by famed
Hudson expert Bill Albright—certainly not
since the Earth cooled, however. Gaps
wildly variable. Middling application of paint
over very casual prep—cracks, chips, very
thick in places. Trim badly pitted. Chrome
actually pretty good. Newer canvas top
good if not a bit rumpled. Delaminating wing
windows. Interior is best part of car—nice
leather and door panels but rough trim, yellowed
gauges. Twin-H 7X power under
hood. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $50,600. A lot of folks would not
be caught dead cruising in this car as-is,
and over 50 large is a lot of money for such
ignominy. But it was complete and had
good bones—alas, there is hope. In 2011 I
saw a truly immaculate Hornet convertible
sell for nearly $140k, so the new owner has
plenty of room to do the right thing. I hope
they go for greatness in any restoration.
When done, the purchase price of this car
might look reasonable. A
TOP 10
Page 80
MECUM AUCTIONS // Kissimmee, FL
Mecum Auctions — Kissimmee
My prediction this year was a decrease in the high six- and
seven-figure cars and an increase in the $150k-and-under zone
Mecum
Auctions
Kissimmee, FL
January 5–14, 2018
Auctioneers:
Mark Delzell, Jimmy
Landis, Matt Moravec
Automotive lots sold/
offered: 2,045/2,952
Sales rate: 69%
Sales total:
$89,359,040
High American sale:
Pair of 1969 Chevrolet
Camaro ZL1s, sold at
$1,210,000
Buyer’s premium:
10%, with a $500
minimum, included in
sold prices
numbers 30 and 18 1969 ZL1 Camaros sold together for a whopping $1,210,000
Report and photos by Morgan Eldridge
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
A
82 AmericanCarCollector.com
hallmark of Mecum’s Kissimmee auction
is that it has everything under the sun,
from Amphicars to Zimmers and everything
in between. For this year’s eclectic
bunch, there were 2,952 offered and
2,045 sold. If you were in the market for a Corvette,
there were 278 to choose from in a variety of trims and
years. Other events, such as a celebrity-chef cook-off,
Dodge thrill ride and other entertainment options,
were available for all ages.
The general atmosphere last year was muscle-car
mania, while this year seemed to be a huge pull by
Mecum to tell the world they are trying to be the
leader in exotic-car sales as well. But this is American
Car Collector, and the top American sale was the pair
of ZL1 Camaros sold together.
Number 18 and 30 of the 69 produced were both
a part of the first 50 ordered by Fred Gibb, owner of
Fred Gibb Chevrolet in La Harpe, IL. Gibb’s dealership
attracted national attention when a salesman
bought a 1967 Z28 and raced it in NHRA D/Gas with
a perfect 35-0 record. Those amazing wins eventually
snowballed into a relationship between Gibb and
Chevrolet tuner Dick Harrell, and was one of drag racing’s
more famous partnerships that led to the creation
of the COPO 9560 ZL1 Camaros. Number 18 is one of
only 10 finished in Dusk Blue and over the years was
repossessed, raced and then eventually won in a raffle.
Number 30 was bought by a Pizza Hut franchisee in
1969, raced under the Pizza Hut sponsorship for two
years, and spent some time in solitary confinement before
being rescued in 1989, with only eight or nine miles
on the odometer. It has since been restored twice.
Given the sheer size of the Kissimmee event, it
serves as an effective barometer for the collector
car market. One of my predictions this year was a
decrease in the high six- and seven-figure cars and
an increase in the $150k-and-under zone. Why? The
stock market boom and the new law that limits the
1031 exchange for reinvestment into larger-ticket
items without taxation could be a factor. The relatively
warmer weather this year could have brought more
bidders to this southern auction. Don’t forget, many
of us learned the term “bomb cyclone” right before
this auction began. Whatever an individual’s specific
reason, auction total sales jumped 6% over last year,
and that’s even with the sell-through rate dropping a
bit from 73% to 69%.
Between this auction and the others out West, we’re
likely looking at the start of another strong year in the
collector car market. A
Page 82
MECUM AUCTIONS // Kissimmee, FL
GM
#F1.2-1968 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28
coupe. VIN: 124378N479990. Red/black
vinyl. Odo: 67,838 miles. 302-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Driver-quality example with decent
body, chrome and panel gaps. Non-numbers-matching
powertrain mated to a 4.10
rear. Clean and tidy engine. Rally wheels,
front disk brakes, Tic-Toc-Tach and center
console with gauges. Cond: 3-.
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Nicely preserved car with
some evidence of paintwork on the driver’s
side rear quarter. Chrome looks nice. Driver’s
and passenger’s seats have light wear.
Engine bay could use a detail. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $7,150. I have yet to report on
Grandpa’s Cadillac, I suppose it would fetch
a premium if it was the actual car used in
“Goodfellas.” Nice driver-quality car for under
$10k. Some of the ’70s land yachts
bring $20k–$40k, so there is possibly room
for appreciation if kept nice. Well bought.
SOLD AT $41,800. This car was sold at
Mecum’s spring Kansas City sale last year
for $44k (ACC# 6832068), and a few other
times before that. Nice, entry-level collector
car for someone getting into the game. Sold
for a few grand under market median, but
still well sold.
#S130-1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO
COPO coupe. VIN: 124379N689171.
Green/green vinyl. 427-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Complete restoration using original sheet
metal and extensive use of NOS parts. Correct
markings and stampings throughout.
Seller states engine and transmission are
original. Straight body, good panel gaps,
clean and detailed engine compartment.
Underside looks just as good. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $30,800. A year ago, this would
likely be $25k. Really nice examples are
starting to climb in value. The ultra-rare LT4
version of this car would be the ultimate for
collectibility, but this is second in line. Not
many were pickled away with this type of
self-control for no real monetary gain. To
the buyer, you just saved a bunch not having
to store this for the past 20 years. Well
bought.
SOLD AT $126,500. Values are all over the
board on the COPO cars; there was a red
one (Lot S175) at this same auction that
sold for $214.5k. It was a restored, rarecolor
example and had good documentation.
Enough to merit almost $90k more?
You be the judge. I would argue that a premium
for an unrestored survivor would be
grounds for an increase that big; seems to
be apples to apples here.
#W136-1980 CADILLAC DEVILLE coupe.
VIN: 6D476A9129180. Colonial Yellow/light
yellow leather. Odo: 80,000 miles. 368-ci
84 AmericanCarCollector.com
#G188-2002 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS
35th Anniversary coupe. VIN: 2G1FP22G322145524.
Red/black leather. Odo: 33
miles. 5.7-L fuel-injected V8, 6-sp. Yes, 33
actual miles on this time capsule. SLP HighPerformance
package. SS appearance
package includes badging and spoiler.
Hurst short-throw shifter. Brand-new car
inside and out. With the rare GMMP center
exhaust. Cond: 1. SOLD AT $39,600. The
owner also brought a matching convertible
with 47 miles which sold for $31.9k, proving
those who say, “When the top goes down
the price goes up,” wrong on this occasion.
One other 2002 Camaro convertible here
NOT SOLD AT $25,000. One of four latemodel
GTOs brought to auction, this one
last sold in Mecum’s Indy sale for $31,900
(ACC# 6838699). A 33-mile black-on-red
car brought $38,500 here. A little soon to try
and achieve instant gains from Indy. Perhaps
in a few years; just keep the miles low.
#F81-2005 PONTIAC GTO coupe. VIN:
6G2VX12U35L367219. Phantom Black/Red
Hot leather. Odo: 33 miles. 6.0-L fuel-injected
V8, 6-sp. Car is brand new. Still has
the dealer-prep protective plastic everywhere.
Accessories and options include
#T239-1997 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS
30th Anniversary coupe. VIN: 2G1FP22P9V2147072.
Arctic White/Arctic White
leather. Odo: 568 miles. 5.7-L fuel-injected
V8, 6-sp. Brand-new car with all the paperwork.
Hurst shifter. Level II Bilstein sport
suspension package. Remote 12-disc CD
changer. Removable T-top panels. Cond: 1.
with 6k miles (without the 35th anniversary
package) brought $22k. It would be safe to
say that these have started to increase in
value, as this is a record price for any 35th
Anniversary Camaro sold at Mecum.
#T86.1-2005 PONTIAC GTO coupe. VIN:
6G2VX12U35L422185. Impulse Blue/blue
leather. Odo: 1,780 miles. 6.0-L fuel-injected
V8, 6-sp. This was the year the
GTO’s powerplant was changed to the LS2
from the LS1, raising power 50 points to
400. According to the GTO Forum, Impulse
Blue was only on 9.03% of the vehicles,
while the most popular color was black. This
vehicle was presented with delivery tape
still on pedals and sills, and still retains all of
its original documentation from new. Vehicle
shows like new inside and out. Cond: 1.
Page 84
MECUM AUCTIONS // Kissimmee, FL
power windows and locks, a/c and six-disc
changer among others. In climate-controlled
storage since new. Cond: 1. SOLD AT
$38,500. I haven’t seen another one this
nice since they were new. Fun fact—in
2004, it was originally planned to sell for
about $25,000, but by the time it was
launched in the U.S., the Australian dollar’s
growth against the U.S. dollar had inflated
the price of the car to well over $34,000.
The price paid was well worth it. Seller
should have kept it for another decade. Well
bought and sold.
CORVETTE
#S135-1965 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: 194675S111397.
Milano Maroon/black/maroon leather. Odo:
133 miles. 327-ci 365-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Restored in 2013 with only 133 miles since
completion. Rare color combination, excellent
panel fit and attention to detail. Paint
and interior show very well. First year for
disk brakes on the Corvette. Seller states
matching-numbers engine, transmission
and rear end. Telescopic steering wheel,
AM/FM radio with factory power antenna,
knockoff wheels. Comes with photo album
of restoration. Cond: 1-.
condition. Driver’s seat wear is minimal. Car
looks new, with the exception of slight fading
on the taillight bezels. Power top. Tidy
under hood. Cond: 1. SOLD AT $17,600.
Limited to just 1,000 units, of which this is
number 415; many still remain in this condition.
Another one sold the same day with
10k miles for $17k. These are fairly easy to
find on any given day with values from $12k
to $15k. Nicely sold.
NOT SOLD AT $130,000. An unrestored
LT-1 with 2k miles sold at the same auction
for $143k (Lot F122), so it’s odd that this
didn’t bring more money. Perhaps it should
have been offered directly after the other
one sold. Missed opportunity here. Maybe
next time.
FOMOCO
#T32.1-1965 FORD MUSTANG convertible.
VIN: 5F08T630814. Rangoon Red/
white vinyl/white vinyl. 200-ci carbureted I6,
3-sp. Typical older restoration with nonmatching
engine. Reportedly rebuilt 10k
miles ago. Pressure plate and throw-out
bearing to go with the new clutch. Nice paint
and interior. Seller states “brakes have
been gone through” on the auction description.
Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $6,600. These have been gaining
momentum in the past year. I’ve sold a few
examples, with under 70k miles, at my dealership
for $20k. This price seems spot-on
for the questionable history and condition.
Well bought.
SOLD AT $77,000. Pretty good deal for the
buyer on this one. Contrast that with a
matching-numbers ’65 L76 coupe (Lot S86)
that was bid to $85k here, ultimately not
selling. Well bought.
#S136.1-1970 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
ZR1 coupe. VIN: 194370S404103. Laguna
Gray/black leather. Odo: 16,289 miles. 350ci
370-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. This car was said
to be unrestored with “mostly original” Laguna
Gray paint. NCRS 4-Star Bowtie
award in 2015. Original tank sticker, Protect-O-Plate
and invoice. Seller states
matching-numbers engine, but no mention if
transmission is original. For ’70 Vettes, LT-1
engine was a $484 option over base L48,
and went into 1,949 Corvettes that year.
Additionally, the $1,010 ZR1 package was
produced for only 25 vehicles and included
said LT-1, but also with a special ignition,
flywheel, starter and radiator. The package
also added the Muncie M22 transmission,
aluminum driveshaft and Positraction differential.
Cond: 2-.
86 AmericanCarCollector.com
NOT SOLD AT $18,000. What’s a car auction
without a ’65 Mustang convertible? I
know what you’re thinking: Why did you pick
a straight six? I used this car as a barometer
to gauge the market. This might have
been a great entry-level classic for someone.
Very surprised the high bid didn’t get
the job done. Perhaps the seller has too
much in it. Either way, you can snag one up
for this price any day of the week.
#T104-1994 FORD MUSTANG SVT Cobra
Pace Car Edition convertible. VIN: 1FALP45D8RF158470.
Red/tan fabric/tan
leather. Odo: 5,918 miles. 5.0-L fuel-injected
V8, 5-sp. Believable miles based on
MOPAR
4
RM23R0A166207. Tor-Red/black vinyl.
Odo: 9,809 miles. 426-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto.
Seller states a recent “sympathetic preservation
service and tune-up” was performed.
Minor paintwork was done on the underside
of the hood, nose and wing, but otherwise
appears excellent without any swirls. Excellent
panel gaps. Inside, seats appear to be
original and in excellent condition. Vehicle
has original broadcast sheet. Galen Govier
Report included. Brightwork recently rechromed.
Cond: 1-.
#S129-1970 PLYMOUTH HEMI
SUPERBIRD 2-dr hard top. VIN:
#G102-1996 FORD BRONCO Eddie Bauer
Edition SUV. VIN: 1FMEU15N6TLA24628.
Red/tan leather. Odo: 68,200 miles. 5.0-L
fuel-injected V8, auto. Car shows 68k miles,
CARFAX says 372k last reported and a
prior accident. The paint looks okay, with
right side an obvious respray. Rusty undercarriage.
Interior presentable. Newer tires.
Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $275,000. This car does not posses
any stage fright; it has sold on the
BEST
BUY
TOP 10
Page 86
MECUM AUCTIONS // Kissimmee, FL
Mecum block a few times in the past year.
Last January, it sold for $242k (ACC#
6824581) at Kissimmee, then for $253k
(ACC# 6836068) in Indy. I think at the current
price paid, there could be some slight
profit to be made by the new owner. Well
bought and sold.
#F2.1-1994 DODGE VIPER RT/10 roadster.
VIN: 1B3BR65E3RV102805. Viper
Red/gray leather. Odo: 1,149 miles. 8.0-L
fuel-injected V10, 6-sp. One owner with
clean CARFAX report. Car appears new,
with the exception of the usual dashboard
fading and stickiness issue. Comes with all
original buyer’s paperwork and brochures.
That includes the instructional VHS tape.
Top was with the car, but no mention of windows
being available. Cond: 1-.
which are a crowd favorite for those who
prefer to use nitrous and other power adders.
In 2000 the Viper updated to lighter
hypereutectic pistons, and the prices tend to
favor these forged cars by 5%–8%. Any
way it’s sliced, this car was well sold.
#K85.1-2000 PLYMOUTH PROWLER convertible.
VIN: 1P3EW65G7YV603474.
Silver/black fabric/black leather. Odo: 6,000
miles. 3.5-L fuel-injected V6, auto. Clean
CARFAX, in New Mexico its entire life. Paint
looks good. Interior looks brand new.
Rocker panels are free of any scratches.
Engine bay clean and tidy. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $59,400. Another RT/10 was offered
with 13k miles here, selling for a
healthy $38.5k (Lot F3.7). The mileage and
condition were the primary drivers for the
$20k premium over that one. Very impressive
numbers for the first-generation Vipers
down in Kissimmee. Well sold.
#F2-1996 DODGE VIPER GTS coupe. VIN:
1B3ER69E7TV200055. Viper Blue/black
leather. Odo: 11,794 miles. 8.0-L fuel-injected
V10, 6-sp. One-owner car with clean
CARFAX report. Chrome wheels appear
without any pitting or curb damage. Front
license plate bracket installed. Original Alpine
radio installed. Under hood, everything
appears clean and unmodified. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $59,400. Vipers always seem to
bring the money in Kissimmee. This was
also sold at Mecum’s Las Vegas sale last
year for $57,750 (ACC# 6854512). The
models before 2000 had the forged pistons,
NOT SOLD AT $65,000. Pricing on the second-generation
Vipers has remained steady
the past few years in the $30k–$70k
range—depending on mileage, condition
and modifications. Obviously, the lowermileage
unmodified cars bring a premium.
This vehicle takes the cake and should
have sold for all the money.
SOLD AT $24,750. This car was last sold at
Mecum’s September 2017 Dallas sale for
$29,150 (ACC# 6850195). Seller must have
been tired of it already and decided to cut it
loose. These have been solid performers at
about a 5% gain per year. Of the four offered
here, this was the least amount bid.
Lot F2.7, a yellow one with 19k miles, sold
for $43k, to give you the range. I think the
number on this one should be closer to
$30k–$32k. Well bought.
#K236-2002 DODGE VIPER GTS Final
Edition coupe. VIN: 1B3ER69E72V102920.
Viper Red/black leather. Odo: 259
#W49-2005 DODGE RAM SRT-10 pickup.
VIN: 3D7HA16H55G799690. Red/black
cloth. Odo: 27,893 miles. 8.1-L fuel-injected
V10, 6-sp. Honest truck. No paintwork.
Slight wear on the driver’s seat bolster.
Stock radio, unmodified powertrain. Clean
CARFAX report. Four things you need to
know about this beast: 500 horsepower,
525 ft-lb of torque, 505 cubic inches and a
500-watt sound system. The rear wing is
actually functional and reduces drag, adding
up to 165 pounds of downforce at track
speeds. Cond: 2-.
miles. 8.1-L fuel-injected V10, 6-sp. Brandnew
car. Number 37 of only 360 Final Editions
produced. Not a single flaw, period.
The Viper GTS is the more subdued choice
when it comes to this generation Viper,
coming with extras such as door handles,
windows and more of a predictable chassis
to support the in-your-face 8.0-liter V10
power. This two-owner-from-new example
presents itself nicely with a clean CARFAX
report. In 2000, the Dodge Viper updated to
lighter hypereutectic pistons and factoryframe
improvement. Cond: 1.
88 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $33,000. This one was bid only to
$25k (ACC# 6851777) at Mecum’s October
2017 Schaumburg sale, where it didn’t sell.
This is another one to watch, folks—nice,
unmodified examples with lower miles are in
the mid-to-high $30k range. The ones with
over 25k miles tend to be in the mid-to-high
$20k range. This one was well sold, and the
buyer doesn’t have to feel guilty using it. A
Page 88
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
Leake — Dallas
Americana led the way, from Cadillacs to Ford GTs
Leake
Auctions
Dallas, TX
November 17–19,
2017
Auctioneers:
Jim Richie, Brian
Marshall, Dillon Hall,
Clint Cunningham
Automotive lots sold/
offered: 280/429
Sales rate: 65%
Sales total:
$6,507,050
High sale: 2005 Ford
GT coupe, sold at
$280,500
Buyer’s premium:
10%, 13% for online
Ironplanet.com buyers,
included in sold prices
Far from using all six digits on the odometer — 2005 Ford GT coupe, sold at $280,500
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
Report and photos by B. Mitchell Carlson
Market opinions in italics
I
90 AmericanCarCollector.com
f there’s one state that seems synonymous with
Cadillac, it’s Texas. To help bolster that perception,
Cadillac was king at Leake’s fall auction
in the Dallas Market Hall this year. All told,
there were 19 examples from “the Standard of
the World” consigned, with 16 offered at no reserve
and nine of those from one collection. In addition,
two of them were owned by the Sevenoaks family, so
as auction president Richard Sevenoaks said before
the no-reserve grouping crossed the block, “We have
some skin in the game, too.”
After everything was buttoned up on Sunday,
November 19, 280 of the 429 consignments had been
moved to new owners. As such, the sales garnered a
net of $6.5 million. While the sales rate was a touch
softer than their average, at just north of 65%, generally
the totals are within the range seen at this venue
in the past.
Topping all sales was a darling of the auction
world over the past several years — a 2006 Ford
GT with 1,473 original miles on the clock. Just like
clockwork, it was easily the top sale of the weekend at
$280,500 — and also like clockwork, continuing the
1950 Cadillac Series 62 convertible, sold at $53,900
descent of GT prices over the past year in the market
as a whole.
Leake’s next event opens 2018 in Oklahoma City
on February 23 and 24. With the unexpected addition
of the Rolland Collection (relocated from the
auction scheduled on December 9 in California, due
to the wildfires there), it promises to be a full, varied
weekend. A
Page 90
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
GM
#561-1950 CADILLAC SERIES 62 convertible.
VIN: 506291741. Light yellow/
black cloth/red leather. Odo: 43,785 miles.
331-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Good-running,
freshly rebuilt replacement 1949 engine,
due to a recent catastrophic failure of original
motor. Tidy and clean installation job
under hood. Older 12-volt electrical system
conversion. Back when it was repainted, it
seems like they went over the top on right
side of car for body prep, but forgot about
left side. Oh well, more folks will see it on
the right anyway. Paint application was of
equal quality on whole car—to include undercarriage.
Light scuffing on most of stainless
trim. Windshield frame top trim piece
missing. Good older replated grille and
bumpers. Power window module on inside
driver’s door panel missing one button.
Good reupholstery work on the seats, showing
slight wear, as does the replacement
carpeting. Clean undercarriage. Cond: 3+.
can generally make the argument that the
introductory year looked better that the next
year’s refreshes. In Pontiac’s case, the forward-staggered
tiered headlights and forward-angled
headlight cut-out in the front
fenders have a more aggressive sporty look
(think late-1960s Mustang or late-1970s
BMW) than the straight-up-and-down look
for 1966 (think church pew). Last seen at
Mecum’s Kansas City early winter auction in
December 2013 as a no-sale at $26k
(ACC# 239948). Not show-car perfect, but
for the money—especially with a 421 fed by
three deuces under the hood—it’s a darn
nice top-down cruiser.
SOLD AT $53,900. This Caddy was one of
two consigned by the Sevenoaks family
(which ran Leake Auctions at this point in
time) at no reserve. It was a combination of
them wanting to move it on to someone else
(as Nancy Sevenoaks has difficulty driving
them anymore) and having a group of noreserve
Cadillacs selling just before them—
hopefully drawing more of the Cadillac
bidding faithful. Of the whole bunch, this
one was actually right in the zone for being
a market-correct sale, while most of the earlier
cars were sold a tick low as good deals.
#449-1965 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE convertible.
VIN: 262675P231880. Red/white
vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 3,048 miles. 421-ci V8,
3x2-bbl, auto. Equipped with Tri-Power,
Safe-T-Track differential, and eight-lug
wheels (now shod with all-season radials).
Accessory fender skirts, which don’t fit all
that well. Unequal levels of body prep, with
the lesser work on the hood and along the
top well (as that area is showing light blistering).
Decent repaint above all that. Doors
fit well, but the gaps are incongruent. The
two N’s on the Bonneville trunk lettering are
upside down. Well-fitted replacement top.
New seats, door panels, carpeting, and
dash pad—all expertly fitted. Older enginebay
detailing, but still rather clean. Newer
shocks and dual exhaust system on an otherwise
flat-black-painted chassis. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $25,300. Both Ford and GM had
all-new full-size cars for 1965, and one
92 AmericanCarCollector.com
#562-1966 CHEVROLET IMPALA SS replica
2-dr hard top. VIN: 164376S207639.
Lemonwood Yellow/black vinyl. Odo: 61,395
miles. 327-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Super Sport
trim added to a regular-issue Impala. Decent
repaint a few years ago. However,
they’d have been better served by getting
new body-side moldings than putting originals
back on. Lesser masking around windshield,
quarter-glass seals, and drip-rail
moldings. Generic interior-door panels, with
generic pleats on vinyl and exterior SS emblems
hung on them—yet done with good
workmanship. Pleat pattern repeated on
reupholstered seats. Newer carpeting.
Slight yellowing of the dash gauges. Small
cracks forming on dashpad. Freshly painted
engine, with aftermarket chrome air cleaner.
Reproduction Rally wheels wearing lowbudget
radials. Cond: 3+.
tions include a/c, power steering, power
brakes, full tinted glass, cruise control,
heavy-duty rear suspension, light group,
tachometer, Speed Warning and push-button
AM radio. However, this is on a reproduction
build sticker on glovebox door.
Fitted with bucket seats and center console.
High-quality frame-off restoration completed
within the last few years. Good door and
panel fit. Replated bumpers and all reproduction
trim. Glossy oak sideboards added.
Nearly concours-quality detailing under
hood. Just as clean and well detailed on
chassis. Center console is glossier than
stock, but otherwise well-restored interior.
Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $28,050. It’s a bit unusual to see
a stepside loaded so heavily with options—
and some pretty rare ones to boot—but that
repop build tag doesn’t give me any warm
fuzzies that this truck left the Janesville Assembly
Plant with all these options. However,
I’ve seen similarly very well-equipped
pickups bought by farmers from years of
good crop yields. To avoid looking ostentatious,
they’d buy a heavily loaded pickup—
or Chevy car—rather than moving up the
GM model hierarchy to an Olds or a Buick.
When talking with the consignor before it
went over the block, he indicated that $30k
was his magic number to cut it loose. However,
the money tap went dry at $22k, yet
post-sale data shows that a deal did get put
together for a little less, so I’ll say that was a
fair deal for all involved.
SOLD AT $15,400. Had this been a real
Impala SS, the VIN prefix would’ve been
168376. Also, while this was redone in the
original color combo, an SS’s interior trim
code for black all-vinyl bucket seats
would’ve been 813, not the 814 that’s on
this car’s body tag (for black all-vinyl bench
seats). The reserve was off at $13k, garnering
two more bids for a realistic sale for an
Impala. And just an Impala.
#171-1969 CHEVROLET C10 pickup. VIN:
CE149J848195. Light blue & white/dark
blue vinyl. Odo: 71,415 miles. 350-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Original Protect-O-Plate. Op-
#190-1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO custom
coupe. VIN: 124379N621025. Cortez
Silver & black/black vinyl/black & white
houndstooth vinyl & cloth. Odo: 458 miles.
5.7-L fuel-injected V8, auto. Repowered
with an LS1 backed by a 4L60E automatic.
The motor isn’t too aggressively modified.
Generally clean installation. Rather good
base/clear paint and vinyl stripe application.
Doors need a little bit of a push to latch
properly, due in no small part to new seals.
No badges on reproduction grille. Emblems
that did make it onto the car are all reproductions.
Replated bumpers. Fiberglass
cowl-induction hood. Vintage Air a/c system,
in a non-a/c car when new. Retrofitted with
four-wheel power disc brakes, tilt steering
column and electronic gauges in dash and
center console. Front seats re-contoured
along outboard edges. ODB-II port below
retro-look electronic radio. Aftermarket
chambered dual-exhaust system. Cond: 2-.
Page 92
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
SOLD AT $45,100. The reserve was lifted
at $41k, just as it was starting to look like
the car was going to roll off as a no-sale.
Not that it helped get more money—it just
made it sell. Considering what it took to get
it done to this level and that it’s a popular
car in a good color, it gives ammo to the
camp that preaches, “You’ll lose money
modifying cars.”
#441-1969 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE SS
396 2-dr hard top. VIN: 136379K424108.
LeMans Blue/black vinyl. Odo: 61,410
miles. 396-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Power steering,
power front disc brakes, and air conditioning—although
everything under hood
has been removed. Decent bare-body base/
clear repaint. Bottoms of the rear windows
inside the car show heavy pitting under repaint,
where they were rusty before. Both
SS emblems are crooked, and the 396 callout
below them is not centered. At first
glance, the engine bay comes off as stock,
but there are some aftermarket and generic
parts fitted. Very recent engine work, as the
gaskets and seal weeping are fresh. Aftermarket
battery and cables. Reproduction
seats, door panels, carpeting and dashpad.
The latter is lifting at the passenger’s door
end. Cond: 3+.
scotch & white/butterscotch & white vinyl.
Odo: 52,528 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Optional a/c, power steering, power brakes,
sliding rear window, and Rally wheels. Service
parts tag missing from glovebox door.
Repainted in recent years to quality akin to
stock, although hood was prepped and
painted not as well. Entire cargo box in
spray-on bed liner. Masked-off windshield
and door glass seals. Doors take a concerted
effort to latch properly. All-original
alloy trim, which really should’ve been professionally
polished while off the truck,
rather than put back on somewhat dull. New
OEM seat vinyl, carpeting and headliner.
Faded seat belts and trim on door panels.
Speakers cut into doors for period Pioneer
Supertuner AM/FM/cassette deck in dash.
Generally cleaned-up engine bay; with a/c
converted to R134a, aftermarket air cleaner,
chrome valve covers and tube headers.
Cond: 3.
the whole engine. Generally clean
underhood. Rear suspension sits lower than
the front. Light sun fade on most interior
components, especially the cloth seat inserts.
Vent control knobs missing from kick
panels, likely removed when aftermarket
speakers were added to support CD sound
system in dash. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT
$14,850. This is the second of two pickups
in a comparison between similar-condition
and -configuration Chevy versus GMC from
the now very popular 1970s-era pickups
here at auction. While it may seem odd to
have a “Heavy Half” short-box, it would be
the ticket for small slide-in campers, some
instances of towing where total length of the
combination is an issue, or for snow plowing.
It also put the truck over the magical
6k-pound weight rating, when up until 1979,
that meant that it didn’t require a catalytic
converter and unleaded gas. A very sharplooking
truck that was very well equipped
for the era, and considering that the prices
on these are going nowhere but up for the
foreseeable future, it was a decent buy.
Even as a GMC.
SOLD AT $14,850. This is the first of two
trucks I chose to compare selling prices of
Chevys versus GMCs from the now very
popular 1973–80 generation. Granted, this
is a 4x4 while the GMC I chose is a twowheel
drive, although this Silverado isn’t
quite as nice as that Sierra Classic. Yet with
both trucks selling for the exact same
money, I’ve proven, yet again, that Chevys
will still bring more money than a GMC—
even if they are otherwise equal.
SOLD AT $28,600. Originally left the Kansas
City Assembly Plant in Garnett Red,
with a red vinyl bench-seat interior, so we
have what might be the only example out
there that was color changed from alwayspopular
red to not-real-popular blue. Why? I
don’t know. We can be certain that the original
front fenders were not used on this car.
They’re most likely imported, with mounting
holes supplied by whoever put the car back
together. Based on the painted-over rust
pitting in rear window frames, I’d reckon this
was in a sorry state when the work started.
Granted, it’s better now, but it’s not great.
Well sold as a fulfillment of someone’s highschool
daydreaming.
#268-1976 CHEVROLET K10 Cheyenne
pickup. VIN: CKL146F397874. Butter-
94 AmericanCarCollector.com
#243-1979 GMC 1500 Sierra Classic
Heavy Half pickup. VIN: TCL449A505774.
Mariner Blue/blue cloth. Odo: 31,167 miles.
350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Two service-parts
labels show it was equipped with optional
a/c, power steering, power front disc brakes,
F44 Heavy Half package, power door locks,
cruise control, dual fuel tanks, all-tinted
power windows, and tilt steering column.
While it was also originally a 350-powered
truck, it now has at the very least the heads
and induction from a gen-III small-block,
with C4 Corvette cast valve covers—if not
#432-1979 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
VIN: 2W87Z9L159334. Starlight Black/tan
cloth. Odo: 74,875 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Retains all paperwork from when it
sold new—and PHS documentation to confirm
it—by Miller Pontiac of St. Cloud, MN.
Options include Special Performance Package,
power windows, power door locks,
power trunk release, a/c, tilt steering column,
lamp group, and custom trim group
with color-matching seat belts. High-quality
repaint. When they put the small thunderchickens
back on the B-pillars, they tilted
them to match tilt of windows, rather than
straight up like the factory did. Very stiff
hood springs. While the motor was detailed
around the time the car was repainted,
nothing’s been done to it since and it’s getting
dirty. No belt on the a/c compressor.
Use of modern hoses and screw clamps.
Well-cared-for original interior, with minimal
driver’s seat and carpet wear. Cond: 3+.
NOT SOLD AT $23,600. Back in the late
1970s, Miller Pontiac was THE dealership
to go to if you lived in outstate Minnesota
and wanted a new Trans Am, as they always
had about two dozen in stock. Even
into the mid-1980s, they always seemed to
have these gen-II T/As on their used-car lot.
As such, I was pleased to see that at least
one wasn’t sacrificed to the Salt Demons of
Page 93
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
the Rust Belt. Sold at Mecum Dallas November
2016 for $24,200 (ACC# 6814244),
and offered again at Mecum Dallas September
2017—this time a no-sale at $24k
(ACC# 6850247). As such, it’s not too surprising
that it didn’t get cut loose here—although
it was stated rolling off the block that
$26k would get it sold.
CORVETTE
#153-1980 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 1Z878AS432051. Dark blue/
doeskin leather. Odo: 60,180 miles. 350-ci
190-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Optional tinted roof
panels and alloy wheels. Average baseclear
repaint in recent years, with somewhat
sloppy masking in door jambs. Slightly wavy
front and rear plastic fascias. Replacement
windshield, which now has a crack at bottom
center. Door and glass seals have
heavier degradation where they meet. Average
door gaps. Passenger’s side headlight
door doesn’t park flush at the front. Clean,
tidy and bone-stock under the hood—to
include all smog gear. Top of engine was
somewhat carefully repainted a few years
back. Black overspray on the radiator cap.
Seat coverings are likely replacements, as
they are in better condition than anything
inside the car, to include the redyed dashboard.
Dingy undercarriage. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $15,125. Manual-transmission
C3s were becoming few and far between by
1980. Only 5,726 of the 40,614 built that
year had three pedals on the floor. This example
was almost left on the auction-block
floor, as it initially was a no-sale at $13,750.
However, post-event data supplied by the
auction company show that a deal was put
together on it.
FOMOCO
#134-1938 FORD MODEL 78 Standard
coupe. VIN: 184248073. Beige/beige cloth.
Odo: 17,878 miles. Very old repaint that’s
somewhat dull, but still looks decent and
may buff out. Sloppy masking around the
windows, most of which are delaminating to
some extent. Windshield seal was actually
painted over. Dull bumper chrome, but
some individual trim pieces still look pretty
decent. Dull, sun-baked running-board rubber.
Period-accessory driving lights. Dingy,
unimpressive—yet stock—engine compartment.
Dry-rotted and crumbling bottom door
seals and fender welting. Seats and door
panels redone a few years ago, in modern
March–April 2018 95
Page 94
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
automotive synthetic fabric with generic
pleats. Period aftermarket heater. Cond: 4+.
tage worker-bee before doing a restoration
on it. Otherwise, despite the continued
strong interest in old trucks, this was well
enough sold.
NOT SOLD AT $14,000. From 1938
through 1940, Ford carried over the frontend
sheet metal from the Deluxe models
and gave it some trim changes to make the
new Standard models for each of these
years. As such, this is essentially a ’37 Ford
front end, with open louvers wrapping
around the front clip and grille area replacing
the previous year’s separate grille assembly.
Overall, it makes for a clean, simple
look. I’m hard pressed to think of the last
time I’ve seen a ’38 Standard Ford of any
body style. This is more deserving of having
a relatively easy restoration done on it
rather than becoming the canvas for a street
rod. Either way—or just to leave it as-is—it
was sufficiently bid based on its needs.
#127-1964 FORD F-100 pickup. VIN:
F10CR482917. Light gold metallic/gray
cloth. Odo: 7,572 miles. 292-ci V8, 2-bbl,
4-sp. Non-conforming VIN statement issued
by the auction company. Recent on-thecheap
repaint, with poor masking around
window seals. Those seals and most of the
rest of the rubber on truck are baked and
dry. Painted-over door locks, with no fresh
paint inside the cargo box. Doors rattle
when shut. Mirrors removed, but posts on
doors remain. Grille spray-painted in gunmetal
metallic. Newer replacement windshield.
Generally stock motor, with an
insulating sleeve around cross-over exhaust
pipe, plus frayed aftermarket braided coverings
on the radiator and heater hoses.
Newer radiator. Seat and armrests redone
in modern automotive synthetic fabric. DINmount
CD sound system cut into the dash;
speakers cut into the doors. Modern, triplegauge
cluster mounted below the dash.
Suspension sits low up front. Cond: 4+.
#192-1965 FORD MUSTANG convertible.
VIN: 5F08A300136. Silver Blue/white vinyl/
blue vinyl. Odo: 60,805 miles. 289-ci V8,
2-bbl, auto. Optional power steering and
power top. Added Rally Pac. Consignor
claims indicated miles are actual. Hood
prep and paint is lesser than rest of the
body respray in base/clear. Rust blisters
forming around the top/tonneau cover perimeter
trim. Doors rattle a bit when shut.
Older bumper replate, with some select
brightwork replacement, although most is
original and showing minimal pitting and/or
scuffing. Correct tower-style hose clamps,
modern service replacement distributor and
radiator caps. Scruffy fender bolts. Rusty
old master cylinder. Well-fitted replacement
top. Seam splitting on front seats; all seats
have newer insert vinyl. Heavier carpet fading
on top of the transmission tunnel. Nonstock
dual exhaust system sounds okay, but
getting rusty at the seams. Cond: 3.
ing, and scrapes. Crooked left-rear wheelwell,
along with light dents and dings on the
whole body. While it still has the footman
loops in place, all of the other components
usually bolted to the outside of the body
have been removed. Tons of overspray on
grungy-but-stock engine. Sloppy paint
masking around the gauge bezels. Nonoriginal
faded camo seat upholstery, done
on the cheap. Holes inside the tub are from
the former installation of a radio set. Partial
rifle rack mounted to the floor. Faded top.
Cond: 4+.
NOT SOLD AT $19,000. Even if this is the
first time around the odometer, it’s hardly
what I’d call a well-preserved example. Actually,
aside from the body, what little that’s
original on it is what detracts from the car.
Before the auction, the figure dancing
around in my mind was that it’s a $20k car.
Stated that it was going to take $22k today
to sell, so consignor and a serious bidder
should’ve met at $20k.
#124-1966 FORD M151 utility. VIN: 2N1925.
Olive drab green/olive drab green
canvas/green camo vinyl. Odo: 19 miles.
141-ci I4, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Decommissioned by
the government by cutting the tub. Welded
and patched back together with a further
schlocky repaint in more recent years. Even
at that the paint has numerous chips, flak-
SOLD AT $6,875. 1964 was the final year
of Ford’s Y-block engine. The reserve was
met at $5k, without the bidding breaking
stride. Considering that this pickup is a rustfree
short-box, it can be an occasional vin-
96 AmericanCarCollector.com
“
SOLD AT $5,775. After the Department of
Defense had determined that the M151 series
of quarter-ton tactical trucks (not to be
confused with Jeeps) posed a tipping hazard,
they deemed that they were to be rendered
inoperable before being mustered out
of the military. Initially, they were torch-cut
into quarters for scrap, like this one was.
When enterprising individuals started stitching
them back together, they then just
shredded them. This was late across the
block, because the retrofitted electric fuel
pump quit working due to a bad connection
(electrical, not fuel). Once the auction staff
sorted things out and got the pump running,
it actually ran out pretty well. Considering
it’s a patched-up beater, this sold well.
#518-1970 FORD MUSTANG Boss 302
replica fastback. VIN: 0T02F106932.
Grabber Yellow/black vinyl. Odo: 60,012
miles. 351-ci V8, 4-bbl, 5-sp. Per Marti Report
displayed with car, it was originally
standard-issue Mustang in Medium Blue
Metallic with white interior, having a 302 V8
and C4 automatic. Repop Magnum 500s
replace original steel wheels with full wheel
covers. Decent prep work under a better
repaint. Front valance to hood to fender
gaps all over the place. Older Ford Motorsport-branded
MSD box. Vacuum port on the
The word ‘correct’ was used multiple
times on stuff that was changed on this
car, yet the only thing correct about
it was that it’s a 1970 Mustang with
painted sport mirrors.
1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 replica fastback
”
Page 96
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
distributor advance is plugged. New seat
upholstery, carpet and dashpad. Aftermarket
center console. A tachometer is
clamped to the steering column at the 12
o’clock position—partially obscuring the
tachometer in the dashboard. Okay, then.
More added gauges in the console—actually
mounted in the ashtray. Aftermarket
steering wheels and sound system, with
speakers cut into the door panels. Cond: 2-.
mark them as such). What this car really is,
is a Jade Designer package. In addition to
the Designer brand packages—Emilio
Pucci, Givenchy, Bill Blass, and, yes, Cartier—Designer
packages were also available
in various colors. The most famous being
Lipstick Red, but also in gold, Wedgewood
Blue, and in this case Jade Green. Top bid
here in Dallas should’ve been more than
enough to have initiated a transfer of title.
SOLD AT $33,825. The word “correct” was
used multiple times on stuff that was
changed on this car, yet the only thing correct
about it was that it’s a 1970 Mustang
with painted sport mirrors. The reserve was
lifted at $29k, and a couple of guys just kept
bidding. More than enough paid for this
Mustake.
#123-1976 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
MARK IV Jade Designer Package 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 6Y89A806333. Light Jade
Green/Dark Jade vinyl/two-tone green
leather. Odo: 61,728 miles. 460-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Optional power moon roof, AM/FM/
Quadrasonic 8-track sound system, and
forged-aluminum wheels. Generally alluded
to that the 61,728 miles are actual from
new. Wears original paint, but the upper
surfaces have heavier sun fade—which
may or may not buff out. Rust blisters at the
lower rear corner of the driver’s door frame.
1991-vintage Carlite replacement windshield.
Vinyl landau top is shrinking and has
pulled out from its molding at the bottom
corners, plus the padding beneath it has
shrunk below the rear window. Good alloriginal
interior, with light to moderate seat
and carpet wear at the driver’s position.
Both door pulls are cracked. Used-car engine
bay, even after washing if off. Cond: 3.
#105-1983 FORD MUSTANG GLX convertible.
VIN: 1FABP27F7DF173288.
Red/white vinyl/white vinyl. Odo: 42,753
miles. 5.0-L V8, 4-bbl, 5-sp. Factory options
include air conditioning, power windows,
power locks, and cruise control. Later-era
Mustang alloy wheels displace the stock
rims. Decent topical repaint, with maskedoff
door jambs. Wavy bumper cladding—like
most of its surviving peers. Moderate sun
fade on the black plastic trim, along with dry
and cracked door glass seals. Passenger’s
mirror has a fisheye lens stuck onto it.
Doors rattle slightly. Trunk alignment off, as
it sits rather high. Original seats and doorpanel
armrests have heavier yellowing.
Leather steering-wheel rim has heavily worn
off dye. Washed-off engine bay, but a long
way from being detailed. New battery. Old
chambered muffler, welded to the original
single-pipe system. Cond: 3.
wheel-rim wear and soiling on driver’s door
armrest. Original spare tire looks like it
never left the cradle under the truck.
Washed-off original undercarriage. Runs
out stock, yet healthy. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $20,350. The 944th of 2,280
built. No statements were made concerning
the mileage, but this was likely correct, as
it’s commensurate with the general condition.
If anything, age is doing more harm to
it than wear. If it didn’t get enough sun in
Missouri or Texas, it certainly will where it’s
heading; after the reserve was dropped at
$18,500 and was immediately hammered
sold, it was declared to be going to Hawaii.
SOLD AT $4,950. From the first year the
convertible was back—and the first full year
of the general availability of the 5.0-liter V8
(as it was introduced in 1982 for the GTs
only). This one was last seen at Mecum’s
Houston auction last year, pre-Hurricane
Harvey, selling for $7,150 (SCM# 6833358).
Over-the-top sale then and still strong now.
NOT SOLD AT $4,750. Last seen at
Leake’s 2016 Oklahoma City auction, then
called a “Cartier Edition” and declared sold
at $8,525 (ACC# 6802659). People, it’s not
a Cartier edition just because the friggin’
clock is marked as Cartier (which it isn’t—
it’s the same crappy 12-volt mechanism in
any full-size Ford or Mercury, but Lincoln
had a licensing agreement with them to
98 AmericanCarCollector.com
#508-1995 FORD F-150 SVT Lightning
pickup. VIN: 1FTDF15R2SLA87060. Black/
two-tone gray cloth. Odo: 40,352 miles.
5.8-L fuel-injected V8, auto. Original Fordapplied
paint, with typical light orange peel
evident (so much for that Job #1 thing).
Nary a polishing scratch in the bed—must
have only hauled ass. Good original graphics.
Aftermarket tube bumper in back. Headlight
bezels staring to yellow. Door-latch
buttons are markedly faded and chalky.
Missouri inspection sticker in non-OEM replacement
windshield. Clean and tidy
underhood, but not really detailed—just regularly
maintained as stock, apart from an
economy-grade battery. Well-cared-for original
interior, with slight carpet and steering-
White & Sonic Blue stripes/black leather.
Odo: 1,473 miles. 5.4-L supercharged V8,
6-sp. Retains the original window sticker
from when it was sold new by Laurel Ford of
Laurel, MT, along with both key fobs. Optional
over-the-top stripes, gray-painted
brake calipers, and McIntosh sound system—in
addition to the “optional” Gas Guzzler
tax. Just 1,473 miles from new, and
shows minimal to no wear on most components.
Heaviest-wear item is original tires.
Minimal road spray on the undercarriage.
Paint has a few nicks on the wheelwell lips
and none on the nose. Minimal seat and
steering-wheel leather wrinkling. Stock and
clean engine bay.
Cond: 2+.
5
#488-2005 FORD GT coupe. VIN:
1FAFP90S05Y400599. Centennial
SOLD AT $280,500. Oh boy (yawn), another
minty virgin low-mile post-Y2K GT for
sale. Just once, I’d like to see one that’s
using all six digits on the odometer. This
one opened at $75k and was steadily bid to
the $230k point, where it was announced
that it was selling at no reserve. It then took
a lot more work to advance the bidding until
it was hammered sold for an additional $25k
worth of bids later. Maybe nobody wanted
to get stuck in the elevator going down, as
that’s the only direction these GTs are going
in price right now.
TOP 10
Page 97
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
#434-2009 FORD MUSTANG GT Iacocca
Silver 45th Anniversary Edition coupe.
VIN: 1ZVHT82H495145745. Silver/black
leather. Odo: 209 miles. 4.6-L fuel-injected
V8, 5-sp. Post-production conversion. Miles
since new, and essentially all original. Paintwork
show no nicks or other damage—not
even polishing scratches. Original upfitted
18-inch chromed alloy wheels, with tires
showing marginal wear. Current Texas inspection
decal in windshield. Original upgraded
pleated leather seating—on stock
frames—shows no discernible wear. Builder’s
plaque located between center HVAC
vents—á la Shelby. All Ford and Mustang
badges removed, replaced by Iacocca or “I”
emblems inside and out. Bone-stock Mustang
GT under hood, aside from another
builder’s plate on radiator-support-cover
trim, sporting a fresh fluff-and-buff. Sloppy
sealant application on the differential
cover—including around bolts—which
droops downward, indicating that this was
done post-production. Cond: 2.
NOT SOLD AT $43,000. Among the tweaks
that were part of the conversion were a longer
hood, with more pointed front valance,
plus rear window more deeply raked and
roofline carried though to the end of car
through the trunk lid. While I think the front
looks a bit heavy-handed, the rear comes
off quite well (having once owned a 2006
Mustang Pony, I feel somewhat qualified to
comment on S197 Mustangs). Of the 45 of
these made, Lee got car number one. This
one, number 11 of the batch, seemed to not
have much serious interest here. This is
one of those cars that won’t do well in general
enthusiasts’ circles—it’ll need the right
over-the-top fan looking specifically for one
to let the consignor cut it loose for a high,
ambiguous reserve, and that person wasn’t
a bidder here. At least we captured this one
for the ACC database.
MOPAR
#221-1967 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA
convertible. VIN: BH27D72239894. Dark
blue metallic/white vinyl/white vinyl. Odo:
28,158 miles. 273-ci V8, 2-bbl, 4-sp. Retains
the original build sheet, which is congruent
with the body tag as to how the car is
configured. Generally decent base/clear
repaint done as part of a restoration that
completed in 2011, but it has a few light
pimples on hood. All major chrome redone
SOLD AT $25,025. I can’t think of the last
time I ran into a ’67 Barracuda convert at
auction, and with a mere 4,228 made that
year, it’s understandable why. Consignor
stated in the overall history of the car that it
was sold at Barrett-Jackson’s 2013 Scottsdale
auction to the previous owner in 2013
for $23,100 (corroborated by this car being
the subject of ACC# 260392). As such, it
was a bit of a surprise that the reserve was
to a stock level of finish. A few small
pieces—such as the V8 call-out tags on
front fenders—are original and presentable.
Light scratches on the window perimeter
and door top stainless trim. Only power option
is the top—a well-fitted replacement.
Equally good workmanship in the fitment of
reproduction seats, door panels and carpet.
Very tidy and generally stock under the
hood. Reproduction plastic washer-reservoir
jug. Modern battery is sitting loose in tray.
Light road spray on undercarriage.
Cond: 3+.
March–April 2018 99
Page 98
LEAKE // Dallas, TX
at $15k, yet the seller wasn’t going to end
up too short on the car, as the bidding kept
moving along smartly. It was a bit of a loss
for the consignor, yet the buyer still paid in
the range of market price for it when it came
time to write the check.
#266-1969 PLYMOUTH GTX convertible.
VIN: RS27L9G149008. Red/black vinyl/
black vinyl. Odo: 55,513 miles. 440-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Rebuild completed in 2008.
Good body prep and base/clear paint application,
with correct matte black finish on
hood, tops of front fenders, and rocker panels.
Forward door gaps and hood gaps
seem a touch wide. Modifications evident
under hood: aftermarket induction, openelement
all-filter air cleaner, tube headers,
metal flex-cover radiator hoses, chrome
alternator, aluminum radiator with electric
fan, high-output ignition, and plenty of additional
wiring. Also stated that it has a 3kRPM-stall
torque converter and Positraction.
Mostly new reproduction interior soft trim
(original interior was black and white), with
a few redyed pieces. Four small gauges
mounted into console, speakers are cut into
rear-seat armrest panels. Cond: 3+.
paint went well. Driver’s door could use
some more alignment work. Reskinned roof
wavy below rear window. Modern DINmount
sound system cut into stock radio
location and speakers are cut into door panels—which
have clearance issues with the
window cranks. Squeaky-clean bone-stock
engine bay, aside from new NAPA battery.
Clean and mostly black-painted undercarriage,
with new brake lines, gas tank and
stock-style exhaust system. Cond: 2-.
exhaust, with the tailpipes held in place by
hose clamps. Chrome differential cover.
Everything under the car has moderate road
spray on it. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $49,500.
Do people actually bid on cars without looking
at them up close anymore? This was
more than fully priced with a replacement
block in it, but with patched fenders and
MacGyver engineering on the undercarriage,
this was fully priced and change. At
least the consignor should be happy—and
once this gets rolled off the truck to its final
destination (as it had a shipping tag on the
windshield, destined for heading out of the
Lone Star state), maybe the new owner will
scrutinize their purchases better next time.
And, if bought thinking it was a deal or even
market-correct, take a more detailed look at
price guides.
SOLD AT $36,300. Yes, in 1970, the basemodel
Challenger had a bench seat (deep
down in its DNA, it’s basically a sexy-looking
Dart). Today, it seems like they all have
buckets, yet back in the day bench seats
were still popular for young troubadours.
That way, your girlfriend could slide next to
you when you’re out crusin’ around. Never
mind that seat-belt-use enforcement didn’t
exist back then. Not all that bad of a car to
go out crusin’ today with your significant
other, just use your seat belts to keep from
taste-testing that new windshield. Market
correct sale at no reserve.
SOLD AT $52,800. While the GTX was
Plymouth’s top trim line for its mid-sized
B-body cars, it would also give the top-end
Fury VIP a run for its money. This despite
the GTX VIN codes that denoted special
model lines over the VIP’s top-level Premium
trim code. There’s no doubt that the
GTX would easily outrun that VIP. The former
had a 440 V8 as the entry-level engine,
while the latter had a 318 V8. Even with the
VIP optioned with a 440 in it, it was still a
heavier car than the GTX. There was also
no doubt that this real-deal Scorch Red
GTX isn’t a luxury car today, based on the
performance modifications. As such, this
sold very strongly for the good—but not that
good—condition.
#264-1970 DODGE CHALLENGER 2-dr
hard top. VIN: JH23N0B115041. Sublime/
black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 81,886 miles.
383-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Optional power
steering, painted sport mirrors, AM radio,
and Rallye gauge pack—that’s it. Reproduction
Rallye wheels on radials. Body tag attached
with pop rivets rather than the usual
Phillips screws. Body prep started getting
weak on hood towards cowl, but rest of re-
100 AmericanCarCollector.com
#452-1970 DODGE CHARGER R/T 2-dr
hard top. VIN: XS29U0G198254. Plum
Crazy/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 88,619
miles. 440-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Original 4-barrel
440 car, but with a replacement engine
block. Optional a/c, power brakes, light
group, center seat cushion with folding armrest
and AM radio. Better-quality older restoration
that has seen some use since.
Some of that use was in an article in the
Winter 2005 edition of Muscle Car Review.
Repaint presents quite well, as does the
older replacement of most chrome. Feathered
body filler from metal patching evident
at bottom of rear quarter panels. Repop butt
stripe well fitted—as is the replacement vinyl
roof. Uniformly yellowed gauge faces.
Aftermarket ignition wiring. Chambered dual
#262-1978 DODGE RAMCHARGER SUV.
VIN: A10BE8S254855. Flame Orange/black
vinyl soft top/Parchment vinyl. Odo: 64,525
miles. 318-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Optional soft
top, power steering, power brakes, and
cruise control. Repaint so fresh, there’s a
hint of degassing. While it was done with
the trim off and glass out, the emphasis
seems more to have been to get it done
now, rather than get it done well. New nonOEM
windshield and seals. New door glass,
but seals look like they were reused. Doors
need some help to latch properly. Front end
has a punched-in-the-eyes look, with
blacked headlight bezels in dull original
grille. New aftermarket soft top. Aftermarket
alloy wheels are so new that they still have
barcode tags inside the rims. Reupholstered
seats plus new door and side panels. Aftermarket
steering wheel. The starter hung on
the flexplate when it was driven onto the
block (never a good marketing move, especially
on a no-reserve truck like this one).
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $14,850. Even by 1978 (after
being introduced in 1975), no top was still
standard on a Ramcharger—a hard or soft
top was an extra-cost option. Was here last
year, then declared sold at $14,025 (ACC#
6814522). Now part of a collection that sold
at no reserve. I know that the repaint didn’t
cost $825 (even if it did look the part), so
call this a loss for the consignor, but the
buyer got a free paint job. A
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MECUM AUCTIONS // Kansas City, MO
Mecum — Fall Kansas City Sale
Mecum always manages to provide a smattering
of the truly weird and wonderful
Mecum
Auctions
Kansas City, MO
November 30–
December 2, 2017
Auctioneers:
Mark Delzell, Jimmy
Landis, Matt Moravec
Automotive lots sold/
offered: 389/589
Sales rate: 66%
Sales total:
$8,220,833
High sale: 2005 Ford
GT coupe, sold at
$291,500
Buyer’s premium:
10%, minimum $500,
included in sold prices
Landing in the truly-weird-and-wonderful category — 1947 Crosley CC pickup, sold at $11,550
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
Report and photos by Brett Hatfield
Market opinions in italics
M
102 AmericanCarCollector.com102 AmericanCarCollector.com
ecum Auctions returned to Kansas
City over the November 30–December
2 weekend, the latter of their twice-annual
KC classic car auctions. The folks
at Mecum have long been a fixture
in Kansas City, and their presentation never fails to
impress. This auction boasted nearly 600 entries, with
American classics and muscle cars comprising the
majority of the offerings. Hot rods, customs, trucks,
as well as European sports, luxury and exotic cars
rounded out the lots available for sale. A good number
of those found new homes, with a solid sell-through
rate of 66%, yielding a total take of $8,220,833.
Mecum continues to prove their standing in the
auto-auction world, generating big sales in the face
of a subtle downturn in collector car values. The high
sale for the weekend was a 3,600-mile Centennial
White-with-blue-stripes 2005 Ford GT, with all four
options, hammering sold for $291,500. A staggeringly
well-done 1968 Mustang fastback “Eleanor” replica
found a new home at $104,500 — which was a steal
given the quality of the build.
Along with finding some of the best built, restored,
or highest-performance examples in the sale field,
Mecum always manages to provide a smattering of the
truly weird and wonderful. There were several giant
4x4s present, only to be offset by the truly diminutive
Crosley pickup and woodie wagon. There was a 1970
Plymouth squad car with stereo speakers mounted
on the roof, your choice of seven Ford Model As, a
“Smokey and the Bandit” clone 1979 Pontiac Trans
Am, a 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT with only 520 original
miles, and well over 70 Corvettes.
The Kansas City auction continues to be a large
draw for the Midwest, with strong attendance all three
days. The number and quality of lots present continues
to enthrall. This sale is car-geek nirvana. The Fall sale
seems to bring the automotive hobby season to an end,
just as the Spring sale marks the beginning of a new
year of activities for those with high octane coursing
through their veins. I am already looking forward to
the Spring ’18 sale. A
Page 101
MECUM AUCTIONS // Kansas City, MO
GM
#S112-1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 2-dr
hard top. VIN: VC57A207900. Highland
Green & Surf Green/turquoise vinyl. Odo:
60,136 miles. 283-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Excellent
paint in two-tone green reveals extensive
prep and great execution. Has a single
small touch-up on the driver’s side front
fender. Stainless is excellent, as is most of
the chrome. One of the headlight surrounds
looks to have slight pitting, and there are a
couple of buff marks on the front bumper.
The engine compartment is spotless and
correct. Interior appears to be freshly redone,
with the only sign of age visible on
speedometer lens. Cond: 1-.
ous attention to the last detail. There was
no wear on any surface, no obvious flaws to
take away from the craftsmanship. This car
has traded hands more than once, crossing
the auction block at least four times in the
past seven years. Most recently, it was sold
for nearly $108k at the Mecum Indy auction
in May 2012 (ACC# 6751362). This past
May, the seller returned to car to the Indy
auction, but it failed to make reserve at
$100,000 (ACC# 6837407).
#S126.1-1959 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2-dr
hard top. VIN: E59K137147. Red/red vinyl.
Odo: 13,727 miles. 348-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Shiny red paint looks fairly recent. Shiny
stainless not over-polished and the bright
chrome shows no buffer marks. Engine
compartment may not have looked this
good when new, with the only thing out of
place being a modern battery. The interior is
in good nick, with just a slight lean of the
driver’s side tri-color stripes toward the center
of the bench. Trunk just as it was when
factory fresh. Bias-ply wide whites round out
a very nice restoration. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $62,700. Although the sale price
on this Bel Air was well above market, so
was the quality of the restoration. The recipient
of a thorough body-off, rotisserie
resto, there was a fair chance it never
looked this good on the showroom floor. It
was a no-sale at $45,000 at Mecum Las
Vegas in November 2017 (ACC# 6854221).
The seller proved right to hold out for more.
This one was a real head-turner, and well
bought.
#S106-1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR custom
convertible. VIN: VC57A184643. Harbour
Blue/white vinyl/white & gray leather.
Odo: 3,100 miles. 350-ci fuel-injected V8,
auto. Paint is outstanding, showing painstaking
prep and application. The chrome
and stainless are both show-quality, as are
the glass and weatherstrip. The engine
compartment has excellent body-color paint
finish, with all wires tucked neatly away.
The interior has been fully customized, and
features a gorgeous combination of white
and gray leather. The trunk is well finished
in the same materials and scheme as the
interior. Cond: 1-.
NOT SOLD AT $57,000. This thing was just
spot-on. There was very little to fault here.
The car did not sell at the high bid of $57k,
which is well above market, but so was the
condition of the car. There was most likely
twice or three times the top bid wrapped up
in the resto.
#S124-1967 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE SS
2-dr hard top. VIN: 138177Z113931. Marina
Blue/black vinyl. Odo: 61,009 miles.
396-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Spotless throughout,
possibly a rotisserie restoration. There just
are not many flaws to be found anywhere
on the car—the paint is likely better than
new, and chrome, glass, stainless and
weatherstrip all look just the way you would
want them. Underside looks as good as the
top, and the engine bay is surgical clean.
Cond: 2+.
NOT SOLD AT $90,000. The centerpiece of
the ad campaign for an auto-trim parts supplier,
this ’57 Bel Air was finished with obvi-
SOLD AT $58,300. The only reason I didn’t
give this car a 1- condition is due to a non-
March–April 2018 103
Page 102
MECUM AUCTIONS // Kansas City, MO
matching-numbers engine. However, the
engine was period-correct and looked the
same as it did new. Cars like this are a joy
to find, and I wanted to take this one home.
Even though it was above market, I think
this was both well bought and well sold.
#F113.1-1969 PONTIAC TRANS AM replica
convertible. VIN: 223679N117788.
Cameo White/white vinyl/black vinyl. Odo:
4,403 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Inconsistent
panel gaps, and hood doesn’t want
to close flush. Stainless and chrome are
both showing age. Paint reveals dirt and
inclusions, and looks to have had slipshod
prep. The interior shows signs of wear. Soft
top could be cleaner, too. Decent looking
from 10 feet, and probably a fun weekend
cruiser. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $45,100. For the 1971 model
year, the 402-ci engine was marketed as
the SS 396. This ’71 had the 402, but was
dressed as a 454, with the 454 sticker on
the air cleaner and 454 fender badges. This
Chevelle seemed a little bit odd, as almost
everything looked to be freshly restored,
with the exception of the chrome bumpers
and the windshield—both of which appeared
to be original to the car, and showing
their age. The rest of the car was
restored to a high standard. The car had
17-inch, original-style, five-spoke wheels, a
beautiful paint job, excellent engine bay and
interior. The high bid was just in between
SS 396 and SS 454 values. Probably well
bought, as such.
NOT SOLD AT $30,000. This looked like it
might be okay for your local cruise night or
Show-N-Shine, but was in no way ready for
close inspection. Last seen at the Auctions
America sale in Auburn last August, it sold
for $24,000 (ACC# 6846522). It seems to
have been cleaned up a little, but no significant
improvements had been made. I’m not
sure how much investment the seller made,
but up $6k in a few months would have
made me think about letting this one go.
#S117-1971 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE SS
2-dr hard top. VIN: 134371R189433. Blue
metallic/blue vinyl. Odo: 602 miles. 402-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Sharp, glossy paint showing
good prep and execution. Chrome looks a
little tired, and is just beginning to pit. Stainless
is not bad, but could look better with a
little polishing. While the weatherstripping
appears to have been recently replaced, the
glass looks to be original, with some minor
scratches and signs of age. Engine compartment
spotless, exactly as it should have
been when brand new—even a period-correct
Delco battery. Interior shows as if new,
right down to the translucent rubber
Chevelle floor mats. Hurst chrome shifter,
but the balance of the interior looks bone
stock. Cond: 2+.
#F137-1971 OLDSMOBILE 442 2-dr hard
top. VIN: 344871Z115653. White/black vinyl.
Odo: 91,819 miles. 455-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Decent prep work done on a single
repaint in the late 1980s, but hood and
fenders have slightly different shades of
white. Paint looks decent, and stripes provide
a good contrast. Stainless and chrome
both look to be original, and are showing
their age. A noticeable gouge in rearward
edge of the front bumper—just forward of
the passenger’s side headlights. The a/cequipped
455 claimed to be numbers
matching. Engine compartment looks to be
of original spec, but could stand to be more
thoroughly cleaned. The driver’s side seat
bolster shows wear from ingress/egress, but
the balance of the interior shows no undue
wear. Cond: 3.
GT. There wasn’t much to pick apart on the
car, because it was barely out of the wrapper.
I am not sure about the future collectibility
of Fieros, but this would have been
the one to have. 1988 was the final year of
Fiero production, with numerous improvements
to the suspension and brakes, making
the car what it should have been from
the beginning. The GT is arguably the bestlooking
of the Fiero line. The only improvement
that may have enhanced the car is if it
had been equipped with the 5-speed manual
rather than the automatic. Possibly well
bought, but time will tell.
CORVETTE
#S134-1957 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: E57S104153. Venetian
Red & white/white vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 933
miles. 283-ci 270-hp V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp.
Panel gaps are unfortunately inconsistent,
and leading edge of the hood sticks up.
Paint looks like an older restoration showing
its age, as there are plenty of fisheyes and
some crazing. Chrome beginning to pit. Engine
bay is clean and correct, but shows
that it has been run a little. Interior reveals
little wear, as if it may be recent. Dashpad
poorly installed, as it is wrinkled and pulling
above the speedometer. The car is ready to
be freshened. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $30,800. I wanted to like this car
more, but it just needed some TLC. It traded
hands at a classic auto and tractor auction
in Nebraska in August, and I imagine the
seller wasn’t interested in investing any
more than his $23,750 purchase price. This
looked to be a quick flip for the seller, who
made a tidy little profit well north of the current
market value. Well sold.
#F99-1988 PONTIAC FIERO GT coupe.
VIN: 1G2PG1193JP223322. Red/gray cloth.
Odo: 520 miles. 2.8-L fuel-injected V6, auto.
Everything on the whole car as it was when
new. The panel gaps, paint, glass, trim,
weatherstrip, interior, everything is as it was
on the showroom floor. The only exceptions
are the replacement tires and the appearance
of light towel buff marks. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $21,450. This is likely the only
way you can own a brand-new 1988 Fiero
104 AmericanCarCollector.com
NOT SOLD AT $65,000. This Corvette had
lots of eyeball, but closer inspection showed
an exterior that looked tired. As a Solid Axle
owner, I always hope these old ’Vettes will
be in top condition, but that was not the
case here. A previous outing at Mecum in
Schaumburg, IL, in October 2017, yielded a
$62,500 high bid (ACC# 6851601) that
missed reserve. The owner may be looking
for a sale price that won’t happen without a
light restoration.
Page 104
MECUM AUCTIONS // Kansas City, MO
#S120.1-1958 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: J58S106010. Panama
Yellow/Panama Yellow hard top/black vinyl
soft top/gray vinyl. Odo: 45,701 miles. 283ci
230-hp V8, 4-bbl, auto. Decent panel
gaps present, save for leading edge of the
hood, which has a larger-than-typical void.
Shiny paint finish and shows good prep and
execution. Chrome bright and free of pitting,
but stainless could benefit from some additional
polishing. Clean engine bay, with
proper belts and hoses present, as well as
correct finishes. Interior shows newer gray
vinyl seat covers, fresh paint on instrument
binnacle and a clean dashpad. The only
sign of age here is the steering wheel,
which has the requisite cracking. Cond: 2-.
quite ready for NCRS judging. Given the
base motor and Powerglide transmission,
the high bid was close to median pricing.
#S125-1962 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: 20867S114494. Roman
Red/Roman Red hard top & black vinyl soft
top/black vinyl. Odo: 91,191 miles. Paint is
most likely from an older restoration, as are
the stainless and chrome—all of which are
showing signs of age. The paint looked as if
the car had been driven and enjoyed after
having been judged. Although shiny, it
shows signs of bug marks and road pepper
on the nose. Chrome shows buff marks and
beginning to pit. The stainless could benefit
from some attention. Engine compartment
is clean and correct, but the air cleaner
cover needs polishing. Interior is also correct,
but the carpet shows signs of age,
while the seats look a little puffy. Cond: 2-.
the Mecum KC auction in March (ACC#
6832115), and did not sell at $70k. Even
with the visible age on the restoration, the
owner was wise to hold out for more.
#S99-1964 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 40837S117407. Daytona Blue/
white vinyl. Odo: 2,225 miles. 327-ci 250-hp
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. An exceptional restoration.
The paint is stunning, indicative of first-rate
prep and execution. The chrome and stainless
look new, as do the glass and weatherstripping.
Engine bay looks like it is showroom
fresh. The white vinyl shows no wear,
and is a perfect complement to the deep
blue exterior finish. The aftermarket Torq
Thrust-style wheels add just the right bit of
attitude. Cond: 2+.
NOT SOLD AT $70,000. The first year for
the four-headlight Solid Axles—a major redesign
from the previous year. The 1958
models had a busier appearance than the
1959–62 ones, featuring washboard faux
vents on the hood, and dual chrome trim
bars down the trunk lid. Solid Axles are one
of the few really functional classic Corvettes,
with a usable trunk and relatively
easy ingress/egress. This Corvette has a
better-than-average appearance, and is
beyond that of a weekend cruiser—but not
NOT SOLD AT $60,000. This two-time
NCRS Regional Top Flight Corvette was a
sharp driver, having been enjoyed after being
judged Top Flight in an NCRS regional
judging. The car was accompanied by an
NCRS shipping-data report. Despite signs
of an aging restoration, the car was very
correct, had a higher-horse engine, fourspeed,
and both tops. This Corvette was at
SOLD AT $74,800. With only three owners
from new, and the recipient of a recent
body-off restoration, this coupe looked better
than just about any other ’64 Corvette I
have seen. To say the Daytona Blue/white
vinyl combo was striking is an understatement.
The engine was numbers matching,
but the original 3-speed manual had been
replaced with a 4-speed. The hammer price,
at $25k above market value, was a testament
to the quality of the restoration and the
immense curb appeal. Well sold.
#S113-1966 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: 194676S105508. Sunfire
Yellow/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 65,644
miles. 327-ci 350-hp V8, 4-bbl, 5-sp. Paint
in presentable condition, with attention to
prep and paint. It shines beautifully, and
very little swirl is evident. Close inspection
at just the right angle reveals light crazing
on the driver’s side headlamp door. Panel
gaps consistent, doors and hood close as
they should. The engine compartment is
complete and original, but could use some
minor detailing. Clean interior, with faint
carpet fading. Shift pattern plate next to
shifter changed to reflect the 5-speed. The
chrome has minor buff marks, but no pitting
is evident. Cond: 2-.
106 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 106
MECUM AUCTIONS // Kansas City, MO
NOT SOLD AT $60,000. Equipped with
desirable options like side exhaust, knockoff
wheels, two tops, and the numbers-matching,
high-horse 327, this ’66 Corvette was
everything you would want in a mid-year. A
Richmond 5-speed in place of the original
Muncie-sourced 4-speed might hurt future
value, but it does a world of good for drivability.
As this Corvette has been at two
other auctions in the past 12 months
(Mecum KC 12/16, ACC# 6814948, and
3/17, ACC# 6832116), and has failed to sell
at similar high bids, it’s clear the buyer may
be looking for more than the car will bring.
#T114-1980 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 1Z878AS425596. Light blue/
tan leather. Odo: 88,125 miles. 350-ci 190hp
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. This shade of blue is a
change from the factory Dark Blue. Prep’s
good, as the paint shows very few flaws and
has a glossy finish. Panel gaps are an improvement
over what came from the factory.
Chrome door handles appear as new, but
the stainless trim could benefit from some
attention. Engine compartment clean and
original, with no leaks noted. Interior showing
its age, with what appears to be original
carpet that is pilling and tired. The doeskin
leather seats are cracking at the bolsters,
and the paint on the exposed seat frames is
chipped and worn. Cond: 3.
the tires show next to no wear. Interior
shows almost no indication of wear, with the
exception of very light creasing on the driver’s
side seat bottom. The carpet is as-new,
and the leather-wrapped steering wheel is
free from marks or scratches. Everything
here appears as-new or nearly new.
Cond: 1-.
NOT SOLD AT $40,000. The “Bullitt” treatment
was fairly well done here, with some
odd detail bits overlooked. The paint was so
good on most of the car that finding the
less-than-stellar areas on the tail was saddening.
Side rear-view mirrors had been
changed for smaller, round units. These
were also painted body color rather than left
chrome. As a result, the mirror base was
smaller than original, and rather than fill in
the extra hole, they painted over a mounting
screw. I am sure the owners have far more
than the high bid in the restoration, but I
don’t think they will get what they want without
a bit more work.
SOLD AT $37,400. Fourth-generation Corvette
interiors wore quickly and aged poorly.
Due to an unusually high sill height, getting
in and out of these cars was akin to climbing
in and out of a canoe. This resulted in
heavy wear on seat bolsters and sill carpet.
This example showed none of that wear, or
any of the other interior deterioration that is
the hallmark of most fourth-generation Corvettes.
The only flaw on the entire car was
that little scratch on the B-pillar. Otherwise
this ’Vette was a time capsule. With ZR1s
having reached their low ebb, and now on
the rise price-wise, this should be a safe bet
going forward. It sold well above median
pricing, but it looked to be well worth it.
FOMOCO
SOLD AT $11,000. There were few manual
transmissions for the 1980 model year, with
only 5,726 leaving the factory from a total
production of 40,614 units. The change of
paint color, although done to a decent standard,
hurts the value of this numbersmatching
Corvette. The interior is tired and
in need of attention. The $11,000 sales
price is in line with the condition. Late thirdgeneration
Corvette prices have not risen
enough to justify investing the kind of dollars
a comprehensive restoration would require.
Until then, this is just a driver.
#S125.1-1990 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
ZR1 coupe. VIN: 1G1YZ23J9L5802877.
Bright red/bright red & acrylic hard tops/red
leather. Odo: 769 miles. 5.7-L 375-hp fuelinjected
V8, 6-sp. A nearly new, original,
low-mile ZR1. The paint shows very light
buffer swirl. Small scratch on B-pillar of the
driver’s door window. Weatherstrip in good
condition, showing very little age. Engine
bay is as clean and correct as it was on the
showroom floor. Wheels free from rash, and
108 AmericanCarCollector.com
#S137-1968 FORD MUSTANG “Bullitt”
replica fastback. VIN: 8T02T188241. Highland
Green/black vinyl. Odo: 86,653 miles.
289-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. The Highland Green
paint here is in good nick for the most part,
but rear portion of car shows some small
pock marks and swirls. Paint at cowl panel
appears somewhat mottled. Engine compartment
boasts numerous upgrades, with
a/c, heavy bracing across shock towers, an
oval air cleaner, and lots of dress-up bits.
Interior is new and looks it, with fresh seat
covers, a wood-rimmed steering wheel,
Shelby-style shift knob, and some aircraftstyle
switches to the left of the wheel. Trunk
looks sharp, with new trunk mat and spare
cover. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $104,500. This was a full-custom
rotisserie build from a bare-metal stripped
body. Nearly everything on the whole car
had been fabricated or customized to recreate
the Eleanor Shelby GT500 from
“Gone In 60 Seconds.” The quality of this
build was fantastic. The high bid seemed
like a ton for a movie replica car, but the
build represented at least twice the purchase
price. This was an beautiful piece of
craftsmanship, and this was a ton of car for
the money.
#F140-1970 FORD TORINO GT 2-dr hard
top. VIN: 0A35C270805. Grabber Blue/
black vinyl. Odo: 29,687 miles. 429-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Highly detailed, very clean and
correct engine bay featuring the 370-hp 429
Cobra Jet and factory a/c. Paint and decals
done to a high standard. Black vinyl interior
looks clean, possibly recent. Driver’s side
door needs a door shim, as it hangs a bit
low and requires a bit of effort to close. The
chrome and stainless look to be nicely polished.
A good effort made here, and it
shows. Cond: 2+.
#S108-1968 FORD MUSTANG Eleanor
replica fastback. VIN: 8F02C209321.
Charcoal/black leather. Odo: 15 miles. 427ci
V8, 4-bbl, 5-sp. This build looks to be
fresh in every way. Time has obviously
been spent to get the bodywork right. Panel
gaps are consistent, and the paint has been
done to quite a high standard. Chrome and
stainless are both shiny, and glass is new,
as is the weatherstrip. Engine bay spotlessly
finished. Interior features black
leather sport seats, custom white-face
gauges, a Hurst shifter with milled-aluminum
shift ball, and a three-spoke Shelby
sport steering wheel. Cond: 1.
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MECUM AUCTIONS // Kansas City, MO
SOLD AT $30,800. The selling price for this
nicely equipped Torino was decidedly lower
than the dollars spent on the restoration.
Sporting the 370-hp variant of the 429, this
was a few shades better than your average
GT. It was last spotted at this same auction
a year ago, where it failed to find a new
home for a top bid of $29,150 (ACC#
6815204). This year, it sold just below median
price, and was likely well bought.
#S95.1-2016 SHELBY GT350 R coupe.
VIN: 1FATP8JZ4G5520144. Red/black alcantara.
Odo: 5,162 miles. 5.2-L supercharged
V8, 6-sp. Paint, weatherstrip, glass
and trim are as-new, save for a couple of
spots from insects on leading edge of hood.
Seats show signs of having been occupied,
as alcantara will do. The engine bay appears
as new. Cond: 1-.
NOT SOLD AT $70,000. Brand-new cars,
or nearly new cars, are particularly easy to
rate, and this one was no exception. The
only thing keeping this Shelby from being
showroom-fresh were a few bug splats on
the hood. This was the bad boy, the GT350
R, and the sound of the engine, even at
idle, was intoxicating. With these still trading
hands on the secondary market for well
above the high bid, the owner was right to
hold out for more.
MOPAR
#F160-1971 PLYMOUTH GTX coupe. VIN:
RS23U1G104077. White/black vinyl/black
vinyl/black cloth. Odo: 97,594 miles. 440-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. An older repaint that is beginning
to show its age, this GTX is still
striking from a few steps back. A couple of
chips have been touched up on the top of
the driver’s side front fender adjacent to the
hood. Stripes on hood beginning to craze.
There is a crack at the base of the A-pillar.
Original engine compartment, but could
benefit from a light detailing. Clear glass
free from marks, but the weatherstrip is
dried out and cracking. Interior shows little
wear, but again, some light detailing would
improve things. This looks like an older
restoration, not a preservation. Cond: 3.
NOT SOLD AT $28,000. This was a heavily
optioned GTX that is still in better-than-decent
shape, but needed some attention.
With the Super Track Pack and heavy-duty
Hemi suspension along with the 440 and
4-speed, this one deserved to be freshened
up. Despite the deficiencies, the seller was
wise not to let it go at this price.
#S80.1-2014 DODGE VIPER SRT-10
coupe. VIN: 1C3ADEAZ9EV100197. Black/
black leather. Odo: 5,485 miles. 8.4-L fuelinjected
V10, 6-sp. Shiny black paint on this
Viper shows no indications of damage or
wear—looks just as one would expect from
a car that has covered so little ground.
Panel gaps are consistent with Dodge factory
quality. Glass and weatherstrip show as
new, too. The one place you would expect
to see wear is the driver’s side seat bolster,
but it retains its new appearance. Only a
slight bit of creasing in the driver’s seat bottom
indicates any use at all. The engine bay
is clean. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $69,850. This SRT-10 may possibly
have been purchased with the idea of
an appreciating investment, as rumors were
already spreading about the end of Viper
production. This example clearly spent most
of its time in a garage, most likely one that
was climate controlled. There was nothing
exceptional here; just your everyday, run-ofthe-mill
640-hp sports coupe. This one
crossed sold a little under book. Reasonably
bought.
AMERICANA
#F45-1947 CROSLEY CC pickup. VIN:
CC4724500. Silver/gray vinyl. Odo: 28,662
miles. 724-cc I4, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Panel gaps are
sometimes wide and varying, but characteristic
of a post-WWII economy car. Silver
paint shows decent prep, and what little trim
there is looks to be in presentable condition.
Vertically hinged aftermarket mirrors would
appear nicely integrated if the passenger’s
side mirror did not flop downward. The interior
looks freshly redone and, with carpet
lining the bulkhead between the cabin and
the bed, is likely nicer than new. Thin oak
rails line the top of the bed rails, and the
cargo area is covered by a clean black vinyl
tonneau. Cond: 3+.
110 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 110
MECUM AUCTIONS // Kansas City, MO
YOURCARS
1966 CHeVRoLeT noVA
ConVeRTIBLe
I have a 1966 Nova convertible.
Chevy did not make a
convertible Nova in 1966, so this
car was built from a 1966 Nova 4-door
sedan. The windshield and convertible top
were taken from a 1962 Nova convertible.
Building this car took five years and more
than 2,000 hours of labor. It took first place
at the Super Chevy Show and has been in
many magazines. — Dennis Hellebusch,
Washington, MOA
SOLD AT $11,550. This tiny truck did not
sell on the block, but did after the auction.
One of only 3,182 Crosley pickups produced
in 1947, this is the first one of these I
have ever seen. It makes a Prius look fat
and bloated. This Crosley has been around
the sale circuit, trading hands several times
over the past few years. It was last seen on
eBay this October, where it failed to meet
reserve. Given its rarity and condition, coupled
with being somewhat useful as a tiny
hauler, this looks to have been well bought.
64V19841. Black/red vinyl. Odo: 70,291
miles. 289-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Glossy black
paint shows good prep and application, with
a minimum of buffer swirl. Rear side glass
and rear window all etched at the lower
edges with some kind of leaf accent. Engine
compartment is clean-ish. The interior is in
good condition, with only a bit of creasing in
the driver’s side seat bottom. Aftermarket
chrome wires sparkle, complimenting the
deep black finish. Rest of the chrome and
stainless show some buff marks. Cond: 3+.
#S139-1964 STUDEBAKER GRAN
TURISMO HAWK 2-dr hard top. VIN:
look to be polished original stock, and beginning
to show minor signs of age. Passenger’s
side door gap widens somewhat
toward the bottom. The engine compartment
appears as new, housing the 360cube
mill and a massive, factory a/c
compressor. Interior is as-new, with exception
of an aftermarket stereo hanging underneath
dash in passenger’s footwell. Trunk
also looks factory fresh. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $24,200. This was a really sharp
Javelin, which is something not often seen. I
couldn’t help but wonder why, when going
through all the trouble of making the car
look that good (even the black vinyl roof
looked well done), the owner didn’t do more
with the brightwork. Even with those oversights,
the car sold above market, a testament
to all the other work done.
#F83-1979 JEEP CJ-7 SUV. VIN: J9M93EH82875.
Blue & white/black vinyl. Odo:
45,060 miles. 304-ci V8, 2-bbl, 4-sp. Shiny,
glossy paint over new steel replacement tub
by Willys Overland, with hard doors and
hard top that fit about as well as any other
CJ ever did. Interior is fresh, as is
weatherstripping. The new body sits atop a
suspension lift, and oversize 31x10.50 tires.
The undercarriage has also been cleaned
up. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $26,400. This was one of the
very last of the Studebaker GT Hawks, one
of only 1,548 V8s produced in 1964. It
showed well enough, with the black-overred
scheme, Continental kit, sparkling
chrome wires, and an acre or so of hood.
This car demanded a very specific taste,
and to the new owner, probably seemed like
a bargain. Sold well below the current ACC
median.
#S154-1973 AMC JAVELIN coupe. VIN:
A3C797N227828. Red/black vinyl/black
vinyl. Odo: 83,252 miles. 360-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Shiny red paint speaks to a recent and
detailed restoration. Chrome and stainless
112 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $14,300. This was a very clean,
close-to-stock execution of a classic CJ-7.
All of the usual Jeep weak points had been
addressed, with a new tub virtually eliminating
all of the cancer so commonly seen. The
304/4-speed combo assured plenty of
power to move the upsized, off-road rubber.
The blue color was attractive with the white
hard top. Not all original, but not far from it.
Well bought at a price far cheaper than an
average used Wrangler. A
BEST
BUY
Page 112
RUSSO AND STEELE // Scottsdale, AZ
Russo and Steele — Scottsdale
It’s one of the few chances you may have to discover that
one-of-a-kind find, or different examples of a certain model
Russo and
Steele
Scottsdale, AZ
January 17–21,
2018
Auctioneers:
Rob Row, Mike
Shackleton, Dan
Shorno, Mitch Jordan
Automotive lots sold/
offered: 457/703
Sales rate: 65%
Sales total:
$17,894,335
High sale: 1964 Bill
Thomas Cheetah
GT coupe, sold at
$660,000
Buyer’s premium:
10%, included in sold
prices
Top seller at Russo and Steele Arizona 2018 — 1964 Bill Thomas Cheetah GT coupe, sold at $660,000
Report and photos by Brett Hatfield
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
is positively sublime.
Russo and Steele, along with several other auto
I
114 AmericanCarCollector.com
auctions, holds their winter auction in Scottsdale, AZ,
the third week of January. Now at Talking Stick Resort
for the second year in a row, the auction continues to
attract a massive field of collector, vintage, hot rod,
exotic, amazing and absurd vehicles. It’ll take more
than a full day to see everything there, and a bit longer
if you are in the market for something specific. For
a buyer, it is one of the few chances you may have to
discover that one-of-a-kind find, or several different
examples of a certain model all at the same time and
place.
This year’s crop of collector goodies numbered
703 lots, with 457 of those finding new homes, for a
65% sell-through rate totaling $17.9 million. The top
sale was a 1964 Bill Thomas Cheetah GT coupe that
crossed the block at $660,000. The 47th 1965 Shelby
GT350 ever built went for $341,000. A 1967 Chevrolet
Corvette 427/435-hp convertible, believed to be one of
five in Rally Red over red leather, sold for a staggering
f you are like most of the country, the idea of
escaping your frigid hometown to spend a week
of January in the Arizona warmth and sun has a
distinctive appeal. To do so while spending time
at one of the country’s best collector-car auctions
$308,000. But there were some bargains to be had,
as well. Although not inexpensive, but cheap for any
Central Office Production Order Camaro, a heavily
documented 1969 ZL1 car in Cortez Silver found new
ownership for a positively bargain-basement $132,000.
Car auctions wouldn’t be car auctions without a
smattering of the truly weird on hand. The genuine
George Barris-built “Munsters” Dragula Coffin Car
crossed the auction block but failed to change hands
with a high bid of only $45,000. Another car that
looked like it could have come from Barris, but was
built in the 1980s by Richard Fletcher, was the Ice
Princess. This bizarre creation, riding on underpinnings
that were part Studebaker and part Cadillac,
traded hands at $38,500.
Russo and Steele is an auction that was begun
with the idea of offering the finest Europe had to
offer, combined with the best of American muscle and
performance. Add in a generous helping of classics,
hot rods, and customs, and it is easy to see how owner
Drew Alcazar has managed to build Russo into one
of the country’s premier auto auction houses. With
the recent announcement of the auction coming to the
2019 Amelia Island event, it’s clear they’re going to
continue bringing quality offerings to America’s collectors
for years to come. A
Page 114
RUSSO AND STEELE // Scottsdale, AZ
GM
#2189-1954 BUICK SKYLARK convertible.
VIN: 7A1082957. Arctic White/black
Haartz cloth/red leather. Odo: 1,511 miles.
322-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. A gorgeous restoration
of a rare Skylark convertible shows
paint, chrome and stainless refinished to a
high standard. Haartz top fits well. Red
leather interior shows some minor creasing
on the driver’s side from ingress/egress, but
nothing excessive. Balance of interior appears
as-new. Engine bay looks factory
fresh. Chrome wires sparkle and gleam. A
lovely example. Cond: 2+.
#2072-1958 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2-dr
hard top. VIN: F58K142812. Rio Red &
white/red vinyl, tri-color cloth. Odo: 5,488
miles. 283-ci fuel-injected V8, 3-sp. Recipient
of a quality restoration in 2001, this Impala
still shows well. Engine bay clean,
impressive with its rare fuel-injection unit.
Paint, chrome, stainless, and rubber trim all
still look new. Spinner hubcaps are highly
polished. Trunk is as-new. Cond: 2+.
#2333-1967 PONTIAC GTO 2-dr hard top.
VIN: 242177Z108192. Tyrol Blue/ Parchment
vinyl. Odo: 359 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Paint is quite nice, showing good prep
and application. Chrome and stainless look
new. Panel gaps are consistent. Glass and
weatherstrip both in good condition. Wheels
are well painted and polished. Seats and
carpet show as new. The only fault found
here is the headliner has pulled away from
trim at back window on the driver’s side. It’s
hanging down very slightly. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $88,000. Last seen at Mecum in
Seattle 2014, this example failed to sell at
$130,000 (ACC# 6709807). This time
around, the seller let it go for far below
book, at $80,000. Timing is everything. This
was a steal.
#2175-1955 CHEVROLET 3100 pickup.
VIN: H255K003811. Ocean Green/red vinyl,
tweed. Odo: 19,527 miles. 235-ci I6, 1-bbl,
auto. Believed to be original mileage on this
three-owner truck. Has the kind of paint job
you would expect on a work truck, with
some orange peel. Two small flaws above
passenger’s side rear fender. Bed with refinished
oak and shiny stainless trim. Glass
shows patina with minor delamination on
passenger’s side wing window. The chrome
shows light pitting. Interior has no excessive
wear, and is generally tidy. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $85,250. Last seen at the Mecum
Monterey Auction in August of 2013, where
it sold for $75,970 (ACC# 6470672), the
excellent condition of this rare Impala
doesn’t seem to have changed much. It was
still beautiful and garnered lots of attention.
The auctioneers worked long and hard, and
eventually found the Fuelie a new home.
The seller seemingly walked away unscathed.
#2675-1965 BUICK RIVIERA Gran Sport
coupe. VIN: 494475H944230. Black/white
vinyl. Odo: 73,627 miles. 425-ci V8, 2x4-bbl,
auto. Very shiny black paint shows great
prep and execution. Engine compartment is
spotless, with original equipment. Glass and
weatherstrip in good nick. Some of the
smaller chrome bits look to be original, as
they show light pitting and patina, but the
bumpers look to have been replated to a
high standard. The interior is spotless,
showing no signs of wear. Very correct,
quality restoration. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $58,300. From the Dr. Jim
Glauser Collection. This GTO was sold new
in Arizona and never left the state. It had
deep documentation, and a long list of factory
options. The Tyrol Blue with Parchment
was an attractive combo. This one went well
above market, but condition and options
justified the price. Both well bought and sold
in that regard.
CORVETTE
#2398-1959 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: J59S102592. Tuxedo
Black & Inca Silver coves/Tuxedo Black
hard top, black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo:
17,271 miles. 283-ci 230-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Two-top car, claimed to be numbers matching
with a “period-correct block.” Clean engine
compartment, but finned valve covers
are correct for a 245-hp car, not a 230. Top
of the radiator is dented and lumpy. Paint is
good, but polishing would help. Hubcaps
and stainless could also stand to be polished.
Chrome showing its age. Incorrect
driver’s side mirror. Interior is clean.
Chrome bezel around the center stack is
flaking. Cond: 3+.
NOT SOLD AT $30,000. This was a nice
old truck for cruising or even some light
chores. Few owners and low miles had
saved it from major corrosion or abuse. It
was clean, in decent condition, perfect for
sunny Saturdays or a Show-N-Shine at the
local burger joint. I’m not sure what the
seller was looking for, but $30,000 seemed
like all the money in the world.
116 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $96,800. Of the 34,000-plus
Buick Rivieras made in 1965; fewer than
10% of them were Gran Sports. Of those
3,300-odd GS copies, there can’t be that
many left. Of those, you would be hardpressed
to find one much nicer than this
was. Save for some small chrome bits that
had not been replaced or replated, everything
on the car looked as if it had been
sweated and worried over—made to be as
good as possible. The car looked nearly
new, and garnered a price commensurate
with that condition.
SOLD AT $57,200. This was a pretty driver,
but not to NCRS standards. Miles were
claimed correct on this three-owner Corvette,
but the “period-correct block” state
Page 116
RUSSO AND STEELE // Scottsdale, AZ
ment gave pause. This was an older
restoration beginning to show its age, or a
partial resto that needed to have the details
addressed. There was a lot to like here, and
a driver that shows well while you work on it
is indeed a treat. Likely well bought.
#2027-1962 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: 20867S110789. Ermine
White/white vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 71,520
miles. 327-ci 250-hp V8, 4-bbl, 3-sp. Paint
work shows good prep and execution, with
little orange peel. Chrome looks new, stainless
well polished. Vinyl top free from wrinkles,
appears to be stored in the up position.
Driver’s side door doesn’t want to close all
the way without a good shove. Interior has
proper materials and finishes. Engine bay
correct and clean, but the air-filter cover
could be better polished. Top radiator hose
has chalky residue that comes with time
and age. Cond: 3+.
money. The seller was wise not to part with
it for what was still shy of median value.
FOMOCO
#2180-1957 FORD THUNDERBIRD convertible.
VIN: D7FH252618. Flame Red/
white hard top, white vinyl/Flame Red
leather. Odo: 79,494 miles. 312-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Very shiny red paint shows great prep
and execution. Chrome, stainless, chrome
wire wheels are all bright, fresh. Glass and
weatherstripping look sharp. Engine bay is
correct, with the engine dress-up kit and
dealer-installed a/c. Interior also recent.
Leading edge of hard top has a thin strip
that looks like masking tape on the trim may
have pulled some paint off with it. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $29,700. This was a super-cool
weekend cruiser, but not quite ready for
concours. The colors were good, and the
Sports Roadster package is always a
knockout. This would make someone a
great driver while the small items were addressed.
It’s more than 90% finished, with
the larger projects already out of the way.
Sold well below book value—this one was
well bought.
#2250-1965 SHELBY COBRA 50th
Anniversary roadster. VIN: CSX4567.
Guardsman Blue/black leather. Odo: 50
miles. 427-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. As-new. Number
18 of the 50-car run, this is one of three
painted aluminum-bodied Anniversary cars.
Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $58,300. Nicely restored, but not
a knockout. The car was 99% there, but just
needed a little more TLC. Sale price on a
base engine/base trans ’62 Corvette was on
target.
#2374-1967 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: 194677S105430. Marina
Blue/white vinyl/bright blue vinyl. Odo:
46,011 miles. 427-ci 435-hp V8, 3x2-bbl,
4-sp. Only 150 miles added since a comprehensive,
frame-off restoration done to
NCRS standards. Paint, glass, stainless
and chrome are all like new. The interior
shows no wear. Engine compartment is correct
and clean. Cond: 1-.
NOT SOLD AT $56,000. Last seen not selling
at Mecum’s September 2017 Dallas
sale, with a high bid of $45,000 (ACC#
6850015). This was a high-quality freshening
of a solid T-bird. Great colors, very
nicely done, all above par. Not surprising
the bid went as far above book as it did.
Given that the owner likely has much more
than that in the resto, it’s also no surprise
the reserve was higher.
#2372-1962 FORD THUNDERBIRD Sports
Roadster. VIN: 2Y85Z127341. Corinthian
White/blue Haartz cloth/turquoise vinyl.
Odo: 6,194 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Said to be recipient of a restoration in 2014.
Overall appearance of the car is favorable,
but closer inspection reveals some deficits.
The paint is shiny, but chipped and touchedup
along upper door trim on driver’s side.
Some of the chrome is nicely refinished, but
more than a couple of parts were pitting.
Stainless could use a bit of buffing. Glass
and weatherstrip in good nick. Some signs
of wear present in the interior. Chrome
wires are shiny, look recent. Cond: 3.
NOT SOLD AT $118,000. From the Dr. Jim
Glauser Collection. With a laundry list of
options, a top-shelf restoration, attractive
colors, most desirable drivetrain (provided
the beastly L88 wasn’t on your radar), in the
most desirable year of the mid-year ’Vettes,
it was surprising this didn’t bring bigger
118 AmericanCarCollector.com
NOT SOLD AT $247,500. Cooler than the
other side of the pillow. I fell in love with this
Cobra. Having covered only 50 test miles, it
was as-new. Sporting a 600-hp 427, it was
just like the poster you had on your wall as
a kid. As the base price for an alloy-bodied
Anniversary Cobra was just under $180k,
and the 427 in this one was the last ShelbyYates
427 built, combined with the fact that
this is one of just three aluminum cars
painted from the factory, the owner was
astute to hold out for more.
#2378-1969 FORD MUSTANG fastback.
VIN: 9T02R210640. Wimbledon White/black
vinyl. Odo: 350 miles. 428-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Paint quite good, showing attention to
prep and application. Shiny chrome, with a
small buff mark on the front bumper you
have to be in the right light to catch. Stainless
could use some polishing, but weatherstrip
and glass show well. Engine compartment
is clean and correct, save for an MSD
coil on the driver’s side fender. The interior
appears new, without signs of wear—the
seats have that brand-new/almost overstuffed
look. Nicely done resto. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $51,700. I love ’69 Mustang fast
Page 118
RUSSO AND STEELE // Scottsdale, AZ
backs, so when I find one at an auction, I
tend to linger, looking at everything. This
time was no different. Spending too much
time on this car helped reinforce the quality
of the restoration. The only real flaw here
was the stainless at what would have been
the B-pillar, behind the front side windows.
Accompanied by a Marti Report, this R-code
was quite sharp. At $51,700, it was quite
well bought.
#2063-1969 SHELBY GT350 fastback.
VIN: 9F02M480060. Acapulco Blue/
black vinyl. Odo: 52,375 miles. 351-ci V8,
4-bbl, 4-sp. Rather good paint prep and
execution, but small flakes missing at top of
windshield. Chrome is shiny, as is the stainless.
Black vinyl interior shows minimal
wear. Hurst shifter and T-handle. Engine
bay is clean and correct. Replacement
block with GT40 heads. Lots of documentation,
Marti Report, and a very proud longtime
owner. Cond: 2.
of the available options (19-inch BBS
wheels, painted brake calipers, stripes and
McIntosh sound). What wasn’t common is
to see a sale price so low. The price without
the buyer’s fee was almost $100k below
median value. Mark it up to timing, color, or
the way the wind was blowing. Whatever it
was, this was very well bought.
#2456-2008 SHELBY GT500 KR coupe.
VIN: 1ZVHT88S585187620. Red/black
leather. Odo: 1,704 miles. 5.4-L supercharged
V8, 6-sp. As you might expect,
given the incredibly low mileage, this thing
is like new. There are no bug marks,rash,
nicks, chips or dings. The glass, weatherstrip
and trim all present as-new. The only
sign of any use is a very slight wrinkling on
driver’s side seat bottom. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $94,600. The cleanest R/T I have
seen in quite some time. Full rotisserie restoration
on this 440 Six Pack car was outstanding.
Extensive documentation, with
registry documentation from Galen Govier
really set this one apart. High bid was a bit
shy of median value, making this an astute
buy. Well bought.
SOLD AT $55,550. A very clean GT350,
with a few small needs. This car’s owner
was present and answering questions.
When asked why he was selling something
he obviously took so much pride in caring
for, he mentioned weddings coming up for
daughters. This sold for well below book,
and may not have had a reserve. Very well
bought.
Black/Ebony Black leather. Odo: 2,261
miles. 5.4-L supercharged V8, 6-sp. Condition
commensurate with a car kept in a climate-controlled
environment, and also had
a clear bra. There are no signs of wear anywhere
on the exterior of this GT. Glass and
weatherstrip appear as-new. There are no
drag marks on the door sills, nor is there
any indication of wear on the seats.
Cond: 1-.
8
#2194-2005 FORD GT coupe. VIN:
1FAFP90S65Y400557. Mark II
NOT SOLD AT $49,500. This GT500 KR
was spotless, essentially a nine-year-old
new car. It looked to have lots of documentation
from original sale, including a window
sticker that had a dealer’s premium marking
the price up to $135k. There are other examples
online with similar miles selling for
just a bit more than the high bid here. I’m
not sure the seller is going to do much better
than what was offered.
MOPAR
SOLD AT $236,500. This Ford GT was a
relatively common animal in the world of
mid-2000s Ford GTs: low miles, with all four
120 AmericanCarCollector.com
“
#2278-1970 DODGE CHALLENGER R/T
2-dr hard top. VIN: JS23V0B152455. Bright
blue metallic/Legendary White vinyl. Odo:
79,409 miles. 440-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, 4-sp.
Paint is better than new, with excellent
panel gaps to match. Every aspect of the
car has been addressed during a rotisserie
restoration, with the possible exception of
needing to polish stainless trim around the
rear window a bit more. Engine compartment
is showroom-fresh, as is the interior.
Cond: 2+.
#2297-1971 PLYMOUTH ’CUDA convertible.
VIN: BS27H1B306211. Rally Red/
black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 30,019 miles.
340-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. The restoration here
is excellent, but something has found its
way under the paint on hood, as it has several
very small bubbles. Otherwise, finish is
great, with good prep. Chrome and stainless
look new, as do the glass and weatherstrip.
Vinyl top shows no wear or wrinkling.
The vinyl seats are wrinkle-free. Engine bay
clean and correct. Cond: 2-.
NOT SOLD AT $104,500. Claimed one of
30 340-ci, 4-bbl, 4-speed ’Cudas built in
1971. This convertible had extensive documentation,
with fender tag, body numbers
and broadcast sheet. It was clear that time,
money and effort had gone into this resto.
High bid was spot-on, especially with the
paint blisters on the hood. The seller might
have been wise to let this one go.
AMERICANA
#2402-1950 STUDEBAKER ICE PRINCESS
XF58 coupe. VIN: MVD117963.
Light blue & pearl white/plexiglass bubble/
It was clear that time, money and effort
had gone into this resto. High bid
was spot-on, especially with the paint
blisters on the hood. The seller might
have been wise to let this one go.
1971 Plymouth ’Cuda convertible
”
TOP 10
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RUSSO AND STEELE // Scottsdale, AZ
ONETO WATCH
$15,000
$18,000
$12,000
$11,222
$9,000
$6,000
$3,000
$0
2013
2014
2015
2016
1994–98 Ford Mustang
SVT Cobra
A
Number sold past 12
months: 21
39,728
Number listed in the
ACC Premium
Current Median ACC
Valuation: $12,100
Database: 92
s followers of the collector car market, we look at what is selling and focus
on the trending vehicle of the moment. Right now, vintage utility vehicles
and muscle cars of the 1980s are both hot. One of the front-runners in that
category is the 1979–93 Fox-body Mustang. Followers have latched on to that
car’s looks and the 5.0 under the hood. Subsequently, prices have gone up. So
what’s the next logical step? The fourth-gen SN95 Mustang SVT Cobras of the mid-’90s.
In the May-June 2017 issue of ACC, Editor Pickering wrote about the 1965 and ’66
Mustangs and their appeal to young buyers or those new to the hobby. I think these SN95
Cobras have the same appeal. You get a roaring
5.0 V8 (in 1994 and ’95) or DOHC 4.6 V8
(1996 and newer) with a manual trans behind it
and still have a car that can be driven to work
during the week and to Cars & Coffee on the
weekend.
The later Cobras, specifically the 2003 and
2004 models, have never been cheap, as their
supercharged engines
made them performance
icons from day
one. These earlier cars,
however, did see a pretty solid decline in value, which makes finding
a good example not particularly expensive today.
Median prices have been holding steady for the past few years
Detailing
Years built: 1994–98
Number produced:
Average price of those
cars: $14,591
at just about $12k. With that money you can find a decent coupe
or convertible. The tricky part will be finding one that has been
cared for and not been used and abused. With 40,000 made, there
is bound to be a good number of hidden gems out there. As buyers
start snatching these up and the demand increases, so will the
value. Get out there and find a good one now.A
122 AmericanCarCollector.comAmericanCarCollector.com
2017
SOLD AT $39,200. There was more ugly on
this thing than a Rolling Stones group
photo. Think “The Jetsons” meet Timothy
Leary. The interior was designed by Elvis
and Liberace’s love child. Ingress/egress
looked like it would be a chore. Dual front
axles were an odd choice. Forget being
able to find a place to park, as it is over 23
feet long (a Chevy Suburban is just under
19 feet). This car was all about coulda, not
shoulda. Well sold.
#2032-1964 BILL THOMAS
CHEETAH coupe. VIN: 86464007.
Green/black vinyl. 377-ci fuel-injected V8,
4-sp. Medium green metallic paint is fresh
and shows it, with excellent prep and execution.
Glass (well, plexiglass) without flaw,
and weatherstripping is also new. Interior
shows no wear. No signs of wear, rash,
nicks or chips anywhere. Cond: 1-.
2
$14,300
$12,166
$12,100
$12,100
A Focus on Cars That are Showing Some Financial Upside
Median Sold Price By Year
gold alligator vinyl. Odo: 52,997 miles. 500ci,
4-bbl, auto. Paint generally in decent
condition, but there is a large discolored
spot in the center of the rear deck. Chrome
is shiny on the headlight pods and exhaust
tips, but pitting and age show in other
places around the car. Plexiglass bubbles
show light haze. Interior is beginning to
show its age. Cond: 3.
— Chad Taylor
SOLD AT $660,000. The recipient of a recent
restoration by BTM of Arizona to original
spec, this “Cobra-killer” was only the
seventh produced in the extremely limited
run of Cheetahs. The Corvette-sourced engine
in these little coupes sat so far back
against the firewall, it was considered a
mid-engined car. In fact, there is no driveshaft,
only a U-joint connecting the transmission
output shaft to rear end. Originally
purchased by Chevrolet dealership owner
Alan Green, this Cheetah was said to have
been drag-raced by his wife. The car was
immaculate, and given the rarity and race
history, the price almost seems cheap. Well
bought. A
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Selected Sales Combined in One Comprehensive Report
American Highlights
at Six Auctions
GM
#29-1907 CADILLAC MODEL M tourer.
VIN: 23132. Brewster Green/black canvas/
black leather. RHD. Restored in 2013 and
claimed well sorted mechanically and tour
ready. Paint nicely redone but shows cracks
on door. Wood-spoke artillery wheels. Incorrect
electric starter added. Full convertible
“cape” top with diamond-pattern rear windows.
Cond: 2.
1971 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda 2-door hard top, sold for $418,000 at Worldwide
Auctioneers, Scottsdale, AZ
GAA
Greensboro, nC — november 2, 2017
Auctioneers: Eli Detweiler, Ben DeBruhl,
Ricky Parks, Mike Anderson
Automotive lots sold/offered: 352/560
Sales rate: 63%
Sales total: $10,246,365
High American sale: 2004 Cobra Shelby
concept convertible, sold at $882,750
Buyer’s premium: 7%, minimum $700, included
in sold prices
Report and photos by Mark Moskowitz,
Jeff Trepel, Larry Trepel
Worldwide Auctioneers
Scottsdale, AZ — January 17, 2018
Auctioneer: Rod Egan
Automotive lots sold/offered: 53/83
Sales rate: 64%
Sales total: $6,854,800
High American sale: 1971 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda
2-door hard top, sold at $418,000
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Daren Kloes
Bonhams
Scottsdale, AZ — January 18, 2018
Auctioneers: Rupert Banner, James Knight
Automotive lots sold/offered: 94/108
Sales rate: 87%
Sales total: $25,072,750
High American sale: 2006 Ford GT coupe, sold
at $489,500
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Sam Stockham
124 AmericanCarCollector.com
RM Sotheby’s
Phoenix, AZ — January 18–19, 2018
Auctioneer: Maartan ten Holder
Automotive lots sold/offered: 112/129
Sales rate: 87%
Sales total: $49,144,150
High American sale: 1966 Shelby Cobra 427
semi-competition roadster, sold at $2,947,500
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Carl Bomstead
Silver Auctions AZ
Scottsdale, AZ — January 18–20, 2018
Auctioneers: Jim Richie, Dillon Hall, Bobby Dee
Automotive lots sold/offered: 201/351
Sales rate: 57%
Sales total: $3,368,625
High American sale: 1959 Chevrolet Corvette
custom convertible, sold at $79,920
Buyer’s premium: 8%, minimum $500, included
in sold prices
Report and photos by B. Mitchell Carlson
Gooding & Company
Scottsdale, AZ — January 19–20, 2018
Auctioneer: Charlie Ross
Automotive lots sold/offered: 111/129
Sales rate: 86%
Sales total: $49,144,150
High American sale: 1963 Shelby Cobra 289
roadster, sold at $962,500
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Joe Seminetta
SOLD AT $93,500. Sold for $1,050 when
new, this charming Brass Era Cadillac was
very well restored to an excellent standard
and has never been shown. Although one of
Cadillac’s most significant early claims to
fame was the “self-starter,” this car’s added
electric starter motor predates the innovation
by five years. Early as it is, however, it
is two years too new to qualify as a Londonto-Brighton
entry. The ACC Premium Auction
Database lists several sales in the past
decade in the $60k to $70k range, so perhaps
these ready-to-go antiques are on the
upswing. Worldwide Auctioneers, Scottsdale,
AZ, 01/18.
#138-1930 LASALLE 340 Fleetshire phaeton.
VIN: 8721020. Bellaire Grey & Vista
Grey/black fabric/black leather. Odo: 49,997
miles. Equipped with running-board spotlight
and sidemounts with mirrors. An older
multi-year restoration that is starting to unwind.
Light rust starting around gauge bezels.
Paint mostly flaked off from exhaust
manifolds. In need of freshening. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $64,400. Condition was the issue
here, as there is a long list of needs to bring
this up to snuff. The Fleetwood-bodied LaSalles
were more upscale than the standard
offerings and were offered with more exciting
color schemes. They were called Fleet
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shires, Fleetcliffs and Fleetlands. The price
paid may have even been a bit aggressive,
as there are a number of sizable checks yet
to be written. Best of luck to the new owner.
RM Sotheby’s, Phoenix, AZ, 01/18.
#3-1941 CADILLAC SERIES 62 Deluxe
convertible. VIN: 8354260. Burgundy/tan
canvas/Butternut Tan leather. Odo: 90,222
miles. Older restoration showing light use
since. Excellent paint, although a slightly
lighter and more attractive shade than Cadillac’s
nearly black Valcour Maroon. Chrome
good but shows ground-down pits on potmetal
trim pieces. Large cracks in long-agorefinished
steering wheel. Accessories
include fender skirts, spotlight, clock, power
top, radio, and heater, but car lacks desirable
automatic transmission and hard-to-find
fog lights. Nice leather interior. Cond: 2.
Mitchell design statements have beautiful
proportions and have always been underrated.
While not technically considered a
limousine by Cadillac, it might have well
been with its longer wheelbase and backseat
accoutrements. If Dom Perignon advertised,
they could use one of these in their
commercials. Sold at no reserve, and was
among the best buys of the night. Worldwide
Auctioneers, Scottsdale, AZ, 01/18.
SOLD AT $77,000. The same engine was
used in WWII tanks, but the comparison
stops there. Perhaps the best-driving of any
full CCCA Classic, despite the horrific blind
spot with the top up. This car was from the
inventory of Rob Williams’ now-shuttered,
The Auto Collections at the LINQ Casino
(formerly Imperial Palace), in Las Vegas.
The buyer got a slight discount over the
dealer’s sticker price of $89,500. Prime examples
trade for as much as $125k, but
around $75k for #2 condition cars has been
the consistent market price going on 25
years. Hammer price for this example was
spot-on. Worldwide Auctioneers, Scottsdale,
AZ, 01/18.
#41-1941 CADILLAC SERIES 60 SPECIAL
sedan. VIN: 6342534. Black/gray cloth.
Odo: 508 miles. Older restoration completed
to a good standard, but starting to show its
age. Paint looked good from a distance until
close examination revealed some touch-up.
Seat fabric at the beginning stages of pilling,
but no rips or tears. Chrome on the Flying
Lady mascot has some pitting, and
scratches evident on bumper guards. Accessories
include deluxe full hubcaps and
hard-to-find fog lights. Cond: 3.
#181-1951 CHEVROLET 3100 pickup.
VIN: 5JPF20467. Red & white/gray cloth.
Odo: 18,238 miles. 216-ci I6, 1-bbl, 4-sp.
Old repaint over at least one yellow paint
job. Wears a plethora of scratches, chips
and scrapes over all body panels, with
heavy paint removal below fuel-filler neck.
Runs in white roof paint. Rechromed front
bumper, with a Luke Air Force Base NCO
gate-pass sticker. Aftermarket stainless
headlight visors, yet still retains stock
painted grille. Generally clean, yet not tidy
under hood. Engine repainted more recently
than bodywork, yet it wasn’t done yesterday—or
last year. All stock fittings, including
the oil-bath air filter, with exception of a
Wolf Whistle on intake manifold. Seat redone
with modern automotive cloth on seating
surfaces with generic pleats. Seat belts
for three. Stock AM radio is still in place,
with an FM converter below dash. Cond: 3-.
rims and big meats on the back, making this
more of a modernized vintage car than a
resto-mod or hot rod. With such conveniences
as air conditioning, this might be
the perfect cruiser for Reno’s Hot August
Nights. Very well-executed restoration and
appreciated by at least two people who
drove bidding to a respectable result.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Scottsdale, AZ,
01/18.
#267-1958 OLDSMOBILE DYNAMIC 88
convertible. VIN: 587M34703. Festival
Red/white vinyl/red & white vinyl. Odo:
81,481 miles. 371-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. The
Dynamic 88 was the entry-level series for
Oldsmobile. Fitted with optional Jetaway
Hydra-Matic and Super 88 brightwork. Also
has Fiesta hubcaps and rear fender skirts.
Continental kit added. Ground-up restoration
completed in 2017. Lot of eyeball here
Cond: 1-.
NOT SOLD AT $14,750. For those of us
who tire of over-restored show-pony pickups,
with cargo-box wood that’s nicer than
floors in multi-million-dollar homes, this is
right up our street. This is the type of truck
in which you can haul 800 pounds of scrap
iron to the salvage yard, get home, wash it,
then go out to the local cruise night and
never miss a beat. Actually, the truck would
probably prefer hauling the scrap iron. With
a reserve around $23k, the owner must really
like it, as it was realistically bid. Silver
Auctions AZ, Fort McDowell, AZ, 01/18.
SOLD AT $28,600. These elegant Bill
#38-1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 2-dr hard
top. VIN: VC57S186673. Red/red vinyl,
black cloth. Odo: 39 miles. 327-ci V8, 2x4bbl,
auto. Fabulous stock-looking restoration,
but upgraded with a dual-quad 327,
4-speed with overdrive, modern brake assist,
and a/c. Gleaming lipstick-red paint still
looks fresh. Doodads include skirts and
Continental kit. Factory Positraction correct
to the car and documented with original factory
invoice. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $68,200.
The owner resisted the urge to add modern
SOLD AT $61,600. This was one of 4,456
convertibles produced in 1958. It was last
seen at the Barrett-Jackson October 2017
Las Vegas sale, where it realized $71,500.
A few short months later, the seller takes a
$10k haircut. Flipping cars is not always the
road to financial security. RM Sotheby’s,
Phoenix, AZ, 01/18.
#FR0151-1959 CHEVROLET IMPALA 4-dr
hard top. VIN: F59N128095. Snow Crest
White/red cloth & vinyl. Odo: 35,962 miles.
283-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Older quality restoration,
still nice, but some imperfections
emerge. Paint and panel fit good, no cracking
or peeling, but hood color does not
match body. Bumper chrome very good,
better than some trim pieces. Tire whitewalls
lifting. All glass excellent, likely replaced
at restoration. Sloppy rubber gaskets
in door areas. Interior mostly impressive,
steering wheel crack-free, dash, seats, carpets,
headliner all look fairly fresh. Doorpost
fabric coming off. Engine compartment
also restored, showing little use. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $22,202. Unusual to see a 4-door
’59 Impala; many may have been used as
donor cars. This one has now entered
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#23-1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS
Pace Car Edition convertible. VIN:
124679N612496. White/white vinyl/orange
& black houndstooth. 396-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Z11-code SS 396 models are estimated at
just 735 examples produced. Includes desirable
Muncie 4-speed manual transmission
and optional console with gauge package.
Most of the panels are off-fitting, but probably
not much variation from original. Some
wear evident to orange interior door-panel
moldings. Cond: 3+.
#FR0038-1970 BUICK WILDCAT convertible.
VIN: 466670X128148. White/black
vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 86,982 miles. 455-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Older exterior restoration;
paint mostly good, with just a few significant
flaws. Surprisingly dirty; some cleaning and
detailing would make a notable difference.
Purportedly original vinyl top looked rather
new and flawless. Bumpers and other
chrome showing age, with some pitting and
dullness. Grille is from a LeSabre, with
Buick logo missing from center. Goodyear
tires and hubcaps appear recent. Interior
claimed original, carpeting clearly redone.
Original or not, interior quite nice overall.
Engine compartment shows much recent
work, with fresh-looking paint on block and
many restored or new pieces. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $47,300. Seller’s remorse by the
original owner, who sold it after one year,
only to buy it back and retain ownership for
the next 40 years. Bid to $60,000 (ACC#
6830916) for a no-sale at Leake OKC auction
in February 2017; the seller must be
kicking himself for passing. Today, a good,
solid car with highly desirable options that
needs sorting and sold at a discount.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Scottsdale, AZ,
01/18.
burg July 2015, where it sold for $13k
(ACC# 6128148). At that time the engine
and compartment were very rough-looking.
Most engine bay components now restored,
likely with engine out. Strangely, there was
no mention in the description of this costly
work, or whether engine was rebuilt. Also
strange was the lack of detailing to the decent
body and paint. This might have upped
the bid from just $11.5k to a level it deserved.
Consignor right to hold on, but
needs to change presentation and at least
find grille badge next time. GAA, Greensboro,
NC, 11/17.
NOT SOLD AT $11,500. Who wouldn’t
want to own a car named Wildcat? A few
trim upgrades and a different grille separate
you from LeSabre owners, and Wildcats
come with the 370-hp 455-ci engine. This
example was last seen at Mecum Harris-
#FR0084.7-1971 OLDSMOBILE 442 W-30
2-dr hard top. VIN: 344871M197057. Blue
metallic/ blue vinyl. Odo: 32,144 miles. 455ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Most elements recently
restored to high level. Panel fit excellent,
paint superb, chrome mostly good, but
some minor flaws in bumpers. Interior purportedly
original, but dash, carpet, headliner,
steering wheel all appear perfect.
Impressive restored wheels with Goodyear
Polyglas tires. Claimed numbers-matching
engine, with engine and bay appearing asnew.
Undercarriage and exhaust also appear
restored and unused. His and Hers
3-sp automatic. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$60,990. This impressive 442 W-30 was
well presented by seller, with an informative
poster, extreme detailing and available
March–April 2018 127
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documentation. I was just a bit puzzled
about the interior, which may have original
seats but had some other components restored
(and nicely done). Seller had previously
tried two recent Mecum auctions,
where it was bid to $55k (ACC# 6838546)
at Indy in May 2017 and $60k at Harrisburg
in August 2017 (ACC# 6844302). Rather
than take strike three, he was wise to let it
go for a slightly lower bid of $57k. Considering
it is a 1971 with automatic trans, I’d say
it was fairly bought and sold, with new
owner getting a beautifully restored, numbers-matching
442 to show and enjoy.
GAA, Greensboro, NC, 11/17.
#352-1975 CHEVROLET C10 Silverado
pickup. VIN: CCZ145Z130075. Red &
white/tan vinyl. Odo: 7,247 miles. 454-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Originally painted all Frost
White and originally fitted with a 454 V8.
Other factory options were a/c, TH400 automatic,
full tinted glass, and dual fuel tanks.
Upfitted with power steering, power disc
brakes, power door locks, tilt steering column,
cruise control, sliding rear window and
power windows. Aftermarket sound system,
air bags, headers, tonneau cover, and 17inch
wheels. Quality of paint application
surpasses some of the masking, even with
some light orange peel on some of red.
Model call-out badges shaved from the front
fenders, yet with reproduction body-side
moldings added for the factory-style twotone
break. Aftermarket dash trim and seat
upholstery kit. New carpeting. Trailer brake
controller and air-pressure gauge below the
dash. Undercarriage getting rather dusty.
Cond: 3+.
#396-1976 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
VIN: 2W87Z6N520562. Goldenrod Yellow/
white vinyl. Odo: 76,395 miles. 400-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Factory-optional a/c, power
steering, power brakes, cruise control and
tilt steering column. Fitted with Rally II
wheels and older radials. Good topical
respray done a few years ago, with light
overspray on VIN sticker in door jamb.
Good application of repop graphics. Some
paint flaking on all wheel flares. Seems to
have some patch and fill, at least in rightrear
quarter panel and bottoms of doors.
Missing front fender top trim pieces at cowl.
Recent replacement seats, door panels,
carpet and dashpad. DIN-mount CD sound
system. Aftermarket speakers cut into the
front sides of center console and rear parcel
shelf. Older engine bay detailing still presentable,
if not entirely authentic. Cond: 3+.
21st century, or they were made into fakeydoo
Grand Nats (as that seemed to be the
intent here at some point). That said, one of
these in blue, built in 1986, turned up at
Leake’s Tulsa auction last June. Being in
better shape and generally original, that one
sold for $9,680 (ACC# 6839136). It almost
looked like the bidding was going to die off
here at $6k, but another bidder entered the
fray, so it managed to get here instead.
Silver Auctions AZ, Fort McDowell, AZ,
01/18.
SOLD AT $26,460. The VIN on this car is a
bit of an anomaly. The 2W87 is normal, but
a Z-code engine doesn’t appear on the
books until 1977, albeit in this size and state
of tune. This was also an early production
example (October 1975 dated on the body
tag), so the argument that they started using
1977 engines early doesn’t pan out.
Last seen last year at Leake’s Oklahoma
City auction, where it failed to sell at
$12,500 (ACC# 6831291). When it originally
crossed the block here on Friday, it failed to
sell in similar territory at $22k. On Sunday, it
did markedly better, as the reserve was
lifted at $24,500, to get hammered sold
shortly thereafter. Sold well. Silver Auctions
AZ, Fort McDowell, AZ, 01/18.
SOLD AT $21,600. 1973–80 Chevy pickups
seem to be the current hot ticket—even in
the hot-selling pickup market. Even at that,
the consignor knew there was good money
chasing it, as the reserve was lifted when
bidding ceased. Even wiser, since modified
pickups—akin to modified cars—become
more difficult to sell the more they get modified.
Silver Auctions AZ, Fort McDowell,
AZ, 01/18.
128 AmericanCarCollector.com
#610.5-1984 BUICK REGAL T-type coupe.
VIN: 1G4AK4794EH584756. Black/gray
cloth. Odo: 56,842 miles. 3.8-L turbocharged
V6, auto. Optional climate control,
power windows and power door locks. Fitted
with Grand National wheels, with half
the center caps missing. Average older repaint,
with mediocre masking and the only
emblems put back on are on hood bulge.
Most blackout trim painted with body.
Chrome; what chrome? Okay, the vacuumplated
plastic grille is in pretty decent shape.
Modern replacement windshield. Noticeable
yellowing on upper portions of seats.
Washed-off engine bay. Generally stock
motor, aside from a cold-air intake with
cone air filter. Hood insulation should get
replaced before the tattered pieces go up in
smoke on the turbo. Cond: 3. SOLD AT
$7,830. One could make the argument that
this was the poor man’s Grand National.
However, few survived into the
1184. Polo White/black canvas/red vinyl.
Odo: 2 miles. 235-ci 150-hp I6, 3x1-bbl,
auto. Recent restoration by marque specialist.
Bloomington Gold certification of originality
received in June 2017. Fitted with
optional heater and Wonder Bar radio—although
all were so equipped. All were also
equipped with whitewall tires. Number 184
of only 300 first-year Corvettes. Powered by
anemic Blue Flame six with 2-speed automatic.
Cylinder head a date-code-correct
replacement. Quality of restoration far exceeds
what left factory. Cond: 1.
CORVETTE
7
#168-1953 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
roadster. VIN: E53F00-
SOLD AT $250,000. The Corvette market is
off its high of a few years back, so the price
paid here is in line with current conditions.
New owner has a well-restored example
that has been rewarded with Bloomington
Gold documentation. First-year Corvettes
will always be appreciated, so I doubt if pricing
will vary that much from what was paid
here. RM Sotheby’s, Phoenix, AZ, 01/18.
#12-1961 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
VIN: 10867S106986. Eng. # 1196986F03220U.
Tuxedo Black & silver/black
vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 470 miles. 283-ci 270hp
V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp. Nice color combo on a
decent restoration presents well. Odometer
rolled back at restoration and shows 470
currently. Panels fit as they should—which
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means not perfect, but good. Engine bay
tidy, but with some non-factory finishes on
small items like hood latches. Seat piping is
a bit wavy on bottom. Cond: 2.
glossy paint. Medium-output 327, with 300
hp. AM/FM, a/c, PB, PS, Positraction. Nicely
presented interior. Missing some Bloomington
Gold details under the hood. Cond: 2+.
ing to get rough. Sun-baked radio antenna
grommet. Light emblem fading. Modern
OEM replacement windshield. Older Falken
performance tires—getting stiff and
chunky—on stock rims. Carpeting is nicer
than the good original seats. Modern embroidered
console armrest pad. Pioneer
AM/FM/CD sound system replaces stock
unit. Unimpressive, yet not horrid, engine
bay and undercarriage. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $82,500. Nice ducktail car in Tuxedo
Black, with silver coves and red on the
inside. First year for the round taillights. Not
much to really fault here as a #2 car and
arguably more drivable than the fussy fuelinjected
cars. These drove a bit like a lumber
wagon with the solid rear axle.
Independent rear suspension fixed that in
’63. This car beat the high estimate by a
hair, but I still think it’s a fair transaction
considering condition. Bonhams, Scottsdale,
AZ, 01/18.
#125-1963 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
Split-Window coupe. VIN: 30837S118345.
Ermine white/red leather. Odo: 49,947
miles. 327-ci 300-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Recent
restoration in original colors with overly
SOLD AT $143,000. Last seen selling at
Mecum Kissimmee 2017 for $148,500
(ACC# 6822940). Opening bid at $50k,
quickly increased to $100k from the telephone
(bidder probably thought that would
win the lot). Bidding continued mainly in the
room to the final hammer price. Very well
sold in the room at a huge premium over
the high pre-sale estimate. Gooding & Co.,
Scottsdale, AZ, 01/18.
#616-1984 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 1G1AY0788E5136260. Red/
red leather. Odo: 93,354 miles. 5.7-L 205hp
fuel-injected V8, 7-sp. Optional 4+3
manual transmission and til-tele steering
column. Older, competent repaint, with
heavier polishing scratches and a few light
chips. Decent door fit. Window seals start-
SOLD AT $6,500. Your Worthless Automotive
Trivia Tidbit for the day is that there was
never a 5-speed manual transmission offered
in a new Corvette. The last C3 with a
stick was a 4-speed, available until 1981,
then the next manual trans that was available
in a Corvette was in the C4, introduced
later in 1984 as the “4+3” unit sourced from
Doug Nash. Basically, it’s a 4-speed with an
electrically actuated overdrive unit, working
in gears second through fourth. This had
more gears than bids—heck, it had more
March–April 2018 129
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seats than bids. Proof once again that ’84
’Vettes get no respect. A deal came together
afterwards, somehow. Silver Auctions
AZ, Fort McDowell, AZ, 01/18.
FOMOCO
#315-1940 FORD DELUXE 2-dr sedan.
VIN: 185320774. Blue metallic/blue cloth &
vinyl. Odo: 51,725 miles. Trim-off and mostweather-seal-off
repaint a few years back.
New vent-window seals. Replated bumpers
and selectively replaced or replated trim.
New rubber cladding on running boards.
Some paint chipping at cowl from hood
edge contact. Decent door fit, even if gaps
are a bit wonky. Tidy yet not entirely stock
engine bay. Modern aluminum radiator with
electric pusher fan. Reupholstered in modern
fabric, with non-stock pleats, on seats
and door panels. New stock headliner.
Dealer-installed AM radio and antenna.
Stock steel wheels, shod with newer reproduction
bias-ply tires. Older coated undercarriage,
with newer non-stock dual exhaust
system. Cond: 3+.
(ACC# 5815306). Also sold in 2009 out of
the ’57 Heaven Museum, fresh from a new
restoration at the time, but still has logged
only 150 miles. I sold two cars to the museum
30 years ago when its mission was
to buy every 1957 American convertible
made, regardless of make and model. The
catalog touted this car as a Montclair Turnpike
Cruiser, which was corrected on the
block by the auctioneer when he clarified
that the car does possess a Turnpike
Cruiser engine, but is NOT a Turnpike
Cruiser. Still, the restoration was beautifully
executed on one of just 1,265 built.
Convertibles from the 1950s continue to
take it in the shorts, and this was no exception.
By yesterday’s standards, this
was a buy. Worldwide Auctioneers,
Scottsdale, AZ, 01/18.
#10-1963 SHELBY COBRA 289
roadster. VIN: CSX2135. Dark
blue/black cloth/black leather. Odo: 589
miles. 289-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Rack-andpinion
Cobra equipped with Class A accessory
package, including luggage rack and
whitewall tires. Originally white/red. Delivered
to the director of racing at Ford and
was used by the factory. Nicely presented
paint, with uneven panel gaps. Seats showing
normal signs of wear. Cond: 2+.
1
NOT SOLD AT $36,000. Second attempt to
sell this car at GAA proved unsuccessful.
The high bid was just above the price-guide
median for the (already rare) ’66 Cyclone
GT convertible without the Pace Car regalia,
so perhaps bidders are unwilling to pay
a premium for the Pace Car distinction. I’ll
speculate that this is one of the least-recognized
Pace Car replicas, compared to, say,
the famous white-and-orange ’69 Camaro
SS. Combined with the ’66 Cyclone’s bland
styling (scooped hood notwithstanding),
perhaps that left bidders unmoved. I question
whether more money can be found
elsewhere. GAA, Greensboro, NC, 11/17.
SOLD AT $14,850. Last seen two years
ago at Leake’s Oklahoma City auction,
where it was declared sold for $13,475
(ACC# 6802545). Any profit was easily
eaten up by expenses from both venues, so
at best this was a break-even deal for the
consignor. As for the new buyer, the purchase
price was sufficient—as it’s not really
stock, but not really modified. Silver Auctions
AZ, Fort McDowell, AZ, 01/18.
#20-1957 MERCURY MONTCLAIR convertible.
VIN: 57SL41190M. Fiesta Red/
white vinyl/red & white vinyl. Odo: 158
miles. 368-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Nicely restored
in ’09 with complete and correct repaint and
tri-color interior, with black padded dash.
Now shows some light wear to driver’s seat
and cracks to rubber on wing windows. Mint
chrome with spotlight mirror on driver’s side.
Power top, wide whitewalls and well-detailed
engine compartment. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $962,500. Last sold by Mecum in
Monterey 2015 for $1.1m (ACC# 6796631).
In the room, opening bid of $500k. The final
two bidders ping-ponged to the final result.
289 Cobras have fabulous lines and plenty
of power. Prices have softened from the
seven-figure level of the market peak. This
was a market-correct result for a very nice
example. Gooding & Co., Scottsdale, AZ,
01/18.
SOLD AT $42,900. Most recently sold by
Mecum in February 2013 for $74,250
130 AmericanCarCollector.com
#FR0185-1966 MERCURY CYCLONE GT
Indy Pace Car convertible. VIN: 6H285627186.
Candy Red/white canvas/white vinyl.
Odo: 447 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Only
100 1966 Indianapolis Pace Car replicas
built. 1966 Cyclone GTs had a lightweight
fiberglass hood with twin scoops. No word
on this car’s history, but it presents nicely
with good-quality paint and chrome and a
fresh, attractive white interior. Even the
fake-wood wheel looks good. Indy 500
graphics well applied. Demerits include
some poorly fitting gaskets and a slightly
dirty soft top with shrinkage. Cheap potmetal
grille casting very old and weathered.
Tidy but not new underhood. Cond: 2-.
#16-1966 SHELBY GT350 H fastback.
VIN: SFM6S707. Wimbledon
White/black vinyl. Odo: 90,484 miles. 289-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Nice original condition, but
shows many flaws. Front hood and headlight
buckets all fit like socks on a rooster.
Chrome showing some age, with discoloration
on door handles. Lots of scratches
around hood pins with incorrect lanyards—
could be buffed out. Shoddy paint touch-ups
with heavy flaking that’s been covered up at
front edge of cowl at hood. Unique Shelby
rims in respectable condition. Goodyear
Wingfoot tires not safe for speeds above
crossing the auction block, with tread that is
heavily cracked. Original-looking interior,
but steering wheel has a big crack in the
plastic fake wood. Underhood kind of grimy,
with out-of-place fuel filter and cheap-o radiator
catch bottle. Optioned up with a radio
and brake booster. Cond: 3.
6
SOLD AT $253,000. This car is conspicuously
missing the “H” in GT350 H, indicating
that is, in fact, a Hertz car, but we will assume
that the history is accurate. Catalog
indicates that it was sold to the public after
Hertz and carried two owners before Mr.
Carroll Shelby himself purchased the car for
his own use. It remained in the Shelby Collection
from then on. It would have to be
assumed that Shelby did some work on the
car, including removal of an added rear
wing and perhaps redoing of the rocker
stripes. This sold short of ’65 car prices, but
high for ’66 cars in this condition. The
TOP 10
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Shelby personal association looks to have
driven the price up. Well sold. Bonhams,
Scottsdale, AZ, 01/18. (See profile, p. 54.)
#7-1967 SHELBY GT350 fastback. VIN:
67201F8A02007. Brittany Blue/black vinyl.
Odo: 22,612 miles. 289-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Restored to very good driver standards.
Rather thick paint, with some chipping on
headlight surrounds. Good reupholstered
interior, but rust showing on some chrome
interior screws. Four-speed transmission,
rare factory a/c, PDB, and PS. Z-code car,
denoting outboard driving lights. Claimed
one of eight built with its options and colors.
Documented in SAAC Registry with Marti
Report and a copy of the dealer invoice.
Cond: 2-.
Odo: 60,881 miles. 302-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto.
Older repaint on nice original body. Repainted
in the 1990s, but largely original
otherwise. Paint shows a few tiny chips and
there is a little rust on wing windows. Nice,
original interior and well-detailed throughout.
Ordered from the factory with skid
plates, 302 V8 engine, swing-away spare
tire, heavy-duty alternator, heavy-duty cooling
package, heavy-duty battery, auxiliary
fuel tank, and heavy-duty springs for both
front and rear. Cond: 2-.
near-identical 1995, albeit with 16k miles, in
near identical condition for $25k. Hey, I
warned you a year ago (in the February
2017 issue of SCM, to be specific) that the
time to get one is now, and I still believe
that. There were plenty of bidders in the
room for this one, and if anything, it sold a
tad lean rather than a tad rich. Silver Auctions
AZ, Fort McDowell, AZ, 01/18.
SOLD AT $143,000. Some regard the 1967
model as the last of the “real” Shelbys, as
Ford took over production alongside Mustangs
on later models. It added some weight
from earlier models but gained a more aggressive
go-fast look with accoutrements
such as side scoops and giant driving lights.
This car presented well in good colors with
good documentation, a 4-speed and air.
These factors helped lift the price to the
high side, but no harm done. Worldwide
Auctioneers, Scottsdale, AZ, 01/18.
#259-1968 SHELBY GT500 fastback.
VIN: 8T02S16918100533. Wimbledon
White/black vinyl. Odo: 55,592 miles. 428-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Fitted with 428 Police Interceptor
as documented by “S” in VIN. Fourspeed
manual transmission. An older
restoration that has been properly maintained.
Fitted with SelectAire a/c, Interior
Décor group and Sport Deck rear seat. One
of only 1,140 constructed in 1968. Marti
Report. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $36,300. Early Broncos are
known for rust issues, so finding a solid one
with all of its original uncut panels is a rare
feat. This has always been a West Coast
truck and apparently rather well cared for
since new, judging by the fabulous original
interior. The 302 and heavy-duty options
are a huge bonus. There have been just
three owners, the first of whom kept it until
1990. This Bronco is a unicorn and sold
appropriately at the high end of the range.
Demand remains high for these, and this
price may soon look like a bargain. Worldwide
Auctioneers, Scottsdale, AZ, 01/18.
#190-1991 FORD BRONCO XLT SUV. VIN:
1FMEU15N4LLB34349. OJ White/gray
cloth. Odo: 102,634 miles. 5.0-L fuel-injected
V8, auto. Factory-optional a/c, power
windows, power seats, cruise control, center
console and western mirrors. Newer, slightly
larger-from-stock tires on original steel
wagon-spoke-type rims. While a few panels
have been resprayed, majority wears its
original paint. Retains original spare tire
cover on rear-mounted carrier. Edges of
plastic bumper cladding have some scrubbing.
Blackened rear window molding
mostly worn off. Rear quarter windows have
a theft-recovery number etched into them.
Door fit representative of marque and era—
decent, but could be better. Good original
upholstery overall inside, although original
headliner cloth coming loose. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $95,200. Shelby styling for 1968
featured more aggressive front end, air
scoops and rear spoiler. This fell through
the cracks, as a documented Shelby GT500
should bring another $15k–$20k at a minimum.
Buyer is all smiles, but seller is licking
his wounds. A very well-bought Shelby. RM
Sotheby’s, Phoenix, AZ, 01/18.
#17-1971 FORD BRONCO SUV. VIN:
U15GLJ80612. Swiss Aqua/black vinyl.
132 AmericanCarCollector.com
#309-1992 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
MARK VII LSC coupe. VIN: 1LNCM93E1NY659559.
Silver/gray leather. Odo:
26,212 miles. 5.0-L fuel-injected V8, auto.
Stated that indicated miles are actual, with a
CARFAX tending to agree. Generally good
original paint, heavily buffed out, but plastic
body-side moldings are baked on the top.
Good original interior, although seats show
heavier wear than expected. Optional premium
sound system, but head unit swapped
out with a modern, DIN-mount CD stereo.
Used-car engine bay, but not scabby. Ditto
to undercarriage. Brake dust has spent a
long time on stock alloy wheels, to the point
that there’s some light etching in crevasses.
Older replacement tires. Stated that transmission
was recently rebuilt and airbag system
is good. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $5,500. There’s one system on
this car that wasn’t mentioned as far as its
integrity, which could kill it off as well as a
bad airbag suspension, and that’s the brake
booster. On these Mark VIIs, they are a spendy
proposition—$1,400 will get you off
cheap, if you don’t get dumb lucky with a
take-off part. However, these “banker’s hot
rods” have now appreciated to the point that
a $1,400 part won’t condemn a $1,400 car.
Considering that most of production has
now likely been turned into imported appliances,
these under-appreciated, posh Mustang
GTs are starting to move up in value.
While this one isn’t necessarily a blue-chip
investment, it certainly isn’t a cow-chip investment.
The seller dropped the reserve at
$5k to get it sold. A good buy, especially for
the long term. Silver Auctions AZ, Fort
McDowell, AZ, 01/18.
MOPAR
SOLD AT $9,828. Make all the jokes you
want about OJ Broncos, they sell well. And
they don’t have to be white, either, although
I know a Ford dealer who recently sold a
#8-1989 SHELBY DAKOTA pickup. VIN:
1B7FL96Y2KS114902. Eng. # KN652000912.
Red/red & gray cloth. Odo: 137,539
miles. 5.2-L fuel-injected V8, auto. Glossy
red paint is a high-quality repaint certainly
better than 1980s Chrysler and heavily wetsanded
to a mirror finish. Stickers well ap-
BEST
BUY
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GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
plied. Heavy wear on the leather
three-spoke steering wheel. Interior door
armrests collapsing a little bit, as they all
did. Shelby name blazoned on seat inserts
and is in good shape, with some slight
thread fray on entry point. Aluminum Shelby
rims oxidizing. Restoration to undercarriage
is only superficial and looks more rattlecanned
than anything. Injected V8 wheezing
out 175 horsepower with a 4-speed
slushbox behind it. Cond: 3.
be considered a used car, but really this is
as fresh as they come for 10 years old (unless
hermetically sealed at delivery) and
unfortunately, miles will still devalue this
car. This beat the top estimate by $20k. Top
dollar, but minty fresh. Well sold, but the
buyer isn’t hurting. Bonhams, Scottsdale,
AZ, 01/18.
AMERICANA
SOLD AT $13,200. Man, did they spend a
lot of time on the paint, but that’s where
much of the appeal ends. Interior in good
shape, but the steering wheel looks to be
the victim of Edward Scissorhands being
behind the wheel. The foam-injected door
armrests are starting to collapse—typical of
late-’80s soft interior bits. This truck was
well used prior to the restoration with an eye
on cost. And I use restoration loosely. Kind
of a fun piece, however, if you are into
Chrysler-era Shelby. I know more than the
hammer price was put into the refurb, so no
harm done for buyer. Have fun. Bonhams,
Scottsdale, AZ, 01/18.
#57-2006 DODGE VIPER SRT-10 VOI.9
coupe. VIN: 1B3JZ69Z76V101614. White/
black & blue leather. Odo: 271 miles. 8.3-L
fuel-injected V10, 6-sp. Aero package on
VOI.9 Special Edition. Practically no mileage
on this stunning white Viper, and it
shows. Unmarked rims that still show good
polish and bright red Viper brake calipers
show no dust—or use at all. Interior is perfect
as well, and the cool blue console and
door panel color scheme is slick. Cond: 1-.
#373-1946 WILLYS CJ-2A utility. VIN:
CJ2A49496. Light yellow/none/black vinyl.
Odo: 36,084 miles. 134-ci I4, 1-bbl, 3-sp.
Low-budget amateur restoration recently
completed. Heavy coat of paint, with moderate-to-heavy
orange peel on several panels.
Reproduction data plates on dashboard,
original body and serial-number tags
screwed back onto cowl. Sloppy cowl-towindshield-frame
seal fit. Hood-seal cowl
welting was not put back on, but rivet holes
in cowl are a reminder it’s missing. Fitted
with modern LED taillights and locally fabricated
draw bar with a ball hitch on it. Very
clean underhood, and largely stock. Modern
wiring, affixed with nylon tie-wraps. Entire
undercarriage appears recently completed,
down to copper gasket sealant visible on
differential covers. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $308,000. Frank Kurtis was the
father of the classic open-wheel Indy racers
beginning in the late 1940s, and they remained
dominant track cars through the
1950s. They were purpose-built machines
for sustained long-distance events at
speeds up to 140 mph without much protection.
This car famously tangled with Jerry
Unser at Indy when he sent his car endover-end
catapulting over the Turn Three
wall while leaving this car with only minor
damage. Excellent history and provenance
commands a premium, and this sale was no
exception. Worldwide Auctioneers, Scottsdale,
AZ, 01/18. (See profile, p. 62.)
#9-2008 TESLA ROADSTER convertible.
VIN: 5YJRE11B881000272. Red/black
suede. Odo: 414 miles. Three-phase, fourpole
AC electric motor produces the equivalent
of 288 hp and 295 ft-lb of torque. Only
414 miles and said to have a new R80 3.0
battery. Car has minimal wear consistent
with the mileage. Comes with all the books,
manuals and accoutrements. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $14,580. It may have been a
“nut-and-bolt restoration,” as stated in auction
listing, but those nuts and bolts either
came from a discount hardware outlet store
(at best), or more likely that coffee can we
all have in our garage where wayward fasteners
end up getting tossed. At best, it may
be refurbished or reconditioned, but Willys
couldn’t have done that sloppy of a job in
1946—or have aluminum radiators, LED
lamps and radial tires (even if all of the
above are marked improvements from original).
Fully priced for a cheap Jeep redo, but
at least you won’t feel bad about roughing
anything up if you actually use it like the tool
it is. Silver Auctions AZ, Fort McDowell,
AZ, 01/18.
SOLD AT $79,200. Mileage is as low as
you are going to find, at 271. At the ACC
Insider’s Seminar, I gave these cars a “buy”
rating. While I was mainly referring to older
first generation, the entire 25-year run can
be considered collectible, as production
numbers were always fairly low with more
special editions than you can count, but
they only got better with age. This car could
134 AmericanCarCollector.com
Black & gold/black vinyl. MHD. 255-ci fuelinjected
I4, 4-sp. Paint restored to better
condition than most race cars when brand
new, but still not without a few minor blemishes.
Offenhauser DOHC 4-cylinder engine
and fitted with an onboard starter. Hilborn
fuel injection, and “in and out” transmission.
A rich history with highlights including a 5th-
3
#30-1957 KURTIS KRAFT 500G
Indy 500 racer. VIN: KK500G2.
place finish at the 1957 Indy 500, and was
later famous racing manager Smokey Yunick’s
first Indy car in ’58. One of 14 built to
KK 500G specification. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $71,500. These first-generation
Teslas were based on the Lotus Elise and
paved the way for the Model S that we see
in every elementary-school student pickup
line around. They were the R&D guinea
pigs, and many of the first models were said
to have reliability issues. Presumably, most
of that has been worked out over the past
10 years, as Tesla Motors has something to
prove. Be prepared to spend money on batteries
every seven to 10 years. A cool car
sure to have kids scratching their heads at
the Tesla badge on the hood. Not many of
these sell publicly, but the money seems
fair considering this car launched the first
American car company since the Great Depression
that was not the result of reorganization,
a spin-off, or relied on parts-bin
sourcing. Bonhams, Scottsdale, AZ,
01/18. A
TOP 10
Page 134
The Parts Hunter
Buy, Pass
or Get Creative?
NOS isn’t always the best way to go; sometimes used
assemblies can net you smaller specific parts for less money
a 53-year-old NOS parts collection I purchased. Trunk panel shows some minor shelf wear and right-quarter cover has a small dent (see
picture). Both quarter coves have the original blue vinyl protective covering in place. Remember, these are original NOS and have normal mold
imperfections, as they were not perfect when new. Panel is very thin aluminum and has some waves on extreme lower edge near where trunk
molding fastens. The panel will smooth out when molding is properly fastened.”
Sold at $399.
Sometimes there’s no advantage to buying NOS over a good reproduction piece. Reproductions of this exist, but they’re $200 more than this
set, and that doesn’t include shipping. There are a whole lot of assumptions in the ad about the trim straightening out when installed. That has
never been my experience with aluminum pieces. I’m calling this one a draw because it is original and is cheaper than reproduction this time.
#272903247752 NOS 1963 Chevrolet rear trunk panel molding,
satin finish
Photos: 8. Item condition: New. eBay Motors. Sevierville, TN.
10/27/2017.
“NOS 1963 Chevy Impala rear three-piece panel set. Was part of
#322920540352 NOS Jeep Wagoneer
park and turn signal lamps
1 photo: Item condition: New. eBay Motors,
Springville, TN. 12/3/2017.
“Up for sale is a pair of NOS genuine Jeep
Wagoneer front parking lamp and turnsignal
assemblies for 1974–78 Wagoneer
models.”
Sold at $149.95.
At $75 each, this doesn’t seem like a great
deal. However, no one’s reproducing these
bits, so if your Wagoneer needs ’em, you’re
limited to whatever’s in wrecking yards. On
the other hand, you might find these from
someone selling a complete grille. This is
one of those items that requires lateral thinking
to get the best deal. I’d be looking hard
at grilles for sale.
136 AmericanCarCollector.com
#202098706158 NOS 1991–93 GMC Syclone Typhoon pickup grille
8 Photos: Item condition: New. eBay Motors. Coos Bay, OR. 10/30/2017.
“NOS 1991–93 GMC S15 Syclone Typhoon pickup grille, OEM#15661740.”
Sold at $165.
The Syclone was GM’s entry in
the hot muscle pickup market for
the 1990s. Only 4,697 were made.
Today they’re a fast-emerging collectible,
which means high visual and
wear components like the grille are
in demand. Sure, you need to shell
out another $40 for the GMC badge,
but the grille is new and in the wellbought
category. The pick date on
this box is in the 1990s, so you’ll be
waiting a long time for another one
this nice.
find a nicer original set. All tabs are intact.”
Sold at $482.51.
Finding stuff for mid-’60s Fairlane GTs is getting easier, but restoring one is still no cakewalk.
Some parts, such as these 390 hood scoops, are very hard to find separate from the hood.
If you do, it’s because they need work removing pits or redoing the silver paint. Used ones
with needs often sell around $250 to $300, so while this pair wasn’t cheap, their primo shape
warranted the extra money. A good respray would make this pair new again. Price paid is fair
for condition.
#19249239484 1966 Fairlane hood scoops
8 photos: Item condition: Used. eBay Motors.
Airdrie, AB, CAN. 1/5/2018.
“For sale is a beautiful set of 1966 Ford Fairlane GT,
GTA 390 hood scoops. They’re the nicest original
set I’ve ever had or seen. They have beautiful
chrome with very minor flaws, they look 5 years old,
not 52. Stored away for years, it would be hard to
Pat Smith
Page 135
#142546461963 1972 Pontiac GTO LeMans Endura grille, complete set
8 photos: Item condition: Used. eBay Motors. Lakewood, PA. 10/27/2017.
“These are 50-plus-year-old
parts. They are not new and
will need refinishing or restoration.
They are all usable
parts.”
Sold at $349.
The ad lists grille set, but
you’re getting grille inserts,
GTO script and two die-cast
surrounds — all one-year-only
parts that have been out of
stock since 1983. The script
and grille inserts are reproduced
now — I know from
experience the repro inserts
are either accurate but flimsy,
or sturdy and completely
wrong. The surrounds aren’t
repopped yet and they’re
notorious for pitting. These
surrounds are pretty good.
The inserts are decent and the
script is an easy resto. Buyer
wore a mask because the
price was a steal. A
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March–April 2018 137
Page 136
JUNKYARDTREASURES
Kings of the Desert
This once stately 1961 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 Formal Sedan awaits it future. Will it be restoration, parts or furniture?
Desert Valley Auto Parts has a hot slice of automotive history
Story and photos by Phil Skinner
J
ason McClure was born to run a parts yard. His father was one
of the Phoenix area’s most successful parts-yard operators and
brought Jason into the business at a young age. In 1993, his dad
fronted him a little money to start his own place, and Desert
Valley Auto Parts was born. DVAP now has an inventory of
more than 10,000 vehicles and operates out of two locations.
The main yard, located in Deer Valley on the north side of Phoenix,
AZ, features cars mostly post-1960 to the mid-1980s. Although the
really good stuff, such as muscle and performance-era vehicles, has
been fairly well picked over, I saw a lot of treasures still waiting to find
a good home. The front entry area also features up to 200 complete
vehicles for sale.
Several screen appearances have made this place famous, and they
have a worldwide customer base, with many restorers traveling from all
continents to see the yard in person. They also ship items for customers,
and those who come to the yard are requested to get a price before
removing any parts from a vehicle.
From the months of April until October, temperatures in this area can reach well
over the 100-degree mark, so plan your visits accordingly. A
Detailing
What: Desert Valley Auto
Parts
Where: 23811 N. 7th Ave.,
Phoenix, AZ 85085
Hours: Monday–Friday
7 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Saturday 8 a.m. to
2 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Check for holiday
season operations
Phone: 800-905-8024
Web: www.dvap.com
138 AmericanCarCollector.com
Plenty of good sheet metal remains on this
1965 Chevrolet 2-door Suburban
The panels may be gone, but the metal remains
— 1949 Ford “wood-less” wagon
Although this 1963 Studebaker Avanti is offered as a complete
car, this is the better side, as there is a chunk of left
fender and hood MIA
Page 138
Showcase Gallery
Sell Your Car Here! Includes ACC website listing.
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($88 non-subscribers)
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($25 non-subscribers)
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with VISA/MC or check.
25 words max, subject to editing. Deadline: 1st of each month, one month
prior to publication.
Advertisers assume all liability for the content of their advertisements. The publisher of
American Car Collector Magazine is not responsible for any omissions, erroneous, false
and/or misleading statements of its advertisers.
GM
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Yenko coupe
WANTED FOR SERIOUS PRIVATE COLLECTOR:
1969 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro. Preferably
LeMans Blue or Daytona Yellow, with
4-speed. Must be 100% real car with
matching numbers, known history and professional
restoration or original condition.
Ph: 860.690.9630,email: cars@jonathansierakowski.com.
(MA)
1971 Oldsmobile 442 convertible
S/N C55S093377. Red & tan/red & tan.
2,500 miles. V8, 4-spd automatic. Noexpense-spared,
beautiful pro touring car.
Totally upgraded mechanically to current-day
specs. GM 383 stroker with 485-hp, Inglese
eight-stack aluminum EFI, 700R4 trans with
stall speed and overdrive. Tru Trac polished
aluminum front dress system, Be Cool
modular, polished aluminum cooling system
with twin electric fans, HEI, Heidt’s tubular
coil-overs with two-inch drop spindles, Wilwood
four-wheel disc brakes, a/c, 12-bolt GM
HD rear w/Strange axles, Billet Specialties
Turbine wheels, SS brake/fuel lines and
exhaust. No shortcuts taken! Beautiful stockappearing
’55. Many awards and magazine
articles and a cover car. $155,000 OBO.
Contact Bill, Ph: 847.561.6700, email: billcollopy@holbrookinc.com.
(IL)
1956 Buick Super convertible
S/N 344671M104959. Nordic Blue/blue.
105,000 miles. V8, automatic. complete
nut-and-bolt restoration in 2012, complete
numbers-matching drivetrain, including carb,
starter, distributor, etc., less than 2,000 miles
on rebuilt engine. Air conditioning converted
to R134a, suspension (original springs with
stamped part numbers). All sheet metal
is original to car and floor pans. It was an
Arizona car its entire life. Recently scored
987 at Olds nationals. One 0f 1,096 automatic
convertibles built in 1971, Protect-OPlate
and a broadcast sheet. $70,000 OBO.
Contact Maurice, Ph: 414.737.4588, email:
m.brown.sr@sbcglobal.net. (WI)
1972 Chevrolet Cheyenne Super
pickup
S/N 30867S109861. White/Saddle. V8, 4-spd
manual. White with saddle interior and top.
340hp original engine. Paint is decent. Car
is a nice driver. Additional pictures available
upon request. Serious inquiries only, please.
$40,000. Contact Richard, email: skwerly1@
msn.com. (MA)
1964 Chevrolet Corvette 327/360 Fuelie
coupe
S/N 40837S105213. Riverside Red/red. V8,
4-spd manual. Multiple NCRS Top Flight
awards and Bloomington Gold. Original
drivetrain and body panels, 4-speed, 4.11
Posi, off-road exhaust, AM/FM radio, power
windows and factory hubcaps w/3-bar spinners.
Beautifully restored and runs great.
$89,000. Contact Kerry, Ph: 281.630.6718,
email: kbonner51@gmail.com. (TX)
1982 Chevrolet Corvette Collector
Edition coupe
S/N 5C4041572. Red & white/red & white.
5,153 miles. V8, automatic. The rarest Buick
from 1956. This beautiful, award-winning
Super had a multi-year frame-off restoration
completed in 2013. The result is one of
the finest examples anywhere. Must see!
Vehicle trades considered. $82,500 OBO.
Diversion Motors LLC. Contact Rick, Ph:
920.860.3993, email: Rick@DiversionMotors.com.
Website: http://diversionmotors.
com/64451/1956-Buick-Super-Convertible.
(WI)
140 AmericanCarCollector.com
S/N CCE142B107376. Turquoise & white/
black & turquoise. 49,351 miles. V8, automatic.
350 V8, long box w/cover, sunroof,
power steering/brakes, air conditioning, new
interior, sport wheels, dual exhaust, AM/FM
cassette, rare side toolbox. $16,995. Jack’s
Auto Sales and Service. Contact Mike, Ph:
231.947.1242, email: jacksautoservice@
gmail.com. (MI)
S/N 0098BA459983. Green/green & brown.
52,000 miles. V8, 3-spd manual. A partially
restored Ford “Shoebox” sedan in very good
condition. Has the original 239-cubic-inch
flathead. It runs, drives and looks great.
Mostly original, but with several upgrades
and improved interior. Practically new tires.
Chrome is 99% original. Plenty can still be
done to restore, personalize or customize
this vehicle. Contact me for details. $9,000
OBO. Contact Kenneth, Ph: 307.221.3823,
email: yendak@q.com. (WY)
S/N 1G1AY0782C5118155. Silver/silver.
20,000 miles. V8, 3-spd automatic. True
S/N 1G1YY12S645104770. Torch
Red/black. 11,200 miles. V8, 6-spd automatic.
This extremely low-mileage car is
flawless. It is in hard-to-find original condition
with no modifications. OEM Goodyear Eagle
tires are practically brand new with less
than 2k miles on them. Hard to find a better
original Z06! $27,500. Contact Rod, Ph:
405.245.8929, email: insuremeokc@yahoo.
com. (OK)
FOMOCO
1949 Ford sedan
S/N 30837S107118. Riverside Red/red. V8,
4-spd manual. 1972 IMSA GTO Champion
and 1972 FIA Daytona 6-Hour; 1973 Sebring
12-Hour. 1993 SVRA Medallion, 1993
Bloomington Gold, 2002 Monterey, 2013
Sebring Legends Honoree, and 2014 Amelia
“Spirit of Road Racing” award. Full restoration
1993. Unquestionable documentation.
$275,000. Contact Phil, Ph: 352.378.4761,
email: fastphilcurrin@cox.net.
1963 Chevrolet Corvette convertible
1979 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 coupe
S/N 1Q87L9L597577. Hugger Orange/black.
95,904 miles. V8, 350-ci engine. Recently
repainted in Hugger Orange. Deluxe bucket
seats, power disc brakes, center console,
new 18-inch Ridler wheels with new tires
and new modern stereo. $18,999 OBO.
Contact Craig, Ph: 214.232.2608, email:
craigbas77@gmail.com. (TX)
CORVETTE
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window
coupe
S/N 1G1YZ23J2L5803031. Torch Red/red.
11,010 miles. V8, 6-spd manual. 375hp
DOHC LT5 engine, 6-speed manual
transmission, Posi rear end. This ZR1 is in
concours condition, with just low original
miles, and VERY well documented with
plenty of factory and dealer literature as well
as service records since new. Highly recognized
by the National Corvette Restoration
Society (NCRS) as the first ZR1 to achieve
the 4 Star Cross Flag Award, along with Top
Flight three times, Performance Verification
and the Dave McLellan Mark of Excellence.
The McLellan Award recognizes individuals
for the restoration and preservation of 1975–
92 Corvettes. $33,495. Contact Sam, Ph:
912.604.9553, email: samgallagher82nd@
comcast.net. (GA)
2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 coupe
Collector Edition with low actual miles. One
of 6,759 produced. 350-ci engine, unique
silver & beige paint, decals and silver/beige
multi-tone leather interior. Special wheels
resembling 1967 bolt-on wheels. Lifting rear
hatch, gold-tinted t-tops, clean CARFAX,
power windows, power door locks, power
mirrors, power seat, a/c, retro modern AM/
FM/CD stereo with USB. $22,000 OBO.
Contact Craig, Ph: 214.232.2608, email:
craigbas77@gmail.com. (TX)
1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 coupe
Page 139
Showcase Gallery
1954 Ford Customline 2-door sedan
Ford parts. One1 of 25 SC cars from’ 90/’91
and ’93. Have factory Ford and Saleen
sticker. All SC parts in place. Prices on the
way up. Email for further info. $44,950.
Contact Chris, email: bcmustang@verizon.
net. (VA)
MOPAR
1953 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe
convertible
Black & white/blue. 70,000 miles. V8, 3-spd
automatic. Old-school custom with many
1950s accessories. Chevy 327 engine with
Edelbrock carburetor, Turbo 350 transmission,
Mustang II front suspension, power 11inch
disc brakes with GM calipers. Interior in
excellent condition with new headliner, radio
converted to AM-FM stereo with CD player
and iPod connection plus all new speakers.
New KYB front shocks, 1,500 miles on new
tires. Great highway cruiser; just get in and
go. Appraised for $24,500 only asking $18k.
$18,000. Contact Allen, Ph: 516.770.0365,
email: amlipp@yahoo.com. (NY)
1991 Ford Mustang Saleen SC coupe
100% original. No paintwork, still looks new.
Cold a/c. Hard top and tonneau included.
Naples, FL. $48,000 OBO. Contact Lou, Ph:
239.597.4427, (FL)
AMERICANA
1984 Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV
Faulkner, sponsored by Earl Gilmore, driven
by Carl Rosenthal and others. Documented
part of Bill Harrah Collection. 1928 Van
Blerck aluminum-block marine engine.
Complete 10-year-old restoration. Not raced
since. Amelia award winner. $43,000. Contact
Jeff, Ph: 615.438.1063, email: jeff.brock.
music@gmail.com. (TN)
1960s Indy prototype racer
S/N 7238633. Pimento Red/Red Highlander
Plaid. 56,850 miles. V8, automatic. Model
C56-2. Stunning, rare, multiple concours
winning, top-of-the-line Chrysler with all
options including rare Moparmatic steering
wheel clock and all brochures. FirePower
331-cubic-inch Hemi with 180 horsepower.
$110,000. Contact Loren, Ph: 610.216.9540,
email: lhulber@ptd.net. (PA)
1996 Dodge Viper RT/10 roadster
Burgundy/tan. V8, automatic. 360-ci engine.
Interior just redone. Power steering, brakes
and windows. AM/FM stereo. Newer tires,
lots of new parts. Florida truck. $10,995
OBO. Contact Greg, Ph: 269.271.4724,
email: greg.gorzelanny@yahoo.com. (MI)
RACE
1934 Gilmore Special Van Blerck
Midget race car
V8, 2-spd automatic. This car thought to be
a shop-built, early-’60s Indy Car prototype.
Features a rear-mounted Chevy small-block
V8 connected to a 2-speed Hildebrand
H2210 gearbox and Lobro half shafts. This
car also has Hildebrand fuel injection, NHRA
blast-proof transmission, Vertex magneto
and Weaver Brothers dry sump. Has an
HRS sticker on the windshield indicating
some historical racing. Sold on a bill of sale.
$31,500. Tom Lange. Contact Boyd, Ph:
954.562.3247, email: bgumpert@tomlange.
com. (IN)A
Bright Red/gray leather. 64,721 miles. V8,
manual. SC #09 with special-ordered color
combo. Fresh cosmetic restoration with OEM
S/N 1B3BR65E6TV100098. White w/ blue
stripes/black & blue. 18,000 miles. V10,
6-spd manual. Original owner, 18k miles,
FOLLOW
ACC
Red/black. Inline 4, manual. Early frame-rail
midget! Believed to be built by Leo “Pop”
March-April 2018 141
Page 140
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Put your company in the ACC Resource Directory. Call 877.219.2605 Ext. 218,
or email advert@americancarcollector.com
Auction Companies
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
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)
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)
Wheeler apart from other auction
companies in their industry is the
quality and quantity of marketing
that they do for their clients,
combined with some of the lowest
selling commissions in the industry.
Contact them today to discuss
the marketing of your vehicle or
collection!
Info@WheelerAuctionGroup.com
www.WheelerAuctionGroup.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)
Buy/Sell/General
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
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
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)
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—
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.
142 AmericanCarCollector.com
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
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)
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.
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
and motorcycles. Let us share that
with you. www.idealclassiccars.
net (FL)
Wheeler Auction Group.
833.599.8999. Collector Car
Auction company specializing in
the marketing and sale of pre-war,
classic, vintage, antique, muscle
and exotic automobiles. What sets
Mustang America. 844-249-5135.
Mustang America is a new company
initially specializing in first
generation (1965–1973) Mustang
Page 141
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)
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
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.
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)
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.
Reliable Carriers Inc. 800-5216393.
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
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)
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
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
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
Volunteer Vette Products. 865521-9100.
1963–2004 Corvette
Parts and Accessories. Supplying
Corvette restoration parts and
accessories for 30 years. Visit our
website at
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)
Concours d’Elegance of
America. 2018 marks the 40th
Annual Concours d’Elegance of
America, July 27th–29th, at the
Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth,
Michigan. We continue to be one
of the most recognized automotive
events in the world. A weekend
filled with over 15 events for
automobile enthusiasts of all ages.
Sunday’s field will host 300 spectacular
automobiles from around
the world. www.concoursusa.org
(MI)
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)
Events—Concours,
Car Shows
The Quail, A Motorsports
Gathering. 831-620-8879.
A prominent component of
Monterey Car Week, The Quail
March-April 2018 143
Page 142
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Put your company in the ACC Resource Directory. Call 877.219.2605 Ext. 218,
or email advert@americancarcollector.com
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)
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)
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)
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.
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)
Leasing-Finance
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
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)
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
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)
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)
144 AmericanCarCollector.com
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)
LeMay Family Collection
Foundation. LeMay Family
Collection Foundation at
Marymount Events Center near
Tacoma, WA, hosts an epic backdrop
for your next event. Home to
500 fabulous collector cars, 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. 253272-2336
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
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)
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.
Page 143
Restoration—General
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)
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)
Classic Garage Automobile
Restoration. 208.755.3334.
Classic Garage is a full service,
classic car shop offering full-restoration
and partial-restoration work,
including custom builds. Our specialty
is high-end, show-quality
body and paint work. We work with
many reputable shops around the
country that send us their projects
for bodywork and paint. We also
offer classic car collection management,
storage, consulting and
classic car valuations.
www.classicgaragellc.com (ID)
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)
Metal Rescue® Rust Remover is
your clean, safe, easy-to-use rust
remover for iron and steel. From
small parts that can be soaked to
large parts that can’t, our ready-touse
BATH, CONCENTRATE, or
on-the-spot GEL are extremely
effective at removing rust. The
entire line of Metal Rescue offers
non-toxic, environmentally-safe
rust removal without the use of
harmful or corrosive acids. From
hubcaps to headlights to spot-rust
on doors and hoods, Metal Rescue
from Workshop Hero™ has got
you covered!
Visit www.workshophero.com
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)
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
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Index
ACC Premium Auction Database ....137
Agents For Montana Titles ..............110
Allard Motor Works LLC ....................73
Autosport Groups ............................111
Barrett-Jackson .................................71
Branson Collector Car Auction ..........91
Camaro Central .................................83
CarCapsule USA .............................109
Carlisle Events ...................................19
Charlotte AutoFair .............................81
Chevs of the 40’s ..............................75
Corvette America ..............................4-5
CoverCar Concepts .........................131
Custom Autosound Mfg., Inc ............95
EMS Automotive ..............................137
Evans Cooling Systems Inc. ..............13
Evapo-Rust ........................................35
Gano Filter Company ......................141
Greensboro Auto Auction ..................42
Greensboro Auto Auction ..................43
Grundy Insurance ..............................21
Hagerty Insurance Agency, Inc. ........69
Holley Performance Products, Inc. ...41
Hot August Nights .............................15
JC Taylor .........................................121
Jim Meyer Racing Products Inc. .......88
JJ Best Banc & Co ..........................133
JJ Rods ...........................................117
Leake Auction Company .....................3
LicensePlates.tv ..............................106
Lucas Oil Products, Inc. ....................93
Lucky Collector Car Auctions ............85
Lutty’s Chevy Warehouse ...............127
McCollister’s Auto Transport...........148
Metal Rescue ...................................139
Metron Garage ................................123
Michael Irvine Studios .....................101
Mid America Motorworks ..................23
Mosing Motorcars ...........................131
Mustang America .............................4-5
National Corvette Museum ..............141
National Parts Depot .........................87
New England Auto Auction ...............66
Obsolete & Classic Auto Parts, Inc. 123
Original Parts Group ..........................27
Paragon Corvette Reproductions ....107
Park Place LTD ..................................97
Passport Transport ..........................105
Performance Racing Oils .................103
Petersen Collector Car Auction .........74
Pilkington Classics Automotive Glass .2
Plycar Automotive Logistics ..............89
POR-15 ..............................................25
Raleigh Classic Car Auctions ...........6-7
RK Motors of Charlotte ...................147
RM Auction Holdings Inc. ..................17
Shelby American Collection ..............39
Speed Digital .....................................67
St Bernard Church.............................95
Steve’s Auto Restorations Inc. ..........99
Summit Racing Equipment ..............113
The Chevy Store Inc ........................129
The Elegance At Hershey ................115
The WheelSmith ..............................135
Thomas C Sunday Inc .....................112
VanDerBrink Auctions .......................77
Volunteer Vette Products ..................79
Weezy ..............................................119
Wheeler Auctions ..............................11
Zip Products, Inc. ..............................47
zMAX ...............................................135
March-April 2018 145
Page 144
Surfing Around
Carl Bomstead
Automobilia at Auction
Carl’s thought: Lew Alcindor, after completing his basketball career at UCLA, turned down a million-dollar offer
from the Harlem Globetrotters and joined the Milwaukee Bucks. He led them to their only NBA championship. In 1971,
at the age of 24, he took the Muslim name of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. On November 18, Heritage Auctions, at their Sports
Collectibles Auction, sold an example of his 1969 Topps card that was rated GEM Mint 10 for $240,000. Now, it had been
estimated at $400,000, and another GEM Mint 10 card of his sold for $500,000 some years back, so I guess we have to
put this in the well-bought column. Here’s a few other items of note this month:
EBAY #142616836449—
CADILLAC 18-FOOT
DEALER NEON SIGN.
Number of bids: 12. SOLD
AT: $3,825. Date sold:
12/13/2017. This Cadillac
dealer sign was in need of
a little help but will be the focal point displayed in a large car barn.
It needs new neon, which is not a big deal, and the letters could be
touched up a bit. It is in two sections and is 18 feet by 3 feet, so it
demands a large display area. I have seen these sell for a heck of a
lot more than was realized here, so this was a great deal if you have
the space to properly display it.
EBAY #152714112919—
1932 LOS ANGELES
OLYMPIC GAMES
LICENSE PLATE ATTACHMENT.
Number
of bids: 10. SOLD
AT: $155. Date sold:
9/29/2017. Los Angeles was the only city to bid on the 1932 summer
Olympic Games, as the world was in the grasp of the Great
Depression and many athletes could not even afford to attend. This
license-plate attachment, from the event, was not in the best of
condition but was still very presentable. I have seen these sell in the
$250–$300 range, so call it a good buy here.
EBAY #152707062024—
1963 CORVETTE SPLITWINDOW
COUPE BY
ICHIDA WITH BOX. Number
of bids: 39. SOLD AT: $895.
Date sold: 9/24/2017. This
12-inch tin toy was in excellent
condition, although the
original packaging was a
bit faded. The paint had not
been messed with, and the
white livery is much more difficult to find than the red. A cool toy,
especially if a Split-Window resides in your car barn.
EBAY #162803649282—1911 AUTOMOBILE
RACE TROPHY. Number of bids: 2. SOLD
AT: $2,404. Date sold: 12/19/2017. This copper-with-silver-plate-overlay
trophy was from
an obscure South Carolina state fair race that
was won by Jay McNay driving a Case White
Streak. It is interesting, as McNay was killed
shortly thereafter practicing for the Vanderbilt
146 AmericanCarCollector.com
Cup race when he ran into a farmer’s wagon that was crossing the
race track. A morbid story go-with for a rather average trophy.
EBAY #232591787527—
2018 DODGE DEMON
PRESS KIT FROM NEW
YORK AUTO SHOW.
Number of bids: 20. SOLD
AT: $1,250. Date sold:
12/17/2017. The wicked-quick
840 horsepower Dodge
Demon set a quarter-mile
record of 9.65 seconds. This press kit was from a VIP reception for
the Dodge Demon Reveal Party that was held on April 17 during the
New York Auto Show. It was number 840 of 1,121 produced, and a
hard-working journalist augmented his meager income by offering
his kit. Several others have been sold for a bit less, but as #840
corresponded to the horsepower of the Demon, it received a bit
more interest. Time will tell if it’s a good deal or not.
EBAY #302540316383—VINTAGE
EDISON “DOUBLE SYSTEM”
SPARK PLUG. Number of bids: 15.
SOLD AT: $1,082.57. Date sold:
11/30/2017. This unusual spark plug
with dual terminals was offered with
its original tube packaging. Oddball
spark plugs are very desirable and
are coveted by a determined group
of collectors. The prices they pay are
difficult to comprehend, but they are a
committed group and make their own
market.
EBAY
#172979138430—
1968 TOPPS MILTON
BRADLEY XPAK
400 CUSTOM CAR
CARD #12. Number
of bids: Buy-It-Now.
SOLD AT: $650. Date
sold: 11/13/2017. The
XPAK 400, designed
by Barris Kustom City, was a ground-effects car that floated on five
inches of air. It had no wheels, transmission or other moving parts
and was controlled by a wireless remote. It was shown at the New
York World’s Fair and appeared in a couple of movies. No idea if
the creation survived, but this Topps trading card, rated PSA #10,
sold for a bunch. A