Profiles
- Profiles - 1942 Dodge WC56 Military Command Car
- Profiles - 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429
- Mopar - 1971 Dodge Charger R/T 440
- Americana - 1928 Cadillac “Al Capone” Series 341A
- GM - 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Fuelie convertible
- Hot Rod - 1952 Astra Coupe
- Ford - 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 XL Custom hard top
- Corvette - 1965 Chevrolet Corvette 396/425 coupe
Search This Issue
Page -1
th Martin's
1952 Astra
coupe
6 AMERICAN
$46K
CAR COLLECTOR
Auctions • Values • Previews • Events
American
Icon
1957
Chevrolet Bel Air
Fuelie convertible
$127k
Detroit Iron stands
tall in Monterey
Complete coverage!
More than 150
collector cars rated
Ken Gross: Game-changing custom
with an entry-level price
™
15
Colin Comer: Will modern muscle ever be collectible?
MUST-HAVE TOOLS
1928 Cadillac Series 341A
November-December 2012
1965 Corvette 396/425 coupe
www.AmericanCarCollector.com
$341k Bullet-proof history in Capone’s car
$49k
Investment driven by fun, not profit
Page 4
CAR COLLECTOR
Vol. 1 • Issue 6 • November-December 2012
The Scoop: Profiles
CORVETTE
1965 396/425 COUPE
$49k / Mecum
Original or not, this is a
big-block Corvette you can
really use — Jim Pickering
Page 40
GM
1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR
250-HP FUELIE
$127k / Mecum
Wouldn’t you buy the
top-performance version?
— Tom Glatch
Page 42
FoMoCo
1963 FORD GALAXIE
500 XL CUSTOM
$61k / Mecum
A 428-ci Cobra Jet and
17-inch wheels raise the
“cool factor” — Dale Novak
Page 44
MOPAR
1971 DODGE CHARGER
R/T 440 / $36,300
$36k / Auctions America
by RM
The perfect car for someone
scared away by ’60s Mopar
prices — Tom Glatch
Page 46
AMERICAN
™
Cover photo: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
David Newhardt, courtesy of Mecum Auctions
6 AmericanCarCollector.com
Keith Martin's
Page 5
CUSTOM
1952 ASTRA COUPE
$46k / Mecum
A groundbreaking custom,
featured in almost every
’50s hot rod mag, at under
$50k — Ken Gross
Page 48
CLASSIC
1928 CADILLAC
SERIES 341A
$341k / RM
How much would you pay
for Al Capone’s armored
Caddy? — Carl Bomstead
Page 50
RACE
1969 FORD MUSTANG
BOSS 429
$146k / Auctions America
by RM
This is no 100-point resto,
but its value may reach far
beyond a dollar amount
— Jay Harden
Page 52
TRUCK
1942 DODGE WC56
MILITARY COMMAND CAR
$48k / Mecum
Far and away, the excellent
restoration quality is what
hit the target here
— B. Mitchell Carlson
Page 54
1952 Astra custom coupe, p. 48
Chris Kelley, courtesy of Fantasy Junction
November-December 2012 7
Page 6
SERVICE DEPARTMENT
12 What’s Happening
Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals, Zephyrhills Fall
AutoFest, Pomona Swap Meet
14 Crossing the Block
Upcoming auctions – Tony Piff
20 Parts Time
B-body grilles and racing wheels – Chad Tyson
22 Cool Stuff
No-touch headlamp for your grease-covered
hands, sparkly fasteners for your ratchet
Inside
COLUMNS
10 Torque
Making sense of the Monterey millions
– Jim Pickering
34 Cheap Thrills
Flat-fender Jeeps – B. Mitchell Carlson
36 Corvette Market
Valuing Neil Armstrong’s Corvette – John L. Stein
38 Horsepower
Will modern muscle ever be collectible?
– Colin Comer
114 Surfing Around
Gotta-have automobilia on eBay – Carl Bomstead
FUN RIDES
20 Good Reads
Street Sleepers: The Art of the Deceptively Fast Car
– Jay Harden
22 Desktop Classics
1959 Chevrolet Impala convertible – Marshall Buck
28 Under the Hood
Fifteen tools you need in your garage
– Jim Pickering
24 Snapshots
Beaches: Thousands of cars and people celebrate
summer every Wednesday night in Portland, OR
26 Your Turn
Questioning values on Li’l Red Express trucks
32 Insider’s View
’64 Corvette or ’67? Readers weigh in
58 Anatomy of a Market Report
Find out how ACC rates auction cars
66 Auction Tip
Advice for spotting engine problems early
108 Parts Hunting
Rare parts and pieces for your classic
110 Showcase Gallery — NEW!
Sell your car in our new ACC classifieds section
112 Resource Directory
Get to know our advertisers
112 Advertiser Index
AUCTIONS
60 Mecum Monterey
Mecum makes $31m and sells more cars than
anyone on the Peninsula
70 B&T/Specialty Classic Car
Auctions
The official auction of Hot August Nights cruises
to a $5.3m total
80 Silver Carson City
Pickups, hot-rods and Corvettes total $1.3m
88 Roundup
American vehicles from coast to coast
Photo: Beaches Summertime Cruisin’, p. 24
Dave Tomaro
8 AmericanCarCollector.com
AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 8
Torque
Jim Pickering
Making sense
of the Monterey millions
THIS YEAR, 786 LOTS MADE $258M IN JUST ONE WEEK. WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN FOR THE $20K CHEVELLE SITTING IN YOUR GARAGE?
some of the highest-grossing collector car
sales in the world. Mecum, Gooding &
Company, RM Auctions, Bonhams, and
Russo and Steele draw out the best and the
brightest collector cars from around the
globe, and buyers fiercely compete to own
them, often paying record prices for the
privilege.
This year’s events were record breakers.
O
Overall, 786 of 1,318 cars and motorcycles
totaled slightly more than $258m in sales,
including buyer’s premiums. That’s a solid
jump over last year’s $198m and 2010’s
$172m. It certainly looks like times are good
for car collectors.
But if you’ve been to Monterey, you
know that it’s full of one-off Ferraris,
Maseratis, vintage Bugattis and historic
racers. These are cars that play at the very
top level of the market. This August, 48 cars
sold for more than $1m each, led by a 1936
Mercedes-Benz 540K roadster that made
$11.8m. That’s an unfathomable number.
A quick moment of perspective: At the
most recent ACC Price Guide valuations,
you could buy 74 really nice ’67 Corvette
427/435 convertibles for the same money
paid for that one Benz. I know what my
choice would be.
What does it really mean?
I’ve been tracking values closely for
nearly a decade now, and I’ve always felt
that Monterey in August and Scottsdale in
January serve as the best overall barometers
of the car market. Granted, every auction
of every car throughout the year is a data
point, but the sheer numbers of both cars
and buyers in both of these locations make
tracking easy.
Record sales are always viewed as great
news for the market at large, but it’s harder
to understand how the top end of the market
10 AmericanCarCollector.com
Heavy metal waits for its turn on the block at RM Monterey
and your Road Runner, GTO or Camaro are
connected. Trust me, they are. But I’m not
going to tell you that your $20k car is now
magically worth $35k. It doesn’t work that
way.
The boost in totals this year, both in
Monterey in August and in Scottsdale in
January (which grew to $184m from $160m
in 2011) isn’t what I think is most important
in relation to your muscle car or classic.
What’s important is that a lot of the top-level
cars that helped break overall records in
both locations were even available for sale in
the first place.
Clearly, among sellers with seven-figure
cars, confidence in the market is high.
Why? Because high-end investors feel that
top-level collector cars are fun and relatively
safe places to store some cash, and right now
they’re spending money. So sellers aren’t
afraid to bring their ultra-rare and ultraexpensive
cars to auction. We’ve been seeing
it happen all year.
Boosted confidence
While broad percentage boosts in value
don’t trickle down to cheaper cars, I think
buyer and seller confidence does. When we
hear of multiple million-dollar sales and
new world-record prices, our confidence in
the market starts to creep up. And a buyer
confident in the collector market will pay a
little more for a nice Firebird or Corvette.
How much more depends on the car and
the buyer. Over time, that can boost market
value for a specific model. Sometimes the
boost is slight, sometimes it’s a little more
defined.
So in reality, while sales like that
Mercedes at more than $11m may not seem
to relate to you and your car, they actually
do, and as long as we continue to see the
high end of the market doing well, I think
the resulting impact throughout the lower
levels of the market will be positive.
Is it time to run out and sell everything?
Absolutely not. Should you bump up the
numbers on all your agreed-value collectorcar
policies? That’s a little premature.
But if you haven’t started already, now’s
the time to start tracking auction results for
cars similar to the ones you own. And ACC
is the perfect place to do that. I, for one,
will be watching the Scottsdale auctions in
January 2013 very closely. And if the past
few months of auction results are any indication,
I think we’ll be seeing more recordbreaking
sales in the Valley of the Sun. A
ver the past 10 years, the
Monterey auctions, held every
August during the same week
as the Pebble Beach Concours
d’Elegance, have become
Page 10
WHAT’SHAPPENING
Muscle Car &
Corvette Nationals
Rosemont, IL, is the place
to be on November 17–18, as
the mammoth Muscle Car &
Corvette Nationals rumbles
into the Donald E. Stephens
Convention Center. This is the
fourth year of this big event,
which brings hundreds of
muscle cars, Corvettes and
thousands of people together in
a show, swapmeet, displays of
great cars and seminars.
This year’s show features
Shelby Snakepit IV — a bunch
of real-deal Cobras and Shelby
Mustangs. The Corvette Triple
Diamond Competition —
which is only open to cars that
have won NCRS Top Flight
and Bloomington Gold status
— happens at this show. And
don’t miss the “Going Topless”
showcase of convertible
muscle cars from 1964 to 1971,
the Don Yenko Memorial Display of Yenko cars and memorabilia and the “Trans Am Terrors” gathering of Trans Am cars.
In addition, ACC’s own Colin Comer will sign copies of his brand-new Shelby Cobra Fifty Years ( recently named by Esquire magazine as
Hundreds of muscle cars, Corvettes and car fanatics under one roof
the “The Greatest Car Book of All Time”), along with Million Dollar Muscle Cars and The Complete Book of Shelby Automobiles: Cobras,
Mustangs and Super Snakes. Mecum Auctions is the primary sponsor of this terrific event, which is a great way to end the 2012 car season.
Tickets are $15. (IL) www.mcacn.com
Pomona Swap Meet
Pomona is a special name —
and place — for gearheads, and
there is no better way to see 2012
fade into the rear-view mirror
than spending December 2 at the
Pomona Swap Meet and Classic
Car Show. Show goers happily
lose themselves in more than
2,500 vendors and five cars-forsale
areas. You have to walk 15
miles to see everything. Southern
California’s weather is usually
spectacular in early December,
and a hard-to-find part is a great
holiday gift. Admission is $8,
and children 12 and younger
get free admission. (CA) www.
pomonaswapmeet.comA
Satisfy your wintertime auction fever at Zephyrhills in Florida
Zephyrhills Fall AutoFest
While most of the United States is drifting toward a winter of snow and ice, Florida’s sunshine just
keeps on keeping on, which is perfect for Carlisle Events’ Zephyrhills Fall AutoFest north of Tampa,
FL. Droves of American-car fans will gather at 207-acre Festival Park from November 8 to 11 for a giant
swapmeet, auction, a corral for private sales and many other events. More than 500 cars are expected
to cross the auction block. Adult admission is $8 on Thursday, $10 on Friday and Saturday and $5 on
Sunday. Children 12 years of age or younger are admitted for free. (FL) www.carsatcarlisle.com
12 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 12
CROSSINGTHE
Upcoming auctions
BLOCK
by Tony Piff
1965 Ford Mustang resto-mod at Mecum Anaheim
NoVeMBeR
Bonhams — Classic California
Where: Los Angeles, CA
When: November 10
More: www.bonhams.com
Last year: 27/49 cars sold / $950k
This well-established auction celebrates all things California
Leake — Dallas 2012
Where: Dallas, TX
When: November 16–18
More: www.leakecarauction.com
Auctioneers will work two simultaneous rings over three days for
and automotive, and it’s a don’t-miss feature on the West Coast
car calendar. Muscle, sports cars, hot rods, motorcycles and trick
trucks dominate the lineup, mostly in the $20k–$35k range. It’s also
a place where you’re likely to stumble across a handful of Steve
McQueen vehicles and automobilia items.
hosted at the Anaheim Convention Center. Heavy hitters include a
1971 Pontiac GTO Judge convertible; a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette
convertible; a 1965 Ford Mustang resto-mod; a 1967 Chevrolet
Corvette 427/435 Bloomington Gold Survivor in rare blue over blue;
another 427/435 convertible Bloomington Gold Survivor in very rare
yellow over white; and a 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 convertible
— said to be the most highly optioned, most documented L88.
Mecum — Anaheim 2012
Where: Anaheim, CA
When: November 15–17
More: www.mecum.com
750 automobiles will cross the block at this inaugural auction,
a total of 600 cars at this high-energy event. Important consignments
include a show-ready 1929 LaSalle 345 convertible coupe;
a 1954 Corvette 265/195 roadster, frame-off restored by the
Pennsylvania NCRS chapter; a 2008 Ford Mustang Roush 427R
fastback; a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible, custom built at a
cost of over $90k; and a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette 327/300 convertible
with 4-speed in red over black.
McCormick — 53rd Palm Springs Classic Car Auction
Where: Palm Springs, CA
When: November 16–18
More: www.classic-carauction.com
Last year: 356/547 cars sold / $5.9m
McCormick expects this to be one of the biggest events in their
26-year history. An estimated 500 cars will cross the block over three
days at the Spa Resort Casino in downtown Palm Springs. Star cars
include a 1965 327/365 Chevrolet Corvette with 4-speed, sidepipes
and cast alloy knockoffs; a 1953 Chrysler Town & Country wagon; a
1952 Studebaker Starlight coupe; a 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302; a
custom 1955 Chevrolet pickup; and a 1972 Plymouth ’Cuda.
1954 Chevrolet Corvette 265/195 roadster at Leake Dallas
14 AmericanCarCollector.com
1972 Plymouth ’Cuda offered by McCormick
Page 14
CROSSINGTHEBLOCK
The John Staluppi “Cars of Dreams” Collection offered by RM at no reserve
in Houston, takes place in conjunction with the 53rd Annual
Autorama. Expect about 200 quality classics. The star car is a
1938 Ford custom panel track, formerly owned by billionaire and
philanthropist John Paul DeJoria of Paul Mitchell Hair products and
Patrón Tequila. Built at a cost of $150k by former race driver Jack
Buchanan, the chopped, Corvette-powered full custom is built to be
driven.
Dan Kruse Classics — Houston November
Where: Houston, TX
When: November 24
More: www.kruseclassics.com
This sale, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center
DeCeMBeR
Gras World in New Orleans. Headlining a solid lineup of muscle
and classics is 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Pilot Line #00016. The
matching-numbers car is equipped with a fuel-injected 360-ci 327hp
V8 and a 4-speed.
Vicari — New Orleans Collector Car Auction
Where: New Orleans, LA
When: December 1
More: www.vicariauction.com
200 cars will cross the block at this winter auction, held at Mardi
collection of 117 automobiles comprises some of the rarest and
most desirable American automobiles ever produced, with a strong
emphasis on convertibles and performance cars. Three convertibles
of interest include a 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, a 1960
Chrysler 300F and a 1968 Shelby GT500 KR. Watch “Million Dollar
Collections” on Velocity for a special on this sale hosted by ACC
Publisher Keith Martin.
Mecum — Kansas City 2012
Where: Kansas City, MO
When: December 6–8
Last year: 562/844 cars sold / $12,318,254
Mecum returns to Kansas City for another sale of 750 cars.
Early featured lots at this Heartland staple include a trio of PHSdocumented
GTO Judges: a 1969 Ram Air IV in Carousel Red with
parchment interior; a 1970 Ram Air IV in Cardinal Red with red
interior; and a 1971 455 HO in Starlight Black with ivory interior.A
RM — The John Staluppi “Cars of Dreams” Collection
Where: North Palm Beach, FL
When: December 1
More: www.rmauctions.com
Spanning a broad range of American makes and eras, Staluppi’s
16 AmericanCarCollector.com
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Pilot Line #00016 from Vicari
Page 16
Publisher’s
Note
Keith Martin
Putting the Mopar to bed
summer; we’ve been to
countless events in our
1964 Nova, and even had
a chance to run the Dodge
at the strip at Portland
International Raceway.
Jim managed mid-11s, but
he believes that mid-10s
are within reach with a
little tuning.
The Nova still needs
I
the driver’s door adjusted
slightly, the headliner
tidied up in the front right
corner and some
trim
sewn around the spare-tire
area. Putting air shocks in
the rear solved the final
tire-rubbing problems we
were having, and also allowed
us to adjust the rear
to compensate for all the
gear we haul to events. So our list is short, as it should be after working
on the car for three years.
The restoration itself took 18 months, the next 18 months were
Sta-Bil and Save A Battery — our
Dodge’s best winter friends
spent turning the Nova “back into a car” with wipers that wiped, a
horn that honked, a heater that heated and so on. Those of you who
have been there know exactly what I mean.
So what was I looking for in the locker? A bottle of Sta-Bil and a
Save A Battery charger. We’ll pour the Sta-Bil into the gas tank and
run the Dodge long enough to get it through the fuel system. Then
we’ll hook up the Save A Battery, flick on the switch that lets us see the
voltage, throw the car cover on and say goodbye for the winter.
Then, come spring, it should just be a matter of a few pumps of the
throttle, and the 500-ci aluminum engine will come back to life, ready
for another season of rumbling to car shows and drag strips. A
was rummaging around in the ACC locker last week, and finally
found the two things I was looking for.
With the onset of cold weather, now’s the time to put our 1963
700-hp Dodge Hemi to sleep — it’s hard to drive it in wet weather,
unless you want to just sit in one place and do doughnuts.
It has been a great
CAR COLLECTOR
Volume 1, No. 6
November-December 2012
Publisher Keith Martin
executive editor Chester Allen
editor Jim Pickering
Art Director Dave Tomaro
Digital Media Director Jeff Stites
editor at Large Colin Comer
Auctions editor Tony Piff
Associate editor Chad Tyson
Copy editors Yael Abel, Dave Tomaro
Auction Analysts B. Mitchell Carlson
Daniel Grunwald
Kevin Coakley
Jack Tockston
John Lyons
Pat Campion
Norm Mort
Dale Novak
Phil Skinner
Contributors Carl Bomstead
B. Mitchell Carlson
Colin Comer
Ken Gross
John Draneas
Tom Glatch
Michael Pierce
John L. Stein
Jay Harden
Marshall Buck
Mark Wigginton
Information Technology/
Internet Brian Baker
Lead Web Developer Marc Emerson
Seo Consultant Michael Cottam
Advertising Coordinator/
Web Content Administrator Erin Olson
Financial Manager David Erickson
Print Media Buyer Wendie Martin
ADVeRTISINg SALeS
Advertising executives Jeff Brinkley
jeff.brinkley@AmericanCarCollector.com
877.219.2605 x 213
Randy Zussman
randy.zussman@AmericanCarCollector.com
877.219.2605 x 214
Nadine Mosier
nadine.mosier@AmericanCarCollector.com
877.219.2605 x 211
SuBSCRIPTIoNS
Subscriptions Manager Rich Coparanis
Subscriptions 877.219.2605 x 1
9 a.m. to 5 p.m., M–F
service@AmericanCarCollector.com
503.253.2234 fax
@acc_help
CoRReSPoNDeNCe
Phone 503.261.0555
Fax 503.253.2234
general P.O. Box 4797
Portland, Oregon 97208
Fedex/DHL/uPS 401 NE 19th Street, Suite 100
Portland, Oregon 97232
email help@AmericanCarCollector.com
Web www.AmericanCarCollector.com
Putting summer in the rear-view mirror — our ’64 Nova at
the Beaches Summertime Cruisin’ in Portland
18 AmericanCarCollector.com
American Car Collector magazine (ISSN# 2164-1323) is published bimonthly by
Automotive Investor Media Group, 401 NE 19th Street, Suite 100, Portland, OR 97232.
PoSTMASTeR: Send address changes to American Car Collector, PO Box 4797, Portland,
OR 97208. The information in American Car Collector magazine is compiled from
a variety of reliable sources. However, we disclaim and deny any responsibility or liability
for the timeliness, use, interpretation, accuracy and completeness of the information
presented. All material, data, formats, and intellectual concepts in this issue © 2012 by
American Car Collector, LLC, Automotive Investor Media Group, Inc., and Automotive
Investor in this format and any other used by American Car Collector magazine. Copyright
registered with the United States copyright office. PRINTED IN USA
AMERICAN
JOIN US
Keith Martin's
Page 18
GOODREADS by Jay Harden
Street Sleepers: The Art of the Deceptively Fast Car
By Tommy Lee Byrd, CarTech, 144 pages, $24.95, cartechbooks.com
If my heart were a garage, there would be a special bay right up front, lined with nitrous
bottles and drag radials, where all my favorite sleepers
would live. They represent a set of values that is decidedly
underappreciated in our culture, because, as Mr.
Byrd states in this book, “The whole idea of building a
sleeper is to under-promise and over-deliver.” Imagine
if our government worked under the same premise.
Much of the book is aimed at educating an unin-
formed audience with minimal exposure to hot-rodding
and drag racing, but it also has a ton of technical information
to keep those of us with a few more miles on the
odometer occupied. In addition to basic introductions to
body styles, engine swaps, and suspension tweaks, the
book is full of great photos, informative captions, and
several technical resources as well. Tech blocks include
a year/model breakdown of the Fox platform, a GM/
Ford/Chrysler engine application guide, and a basic
NHRA tech/safety reference.
But the most interesting segments of the book are
the in-depth looks at several legitimate street machines.
These include a ’79 Lincoln Zephyr putting down 1,000 horsepower to the wheels and a twinturbo
4x4 running low 10s. Drag racers, particularly those who own sleepers, are a notoriously
tight-lipped bunch, but Byrd somehow managed to coax some very pertinent and usable information
from his subjects, including cam and valve-train specifics, vehicle weights, stall speeds
and suspension tricks.
Street Sleepers would be a great read for the aspiring miscreant in any family, but there’s
also plenty of interesting fodder to keep even the most grizzled racer entertained. Don’t be surprised
if they find the 500-hp Lincoln Town Car and the LS-powered Volvo wagon inspirational.
I’m even beginning to see potential in my neighbor’s Prius.
PARTSTIME by Chad Tyson
New products to modernize your street machine
Classic Industries’ 1964 Chevrolet B-Body grille Assembly
Whether it’s from rocks, insects, birds or
other cars, the grille is frequently the first
thing to get damaged on your collector car.
It’s not easy scouring junkyards for a piece
in better condition than yours.
Owners of 1964 B-bodies get a reprieve,
thanks to Classic Industries. This assembly comes stamped from all-new tooling. Included in the unit are the upper reinforcement bar, center
support bracket, fender attachments, headlamp housings and more. Find more information and order at www.classicindustries.com.
Lineage: ªªªª
Tommy Lee Byrd is a contributor to a
number of enthusiast magazines, including
Street Rod Builder and Hot Rod, so he
knows a thing or two about what makes a
sleeper. You get the feeling he really connects
with the subject matter. And what car
guy wouldn’t?
Fit and finish: ªªª
Simple and clean layout overall, with a
magazine-feature-like center section that
covers a handful of cars in depth. If you’re
used to reading enthusiast magazines,
you’ll be right at home here.
Drivability: ªªªªª
The vast majority of car books I come
across fall unceremoniously into one of two
categories: novice or expert. It’s rare to find
a book that appeals to both parties, but I
think Byrd has accomplished that mission.
ªªªªª is best
Rocket Racing Wheels’ “Rocket Strike” As Cast Series
For those in the custom, street-rod, and rat-rod crowd, check out the Rocket Strike As Cast
www.rocketracingwheels.com.A
20 AmericanCarCollector.com
wheels from Rocket Racing. I know chromed and shiny is the usual fare, but these understated
wheels will help you stand out from the overly blinged-out pack.
Rocket Racing casts the one-piece wheels from A356 aluminum. The lug-centric pieces
are load-rated at 1,560 pounds per wheel, which makes them more than capable to handle your
two-ton lead sled. Sizes range from 15x6 to 15x8 in 5x4½ up to 5x5½ bolt patterns, so there is
sure to be a size to fit your Ford, Chevy, Mopar or even Willys. Prices are reasonable at $180
to $190 per wheel. Fully polished wheels are available as well. To find a list of distributors, see
Page 20
COOLSTUFF
Defend
the fenders
A good non-slip fender
cover mat protects your
paint finish and provides
a grippy surface where
you can safely place your
wrenches and ratchets (and
coffee mug, if no one’s looking),
but they’re one of those
tools you never think about
buying until the hood is up.
We like the non-slip mats
from Hotrod Hardware,
emblazoned with your logo
of choice from the Big Three. $24.95, www.genuinehotrod.com.
COOLSTUFF
COOLSTUFF
OOLSTUFF
Defend
the fenders
FF
Defend
the fenders
A good non-slip fender
cover mat protects your
paint finish and provides
a grippy surface where
you can safely place your
wrenches and ratchets (and
coffee mug, if no one’s look-
ing), but they’re one of those
tools you never think about
buying until the hood is up.
We like the non-slip mats
from Hotrod Hardware,
emblazoned with your logo
of choice from the Big Three. $24.95, www.genuinehotrod.com.
rosion-
rosiont
blade
d a bright
e handle
sy
y. The
pens
trous
th one
ear it on
” Made
e.com.
No-touch headlamp
Filthy fingers?
Bulky gloves? Just
wave your hand to
turn on the gestureactivated
Pelican
2720. Dim the LED,
narrow the beam with
the focus ring, or
toggle over to nightvision-preserving
red.
$44.96 from www.thepelicanstore.com.
Sparkly fasteners
These valve-cover fasteners and
carburetor fasteners from Madco snap
right onto a standard ratchet, keeping
your fingers away from hot header pipes
and eliminating the risk of nuts dropped
onto the
ground or
into your
engine.
They’re
machined
from 7075
aluminum
in coarse or fine thread sizes and anodized
in an array of colors. Editor Jim
Pickering installed a set on the big block
in his ’66 Caprice and won’t stop talking
about them. A set of four is $25.95
from www.summitracing.com.
DESKTOPCLASSICS by Marshall Buck
1959 Chevrolet Impala convertible
Chrome is everywhere on this model by Spark,
inside and out, and is perfectly applied. The compound
curved windshield is just right and well complemented
by tiny photo-etched windshield wipers. Paint finish
is good, but it’s probably not a correct 1959 color. The
white interior with its very well done contrasting blue
and chrome trim is a delight. There are even little
Chevrolet emblems on the floor front and rear.
Although well shaped, the dashboard is a complete
disappointment, with detail clearly lacking. The front
end is terrific except for the slightly angled right side
headlight cluster, and the huge teardrop-style taillight
clusters are far too fat. Overall, not great, but still a
really good model that will please most any collector.
22 AmericanCarCollector.com
by Tony Piff
Detailing
Scale: 1:43
Available colors: Light blue
Quantity: Estimated 750 to 1,000
Price: $65
Production date: 2012
Web: www.motorsportsminiatures.com
Ratings
Detailing: ªªªª
Accuracy: ªªªª
Overall quality: ªªªª
Overall value: ªªªª
Page 22
SNAPSHOTS
Beaches Summertime Cruisin’
Celebrating cars and car fans
by Chester Allen
A
long line of
rumbling hot
rods, muscle
cars, rat rods
and Detroit Iron
is a summer tradition all over
the United States.
That summer tradi-
tion lives on — and gets
stronger every year — in
Portland, Oregon, thanks to
the Beaches Summertime
Cruisin’ at Portland
International Raceway.
Every Wednesday night —
from June through September
— gearheads from all over
western Oregon and southern
Washington fire up more than
1,000 engines and gather to
celebrate the ground-shaking
charms of American cars,
whether they’re restored
muscle, beach woodies, rat
rods, 1970s station wagons or
gleaming hot rods.
Add in live music, good
food and drag racing, and
Beaches is the hottest place in
Portland on Wednesday nights.
On some nights, the number of cars approaches 2,000, and thou-
Whether you love rat rods, Full Classics or vintage muscle — it’s all represented
Matthias started the Beaches Cruisin’ in 1996 to attract midweek
sands of people stroll among the cars, talk to friends or just fire up
that 427 to show off.
“We had 1,737 cars and bikes for the last Beaches of the summer,”
said event mastermind Mark Matthias, owner of the Beaches restaurant
chain. “People in this area are really into cool cars and bikes.”
customers to his popular Vancouver, WA, restaurant, which is just
across the Columbia River from Portland.
The event quickly outgrew the restaurant parking lot, and
Matthias moved it to Pearson Field, a nearby airport. Within a few
more years, Beaches outgrew the airport and found a new home
on a huge grass lawn tucked right next to Portland International
Raceway’s drag strip.
It’s a delight to wander among the rows of cars during a soft
summer evening — and then hear two cars rumble and roar down the
drag strip.
But Beaches is more than cars and fun. The event also raises big
bucks for charities.
Admission is $5, and that money is quickly routed to local chari-
ties.
“In 2011, we reached the milestone of making a total of $1 million
in donations to local charities,” Matthias said. “This year alone, we’ll
raise about $215,000, and we’ll hit $2 million in charitable donations
by 2016.”
Beaches is now one of the largest cruise-ins in the United States,
and Matthias expects continued growth — and summertime fun.
“Take hot rods, muscle cars, food, music and drag races and jam it
ACC was a significant sponsor of Beaches in 2012
24 AmericanCarCollector.com
all into three hours, and you’ve got a great night out,” Matthias said.
A
Jim Pickering
Page 24
YOUR TURN
Tell us what’s on your mind
Contact us at: American Car Collector, P.O. Box 4797, Portland, OR 97208
or online at comments@americancarcollector.com
1979 Dodge Li’l Red express: What you “C” is what you get
Li’l Red values
I just purchased my first issue of ACC
this morning because of the article about
the 1979 Li’l Red Express truck (Issue #5,
Sept/Oct 2012, p. 54). I have to say that the
article was less than flattering about these
rare trucks.
According to the NALRETO Club, only
about half of the trucks produced remain,
with a lot of them not even on the road. I
realize that these trucks will never reach
Daytona Charger or Hemi ’Cuda status
— no one expects them to — but they do
deserve a little more respect.
The article fails to mention several
factors of the truck that is featured. First of
all, there are no fenderwell stripes on it, it
does not have its original interior (seat and
console), there are non-OEM parts on the
motor, and no “Dodge” lettering on tailgate
wood. These are just a few things that really
stand out.
The truck needs work, and to bring it
up to a first-class example, you would have
to invest another $3k–$5k to make it right.
Yes, the buyer did get a good bargain at that
price, but the truck’s not right.
You did get a lot of things right in the
article, but there’s room for a second small
article. Like what high-end documented lowmileage
trucks would bring.
As an example, the cost of re-chroming
the original rims runs around $1,000–
$1,200. Reproduction bumpers are $500
26 AmericanCarCollector.com
each, side steps are $450, exhaust is $450,
stack screens are $500, exhaust tips are
$300, and those are just a few parts currently
being reproduced by Bruce Horkey.
Parts are selling on eBay for some very
high prices, especially for NOS items such as
dash faceplates and glovebox lids (if you can
even find a NOS one now). A set of original
NOS seat belts sold for $450 a year ago.
I wish that you gave the trucks at least
a B- or a C+ investment grade instead of a
flat C.
With your magazine getting ALL of the
facts about these trucks out, then and only
then will these trucks get out of the “flat”
range and back where they belong, on the
“plus” side of the range.
Thanks so much for your time,
— Andy Norton
Editor Jim Pickering responds: Andy,
thanks for your letter. You make some good
points here. I appreciate you pointing out
some of the finer details I missed about this
one’s condition.
Parts for these trucks are indeed expen-
sive, but so are a lot of small-production
specialty resto parts. Those parts would
need to be produced in volume to get prices
down, and there just aren’t enough of these
trucks being restored to warrant that. You
could literally spend thousands to make this
truck better all around, but why do it? Aside
from the money that could be made here
from simply flipping it (it was bought right
at $11k), I don’t think adding to it would do
anything but pay you back what you spent.
As for the market pricing on these trucks,
one would really need to be special to break
out of the $15k–$23k range we called out in
the profile. Think very low miles, all-OEM
components and original condition. I know
of a ’78 that made over $50k at BarrettJackson
in 2006, but that was a 2,600-mile
truck on its original 1978 tires. See it in our
online database under ACC# 40255.
It takes a perfect storm of booming
Mopar muscle market (which we don’t have
— remember, that was the era of $1m Hemi
’Cudas), excellent or original condition, and
a high-profile event to make prices like that
happen. Values on all muscle have fallen
drastically since. What would that truck
bring at auction today? Until we see one
of that caliber sell again, we won’t really
know.
Typical street-driven restos without the
low miles and superb concours condition,
like this truck, are what we consider good
#2 condition, and for those, we’re back to
the stated range of $15k–$23k, which is
pulled right from documented sales in the
ACC database. As much as I would like to
say they’re worth more, the past five years
of sales data just doesn’t support it. I don’t
see a meteoric rise in the near future, hence
the “C” investment grade. But if things do
change, we’ll be the first to report it.A
Page 26
UNDERTHE HOOD
15 tools you need in your garage
YOU’VE ALREADY GOT THE CAR. THESE ARE THE TOOLS THAT WILL
HELP YOU TAKE CARE OF IT
by Jim Pickering
Y
ou’ve finally bought that Mustang or GTO you’ve always
wanted. And now that it’s in your garage, you need to
keep it running. American cars tend to be reliable machines,
but they need work from time to time. I’ve always
felt that part of the fun in having an old car is doing some
of that work yourself.
s a mechanic for a long time, and
etty large collection of tools
. But there are really only a
n a regular basis. If you’re just
t and want to be able to handle
hings your car will need, here
s you should have:
On units such as the Dual 80
ces between this and cheap
ut they’re important — this
ery little arc is required for it
1
eeth in contact with that gear,
F80 is spendy at $129.95, but
u pay for. Get one at www.
tools you need in your garage
YOU’VE ALREADY GOT THE CAR. THESE ARE THE TOOLS THAT WILL
HELP YOU TAKE CARE OF IT
by Jim Pickering
Y
ou’ve finally bought that Mustang or GTO you’ve always
wanted. And now that it’s in your garage, you need to
keep it running. American cars tend to be reliable ma-
chines, but they need work from time to time. I’ve always
felt that part of the fun in having an old car is doing some
of that work yourself.
s a mechanic for a long time, and
etty large collection of tools
. But there are really only a
n a regular basis. If you’re just
t and want to be able to handle
hings your car will need, here
s you should have:
On units such as the Dual 80
ces between this and cheap
ut they’re important — this
ery little arc is required for it
1
eeth in contact with that gear,
F80 is spendy at $129.95, but
u pay for. Get one at www.
essional-quality
essional-quality
3
3/8-drive ratchet
n be adapted, through differ-
s and extensions, to almost any
identify issues with your b
charging system. I like A
CP7677, as it can test en
RPM and dwell, features 2
ranges, and comes with
a comprehensive user
manual. You could get
by with a test light,
but this is a lot more
versatile. $51.95 at
www.summitracing.
com.
4
2
28 AmericanCarCollector.com
SAE sockets,
deep and
standard
I’ve had good luck
with Craftsman sockets
over the years — they
tend to grip well and they
don’t break easily — and
if you do break one, they
have a lifetime replacement
warranty. P/N 35747 is a
52-piece kit that has both
standard and deep six-point
sockets, all of which are
well marked with their
size. $89.99 at www.
craftsman.com.
5
GearWrench or
similar ratcheting
Digital multimeter
A digital m
the thing to tra
wiring issues, o
Quality
screwdrivers
Craftsman also
makes excellent
screwdrivers. They’ll last
forever unless you get crazy and
start using them as punches,
pry bars or chisels. I bought a
23-piece set (P/N 31796) when
I was wrenching professionally,
and I’ve never broken one. Best
part? It’s only $30.99 at www.
craftsman.com.
wrenches
Ratcheting wrenches
make quick work
of every job, and
they’ll fit places
your standard
ratchet won’t.
GearWrenches, like
the Snap-On ratchet
isted above, have intriate
gear mechanisms
at require as little
s 5 degrees of rotation
ork. P/N 85199 is a
ece extra long SAE set.
or $155.99 at www.
opia.com.
Page 28
UNDERTHE HOO
6
7
A reliable tire
gauge
Pencil-type tire gauges
are okay, but it’s easier
to read something with a dial.
Summit Racing’s P/N 900006
gauge features a two-inch diameter
dial, 12-inch hose, and can read
from zero to 60 pounds of pressure—perfect
for your classic
car’s tires. $11.95 at www.summitracing.com.
8
9
A bench with a vise
Build yourself a workbench and
ount a good vise to it. Why? Because
u’ll eventually need to paint, clean,
rip, loosen, tighten, smash, or press
something, and unless you have
three hands, it’s not going to be
easy. Wilton model 21300 is a stout
unit and is just $179.99 at Northern
Tool & Equipment. That’s not a lot
of coin considering how long it’ll
www.northerntool.com
Aluminum floor
jack
Your car probably cam
with either a bumper jack o
bottle jack. Neither is going to be m
use in your garage. OTC’s P/N 153
is a 4,000-pound capacity aluminu
jack with a maximum lift of 18 inch
It weighs just 43 pounds, so it’ll be
easy to move around, and it’s short
enough to get under the frame rails o
lowered cars. You’ll be glad you ha
this when it comes time for a whee
swap, brake rebuild or oil change.
$289.95 at www.summitracing.
com.
30 AmericanCarCollector.com
12
Impact wrench
You will, at some point, come
oss a fastener that just won’t
udge. Great example: A shop
nstalled your wheels, and now
hey’re too tight to remove by
hand. Time for the big guns.
R’s Titanium Air Impact
rench (P/N 2135TiMAX)
s a half-inch drive with nearly
ot-pounds of torque, which is
e than enough to loosen stuck
s (or snap them off!). $299.99
ww.ingersollrandprods.com/2135timax.
Air compressor
Even if you’re just
using it to fill low tires
and blow off dusty
items under the hood, a good air
compressor is key. And when it
comes to compressors, you should
get a bigger one than you think
you’ll need. I bought IR’s Garage
Mate (P/N P1.5IU-A9) for my own
shop, as it’s small, quiet, uses 110V
power, and can run all of my air
tools without a problem. $549.99 at
www.ingersollrandproducts.
com/garagemate.
10
gtime car guys
w someone
o dropped a car on
self. Sometimes
esulted in minor
njury, sometimes it
was much worse.
Be safe and support
your car with
jack stands while
der it. Craftsman
s a pair of 1.5-ton
s that are adjustable
s to 21 inches.
e for just $29.99 at
sman.com.
Jack stands
11
Powerful LED
flashlight
Seeing what
you’re doing is step
one to getting the job done. I like
rechargeable LED lights such as the
Inova T4 sold by Griot’s Garage —
lots of power means you’ll always be
able to see what’s leaking, what’s mis
ing, or that washer you dropped under t
car. And since it sits on its charger wh
you’re not using it, it’ll always be read
to go. Spendy at $149, but this is a rea
nice unit, and it’s worth the price in th
long run. www.griotsgarage.com
Page 29
13
Impact sockets
An impact with 800 foot-pounds of torque will
shatter standard chrome sockets. Pittsburgh P/N
67903 is a half-inch drive SAE set of 13 impact
sockets ranging from 7/16 through 1¼. I bought this set from Harbor
Freight and abused them daily for about six years. I never broke one
or rounded off a nut I was trying to remove. And at just $22.99, why
not give them a try? www.harborfreight.com
14
anual and study up on the components you’re rebuilding or replacing
fore you dive in. $29–$69 at www.classicindustries.com.A
15
Reliable torque wrench
Remember that over-tightened wheel? Get a
good torque wrench and make sure everything
you work on is tightened to spec. There are a lot
of choices out there, but for a mid-level piece, I like Summit Racing’s
P/N G1055. It’s a 20-150 foot-pound half-inch drive unit that retails
for $93.95. www.summitracing.com
OEM service manual
for your car or truck
A little knowledge is a powerful tool, especially
when working with old technology. Get a service
November-December 2012 31
Page 30
INSIDER’S VIEW
Crowd-sourcing an answer to your queries
To be on the mailing list for next month’s question, go to AmericanCarCollector.com and sign up for our biweekly newsletter.
The $50k Corvette question
1964 oR 1967: WHICH SMALL BLOCK IS THE BETTER BUY?
1964 Chevrolet Corvette, sold for $55k in 2010
Doug Worley, via email: All ’67s have a dual master brake cylinder
The ACC question: Say you’re offered two Corvettes — a
1964 327/365 convertible and a 1967 327/300 convertible. Both are
documented originals and in generally decent condition, and both
are the same price — $50k. Which one do you buy and why? Do you
go with the drum-brake ’64 and its hotter engine, or with the more
refined disc-brake ’67 and its smooth 300-hp 327? What do you really
gain and lose with both?
ACC readers respond:
Craig Zinn, Hollywood, FL: I’ve owned both. The ’64 solid-lifter
365 engine will require more maintenance and more adjustments,
especially with today’s fuel. The ’67 will be a smoother, less-powerful
driver. The upside of the last year of the body style makes the ’67 the
one for me.
Kent Hussey, Atlanta, GA: They are the same platform but very
different drives. The ’64 with the solid lifters and Duntov cam is one
of the last of the race cars for the street — it’s all about what a small
block can and should be. By ’67, the 300-hp version was really a comfy
cruiser without the raw edge of its predecessors. Give me what Duntov
wanted the ’Vette to be!
32 AmericanCarCollector.com
Tom Bridgers, via email: The ’67 is universally known as the best
midyear Corvette built. No bling, hand brake moved to the center of the
console, and better back-up light location as well as the clean delicate
lines of the gills make a hit.
Drum brakes work okay but will never be as good (or linear) as a
— not available in ’64. Safety factor alone gets my vote.
Scott Fackert, via email: The ’64, hands down. It has a rarer, more
powerful engine, and those great-looking knockoff hubs/wheels.
Bill Pankiw, Elk Grove Village, IL: Being the past owner of
both an original 10,000-mile, 1964 327/300 coupe and a 40,000-mile
Bloomington Gold Benchmark Certified 1967 327/350 roadster (the
founding car), I believe the 1967 will be a better long-term investment
and a better driving car. You can never go wrong with a 1967 Corvette
when compared with any 1964 of equal condition. What do they say?
Never buy a “4” Corvette: a 1954, a 1964, a 1974, or a 1984 as a longterm
investment.
Rick Smiley, via email: Pick the ’64. Pure driving enjoyment at its
best. Nothing beats a high-winding solid-lifter small block topped off
with a Holley.
Page 31
good disc setup. Also, the 327/300 is a very nice cruising engine with
good useable power. These cars never handled all that well, so the
additional HP of the L76 is really only good in a stop-light drag race.
That and the fact you have to adjust valves, as it is a solid-lifter setup,
makes it less desirable to me. The L79 would be the best of all worlds in
a small block.
So, if I’m going to choose, I’ll buy the ’67. End of production in any
model always has an edge!
Tom Pink, Victoria, B.C.: The 1964 model has nicer side body
detailing behind the front wheels, some Deco interior elements and
came stock with the beautiful knockoff wheels, unlike the ’67, which
had beauty rings.
The drum brakes on the ’64, which many view as a negative, are
huge and function arguably better than the disc brakes that came in the
’65.
The 365-hp engine is less fuel-efficient, harder to start and to tune,
and the extra power is largely unusable due to the limitations of the
suspension. The 300-hp engine, in its detuned state, offers a much
more relaxed and practical driving experience, with little downside by
comparison.
As to long-term collectibility, one has only to look at the higher
dollars being paid for the 427-ci models, which offer much the same
operational downside as the 365-hp small block, to gain some insight
into future values. As rarity and power historically seem to trump
practicality, I suspect the 365-hp earlier models will ultimately surpass
the later-model 300-hp models in desirability to collectors.
David Monteith, via email: Having owned examples of both cars,
while the ’64 with the 327/365 might be more valuable to some because
of the performance, I had experience with bent push rods and a worn
1967 Chevrolet Corvette, sold for $47k in 2011
camshaft that came with the solid lifters at high rpm. In today’s market
and 10% ethanol, I would prefer the milder 300-hp ’67 model.
Jim Sucharski, Orlando, FL: The ’64 with the hot motor gets my
vote. If it’s to be a driver, an easily reversible disc-brake conversion is
cheap and ultimately no drag on the value. A ’Vette should be a lively,
edgy sports car. I am not interested in a boulevardier. I want something
that thrills. A
November-December 2012 33
Page 32
Cheap Thrills
Jeep
B. Mitchell Carlson
MUD HONEYS
B
ack in the day,
if you wanted
to get out to
the middle of
nowhere, bounce
early ’60s CJ-3B
Detailing
Years produced: 1945–65
Number produced:
214,220 (CJ-2A),
131,843 (CJ-3A),
155,494 (CJ-3B)
Original list price: $1,241
(1945 CJ-2A), $2,117
(1965 CJ-3B)
Current ACC Valuation:
$9,000–$16,000
Tune-up cost: $150
Distributor cap: $12
Chassis number: Left
front frame rail near the
radiator, also stamped
on the back of the front
bumper
Clubs: Antique Willys
Association; Donna
Geekie, R.R. #2,
over stumps and through
creeks, and still get back to
the civilized world — the
war-proven flat-fender Jeep
was your rig of choice.
Some people claim that
the early Jeeps were the
greatest off-road vehicles
ever devised. And you can
still find them today for not
a lot of coin.
First, let’s look at the
lineage of post-war Jeeps
that helped make the flatfender
an off-roading icon,
and then we’ll get into
what they’re best used for
in the 21st century.
CJ-2A (1945–49)
The CJ-2A is simplic-
Engine number: Top of
the water-pump boss on
the top front of engine
block
Crossfield, AB T0M 0S0;
www.antiquewillys.com
Additional: http://willysjeeplinks.com
ity by definition. With a
134-ci flathead “Go-Devil”
four-cylinder engine that
churned out 60 horsepower
through a 3-speed transmission
and 2-speed transfer case, it is one step above
a farm tractor in the mechanical food chain. Just about
anyone who knows which end of a screwdriver to hold
can work on one.
The tub body was slightly refined for civilian use —
Note: Jeep CJ clubs
or groups tend to be
regional and local,
without a central national
organization in the U.S.
Alternatives: 1955–83
Jeep CJ-5, 1961–70
International Scout,
1960–83 Toyota FJ-40
Land Cruiser, 1966–77
Ford Bronco
ACC Investment Grade: C
34 AmericanCarCollector.com
1946 CJ-2A: They could get you into nature — or help you tame it
1951 saw production of the Farm Jeep — something
with the biggest differences from wartime production
being the addition of a tailgate and moving the fuel
filler from under the driver’s seat to the driver’s side of
the tub.
CJ-3A (1948–53)
The easiest way to immediately distinguish a 2A
from a 3A is the latter’s one-piece windshield. A more
robust transmission and driveline make part interchangeability
more of an issue, with some annoying
little details such as different pulley groove sizes, but
it made the 3A a better worker bee.
of a recurring theme in post-war production. The Farm
Jeep was nothing more than the CJ-3A with power
take-off and drawbar hitch standard. But both had
been options pretty much since day one.
1953 was the final year for the flathead Go-Devil
engine in a four-wheel-drive Jeep, and saw concurrent
models of CJs, with CJ-3A production finishing off
(most likely parts clean-up production) while CJ-3B
production was beginning. For parts hunting, an
unlikely source for engines is the 4-cylinder Henry J,
since it is identical to a CJ-3A’s engine except for the
cylinder head.
CJ-3B (1953–65)
The introduction of the CJ-3B was the most
dramatic driveline change to the solid-axle Jeep, as
tread off the beaten path
ADVANCES HAVE PRODUCED MORE-CAPABLE VEHICLES, BUT THE
EARLY JEEP CJs WERE THE INITIAL YARDSTICK OF THE GENRE
Page 33
What to do with a flat-fender?
After World War II, Willys worked to define civilian tasks that the Jeep would
be able to do. One of these was farm work, and Willys plugged it as something of a
combination Swiss army knife and tractor.
In reality, it lacked the torque necessary for field work, and tended to be used as a
chore tractor for light hauling and towing more than anything else. Jeeps equipped
with power take-off and belt pulley drives were also handy for driving powered
equipment such as corn shellers and grain elevators, but as farms got bigger, this
work too tended to go to chore tractors.
Overall, the concept of one vehicle that does it all on the farm never got much
How about a forklift conversion?
it introduced the Hurricane F-head four cylinder.
Essentially, the Hurricane was a Go-Devil flathead
with a cylinder head that contained the intake valves.
The camshaft and exhaust valves were still in the
block. This taller cylinder head forced a number of
other ancillary changes. To clear the head, it needed a
taller hood, and to have a taller hood, the cowl needed
to be taller. Jeep purists think all this is goofy looking,
and some will even tell you it raises the center of gravity.
But hey, so does a chunky driver.
The Hurricane saw only slight performance
increases (up 12 ponies to 72), so all those changes
didn’t amount to much overall. However, it was the
longest-lived and last vestige of a flat-fendered Jeep, as
it stayed in production until 1965.
traction. Farmers tend to be practical, and they soon realized that when the do-it-all
vehicle goes out of service, the whole farm shuts down. Today, nearly all usage of
Jeeps with farm equipment is at threshing or tractor shows — showing off what they
could’ve done but really didn’t.
Off-roading — both recreational and vocational — is where these were at home.
With nothing else to judge them against, in the day they were the best way to get out
into the sticks using an internal combustion engine. Time and technology advances
have produced more-capable vehicles, but the early CJs were the initial yardstick of
what the genre was expected to be.
If you want to trail ride with a flat-fender CJ, go for it. They’re still capable today,
although you’ll be moving pretty slowly, and you’ll probably be sore by the end of
the day, as their solid-axle suspensions will transmit most bumps right to your spine.
But there isn’t a whole lot that’ll stop you in one of these.
You’ll be better off with one that is already modified to some extent — that way
you won’t have to feel bad about scuffing it up. But if serious mud bogging and
rock hopping are your thing, you may be happier in the long run with more-modern
equipment with independent suspension.
Jeeps like this are certainly not freeway capable, as the gearing and short wheel-
base make anything over 55 mph a suicide mission for both you and the Jeep. So a
trip into town or to the DQ down the street for cruise night is probably the best use.
But for those of you with acreage and light trails, that’s where something like this
will really shine — even if you have to wash the mud off the tires once in a while. A
November-December 2012 35
Page 34
Corvette Market
John L. Stein
STARRY-EYED
Celebrity boosts price only so high
THERE ISN’T MUCH POTENTIAL UPSIDE HERE, EVEN FOR A CORVETTE
BELONGING TO THE FIRST MAN TO STAND ON THE MOON
gus grissom’s 1967 Corvette 427/435 convertible sold for $275k in 2007, setting a record before the market crash
W
hen someone uses the term “rare” to juice up a car for
sale, I always think, “Whooping cough is also rare,
but that doesn’t mean you want it.”
Rarity does not necessarily mean desirability. In
the world of Corvettes, for instance, there were just
100 cars made with the RPO 579 250-hp fuel-injected engine for
1960. That sounds pretty exclusive — until you consider that 759
more were built with the higher-output RPO 579D 290-hp Fuelie
option. The former low-output version is definitely more rare — but
you’d probably pick the latter if given the choice.
This critical thinking is an essential ingredient of savvy Corvette
collecting, especially when the variable in play is a soft one such as
celebrity ownership, rather than a hard one like a horsepower rating,
transmission type or paint code. Thankfully, the accepted build
numbers for all these production options are constant. So whether
the Corvette market soars or sinks in the future, a known car’s place
within the hierarchy is pretty well established.
But when celebrity ownership is considered, the equation becomes
more fluid, as outside forces determine the celebrity’s name-value
boost.
Star power
Astronauts in the Apollo era were known for owning Corvettes,
thanks to a special lease deal through Jim Rathmann Chevrolet in
Florida. These cars come up for sale at auction from time to time.
36 AmericanCarCollector.com
Allegedly owned by Neil Armstrong, this 1967 Corvette
coupe failed to sell on eBay earlier this year
One of the most recent was a car claiming to be Neil Armstrong’s
1967 coupe, VIN 194377S104831. Offered via eBay Motors earlier
this year, the record shows 73 bids up to $250,090 — and no sale due
to the bid not meeting the undisclosed reserve. It’s actually rather
a wonder that it was bid this high at all, thanks to amateurish sales
copy, no photos of an actual Protect-O-Plate, no Jim Rathmann
Chevrolet lease or sale documentation, and no photos of Armstrong
with the car.
Maybe in time we’ll learn whether this 390-horse 427 was later
sold privately, and for how much. But until then we’ll presume
Page 35
that the market has determined that a $250,090 no-sale bid is all
the money for a needy midyear with alleged prior ownership by an
American hero — and some stories to unravel.
What should it be worth?
To answer that question, first we have to look at how other
Corvettes owned by astronauts have fared.
As evidenced by ACC’s online database, the 1968 Corvette
327/300 coupe owned by Apollo 13’s Jim Lovell went on the market
twice in 2009, once as a no-sale at $23,000 in May (ACC# 120505)
and then as a $20,670 sale in June (ACC# 120911). Those prices may
seem cheap now, but the market had taken a massive hit that year, and
this was Lovell’s C3 and not Armstrong’s big-block C2. Our reporter
at the time called the ’68 a $12k to $15k car without the Lovell connection.
Gus Grissom’s 1967 427/435 Corvette convertible sold at a Russo
and Steele auction in 2007 (ACC# 44209), before the market crash.
It brought $275,000 and set a record for known astronaut car sales.
The top market price at the time for a similar 435 convertible, without
celebrity ownership, was about $175k — pretty close to the current
level.
Grissom is more associated with tragic rather than triumphant
NASA history, but the difference between a ’67 427/435 roadster’s
market price and the Grissom car price still suggests there may not be
much potential upside here, even for a Corvette belonging to the first
man to stand on the moon.
With the historical paperwork, reliable independent verification of
the car’s Armstrong ownership (or more accurately, lease ownership),
and a highly sympathetic point-in-time restoration completed, in my
opinion, its value should equal or modestly surpass — by perhaps
10% —that of the Grissom car, which features the far more desirable
L71 triple-carb engine. This maxes out the restored Armstrong car
at $300k, or approximately on par with a ’63 Z06 with decent racing
history.
Jim Lovell’s 1968 327/300 — a $21k sale in 2009
The right stuff?
With bonds offering little return, growth and interest rates nearly
flat, and many other investment instruments shaky, plenty of money
has poured into collector steel (and fiberglass) during the Great
Recession. As always, blue-chip cars are best protected during hard
times, and they also accelerate the strongest during boom years.
While flagship Corvettes such as the 199 1963 Z06s or 20 1967
L88s will always be desirable, the value added by celebrity ownership
will probably always trend with popular culture. Although just
as with any collector car, bulletproof credentials for the celebrity in
question make predicting future value easier.
I expect we’ll see the Armstrong car offered again, and when we
do, it’ll still be expensive. But judging from other sales we’ve seen, I
just don’t expect its value to shoot past the moon. A
November-December 2012 37
Page 36
Horsepower
Colin Comer
W MUSCLEill modern
ever be collectible?
TODAY’S PERFORMANCE CARS CAN TRUMP ANYTHING THAT ROLLED
OUT OF DETROIT IN THE ’60S HEYDAY, AND WITH RELIABILITY TO BOOT
© General Motors
2013 Camaro ZL1 — with 580 hp and plenty of comforts, it’s a supercar in a pony car body
D
uring the original muscle-car era, from 19
haps the furthest thing from buyers’ mind
their new cars as precious investments. A
were new, high-performance cars and not s
Brass Era or Full Classic like their fathers l
These muscle machines were built to go fast, stree
attract the opposite sex, and, well, get them from poin
A to point B. In other words, they were just cool new
cars, and every year, the horsepower wars almost
guaranteed a new level of performance. But that was
until the whole muscle-car era came to a screeching
halt in 1972.
True gearheads sought out the best used muscle
cars if they wanted horsepower that was no longer
available in the showrooms, and few original owners
who had the foresight to treat their muscle cars
with respect decided to keep them rather than trade
up to something newer. And as the years marched on,
between the early ’70s and the mid–’90s, values for tr
and rare muscle cars crept up, mostly under the radar u
stratospheric rise that peaked in 2006.
38 AmericanCarCollector.com
1968 Dodge Charger: original fix-it-yourself muscle
Page 37
© Ford Motor Co.
2013 Mustang gT500 — a hefty 662 hp will keep it desirable well into the future
Detroit catches on
This renewed interest and feeding frenzy for original muscle cars
did not go unnoticed in Detroit. Seeing that buyers still loved the idea
of tough, powerful, and street-cred-bolstering cars, the new era of the
horsepower wars was becoming as heated as the market for original
muscle cars.
Pontiac revived the GTO, Ford’s new 2005 Mustang was a retro-
styled masterpiece, and soon we had Chargers, Challengers, and the
new Camaro as well. While breaking the 200-hp barrier was a big
deal for the C4 Corvette in 1984, the new baseline to even be considered
a true modern muscle car started at 300 hp and quickly exceeded
400 hp. These are SAE net numbers that easily trump anything that
rolled out of Detroit in the heyday of SAE gross horsepower — and
with fuel economy, reliability, and factory warranties that today’s buyers
demand. The game was, and remains, on.
Will they appreciate?
As a result of this rebirth of the muscle-car era, the question I get
a lot is, will modern muscle (2005 and on for this argument) ever
experience the financial appreciation that original muscle has?
My short answer is no. But if we turn the squelch up, a lot of
“maybe” layers come to light.
My main reason for the “no” answer is based on two things:
production numbers and complexity. Quite simply, they are cranking
these cars out in large numbers, so I do not foresee demand outstripping
supply.
It’s complicated
The issue of complexity is, well, complex on its own. These are
high-tech vehicles with electronics, materials, components, assembly
methods, and the resultant issues that will arise over time from them.
Think of your first PC. Could you keep it in service today if needed?
Probably not. Technology gets obsolete ridiculously fast these days,
as anybody with a lowly iPhone 3 can attest. So not only will parts
supplies likely dry up, but also the accessibility of service equipment
to even find out what is wrong inside various black boxes.
If this stuff is available in 30 years, the other issue will be cost.
Will we have to pay a tech guy $300 per hour to see why a computer
isn’t getting a post-cat O2 sensor signal? How will composite materials
glued together with space-age polymers survive four decades?
But the main issue in my eyes is that of intimidation. I know it is
an odd word choice, but what really endeared old muscle cars to so
many was the ability for us to interact with them on a mechanical
level. Did you sense a high-rpm misfire in that last stoplight duel?
Better pop the distributor cap, clean and set the points, take a look at
the plugs, and try it again. When the miss was gone you felt like you
accomplished something, because you did. There is a tactile element
to old leaky carburetors, drum brakes and solid metal dashboards that
is nostalgic and reassuring.
The youth of today don’t seem to care about greasy parts and
ignition points. They will most likely be nostalgic for the soon-to-beantiquated
OS within a new 2013 GT500’s ECU. So there is a distinct
possibility that these cars will be sought after just as the original ones
are, but by a whole different group — a group of people disgusted
by hybrid cars but equally disgusted by 70-year-old cars that reek of
leaded gas and gear lube.
The cars to watch
There are bright, shining stars of the modern muscle era that will
obviously be desirable well into the future. Just like muscle cars 40
years their senior, the modern muscle to watch will be the lowestproduction,
highest-horsepower examples built. Two current cover
girls that fit these criteria are the 2013 Mustang GT500 with its outrageous
662 hp, and its crosstown rival, the 2012-up Camaro ZL1 with
580 hp. These are both supercars in pony car bodies.
And just like in the 1960s, we also have a renaissance of both
pre- and post-title manufacturers. Shelby American in Las Vegas,
for example, takes post-title GT500s and creates their 1,000-hp,
emissions-legal Super Snake GT500. Due to the expense of this
conversion, very few will be built, and that bodes well for collectibility.
Also in the Ford world, companies such as Roush and Saleen
have modified Mustangs that are equally exclusive. Chevy guys have
Nickey Chicago, whose specialty is taking new Camaros and building
them to any level their owner desires — just like the original “Nickey
Supercar Headquarters” did with their wicked packages back in the
day. All of these wild, big-horsepower, exclusive modern muscle cars
stand at the forefront of future collectibility.
Will anything better come along, or will these cars be seen as a
product of a special moment in time? Will they physically survive the
20- to 30-year dwell period needed to be considered “vintage,” and
will there be the support needed to keep them running? Will tomorrow’s
buyers care? We’ll have to wait and see.
Now’s your chance
I doubt anyone reading this has squirreled away a bunch of 2005
Mustang GTs for investment purposes. That’s good, because the smart
short-term money plays with cars that have already reached collectible
status and have a proven track record. That said, as a guy who loves
big horsepower and performance, my best advice is to live in this
moment.
These are incredible times for guys like us. $60k can get you a
200-mph, 662-hp Mustang right off the showroom floor, and the
phenomenon will not last. Just like 1972, at some point the music is
going to stop. So if you want to experience modern muscle, do it now.
Do it because you will enjoy driving it, and if you decide to hang on
to that modern supercar for 20-plus years and it appreciates, you win.
Twice.A
November-December 2012 39
Page 38
PROFILE CORVETTE
1965 CHEVROLET CORVETTE 396/425 COUPE
Drive it like you stole it
There are
no claims of
originality,
no
documents,
and no
Bloomington
or NCRS
awards to
display. This
is a driver
Chassis number: 194375S104416
by Jim Pickering
of its restoration in 2002, which included refinishing
it in the original color combination of Nassau Blue
with a blue interior. Mechanical details include the
professionally built 396-ci engine (suitable for running
on pump gasoline), a rebuilt 4-speed transmission and
rebuilt brakes.
I
40 AmericanCarCollector.com
40 AmericanCarCollector.com
ACC Analysis This 1965 Corvette, Lot F193,
er’s premium, at Mecum’s Monterey auction in
Monterey, CA, on August 17, 2012.
When it comes to classic Corvettes, the market
favors cars with documentation and original equipment.
Cars with NCRS awards and Bloomington Gold
certification tend to bring some of the highest prices,
with buyers hunting the most-original and bestdocumented
examples available, down to date-coded
hoses and original alternators.
What the NCRS and Bloomington Gold have
both done for the Corvette hobby can’t be stressed
enough — the hobby now places great appreciation on
Corvettes as historic automobiles, thanks to the efforts
of these organizations, which is something that you
sold for $48,760, including buy-
n its first year of production, the 396/425-hp
big-block-equipped 1965 Chevrolet Corvette
was at its rarest in coupe form, a fact that today
makes this beautiful example a rare find. It has
been driven just 2,200 miles since the completion
didn’t see even 15 years ago. Special consideration
is now given to cars that are as they were when they
rolled out of the St. Louis plant on the day they were
built. Collectors know and appreciate what a car
“typical of factory production” looks like, and when it
comes to value, buyers now pay premiums for proper,
original-style finishes over glossy restorations. That’s
quite an achievement.
But there’s a time and a place for everything,
and while I appreciate originality, I also think that
Corvettes were meant to be driven. And by driven, I
mean right on the edge of reason, with the rear end
hanging out wide, the rear tires belching white smoke,
and the engine in full 3,500-rpm song. That’s why my
neighbors hate me, and it’s why I love this ’65.
Bigger, badder, brutal
The big block made its Corvette debut in 1965.
Rated at 425 hp, the 396 was the most powerful
Corvette engine to date, featuring a solid-lifter cam,
11:1 compression, large-port heads, an aluminum
intake, and a Holley 4-bbl carburetor. The package
also included a domed hood, which instantly tipped
everyone off to what was underneath it. By 1966,
displacement grew to 427 cubes, making the L78 a
one-year Corvette option.
This was the only year in which both the fuel-injected
small-block and the big-block were available at
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Page 39
ACC
Digital Bonus
the same time. Most buyers went
for brute 396 power over the
sophistication of the injected 327
mill — by a factor of more than
two to one — which helped spell
the end of Corvette injection and
the rise of the 396, 427, and 454s
that would come to define the
muscle era, at least for GM and
the Corvette.
Other ’65 firsts included
standard four-wheel disc brakes,
available sidepipes, and optional
teak steering wheels — imagine
a midyear Corvette and I’d be
willing to bet the car you’re
visualizing in your head has all
three. Our subject car does, too.
Consider that a bonus.
A driver’s car
The market currently places
the value of a good #2 condition
L78 coupe at between $69,000 and $131,000,
depending on options and condition. This car was a
lot cheaper but appears to be in pretty good shape.
What’s going on here?
Well, as I mentioned before, originality and factory-
style restorations tend to bring the most money at
auction. And this car, while nice, is a mix of things.
There are no claims of originality, no photos of documentation,
and no Bloomington or NCRS awards on
display. We don’t even know if it was a big-block car
to begin with. It’s a driver’s car — it looks generally
right but can actually be used without the owner having
to worry about tearing up an original. The price
paid reflected all that.
Underhood, there are both original-style and
modern-style hose clamps, an oiled K&N-style air
filter element, missing ignition shielding, and more.
And that 396 isn’t stock inside either — the Mecum
copy is clear that it’s been built to run on pump gas,
which means no 11:1 compression slugs. They’ve
probably been replaced with some that come in closer
to 9.5:1 or 10:1. But modern cam and head technology
can make up a lot of what you’d lose by dropping
static compression by a point or so, which means
there’s no reason to believe this 396 won’t scream like
an original. It may even be faster, depending on what
was done to it, and it’ll run on pump premium fuel.
Those are also bonuses for a car you’re driving in the
modern world.
The car has also been fitted with aftermarket salt-
flat-style rims and fresh radial rubber, and inside, a
modern stereo and a Hurst shifter have been fitted.
All of this was done in the name of usability and style
over originality, and since almost every Corvette wore
aftermarket rims at some time in its life, the look is not
all that jarring.
Dump the clutch
As it sits, this is no candidate for a preservation
award and no totem to which other Corvette restorations
need aspire. It’s just a great driver with good
options, a great engine, and a lot of street cred. This
is the kind of car you buy and drive to Hot August
Nights, or drive to work for an entire summer, rain or
shine. Why? Because you can.
It’s not that you wouldn’t be
able to do those things with
an award winner or preserved
original, it’s just that you
probably wouldn’t want to for
fear of damaging its value in
one way or another. And while
knowing how Corvettes looked
and felt from the factory is
critically important in today’s
hobby, so is knowing what it
was like to use one the way they
were intended to be used. That
includes the waves, smiles, and
shaking fists you’re sure to get
when driving one properly. In
my book, $48k is a deal for a
sparkly example with a 396,
a 4-speed, and a great look,
original or not. Well bought.
A
(Introductory description
courtesy of Mecum Auctions.)
November-December 2012
41CC
41
1965 Chevrolet Corvette
396/425 coupe
Detailing
Year produced: 1965
Number produced: 23,564
total (all Corvettes), 2,157
L78s
Current ACC Valuation:
$69,000–$131,000
Tune up/major service: $200
Distributor cap: $19.99
Chassis #: VIN tag under
glovebox door, on engine
pad surface, driver’s
side upper frame rail and
transmission case
Engine #: Block pad on passenger’s
front of engine,
below cylinder head
Club: NCRS
More: www.ncrs.org
Alternatives: 1967 Chevrolet
Camaro SS 396, 1968
Plymouth Road Runner,
1968 Pontiac GTO
ACC Investment Grade: A
Comps
Original list price: $4,984 (as
equipped)
1965 Chevrolet Corvette
396/425 coupe
Lot S112, S/N
194375S122155
Condition: 1Sold
at $92,750
Mecum Auctions, St Charles,
IL, 6/22/2012
ACC# 202132
Lot 686, S/N 194375S111131
Condition: 2+
Sold at $77,000
Barrett-Jackson, Palm Beach,
FL, 4/4/2012
ACC# 197717
1965 Chevrolet Corvette
396/425 coupe
Lot S93, S/N 194375S116796
Condition: 2+
Not sold at $125,000
Mecum Auctions, St Charles,
IL, 6/25/2010
ACC# 164720
Page 40
PROFILE GM
1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR FUELIE CONVERTIBLE
Best of the best in a ’50s icon
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
To some,
it’s a fond
memory, and
to others, it’s
a car-culture
icon. There’s
collector
value in both,
but the dollar
amounts
placed on
them aren’t
the same
Chassis number: VC57B186830
by Tom Glatch
fender-skirt bright trim, dual antennas, driver’s spotlight
mirror, spinner wheel covers, wide whitewalls
and Continental kit, the car has the looks to back up
Chevy’s top-performing production engine.
Other features include power steering, power top,
T
42 AmericanCarCollector.com
42 AmericanCarCollector.com
tissue dispenser, in-dash clock and Wonderbar radio.
ACC Analysis This 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
Fuelie convertible, Lot 213, sold
for $127,200, including buyer’s premium, at Mecum’s
Monterey auction in Monterey, CA, on August 17,
2012.
For decades, Chevrolet and Ford battled in
the showroom for the title of best-selling brand in
America. By 1956, that brawl had spilled out onto
racetracks across the nation.
As the popularity of stock-car racing spread in the
early 1950s — NASCAR in the Deep South and MidAtlantic
states, AAA/USAC in the Midwest — manufacturers
became increasingly involved. While the
championships the Hudson Hornet earned from 1951
to 1954 did little to save that company, the dominance
of the Hemi-powered Chrysler 300s in 1955 and 1956
served notice that Chrysler was no longer a company
his fabulously restored 1957 Chevrolet Bel
Air convertible has it all: gorgeous Matador
Red paint, full dress inside and out and the
rare FJ-code 283/250-hp fuel-injected V8
and Powerglide automatic drivetrain.
With its fender skirts, optional extra rocker and
building boring automobiles. Both Chevrolet and Ford
joined the fray in 1956.
Competition and the power revolution
In advance of the ’57 racing season, Chevrolet
made this modest announcement: “Chevy explodes the
biggest auto news of 1957 — Fuel Injection! Ramjet
fuel injection, optional at extra cost on any Chevrolet
model, offers constant-flow port injection, choice of
250 or 283 hp.”
Chevrolet also set up the Southern Engineering and
Development Company (SEDCO), a company led by
former Hudson racing director Vince Piggins, to build
a number of race cars based on the Chevy 150 sedan.
Dubbed the “Black Widows,” the stripped-down
sedans were powered by Chevy’s new 283-hp Fuelie.
Not to be outdone, Ford countered with a special
Fairlane of their own, powered by the new F-code
312-ci V8 equipped with a McCulloch supercharger.
Ford’s president, Robert McNamara, ordered 100
F-code cars to be built to counter Chevy’s performance
threat.
Ironically, the Black Widow Chevys and the F-code
Fords got to race only once — NASCAR laid down
new rules to stop the madness on February 20, 1957,
mandating just one 4-barrel carburetor.
Outside of stock car racing, fuel-injected Chevys
competed in the 1957 Daytona Speed Weeks. In Class
4 (213 to 259 ci) they won the first three places in the
flying mile; in Class 5 (259 to 305 ci) they took 33
Page 41
ACC
Digital Bonus
out of 37 places. Then in March 1957,
fuel-injected Corvettes finished 1-2 in
the GT class at the Sebring 12 Hours,
Corvette’s first victory on the international
stage.
Hotter performers,
wer sellers
s the era of “Win on Sunday,
nday.” But Chevrolet’s exochester
FI systems were slow
pted in the showrooms. At the
7, a total of 1,530 units were
talled in full-sized Chevys,
ostly in “Sweet, Smooth, and
assy” Bel Air coupes. But
ere were a few convertibles
nd Nomads with the option.
orvettes received another
040, while 630 were installed on Pontiac’s
agship Bonneville.
Most Chevys and Corvettes had the
283-hp version, with 10.5:1 compression,
mechanical lifters, wild cam, and 3-speed
anual transmission. Less popular was
e 250-hp fuel-injected option, with lower
ression, hydraulic lifters and cam, and the
owerglide automatic. That’s the powerplant
ured Bel Air convertible.
er understood the logic behind the 250-hp
Fuelie. If you’re going to spend $484 for an engine
option, around 20% of the base price, wouldn’t you
buy the top performance version? That’s what most
Chevy and Corvette buyers did.
But in its defense, the 250-hp V8 is a much nicer
option for everyday driving, as it idles smooth and is
easier to start. Yet anytime the owner of one of these
cars opened the hood, they instantly had the same
bragging rights as the higher-spec cars, because
externally, both engines basically look the same.
Out of 1,530 full-sized ’57 Chevys with fuel injec-
tion, just 68 250-hp Bel Air convertibles were built. So
our subject car is a rare machine, even if it isn’t the
highest-performing example from its era.
Detailing
Years produced: 1955–57
Number produced: 68 (250hp
’57 Fuelie convertibles)
Original list price: $4,142
Current ACC Valuation:
$80,000–$165,000 (fuel
injection)
Engine #: Pad on front of
block below right cylinder
head
Club: Tri Chevy Association
More: trichevy.org
Alternatives: 1957 Ford
Fairlane F-code, 1957
Dodge D-500, 1957
Plymouth Fury
Fins, Fuelie units and Americana
Perhaps no American automobile is more iconic
than the ’57 Bel Air. The design itself it pure 1950s
— straight out of Harley Earl’s fintastic GM styling
department, and complete with gun-sight hood
ornaments, extensive chrome, and of course, those
fins. These cars were stylish, fast and affordable, and
because of that, their collector value has traditionally
been high among buyers who grew up in the era when
’57s were the cruisers of choice. Add fuel injection,
and you have a rare, highly desirable combination.
This car is pure Americana — to some, it’s a fond
memory, and to others, it’s a car-culture icon. There’s
collector value in both, but the dollar amounts placed
on them aren’t the same.
In 2010 a fuel-injected Bel Air sedan from RM’s sale
of the Milt Robson Collection sold for $315,000, but
that was an exceptional car from a well-known collection.
283-hp convertibles have sold for as much as
$209k, and 250-hp ragtops for $167k. In 2011, we even
saw a carbureted Bel Air convertible sell for $121k.
Compared with those sales, this $127k sale of a welloptioned
and well-restored 250-hp Bel Air convertible,
painted the obligatory Matador Red, looks like a good
deal.
But it could be a sign of the times,
as we’re seeing a slow descent in
value from these cars’ long-lasting
value peak. Generally, a lot of collectors
who were willing to pay up
for these high-option examples aren’t
buying anymore, but selling. And the
buyers who have replaced them don’t
have the same personal connection
to these cars — they’re buying the
icon rather than the memory. That
transfers to the bottom line.
But if you’re a Tri-Five lover, this
is really the best spec for a drivable
example, even with that Powerglide
auto. And $127k for a car done to this
level is smack on the current market
level. I’d call it decently bought.
After all, it’s a “Sweet, Smooth, and
Sassy” ragtop with an iconic shape
and the soul of a racing champion.
A
(Introductory description courtesy
of Mecum Auctions.)
November-December 2012
43CC
43
ACC Investment Grade: A
Comps
Tune-up/major service: $275
Distributor cap: $31
Chassis #: Plate on the left
front door hinge pillar
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
convertible
283-ci 270-hp V8, 2x4-bbl
Lot S91, S/N VC57N126149
Condition: 2
Sold at $118,720
Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee,
FL, 1/24/2012
ACC# 192911
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
convertible
283-ci 220-hp V8, 4-bbl
Lot 344.3, S/N VC57S176150
Condition: 1Sold
at $88,000
Barrett-Jackson, Orange
County, CA, 6/25/2011
ACC# 182164
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
convertible
283-ci 283-hp Fuelie V8
Lot 232, S/N VC57L107202
Condition: 1
Sold at $209,000
RM Auctions, Gainesville, GA,
11/13/2010
ACC# 168388
Page 42
PROFILE FOMOCO
1963 FORD GALAXIE 500 XL CUSTOM HARD TOP
Offbeat and off the cool scale
This car’s
mild custom
work makes
it a one-off
creation, so
you might
as well toss
your price
guides out
the window
Chassis number: 3P67Z127673
by Dale Novak
cluding Ford Muscle Pick at the Goodguys Northwest
Nationals in 2011.
It was delivered from the factory in Rangoon Red
T
44 AmericanCarCollector.com
44 AmericanCarCollector.com
over red interior with a 390-ci big block and 4-speed
manual. Under the hood now lives a pro-built, stroked
428-ci Cobra Jet V8 that makes an estimated 650 hp.
ACC Analysis This car, Lot F216, sold for
$60,950, including the buyer’s
premium, at the Mecum Monterey sale in Monterey,
CA, on August 16–18, 2012.
Let’s get this out of the way straight off: Although
Ford Galaxies have a respectable following, they are,
for the most part, $15,000–$25,000 cars on a good
day. And that’s for a nice example fitted with a V8.
Grandma’s column-shift, bench-seat grocery getter
might only fetch $10,000 when it’s time to sell.
But that range doesn’t take into account some of
the more desirable editions such as convertibles,
Lightweights, and 406, 427 and 7-liter examples.
In 1963, Galaxie engine selections included a dizzy-
ing array of cubic inches. They ranged from a 223-ci
six-cylinder through 292-ci, 260-ci, 289-ci, 352-ci,
390-ci, and 406-ci V8s. Lastly, the rare R-code 427
was also available, with a published 425 hp. And a
fastback roofline (aka Sports Roof) was added midyear
to improve the styling and make the cars more
his ’63 Galaxie 500 XL is the product of a
meticulously finished, show-quality frameoff
restoration with an eye toward subdued
customization and increased performance.
It’s a multiple award and show winner, in-
competitive in the NASCAR circuit. So it didn’t really
matter who you were — there was a Galaxie to fit your
needs. And Ford sold 648,010 of them that year.
A customized “Boxtop”
Our subject car was born as a Rangoon Red
“Boxtop” Galaxie 500 XL fitted with a 390 and rare
4-speed transmission.
The engine and trans combination make this car
somewhat desirable, although both are now gone, and
the body isn’t at the top of the hot list of collectible
Fords the same way a 427-powered convertible would
be. But the builder did fit a pro-built 428 Cobra Jet
stroked to 465 ci and rated at 650 hp. The three-year
restoration also included adding a Tremec 5-speed
manual transmission, four-channel Air Ride suspension
and a full array of classic custom gauges.
The car was also featured in Street Rodder maga-
zine, which adds a modicum of provenance. Further,
it was the recipient of the Goodguys Northwest
Nationals Ford Muscle Pick in 2011, which means
it’s a shoo-in to collect trophies at the local Saturday
afternoon show-’n’-shine.
Burn your price guide
This car’s mild custom work makes it a one-off cre-
ation, so when it comes to putting a number on it, you
might as well toss your price guides out the window.
It’s not that the build isn’t repeatable — it is — it’s
just unique to this car and would be costly to duplicate.
The stance is just right, the engine selection
is superb, and that transmission will be great for
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Page 43
ACC
Digital Bonus
cruising. The Air Ride gives both a smooth
ride and control over the car’s ride height,
and the large 17-inch American Racing
wheels give the car a modern but uniquely
vintage look. There are several other
es on board as well, such as big 11isc
brakes, three-inch exhaust and
r steering, all of which should make
nd, stop, and handle a lot better than
C
Digital Bonus
cruising. The Air Ride gives both a smooth
ride and control over the car’s ride height,
and the large 17-inch American Racing
wheels give the car a modern but uniquely
vintage look. There are several other
es on board as well, such as big 11-
isc brakes, three-inch exhaust and
r steering, all of which should make
nd, stop, and handle a lot better than
So
So when you add it all up, this is
one bad machine, with the only
knocks being the notchback rear
window and a lack of a retro air
conditioning system. But $60k?
Can’t you buy a lot more car for
that same money?
What’s it worth?
Custom cars, depending on the build
quality and how far from stock they’ve traveled,
are subject to free market gravitation.
Take the wrong car and build it to SEMA
show standards, and you might as well have
invested your money in Enron. But take the
right car, with the right build, and you’ll
have yourself a car with a broader market
and more universal appeal. I’ve seen it up
close and personal — the wrong cars with fresh
-figure builds that fail to see half that money
n an auction block. Alternatively, build a car
s too radical and you might end up in the same
place, even if it’s a widely popular car, such as a 1969
Camaro.
Did this builder invest the right money in the wrong
car? Well, Galaxies aren’t as popular as Mustangs,
but I think this car’s Monterey buyer voted with his
wallet. And there were at least two bidders interested
enough to push the car to this price level. Add in the
Goodguys awards and magazine appearance and
you’ve got pretty solid evidence of this car’s cool
factor.
Dare to be different
Mustangs may be more popular than cars like this
Galaxie, but they rarely raise eyebrows at local car
shows. A lot of these Galaxies were built, but they
don’t have a huge following. But this car is just different
enough from the current norm to be well received
at a car show while still being easy to work on thanks
to a large parts supply. And therein lies the value, at
least for some people.
It doesn’t take a math genius to figure out that
it cost a whole pile of cash to get this car into this
configuration and quality level — probably a figure
far north of the selling price. The show-quality paint
and brightwork could easily have broken $20,000 on
their own.
If re-creating something like this would cost
more than the buyer spent here, was it a good buy?
Financially, it may be harder to sell than a similar
$60k Mustang because there are fewer buyers in the
market for Galaxies, and it’s important to note that
every mile put on it along with every new stone chip
will deteriorate the overall monetary value. So you
could call it well sold at this price and be done with it.
But the “cool factor” is certainly worth something.
That’s the head-turning component that makes people
stop and look when they walk past. And this car had
that in spades — it’s custom, it’s clean, and it’s cool.
And most importantly, it’s different. So all things
considered, I think we can call the price fair, as long
as the investment is measured in smiles per mile rather
than just the car’s future sales price, after a few sets of
tires and a handful of years have passed.
For now, the new owner should have tons of fun
terrorizing unsuspecting victims and wearing out his
hand with overzealous high-fives at the Biff Burger.
I hope he drives it, enjoys it, and always has a new
microfiber towel to wipe off the drool. Well bought and
sold. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Mecum
Auctions.)
1963 Chevrolet Impala SS
“Sportsroof”
Detailing
Years produced: 1959–74
Number produced: 648,010
(all 1963 Galaxie models)
Original list price:
$2,610–$3,625
Current ACC Valuation:
$40k–$60k (this car)
Tune-up cost: $200 (as
configured)
Distributor cap: $25
Chassis #: On tab on right
side of firewall under hood
Club: www.galaxieclub.com
Alternatives: 1963 Chevrolet
Impala, 1963 Ford Fairlane
500, 1963 Plymouth Sport
Fury
Engine #: (390) Passenger
side of block, behind
starter (casting number
only)
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
1963 Ford Galaxie 500
Lot S12, S/N 3N63F119801
Condition: 3+
Sold at $19,080
Mecum Auctions, St. Paul,
MN, 6/22/2012
ACC# 202191
1963 Ford Galaxie 500 XL
convertible
Lot SP123, S/N 3J69X188983
Condition: 1Sold
at $32,080
Collector Car Productions,
Toronto, ONT, 10/21/2011
ACC# 187793
Lot S141, S/N 31847A111787
Condition: 1Sold
at $97,520
Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee,
FL, 1/24/2012
ACC# 192823
November-December 2012
45CC
45
Page 44
PROFILE MOPAR
1971 DODGE CHARGER R/T 440
Bargain muscle in a ’70s wrapper
As prices
for ’60s cars
have gotten
out of reach
for many
buyers, these
early ’70s
cars can be a
real bargain
Chassis number: WS23U1A146689
by Tom Glatch
with a Galen Govier report as well as other related
paperwork. It is in excellent overall condition inside
and out, with excellent panel fit, paint, upholstery and
a well-detailed engine bay and chassis.
T
46 AmericanCarCollector.com
46 AmericanCarCollector.com
ACC Analysis This 1971 Charger R/T, Lot 4127,
sold for $36,300, including buy-
er’s premium, at Auctions America by RM’s Auburn
Fall auction in Auburn, IN, on September 1, 2012.
In 1969, Dodge sold 19,298 of the swift, stylish
Charger R/T models. In 1970, that same car sold 9,509
units, and in 1971, just 2,659. Those disappointing
numbers might imply that the ’71 was a much lesser
vehicle than previous Chargers. But the numbers don’t
tell the whole story.
The R/T model was the performance leader of the
Dodge Charger lineup in 1971, along with the Super
Bee. The base engine was the mighty 440-ci V8,
sporting a single 4-barrel carb delivering 375 hp. You
could also order the 390-hp and Six-Pack and even the
legendary 426 Hemi.
Whatever the engine, you backed it up with either a
4-speed manual or the excellent 3-speed TorqueFlite
automatic. This was the same basic powertrain that
powered Chrysler’s other muscle cars, the Plymouth
his 1971 Dodge Charger is believed to have
been a one-owner vehicle until purchased by
the current owner in 2011.
One of only 332 believed to have been
built, this desirable 4-speed car is being sold
Road Runner and, until 1971, the Dodge Coronet R/T,
as well as the Barracuda and Challenger. And while
the sheet metal was different, underneath was the
same tried-and-true “B-Body” platform that had been
around since 1962.
An all-new look
Design chief Bill Brownlie and his team gave
the 1971 Charger a totally new design, with sleek
“fuselage” styling that looked much different from
the former models while keeping familiar Charger
design cues. Car and Driver magazine commented,
“A Dodge Charger? A piece of sculpture? Brownlie
and his associates have come up with the best-styled
new car for 1971… The Charger comes off as anything
but a styling compromise. Not only is it apparent to
people viewing the car from the outside, but the driver
is aware that he is controlling something far from
normal as well.”
The 10 cars that Motor Trend nominated for its 1971
Car of the Year award were filled with the new compacts
launched that year — Pinto, Vega, and Gremlin
— as well as the Riviera/Toronado luxo-barges and
Camaro/Firebird and Mustang/Cougar Pony cars.
But they included the ’71 Charger, the only tradi-
tional muscle car of the group, saying “It was evident,
after the initial success of the ’68–’70 Chargers, the
Dodge stylists would have to burn some midnight oil
to create a fresh approach that would again make
Charger something unique in an industry where very
Page 45
ACC
Digital Bonus
little is unique. As far as the Motor
Trend staff is concerned, they succeeded,
and won a nomination... The
Charger will be examined in the Ride
and Drive, in order to determine
’ supercar
ey in comcars.
There
ar didn’t
hat was the
rand new
C
Digital Bonus
little is uni
C
Digital Bonus
little is unique. As far as the Motor
Trend staff is concerned, they suc-
ceeded, and won a nomination... The
Charger will be examined in the Ride
and Drive, in order to determine
’ supercar
ey in com-
cars. There
ar didn’t
hat was the
rand new
nd
nd new
me
as still
ast for
. Car and
ded 0–60
conds and
r-mile in
t 95.7 mph
ped with
m and 3-speed TorqueFlite
ile Motor Trend saw similar
s not ’68 Hemi Road Runner
hen again, the Charger had
reature comforts, while the
y bare-bones, lightweight, all-
Digital Bonus
little is unique. As far as the Motor
Trend staff is concerned, they suc-
ceeded, and won a nomination... The
Charger will be examined in the Ride
and Drive, in order to determine
’ supercar
ey in com-
cars. There
ar didn’t
hat was the
rand new
nd new
me
as still
ast for
. Car and
ded 0–60
conds and
r-mile in
t 95.7 mph
ped with
m and 3-speed TorqueFlite
ile Motor Trend saw similar
s not ’68 Hemi Road Runner
hen again, the Charger had
reature comforts, while the
y bare-bones, lightweight, all-
ThThe
Charger R/T was a very good car for its time,
but the times were a changin’. Motor Trend chose
Chevy’s Vega as their 1971 Car of the Year, a true sign
that the automotive climate was not what it was just
two or three years before.
And while Dodge had an excellent year selling
more than 60,000 Chargers, only about 10% were
performance R/T or Super Bee models. Clearly,
America’s love affair with the muscle car was over.
Safety concerns were taking the fun out of these cars,
with insurance rates going over $1,500 annually for
someone with a blemished record — almost half the
cost of the car itself.
Plus, the American economy was also falling into
a recession, making the purchase of these cars more
difficult to justify. Finally, our soldiers returning from
Vietnam were coming back older and wiser, and as
many were settling down and getting married, they
were trading their fast toys for family transportation.
The last of its kind
In today’s market, the 1971 performance cars are
often viewed with the same disdain as other ’70s-era
vehicles. But the ’71 Charger R/T is much more a classic
’60s muscle machine than a wanna-be ’78 Volaré
Road Runner. That means, as prices for the ’60s cars
have gotten out of reach for many buyers, these early
’70s cars can be a real bargain, although with the
exception of the Pontiac Firebird, 1971 was pretty
much the last year for real performance.
We’ve seen Hemi-powered ’71 Chargers reach the
$315,000 mark, and the nearly-as-rare 440 Six-Pack
’71s touch $82,500, but that was in the pre-meltdown
market. Today, $36,300 for a well-restored Charger
R/T, powered by the standard 440 4-bbl, painted in
popular “Plum Crazy,” verified by Mopar expert
Galen Govier, is a very fair price.
Yes, that’s a bargain for a distinctive-looking
muscle car, but that’s about all the current market will
bear for circa-1971 performance. This is the perfect
car for someone scared away by ’60s prices — just
don’t expect ’60s-like values in the future. Well bought
and sold. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Auctions
America by RM.)
1971 Dodge Charger R/T 440
Lot 840, S/N
WS23U1G133453
Condition: 2Sold
at $28,890
Kruse International, Fort
Lauderdale, FL, 1/5/2007
ACC# 43910
1971 Dodge Charger
R/T Hemi
Lot S150, S/N
WS23R1A160359
Condition: 2
Not sold at $90,000
Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee,
FL, 1/24/2012
ACC# 192844
Detailing
Year produced: 1971
Number produced: 2,659
Original list price: $3,783
Current ACC Valuation:
$26,000–$57,000
Tune-up/major service: $150
Distributor cap: $23
Chassis #: VIN plate on the
driver’s side instrument
panel behind windshield
Engine #: Pad located on
the right side of the block
to the rear of the engine
mount
Club: Walter P. Chrysler Club
More: www.chryslerclub.org
Alternatives: 1971 Plymouth
Road Runner and GTX,
1971 Pontiac GTO Judge,
1971 Chevrolet Chevelle
SS 454.
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
1971 Dodge Charger R/T 440
Lot 93, S/N WS23V1A143623
Condition: 2
Sold at $75,900
Worldwide Auctioneers,
Houston, TX, 5/3/2008
ACC# 116619
November-December 2012
November-December 2012
47
Page 46
PROFILE HOT ROD & CUSTOM
1952 ASTRA COUPE
Entry-level price for a trend-setter
1953
domestic
production
cars were
slab-sided
and
predictable.
In
comparison,
the Astra was
a shocker
Chassis number: WA94173298
by Ken Gross
W
48
AmericanCarCollector.com
hen Jay Everett unveiled his hand-built
coupe at the Petersen Motorama in
1953, it marked a new direction in
custom cars.
At the time, most American
customizers were basing their work on pre-existing
cars from Detroit. Everett took the more difficult and
more rewarding path of building his own full-bodied
creation from scratch, and that new approach made a
huge impact, evidenced by coverage in virtually every
major custom and hot-rod publication of the time.
The car officially bore the Astra name upon its rein-
troduction by Everett in 1956. It also featured a number
of refinements to the original design, including fresh
new blue paint applied at George Barris’s shop.
The Astra coupe proved to be the beginning of Jay
Everett’s great career in design, the fruit of a skilled
and imaginative young man’s will to self-expression
and excellence that presaged his later accomplishments.
ACC Analysis This 1952 Astra Coupe, Lot S164,
sold for $45,580, including buy-
er’s premium, at the Mecum Monterey auction in
Monterey, CA, on August 18, 2012.
When this radical coupe, with its superb long hood/
short deck proportions, debuted at the 1953 Petersen
Motorama in Los Angeles, it was considered really far
out.
At that time, creative customizers like the Barris
and Ayala brothers were chopping and de-chroming
’49-to-’51 Ford and Mercury coupes; new fiberglass
bodies were becoming available from companies
such as Glasspar, Woodill and Kellison, and the only
American-built “sports cars” you could buy were the
expensive and powerful Kurtis, the underpowered
Kaiser-Darrin, the wimpy six-cylinder Chevrolet
Corvette and the diminutive Crosley Hotshot. So this
futuristic fastback, packing a lusty 303-ci Oldsmobile
Rocket V8, was pretty hot.
Not your average ride
Think about what 1953 domestic production cars
looked like: slab-sided, predictable, hardly edgy. Now
put the low, lithe Astra in the picture. It was a shocker.
Nothing about the Astra resembled typical
American car construction. Instead, Everett commissioned
Paul Koontz to build a sturdy frame out of
two-and-three-eighths-inch steel tubing. He then fabricated
a steel armature in the exact shape he wanted,
after which metal wizards Jack Sutton and Dennis
Powers carefully formed and welded the Astra’s alloy
skin components over the latticed structure.
The Astra employed conventional Ford straight
axles — a tubular front (probably a 1938 Ford) and
a conventional ’48 Ford rear end, but with a clever
adjustable spring perch that was serrated so the
suspension height could be adjusted. The brakes were
Chris Kelley, courtesy of Fantasy Junction
Page 47
ACC
Digital Bonus
self-energizing units from a Lincoln.
Asked why his car differed so radically from
the efforts of other custom car builders, then-25year-old
Jay Everett told a Hot Rod Magazine
interviewer in 1954, “I’m tired of looking at lead
barges.”
Future shock
Many of the Astra’s futuristic design elements
found their way onto later show and production
cars. Its pointy fins presaged those on
Lincolns like the Futura showcar and production
Premiere; the unique press-flap door handles
would later surface on the C3 Corvette. The fastback
roofline appeared on the Chrysler Norseman
and the American Motors Marlin. And the tilt-up
hood, if not unique, was certainly unusual for the
time.
Jay Everett revised and updated the Astra sev-
eral times, then sold it in the late 1950s. The car’s
intriguing history was recounted in a detailed story by
Chris Shelton that appeared in Rod & Custom in June
and July 2009. It’s a great read.
Gone, but not forgotten
During the course of his research, Shelton learned
that a Barris acquaintance named Dick Hoy bought
the Astra from Everett, and it was likely painted dark
blue at Barris’s shop.
It’s not known exactly when the next owner, Johnny
Morris, purchased the coupe. He stored the car in a
crowded backyard stash in Rosemead that was filled
with other cars. Exposed to the elements under an
open-roofed lean-to, the Astra deteriorated badly.
In 1979, Fred Torrisi bought it. Torrisi’s daughter
Brandy inherited the Astra in 1990 when her father
died. Unable to restore it and facing mounting storage
bills, she sold the Astra to Spokane artist Jeff Allison
in 2004.
Allison wanted to restore the car, but the extensive
work needed was daunting and beyond his budget.
J.F. Launier, owner of JF Customs in Osoyoos, British
Columbia, undertook the Astra’s comprehensive
10-month restoration for his customer Barry Blomme.
When it was completed, the Astra debuted at Paso
Robles in 2007; the connection was made there with
Jay Everett’s brother and Jay’s daughter. After more
than half a century, the radical coupe had come full
circle.
The Astra subsequently appeared at an RM auction
in 2010, where its owner turned down a bid for
$120,000, no doubt thinking that sum was far too low
for a freshly restored, wonderfully historic custom.
Later that year, at another RM Auction, the Astra sold
for $60,000.
Last summer at Mecum’s Monterey sale, it sold for
a relatively low $45,580, probably much less than the
cost to restore it.
Deal or no deal?
Compared with auction results for historic custom
cars such as the ex-Fred Rowe Mercury or the exRichard
Bosley sports coupe, $45k is a screaming
deal. The Astra has everything going for it: a famous
designer and builders, beaucoup magazine features
and car show records back in the day, well-known
history, ground-breaking styling, interesting engineering,
and a high-quality restoration.
Chris Shelton wrote: “In that May ’56 Rod &
Custom, Jay’s car made a splash that rippled for
decades.” Shelton praised the Jay Everett masterpiece
saying, “Whereas custom cars defined the era, the
Astra was far beyond custom in the sense that it wasn’t
a manipulation of an existing dream ... it was, on the
other hand, a unique expression of its owner, who
merely used a few parts from production cars.”
Sam Murtaugh from Mecum Auctions added, “The
Astra coupe hammered sold at $43,000 during our
auction in Monterey, which I suppose could be considered
a bargain...but I look at it as fair market value.
It’s nearly impossible to put a true estimate of value on
a one-of-one hand-built car.”
“The car was offered with reserve, and the seller
accepted the high bid,” Murtaugh said, “which means
the auction process worked. It looks like the winning
bidder hails from Europe and felt that $43,000 was
money well spent on a piece of automotive art.”
So what’s the problem?
Then and now, the Astra was just a little far out
for most people. Chris Shelton called it “...one of the
most underappreciated icons of its time,” and I agree.
I thought the car could have sold for double or even
triple its final bid. It still looks very contemporary, and
that’s more than you can say for a chopped Mercury.
Don’t get me wrong, a hammered Merc done right is
a great-looking car, but there were plenty of those.
There’s only one Astra. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Mecum
Auctions.)
November-December 2012
49
Detailing
Year produced: 1952
Number produced: One
Original list price: N/A
Current ACC Valuation:
$40k-plus
Tune-up cost: $200
Distributor cap: $100
Chassis #: N/A
Engine #: Stamped on pad on
left side of block, toward
the rear
Club: Kustom Kemps of
America (KKOA), the
oldest custom-car club;
likely would be welcome at
Goodguys or NSRA
Alternatives: None, really.
Nothing compares to a
historic custom at this price
ACC Investment Grade: A
Comps
1951 Mercury Custom
convertible
Lot 825, S/N 51LA39108M
Condition: 2
Sold at $423,500
RM Auctions, Boca Raton, FL,
2/15/2012
ACC# 192795
1952 Astra Coupe
(Profile car)
Lot 242, S/N WA94173298
Condition: 2+
Not sold at $120,000
RM Auctions, Phoenix, AZ,
1/21/2010
ACC# 155131
1953 Bosley Mk I GT
Lot 352, S/N 1
Condition: 1
Sold at $233,500
Brooks, Carmel, CA,
8/18/2000
ACC# 10411
Page 48
PROFILE CLASSIC
1928 CADILLAC “AL CAPONE” SERIES 341A
Capone car price hits bull’s-eye
This car
has a great
history, but
it’s only
worth what
someone
will pay
for it
Engine number: 306449
by Carl Bomstead
beyond reasonable doubt until now.
Thorough documentation begins with the purchase
T
50 AmericanCarCollector.com
50 AmericanCarCollector.com
of this 1928 Cadillac by Harry LaBreque in May
of 1933 from Patrick Moore. According to Moore’s
daughter, her parents purchased the car from an agent
in Chicago with whom they believed it had been
placed by Capone. The Moores worked with a traveling
carnival, where they exhibited the Cadillac.
The ownership history after the purchase by
LeBreque is well known and heavily documented,
including its display at the Southland-On-Sea amusement
park in England. It was restored in the late ’50s,
when most of the heavy plating was removed but the
other features, including the bulletproof glass and
drop-down rear window, were retained.
In 2008, Richard Capatran, then 93 years old,
recalled that he had helped his father install armor
plating on Al Capone’s Cadillac. The car was delivered
new to the shop, and 3,000 pounds of asbestoswrapped
steel plate was installed along with inch-thick
bulletproof glass and a rear window that dropped
he continuous history of this 1928 Cadillac
V8 Town Sedan has been established since
1932. While the provenance of the “Al
Capone” armored Cadillac has never been
questioned, its origins were never confirmed
quickly to allow the occupants to fire on would-be
pursuers. Upon seeing the Cadillac, Capatran stated,
“This is without a doubt the same car that was worked
on in my dad’s shop.”
ACC Analysis This 1928 Cadillac V8 “Al
Capone” Town Sedan, Lot 152,
sold for $341,000, including buyer’s premium, at RM’s
St. John’s sale on July 28, 2012.
Al Capone and “The Outfit” required special
transportation as they managed their business — a
business that was estimated to generate $100 million
annually from liquor and prostitution. Expansion was
at the expense of competitors, and rubbing them out
was the method of choice.
Violence and retaliation continued through the late
1920s and culminated in the famed St. Valentine’s Day
Massacre, in which seven of “Bugs” Moran’s boys
were gunned down for hijacking The Outfits’ booze
trucks.
The armored Cadillacs
In 1927, Capone reportedly survived an assas-
sination attempt, and he wisely determined that his
vehicles should receive additional protection. His
brother-in-law was a Cadillac dealer, and at least two
Courtesy of RM Auctions
Page 49
ACC
Digital Bonus
1928 Cadillac Series 341As were
purchased and given the full
ballistic treatment.
They were fitted with bul-
letproof glass that was formed
by gluing four sheets of glass
together. They were further
modified so they could be raised
an extra couple of inches, allowing
access to a circular hole
large enough to accommodate
the muzzle of a machine gun.
They were fitted with 3,000
pounds of armor plating, and
the rear window dropped down.
Just the thing to support firing
on enemies while remaining
relatively safe inside.
The 1928 Cadillac 341A
produced only 90 horsepower,
and with the added weight of the armor plating and
heavier glass, it was certainly lacking in performance.
The Cadillac 341A was also used by the Chicago
Police, so Capone had his painted in the same black
and green colors and added lights and a siren. He also
installed a police-band receiver, reportedly the first
installed in a private vehicle.
Seizure and imprisonment
On October 7, 1931, Capone was convicted of tax
evasion, and his attempted bribery of the jury was discovered
by federal agent Eliot Ness. He was sentenced
to 11 years imprisonment, and many of his assets were
seized, including his newer Cadillac V16s and one of
the less-valuable V8 341As. Another, this car, was sold
to Harry LaBreque in 1933 by one of Capone’s agents
in Chicago.
The 1928 Cadillac that was seized played an
interesting role in later history. The day after Pearl
Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was to give
his Infamy Speech to Congress. However, the Secret
Service did not have a bulletproof car to safely transport
him, and one was needed, as we were now at war.
An agent realized Capone’s armored Cadillac had
been in the Treasury Department’s parking lot since
it was seized, and it was quickly pressed into service.
When the president was informed by a reporter where
the car came from, he was reported to have said, “I
hope Mr. Capone won’t mind.”
Capone as collectible
The 1928 Cadillac that Roosevelt used has disap-
peared, but our subject car has had an active life. In
2006, John O’Quinn bought the car for $621,500 at
RM’s January Phoenix sale. After his death, his estate
attempted to sell the car at RM’s Monterey 2010 sale,
but declined a $355,000 bid.
At first, that Monterey bid seems like it was well off
base considering what O’Quinn paid in 2006, but to
put things in perspective, Bonhams offered a far more
desirable 1930 Cadillac V16 at their August 2009
Quail Lodge sale in Carmel, CA. That car was also
documented to have been owned by Capone and had
received the full armor package as well. It sold for
$309,500.
What does that mean for our subject car? Well,
although the car has a great history tied to a notorious
figure in American pop culture, a car like this is
only worth what someone will pay for it. When John
O’Quinn bought this car in 2006, he paid a considerable
sum to own it, and finding another buyer willing
to pay the same money wasn’t going to be easy.
With the V16 sale and the Monterey bid on this car
both taken into account, I’d say the price paid here
was market-correct. The new owner has a car with a
great story, as well as one of the first armored cars
ever built. That ought to keep him smiling all the way
1930 Cadillac V16 Imperial
Armored 452
Ex-Al Capone
to the speakeasy. A
(Introductory description courtesy of RM Auctions.)
Lot 229, S/N 701617
Condition: 4+
Sold at $309,500
Bonhams, Carmel, CA,
8/14/2009
ACC# 142086
Detailing
Years produced: 1928
Number produced: 20,001
(total 1928 Cadillac
production)
Original list price: $3,395
Current ACC Valuation:
$300k–$340k
Major service: $200
Distributor cap: $75
Chassis #: N/A
Engine #: Plate on front of
dash and right side of
crankcase
Club: Classic Car Club of
America, Cadillac and
LaSalle Club
More: www.classiccarclub.org,
www.cadillaclasalleclub.
org
Alternatives: Capone’s
1930 V16 452 Imperial
Sedan, 1930 Cadillac 452
Madame X
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
1930 Cadillac 452 Madame X
Lot 34, S/N 702089
Condition: 1
Sold at $418,000
Dan Kruse Classics,
Smithville, TX, 3/3/2012
ACC# 196999
1934 Packard Twelve
Model 1107
Ex-Al Capone
Lot 54, S/N 73630
Condition: 2
Sold at $137,500
Worldwide Auctioneers,
Houston, TX, 5/3/2008
ACC# 116701
November-December 2012
September-October 2012 51
51CC
Page 50
PROFILE RACE
1969 FORD MUSTANG BOSS 429
Living up to the legend
Courtesy of Auctions America by RM
Is a
bone-stock,
documented
car more
valuable than
one with a
lifetime of
street cred?
Chassis number: 9F02Z171575
by Jay Harden
B
52
uilt to homologate the new 429 “semi-Hemi”
engine for NASCAR, the Boss 429 was the
most powerful Mustang ever and one of
the rarest as well. The engine, intentionally
under-rated at 375 horsepower, featured
a forged-steel crank, NASCAR rods, four-bolt main
bearing caps and large-valve aluminum heads with
crescent-shaped combustion chambers. A large
cold-air scoop fed a huge Holley carburetor atop an
aluminum high-rise intake manifold; breathing was
controlled by a hydraulic cam that was replaced partway
through production with an improved solid-lifter
version. All 429s were equipped with power steering
and brakes with front discs, a Hurst-shifted 4-speed
and 3.91 Traction-Lok rear end.
This white 1969 Boss 429 had a high-profile career
as a test bed and drag car for Custom Enterprises on
Long Island, NY, and was the focus of a feature article
in the February 1970 issue of Hot Cars magazine.
Disappointed by an initial test in their August 1969
issue, the editors visited Custom Enterprises and interviewed
this car’s owner, John Riedel, who had been
busy whipping the Boss into an 11.70 machine.
Riedel had fitted the car, which was capable of mid-
14s in stock trim, with 90/10 front shocks, a 1050 cfm
Holley 3-barrel, a 610-series Holman Moody cam kit
and 5.13 gears. The results spoke for themselves, and
the Hot Cars crew returned to counter their first story
with a glowing report of the big Boss’s lively new act.
Thirty-eight years later, the car shows just over
2,200 miles on the odometer and remains in its original
white with black décor group interior. The single
Holley 3-barrel has given way to twin Holley fours on
a dual tunnel-ram intake. The 4-speed shifter is still
AmericanCarCollector.com
there, along with the roll bar installed all those years
ago to meet SS/D rules.
ACC Analysis This 1969 Boss 429, Lot 4103, sold
for $145,750, including buyer’s
premium, at Auctions America by RM’s Auburn Fall
sale on August 30–September 2, 2012.
That price was well below the pre-auction estimate
of $150k–$200k, and about two-thirds the money
that fully detailed and restored models have recently
brought in the current market. Although this particular
example has reportedly navigated its way through
the past 43 years one quarter mile at a time, its value
may reach far beyond a dollar amount.
Oval track mill
The Boss 429 was put into production to fulfill
NASCAR’s homologation requirements, so a
minimum of 500 examples of Ford’s “semi-Hemi”
monster needed to find their way onto a production
line. Interestingly, Ford execs chose not to plant
the engine in the sales-lot version of the mid-sized
Torino, the model that would be powered by the Boss
on NASCAR’s super-speedways, but instead chose to
plunk 857 of the high-revving terrors into the cramped
confines of their ailing golden goose, the Mustang.
By 1970, production numbers for the Mustang had
dropped fairly dramatically since its booming introduction
only a few years prior. In just five years, the
car had grown in almost every quantifiable dimension,
and by 1969, it was being criticized for having grown
out without having grown up.
The simple, lightweight pony that had revolutionized
the industry had slowly morphed into a boy
Page 51
ACC
Digital Bonus
racer’s pinup, and in the process
had lost much of the broad
appeal that had made the car
an instant classic. With new
segment competitors threatening
to out-muscle the Mustang, Ford
desperately needed to provide
the horsepower-addicted public
with something new to be excited
about. Dropping in the 429
seemed like the perfect answer,
at least on paper.
A deserving legend?
Although the Boss has become
one of the most highly prized
heroes of the mountain motor
era, its initial performance was
somewhat less than deserving of
the legend it would come to inspire.
The implied performance
promised by the pairing of all
those cubes and a lightweight wrapper was foiled by a
simple confusion of purpose.
Detroit’s Big Three were battling for national
supremacy one stoplight at a time, and consumers
believed the Boss to be a mighty quarter-mile weapon.
However, the Boss 429 was designed for an entirely
different purpose. The big engine was bred to rev,
and inherently lacked the dramatic low-end punch
that critics expected. Lackluster performance was
even more dramatic in the earliest ’69 cars, due to the
installation of improper valve springs that severely
limited the engine’s ability to find the revs it so desperately
needed.
According to the literature associated with our sale,
this car’s original owner began clarifying his purpose
almost immediately after taking possession. The
addition of a new cam, carb, shocks, and gears immediately
and dramatically lifted the Boss’s performance,
dropped its E.T., and earned it a legitimate magazine
feature, but at what long-term expense?
A reason to believe
The Boss 429 earns the big bucks for two basic
reasons: exclusivity and legacy. Ford ensured the
Boss’ exclusivity with low, although by no means
ultra-low, production numbers. The Boss’s legacy, that
most elusive and intoxicating factor of value, required
Detailing
Years produced: 1969–70
Number produced: 857
(1969), 500 (1970)
Original list price: $4,798
Current ACC Valuation:
$175,000–$220,000
Tune-up cost: $500
Distributor cap: $17
Chassis #: Kar Kraft number
on foil decal on inside of
driver’s door above Ford
VIN/trim tab
Engine #: Kar Kraft number
on rear of engine block
Club: Mustang Club of
America
More: www.mustang.org
Alternatives: 1970–71
Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda,
1969–70 Ford Mustang
428 SCJ, 1969 Chevrolet
Camaro ZL1
significantly more effort to establish.
Performances, real or exaggerated, by lightly
modified cars such as our subject surely contributed
heavily to that legacy. Because underperformers, as
the early Bosses surely were, are rarely forgiven in the
lexicon of collectible automobiles, the value of proven
cars that actually deliver what the manufacturers
implied may be historically more important than many
of us are willing to admit.
Is a bone-stock, no-mileage, fully documented car
more valuable than one with a lifetime of street cred
and a penchant for punishment? Absolutely. But the
real question should be, where does the line between
a stock underachiever and a sorted-out, mostly stock
monster blur?
Is our subject Boss 429 mostly stock with the most
important bits accounted for? You bet. Will it completely
humiliate a stocker that cost 50% to 75% more
where it really counts, in a straight line? I’d be willing
to bet the farm on it.
Was it a good buy?
While our car’s value may be at the lower end of the
Boss spectrum, there is absolutely no reason to expect
that value to decrease in the foreseeable future. So as
a usable high-performance Boss, this was a deal at the
price paid.
I wouldn’t advise the new owner
to shell out the cash for a restoration
any time soon, especially if the car
has as much life left in it as appears
on the surface. But there will come
a time when he’ll have to make that
call. And it’ll be an expensive decision,
as there will undoubtedly be
some rare missing pieces he’ll need
to source to make it as right as some
of the other top-dollar cars we’ve
seen lately.
But until that time, the new owner
has a real Boss 429 that can annihilate
rubber and devour city blocks at
a rate worthy of its reputation. And
of Auctions America by RM.)
November-December 2012
53
isn’t that the whole point? A
(Introductory description courtesy
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429
Lot S726, S/N 9F02Z150456
Condition: 2Sold
at $253,000
Russo and Steele, Scottsdale,
AZ, 1/18/2012
ACC# 191661
ACC Investment Grade: A
Comps
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429
Lot F319, S/N 9F02Z150471
Condition: 1-
Not sold at $275,000
Mecum Auctions, Indianapolis,
IN, 5/15/2012
ACC# 201856
1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429
Lot 36, S/N 0F02Z17929
Condition: 2
Sold at $222,000
Worldwide Auctioneers,
Atlantic City, NJ, 2/24/2012
ACC# 192981
Page 52
PROFILE TRUCK
1942 DODGE WC56 MILITARY COMMAND CAR
A front-line collectible
Why so
expensive?
Call it star
factor.
Everyone
wants to be
a general,
not a private
Serial number: 20351803S
by B. Mitchell Carlson
• Genuine military Command Car as used by
General Patton World War II
• Complete frame-off rebuild
• Engine, transmission, and drive gears have been
rebuilt
ACC Analysis This 1942 Dodge WC56, Lot T137,
er’s premium, at Mecum’s Monterey auction in
Monterey, CA, on August 16, 2012.
Geared for war
Dodge was the go-to company for the Army’s half-
ton to one-ton four-wheel-drive trucks in the World
War II era. Beginning with the 1940 VC-series trucks,
which were essentially ruggedized half-ton civilian
trucks in four-wheel drive, Dodge further refined the
type with the first WC-series trucks in 1941.
These early WCs shed almost all of their civilian
sheet metal except the cowl or cab for open- or closedcab
models, and gained widely arched simple open
fenders with simple front-end sheet metal featuring a
54 AmericanCarCollector.com
54 AmericanCarCollector.com
sold for at $47,700, including buy-
curved slat steel grille. With the U.S. entry into World
War II, the WCs needed further refinement and to be
heavier duty.
Army planners wanted a truck with a shorter cowl,
which gave the trucks a lower, more stable profile. To
that end, the new three-quarter-ton WCs (starting with
the WC51) had a squared-off, very purposeful front
end, including a flat steel slat grille.
Most versions were soft-top only, with fold-down
windshields, which helped achieve more efficient
shipping. These later WCs were also characterized by
the use of combat wheels — rims than can be unbolted
to effect tire changes in the field — helping to further
accentuate the wider track of the three-quarter-ton
axles.
The Jeep’s big, husky brother
The command-car body actually pre-dates stan-
dardized military vehicles to the years between the
world wars. Military planners thought open bodies
without doors were preferable in the lean years of the
1920s and 1930s as a means of immediate egress —
B. Mitchell Carlson
Page 53
ACC
Digital Bonus
either if taking fire to take defensive positions,
or to more rapidly deploy artillery the
vehicle might be towing.
By the time of U.S. involvement in World
War II, the type had evolved from being
used by front-line “shock troops” to battlefield
commanders who needed to be able to
quickly move around to assess the battle.
Three variations of three-quarter-ton
command cars were built: the standard
WC56, the winch-equipped WC57, and the
non-winch radio-equipped WC58. The
latter featured a built-in radio rack ahead
of the right rear passenger in lieu of a
fold-up map table that was on the other two
variants. The VC56 was the most prolific,
with 21,156 built versus the 6,010 winch
WC57s. WC58 data is inconclusive, because
it is believed that they may have been incorporated
into the WC56 production figures. Still, the WC56, like
this one, is the most often seen command car — and is
far more popular for collectors today than the earlier
WC51 or WC52.
General Patton rode here?
Part of the appeal of the command car is that
they were usually issued to higher-ranking officers,
generally colonels and above. Call it star factor — especially
if those stars are on their shoulders. Everyone
wants to be a general, not a private.
The consignor made some rather loose claims about
our featured truck being “as used by General Patton
World War II.” It seems that Patton and military
vehicles is the 20th century iteration of the fabled
“George Washington slept here” moniker.
Of all the American commanders during World War
II, “Old Blood and Guts” is perhaps the most famous
one closely associated with WC56 and WC57 command
cars. Especially since, as the war continued, most
generals grew to prefer the more homogenous Jeep
over a unique vehicle profile that all but shouted out
to the enemy, “Shoot at me, I’m unprotected and the
commander is in here.”
Most everyone at the auction didn’t even ponder
that Patton could’ve used this personally, but instead
used one similar to it. As such, the statement likely was
a non-issue as far as this bringing premium money.
Far and away, the excellent restoration quality is what
hit the target here.
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Detailing
Years produced: 1942–44
Number produced: 21,156
Original list price: N/A
Current ACC Valuation:
$25k–$35k
Tune-up cost: $200
Distributor cap: $12
Chassis number: Dataplate
on the dashboard
Engine number: Pad on the
driver’s side of the top of
engine block, just below the
cylinder head
Club: Military Vehicle
Preservation Association
(MVPA), P.O. Box 520378,
Independence, MO 64052;
www.mvpa.org
Big bucks in the MV world
I’m deeply embedded in the vintage military-vehicle
world, so I can unequivocally state that MV collectors
can be some of the cheapest players when it comes to
actually buying military vehicles. Case in point, when
Chester Krause’s MV collection was auctioned two
years ago in Iola, WI — a collection that included
some of the finest-quality restorations of military
trucks around — they didn’t fare nearly as well as
most people expected.
On the other hand, I’ve seen a lot of less-than-
authentic restorations bring silly money at generalmarket
collector-car auctions. Why? Simple. A lot of
folks will pay to “play army truck.” And like any other
collector vehicle, if you’re not an expert, it’s hard to
know what you’re looking at.
This example was a stellar restoration of a cor-
rect early WC56, with only a few nit-pick items that
could’ve made it more authentic. For the purist, the
exposed bare-metal fasteners in the toeboards, fender
mounts, and rims should’ve been painted Olive Drab
— in addition to the finely varnished wood map table.
All these items were originally painted to make them
not gleam in the sun — therefore making them catch
the eye of an enemy sniper or aircraft looking for a
target to strafe. But to a modern car collector, they
give more pop to the vehicle.
The similarities to the jeep also play into command
car interest. Call it a he-man’s jeep if you like, with the
similarities of an open-tub body with a convertibletop
on a military vehicle, with a dose of rarity in a
no-compromise big truck thrown in. Parts
support is good in the 21st century, with
quality reproduction parts now supplanting
Army surplus NOS in the supply chain.
In all, this was a perfect storm of
elements: an accurate, high-quality
restoration presented at a venue with
enough moneyed bidders who appreciate
historical vehicles.
In MV collectors’ circles, this would’ve
been priced in the $25k to $35k range, so
for the general public to step up by ten
grand is not totally out of line — not to win
the battle by flipping it for a profit on short
order, but to win the war as a long-term
investment.A
(Introductory description courtesy of
Mecum Auctions.)
1942 Ford GPW “Script”
logo body
Lot 5, S/N GPW48292
Condition: 3+
Sold at $22,000
Aumann Auctions, Iola, WI,
8/14/2010
ACC# 165642
November-December 2012
55CC
55
Alternatives: 1946-68 Dodge
Power Wagon, 1951–64
Dodge M37 military threequarter-ton
pickup, 1941–45
Ford GPW or Willys MB
military “jeep”
ACC Investment Grade: BComps
1942 Ford GPW
Lot 467, S/N 37594
Condition: 2Sold
at $37,440
ACC# 202077
Bonhams, Greenwich, CT,
6/3/2012
1942 Chevrolet G7107
Lot U152, S/N BV471608
Condition: 3+
Sold at $10,500
Mecum Auctions, Indianapolis,
IN, 5/17/2011
ACC# 179403
Page 54
MARkeT OVERVIEW
TOP 10
sales this issue
1. 1919 Miller TNT racer,
$1,210,000—G&Co., p. 88
2. 1966 Shelby Cobra 427
roadster, $825,000—
G&Co., p. 98
3. 1941 Chrysler Town &
Country Barrelback woodie
wagon, $385,000—G&Co.,
p. 99
4. 1913 Pope-Hartford Model
33 phaeton, $319,000—
G&Co., p. 88
5. 1970 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda
2-dr hard top, $220,000—
Drg, p. 102
6. 1931 Cadillac 370A phaeton,
$192,500—G&Co.,
p. 89
7. 1966 Shelby GT350
fastback, $187,000—WWA,
Auburn, p. 98
8. 1936 Cord 810 phaeton,
$181,500—G&Co., p. 89
9. 1968 Shelby GT500 KR
fastback, $148,400—Mec,
p. 98
10. 1970 Plymouth Superbird,
$143,100—Mec, p. 102
BEST BUYS
Buyers pay up for Shelbys,
Corvettes and customs
CORVETTES AND SHELBYS WERE CONSISTENTLY RIGHT
WHERE YOU’D EXPECT TO FIND THEM — AT THE TOP
by Tony Piff
on the ground at every one. It
was a very busy summer for
American car collectors.
Y
Looking at pages and pages
of auction results, Corvettes
and Shelbys were consistently
right where you’d expect to
find them — at the top. Hot
rods, customs and resto-mods
fetched strong prices and
found new owners, too, and
the vintage pickup market
continued its steady climb.
Plenty of important Mopars
came up for offer and garnered
big bids, but not big enough for most sellers, who
held tight to their reserves and their cars.
n n n
The hundreds of thousands of hot-rodders who
1. 1965 Ford Mustang GT
convertible, $26,675—R&S,
p. 98
2. 1978 Chevrolet C10
Custom pickup, $9,900—
Sil, p. 94
3. 1970 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda
2-dr hard top, $220,000—
Drg, p. 102
4. 1952 Nash Ambassador
4-dr sedan, $13,200—
AAbyRM, p. 104
5. 1947 Packard Super
Clipper sedan, $5,500—
WWA, p. 104
56 AmericanCarCollector.com
descend on Reno, NV, for Hot August Nights had two
collector-car auctions to choose from. B&T Customs
and Specialty Auto Auctions partnered to put on the
official auction of Hot August Nights, and customs
reigned: A 1954 Chevrolet 3100 pickup was the top
collectible, at $93k. Three late ’30s Fords tied for
second, third and fourth place at $86k. Up the road at
Silver’s Carson City sale, four out of the top 10 sales
were ’30s and ’40s Fords, ranging from $84k to $25k.
The number-two slot went to a 1955 Chevrolet Corvette
265/195 roadster, at $68k.
n n n
Later in August, the collector car world turned its
focus to the Monterey Peninsula. This issue showcases
highlights from Gooding & Company, RM, Russo
and Steele and Bonhams in our Roundup section,
and a full feature on Mecum’s Monterey sale. The
top American sale at Mecum was a 1908 Simplex 50
Speedcar roadster at $2m, followed by a 1965 Shelby
Cobra 289 at $636k and a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88
convertible at $610k. A rare, low-mile, very correct
1958 Chevrolet Cameo pickup sold for $44k.
n n n
Classics are the star of the annual Auburn Cord
Duesenberg Festival in Auburn, IN, and at the two
ou’d be hardpressed
to hit all
16 auctions covered
in this issue,
but we had boots
RM was one of many at Monterey with Shelbys on offer
auctions that take place there each Labor Day weekend.
The top three slots at Worldwide’s “The Auburn
Auction” went to pre-war cars, with a 1934 Auburn
Twelve Salon Cabriolet the biggest sale at $473k. The
top 10 also included a 2004 Ford GT factory test mule,
sold at $217k, as well as two Shelbys: a 1966 GT350 at
$187k and a 1966 GT350 H at $127k.
n n n
The story was the same at Auctions America by
RM’s “Auburn Fall” sale, where a 1935 Duesenberg
Model J was the high sale at $457k, followed by a 1932
Auburn Twelve Boattail
Speedster at $275k. A 2011
Shelby GT350 sold for
$160k, a 1969 Ford Mustang
Boss 429 drag car brought
$145k, and a 1968 Shelby
GT500 found a new garage
at $111k. The top two
Corvettes were both 1958
cars, sold at $91k and $90k.
A 1950 Ford F1 was one of
the truck highlights at $44k.
ACC 1-6 scale
condition rating
1. Perfect: National
show standard
2. excellent: Club
show-worthy, some
small flaws
3. Average: Daily
driver in decent
condition
4. Meh: Still a driver,
with some visible flaws
5. Questionable:
A problem-plagued
beast that somehow
manages to run
6. Lost cause:
Salvagable for parts
n n n
This month’s Global
Roundup includes highlights
from both Auburn auctions,
plus 11 other sales across the
country.A
Page 56
Anatomy of an ACC Market Report
By B. Mitchell Carlson
To give a better appreciation of what our auction analysts and reporters look for in our auction reports, we’ll examine a typical vehicle at a typical
auction. As an example, we’ll use this 1970 GMC Custom 2500 pickup, offered at the Mecum auction in Monterey on August 16, 2012.
ID DATA
Verified the VIN and body codes to how the car is presented, and
if the serial number is stamped or correctly attached as originally
manufactured. In several states, if it isn’t, the car may need to be
inspected by the
licensing authorities
or bonded to be
titled, so a potential
buyer needs to be
aware of this. In this
case, there are no
problems.
structure. C: conventional two-wheel drive, E: V8 engine, 2: weight
range (3/4-ton), 34: fleetside-box pickup, Z: GMC division code for
the 1970 model year, Z: assembly plant (Freemont, CA), 66491:
unit sequence number starting at 50001 (the 16,491st truck built at
Freemont, CA). All of which matches this truck.
SALES STATEMENT
This figure represents the declared selling price of the vehicle plus
the stated buyer’s premium. In other words, what the buyer made the
check out for to actually buy it. If the vehicle failed to sell, we report
the final bid that was acknowledged by the auctioneer for the vehicle.
COMMENTARY
Here I give my opinion. In this case, I discuss how most trucks of this
era with wood floors tend to be over-restored with high gloss replacement
wood in the cargo box, while this original truck proves that the
wood was painted over when new. We also note that this truck was
a no-sale across the block, but Mecum’s post-sale results show that
the truck had sold later in the day.
CONDITION RATINGS
58 AmericanCarCollector.com
Condition: ACC uses a numerical scale of 1
to 6 to assess a vehicle’s overall condition:
1. Perfect: National show standard
2. Excellent: Club show-worthy, some small flaws
3. Average: Daily driver in decent condition
The VIN translates
that with readily available
data regarding
GMC serial number
#T86-1970 GMC CUSTOM 2500 pickup.
S/N CE234ZZ66491. Gold & white/
parchment vinyl. Odo: 41,206 miles.
350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Lifelong California
truck. Original paint throughout. Like-new
tailgate, as it spent its days hung on the
inside of the garage where the truck was
kept, since the truck wore a topper with
built-in rear door. Residue from topper seal
on box sides. Aftermarket fuel tank on left
side of box. Repainted steering wheel and
authentic reproduction seat; rest of interior
original and in good condition. Modern rims
with radials. Rebuilt original motor, with
longer-duration camshaft. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $8,800. I get sick of the heavily
varnished reproduction wood beds on
trucks of this era being called “original.”
This was truly original, with paint over all
those oak planks. When bidding stopped
at $7,500, reserve was stated to be $15k.
Well bought post-block at this price.
Page 57
A DETAILED DISSECTION OF HOW
WE RATE CARS AT AUCTION
UNDERCARRIAGE
Denotes if it is rusty
and dirty with paint
overspray, or if there
are all-new corrosionfree
components and
fasteners. Also makes
note if it’s either lightly
or heavily sprayed with
fresh undercoating —
another “hide-it-quick”
trick. On our feature
truck, it’s mostly the way
it left Freemont in 1970,
BODY AND PAINT
with dust, grime, and surface rust since. It also has the original spare
tire mounted on the original split rim on the carrier, with radial tires on
the ground. A newer aftermarket dual exhaust system is also in view.
INTERIOR
Tells the reader how much of the interior is original and how much
is replacement — and if the latter, if it’s authentic with good or poor
installation workmanship. Also makes note of accessory sound systems,
gauges, consoles and other items that would take some effort
and workmanship to install. Here, an authentic reproduction seat covering
was professionally installed over the original seat structure. The
steering wheel was repainted, and the original door panels redyed.
Notes the quality of both the paint application
and prep work involved before
applying the paint (such as scratches, old
paint layers, dust, and fisheyes). Denotes
body panel fit (even or uneven gaps),
door fit, smooth body panels or waviness,
evidence of lesser-quality repair work.
This truck wears its original, factoryapplied
paint with light wear, scrapes and
nicks from use as a working truck. Some
might
call it
patina;
some
might
call it
flat-out
wear.
ENGINE
Notes if the engine compartment is
original, detailed, or just left alone. Cars at
auction will often get a quick cleanup and
in-place engine repaint, masking off or
removing the ancillary components. Also
notes if these other components are original,
authentic reproduction or OEM parts,
or just bought on-sale a Walmart with no
regard to authenticity. Here, the engine
was rebuilt and was repainted at that time.
There are a few minor aftermarket parts
added such as cast aluminum valve covers,
but with the original air cleaner, the
engine looks generally stock.
4. Meh: Still a driver, but with visible flaws
5. Questionable: A problem-plagued beast that somehow manages to run
6. Lost cause: Salvagable for parts
November-December 2012 59
Page 58
MECUM AUCTIONS // Monterey, CA
Quality and volume push
Mecum Monterey to $31m
MUSCLE WAS ONLY A SMALL COMPONENT HERE; POST-WAR LUXURY
CARS TOOK UP THE SLACK, WITH HELP FROM VINTAGE PICKUPS
Report and photos by
B. Mitchell Carlson
Market opinions in italics
M
$30m
$25m
$10m
$15m
$20m
$5m
0
60 AmericanCarCollector.com
2012
2011
2010
2009
ecum joined the Monterey
auction circuit four years
ago, and in that short time
they have managed to stake
their claim in a serious way.
They brought 570 cars and motorcycles to
sell this time around — the week’s largest
pool, by far — and achieved the third-largest
sales total, at $31m.
Mecum Auctions
Monterey 2012, Monterey, CA
August 16–18, 2012
Auctioneers: Mark Delzell, Jim Landis,
Mike Hagerman, Bobby McGlothlen,
Matt Morauec
Automotive lots sold/offered: 341/570
Sales rate: 60%
Sale total: $30,844,850
High sale: 1908 Simplex 50 Speedcar
roadster, sold at $2,014,000
Buyer’s premium: $300 on the first
$5,499, $500 from $5,500 to $9,999, 6%
thereafter, included in sold prices
Mecum sales total
Wayne Carini at the wheel of a 1908 Simplex 50 speedster, sold for $2,014,000
Located at the Del Monte Marriot,
situated on the Del Monte Golf Course, this
auction was not hindered by a lack of space
like the other venues around Monterey.
Indeed, it was the only location for any auction
or event where parking was a non-issue
for everyone.
Mecum attracted some very high-caliber
cars — the oldest being the top-selling
American car. In addition, it was the oldest
known Simplex — dating from 1908. It
was also perhaps the biggest surprise of the
weekend, as no one really thought it would
crack two million bucks. Yet sure enough,
it was a cat-and-mouse game beyond $1m,
with the final bid bringing the total sale just
over $2m.
While European sports and race cars
got most of the headlines, American cars
got most of the heavy lifting done for sales
volume. Muscle cars were only a small component
here, with most higher-end examples
being no-sales. But post-war luxury cars
took up the slack and saw some very strong
sales, with a little help from ever-increasing
vintage pickup truck prices.
Eye-opening sales included a World
War II-era Dodge WC56 command car (a
4-wheel-drive, three-quarter-ton truck, actually;
see profile on p. 54), selling for $48k,
a 1965 Shelby Cobra 289 fetching $636k,
and a 94-mile all-original 1976 Cadillac
Eldorado garnering $40k.
A 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix convertible,
built as a Hurst promotional vehicle for
Linda Vaughn and featuring many unique
factory details, brought a strong $130k. The
seller had been hoping for $150k but let it go,
for a solid transaction both ways.
One of the better deals was a 1958 Buick
Roadmaster convertible. It looked absolutely
impeccable and was well bought at $77k.
All in all, the folks at Mecum were
pleased with the results. They once again
made their mark, and they’ve established
themselves as a don’t-miss fixture for collectors
at all levels during Monterey auction
week.A
Page 60
MECUM AUCTIONS // Monterey, CA
GM
#S46-1955 CHEVROLET 3100 pickup. S/N
3B56L007288. Aqua & white/aqua nylon &
white vinyl. Odo: 3,919 miles. 283-ci V8,
2-bbl, auto. N.O.M. 283 V8, but looks bonestock
apart from the alternator. Converted
to automatic, with floor shifter that looks like
a stock 4-speed unit. Excellent prep and
paint far surpasses original. All trim
chromed. Other trinkets include vent window
deflectors, clamp-on mirrors, necker
knob on the Bel Air steering wheel, nonstock
hood ornament and California YOM
plates with current tags. Authentically reupholstered
seat. Cond: 2.
Dark turquoise metallic/white vinyl/aqua
vinyl. Odo: 97,972 miles. 396-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Sun-baked California car, recently had
its first repaint. Light overspray on hood
hinges. Door-to-fender gaps wider at top.
Mix of replated and good original chrome.
Expertly installed interior soft trim. Lifelong
fuel and mileage log on dash. Tidy and generally
stock engine bay. Belt disconnected
from smog pump; seller only connects it for
smog checks, due to backfiring at idle.
Power brakes, steering, windows and top.
Cond: 3+.
4-bbl, 4-sp. PHS documentation confirms
restoration to factory spec. Fair gaps. Allnew
interior soft trim with VIN tag attached
on top of dashpad opening rather than
below it. Authentically restored under the
hood, with light burn-off from the claimed
100 miles since being redone. Very tidy undercarriage.
Safe-T-Track diff, power steering,
power front discs, hood tach. Cond: 1-.
NOT SOLD AT $42,000. More expensive
than an average car, but under the money
for this one. Seller was right to keep it.
SOLD AT $35,510. At first glance, this
came off as a nice stock truck—which is
enough to please a lot of folks, and explains
the price it achieved.
#F163-1958 BUICK ROADMASTER convertible.
S/N 7E2005760. Silver blue/navy
blue cloth/blue leather. Odo: 4,088 miles.
364-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. High-quality cosmetic
restoration. Excellent repaint. Bumpers and
select trim replated. After market exhaust,
with outlets turned down below bumper
rather than through it. Newer non-stock dark
blue cloth top. Light wrinkling on superbly
reupholstered seats. Clean, correct engine
bay. Optional a/c, Wonderbar radio, and
Autronic Eye. Cond: 2+.
NOT SOLD AT $32,500. Long-term onefamily
ownership until this year, retaining
original California black plate. The seller’s
concise laundry list of things right and
wrong with the car was a refreshing change
from the usual “bitchin’ ride” description
card. Correctly bid, as confirmed by the
$32k offered when it re-ran on Saturday.
#S167-1967 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX
Hurst promotional convertible. S/N
266677P119818. Hurst Gold & black/black
vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 26,565 miles. 428-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Issued for use by Linda
Vaughn. PHS confirms this was one of five
specially built Hurst promotional cars.
Heavily optioned, including features not
available in a ’67 Grand Prix, such as His &
Hers shifter. Expertly restored, appearing at
2010 POCI meet and SEMA Show. Very
tidy interior and engine bay. Wears gold
Hurst wheels and blueline radials, rather
than Goodyear Blue Streak tires as originally
configured. With warranty replacement
block, as original was long gone when the
project was started. Cond: 2+.
#T89-1971 OLDSMOBILE 442 convertible.
S/N 344671M160553. Sandpiper Beige/
beige vinyl/brown vinyl. Odo: 20,585 miles.
455-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Good newer repaint,
with hood stripe beneath clearcoat. Replated
bumpers and easy-to-swap brightwork.
Panel gaps inconsistent. Original
motor rebuilt with beefier cam some time
ago. Engine bay otherwise dusty and unkempt,
with non-stock air cleaner. 8-track
stereo. Crack in steering wheel rim at 12
o’clock. Otherwise good, generally original,
selectively re-dyed interior. Factory a/c.
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $26,500. In 1971, all 442s were
equipped with 455s, with the sole option of
the 300-hp W-30 tune. It was the start of the
downhill slide—but also the last real gasp of
muscle-car power. This car recently sold for
$23,320 at Mecum Indy in May (ACC#
205993). Reserve was off at $22,500 today,
and it still looked like a decent buy at the
price.
SOLD AT $77,380. With the reintroduction
of the Limited in ’58, the Roadmaster was
no longer the top of the Buick line. This car
previously sold in 2005 for a then-marketcorrect
$97,650 at McCormick’s Palm
Springs sale (ACC# 39899). It no-saled for
$48,500 at McCormick’s in November 2010
(ACC# 168322), but looked well bought at
this price today. Not quite a concours lawn
ornament, but close.
#F223-1967 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE SS396
convertible. S/N 138677K121836.
62 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $129,850. Ultimate example of
the one-year-only 1967 Grand Prix convertible.
When the bidding started to slow at
$122,500, reserve was declared to be
$150k, but seller soon let it go. A one-ofone,
well bought and sold.
#F195.1-1969 PONTIAC GTO Judge 2-dr
hard top. S/N 242379Z125518. Matador
Red/red vinyl. Odo: 47,559 miles. 400-ci V8,
#S163-1976 CADILLAC ELDORADO convertible.
S/N 6L67S6Q231279. Firemist
Gold/white vinyl/parchment leather. Odo: 94
miles. 500-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. In personal
collection until this July, when estate was
liquidated. Absolutely untouched original
car; only the oil is not circa 1976. Even the
trip odometer has never been reset, showing
93.6 miles. Paint shows slight colorshifts
between steel body and plastic end
caps; few spots on body creases where it
was zealously buffed through a long time
ago. Interior looks and smells like a new
1970s car. Cond: 2.
Page 62
MECUM AUCTIONS // Monterey, CA
SOLD AT $40,280. The statement that this
car could not be titled in California brought a
few snorts of disbelief and the comment,
“Then why did they bring it here?” Simple,
there are more than just Californians buying
cars in Monterey. A lot more. In this case, a
record for a non-Bicentennial Edition ’76
Eldo.
CORVETTE
#F218-1962 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. S/N 20867S111150. Honduras
Maroon/white vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 95,360
miles. 327-ci 300-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Full
frame-off restoration in mid-’90s and a
trailer queen ever since. Past NCRS accolades
include Top Flight and National
Performance Verification awards. Correctly
duplicated factory finishes throughout, including
original-style acrylic paint. Chrome
perhaps more brilliant than original.
Heaviest wear is scuffing on the heel pad
beneath the pedals. Cond: 1-.
seats. Good prep and paint, some seam
broadcasting starting. Good older rechrome
on all major pieces. Non-original OEM sidepipes.
Fully restored interior, with excellent
repro soft trim. Show-quality engine bay and
undercarriage, save the gel cell battery and
aftermarket rear sway bar. Big block is
stamped with the VIN. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT
$77,380. Well done first-year 427, but
plenty of deviations from stock made this
look like a strong price. Well sold.
#S112-1967 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. S/N 194677S113621. Silver
Pearl & red/black vinyl/red leather. Odo: 2
miles. 427-ci 435-hp V8, 3x2-bbl, 4-sp.
Central Office Production Order car, due to
non-standard silver paint with red stripe and
interior, for use at 1967 New York Auto
Show. Equipped with power brakes, side
exhaust, radio-delete, headrests, and Rally
wheels. Recent, very authentic frame-off
restoration. Slightly rounded-off body character
lines, but body and paint otherwise
exceptional. Very authentically detailed engine
bay, including authentic overspray.
Restored interior, including one-off red window
crank handle knobs. Cond: 1-.
NOT SOLD AT $400,000. Last seen at
Mecum’s 2009 Kissimmee auction, selling
there for $323,300 (ACC# 119399). Mileage
unchanged since then, so assume that the
speedo is ornamental, as it’s over a mile
from transporter parking to staging at both
venues. Paid enough then, fair offer now.
FOMOCO
#S63-1933 FORD MODEL 40 Deluxe V8
convertible. S/N 40216257. Black/tan
cloth/black vinyl. Odo: 2,830 miles. Nonconforming
VIN disclosure on windshield.
Older repaint, probably pretty good when
done, but now has some scratches and
nicks. Older replated chrome for the most
part. Semi-throaty dual exhaust note, from
slightly rough running flathead V8 I’ve ever
seen. Older seat upholstery work, with commensurate
light wrinkling and wear. Good
older dashboard wood graining; gauge
panel corroded. Somewhat tidy under the
hood. Lots of rerouted and tie-wrapped
electrical and flexible fuel lines underneath.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $74,200. Although just typically
equipped, what rang the bell here was condition
and provenance. That said, the price
shows how low C1 values have dipped in
recent years. The bidding died off at $70k,
with the auctioneer holding out for
$72,500—and then the seller cut it loose.
#S52-1966 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. S/N 194376S114789. Tuxedo
Black/black leather. Odo: 60,017 miles.
427-ci 425-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Originally left
St. Louis painted Silver Pearl with a standard
black vinyl interior; now with leather
NOT SOLD AT $525,000. The only way to
get this color combo—and reportedly five
’67 Corvettes got it—was a COPO, as this
was a deviation from standard production.
On the block, it appeared to sell when the
reserve was dropped at $525k, but postauction
results show it as a no-sale. High
offer looked fair.
#F123-1969 CHEVROLET CORVETTE L88
convertible. S/N 194679S721688. Yellow
& black/black vinyl hard top/black vinyl.
Odo: 126 miles. 427-ci 430-hp V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. N.O.M., like most race cars, but original
block is included. Older restoration to its
early ’70s configuration, showing light track
rash on some panels, as it’s vintage-raceready.
Indeed, almost half the windshield is
framed with recent tech inspection stickers.
Modern racing bucket seat, stock passenger’s
seat still in place. Beefed-up rear suspension.
Cond: 3-.
NOT SOLD AT $53,000. I thought this
looked like a $50k car as presented.
Perhaps $55k if you live in a state that’s
casual about VINs.
#F155-1956 FORD FAIRLANE Crown
Victoria Skyliner coupe. S/N M6RC128665.
Peacock Blue & white/tinted
Plexiglas/blue & white vinyl. Odo: 2,471
miles. 292-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Exceptional
bare-body repaint. All brightwork replated,
professionally buffed out or reproduction.
Modern seatbelts and clear vinyl seat covers
added after restoration. Show-quality
engine bay. Optional 292 Y-block, Ford-OMatic,
power steering and brakes, AM radio.
Dealer-accessory fender skirts and bumper
guards. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $62,540. ’56 was the last year for
the Plexi-roof Skyliner and first year for 12volt
electrics and Lifeguard Safety Package,
offering seatbelts and padded dash. (This
64 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 64
CAR COLLECTOR
AMERICAN
™
MECUM AUCTIONS // Monterey, CA
EXPERT’S TIP
Spotting body
and paint issues
When you’re looking at a car, it pays
to look close, because paint and body
issues can be expensive to correct.
And depending on what and where
they are, they can be pretty hard to
see, too. Here are a few steps you
should always take before raising your
bidder’s paddle at auction:
1. Sight down both sides of the
body. This may seem pretty simple,
but you’d be surprised how many
buyers get caught up in a car’s rarity
or options and completely forget to
do this. Get right up against the side
of the car at the front or rear and look
down the body with one eye. If there
are waves, dents, high spots, or low
spots in the metal, you’ll see them.
This is also a good time to check to
see if the entire car is the same color.
Don’t laugh — I’ve seen a lot of mismatched
panels over the years.
2. Check for rust. That shiny paint
job may look good, but if the lower
quarter panels are rotted out and
filled in with fiberglass, it won’t look
good for long. If you can, look underneath
and inside the car for body
rust issues in the regular places:
floors, quarter panels, lower front
fenders, and around the rear window.
The only way to fix severe rust is
to remove and replace the panel,
but lesser rust can be stopped and
coated with products like POR-15.
But again, none of that is cheap.
3. Check panel gaps. Tight or
wide gaps can mean prior accident
damage, or hamfisted assembly.
Sometimes they were inconsistent
from the factory, but if your passenger’s
door is rubbing on the body, or
if you can stick your entire finger in
the gap, something’s wrong.
4. Look for reactions. New paint
should be smooth, deeply glossy,
and consistent everywhere. Keep an
eye out for fisheyes, bubbling and
excessive orange peel, as they all
point to prep or application problems.
— Jim Pickering
66 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $68,900. Reserve was lifted
when the bidding ended. Even with the
color change, this is pretty much the Holy
Grail of a Rocketbird, so not such an outlandish
price.
MOPAR
#T137-1942 DODGE WC56 command car
military vehicle. S/N 81543449. Olive drab/
olive drab canvas/brown vinyl. Odo: 72
miles. 214-ci I6, 1-bbl, 4-sp. Professional,
highly authentic frame-off restoration.
Better-than-original repaint throughout. All
new reproduction rubber and leather body
was not a Lifeguard car, per the steel dashboard
top, but the seatbelts were a prudent
addition.) All the above makes the ’56
Skyliner the one to get. Price paid was a bit
steep but not out of line, considering the
quality. Collectors are finally realizing that
there’s more to life than Bel Airs.
#T41-1957 FORD THUNDERBIRD convertible.
S/N D7FH222726. Inca Gold/Inca
Gold hard top/white vinyl. Odo: 60,000
miles. 312-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Unrestored
and generally original. Factory paint has
some light pits and scuffing, but presents
well; same goes for the chrome. Original
interior shows heavier scuffing on kick panels
and a seam separation between the two
seating positions. Underhood and undercarriage
a bit scabby. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $47,700. Approaching twice the
going rate for a WC-series command car,
even well restored like this one. The description
read, “As used by General Patton WWII,”
which I certainly hope the buyer didn’t take at
face value. See the profile, p. 54.
SOLD AT $28,090. The reserve was off at
$20k and just kept going strong. Well sold.
#S62-1962 FORD THUNDERBIRD Sports
Roadster. S/N 2Y89M154999. Red/black
vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 12,400 miles. 390-ci
V8, 3x2-bbl, auto. Originally Raven Black
with black interior, but is a real Sports
Roadster with M-code Tri-Power engine.
Better-than-original paint and gaps with
some weak masking. Non-stock bodyside
moldings. Reproduction 1962 Texas inspection
sticker in windshield. Older repop interior
with light wear on seats and carpet. Far
too much chrome on the motor. Factoryoptional
a/c and power windows. Cond: 2.
#F166-1958 CHRYSLER 300D convertible.
S/N LC41167. Matador Red/tan vinyl/
tan leather. Odo: 80,096 miles. 392-ci V8,
2x4-bbl, auto. Fully authentically restored in
recent years. Windshield wasn’t removed,
as seals have several cracks and some dry
rot. All brightwork replated or professionally
polished. Rear suspension sitting a bit high,
most likely due to new shocks and springs.
All-new upholstery and interior soft trim—
even the chrome has been redone. Spotless
engine bay and undercarriage. Cond: 1-.
seals. Incorrect font for the modern stick-on
vinyl hood numbers and unit ID on bumpers.
Leather seats incorrectly reupholstered in
vinyl. Very clean and tidy under the hood.
Authentic reproduction serial number plate
correctly riveted to dash. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $121,900. Final year of the firstgen
Hemi, and very similar to the iconic ’57
300C. Also a bit rarer, with 191 ragtops
made in ’58 versus 484 in ’57. Only way to
top this car would be the ultra-rare fuel-injection
option. Last year, it was offered at
RM’s Monterey auction, where bidding petered
out at $100k (ACC# 183145), but this
seemed like the right crowd for it. Reserve
was lifted at $110k. Well bought and sold.
#T174-1959 DESOTO FIREDOME Sportsman
2-dr hard top. S/N M431103447.
Spring Rose & Gold Tan/gold, tan & white
vinyl & nylon. Odo: 41,937 miles. 383-ci V8,
2-bbl, auto. All trim rechromed while off the
car for the expert repaint. Hard to believe
excellent interior is original. Miles claimed
actual. Near show-quality under the hood.
First in class at most recent DeSoto Club
national meet. Cond: 2+.
Keith Martin's
Page 66
MECUM AUCTIONS // Monterey, CA
Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $16,960. Not an investment-grade
collectible, but a clean, fun
build at a great price. Correctly bought and
sold.
AMERICANA
SOLD AT $39,220. For 1959, the Firedome
got you a 2-barrel 383, versus the 361 in
the lesser Firesweep. Price paid was a
touch above market, but understandable for
the quality.
#F172-1969 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER
convertible. S/N RM27H9G188735. B5
Blue/black vinyl/two-tone blue vinyl. Odo:
2,123 miles. 383-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Barebody
restoration. Better-than-original body
prep and paint work. Most chrome replated
or replaced. All new weatherstripping.
Clean, correct engine bay, including repro
Mopar battery and washer fluid jug.
Reproduction interior soft trim expertly installed.
Optional a/c, power steering and
Magnum 500 wheels. Cond: 2+.
#F137-1937 INTERNATIONAL D-2 woodie
wagon. S/N D27631. Green & wood/tan
cloth/brown vinyl. Odo: 100 miles. 213-ci I6,
1-bbl, 3-sp. Older restoration, spiffed up
recently with a repaint, new varnish, new
roof cloth covering, select rechroming, new
wiring harness, carpet added. Mileage on
modern odometer likely since restoration.
Older, thickly grained schoolbus vinyl will
survive the nuclear apocalypse. Dry-rotted
original body seals and grommets.
Delaminating rear window. Cond: 3+.
$11,130. Marginal collector value as-is, but
a harmless alternative to a Hyundai for your
high-school kid. Originally, there would’ve
been a 196-ci flathead six under the hood,
but at least they kept it in the family, rather
than just dropping in some small-block
Chevy. Fair transaction.
#F178-1957 STUDEBAKER GOLDEN
HAWK 2-dr hard top. S/N 6100706. Tiara
Gold & Arctic White/gold & white vinyl. Odo:
25,652 miles. 289-ci supercharged V8,
auto. Thoroughly restored, but not entirely.
Good prep and paint. Door fit a bit off, panel
fit is better. Most chrome replated, all stainless
trim buffed out. Reupholstered seats,
close to original patterns. Aftermarket
Studebaker floor mats. Very clean and
mostly correct under the hood. Optional
power steering and brakes, tinted glass,
and twin rear antennas. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $43,640. The seller turned down
$50,000 at Mecum’s recent Houston sale in
April (ACC# 211818), but considering the
base 383 and column-shift automatic, this
was still well sold, even factoring in condition
and just 2,128 built.
#F238-1974 DODGE CHALLENGER 2-dr
hard top. S/N JH23G4B159526. Orange/
black vinyl. Odo: 42,704 miles. 318-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Exceptional bare-body engineout
repaint, with replica R/T stripes under
the clear. Mostly repro or replated trim; door
handles pitted. Good, mostly original interior;
repop seats and carpet. Engine rebuilt
and warmed up with beefier cam, high-rise
SOLD AT $79,500. Pipe organ enthusiasts
will recognize the name Moller. As one of
America’s premier organ builders, they survived
the Depression by putting their wood
craftsmen to work building station wagons
for various OEMs. This car last appeared in
1991, as a $20,000 no-sale at Kruse
Auburn, painted tan (ACC# 1372). While
woodies have showed signs of softness in
the market recently, I’ll still call this a decent
buy for the rarity.
#T120-1955 NASH RAMBLER 2-dr sedan.
S/N D255176. Turquoise & white/gray cloth.
Odo: 18,921 miles. 235-ci I6, 2-bbl, 3-sp.
Re-powered with newer AMC 235-ci six.
Decent prep and paint, but close inspection
reveals overspray and heavy marking lines.
Piecemeal rechroming of the obvious stuff
like bumpers and that huge hood ornament.
Seats and door panels re-covered in modern
automotive cloth. Sloppy older carpet,
wavy door panels. Modern seatbelts added,
plus under-dash CD player and additional
SOLD AT $34,980. 1957 was the first year
that the Golden Hawk had a blower. Offered
at no reserve, this sold right in the zone
where I’ve seen them trade over the last
year.
#T196-1976 INTERNATIONAL SCOUT II
SUV. S/N F0062FGD40672. Light blue &
white/blue nylon. Odo: 88,879 miles. 345-ci
V8, 2-bbl, auto. Good trim-off repaint.
Typical less-than-wonderful door fit; driver’s
door never really shuts properly. Replated
bumpers, with repro emblems and lenses.
Light wear on seats and door panels, a bit
more on the carpeting, heaviest on steering
wheel rim. Clean and minimally detailed
under the hood. Optional 345 V8. Period
aftermarket trailer brake controller, dash
compass, and 40-channel CB. Cannot be
titled in CA. Cond: 2-.
4-barrel intake, chrome bits. No fender
tag—even the holes for it have been filled.
Aftermarket 17-inch wheels.
68 AmericanCarCollector.com
gauges. Couple of chunks missing out of
steering wheel rim. Cond: 3. SOLD AT
SOLD AT $21,200. A no-sale bid to $15k
across the block, but sold post-block. Very
strong for a garden-variety Scout II, but it
does show how hot the light-truck market is
now. A
Page 68
B&T SPECIALTY // Reno, NV
Customs, rods and
Hot August Nights
A TEAL GREEN ’63 FORD F-250 STEPSIDE, RESTORED IN 2003,
WAS UNDENIABLY STOLEN AT $7,236
Report and photos by
Michael Leven
Market opinions in italics
H
$1m
$2m
$3m
$4m
$5m
0
70 AmericanCarCollector.com
ot August Nights lived up to its
billing, as temperatures consistently
hit 100-plus degrees for
much of this rodders’ bacchanal.
And while the mercury soared
outside, buyers and sellers kept cool inside
the Reno/Sparks Convention Center.
Car Auctions
2012 Hot August Nights, Reno, NV
August 9–12, 2012
Auctioneers: Gary Dehler, Steve Dorsey,
Vaughn Long, Jeff Richards, Jeff Stokes
Automotive lots sold/offered: 239/482
Sales rate: 50%
Sale total: $5,472,884
High American vehicle sale: 2007
Renegade Toterhome, sold at $129,600
Buyer’s premium: 8%, included in sold
prices
B&T Specialty sales total
2012
2011
1940 Ford custom pickup, sold at $32,400
The 488 vehicles for sale represented
a wide variety of consignments and price
points. Several cars sold at no reserve and
were excellent buys. A 1950 Packard Super
Deluxe convertible that was restored to a
very good level less than 10 years ago sold
for $35k. Another was a 1956 Plymouth
Belvedere, a car rarely seen and hard to
imagine restoring to this level. Its entire
drivetrain and front suspension had been
replaced with that of a ’76 Volaré, including
the indestructible Mopar straight six; it
reportedly ran like a train in modern traffic
and sold at $18k. One of the last cars to run
on Saturday was a very clean, teal green
’63 Ford F-250 Stepside, restored in 2003
less than 18,000 miles ago with 4-wheel
drive and proper skinny tires on white steel
wheels, that was undeniably stolen at $7k.
In some cases, sales suffered as a result
of overly ambitious reserves, but the auctioneers,
to their credit, presented each and
every lot with enthusiasm and tenacity — so
much so that the event occasionally dragged.
Notable no-sales included the nicest Jeepster
I’ve ever seen, and a 1955 Lincoln Capri that
had undergone a show-level restoration not
so many years ago, going back home at $25k
and $34k, respectively.
One of my favorite consignments was a
pristine and well-“vetted” ’66 L79 Corvette
convertible in Mosport Green with NCRS
certification — a no-sale at $48k against a
reasonable $56k reserve.
Another very cool consignment was
a 1936 Autocar cab-over that had been
converted for use as a car hauler, complete
with modern drivetrain and enough chrome
diamond plate to flatten a lesser vehicle. It
hammered sold on the block for a stout $92k
but did not appear in the final results.
This was only the second year of the
partnership between B&T Restorations
and Specialty Classic Car Auctions at this
landmark event. The 47% sell-through rate
leaves plenty of room for growth in future
years, and this event’s final sales total of
$5.4m must be looked at as a success. A
B&T Specialty Classic
Page 70
B&T SPECIALTY // Reno, NV
GM
#344-1946 CHEVROLET pickup. S/N
SDPE1411. Black/black vinyl. Odo: 6,268
miles. 216-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Nicely restored
to original spec with very well done black
paint and lots of high-quality chrome work.
New seals all around. Oak bed nicely finished.
Incorrect tailgate. Interior tidy, dash
nice with clear, bright gauges. Engine compartment
well detailed. Cond: 1-.
well done. Dent in passenger’s door. Interior
incorrect but serviceable; same for 4-speed.
Engine bay tidy with no leaks; undercarriage
dry and neat. Half-hearted Texaco
signage on bed stakes. Cond: 3+.
miles on rebuilt engine. Cond: 2.
NOT SOLD AT $25,000. A spectacular
truck that anyone would be proud to own,
but this may have been the wrong venue for
a stock truck done to this level. If offered at
one of the more chic Monterey auctions the
following week, it might have brought more.
Seller was wise to walk away from the high
bid.
#635-1949 CHEVROLET 3100 pickup. S/N
5GPG16423. Blue & black/brown vinyl.
Odo: 52,839 miles. 216-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp.
Newly restored to decent standard. Trim-off
repaint mostly good, but some light dust on
horizontal surfaces. Chrome and trim done
very well. Gaps uneven. Driver’s door handle
sags. All rubber replaced. Very small
leak at oil pan; undercarriage otherwise
clean and detailed. Now fitted with wide
whites and wooden side stakes. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $18,090. On the surface this
looked like a real steal, but considering the
myriad needs brought on by age and use,
call it a fair transaction at the price paid.
Buyer got what appeared to be a fully broken-in
piece that now has an appropriate
“work truck” feel to it—especially if he gets
rid of the hokey bed stakes, wide whites
and chrome running boards.
#400-1954 CHEVROLET 150 Handyman
wagon. S/N A54J140458. Black & silver/
gray vinyl. Odo: 2,733 miles. 305-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Recently restored as a driver
with focus on mechanicals. All chrome redone,
brightwork polished nicely. Paint uneven
with some dust, casual masking.
Interior serviceable. Injected 305 V8 from a
Firebird, Mustang II front end with disc
brakes, 10-bolt rear from a 442. Plumbed
for a/c but not installed. Restorer and seller
on site to talk up the mechanicals being
fresh and reliable. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $19,440. Very attractive and understated
colors, and confidence-inspiring
with the brake and engine work. Buyer was
very pleased, and should be. This could
easily be brought up a notch with a little
detail work. Well bought.
#80-1957 CHEVROLET CAMEO pickup.
S/N V3A570115095. White/blue vinyl. Odo:
9,803 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Nicely
built up from an original ’58 Napco conversion
chassis. ’57 body and VIN, ’58 side
trim on bed. Inner front fenders, door panels,
rear bumper all chromed. Paint to good
driver grade. Bumper chrome nice, but trim
variable. Doors shut well with good gaps.
Rebuilt 350 obviously not original. 700R4
with B&M shift kit. Various trim, hardware
from other models. Cond: 2-.
NOT SOLD AT $19,000. An honest truck,
and not over-restored, with a tidy, confidence-inspiring
engine bay. Worth more
than the high bid.
#639-1951 CHEVROLET pickup. S/N
AJCA850105. Red/red cloth & black vinyl.
Odo: 44,534 miles. 216-ci I6, 1-bbl, 4-sp.
Restored some time ago; paint fading in
spots. Chrome running boards wildly incorrect
and distracting, but bumpers and grille
72 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $17,280. High bid came close to
reserve, and deal got done post-block. Even
though wagons are hot and it was only a
paint job away from being pretty nice, it still
looked to me like all the money and then
some. Well sold.
#8-1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 4-dr hard
top. S/N VC57L159650. Ivory & green/twotone
green vinyl & cloth. Odo: 59,770 miles.
283-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Paint nicely prepped
and shot. Taping sloppy in places, some
chipping at door edges. Right rear door
sticky. Trim and chrome very good. Interior
redone well in proper material, although
parcel shelf is wrong color and fits poorly.
Overhauled brakes, aftermarket a/c. 2k
SOLD AT $23,000. Napco initially built easily
installed 4wd conversions for military
use, then branched into civilian applications,
mainly for GM. This was a great-looking
truck, and the seller was friendly, knowledgeable
and frank about this truck’s mixed
up DNA. No harm done at the price paid.
#610-1958 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2-dr
hard top. S/N F58L193567. Red metallic/
red & white vinyl. Odo: 13,161 miles. 396-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Restored five years ago as
a period-style hot-rod cruiser. Gaps a bit
tight, trunk high at leading edge. Base paint
done well, as is metallic red on roof.
Chrome and trim well done. Extensive pin
striping very well done and interesting.
Period accessories include chromed wheels
with four-inch spike centers, wide whites,
rocket-style taillights, and ball-bearing inserts
in grille. Red paint looks orange in
photo. Cond: 2-.
Page 72
B&T SPECIALTY // Reno, NV
looks incorrect; Berber-type carpet definitely
so. Tri-Power carbs of unknown origin;
modern NAPA battery still in plastic wrapper.
Very clean and solid underneath. Wide
whites on chrome rims with chrome Baby
Moons. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $18,630. As
neither especially custom nor especially
correct, this price looked like all the money.
Well sold.
NOT SOLD AT $38,000. The engine and
transmission swap appeared to be the only
mechanical upgrades to this car. Otherwise
the customizations were entirely cosmetic
and period-correct. If you were looking for a
’50s cruiser, you could do a lot worse than
this one. Not sure what the consignor was
looking for, but high bid must’ve been in the
ballpark.
#449-1960 CADILLAC DEVILLE 2-dr hard
top. S/N 60J099793. Gold/white vinyl. Odo:
62,655 miles. 390-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Wild
build for X-Games competitor Shaun Palmer
to celebrate his nine wins there. Air-ride
suspension very complex with 10 switches
for various effects. Brightwork and chrome
all well done, but cowl vent is badly pitted.
Paint once to good quality; now with various
flaws from use. White striping gives car a
long, lean look. Left fender keyed at eyebrow.
Grille bullets finished in gold.
Outrageous, in a good way. Cond: 3+.
#383-1966 BUICK SKYLARK 2-dr hard
top. S/N 444176Z105657. White pearl metallic/
red vinyl. Odo: 86,063 miles. 300-ci
V8, 2-bbl, auto. A decent driver that will suit
a particular taste. Recent body-on resto.
Custom paint nicely prepped and sprayed,
but lots of polish swirls. Gaps OK. Most
brightwork good, some scratching, pitting
and discoloration. Parking lights faded.
Metal flake vinyl. Engine bay tidy, but not
detailed. Cond: 3+.
might have narrowed the bidding field.
Fairly bought and sold.
#620-1970 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28
coupe. S/N 124870L514478. Green/green
vinyl. Odo: 78,785 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Poor presentation. Looks largely unrestored
with faded paint and orange peel. In
storage for a long time. Nose creased from
something falling on it. Looks to have been
hit at some point—right fenders have subsurface
cracking, and driver’s door fits tight.
Non-original LT1. Gas tank removed and
refurbished, new carburetor and lines; battery,
alternator, starter all new. Cond: 4.
NOT SOLD AT $10,750. These are greatlooking,
relatively affordable cars. A good
stock example can be had for $15k, but the
custom touches probably held this back.
High bid was under the money, but not by
much.
SOLD AT $25,920. Unlike other cars done
to this level, this one had clearly been used.
Winning bid could only be a shadow of build
cost, so the new owner got a very cool custom
for a very low price. I just hope he
never has to fix the pneumatics.
#444-1962 OLDSMOBILE SUPER 88 2-dr
hard top. S/N 625CO6181. White & aqua/
gray cloth & vinyl. Odo: 73,223 394-ci V8,
3x2-bbl, auto. Found at an estate sale, then
lightly customized. White paint tiring out
with scratches, checking, polishing swirls.
Aqua insert more recent and to higher
grade. Chrome and stainless dull. Interior
#609-1970 CHEVROLET C10 Custom
pickup. S/N CE140Z153978. Red/black
vinyl & red cloth. Odo: 223 miles. 350-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Appears stock from outside,
save for slightly lowered stance, reversed
chrome wheels and Baby Moons. Averagegrade
respray and masking, some chips
around mirror mount. Brightwork very good.
New rubber seals all around. Oak bed.
“Harley-Davidson” painted on tailgate.
Interior fresh and crisp. Engine bay lightly
detailed with chrome dress-up kit, Edelbrock
intake and 4-bbl. Red paint looks orange in
photo. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $12,960. Gen-2 Camaros are
now getting some respect in the market,
such as the ’71 Z/28 that sold for $48,400 at
Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach in April (see
the GM profile in Jul/Aug ACC issue #4, p.
44). A little TLC will go a long way on this
one, but the replacement engine pretty
much eliminates its value as a “survivor.”
Market-correct price.
#421-1971 CHEVROLET K10 Cheyenne
pickup. S/N KE141Z650643. Cream/black
leather. Odo: 13,916 miles. 350-ci supercharged
V8, auto. Short-box Cheyenne.
4wd, lift kit, aftermarket mags. Nice paint.
Gold accent unevenly masked. Brightwork
and chrome all very good; custom rear
bumper to accommodate tow receiver.
Leather interior nice. Power steering,
brakes, seat. Underhood goodies include
electronic ignition, Edelbrock carb, Weiand
blower. No reserve. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $12,744. This was a simple-butattractive
redo with small liberties taken. I
liked the honesty of this step-side truck and
don’t think the custom touches added or
took away from value, although H-D tailgate
74 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $10,800. All I could think when
looking at this truck was the huge, slightly
crazed grin it would put on Editor
Pickering’s face if he were to nail the gas
and let the laws of physics take hold of this
overpowered, elevated, short-wheelbase
beast. Suffice it to say, this looked like a
whole lot of truck for ten large.
Page 74
B&T SPECIALTY // Reno, NV
CORVETTE
#100-1966 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 194676S1009949. Milano
Maroon/Milano Maroon hard top/black vinyl.
Odo: 8,063 miles. 327-ci 350-hp V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Twenty-three-year-old restoration
holding up well. Most gaps better than factory.
Originally Sunfire Yellow, repaint excellent,
some chipping at front. Big-block
hood incorrect. Interior nice, crisp. Sirius
radio in glovebox. Engine and gearbox may
not be original. No soft top. Cond: 2.
#363-1940 FORD pickup. S/N ABB185650962.
Candy Apple Red/tan leather.
Odo: 8,679 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Flawless multi-stage paint with excellent
ghosted flames in burgundy many coats
below the surface. Matching vinyl tonneau
over oak bed. Chrome and bright trim all
very good. Interior well done. VDO gauges,
Budnik steering. Edelbrock heads, Mustang
II front end, Painless wiring. 10-bolt rear.
Only nit is the slightly droopy driver’s door
handle. Cond: 1-.
show light scratching. E-Z Eye tinted glass.
Wide whites lightly soiled. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $19,440. Looks dead stock from
outside, but with nice upgrades underhood;
a bit of a sleeper, with enough engine to
warrant a Holley 390 4-barrel. It certainly
would have sold for more if it was a twodoor,
but its stealthy nature was the secret
of its charm. Given the engine mods, slightly
well bought.
SOLD AT $46,170. A really nice presentation,
but value was compromised by questions
about non-original components.
Consignor had a firm idea of his hope, his
reserve, and his bottom line, but was realistic
and sold for far less than he wanted. If
this car in fact came configured as it sat, it
was extremely well bought. For a very nice
driver, no harm done.
FOMOCO
#399-1931 FORD MODEL A pickup. S/N
N/A. Orange/tan vinyl. Odo: 1,260 miles.
350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. A nice, simple rod.
All-fiberglass construction over Speedway
chassis. Driver-quality paint. Four-inch
dropped axle up front. Nine-inch Ford rear.
SBC for motivation. ET aluminum wheels all
around, 18.5 inches in back. So-Cal Speed
Shop gauges neatly laid out. Seller claims
17–18 mpg. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $32,400. Full marks to the masterful
painter. The rest of the truck was well
done, and the winning bidder took home a
real prize. The paint alone probably cost
$15k–$20k. Well bought and realistically
sold.
#2-1946 FORD SUPER DELUXE coupe.
S/N 1GA276972. Powder blue/blue & white
leather. Odo: 11,030 miles. Nice build with
good fitment of body panels; hood out on
left. Paint nice. Heavy polishing swirls
throughout, some chipping. Glass, seals,
brightwork, chrome all very good. May be
on Chevy chassis, per buyer. SBC 350 of
unknown hp. Power steering, power brakes.
Cond: 2-.
#637-1951 MERCURY EIGHT sedan. S/N
0074H145474. Root Beer Metallic/gray
cloth. Odo: 92,082 miles. 255-ci V8, 2-bbl,
auto. Pre-restoration photos show it started
as a true basket case, with lots of rust and
unusable parts. Panel fits slightly off in a
few places. Neither front door shuts well.
Paint to good driver grade, with slight orange
peel over very good prep. All new rubber.
Converted to 12-volt with halogen
headlights. Offy heads and intake, Mallory
ignition. Cond: 2-.
NOT SOLD AT $31,000. While it would be
easy to pick at the body fit issues, seeing
the before-and-afters was truly impressive.
Given the quality of the work, seller was
wise to decline the high offer.
SOLD AT $21,330. Overall a nice car, but
not overdone. Dolled-up a bit, but consistent
with what most period hot-rodders might
have been able to afford. It was easy to
imagine this one actually cruising into a
drive-in back in the day. Everyone should
be happy at this price.
SOLD AT $19,440. Nothing about this catalog-built
car was extraordinary, but that’s
exactly what I liked about it. It probably
starts every time, runs cool in traffic, and
gets appreciative looks galore. It was an
honest ride, and priced realistically. Well
bought and sold.
76 AmericanCarCollector.com
#40-1951 FORD CUSTOM sedan. S/N
B1RH123808. Burnt red/white vinyl & red
cloth. Odo: 32,073 miles. 276-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Built flathead V8 with Offy intake,
Edelbrock head covers, Mercury crank,
hardened valves and seats. Close-ratio
Borg Warner 3-speed. Converted to 12v.
Halogen lights fitted. Paint nice but not
show quality. Good brightwork, bumpers
#397-1956 FORD COUNTRY SQUIRE
wagon. S/N M6DX141640. Bermuda Blue
& Diamond Blue/blue vinyl. Odo: 77,553
miles. 292-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Recently
freshened. Shiny, low-end paint job looks
good from two feet but has orange peel, thin
spots, prep marks, bubbling and dust visible
Page 76
B&T SPECIALTY // Reno, NV
up close, plus some mismatched blues, as if
painted at different times. Most trim in average
condition and straight. Nice older interior
redo. Engine bay well detailed.
Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $30,780. I desperately
wanted to like this car, given my soft spot
for wagons and this one’s appealing color
scheme and bold trim. It could be a great
car mechanically, but the many red flags
said “rush job” over and over. Well sold.
#367-1956 FORD F-1 pickup. S/N
F1OD6K23670. Orange/orange & white
leather. Odo: 7 miles. 350-ci V8, 2x4-bbl,
auto. Fiberglass forward-tilting hood, front
fenders, cab, rear fenders. Steel doors and
bed. Extensive customization of body lines
obvious up close. Bed tubbed, stepside
fenders widened for 18.5-inch rear tires.
Orange-and-white leather nicely done.
Cross-ram manifold on small-block Chevy
with chrome headers; billet front dress kit.
Jag rear end. Claimed $150k-plus build
cost. Cond: 2+.
and was both optimistic and realistic about
his pricing. This car had a lot of needs, but
she was made up to take advantage of her
assets. Replacing the straight six with the
Fairlane V8 is no doubt what took this driver
to heights not normally seen by the modest
Falcon. Even with the engine upgrade, well
sold for condition.
MOPAR
#617-1956 PLYMOUTH BELVEDERE 2-dr
sedan. S/N 26589383. Coral & black/black
vinyl. Odo: 31,047 miles. 318-ci V8, 2-bbl,
auto. Low-mile, one-owner car until 1980.
Bone-stock in appearance, but has ’76
Plymouth Volaré drivetrain and front suspension,
Edelbrock carb and air shocks all
around. Black paint older; Coral recently
done to good standard. Consignor claims
car easily keeps up with modern freeway
traffic. St. Christopher medallion from original
owner still wedged between dash and
windshield. Cond: 3+.
vertical stacks. Cond: 2+. NOT SOLD AT
$90,000. The work was well done and the
football field’s worth of diamond plate was a
delight to behold, and with over 14k miles,
she was clearly tested and ready for duty. It
appeared to sell across for a healthy $90k,
but was not listed in the final results.
#354-1948 WILLYS JEEPSTER convertible.
S/N 74732. Two-tone blue/gray canvas/
gray vinyl. Odo: 38,322 miles. 134-ci
I4, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Exacting restoration to original
spec by national-level concours judge.
Rare blue color combo, as original. Very
well prepped and applied, except on lower
step of front fenders. Chrome well done;
some pitting on rear fender steps. Slight
soiling on convertible top; small leak at carburetor.
I’m sure they never looked this
good when new. Cond: 1-.
NOT SOLD AT $44,500. Very nice build
with some creative ideas, although the
seamless union of steel bed and ’glass
fenders will likely crack at the first speed
bump. Someone spent a lot of time and
money building this pretty truck, but it’s
unlikely he’ll ever get his money back out of
it. High bid should have been enough.
#618-1963 FORD FALCON Futura convertible.
S/N 3H15U146486. Aqua metallic/
black vinyl/aqua vinyl. Odo: 5,090 miles.
289-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Driver-quality paint
with some chips and large areas of discoloration.
Trim good; unusual trunk-mounted
luggage rack OK. Interior sound, but soiled
and lumpy. Oversized, modern billet-style
wheels dress up car, help highlight extensive
bright trim. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $18,360. I have no idea why I
was so drawn to this car. Really just the
coming together of two frumpy, unremarkable
cars to make one frumpy, unremarkable
car. Call it well bought and sold, right
at the seller’s minimum.
AMERICANA
#717-1936 AUTOCAR CAB-OVER car
hauler. S/N AC40519. Red/tan leather.
Odo: 14,630 miles. Built by B&T. Modern
mechanicals underneath a very cool period
truck. Sleeper and hauling bed extremely
well integrated, to look as if they’re from
1936. Paint well done but with light orange
peel; bed done entirely in diamond plate.
Modern headlights in original housings.
Keyless entry, power everything, modern
analog gauges. Unknown GM big-block.
Topped with aluminum wing and very tall
NOT SOLD AT $24,500. Offered by an
ACCer, this was certainly the nicest
Jeepster I have ever seen. Jeepsters have
been getting a lot of love over the past couple
of years, and it is no longer uncommon
to see them around $30k. Seller was wise
to hang on to it at the high offer, considering
the rare color combo. I can’t imagine there
are many better than this.
#619-1969 AMC AMX 2-dr hard top. S/N
A9M397X228226. Red/black vinyl. Odo:
85,460 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Formerly in long-term ownership, when all
the upgrades were done. Shiny paint was
once nice, now scratched throughout.
Interior nicely redone but no longer crisp.
Engine built up with finned valve covers and
headers. Redline tires a nice touch. Nicely
detailed throughout. With Go-Pack, power
brakes and steering, electronic ignition.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $17,820. Consignor worked this
and his other cars very hard all weekend
78 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $26,460. I keep predicting that
AMX values are destined to approach midspec
Camaros, Mustangs and ’Cudas. This
car’s modifications could help or hurt its
chances in that regard. Market-correct price
for now. A
Page 78
SILVER AUCTIONS // Carson City, NV
Strong sales and good deals
at Silver Carson City
AS USUAL, $20K PUT YOU IN THE HUNT FOR ABOUT 70% OF THE CARS,
SUCH AS THE BLACK ’66 CHARGER WITH 383 AND 4-SPEED AT $13K
Report and photos by
Paul Duchene
Market opinions in italics
M
$1m
$2m
$3m
$4m
$5m
0
80 AmericanCarCollector.com
itch Silver returned to the
Silver Oak Golf Club in
Carson City in August, with
a better system for cooling
the big tents on the lawn. The
afternoon winds off the Sierras were now
able to blow through, which made the whole
arrangement much more comfortable.
The sales figures looked modest compared
with last year, when Silver’s friend,
Silver Auctions
Carson City 2012, Carson City, NV
August 9–12, 2012
Auctioneers: Mitch Silver, Matt Backs,
Rose Backs, Bob Graham
Automotive lots sold/offered: 90/236
Sales rate: 38%
Sale total: $1,315,332
High sale: 1934 Ford 3-window coupe,
sold at $83,700
Buyer’s premium: 8% included in sold
prices
Silver sales total
2012
2011
1949 Chevrolet 3100 pickup, sold for $19,980
collector Garth Richards, sold off about 170
cars at no reserve and skewed the picture. A
total of 272 cars sold there for $4.8m. This
time around, Silver offered a total of 235
cars, along with about 200 pieces of memorabilia,
including Coca-Cola machines,
enamel signs, gas pumps and even a real
stuffed bear.
A number of important cars failed to
sell, apparently because sellers were holding
on to 2007 price guides. However, as usual
there were a number of attractive buys and
quite a few sleepers. The flagship lot was
a collection of five Packard Caribbeans,
1953–56, with four convertibles and a coupe
from the ’56 model year. The top-of-the-line
model was never common, with 750 built
in ’53, 400 in ’54, 500 in ’55 and ’56 split
between 263 coupes and 276 convertibles.
Reserve for the group was $500,000, and
a phone bidder stalled at $425,000, which
should have done it.
The offerings were a mix of decent origi-
nals, a few trailer queens and a number of
resto-mods, some of which were brilliantly
done, such as a SS 427 ’66 El Camino, which
stalled just shy of $15k but must have cost as
much as the $24k reserve to build.
As usual, $20k put you in the hunt for
about 70% of the cars, and a great example
was a black 1966 Dodge Charger with 383
and 4-speed. Straight, clean and original
(even the full-width taillight was good), it
sold for a very reasonable $13k.
A charming old 1929 Buick sedan had
only three owners from new and the warm
patina of an old steam trunk. Somebody
bought a real-life experience for only $8k.
Among Corvettes, a fresh and really
pretty 1955 V8 3-speed was very well
bought at the bottom of the ACC price guide
at $68k, while Mitch Silver’s own white ’65
roadster with automatic and a/c stalled at
$35k (and I’d have kept it too).
Emboldened truck sellers would do
well to mind the fate of the 1979 Chevrolet
Silverado 4x4, with new paint and lots
of options, and which ground to a halt at
$6,750, against a reserve of $10,900. Trucks
from that series are still used cars being
ignored by collectors. On the other hand,
a beautifully restored 1949 Chevrolet 3100
pickup brought $20k — unthinkable two or
three years ago. A
Page 80
SILVER AUCTIONS // Carson City, NV
GM
#124-1929 CHEVROLET INTERNATIONAL
6 sedan. S/N 5542. Green & black/black
vinyl/green mohair. Odo: 661 miles. 194-ci
I6, 1-bbl, manual. Plain-Jane 6-cyl Chevy
sedan, probably restored in 1960s or ’70s to
enthusiast standard. Iffy paint probably
about the same quality as original. Wood
body has issues, doors drooping, hard to
close. Canvas on roof has been patched.
Tires ancient. Engine reluctant to start but
looks correct. Cond: 4-.
most likely correct, odometer just rolled
over. Correct underhood, but nothing fancy
or detailed. Power steering, no power
brakes. Cond: 3.
and rear spoilers. Decent interior—surprisingly,
driver’s door does not drop when
opened. Mileage could well be original.
Power steering, power discs, factory tach
and console gauge package. Clean engine
compartment with correct stickers. No a/c or
4-speed, but looks like a nice driver. Cond:
3. SOLD AT $18,360. I’d call this well sold,
for now. In five years, it might be remembered
as a bargain.
SOLD AT $9,720. Reportedly restored by
an old man who owned it for a long time
and just thought it would be nice to spiff it
up a bit. Not a high-performance model, but
a nice piece of Americana. Well bought and
sold.
SOLD AT $8,640. I fear that restoring this
car will be a grueling, thankless task with no
financial upside. Very well sold.
#162-1955 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 2-dr
hard top. S/N 052220. Orange & white/red
& white vinyl. Odo: 53,295 miles. 327-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Great colors. Good paint, trim
and glass, excellent grille and bumpers.
Cragar mags, good tires, dual exhaust.
Digital 1955-pattern speedometer. No
power brakes or steering. Mickey
Thompson valve covers, Holley carb, manifold
and headers. Cond: 2.
#197-1967 CHEVROLET CAMARO RS/SS
coupe. S/N 1233771L150201. Blue metallic/
black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 27,962
miles. 396-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Tidy and well
done. Front and rear spoiler, good chrome
and tidy underhood, but one headlight door
was swinging loose. No power steering,
power brakes or stereo, but has the bigblock
396 engine with factory tach and console.
Sports 18-inch aftermarket American
mags and later cold-air hood. Cond: 3+.
#183-1971 CADILLAC ELDORADO convertible.
S/N 693671Q423134. Cigarette
Cream/maroon canvas/black leather. Odo:
46,824 miles. 500-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Superstraight
Eldosaurus survivor, with the biggest
engine. In same family for most of its
life and clearly garaged. Supple leather
seats, good body fit, but paint has gone flat,
odd-colored top is loose around the rear
glass. Unusual Continental kit makes it
even longer. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $5,940. Eldos remain a bargain,
as long as you can afford the gas and don’t
need to park in those pesky modern garages
downtown. They were the only
Cadillac convertible from 1971 to ’76, and
the earlier one you get, the better it will run.
Rather a good buy for the money.
SOLD AT $22,410. This was a no-sale at
$18k against a $25k reserve but re-ran later
to this successful price. Nobody orders a
package like this to commute, and it had the
feel of a car that had been used hard, then
tricked out to sell, which it did.
NOT SOLD AT $22,500. Custom Tri-Fives
can be a surprisingly tough sell, if the potential
buyer doesn’t see things the same way
as the builder. I think $25k would be about
right for this car, between the high offer and
the seller’s $28,500 reserve.
#225-1963 BUICK SKYLARK convertible.
S/N 3J2522130. Turquoise/buckskin vinyl/
buckskin vinyl. Odo: 4,144 miles. 215-ci V8,
2-bbl, auto. Charming amateur restoration
of a local Nevada car with good trim and
bumpers and nice grille. Sweet period color,
straight body, good panel fit. Top fits fairly
well and matches off-white interior. Mileage
82 AmericanCarCollector.com
#458-1970 CHEVROLET CAMARO RS
coupe. S/N 124870L517271. Mulsanne
Blue/blue vinyl. Odo: 72,979 miles. 350-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Straight car, decent paint
and panel fit. Seals fair, grille cracked. Front
#130-1979 CHEVROLET K10 Silverado
pickup. S/N CKL149J139766. Silver &
blue/blue mohair. Odo: 56,479 miles. 350-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Fair repaint, good panel fit,
decent chrome and grille. Some wear on
driver’s seat. With a/c, power steering and
brakes, Warn hubs, gauge pack with factory
tach, twin tanks boiled out. Also has
“Grandpa package” running boards, threeinch
lift, bumper guards, sliding rear window,
bed rails, step bumper, etc. Cond: 3.
NOT SOLD AT $6,750. If you’ve been wondering
how far the truck boom extends, here
you go. For now, it seems to stop at 1972,
at least for Chevrolets. The next series
(1973–81) has not yet arrived. Marketcorrect
offer.
Page 82
SILVER AUCTIONS // Carson City, NV
CORVETTE
#462-1955 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
roadster. S/N VE55S001424. Gypsy
Red/tan canvas/Buckskin vinyl. Odo: 478
miles. 265-ci 195-hp V8, 4-bbl, 3-sp. Fresh
restoration of most-desirable first-gen V8
with 3-speed stick. Fresh from complete
mechanical rebuild. New paint, chrome, top,
tires and wiring harness. Interior reupholstered,
gauges re-faced. Now fitted with
front sway bar. Correct underhood, with all
appropriate shields. One of 180 red cars
built in 1955; one of only 75 with manual
transmission. Cond: 2+.
vinyl/yellow/white vinyl. Odo: 9,074 miles.
Apparently a two-owner car awakened from
a deep sleep as a barn find. Ambitious
claims about being factory demonstrator,
one-of-one in yellow, with Continental kit,
torn original top, fair repaint in 1970s.
$10,000 spent getting it running and clearly
much more to go. Trans needs attention.
Fairly straight, good chrome, but interior
needs attention, windshield cracked, door
handles pitted. Still, new brakes, cooling
system, carburetor and fuel system (including
gas tank boiled out). Cond: 4.
you have to do the transmission right away.
#447-1964 FORD RANCHERO pickup.
S/N 4R27F154214. Red/gray cloth. Odo:
14,527 302-ci V8, 4-bbl, 5-sp. Former 260ci
4-speed car given resto-mod treatment
five years ago. Good paint and panel fit,
painted bumpers. Monte Carlo shock-tower
brace. Custom interior with accessory
gauges and aftermarket stereo. $7k Ford
Motorsport crate 302 V8 with Edelbrock
carb and billet pulleys. Headman headers,
Flowmaster mufflers, King Cobra 5-speed
transmission. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $67,500. If you were looking for a
first-gen Corvette, this was the one to buy.
As a fresh restoration at the lower end of
the price guide, it was a very good deal indeed.
FOMOCO
#185-1931 FORD MODEL A rumble-seat
roadster. S/N 137217. Blue & black/tan
canvas/tan leather. Odo: 482 miles. 200-ci
I4, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Very nicely done example.
New LeBaron Bonney top and interior.
Trunk rack, twin taillights, grille guard, quail
mascot, wind wings. Leather seat in front
and vinyl rumble seat. Twin sidemounts with
canvas covers. Looks practically unused.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $25,920. Where to start? Smart
money would have been to sell it as discovered,
cobwebs and all. Seller would have
been $10k ahead right there. Second decision
might have been to do a frame-off, betting
on the $75k or so it might have brought
when well restored. There is no good third
option. It’s not healthy enough to drive as-is
and you’ll never catch up doing one bit at a
time. Right now, she’s a pretty girl on the
large side, with a lot of bad habits. Very
wisely sold.
#214-1963 FORD GALAXIE 500 XL 2-dr
hard top. S/N 4J633131070. Black/red
vinyl. Odo: 17,855 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Honest old car. Straight body, older
black repaint. Interior shows wear but does
have bucket seats, console and radio.
Window trim and door handles pitted, grille
and front bumper very good, back bumper
painted silver. Engine compartment appeared
correct but dirty, with a general air of
neglect. Fitted power steering and power
brakes. Odometer has rolled over at least
once. Cond: 4+.
SOLD AT $12,960. A huge home-done
project built without regard for future profit
and bound to leave the seller upside-down.
The buyer couldn’t duplicate this for double
the money, so I say very well bought.
#447A-1965 FORD RANCHERO pickup.
S/N 5H27T196270. White/red vinyl. Odo:
49,285 miles. 200-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Nicely
redone original California Falcon Ranchero,
with base 6-cylinder engine, Three-on-tree
stick shift, no power steering or brakes. Well
painted, if a bit thick, with good panel fit,
nice chrome and straight trim. Factory wirewheel
spinner hubcaps, good tires. Tidy
interior, with Falcon AM/cassette player.
Clean and correct underhood. Missing bolts
in bed panel indicate it comes from a rainfree
area. Cond: 2.
NOT SOLD AT $25,000. According to several
price guides, an example this nice and
fresh should be $32k–$48k, but recent ACC
Premium numbers put the market at $30k. If
the seller gets an offer of $30k, he should
take it.
#446-1956 LINCOLN PREMIERE convertible.
S/N 56LA9789L. Pale yellow/white
84 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $9,720. If this had a/c, it’d be a
perfect Nevada period piece, able to blast
along at 95 mph all day (when gas was 25
cents a gallon, anyway). A good buy unless
SOLD AT $8,370. Doesn’t compare to Lot
447, its custom red Ranchero sibling, but it
has quite a bit more upside potential. It’s not
fast, but will probably do 23–24 mpg, and at
$4 a gallon, that’s a factor. The main thing is
it’s correct and nothing has been changed
irreversibly. Indicated mileage could certainly
be original, and I doubt there’s an expensive
part in the whole truck. Well bought.
Page 84
SILVER AUCTIONS // Carson City, NV
MOPAR
#437-1964 CHRYSLER 300 convertible.
S/N 824310. Red metallic/white vinyl/red
vinyl. Odo: 98,834 miles. 383-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Non-letter car. Bright repaint in possibly
correct color, dents in top of trunk.
Good recent top, fair interior, much garish
side trim. Good chrome, but chrome aftermarket
wire wheels are a jarring note.
Power steering, power brakes. Messy
underhood, with overspray and chrome
valve colors and wire guides. Cond: 3.
#159-1966 DODGE CHARGER 2-dr hard
top. S/N XP29G61263044. Black/silver
green vinyl. Odo: 44,115 miles. 383-ci V8,
4-bbl, 4-sp. Very good original 1966
Charger with the giant fastback body. Looks
like a good older repaint. Excellent trim and
good chrome. Very clean interior is correctly
odd color. Good glass, excellent tires, dual
exhaust and even the full-width taillight lens
is undamaged. Correct and clean under the
hood. With desirable 383-ci with 4-speed,
instead of the usual 318 automatic. Power
steering, no power brakes, no hidden headlights.
Cond: 3+.
cloth. Odo: 26,010 miles. 305-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Unusual and sophisticated resto-mod,
built from a car which would certainly be
hard to get parts for, and slow besides. Well
done, but no longer fresh. Mustang II front
end, power disc brakes, power steering, a/c.
Fitted with 305-ci GM V8 with automatic
transmission, all rebuilt. Kelsey-Hayes wire
caps over steel wheels. Rear seat folds
down into bed; rear windows have curtains.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $14,364. This car was untidy and
is not likely to appreciate, even if the buyer
keeps on spending money. That said, it had
lots of eye appeal, and the buyer paid the
right price. Just drive it and enjoy.
#464-1965 DODGE CORONET Deluxe
2-dr sedan. S/N W155155361. Black/blue
vinyl & cloth. Odo: 86 miles. 383-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Laser-straight, nine-year restoration.
Car bought from original owner.
Multiple show-winner, only 86 miles since
completion in April 2000. Excellent and correct
paint, chrome and interior. 383-ci V8
has 440 heads with adjustable rockers,
Mopar solid lifter cam, BeCool aluminum
radiator, 727 automatic transmission with
B&M ratchet shifter, 4.56 Posi, 3,500 rpm
stall converter. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $13,230. As a very nice 4-speed
car, I expected this to do better, maybe
$17k–$18k. But then again, it was 96 degrees
outside and the car was black with no
air conditioning. In any case, rather well
bought, just take it to a milder climate.
#471-1970 DODGE CHALLENGER R/T SE
2-dr hard top. S/N JH29L0B189863. Plum
Crazy/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 77,870
miles. 383-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Matching
numbers, less than 100 miles since $100k
restoration. Rare combination of R/T performance
package and SE luxury option.
Rebuilt 383 V8, with Magnum heads, Posi
rear axle, all new suspension, brakes and
tires. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $21,600. Clearly built to travel
and apparently well seasoned, this will be a
great conversation starter at cruise-ins.
Seller was realistic and seemed happy with
his price. New owner has a car he can
drive.
#135-1949 WILLYS JEEPSTER convertible.
S/N P15149. Red/black canvas/black
vinyl. Odo: 7,675 miles. 148-ci I6, 1-bbl,
3-sp. Black-plate California car, with
3-speed and overdrive. Good chrome, paint
and panel fit. Decent driver-quality paint
with a few prep issues, tidy interior, step
plates. Clean underhood, has been rewired.
Dent in grille, old wide-whitewall bias-ply
tires. Scruffy canvas top seems sound.
Cond: 3.
NOT SOLD AT $40,000. Hard to fault this
labor of love, but also difficult to pin down its
exact purpose. You’d think it was built to
race, but it only has a 383 and no roll cage.
The awards suggest it was envisioned as a
street cruiser with a bit of attitude and the
ability to win trophies. I’d call the $55,000
reserve ambitious and the high offer generous.
86 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $32,130. A very attractive package.
The R/T SE gets both power and
soundproofing, while a 4-speed and a/c
offer both fun and comfort. This was a bargain.
AMERICANA
#479-1934 NASH LAFAYETTE resto-mod
sedan. S/N 292297. Tan & brown/brown
SOLD AT $15,768. Willys thought returning
G.I.s would be sentimental about Jeeps,
and find the profile familiar and appealing.
The G.I.s were sentimental, but only for
what Jeeps did well: hard, off-road, 4x4ing.
The Jeepster left much to be desired on all
fronts, suitable only for sunny rural areas
with few hills. Price was about right. A
Page 86
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
American highlights
at 13 auctions
Selected Sales Combined in One Comprehensive Report
CLASSICS
#40-1913 POPE-HARTFORD
MODEL 33 phaeton. S/N 662. Eng.
# 1790. Red/black canvas/black leather.
RHD. One of three known Touring phaetons.
Long-term ownership in Puerto Rico.
Restoration started at Harrah’s, then finished
in ’80s or early ’90s. Featured in
Automobile Quarterly in 1996. Brightwork in
good shape; paint to driver quality with clear
signs of use. Outfitted for modern touring
with brake lights, turn signals, gauges and
fire extinguishing system. Cond: 3+.
4
A
1955 Dodge C-3-B8 sold for $11,550 at Russo and Steele’s Monterey auction
t each of these 13 sales, our reporters were hard at work, cameras, clipboards and
price guides in hand, tracking the market and spotting trends before they became
trends. Their reports start right here.
Auctions covered in this issue:
Classic Motorcar Auctions, Novi, WI, 4/21/2012 — Pat Campion
Auctions America by RM, Carlisle, PA, 4/26/2012 — John Lyons
Silver Auctions, Spokane, WA, 5/9/2012 — Jack Tockston
Dragone, Westport, CT, 5/19/2012 — John Lyons
girard, Wakonda, SD, 6/30/2012 — B. Mitchell Carlson
Petersen, Roseburg, OR, 7/7/2012 —Jack Tockston
Russo and Steele, Monterey, CA, 8/16/2012 — Ray Nierlich
Bonhams, Carmel, CA, 8/17/2012 — Donald Osborne
RM Auctions, Monterey, CA, 8/17/2012 — Carl Bomstead
gooding & Company, Pebble Beach, CA, 8/18/2012 —Michael Leven
Auctions America by RM, Auburn, IN, 9/1/2012 — Kevin Coakley
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN, 9/1/2012 — B. Mitchell Carlson
Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX, 9/8/2012 — Pat Campion
1969 Ford Torino Talladega fastback, p. 100
88 AmericanCarCollector.com
“The market for Talladegas
has broadened beyond
hardcore Ford fans, and now
almost everyone wants
one to fill out their
collection.”
SOLD AT $319,000. This car looked like a
sturdy piece and was clearly vetted. The
ACC online database shows 4-cylinder
Popes selling consistently under $150k for
almost 15 years. This one was a $375k nosale
at RM’s 2011 Hershey auction against
a $550k low estimate (ACC# 191345). This
time it came in well under the $350k low
estimate, and the consignor was wise to
move on. Well sold. Gooding & Co.,
Pebble Beach, CA, 08/12.
#31-1919 MILLER TNT racer. S/N
N/A. Eng. # 8M8. Bare metal/black
leather. One of one, entered in the 1920
Indy 500 but withdrawn and not raced.
Unique, unpainted cast aluminum body (per
Miller patent) imperfect but in good shape;
brass radiator, oak steering wheel, leather
hood straps all sound, with nice patina.
Original alloy twin-cam I4 donated to WWII
scrap drive; car now with later-but-periodcorrect
Miller I8. Updated with hydraulic
brakes. Recent participant at Pebble Beach
Concours, Monterey Historics, and Millers
at Milwaukee. Very cool. Cond: 3-.
1
SOLD AT $1,210,000. Some Millers sell for
more, some for less, but this car never
raced, has the wrong engine and is some-
TOP 10
TOP 10
Page 87
ROUNDUP
GLOBAL
what of a curiosity. Given that it sold at
Christie’s Pebble Beach in 2000 for
$193,000 (ACC# 10248), I’d have to say
this sale looks pretty stout. Well sold.
Gooding & Co., Pebble Beach, CA, 08/12
Beach Tan/ black cloth/red leather. Odo:
1,988 miles. Restored 1995, won numerous
high-level ACD awards immediately after,
but no longer crisp. Gaps variable everywhere;
panel fit at right rear window especially
bad. Paint well done over good prep.
Significant chipping on left of hood, left cowl
and behind roof on left. Brightwork very
good. Correct Cord fog lights; one with bulb
not connected inside. Red leather fresh but
broken in. Steering wheel restored to driver
level. Dash paint cracked. Very tidy underneath.
Cond: 2+.
8
#102-1936 CORD 810 phaeton.
S/N 1975H. Eng. # FB2582. Palm
SOLD AT $181,500. Palm Beach Tan is a
lovely, understated color; perhaps not quite
right on this bold design. This was better
than Lot 10, the other 810 phaeton on offer,
but not by the 60% difference in price. A
little overpriced, but over time not much
harm done. Gooding & Co., Pebble
Beach, CA, 08/12.
GM
#21-1931 CADILLAC 370A phaeton.
S/N 1004792. Two-tone
blue/navy blue canvas/ red leather. Odo:
2,939 miles. Four owners from new,
45-plus-year-old restoration by Seaburg
Brothers of Ohio still presents remarkably
well. Originally black, but period-correct
color scheme accentuates lines. Bright trim
mostly very good; chrome darkened but
very well done. Paint still to good standard;
some microblisters on front fenders, otherwise
few flaws. Dual spotlights from factory;
Pilot Rays, low-boy trunk and luggage, steel
covers on sidemounts added at restoration.
Cond: 2.
6
November-December 2012 89
TOP 10
TOP 10
Page 88
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
SOLD AT $192,500. Sold at Worldwide’s
2008 Houston sale for $198,000 (ACC#
116700), driven less than 400 miles since.
The superb restoration spoke to the quality
of workmanship and stewardship. Slightly
well bought, toward the lower end of the
$180k–$220k estimate spread. Gooding &
Co., Pebble Beach, CA, 08/12.
#497-1940 BUICK ROADMASTER convertible.
S/N 13676588. Dark blue/beige
canvas/beige leather. Odo: 17,999 miles.
320-ci I8, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Good panel fit. Very
good paint, good chrome. Very good seats,
door panels and steering wheel. Radio removed,
flat alloy blanking plate in dash.
Uprated electrics, modified suspension with
wider wheels. Cond: 2-.
at $32,500, but with most of its issues from
then now rectified (ACC# 142463). The reserve
was passed at $35k, which seemed
cheap. Several bidders agreed and kept
going at a good rate beyond that. Well sold.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
09/12.
#129-1949 BUICK SUPER convertible.
S/N 45106533. Sequoia Cream/black cloth/
red leather & tan cloth. Odo: 22,770 miles.
248-ci I8, 2-bbl, auto. Recent restoration
good enough for AACA Senior Award, in
addition to Buick Club of America Junior
and Senior awards. Panel gaps not much
worse than original build quality. Vastly better
than original paint quality, including undercarriage—reportedly
washed and waxed
before the auction. Authentically reupholstered
interior. Show-quality engine bay.
With power windows and seat. Factory-style
power steering added at restoration.
Cond: 2+.
when Olds ruled the performance roost from
1949 to 1954. Well bought and sold.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
09/12.
#T272-1952 CHEVROLET 3100 pickup.
S/N BKPG8535. Black/black vinyl. Odo:
2,534 miles. 235-ci V8, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Fivewindow
pickup. Nicer older restoration of a
clean, original truck. Now starting to show
its age and obvious use. Weathered interior.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $24,910. This was a great deal
for the ecstatic buyer, who purchased it as a
surprise for his father. Good deals to be had
prior to the busy weekend. Mecum
Auctions, Dallas, TX, 09/12.
NOT SOLD AT $40,000. The 1940 Buick is
held as one of the best cars of the make,
easily the equal of the contemporary
Cadillac. While cataloged as ex-Martin
Swig, the real story of this one is its prep
for, and completion of, the insane Pekingto-Paris
rally. But the modifications limit the
market and I think hurt a bit here.
Bonhams, Carmel, CA, 08/12.
#127-1940 BUICK ROADMASTER 4-dr
convertible. S/N 13828968. Black/tan
cloth/tan leather. Odo: 31,461 miles. 320-ci
I8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Very fresh, high-quality restoration
completed in 2009, minimal use
since. Excellent prep and paint. All new
weatherseals. All chrome replated; stainless
trim still somewhat dull. Mirror added to vent
window frame. Reupholstered seats and
door panels, with the seats done in a generic
pattern. Very tidy engine bay and undercarriage.
235 were convertible sedans
out of 18,345 top-of-the-line Roadblasters
built for 1940. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $74,000. It seems like everyone
restores a post-war Buick convertible in
“Rain Man” light yellow. How about the original
pastel blues and greens for a change? A
no-sale on auction night at $65k, this was in
the post-event results as selling for this
more realistic amount. Well bought and
sold. Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
09/12.
#151-1950 OLDSMOBILE 88 2-dr sedan.
S/N 508W9934. Crest Blue/gray broadcloth.
Odo: 44,275 miles. 303-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto.
Period-authentic trim-off repaint, with some
obvious masking lines around the vent window
seals; heavier overspray on the dingy
undercarriage. Vent window glass starting
to delaminate. Light pitting on most potmetal
trim, light scuffing on bumpers and
grille. Reupholstered front seat shows no
wear; original rear seat slightly different
cloth with light water staining. Offered at no
reserve. Cond: 3+.
#2184-1954 BUICK SPECIAL 2-dr hard
top. S/N 4A1115581. Light blue & white/
blue cloth & vinyl. Odo: 52,000 miles. 322-ci
V8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Paint shows some cracking
and prep issues in quarter panels. Driverquality
bright bits. Original interior is faded,
cracked, water-stained and just tatty in general.
Engine compartment shows surprisingly
well. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $10,010. Here’s a car you could
drive and enjoy while you address the
needs to raise the value, or leave it alone
and see what the market does. Market research
shows the very best only achieving
mid-to-high $20k, and for what you get for
$10k I’d call this well bought. Auctions
America by RM, Auburn, IN, 09/12.
SOLD AT $42,900. Last seen at RM’s
Rochester auction in 2009, then a no-sale
90 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $22,000. While not as minty original
as the consignor would have you believe,
this was still a great period example of
#125-1955 CADILLAC ELDORADO convertible.
S/N 556214993. Bahama Blue/
white vinyl/blue leather. Odo: 39,898 miles.
331-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto. Excellent frame-off
restoration after being found as a literal
“barn find” in 2010. Superb color change,
which is at least correct for the year.
Brightwork a mix of show-quality replate
and lightly pitted original. Tidy under the
hood. Exhaust correctly routed through
Page 90
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
bumpers. Aromatic new leather interior, with
no wear to speak of. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $71,500. Originally a $65k nosale
when offered across the block, listed
sold at this very reasonable price post-sale.
Just try to redo one of these in two years for
what this sold for, and I guarantee it won’t
be finished. Worldwide Auctioneers,
Auburn, IN, 09/12.
#161-1955 CHEVROLET 3100 pickup. S/N
H255S036466. Red/tan leather. Odo: 287
miles. 350-ci fuel-injected V8, 5-sp. Highquality
recent build, with emphasis on stock
appearance. Although the chrome gives it
away as modified, workmanship is second
to none, and better-than-factory quality.
Stunningly well prepared bodywork and
paint quality. Claimed that each and every
gap is a spot-on 3/16-inch. Gen-III smallblock
with Holley TPI under the hood,
backed up by a Richmond 5-speed manual
transmission. Heidts front suspension, Ford
nine-inch rear end. High-gloss black undercarriage
without so much as a speck of
dust. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $46,750. A bit over the top, compared
with Lot 161, the similar pickup with
metallic red and lowered stance. Still, a
high-quality build that sold right. Worldwide
Auctioneers, Auburn, IN, 09/12.
#58-1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR 2-dr hard
top. S/N ORVC57S120234. Matador Red/
red & black vinyl. Odo: 47,974 miles. 350-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Straight panels, excellent
paint, show-quality chrome. Superb stainless
and glass, polished American mags,
new tires, slightly lowered stance. Uprated
350-ci engine, year and source not stated.
Power steering and brakes. Complete reproduction
interior shows as new, including
mint red steering wheel. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $15,290. While the modifications
on this car would not prove terribly hard to
undo, I imagine finding the correct exterior
trim and fittings will pose a challenge. Well
bought nonetheless. Auctions America by
RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#139-1961 OLDSMOBILE STARFIRE convertible.
S/N 616C01229. White/white
vinyl/beige leather. Odo: 83,800 miles. 394ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Older cosmetic exterior
restoration. Numerous chips in paint, door
jambs so heavily coated that VIN tag is almost
unreadable. Original faded and hazy
chrome and trim, newer top. Original and
very tired-looking interior with unappealing
SOLD AT $57,750. Beyond $40k, this saw
something of a bidding war between two
men in the room. Further proof that interest
in well done trucks, stock or resto-mod, is
holding strong. Worldwide Auctioneers,
Auburn, IN, 09/12.
#167-1955 CHEVROLET BEL AIR restomod
2-dr sedan. S/N VC55B050960. Pearl
red metallic/tan leather. Odo: 48,178 miles.
350-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto. Originally two-tone
blue with blue interior. Rebuilt with a crate
Gen-III 350 with dual-quad induction, tuned
up to a claimed 425 hp. Excellent prep and
paint, replated bumpers, dealer-accessory
“hockey stick” rocker panel trim. Excellent
workmanship under the hood, with nothing
but aluminum, chrome and silver paint to
meet the eye. Custom leather interior.
Vintage Air climate control. Cond: 2.
92 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $36,040. The last of the Tri-Five
siblings we’ve lusted over for decades, this
example looked fresh and original from
every angle until you saw the V8, and then
the power steering, front disc brakes and
modern sound system. Some auction observers
believe the bloom is fading on TriFives,
but this example brought more than
the $33k low market estimate. For condition
and N.O.M., this was an appropriate deal
for both buyer and seller, and highest sale
of the auction. Petersen, Roseburg, OR,
07/12.
#341-1959 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO
pickup. S/N H59L116779. Red/black vinyl.
Odo: 71,946 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Fairly honest original car with 350 crate V8
engine with 3-speed automatic of unknown
origin. All trim removed during build; paint
and bumpers in nice condition. Interior
lightly modified with differing seat pattern,
incorrect steering wheel and aftermarket
radio. Clean engine bay and undercarriage.
Spray-on bedliner. From a private estate
collection, offered without reserve.
Cond: 3+.
aftermarket steering wheel. Dirty engine
bay. Cond: 4+. SOLD AT $13,200. Marketcorrect
price, but plenty of room to improve
it with a good detailing. A correct steering
wheel wouldn’t hurt, either. Buyer came out
ahead on this one. Auctions America by
RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#5194-1961 PONTIAC CATALINA convertible.
S/N 361P11998. Mayan Gold/
brown canvas/brown, gold & white vinyl.
Odo: 6,606 miles. 389-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, auto.
Decent paint and gaps, brightwork shows
well, driver-quality engine compartment.
Interior in good shape but doesn’t look correct.
With power steering and brakes. Wide
whites could stand a good cleaning.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $29,150. Last seen at BarrettJackson’s
West Palm Beach sale in April
2011 where it sold for $31,900 (ACC#
178278), making this a relatively quick flip
Page 92
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
at a loss. Still, market-correct result.
Auctions America by RM, Auburn, IN,
09/12.
#367-1965 PONTIAC CATALINA 2+2 2-dr
hard top. S/N 252375E169146.
Turquoise/black vinyl. Odo: 86,180 miles.
351-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Seven-year-old restoration
of a two-owner car, fully documented.
Said to be one of 756 in this
configuration, with factory YK-code 421-ci
376-hp V8, Tri-Power and TurboHydramatic.
Optional power steering and
brakes, center console, eight-lug wheels,
heavy-duty suspension, factory in-dash tachometer,
Wonderbar radio, Safe-T-Track
differential and remote mirror. Featured in
May 2010 Hemmings Classic Car. Shown
with reams of documentation, including
PHS documents, original build sheet, receipts
and much more. Cond: 2.
tion. Has Z/28 badging, with 350 engine.
Engine decals show a 302. Nicer restoration.
Paint was sprayed over old paint in
places. Paint-matched front bumper doesn’t
look right. With desirable 4-speed manual.
Cond: 3+.
pretty rare due to low production numbers.
This went across the block during prime
time on Saturday. Owner wanted $90k, but
let it go. A very good buy and a good investment.
Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX, 09/12.
#F429-1970 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE SS
2-dr hard top. S/N 136370K158281.
Tuxedo Black/black vinyl. Odo: 33,987
miles. 454-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Frame-off restoration
by previous owner. History from
1980s. Flawless deep black paint on laserstraight
panels. Excellent chrome. Interior
presents as new. Power steering, power
brakes. Was previously a drag car, now with
454 replacement engine. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $39,920. Previously seen at
Mecum’s Kissimmee sale in January, where
it was a $47k no-sale (ACC# 199475).
Good colors on this nice driver pushed it to
a good price. Well sold. Mecum Auctions,
Dallas, TX, 09/12.
SOLD AT $24,200. The car was bid to $21k
on the block, and after about five minutes of
heavy negotiation, the seller reluctantly
agreed to sell for $22k on the hammer. Well
bought. Auctions America by RM,
Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#5021-1966 OLDSMOBILE TORONADO
2-dr hard top. S/N 396876M524556.
Blue/black vinyl. Odo: 75,211 miles. 425-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Some paint prep issues,
especially on the expansive hood.
Brightwork a bit tired and showing its age.
Interior presentable with new carpet.
Optional power steering, brakes, windows,
seats, trunk and a/c. Driver-quality engine
compartment. Said to have been recently
tuned up. Cond: 3-.
#F291-1969 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
S/N 223379N105731. White & blue/blue
vinyl. Odo: 76,677 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Several small flaws, but overall, a very
nice newer restoration. Great attention to
detail. Has functioning Ram Air III hood and
air cleaner. Matching-numbers 400 engine.
Very presentable. Nice paint, striping
aligned. Good interior. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $66,000. A superb driver or club
event show car, fairly sold. Super-good
paint and body made up for the drag history
and replacement block. Russo and Steele,
Monterey, CA, 08/12.
#168-1970 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
S/N 228870N116173. White/black vinyl.
Odo: 46,111 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Very well kept original car with some minor
cracking and checking in paint. Good glass.
Original interior shows minimal wear. Clean
engine bay. With PHS documentation.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $103,350.I have seen it all now:
There were two 1970 TAs at this venue bid
higher than this 1969. Higher mileage may
have hurt sale price, but still a great buy.
Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX, 09/12.
#S179-1970 BUICK GSX Stage 1 2-dr
hard top. S/N 446370H320596. White &
black/black vinyl. Odo: 73,360 miles. 455-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Impeccable restoration, no
expense spared. Matching numbers with
documentation. Appears in GSX registry.
Very nice car. One of several cars here previously
owned by pro-wrestler John Cena,
though not presented as such. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $7,700. This looked like a good
buy on the surface, but I’m not sure where
the market is going. Market research shows
prices for these cars all over the board. I’ll
call it well bought today. Auctions America
by RM, Auburn, IN, 09/12.
#S59-1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28
replica coupe. S/N 124379N623210.
LeMans Blue/black vinyl. Odo: 3,981 miles.
350-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Great color combina-
94 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $79,500. GSXs are becoming
SOLD AT $26,000. Initially unsold across
the block, a deal came together later at a
very fair $26k, close enough to the owner’s
desired $27k to get it done. Auctions
America by RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#158-1971 CHEVROLET C10 Cheyenne
Super 20 pickup. S/N KE241Z606660.
Blue & white/blue vinyl. Odo: 52,690 miles.
350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. 4x4 pickup, amazingly
straight body, excellent blue and white
paint, new chrome bumpers. Demerits for
original sand-blasted aluminum grille and
trim bits. Box has spray-in liner in matching
blue. Raised about five inches, Ultra brand
polished wheels, fresh white-letter tires.
Engine clean with Edelbrock 4-bbl. New
Page 94
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
transfer case. Interior new. Cond: 3+. SOLD
AT $12,900. Another cherry pickup almost
too nice for off-roading. A lot of time and
expense, but it came off as 90% done, with
a few easily replaced aluminum bits retained.
Bidding quickly ran up to this market-correct
number. Silver Auctions,
Spokane, WA, 05/12.
Red/black & red leather. Odo: 468,410
miles. 350-ci fuel-injected V8, auto. Frameoff
restoration to exceptional high standard,
$25k-plus in receipts. Show-ready everywhere.
Magnificent Toyota Super Red paint
on perfect NOS panels with nice gaps. 18inch
Chrome ION retro rims. Lowered,
#104-1978 CHEVROLET C10 Custom
pickup. S/N CCL449J168885. Super
billet grille, new chrome front bumper with
recessed driving lights, smooth tailgate,
black vinyl tonneau. Engine and trans rebuilt,
Edelbrock fuel injection, dynoed at
305 hp. Flawless cabin. No demerits, no
reserve. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $9,900. This
was my favorite custom pickup on the
docket, with its tasteful design and flawless
presentation. Everything was either brand
new or mechanically rebuilt from top shops,
with receipts in hand for no stories. The last
bidder got a fantastic truck while other bidders
slept. Silver Auctions, Spokane, WA,
05/12.
#430-1989 PONTIAC TRANS AM 20th
Anniversary Indy Pace Car coupe. S/N
IG5FW2177KL240445. White/tan leather.
Odo: 10,928 miles. 3.8-L fuel-injected V6,
auto. Original paint, trim, interior and underside
with practically no wear evident. No
shrinkage of any plastic panels inside or
out. Full steering wheel controls for climate
control and radio. Factory a/c, anti-theft,
AM/FM and T-tops. Clean, correct, original
engine bay. Cond: 2.
CORVETTE
#4233-1954 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
roadster. S/N E54S00269 Pennant
Blue/tan vinyl. Odo: 1,251 miles. 235-ci
155-hp I6, 3x1-bbl, auto. Paint shows OK
with some minor issues. Good glass.
Decent brightwork except for some rust
brewing under chrome on rear bumper.
Panel fit typical for a 58-year-old ’Vette—in
other words not great, but not likely to get
any better fiddling with it. Release button for
convertible top cover is missing. Driverquality
interior. Presentable engine bay.
Cond: 3.
NOT SOLD AT $47,500. These cars
seemed to peak in ’07, followed by, just like
everything else, a steep decline. Overall
prices have held pretty flat since. That being
said, for a #3 car, the high bid was short by
$5k–$10k; and I can’t blame the owner for
holding on to it. Auctions America by RM,
Auburn, IN, 09/12.
NOT SOLD AT $17,000. One of many timewarp
examples preserved for anticipated
future appreciation, hurt by the 6-cyl engine.
High bid was all the money. Auctions
America by RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#184-1962 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 20867S107390. Red/black
vinyl. Odo: 36,581 miles. 327-ci 340-hp V8,
4-bbl, 4-sp. High-quality cosmetic restoration.
Somewhat heavy paint in the door
jambs, few slight dents in trim. Old, yellowing
tires. Interior very original. Equipped
with rare factory Wonderbar radio. Factory
hard top included. Dirty engine bay, apparently
ignored during the restoration.
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $36,025. Very nice car with a few
details still requiring attention. Also, no
mention of documentation or matching numbers,
so a bit of an unknown. Sold correctly
given the circumstances. Auctions
America by RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#412-1966 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
S/N 1946265114721. Turquoise
vinyl/hard top/navy blue vinyl. Odo: 74,291
miles. 327-ci 350-hp V8, 4-bbl. Frame-off
restoration has earned NCRS Top Flight
and multiple other major awards. Full docu-
96 AmericanCarCollector.com
BEST
BUY
Page 95
ROUNDUP
GLOBAL
mentation includes Protect-O-Plate and factory
window sticker. Flawless paint, trim and
panel fit. Fresh-appearing interior with excellent
trim and gauges, showing only
minimal wear. Show-detailed engine, trunk
and underside. Equipped with factory sidepipes,
disc brakes, hard top and AM radio.
Cond: 2+.
NOT SOLD AT $57,500. Stunning restoration
of a proper numbers-matching car. This
mid-year Corvette was one of the nicest in
the entire sale. The restoration could not
have been cheap, and seller was right to
hold out for more. Auctions America by
RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#4063-1971 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. S/N 194371S106178. White/green
vinyl. Odo: 20,874 miles. 454-ci 365-hp V8,
4-bbl, auto. OK paint and panel gaps, decent
brightwork. Presentable engine compartment
with some chrome dress-up bits.
Interior looks good with no excessive wear
or tear. Factory a/c. Offered at no reserve.
Cond: 3+.
WHAT’S YOUR CAR WORTH?
FIND OUT AT
SOLD AT $20,350. Prices on these cars
have been flat if not slightly declining, but
this car was a bargain. It could have sold for
another $10k–$15k and still been considered
a fair deal. Auctions America by RM,
Auburn, IN, 09/12.
FOMOCO
#107-1931 FORD MODEL A cabriolet. S/N
A4498553. Green/tan cloth/brown leather.
Odo: 3,441 miles. High-dollar restoration.
Excellent paint, chrome and trim. Periodcorrect
paint scheme with black fenders and
gray beltline. Sidemount spare, rear luggage
rack, rear brake light, grille stone
guard and other accessories. Interior restored
to better-than-factory condition using
leather on the seats. No detail overlooked.
Cond: 1-.
NOW FREE! The world’s largest collector car price
guide based on over 500,000 sold transactions
from
. Updated weekly.
collectorcarpricetracker.com
November-December 2012 97
Page 96
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
with new upholstery and headliner, nice
dash and instruments, original AM radio.
Water and oil pressure gauges added under
dash, black rubber flooring as-original.
Cond: 3-. SOLD AT $9,400. My first car, a
’51 Ford Custom coupe, smelled like this
one inside, for momentary déjà vu. Seller
claimed $19k in receipts, which seemed
spendy for the final product. Seller let it go
at significant loss. Well bought. Silver
Auctions, Spokane, WA, 05/12.
SOLD AT $46,200. The RS Slant Window
cabriolet is perhaps the second most
sought-after body style of the later Model
As. This car was handsomely restored with
lots of desirable accessories, eliciting a very
strong result. Well sold. Dragone,
Westport, CT, 05/12.
#3099-1934 FORD MODEL B roadster.
S/N Red/beige cloth/tan vinyl. V6, 2-bbl,
auto. Nice presentation with the yellow
spoke wheels and brilliant red paint. Decent
paint shows some cracks, brightwork presentable.
Billet dash, GM steering column
with tilt, drilled chrome I-beam axle. Ford V6
of unknown spec, Chevy rear end, no other
specifics provided. Cond: 3.
#5105-1950 FORD F-1 pickup. S/N 98RC393749
Green/gray vinyl. Odo: 17,018
miles. 239-ci V8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Restored five
years ago, and done right. Exceptional
paint, fresh bed wood, clear glass, new window
rubbers. Painted steel wheels sport
beauty rings and poverty caps set off by
wide whites. Interior just as nice as exterior,
with satellite radio cleverly hidden behind
original radio speaker grille. Spotless engine
bay. Cond: 2+.
soft-selling car these past five years. A fair
deal for both parties. Auctions America by
RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#TH209-1959 FORD RANCHERO pickup.
S/N H9KF158556. Mustard & white/silver &
bronze vinyl. Odo: 10,091 miles. 390-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Older paint still presents well.
Bodywork fair, ding in wheelarch, door
chrome very uneven. Chrome good. Pickup
bed very good. Recent upholstery, shows
some needs. Tidy engine compartment.
Fitted with later 390 V8 engine. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $16,500. No shows to be won or
real financial upside, but still a solid, driveable
Ranchero. Sold fairly for both parties.
Russo and Steele, Monterey, CA, 08/12.
NOT SOLD AT $30,000. V6? Really? Could
they not find a suitable 302 to drop in? I
don’t blame them for holding onto it at the
high offer, but they’d realize a better result
by supplying the auction company with
some info for promotion. Auctions America
by RM, Auburn, IN, 09/12.
#66-1949 FORD CUSTOM sedan. S/N
98HA4003. Blue/gray vinyl & cloth. Odo:
50,443 miles. 239-ci V8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Shiny
blue paint, excellent chrome bumpers and
stainless. Windows starting to delam. Steel
wheels with ’49 trim rings, dog dish caps.
Engine compartment needs detailing, but
flathead V8 appears stock. Interior clean
SOLD AT $44,000. I asked the seller if he
had any anxiety about offering the truck
without reserve, and he said no, he was
confident it would do well. He was right—
well sold. You’d have to look hard to find
one nicer than this. Auctions America by
RM, Auburn, IN, 09/12.
#423-1956 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
MARK II 2-dr hard top. S/N 056A1670.
Blue/blue & white vinyl. Odo: 62,798 miles.
368-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Nice original car with
one older repaint holding up well. Some
minor issues with the paint, including possible
hail damage on hood. Very good original
interior. All controls look good and work
well. Factory a/c, AM radio and power antenna.
Shown with folders of original records
and receipts. Cond: 3.
#4214-1961 FORD COUNTRY SQUIRE
wagon. S/N 1A68X 135706. White/red/white
vinyl. Odo: 53,656 miles. Paint said to be all
original, shows a few issues but otherwise
nice. Wood trim and film look very good,
clear glass all around, brightwork shows
well. Engine compartment looks presentable,
interior looks very good, equipped with
PS/PB/AC, luggage rack and fender skirts.
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $26,400. Having done 222 miles
since we last saw it at the Raleigh Classic
sale in Raleigh, NC, Dec. 2010 (ACC#
168474), where it was a no-sale at $39k,
and the reporter commented that it had
achieved quite a good result and couldn’t
understand why it didn’t sell. This sale looks
like a market-correct result considering originality
and condition; a fair deal both ways.
Auctions America by RM, Auburn, IN,
09/12.
SOLD AT $31,900. Even the repaint had an
original-looking patina. The documents no
doubt helped the result for what has been a
98 AmericanCarCollector.com
#428-1965 FORD MUSTANG convertible.
S/N 81081720343. Red/black vinyl/black
leather. Odo: 43,831 miles. 200-ci V6, 2-bbl,
auto. Highly original car with one repaint
likely done years ago and preserved. Miles
claimed original and overall presentation
confirms. Original top, engine and interior.
Nice chrome and trim also indicative of a
Page 97
ROUNDUP
GLOBAL
good original car. Only notable options are
the Cruise-O-Matic transmission and power
top. Cond: 3.
a few years ago to high standard, only
lightly used since. Faded original GT emblems.
Show-quality under the hood. Pony
interior. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $50,875. Pretty
good money, even considering it’s a K-code
redone in its original red-on-red Pony color
scheme. Perhaps one bid beyond a good
buy. Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
09/12.
SOLD AT $13,750. The 6-cyl Mustangs
were not exactly top of the heap then (or
now), but the upside was a reliable, easy-tomaintain
car. Someone will enjoy the heck
out of this for the next five months and then
could sell it for probably the same money, if
not a slight profit. Well bought. Auctions
America by RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#TH218-1965 FORD MUSTANG GT
convertible. S/N 5F08A316806. Dark
green metallic/tan vinyl/tan vinyl. Odo:
1,067 miles. 289-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Very
nice older paint with typically lousy panel fit
and gaps. Recent good top. Some wear and
small pitting in chrome. Mirrors foggy.
Wheels dirty. Original nice Pony interior with
gauge package. Very clean engine compartment.
Factory a/c, power steering,
power brakes. Cond: 3+.
Wimbledon White/black leather. Odo: 3,096
miles. 427-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Recent highquality
refurbishment by JD Classics and
other top-tier U.K. firms. Brightwork good;
respray in original Wimbledon White flawless.
Original black leather interior shows
significant wear but is sound and serviceable.
Has built up, date-coded NOS sideoiler
block; no reason given for replacement
of factory 428. Appears to have a fuel cell;
covers on holes for removable roll hoop. H4
headlights. National XT Renegade tires.
Cond: 1-.
2
#53-1966 SHELBY COBRA 427
roadster. S/N CSX3216.
SOLD AT $187,000. 1966 was the first year
that colors other than white with a blue
stripe were available. Head and shoulders
above any other ’66 out there—in price and
condition—but still a bit light compared with
the $200k–$250k auction house guesstimate.
Well bought and sold. Worldwide
Auctioneers, Auburn, IN, 09/12.
White/black vinyl. Odo: 36,613 miles. 428-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Very nice example. Low
miles, but appears to have been been
driven and enjoyed. Signed by Carroll
Shelby. Cond: 2.
9
#S104-1968 SHELBY GT500 KR
fastback. S/N 8T02R215943.
SOLD AT $825,000. This Cobra looked
great, and the build was first-rate, but had a
number of liberties taken, starting with the
budget tires, plus others not so easily remedied.
If the motor swap was done out of
necessity, OK; otherwise, unforgivable. If
the car was raced, roll hoop and fuel cell
OK; otherwise, further indignities. Well sold,
given the customizations. Gooding & Co.,
Pebble Beach, CA, 08/12.
SOLD AT $26,675. An honest, time-warp
Mustang, just like the one you or your
brother had—or wished you had—back in
the ’60s. Rough build, fit and finish, and
absolutely correct! Well bought. Russo and
Steele, Monterey, CA, 08/12.
#10-1965 FORD MUSTANG GT convertible.
S/N 5F08K792638. Rangoon Red/
white vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 89,594 miles.
289-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Fitted with the usual
GT equipment, plus a/c and tape deck
added at restoration. Said restoration done
white/black vinyl. Odo: 19,320 miles. 289-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Generally well-documented
history. Over-the-top restoration completed
2004 by an SAAC judge. All components
aside from tires and carpet are either original
or NOS—including the oil. SAAC
Division I Premier Award winner in 2006
and Mustang Monthly Editor’s Choice winner
at the MCA 30th Anniversary event.
Concours-ready as presented. Cond: 1-.
7
#40-1966 SHELBY GT350 fastback.
S/N SFM6S891. Red &
SOLD AT $148,400. This went through
Saturday at prime time, when the venue
was very active and crowded. Lots of action,
but bidding stalled at $100k. Then the reserve
was lifted, and things picked up
again. The auctioneer spending a little extra
time on this one definitely paid off for the
seller. Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX, 09/12.
#F89-1969 FORD BRONCO SUV. S/N
V15GLE72641. Pearl orange/black vinyl/
white vinyl. Odo: 1 miles. 302-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. No-expense-spared restoration.
Custom paint inside and out. Nice interior.
Aftermarket steering wheel, top and other
accessories. One of the nicer Broncos at
the venue. Cond: 2+.
NOT SOLD AT $35,000. The seller likely
has a lot of time and money invested in this
one, as well as emotion. Price paid looked
like a fair offer, although the early Friday
time slot may have hurt a little. Mecum
Auctions, Dallas, TX, 09/12.
#29-1969 FORD TORINO Talladega fastback.
S/N 9A46Q192001. Wimbledon
White/black vinyl. Odo: 62,465 miles. 428-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Marti Report and four original
build sheets confirm the car is correct as
it sits. Recent trim-off repaint to factory
November-December 2012 99
BEST
BUY
TOP 10
TOP 10
TOP 10
Page 98
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
standard. Light pitting on most of the trim;
older replated bumpers. Rivets removed
from data plate on door, but tag still in
place. No pins, despite mounting pads on
the hood. Recent engine rebuild by performance
expert Keith Kraft, and detailed to
show quality. Light wear and aging on the
original interior soft trim. One of 748 copies
made for NASCAR homologation. Cond: 2-.
tape residue around windows. Nickel-plated
trim very dull or worn away. Serviceable
older tires. Seat-bottom redone in vinyl;
back is worn original leather. Dried-out and
shrinking leather door panels, broken
leather door retainer straps. Cond: 4-.
recent interior and exterior detailing.
Average gaps and panel fit. Decent paint
throughout. Some minor fisheyes and orange
peel in the crevices. Brand-new bumpers
and grill chrome; all other trim nice
original polished up. New top and interior
done to exacting specifications. All original
instruments and controls. Factory AM radio.
Detailed engine bay with recent mechanical
freshening. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $44,000. The rocker panels that
rolled further up under the Talladega’s body
not only reduced drag, but more importantly
allowed an inch lower suspension, as
NASCAR’s compliance templates measured
ride height solely to the bottom of the rocker
panels. The market for Talladegas has
broadened beyond hardcore Ford fans, and
now almost everyone wants one to fill out
their collection. Well bought and sold.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
09/12.
#F413-2006 SHELBY COBRA roadster.
S/N KESLC0362. Polished aluminum/black
cloth/black leather. Odo: 803 miles. 427-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 5-sp. Poland-built 427 Cobra replica
by Kirkham. Fantastic polished aluminum
body. Halibrand mags with Dunlop GT
Qualifiers. Appealing interior, roll bar, fourpoint
harnesses. $200,000 in receipts.
Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $3,800. What little was done to
this was done a long time ago. Now hopefully
someone will give it a well-deserved
restoration. Fairly bought for condition.
Girard, Wakonda, SD, 06/12.
S/N 7693430. Black & wood/tan leather.
Odo: 33,702 miles. Said to be one of 996
built in 1941. Oldest known surviving T&C,
per National Woodie Club. Spectacular restoration
in 2005, with nary a nit to pick.
Mahogany and white ash magnificently rebuilt
by Chris Messano Woodworks.
Emblems and interior trim as-new.
Straight-6 engine neat and clean, but likely
not enough to move all this car around, especially
with nine people on board.
Cond: 1-.
3
#27-1941 CHRYSLER TOWN &
COUNTRY Barrelback wagon.
SOLD AT $89,100. I’ve known this car for
five years and four owners. Originally pink
and white with white top, the car now looks
pretty spectacular. It had been shopped a
bit online in the forums and such, but it took
the auction for it to find a new home. As a
good high-level driver, no harm done. Well
sold. Dragone, Westport, CT, 05/12.
#5121-1956 CHRYSLER 300B 2-dr hard
top. S/N Red/tan vinyl. Odo: 14,600 miles.
354-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto. Nice paint,
brightwork shows well, good glass. Chrome
wires and wide whites really set off the red
paint. Interior looks good. Equipped with
power steering, brakes and seat. Tidy engine
compartment. Cond: 3+.
NOT SOLD AT $82,500. The ultimate replica,
taken completely over the top. No investment
upside, but high offer was
probably fair or close. Russo and Steele,
Monterey, CA, 08/12.
MOPAR
#24-1925 DODGE BROTHERS SERIES
116 business coupe. S/N A16379.
Black/black leather & vinyl. Odo: 52,487
miles. Not started, but claimed to be a runner.
Last registered in Nebraska in 1984.
Very old, very tired rattle-can repaint. Better
job on the bumpers in flat silver. Masking
100 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $385,000. A lot of money for
this car, to be sure, but there are several
$300k-plus Barrelback sales going back to
2004. More recently, RM sold the Milhous
car for an astounding $572,000 in February
(ACC# 192774), and less than a month later
Gooding sold a 3+ example for $286,000
at Amelia Island (ACC# 196958). In this
context, the price doesn’t look so crazy,
but I find it difficult to believe this is the new
reality. An incredible car, but still well sold.
Gooding & Co., Pebble Beach, CA, 08/12.
#130-1955 DESOTO FIREFLITE convertible.
S/N 50348431. Pink & black/black
cloth/black leather. Odo: 55,648 miles. 291ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Older restored car with
NOT SOLD AT $38,000. An all-around attractive
presentation in nice colors with the
right drivetrain. High bid was low by a lot;
seller was right to keep it. Auctions
America by RM, Auburn, IN, 09/12.
#5137-1957 DODGE CUSTOM SIERRA
wagon. S/N 38537919. Metallic Gold &
white/black & brown vinyl & cloth. Odo: 265
miles. 325-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Fresh paint,
except for a drip in the left front passenger’s
door, shows very well. Good panel gaps,
clear glass, exceptional chrome and stainless
trim said to have been polished or replated.
Nicely presented engine
compartment, interior said to be original and
holding up well. Equipped with PS/PB,
power rear window and push button radio.
Riding on new wide whites with chrome
spoke wheels. Cond: 2-.
TOP 10
Page 99
ROUNDUP
GLOBAL
November-December 2012 101
Page 100
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
SOLD AT $10,800. Great sale for the seller.
May have brought even more if sold as a
celebrity car. Classic Motorcar Auctions,
Novi, MI, 04/12.
SOLD AT $36,300. Here’s a perfect example
of why you buy a car that’s already
done. There’s no way you could take a solid
starter car, do all this work to it, and have
such a nice example for the sale price here;
well bought. Auctions America by RM,
Auburn, IN, 09/12.
#T237-1963 DODGE DART 2-dr sedan.
S/N 7132656673. DuPont Viper Red/silver
vinyl. Odo: 2,567 miles. 472-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Full custom show-quality drag car.
Very nice bright red paint. Aftermarket rims
do not present well. Tubbed in the rear, with
wide slicks. 472-ci Hemi with aluminum
heads; shortened nine-inch Ford rear end;
Keisler 5-speed; Wilwood disc brakes.
Custom interior using original silver vinyl
and patterns correct for a stock ’63 Dart.
Vintage a/c, custom sound system.
Cond: 2-.
#46-1964 PLYMOUTH FURY 2-dr hard
top. S/N 3347186746. Beige/beige vinyl &
cloth. Odo: 31,661 miles. 318-ci V8, 2-bbl,
auto. Sold new in St. Angelo, TX. Optional
318, TorqueFlite automatic, a/c, tinted
glass, power steering and brakes. Miles
believed actual. Mellowed older repaint.
Center seat sections redone in modern fabric,
while sides retain original vinyl. Older
engine paint detailing. Cond: 3.
broadcast sheet. Very nice overall restoration
of a numbers-matching car. Very good
gaps and fit. Excellent paint, chrome and
trim. Attractive restored interior with perfect
carpeting and seats. Original and very nice
dash, instruments and AM radio. Cond: 2-.
NOT SOLD AT $26,000. A crowd surrounded
this car before and during its time
on the block. The 383 cars are fairly low on
the Mopar totem pole, and as such, the car
fell short of reserve. Auctions America by
RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
SOLD AT $14,000. Not the minty virgin the
seller thought it was, but not a bad car either.
At least it hasn’t been cloned into
some Max Wedge or Hemi like most ’64
Plymouths have. Decent buy, decent car.
Girard, Wakonda, SD, 06/12.
#S274-1967 DODGE CHARGER fastback.
S/N XP29H7I90203. Red/white vinyl. Odo:
71,006 miles. 383-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Newer
paint has numerous flaws. Rear passenger
quarter shows primer in several spots.
Weatherstripping needs replacing. Needs
updated brightwork. New interior in columnshift
car, with old floor-shift console added.
Engine compartment needed updating, detailing.
Cond: 3-.
NOT SOLD AT $47,500. Hard to expect
more than this for a one-off custom Dart.
But the engine alone is worth the high offer
here, so I can understand the seller’s choice
to keep it. Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX,
09/12.
#821-1963 IMPERIAL LEBARON 4-dr
hard top. S/N 9333124537. Blue/gray
leather. Odo: 41,000 miles. 413-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. All original and could use a total restoration,
but still a solid California car. Paint
and interior showing age. According to
seller, original owner was WWII war hero
Admiral Stanton. With a/c and LeBaron
package. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $13,780. The shiny respray made
it a good 20-footer, perhaps, but there’s still
plenty of work left. Good deal for the seller.
Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX, 09/12.
#380-1969 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER
2-dr hard top. S/N RM23H9A167960. Blue
Fire/black vinyl. Odo: 96,886 miles. 383-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. With original fender tag and
SOLD AT $84,800. Nice deal for seller and
buyer. This would have certainly achieved
higher bidding had it been detailed prior to
auction. Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX,
09/12.
102 AmericanCarCollector.com
#S222.1-1969 PLYMOUTH ROAD
RUNNER convertible. S/N RM27H9G140412.
Orange & black/white vinyl/white
vinyl. Odo: 57,891 miles. 383-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Reported to have original engine and
transmission, although mileage is undocumented.
Nice paint and trim. Good interior.
Could use better detailing in the engine
compartment. One of 2,128 Road Runner
convertibles for 1969. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $50,880. A very nice driver-quality
Road Runner in rare convertible configuration.
Previously seen at Mecum’s March
2011 Kansas City auction, where it failed to
sell at a high bid of $47,500 (ACC#
176122), this looked well bought and sold
today. Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX,
09/12.
#S45-1970 DODGE CHALLENGER 2-dr
hard top. S/N JS23VOB190136. Mango
Orange/white vinyl/white. Odo: 41,358
miles. 440-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, 4-sp. Recent restoration.
Well documented, seller claims
original miles. Nice colors, good paint and
brightwork. Interior well kept but showing its
age, and being white doesn’t help. Should
have been detailed prior to auction. Engine
compartment has several minor flaws.
Cond: 2-.
Page 101
Sports Car Market
Keith Martin’s
ROUNDUP
GLOBAL
The Insider’s Guide to Collecting, Investing, Values, and Trends
“Hats off to you. Keeping up the great
effort to produce the best car magazine
each month is no small feat.”
— E.M., Northbrook, IL, subscriber since 1998
877.219.2605 Ext. 1
WIN AN iPAD!
Scan the QR Code with your Smart Phone to be entered to win
a free iPad and join the Sports Car Market mailing list.
*Minimum spec iPad 2 or newer with 16GB and Wi-Fi
www.sportscarmarket.com
November-December 2012 103
Page 102
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
#F248-1970 DODGE CORONET R/T 2-dr
hard top. S/N WS23UOA122651. Plum
Crazy/white vinyl/white vinyl. Odo: 70,796
miles. 440-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Recent frameoff
restoration. Very nice attention to detail.
Reportedly with original engine. Misaligned
doors, hood and trunk deck. Nice engine
compartment detail. Has the Magnum engine
with functional air cleaner. Galen
Govier-documented. Cond: 2.
Carter carburetor. Dana 3.54 rear end.
Excellent trim and paint. Good gaps and fit.
New reproduction bumpers with old bumper
guards. Factory driving lights. Correct instruments
in good condition. Interior could
use a good cleaning. Cond: 2-.
sure, very well bought. Last appears in the
ACC database as a $35k no-sale at BarrettJackson
Scottsdale 1993 (ACC# 6597).
According to the catalog, the seller purchased
this in the 1980s, when Hemi ’Cudas
were just used cars, but he understood the
significance of it even then and time-capsuled
the car. Five years ago, this car would
have sold for many multiples of what it did
here. Dragone, Westport, CT, 05/12.
SOLD AT $48,760. Good workmanship, big
block, matching numbers, Galen Govier
documentation and Plum Crazy paint—a
solid transaction, well bought and sold.
Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX, 09/12.
#394-1970 PLYMOUTH ’CUDA 2-dr hard
top. S/N 135234OE119111. Ivy Green/
black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 88,885 miles.
440-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. No docs with car but
stated to have correct fender tags, and reportedly
one of 334 in this configuration.
Equipped with U-code 440-ci 375-hp V8,
4-speed and Pistol-Grip. Original 4739
SOLD AT $52,250. These have softened
substantially in recent years, but this one,
with its U-code engine and appealing colors,
attracted fair money. Auctions America by
RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#F76-1970 PLYMOUTH DUSTER 2-dr
hard top. S/N VS29HOB184103. Red/red
vinyl. Odo: 34,837 miles. 340-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Newer restoration. Appears to be a
recent nice paint job on a rust-free car.
Brighter-than-factory red makes it a real
eye-catcher. Several pieces of brightwork
need updating. Could use better engine and
interior detailing. Has a pretty bad engine oil
leak. Cond: 3.
RM23VOA162351. Mango Orange/black
vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 1,252 miles. 440-ci
V8, 3x2-bbl, auto. Extensive restoration with
meticulous attention to body-panel alignment,
decals, interior. Positioned along red
carpet entrance for maximum eyeball.
Recently owned by pro wrestler John Cena,
but not presented as such. Cond: 1-.
10
#S166-1970 PLYMOUTH
SUPERBIRD 2-dr hard top. S/N
SOLD AT $143,100. One of the nicer
Superbirds I have seen in a while. These
enjoyed astronomical values in the past,
and are now selling at more realistic prices.
Well bought and sold. Mecum Auctions,
Dallas, TX, 09/12.
SOLD AT $30,740. One of the only
Plymouth Dusters at the venue. There must
have been several people who wanted this
car to bid it up this high. Very well sold.
Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX, 09/12.
BS23R0B349154. White/black vinyl. Odo:
9,842 miles. 426-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp.
Incredible low-mile original car, presents as
pretty much brand new. Two owners,
matching-numbers, with build sheet and
factory fender tags. Original paint, chrome,
trim and decals with hardly a flaw to speak
of. Original interior with minor driver’s seat
wear. Original detailed engine bay. Spotless
underneath. One of the stars of the Dragone
auction. Cond: 2.
5
#133-1970 PLYMOUTH HEMI
’CUDA 2-dr hard top. S/N
#40-1974 DODGE D-100 stepside pickup.
S/N D13AE4S163004. Blue/black vinyl.
Odo: 42,616 miles. 318-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Modifications include 1977 grille, 1979
dashboard, sport steering wheel, suspension
lift with oversized tires, and a 318 to
replace the original slant six. Oh, and red
headlights. Decent repaint. Simulated
Mopar parts delivery decals on the doors.
New exhaust system and brakes. Decent
seat under loose-fitting black cloth cover.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $5,100. While it seems like every
2-wheel drive Li’l Red Express still survives
today, preserved as an “instant collectible,”
no one saved regular workaday Dodge
stepside 4x4s. All in all, this sold about
right. Girard, Wakonda, SD, 06/12.
SOLD AT $220,000. A bargain by any mea104
AmericanCarCollector.com
#356-1979 DODGE PICKUP Li’l Red
Express pickup. S/N D13J893218225.
Red/black vinyl. Odo: 70,759 miles. 360-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Nice cosmetic restoration of
TOP 10
BEST
BUY
TOP 10
Page 103
The most valuable tool
in your box
AmericanCarCollector.com
817.219.2605 Ext. 1
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
November-December 2012 105
Page 104
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
a correct truck. Excellent paint, some chips
at door edge, chrome and trim very good.
Factory gaps. Decals and wood excellent.
Correct five-slot rims restored better than
new. Brand new carpets. AM/FM radio.
Incorrect steering wheel. Older detailed engine
bay, correct details. Cond: 2-.
cloth underneath. Baked-off paint with dull,
pitting chrome, as it’s been a Texas car
since sold new. Cond: 4.
NOT SOLD AT $15,000. The preserved
five-slot rims were a refreshing sight, as
most rusted out and were replaced with incorrect
ones. This was the slightly less powerful
and desirable 1979 iteration, but still
worth a bit more than high bid offered here.
Auctions America by RM, Carlisle, PA,
04/12.
AMERICANA
#131-1941 PACKARD ONE TWENTY
woodie wagon. S/N 14932005. Maroon &
wood/black leatherette/tan vinyl, cloth &
leather. Odo: 77,544 miles. 282-ci I8, 2-bbl,
3-sp. Original condition, cosmetically deteriorated
from previous poor storage. Since
purchased by the seller in 2010, it’s been
fully mechanically gone through to make it
roadworthy. Cosmetics mostly left untouched.
Optional Goddess of Speed hood
ornament. Cond: 4.
SOLD AT $32,330. This truck sold for
$12,420 at Silver’s 2010 Portland sale
(ACC# 160025). Not a mile has been added
to the odo, even though it has sold two
more times since: for $22,500 at Silver’s
2011 Carson City sale (ACC# 189605) and
for $26,400 at Barrett-Jackson in January
(ACC# 193558). Every buyer has made
money on the truck, but I’m thinking this is
about the end of the line. Mecum Auctions,
Dallas, TX, 09/12.
#55-1946 WILLYS CJ-2A utility. S/N
J50294. Eng. # J50294. White/red vinyl.
Odo: 1,443 miles. 134-ci I4, 1-bbl, 3-sp.
Older cosmetic restoration. Presentable
repaint, non-stock pinstriping added. Newer
windshield and cowl seals. Newer NDT tires
and period accessory Selectro front lockout
hubs. Includes all parts for the optional
Power Take-Off sitting in the cargo box,
including additional driveshaft. Seats recovered.
Oversized dice shift knob.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $5,500. Personally, I’d take this
over Lot 131, the ratty and proud ’41 120
woodie wagon—even with the odor of
65-year-old tobacco permeating this one’s
interior. Disable the problematic
Electromatic clutch (likely already done),
then just drive it in the comfort of knowing
that you’ll never find a running Senior
Packard with the bulletproof nine-mainbearing
356 this cheap. Bought well no matter
what the new owner does to it.
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, IN,
09/12.
#136-1952 NASH AMBASSADOR
sedan. S/N R680440. Black &
red/black vinyl. Odo: 42,356 miles. 253-ci
I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Twelve-year-old restoration,
incredible execution and preservation. Paint
superb, with minor blemish on driver’s side
C-pillar the only flaw of note. Gaps and fit
excellent, chrome and trim are show-quality,
interior to match. Original AM radio, very
cool Airflyte instrumentation. Engine bay
and undercarriage detailed to show condition.
1952 YOM plates. Owned by seller for
32 years. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $106,700. Not sold when offered
on Saturday night at a high bid of $90k. A
deal came together shortly after. It just
seems wrong to me that this brings more
money than a Full Classic like Lot 130, but
wagons—especially woodies—still do well
(even after some market correction in recent
years). Selling price is more due to the current
appeal of “barn finds.” Worldwide
Auctioneers, Auburn, IN, 09/12.
#F251-1942 DIAMOND T 201S flatbed
pickup. S/N 2012483. Red, cream & wood/
brown & tan vinyl. Odo: 48,650 miles. 236-ci
I6, 2-bbl, 3-sp. All-original truck with original
engine, now nicely restored in a great color
scheme. Paint and wood bed show good
attention to detail. Engine compartment
clean and detailed. Cond: 2-.
106 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $5,100. Immediately after WWII,
Willys milked the whole “from swords to
plowshares” thing, offering their honorably
discharged Jeep with a line of farm-ready
accessories. For an auction with more tractors
than cars, this fit right in. With no sign
of rust, this was well bought. Girard,
Wakonda, SD, 06/12.
#164-1947 PACKARD SUPER
CLIPPER sedan. S/N 21721107. Twotone
silver/gray broadcloth. Odo: 524 miles.
356-ci I8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Period-accessory fog
lamps, Fulton visor and cigarette case
mounted to steering column, loaded with
period unfiltered Camels. All-original interior
certainly smells like it was owned for most
of its days by a chain smoker. Dealerinstalled
seat and door panel covers beg to
be peeled off to reveal the original broad-
SOLD AT $13,200. This stunning car was
one of the top five in the auction from a condition
standpoint. The cost of the restoration
far exceeded the price realized, and the
buyer got an absolute steal. Auctions
America by RM, Carlisle, PA, 04/12.
#17A-1961 INTERNATIONAL B-170 fire
truck. S/N SB144804E. Harvester Red/
brown vinyl. Odo: 4,901 miles. 345-ci V8,
4-bbl, 5-sp. Combination pumper/tanker,
rated at 500 gpm. Low miles. From the Jerry
Mez Collection Farmall-Land USA museum
in Avoca, IA. As such, when the original
department lettering was painted over on
the doors and hood, it was done in
Harvester Red and doesn’t match the origi-
BEST
BUY
BEST
BUY
Page 105
ROUNDUP
GLOBAL
nal fire engine red on cab and fenders.
Good original interior. Seems regularly
maintained. Cond: 3.
in place. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $18,590. I’ve
run across three of these so far this year at
auction. This was a nice, honest, low-mile
car that had been properly maintained. The
GO Pack was the top performance option
for this car, and bidding reflected this. Both
parties have reason to be satisfied with the
result. Auctions America by RM, Carlisle,
PA, 04/12.
SOLD AT $3,000. This was something of a
bidding war past $2k between a farmer who
wanted the bare truck and a local fire truck
collector—with victory going to the latter.
Girard, Wakonda, SD, 06/12.
#403-1968 AMC AMX 2-dr hard top. S/N
A8M397X262982. Frost White & red/red
leather. Odo: 7,162 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Unrestored low-mile car with full mechanical
freshening. Excellent original paint
and trim. Equipped with GO Pack and rare
4-speed manual. Light interior wear.
Detailed engine bay with correct tags still
which, according to the catalog, includes
“front and rear wheel-wells rolled to accommodate
larger tires or drag slicks, functional
ram-air, rear torque links, quick ratio manual
steering, blue painted Magnum 500-style
wheels, heavy-duty 4-speed manual Hurst
shifter, hose-clamp mounted tachometer.”
SOLD AT $15,900. Car didn’t sell at
$13,000 through the auction. At that time, I
thought the seller should have let it go. I
later discovered the car sold for $15,000.
Seller was smart to not let it go, good sale
for the seller. These AMXs are actually a
pretty good deal as compared with all of the
other early ’70s muscle cars. Might be a
good investment. Mecum Auctions,
Dallas, TX, 09/12.A
#5166-1969 AMC SC/RAMBLER 2-dr hard
top. S/N Red, white & blue/black vinyl. Odo:
2,220 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Nice
paint and graphics, good panel fit, good
glass and rubbers. Nothing to fault on interior.
Clean engine bay and undercarriage.
One of 500 produced in “A” scheme,
Cond: 2. NOT SOLD AT $30,000. This was
an over-the-top offering from AMC back in
the day. There weren’t many made, and
according to the SC/Rambler registry, about
half are accounted for. The high bid was off
the mark by 25%. Auctions America by
RM, Auburn, IN, 09/12.
#T273-1973 AMC AMX JAVELIN coupe.
S/N A3C798P299402. Light blue/white
vinyl/medium blue. Odo: 67,900 miles. Nice
newer paint on an older car. The rest of the
car has not been updated. Light blue interior
showing dirty, aged. All original AMX.
Standard 360-ci car, not the 402-ci bigblock.
Worth a lot more with the larger engine.
Color scheme very nice. Cond: 3.
November-December 2012 107
Page 106
Parts Hunting
Chad Tyson
Big-money parts and
accessories from eBay Motors
#260960059033—1966 Shelby GT350 H
Wood Wheel. 12 photos. Item Condition:
Used. Fresno, CA. “Very good take-off
wheel. Original condition. Very, very hard
to find part. Please look at the pictures and
see if this will work for you, it is in original
condition, and shows some wear on the
wood. The center and rear of wheel appear
in good condition.” Best Offer. Sold at
$3,500.
When your car is worth around $130k,
what’s $3,500 to have a correct steering
wheel? This is about the going rate for one
of these, even with “patina.” Not bad for
a $49.95 option back in ’66. Fair deal all
around now.
#120985867284—Mopar 426 Hemi DualHead
Tach-Drive Distributor. 2 photos.
Item Condition: Used. Waukesha, WI.
“Complete with crank trigger. This is a rare
distributor from the early ’70s in excellent
condition. I was told there were only about
150 of these made. This distributor comes
with the correct hold-down clamp and
spacer. If you are restoring an old Pro
Stocker or building a dual-plug Hemi, this
distributor may be the item you need.” 19
bids. Sold at $3,000.
Welcome to Bizarro World, where dual-plug
magnetos are more common and cheaper
than their distributor counterparts. Most of
the modern dual-plug setups run magnetos
for those reasons. However, this is one of
the best conversation pieces to have under
the hood — and an expensive one at that.
108 AmericanCarCollector.com
#160878074235 –
Pilot-Ray Eight-Inch
Steerable Driving
Light. 10 Photos. Item
Condition: Used.
“Period accessory to
many Classics of the
late ’20s and ’30s.
Perfect for a show car:
Beautiful chrome and
glass, as shown, and
very useful for night
driving. Ready to install.
Includes proper on/off
switch. Also includes all
mounting hardware and
stanchions for your front
cross member (1-7/8” to
2-1/4”). Fits Packard, Duesenberg, Cadillac, Lincoln, Stutz, Auburn, Cord L-29, Marmon and
many others. This one looks terrific and works great. These single-lamp Pilot-Ray setups
are usually priced around $2k (including mounting brackets) from the major classic car suppliers,
but you have a shot at this one for far less than that.” 4 Bids. Sold at $1,580.
Modern replicas like this are readily available. This one included the brackets and was in
near-new condition, which makes it a good buy when compared with the $2k-plus price for
others.
Page 107
reamed, rebuilt connecting rods installed, adjustable lifters installed, valves surfaced, new
rings installed, all threads cleaned and chased, new gaskets and seals installed, motor was
color detailed, head bolts retightened after running. Included: Complete engine, distributor,
carb, intake and exhaust manifolds, starter, flywheel, spark plugs (old ones), water pump
(old one). Not included: engine stand, radiator, radiator hoses, coil, generator, battery
cables.” 2 bids. Sold at $1,726.
Although many Model As were produced, a complete engine — rebuilt or original — is not
easy to find. I know some specialty shops charge $2,200 for a complete rebuild, and at this
point, that’s necessary. You provide the short block or core. The price paid here was a good
deal.
#290773282901 –
1928 Ford Model A
Engine. 5 photos.
Item Condition:
Remanufactured.
Mt. Sterling, MO.
“Test run for about
two hours. It runs
great, with no
unusual noises.
Cleaned, checked
for cracks, bored
0.060, alloy exhaust
seats installed,
crankshaft turned,
0.030 rods, 0.020
mains, deck
surfaced, new main
bearings poured and
#261095251350 – 1957–58 Pontiac
Tri-Power Air Filter Housing. 3 Photos.
Item Condition: Used. The seller offers no
detailed description. Photos reveal surface
rust inside and underneath. No dents or
gouges evident. Will need to be refinished.
1 Bid. Sold at $2,800.
These prices happen when historical accuracy
trumps rationality. Many of these
were ditched in favor of the small, individual
air cleaners. Why? To show off the funky
linkage and fuel lines. Now, you’re paying a
hefty correction fee on a stamped piece of
steel for those previous indiscretions.A
Take us with you!
ACC anytime,
anywhere.
Download our FREE
app from the Apple
iTunes store.
November-December 2012 109
Page 108
Showcase Gallery
Sell Your Car Here! Includes ACC website listing.
Showcase Gallery Full-Color Photo Ad Just $66/month ($88 non-subscribers)
Text-Only Classified Ad Just $15/month ($25 non-subscribers)
4 ways to submit your ad:
Web: Visit americancarcollector.com/classifieds to upload your photo (300 dpi jpg) and text, or text only. Secure online
VISA/MC payments.
Email: Send photo (300 dpi jpg) and text, or text only, to classifieds@americancarcollector.com. We will contact you
for payment information.
Fax: Attention Showcase, to 503.253.2234 with VISA/MC. Be sure to include your contact info.
Snail mail: ACC Showcase, PO Box 4797, Portland, OR 97208-4797, with VISA/MC or check.
25 words max, subject to editing. Deadline: 1st of each month, one month prior to publication.
Advertisers assume all liability for the content of their advertisements. The publisher of American Car Collector Magazine is not
responsible for any omissions, erroneous, false and/or misleading statements of its advertisers.
American
1931 Ford HiBoy
Charles, 845.452.3137, Email:
emitch7@aol.com (NY)
1948 Buick Roadmaster
S/N 1960227. Gray/Black.
3,788 miles. 302 V8, 5 Speed.
31 Model A Steel Body & ’32
Deuce Chassis, One of Custom
Metal Work Throughout,
302 Ford Racing V8 Engine
w/ Edelbrock Dual Quads,
Tremec 5 Spd/Wilwood/9” Rear
w/Coilovers,Award Winning
Magazine Feature Car $88,900
OBO. Contact Rick, The Last
Detail, 847-689-8822, Email:
rick@thelastdetail.com Web:
www.thelastdetail.com (IL)
1942 Packard Super Eight
160 convertible
S/N 14859445. Regency
Blue/Navy. 40,660 miles. 320ci
Straight 8, Automatic. 40,660
Original Miles!Gorgeous Full
Restoration, Regency Blue /
Navy Leather &Beige Cloth,
Fireball 320cui Straight 8 /
Dynaflow, Power Top, Windows
and Seat $79,900 OBO.
Contact Rick, The Last Detail,
847-689-8822, Email: rick@
thelastdetail.com Web: www.
thelastdetail.com (IL)
1949 Dodge DeLuxe 2-dr
sedan
S/N 15792133. Regal
Maroon/brown and tan. 66,000
miles. 356-ci, overdrive. Car
133 of 165 built. Dual sidemounts,
dual heaters. Original
interior. AACA winner, body
never off frame. Blueprinted
and balanced engine, CARavan
proven. Six new radials
700R15 whitewalls. Hydraulic
top. $139,500. Contact
110 AmericanCarCollector.com
Green/81,599 miles. 230
flathead, 3-sp manual. 1,500
miles on rebuilt 230-ci flathead
six. Balanced engine now 0.40over.
Includes dual Stromberg
carbs on Offy Intake & Fenton
exhaust manifolds. Saved all
the original parts. $14,000.
Contact Shawn, 503.796.0858,
Email: pdxjeep@live.com (OR)
1964 Ford 289 HiPo Factory
Service block
S/N C4OE6015F 5H26. August
26, 1964 production. Shelby
Cobra, Ford Mustang, Sunbeam
Tiger. 0.030 overbore,
t-pan, non-HiPo screw-in stud
heads, distributor, harmonic
balancer, alternator w/HiPo
pulley, mechanical camshaft
and intake. Need refreshed, but
was running a few weeks ago.
Email for photos and video.
$4,800. Contact David, Email:
dphunt61@yahoo.com (GA)
r1965 Shelby Cobra replica
oadster
S/N 6Y85Q153417.
Black/Black. 101 miles. 428ci,
Automatic. Rare “Q Code”
428/345 V8, Concours Full
Restoration, Multiple Prestigious
Award Winner, Formerly
of the Capizzi Colllection, 1 of
75 Convertible 428s w/Factory
AC, This stunning Triple Black
Color Combo $88,900 OBO.
Contact Rick, The Last Detail,
847-689-8822, Email: rick@
thelastdetail.com Web: www.
thelastdetail.com (Il)
f1966 Shelby GT350 H
astback
S/N 5F08C248022. Red with
silver stripes/black leather.
3,800 miles. Stroked 427,
4-speed top loader. 9½-inch
rear. Tubular steel frame, Koni
shocks, Mallory ignition, 15-in
BF Goodrich Comp T/A, Mid
State body and clip, dual exhaust
with headers, 4-wheel
disc brakes, 550 horsepower.
No roll bar. Manufactured by
Shelby American, Inc., Los Angeles,
California. Merrill Yeager
of Yeager Automotive built car
in 2004. If you cannot afford or
want to take your real example
out on the road, please consider
this beauty. $49,995 OBO.
Contact Scott, 732.433.3939,
Email: Scottrace1@verizon.
net (NJ)
1966 Chevrolet Corvette
convertible
S/N 194676S113981. Black/
White. 427, 4-sp. Original
427/390, 4-sp. Black with white
leather interior and white convertible
soft top/black factory
hard top. Factory headrests,
knock off wheels, side pipes,
AM/FM radio, GoldLine tires,
Teak steering wheel. It is absolutely
stunning. See our website
for pictures. $69,000 OBO.
Contact Ned, Champion Motorsports,
401.323.7005, Email:
championms@aol.com Web:
championms.com (MA)
1966 Ford Thunderbird
Incredible original car. Twoowner
history from new, loworiginal
mileage, immaculate,
rust-free, razor-straight body.
Never damaged, raced or
abused in any way. Matchingnumber
engine and transmission
(automatic). Finished in
white with gold stripes, black
interior. Fitted with period-correct
air conditioning. A rare opportunity
to own a blue-chip car
that’s original. $135,000. Contact
Matt, Matthew L. deGarmo
LTD, 203.852.1670, Email:
matt@deGarmoLtd.com Web:
www.deGarmoLtd.com (CT)
1968 AMC AMX
S/N A8M397N255058.
Red/Black. 290, 4-sp. 1968
AMX, 4-sp, 290 4-bbl carb,
brand new correct interior, re
Page 109
stored original steering wheel,
never rusted. Looks and runs
great. See our website for pictures.
$15,900 OBO. Contact
Ned, Champion Motorsports,
401.323.7005, Email: championms@aol.com
Web: championms.com
(MA)
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS
Gold/black. 30,420 miles.
V8, automatic. 1970 Chevell
SS L-34 396/350, TH400
auto., $6,800. Contact Carol,
213.377.5527, Email: mhansen74@ymail.com
(CA)
1971 Chevrolet Corvette
convertible
Two-top 454 LS5. 4-sp, older
restoration, original/matching
numbers. White over saddle
leather. Excellent mechanicals
and cosmetics. No hit,
original fiberglass, bonding
strips. New RWL tires. Excellent
frame, power steering, tilt/
tele. $37,500. Contact Ken,
248.626.5500, Email: kal@
thepdmgroup.com
Race
f1966 Shelby GT350 H
astback
S/N SFM6S814. Black/black
and gold. 289 HiPo, C4 auto.
Verified by Howard C. Pardee,
registrar—Shelby American Automobile
Club. Well-documented
and very original. Complete
history with paperwork and
photos back to 1969. Rust-free
Colorado car most of its life.
Older restoration last painted
in ’80s. Correct HiPo engine
with all the Shelby added parts.
Approx. 4k miles since total
mechanical rebuild. $98,000.
Contact Jim, 816.510.6406,
Email: jnknance@gmail.com
(MO) A
November-December 2012 111
Page 110
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Put your company in the ACC Resource Directory. Call 877.219.2605 Ext. 211,
or email advert@americancarcollector.com
Auction Companies
Auctions America by RM.
877.906.2437, 5540 CR llA Auburn,
IN 46706. Home of the 480-acre
Auction Park in Auburn, IN, where
the annual Labor Day Auction is
held in conjunction with the Auburn
Cord Duesenberg Festival.
www.auctionsamerica.com. (IN)
Mecum Auctions. 262.275.5050,
445 South Main Street, Walworth,
WI 53184. Auctions: Anaheim,
Kissimmee, Kansas City, Houston,
Walworth, Indianapolis, St. Paul,
Bloomington Gold, Des Moines,
Monterey, Dallas, Chicago. Nobody
Sells More Muscle Than Mecum.
Nobody. www.mecumauction.com.
(WI)
Russo and Steele Collector
Automobiles. 602.252.2697,
602.252.6260. 5230 South 39th
Street, Phoenix, AZ 85040. info@
russoandsteele.com; www.russoandsteele.com.
(AZ)
Advertisers Index
7-Eight Marketing ...............................113
Adam’s Polishes, Inc ..........................101
American Car Collector ..............105, 109
ANPAC .................................................29
Auctions America .................................11
Barrett-Jackson ....................................15
Bennett Law Office .............................112
Bloomington Gold ................................77
Blue Bars ..............................................96
Callaway Dealers ..................................81
Camaro Central ....................................63
Car Art by David Snyder .......................93
Carlisle Events ......................................83
CarPoolTables.com ..............................89
Chubb Personal Insurance ...................19
Classic Motorcar Auctions ...................87
Collector Car Price Tracker ..................97
Corvette America ..................................33
Corvette Repair Inc. .............................65
Corvette Specialties ...........................111
Silver Auctions. 800.255.4485,
2020 N. Monroe, Spokane, WA
99205. silver@silverauctions.com.
www.silverauctions.com. (WA)
Worldwide Auctioneers.
866.273.6394. Established by
John Kruse and Rod C. Egan, The
Worldwide Group—Auctioneers,
Appraisers and Brokers—is one of
the world’s premier auction houses,
specializing in the procurement and
sale of the world’s finest automobiles
and vintage watercraft. www.
worldwide-auctioneers.com. (IN)
Corvette Parts &
Restoration
County Corvette. 610.696.7888.
Sales, service, parts and restoration.
When it must be right.
www.countycorvette.com. (PA)
Mid America Motorworks.
800.500.1500. America’s leader
in 1953-2008 Corvette parts and
accessories. Request a free catalog
at www.mamotorworks.com. (IL)
CorvettePartsOnline.com ...................107
County Corvette .....................................2
Firebird Central .....................................63
Genuine Hotrod Hardware ...................27
Granite Digital .......................................31
Grundy Worldwide ................................91
Infinity Insurance Companies .............116
Iowa Auto Outlet ..................................4-5
JC Taylor ..............................................71
Jim Meyer Racing Products Inc. ........111
Law Offices of Bruce Shaw LLC ........113
Leake Auction Company ....................115
Logo Products ....................................113
Lutty’s Chevy Warehouse ....................95
Mac Neil Automotive Products Ltd ......97
Matick Chevrolet ..................................81
MCACN, LLC ........................................85
Mecum Auction ....................................13
MidAmerica Auctions ...........................79
Mid America Motorworks .....................23
Motorcar Portfolio ................................87
National Corvette Museum .................113
AutoBahn Power. Performance
+ Looks + Durability + Comfort
= Autobahn Power! Autobahn
Power is a veteran of vehicle
modifications, parts and accessories.
Our specialty has been to
carry products that are better than
original equipment in performance,
safety and quality. Our warehouse,
service shop and retail store are
located in the Midwest for good
access to all parts of the USA. We
have completed literally hundreds
of project cars. These performance
vehicles are in enthusiasts’ hands
across the USA. Many of the
cars are in daily use, proving the
durability of our workmanship and
products. Check us out at www.
autobahnpower.com.
Classic Car Transport
Intercity Lines, Inc. 800.221.3936,
413.436.9422. Rapid, hassle-free,
coast-to-coast service. Insured
enclosed transport for your valuable
car at affordable prices. State-of-
National Corvette Restorers Society ..105
Palm Springs Exotic Car Auctions .......69
Paramount Classic Cars .......................67
Park Place LTD .....................................17
ProjxAuto Z/TA Firebird ........................75
Putnam Leasing ....................................25
Red Hawk Enterprises ........................111
Reliable Carriers ...................................57
Rick Treworgy’s Muscle Car City .......107
RM Auctions ...........................................9
Road Ready Certified ...........................61
Russo & Steele LLC................................3
San Diego Classic & Muscle Cars ........73
Silver Collector Car Auctions ...............21
Sports Car Market ..............................103
Superior Chevrolet ...............................81
The Chevy Store Inc .............................95
Thomas C Sunday Inc ........................104
Truespoke Wire Wheel .........................35
Vicari Auctions ....................................101
Wall Words ...........................................87
Zip Products .........................................37
the-art satellite transport tracking.
Complete service for vintage races,
auctions, relocations.
www.intercitylines.com. (MA)
Insurance
Hagerty Collector Car Insurance.
800.922.4050. Collector cars aren’t
like their late-model counterparts.
These classics actually appreciate
in value, so standard market
policies that cost significantly more
won’t do the job. We’ll agree on a
fair value and cover you for the full
amount. No prorated claims, no
hassles, no games. www.hagerty.
com. (MI)
Corvettes for Sale
Corvette Central. Parts and
accessories for all Corvettes.
Corvette Central has been a leading
manufacturer and distributor
of Corvette parts and accessories
since 1975. We offer the most
comprehensive and detailed parts
catalogs on the market today and
produce a different catalog for each
Corvette generation. All catalogs
are also online with full search and
order features. From Blue Flame
6 to the new C6, only Corvette
Central has it all. www.corvettecentral.com.
(MI)
County Corvette. 610.696.7888.
The most modern and bestequipped
Corvette-only facility in
the nation. www.countycorvette.
com. (PA)
The Chevy Store. At The Chevy
Store, you will find only the highestgrade,
investment-quality Corvette
and specialty Chevrolet automobiles.
We take pride in providing
our clients with the finest selection
anywhere. Offering investment
quality corvettes and Chevrolets for
over 30 years! 503.256.5384 (p)
503.256.4767 (f) www.thechevystore.com.
(OR)
Museums
National Corvette Museum. 80053-VETTE.
The National Corvette
Museum in Bowling Green, KY
was established as a 501(c)3 notfor-profit
foundation with a mission
of celebrating the invention of the
Corvette and preserving its past,
present and future. www.corvettemuseum.com.
(KY) A
112 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 112
Surfing Around
Carl Bomstead
Automobilia on eBay
Carl’s thought: A guy in Ohio was recently rummaging through some old stuff in his grandfather’s attic and discovered a box of small
baseball cards. The cards were from the extremely rare E98 Series that was issued around 1910, and they were in pristine condition.
The best of the bunch, 37 cards, were sold for around $500,000, and the rest will be sold over the coming years. Just goes to show, you
never know what you might find when you start digging around in attics, inside walls, and even on eBay. Here’s some of the stuff I turned up
this month:
EBAY #120975777276—
GILMORE OIL CHECKERED
FLAG WITH RACE DRIVERS’
SIGNATURES. Number of bids:
8. SOLD AT: $1,080. Date sold:
9/5/2012. Gilmore Oil sponsored
numerous racing events, including
the Gilmore Economy Run,
prior to being acquired by Mobil. These flags were widely used at
the events and show up from time to time. This one was signed by
20 early drivers, including Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose and Chet Miller.
Gilmore flags in this condition sell for about $800, so a couple
hundred bucks for the signatures makes the package well worth the
money.
EBAY #160868775110—UNITED
MOTORS TIN/NEON SIGN.
Number of bids: 7. SOLD AT:
$5,150. Date sold: 8/27/2012.
This sign was acquired new in
the crate a few years ago and
remains close to flawless. It
measures 60x30 with the United
Motors logo in neon. Value is in the condition, as lesser examples
sell for about half what was paid here. Again, condition brings the
money.
EBAY #360481819362—
OPALINE MOTOR OIL ONEGALLON
CAN. Number of bids:
53. SOLD AT: $3,938.89. Date
sold: 8/30/2012. This is one of
the most desirable and iconic oil
cans, and it’s high on the list with
gas and oil collectors as well as
those interested in early racing.
It has two screw-top openings
as well as a small screw-on
funnel. Condition was incredible
considering the age of the can, so this price, while up there, was not
out of line.
EBAY #150880398259—FRAM
OIL FILTER LIGHT-UP
COUNTER DISPLAY. Number of
bids: 38. SOLD AT: $1,742. Date
sold: 8/26/2012. This appealing
glass display used a bubbleator to
illustrate the oil entering and leaving
the Fram oil filter. Their slogan
114 AmericanCarCollector.com
“Cleans the Oil that Cleans the Engine” made the point in an era
when not every car had an oil filter. A cool display, and considering
the condition, not an unreasonable price.
EBAY #261078638443—
1903 MASSACHUSETTS
PORCELAIN LICENSE
PLATE. Number of bids:
30. SOLD AT: $6,988.80.
Date sold: 8/13/2012.
Massachusetts was the first
state to issue license plates,
starting in 1903. From 1903
to 1907, they all displayed “Mass Automobile Register,” but the ones
from 1903 were numbered 0 through 3214, so this three-digit plate
was one of the earliest. It was found in a wall during a remodel, so
this will help defray some of the cost. Another, in lesser condition,
was offered at $1,200 with no takers, which again illustrates what
condition does to the value.
EBAY #180953270423—
1950s “SWANX” HOT ROD
CLUB WOOL JACKET.
Number of bids: 17. SOLD
AT: $720. Date sold:
8/22/2012. The Swanx
Kustom Kar Klub was formed
in Oakland in 1952 with the
condition of membership
being the ownership of a
custom worthy of the Oakland Roadster Show. Chapters were
formed elsewhere, with the Vallejo chapter operating from 1956
until 1959. It was reformed in 1998, and the Swanx Fall Fiasco
Car Show is held annually. This wool jacket from the early Vallejo
chapter was in good condition and received a lot of interest. Vintage
hot-rod stuff is valuable property, and this sold for a reasonable
price.
EBAY #150890473284—
1911 VANDERBILT CUP
PENNANT. Number
of bids: 23. SOLD AT:
$5,778. Date sold:
9/8/2012. The Vanderbilt Cup was held on Long Island from 1904
until 1910. In 1911 it was held in Savannah, GA, in conjunction with
the American Grand Prix. The race was won by Ralph Mulford
driving a Lozier. This pennant was recently found in an attic in very
good condition, with the wonderful graphics bright and vibrant. It
received a great deal of interest and sold for what has to be considered
full retail and then some. A