Profiles
- Ford - 1993 Ford Mustang SSP
- GM - 1969 Hurst/Olds
- Mopar - 1972 Dodge Demon GSS
- Corvette - 1963 Chevrolet Corvette 327/300-hp convertible
- Americana - 1948 Chrysler Town & Country Convertible
- Hot Rod - 1933 Ford Woodie Custom "Coupe"
- Race - 1968 Jim Davis Dragster "Blood, Sweat & Nitro"
- Truck - 1945 Ford GPW vs 1944 Willys MB
Search This Issue
Page 2
CAR COLLECTOR
Vol. 2 • Issue 11 • September-October 2013
The Scoop: Profiles
CORVETTE
1963 CHEVROLET
CORVETTE 327/300
$46k / Leake
History affects price on this
driver resto Corvette
— John L. Stein
Page 42
GM
1969 HURST/OLDS
$80k / Mecum
Olds’ low-production,
high-performance street
machine — Patrick Smith
Page 44
FoMoCo
1993 FORD MUSTANG SSP
$14k / Mecum
Lights and sirens — a great
way to meet cops
— Jay Harden
Page 46
MOPAR
1972 DODGE DEMON GSS
$70k / Mecum
A cool price for a piece
of Mr. Norm’s history
— Tom Glatch
Page 48
AMERICAN
™
4 AmericanCarCollector.com
Keith Martin's
Page 3
CUSTOM
1933 FORD WOODIE
CUSTOM “COUPE”
$110k / Russo and Steele
Big money to build,
less money to buy
— Ken Gross
Page 50
CLASSIC
1948 CHRYSLER TOWN &
COUNTRY CONVERTIBLE
$127k / Bonhams
A great buy on Chrysler’s
premier post-war convertible
— Carl Bomstead
Page 52
RACE
1968 JIM DAVIS TOP FUEL
DRAGSTER
$74k / Russo and Steele
Nitro-burning rocket ship
for pennies on the dollar
— Tom Glatch
Page 54
TRUCK
1944 WILLYS MB JEEP
$26k / Bonhams
1945 FORD GPW JEEP
$25k / Bonhams
Different stories, similar
price — B. Mitchell Carlson
Page 56
Cover photo: 1969 Hurst/Olds
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
1972 Dodge Demon GSS; profile, p. 48
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
September-October 2013
5
Page 4
The Rundown
EXPERTS’
COLUMNS
8 Torque
Million-dollar Mustangs
— Jim Pickering
36 Cheap Thrills
1970–71 Oldsmobile Cutlass
Supreme SX
— B. Mitchell Carlson
38 Horsepower
Being a good car parent
— Colin Comer
40 CorvetteMarket
Tracking old family ’Vettes
— John L. Stein
114 SurfingAround
Must-have automobilia
— Carl Bomstead
AUCTIONS
64 Mecum Auctions — 26th Annual Spring Classic
Two ’67 Shelby fastbacks crack the million-buck barrier at this $48m sale
— B. Mitchell Carlson
72 Russo and Steele —Newport Beach 2013
Blue-chip muscle rumbles to $6.5m at Russo’s first SoCal sale,
which totals $6.5m — Michael Leven
80 Leake Auction Company —Tulsa 2013
A ’37 Packard street rod makes $143k at Leake’s $11.8m hometown sale
— Phil Skinner
90 MidAmerica —Twin Cities Spring Classic Auction
When the local auction house takes over, “Back to the 50’s” weekend
totals $1.9m — B. Mitchell Carlson
98 Roundup
American vehicles from coast to coast — Jack Tockston, John Boyle,
B. Mitchell Carlson
6 AmericanCarCollector.com
Background photo: A day at Leake
Auctions in Tulsa, OK; see more
photos, p. 32
Chester Allen
FUN
RIDES
18 Good Reads
The American Drive-In Movie
Theater and Fill ’er Up!: The
Great American Gas Station
— Mark Wigginton
20 Desktop Classics
1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport
— Marshall Buck
32 Snapshots
A Leake auction in pictures
78 Our Cars
ACC staffers’ vehicles
84 Quick Take
1969 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro
— Dale Novak
SERV
DEPA
10 What’s
Collector events of note
12 Crossing the Block
Upcoming auctions
18 Parts Time
Help for wiring and exhaust
systems
20 Cool Stuff
Chrome, cameras and knives
24 Your Turn
Ford truck love, and oil
questions
26 Insider’s View
Million-dollar Pony debate
28 Feature
What you need to know about
collector-car insurance
104 GloveboxNotes
2013 Ford F-150 4x4
SuperCrew EcoBoost pickup
108 The Parts Hunter
Rare pieces for your classic
110 Showcase Gallery
Sell your car in ACC’s
classifieds section
110 Advertiser Index
112 Resource Directory
Get to know our advertisers
Page 6
Torque
Jim Pickering
Star power vs. car power
M
DOES “ELEANOR” REALLY HAVE A PLACE NEXT TO THE ’67 SUPER
SNAKE AND ’65 GT350 R?
ecum’s Indy sale in May was
a record-breaking event, and
not just because of its $48m
in sales over five days.
This year, two specific
lots stole the spotlight: F203, the 1967
Shelby GT500 Super Snake prototype, and
S135, the 1967 Ford Mustang “Eleanor” from
the 2000 remake of “Gone in 60 Seconds.”
The Shelby sold for $1,391,000, while
Eleanor brought $1,070,000. These cars were
the first Mustangs to ever sell for over a
million dollars each at public auction, and it
happened at the same sale.
Shelbys and show Ponies
Other Shelby Mustangs had come close
to seven figures in the past, but none had
closed the deal. Two 1965 GT350 R models,
SFM5R102 and SFM5R106, both sold for
$990k at RM’s 2006 Amelia Island sale and
RM’s 2012 Monterey sale, respectively. And
don’t forget the 1968 Shelby EXP 500 “Green
Hornet” prototype — it was bid to $1,800,000
at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale event this
year, but it didn’t meet reserve and didn’t sell.
To me, $1.4m for the Super Snake wasn’t
surprising. We’ve been seeing Cobras with
good history sell in this neighborhood for
years now, and the rarest Mustang-based
cars that came from Shelby’s shop, such as
EXP 500 and the Super Snake, resonate with
today’s collectors in a way that other realdeal
muscle cars simply don’t. It was only
a matter of time until one brought that first
seven-figure price.
And that’s what made the $1m sale of the
Eleanor car so staggering. A lot of people
seem to concur that it’s not even a “real”
car. It was a movie car built to look good on
screen. How could it be in the same league
as a vintage Shelby?
Insider’s View
This month’s Insider’s View question
revolved around these two cars, asking the
question of which was the better buy. As you
might expect, voting came in at a landslide
for the original Super Snake over Eleanor.
You can see this month’s answers starting on
page 26. What I found most interesting were
people’s reasons for voting the way they did.
8 AmericanCarCollector.com
1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake
Quite a few readers couldn’t believe that a
movie car could achieve such a high price
in the first place, and to a lesser extent, that
ANY Mustang could.
But, while it’s no real-deal Shelby rarity,
a case can be made for Eleanor’s sale price.
Here’s the deal: Not only was this car the
star of the film remake (and let’s be honest,
it was the best part of the movie), it also was
the basis for thousands of copy-cat replicas
of varied quality and background. Call it a
fad if you want, but good replicas have been
bringing decent money at auction since the
movie came out in 2000, and it all started
here with this car.
If some of that sounds vaguely familiar,
it should. We’ve seen this sort of thing before,
most recently when the original Barris
Batmobile sold for $4.6m at Barrett-Jackson
this January.
Buying the dream
Before you go throwing this copy of ACC
out the window because of that comparison,
let me explain: The Batmobile had a whole
lot going for it, being that it was a Barrisbuilt
example offered by Barris himself. It
saw significant screen time in a television
series that continues to resonate with some
of today’s top-level spenders. It’s a Boomer
icon that’s still cloned to this day. Yet it
wasn’t a groundbreaking car in the historic
sense. It was a show boat, pure and simple
— fundamentally, not all that different from
Eleanor.
That car’s buyer, Rick Champagne,
“Eleanor” — Gone in 1 Million Dollars
simply had to have it. I don’t think the price
really mattered. He could have bought a
replica, but it wouldn’t have been the same
thing. He was looking to own the car and
live that dream.
Now, I think we can all agree that
Eleanor is on a completely different popculture
level than the Batmobile, but the
heart of the deal is pretty much the same:
Television and movie cars steal the spotlight
and imprint on us, and in turn, people will
pay big money to own them — sometimes
it’s the same big money that actual historic
collectibles bring. This is especially true of
buyers attempting to recapture part of their
youth. How much money they’ll pay really
comes down to how important the show or
movie was to them.
We can argue all day about how impor-
tant “Gone in 60 Seconds” is, but the answer
is ultimately subjective. And just as with the
Batmobile, there are a bunch of Eleanor replicas
out there — even Shelby got involved
in building them. Thousands of buyers out
there had the same Eleanor dream, and they
paid to live it in replica form.
So, if the real Batmobile was worth
$4.6m to someone, I can understand why
the real Eleanor was worth $1m to someone
else. Whoever bought it was simply buying
his own dream, and he wasn’t alone in his
interest. It takes at least two parties to push a
bid that high.
And as for whether Eleanor belongs on
the same list as rare historic Shelbys, well,
the market has spoken, at least for now. A
Page 8
WHAT’SHAPPENING
Jim Pickering
Corvette Funfest — are there two words that go better together?
Corvette Funfest
This year is the 60th anniversary of America’s Sports Car, so a trip to Mid America Motorworks’ annual Corvette Funfest — this is the 20th
year — sounds perfect. This celebration brings thousands of Corvettes and Corvette lovers to Effingham, IL, for one of the biggest parties of the
year. This year’s bash is September 19–22, and the 40th- and 60th-anniversary Corvettes are the star cars, so they will get special parking areas.
Don’t miss the Fun Dome, which is packed with Corvette swag and memorabilia. A giant corral of Corvettes for sale is always popular, and
the big swapmeet, parties and food are a big hit. Bachman & Turner will perform their hits such as “Taking Care of Business” and “Hey You.”
www.corvettefunfest.com (IL)
Goodguys in Charlotte, Indy and Fort Worth
Goodguys shows will celebrate hot rods and custom cars at shows at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway during the next two
months.
The 3rd Speedway Nationals comes to Indy on September 20–22, and any vehicle
from 1972 or older is welcome to enter the Show and Shine. Cars built after 1972 are
welcome at the All-American Sunday event on September 22. Muscle cars from 1955 to
1972 are headliners at this year’s event. More than 2,500 rods, customs and classics are
expected, and the big swapmeet and Indy 500 Track Cruise are always popular.
The 21st Lone Star Nationals will bring 3,000 customs, classics and hot rods to Texas
Motor Speedway from October 4 to 6. The track cruise, swapmeet and All–American
Sunday are highlights of this year’s event.
The 20th Southeastern Nationals will rumble into Charlotte Motor Speedway in
Concord, NC, from October 25 to 27. More than 3,000 hot rods, customs, classics and
muscle cars are expected.
Parties are scheduled for each night, and it’s a good idea to register now for the
Saturday and Sunday night track cruises. The Show & Shine is for cars and trucks built
before 1973, and All American Sunday brings younger machines into the mix. www.
goodguys.com
10 AmericanCarCollector.com
Corvette country
Okay, so we’ve all talked about 60 years
of Corvette — and the new C7 Corvette — all
year long. So, why not get out and drive your
Corvette before the good weather fades away?
The National Corvette Museum in Bowling
Green, KY, and the Kentucky State Patrol
are putting together the fourth annual KY 1
Lap Tour from October 1 to 5. The tour is a
five-day trip through Kentucky’s beautiful
countryside. State troopers — driving a
marked red Corvette — will lead each day’s
caravan. The trip starts at the museum and
ends in Lawrenceburg, KY, with stops in
Louisville, Frankfort, Harrodsburg and the
General Butler State Park Resort. The trip
also includes a cruise aboard the historic
Dixie Belle Riverboat. www.corvettemuseum.orgA
Page 10
CROSSINGTHE
Upcoming auctions
BLOCK
by Tony Piff
offered without reserve, include a frame-off restored 1953 Packard
Caribbean convertible with correct Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels,
power hydraulic brakes, power steering, top, windows and seat,
plus special hood with a wide air scoop; a 1948 Packard Series 22
woodie wagon, professionally restored in 2010 by master craftsman
Jack Ehrlich; and a 1931 Lincoln Model K convertible coupe.
Russo and Steele — Las Vegas 2013
Where: Las Vegas, NV
When: September 26–28
More: www.russoandsteele.com
1953 packard Caribbean at barrett-Jackson Las Vegas
SEpTEMbEr
Mecum — Dallas 2013
Where: Dallas, TX
When: September 4–7
More: www.mecum.com
Last year: 775/1,217 cars sold / $31m
The star cars at Russo and Steele’s inaugural Las Vegas
sale include a bare-metal, nut-and-bolt restored 1970 Chevrolet
Chevelle LS6, as well as a 1968 Shelby GT500 equipped with a
427 side oiler and factory a/c, 4-speed, power steering, power disc
brakes, deluxe interior, fold-down rear seats, Marchal foglights,
radio and more. It’s said to be one of 15 so equipped for 1968.
Silver — Portland 2013
Where: Portland, OR
When: September 27–28
Last year: 113/190 cars sold / $1.2m
This sale will see well over a thousand collector cars cross the
block. Notable lots include a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS Z/28 with
JL8 four-wheel disc brakes and Cross Ram intake; a 1963 Chevrolet
Corvette Z06 in red over red, Bloomington Gold-certified; a 1962
Chevrolet Corvette “Big Brake Fuelie” with two owners and 4,901
miles; and a 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Z16, one of three known
factory-black/black Z16s.
Barrett-Jackson — Las Vegas 2013
Where: Las Vegas, NV
When: September 26–28
More: www.barrett-jackson.com
Last year: 523/524 cars sold / $22.8m
Silver’s twice-yearly Portland auction is a great place to bump
into ACC staffers, kick some tires and score a cool, affordable
cruiser. Last year, sold prices averaged about $9k. This is one of
the only recurring collector-car sales in the Pacific Northwest.
Dan Kruse — Hill Country Classic
Where: Austin, TX
When: September 28
More: www.kruseclassics.com
Last year: 58/174 cars sold / $3.2m
Barrett-Jackson’s sixth annual Las Vegas sale will feature cars
from the William Munday Collection. Three early highlights, all
At Dan Kruse Classic’s fall Austin sale, the entire 24-vehicle collection
from the estate of William Addison will sell without reserve.
Notable highlights from the Addison Collection include a 1922 Stutz
Bearcat Model KLDH roadster, 1923 Stutz Speedway Four 4DH
roadster, a 1928 Packard 5th Series 526 dual-windshield phaeton,
a 1931 Packard 833 dual-windshield phaeton and a 1936 Packard
Super Eight 1404 rumbleseat coupe.
1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Z16, one of three known factory-black/black Z16s, to be offered at Mecum Dallas
12 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 11
Original-owner Superbird heading to auction
Auctions America’s Auburn Fall event is
just around the corner, and this year, a very
special one-owner Superbird will be crossing
the block there.
The consignor bought this Superbird
new at Altman Kramer Chrysler-PlymouthDodge
in Huntington, IN, in March 1970.
It’s fitted with its original V-code 440-ci,
390-hp V8 with three 2-barrel carbs. It also
has a column-shifted auto and a rare bench
seat, and there are only 29,000 miles on the
clock. It’s said to be one of only 15 built with
this combination of parts.
The car is mostly original, save for an
older repaint in its factory Alpine White. It
was undercoated when new and fitted with a
dealer-installed tachometer. The seller says
the car has been in the rain only a few times,
and it’s never seen snow.
The ACC Pocket Price Guide places the
value of a good #2 Superbird at $80,000
to $130,000, although some have been bid
higher in recent months. What will this very
original car do when it crosses the block?
You’ll have to head to Auburn between
August 29 and September 1 to find out —
we’ll be watching, too. Learn more about the
car at www.auctionsamerica.com, and watch
for our coverage of the sale in an upcoming
issue of ACC. — Jim Pickering
The seven-mile Galaxie Lightweight
In a nondescript shop just blocks from
ACC World Headquarters, a 1963 Ford
Galaxie Lightweight is being brought back
to life. We’ve been keeping close tabs on the
car, which had just seven miles on it when
the owner acquired it about five years ago.
Now the painstaking restoration is nearing
completion, and the car is headed to auction.
Bonhams will auction the Galaxie at their
August 15–16 sale in Carmel, CA. In the
next issue of ACC, we’ll watch the car sell,
and we’ll give you the whole crazy story.
September-October 2013 13
Page 12
CROSSINGTHEBLOCK
RM — Vintage Motorcars of Hershey
Where: Hershey, PA
When: October 10–11
More: www.rmauctions.com
Last year: 110/118 cars sold / $9.9m
This annual auction showcases Pre-war Big Classics. The average
price per car last year was $90k, and the top seller was a 1931 Duesenberg
Model J Barrelside phaeton, sold at $1.3m. The early star car
this year is a 1910 Pierce-Arrow 48-SS seven-passenger touring.
1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 coupe at Fall Carlisle
OCTObEr
Auctions America by RM — Fall Carlisle
Where: Carlisle, PA
When: October 3–4
More: www.auctionsamerica.com
Last year: 162/295 cars sold / $2.5m
AA’s annual Fall Carlisle auction takes place alongside the world’s
largest swapmeet. The variety is broad and varied, covering every
sub-genre of American car collecting at a wide range of prices. The
overall average price per car last year was $15k. One early featured
consignment is a 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 coupe.
Bonhams — Preserving the Automobile
Where: Philadelphia, PA
When: October 7
More: www.bonhams.com
Bonhams returns to the Simeone Museum for their second
Mecum Chicago Auction
Where: Schaumburg, IL
When: October 10–12
More: www.mecum.com
This new auction will feature four cars from the “Hemi Under Glass”
series. Mecum predicts 1,000 cars for their Chicago sale. The sale will
broadcast live on Velocity.
The Branson Auction
Where: Branson, MO
When: October 18–19
More: www.bransonauction.com
Last year: 124/233 cars sold / $2m
Branson’s twice-annual sale always attracts an eclectic mix of
collector cars, including a strong selection of Corvettes, muscle cars,
pickups and hot rods. The sale takes place in historic downtown Branson,
MO. A
“Preserving the Automobile” auction. Some of the star consignments
include a 1918 Locomobile Model 48-2 Sportif Touring Car, ex-General
of the Armies John Joseph “Black Jack” Pershing, no reserve (Bonhams
estimate: $120k–$150k); a 1934 Packard 1101 Eight 7-passenger
touring, ex-Richard C. Paine Jr., no reserve ($90k–$100k); and a
1950 Hudson Hornet sedan ($35k–$40k).
1918 Locomobile Model 48-2 at bonhams philadelphia
The myth of the long-lost dealership is real
VanDerBrink — Lambrecht Chevrolet Company
Auction
Where: Pierce, NE
When: September 28–29
More: www.vanderbrink.com
When word of this sale got out earlier this year, the news
went absolutely viral. Longtime Chevy dealer Ray P. Lambrecht
shuttered his storefront in 1996 and, like a real-life urban legend,
never bothered to clear out the decades of accumulated inventory.
Now his collection of more than 500 untouched cars is being
offered to the public. The icing on the icing is 50 cars still on MSO
and showing fewer than 10 miles. How about a ’65 Bel Air wagon
with a 327 and five miles? A ’60 Corvair Monza with one mile? I
don’t know how many hotels there are in Pierce, NE, but I think
you’d better book your room now.
14 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 14
Publisher’s
Note
Keith Martin
On to Vegas!
the featured magazines being distributed, and we look to repeat the
huge success we had last year.
This is ACC #11, and it is once again chock-full of important and
T
entertaining information, from authority Colin Comer giving you
a look at how he tends to his own car collection, to Corvette guru
John L. Stein offering tips on how to track down cars you might have
owned long ago. ACC Editor Jim Pickering has assembled a terrific
team, and they have really delivered the goods for you this month.
The featured cars this issue are all top-flight collectibles, and
our experts give you important and entertaining information about
each one, from Patrick Smith’s take on the 1969 Hurst/Olds to Tom
Glatch’s look at “Blood Sweat and Nitro,” the 1968 Top Fuel Dragster.
You’ll note that we have more advertisers than ever in this issue;
ACC readers represent committed collectors who aren’t afraid to
spend what it takes to get the cars they want, and they keep spending
on garage equipment and accessories after they’ve brought their car
home.
Launching a new magazine is a little intimidating, as there are
so many different ways to get information today. But the success of
ACC, both with its growing readership and its advertiser support,
means that we are delivering unique and important information to
you — and we appreciate your continued support. A
here are car shows, and then there is SEMA.
The Specialty Equipment Market Association holds its
annual convention in Las Vegas each year, and it attracts
more than 60,000 buyers looking for new stuff to sell to
their customers.
This will be the second year that American Car Collector is one of
CAR COLLECTOR
Volume 2, no. 5
September-October 2013
publisher Keith Martin
Executive Editor Chester Allen
Editor Jim Pickering
Art Director Dave Tomaro
Digital Media Director Jeff Stites
Editor at Large Colin Comer
Auctions Editor Tony Piff
Associate Editor Chad Tyson
Copy Editors Yael Abel, Dave Tomaro
Auction Analysts B. Mitchell Carlson
Kevin Coakley
John Lyons
Norm Mort
Phil Skinner
Contributors Carl Bomstead
Colin Comer
John Draneas
Michael Pierce
Jay Harden
Mark Wigginton
Information Technology/
Internet Brian Baker
Lead Web Developer Marc Emerson
SEO Consultant Michael Cottam
Advertising and Events
Coordinator Erin Olson
Financial Manager Cheryl Ann Cox
print Media buyer Wendie Martin
ADVErTISInG SALES
Advertising Executives Randy Zussman
randy.zussman@AmericanCarCollector.com
877.219.2605 x 214
Cindy Meitle
cindy.meitle@AmericanCarCollector.com
877.219.2605 x 5
Steve Kittrell
steve.kittrell@AmericanCarCollector.com
877.219.2605 x 5
SubSCrIpTIOnS
Subscriptions Manager Rich Coparanis
Administrative Assistant Cassie Sellman
Subscriptions 877.219.2605 x 1
9 a.m. to 5 p.m., M–F
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Fax 503.253.2234
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Email help@AmericanCarCollector.com
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Web www.AmericanCarCollector.com
SEMA — when you’re done picking your jaw up off the
floor, pick up an issue of ACC
16 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
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AMERICAN
JOIN US
Daniel Grunwald
Jack Tockston
Pat Campion
Dale Novak
B. Mitchell Carlson
Ken Gross
Tom Glatch
John L. Stein
Marshall Buck
Keith Martin's
Page 16
GOODREADS by Mark Wigginton
The American Drive-In Movie Theatre by Don and Susan Sanders, Crestline,
160 pages, $6.99 (Amazon), and Fill ’er Up!: The Great American Gas Station
by Tim Russell, Crestline, 208 pages, $9.97 (Amazon)
The world of collecting cars is all about nostalgia. The driving, primal urge is about recapturing
youth as much as the appreciation of bygone engineering or design. Let’s face it, it’s the rare (or
deeply serious) collector who cares about cars from the teens or ’20s anymore, because we didn’t
own a thrashed one as a first car or have fond memories of a family vacation in one. The age of
vehicle discovery might be as important as the vehicles.
It’s why muscle cars are currently still on the boil, and why a generation from now collectors
might be talking about vintage K-cars. For me, a teen in the ’60s in California, car culture was all
about pumping gas and drive-in theaters.
I was a proud wearer of the green uniform of Texaco for the last couple of years of high school
(complete with special gas-station-attendant belt that had an extra leather band that covered the
buckle, so as not to scratch the paint). It allowed me to be around cars and get paid the princely
sum of $1.65 an hour. The fact that washing lots and lots of windshields intersected the growing
popularity of the mini-skirt was just a bonus, only discussed on the islands during down times.
And after work, you grabbed your girl and headed to the
drive-in, a double feature that you hoped and prayed you
didn’t wind up watching.
The two books here are a celebration of both touchstones
of teen life in the ’50s and ’60s (only missing is the malt
shop/car hop drive-in), and both reverently detail the growth,
changes and history of the two venues. Both drive-ins and gas
stations followed the same, glorious trajectory, from humble
beginnings to social dominance to ultimate irrelevance. Yes,
we still need (at least for a while) a place to fill up, but the
experience is now transactional, not social, and the drive-in’s
closest analog in the bright technopolis that is now home is a
digital projector streaming Netflix wirelessly in the backyard
after a barbeque.
So, take a trip down memory lane, revisit the haunts of
your youth. You will remember, you will learn, and mostly
feel a bit younger as you cruise the pages.
PARTSTIME by Chad Tyson
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billy boat performance Exhaust
Fusion Exhaust System
C4, C5 and C6 owners rejoic
have your cake and eat it too. No
you can go from a respectable a
reasonable road user to a snarlin
ear-drum-bursting beast with
the flick of a switch.
Billy Boat’s bi-modal
Fusion system uses two passages
in which exhaust can
flow through the muffler: One
is small, muffled and chambered; the
other is three-inch-wide straight tubing. You’ll turn heads.
But don’t think you’ll be silent as a church mouse in quiet mode
— it’s still seven dBA louder (at 700 rpm idle) and more aggressive
than stock exhaust. Billy Boat developed PRT resonance-control
technology to control droning at cruising speeds in quiet mode.
Alternating between the two modes using the dash-mounted,
mild-to-wild switch actuates a butterfly valve primed by engine
vacuum. C6 and Z06 owners with NPP exhaust systems don’t need to
worry, as there is a Fusion system that integrates with your setup.
Fusion systems require no welding, cutting or machining, which
makes for easy installation. Call 888.228.7435, or visit www.bbexhaust.com
to pick out your system. A
Lineage: ªªªª
The authors of both books are
enthusiasts, not journalists. But, really,
the best in-depth reporting is done
by folks who care much more about
a subject than is fit for polite dinner
conversation, and in both cases their
passions show through.
Fit and finish: ªªª
These are, at bottom, fun books.
The typography, the typefaces and
design reflect that. Serious tomes
they are not. And that’s okay.
toids, history and a sense of wonder
mixed with loss. And both books are
just plain enjoyable.
ªªªªª is best
Drivability: ªªªªª
Both books are filled with fac
Page 18
COOLSTUFF
Alternative
bling
Ever feel like
chrome plating is
maybe a little too obvious?
Advanced Plating
gives you options.
Their unusual finishes
include brushed
chrome, satin chrome,
nickel, brushed nickel,
satin nickel, black
nickel, brushed black
nickel, satin black
nickel and oil-rubbed
bronze! Visit www.advancedplating.com to
price your project.
Made in Detroit
The Shinola brand aims to reinvigorate premium-
quality manufacturing within America’s borders.
What better skilled labor force than Motor City?
Check out their line of custom bicycles ($1,000–
$3,000), wristwatches ($500–$700) and bound paper
journals ($10–$20). We’re currently sweating their
leather wallets and iPad cases ($125) in a serious way.
www.shinola.com
The joy of driving backwards
This new version of
AmeriCam’s backup camera gives
an improved view of your bumper,
so you can parallel park with
supreme confidence. The K21B
($198) includes a slim, 3.5-inch
color LCD monitor. The K21S
($178) connects to any Nav screen
or DVD player.
www.americam.co/n_us
Bolt-action Clickie
Elegant, understated, and oh-so-“tacticool,”
these machined metal pens are proudly made
in the U.S.A. Choose from shiny stainless steel
or stealthy black anodized aluminum. Watch
for a limited-edition bronze version later this
summer. $85, shipping included, from www.
maxmadco.com
by Tony Piff
A better bed
Bedslide bring
Slim and fat
The Kershaw One Ton is an almo
slab of a knife, with 3½-inch blade, e
and tremendous presence. That said, i
you’d expect, and cheaper, too. Slip i
it disappears, kind of. $22.95 from w
DESKTOP y Marshall Buck
1965 buick riviera Gran Sport
This is the second release of this car by
Spark Model; the first was all-black, and it sold
out quickly. It does look good in its high-gloss
Rose Gold color, but I have not been able to find
anything to substantiate the particular color
Spark chose, which may not be accurate for this
year and model.
The body shape and all its nuances are almost
spot-on, and the overall look is fine, except that it
sits a little too low. 99.9% of all the chrome trim has been well replicated right down to the tiny chrome
“Riviera” scripts. The missing 0.1% are the even smaller Gran Sport scripts. Most of the chrome is
attached well and in place.
The interior is all-black save for the bits of simulated wood trim, dash and console details. The dark
interior helps cover most glitches, such as the wood trim on the door panels, which is the wrong shape
and affixed in the wrong place. Otherwise, this is a nice piece for the money.
20 AmericanCarCollector.com
Detailing
Scale: 1:43
Available colors: Rose Gold Metallic
Quantity: 750 to 1,200
Price: $70
Production date: 2012–13
Web: www.sparkmodel.com
Ratings
Detailing: ªªªªª
Accuracy: ªªªª
Overall quality: ªªªª
Overall value: ªªªª
ªªªªª is best
you! There’s a mo
much any truck, v
2000 PRO HD qu
a ton. $899–$1,59
www.bedslide
Page 22
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
ones those are. A quality GL-4 is as good or
better than vintage GL-5 and is my choice.
Thanks for the great question, and con-
gratulations on hanging onto that Corvette
all these years. You are part of an exclusive
club of four-decade-plus original owners!
Resto-mod representation
I thought I’d put my two cents’ worth of
reader/subscriber observations to you guys.
As I’ve noted, your comments regarding
originality and numbers matching are what
I view as a bias preference to those types of
muscle and pony cars with those attributes.
I don’t see much written about Pro
Touring modified machines (aka resto-mods/
restifications).
That’s not saying you don’t love “some,”
just that it seems somewhat neglected from
your in-depth reporting features, compared
with the majority of your coverage.
It’s okay, but as a casual observer, the
Ahead of the curve
Dear Sirs:
Picked up your mag the other day. Great
stuff! I was especially partial to the “Cheap
Thrills” section on the Ford F-series truck
(May-June 2013, p. 36). Sorry to say, I’m
way ahead of the curve on old Ford trucks.
I purchased this 1970 F-100 12 years ago.
It now has 67,000 original miles. I’m the second
owner. I fixed the cab mounts and gave
her new paint. Runs great. It has a 302 V8
with a 3-speed on the column. All original,
except for the hubcaps and mirror.
— Dan Falcone, Folcroft, PA
Which gear oil?
I just read Colin Comer’s article in the
July-August issue of ACC on the finer points
of optimizing old cars. It’s an excellent
article and extremely informative.
I do have one question, however, con-
cerning his advice on transmission lubes. He
states that for Muncie 4-speeds, use GL-4rated
gear lube only; do NOT use GL-5.
I have a 1972 Corvette 454 with a
4-speed. It has 44,000 miles and runs perfectly.
I am the original owner. In looking at
the owner’s manual, it says to use an 80/90
GL-5-rated gear oil if the transmission oil is
low. Should I need to add transmission oil,
should I use GL-4 or GL-5? Has the formulation
for GL-5 oil been changed over the
years that would now make it unsuitable for
transmissions that initially required GL-5?
Thanks for your help. I also subscribe
to SCM, which along with ACC are the two
best car magazines on the market by far.
— Dennis Pavlik, via email
24 AmericanCarCollector.com
Colin Comer responds:
I’m glad you enjoyed the article.
Unfortunately the limitations of covering so
much ground in 1,000 words means I can’t
dive as deep into the particulars as I’d like
at times.
To answer your question, you are indeed
correct: The spec for GL-5 has changed
over the past 40 years. Modern GL-5 gear
lube has stuff the “vintage” GL-5 did not,
mainly very high levels of extreme pressure
(EP) additives that are highly corrosive to
aluminum, brass, and bronze — i.e., nonferrous
metals. And there is a lot of that in
your Muncie (think synchros, etc.).
Most modern GL-5 also has limited-slip
additive, which is absolutely counter-productive
to proper synchronizer operation.
While some new GL-5 lubes have additives
to counteract the corrosive properties of
the EP additives, and some are available
without limited-slip additive, I don’t think it
is worth experimenting to find out just which
grassroots movement is far larger than your
features seem to report and represent.
Of course, then again, I’m predisposed
to certain cars myself, and I suppose we all
have our preferences when discussing modified
versus original muscle.
If I’m wrong, please set me straight.
Regardless, I do value your interpretations.
— Thomas Bush, Mauston, WI
Jim Pickering responds:
Thanks for the note, Thomas.
No bias here against resto-mods — we
try to cover a wide range of cars in every
issue, and they’re certainly an important
part of the market today.
That said, ACC is all about values, and
the sales of original numbers-matching cars
tend to be clear indicators of movement in
the market. Because of that, we’ll always
have a focus there. That’s not to say we’ll
avoid resto-mods, because we won’t. As
long as they keep selling at auction, we’ll
continue to cover them. A
Page 24
INSIDER’S VIEW
Betting on million-dollar Ponies
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.
Lot F203, 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake
The ACC question: Lot F203 at Mecum Indy was the
1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake — a one-of-one supercar built
by Shelby with a GT40 Mk II 427 engine, special drivetrain and
special one-off styling cues. It was built to serve as a test car for
Goodyear’s Thunderbolt tires. It sold for $1,391,000, including
buyer’s premium.
Lot S135 was the 1967 Ford Mustang “Eleanor” from the 2000
remake of “Gone in 60 Seconds.” This was the hero car used for
close-ups in the film and for all promotional materials related to
the movie. This is no ordinary clone — this is the car that started
the Eleanor craze. It sold at Mecum for $1,070,000, including
buyer’s premium.
Both cars are important, but for very different reasons. If you
had to pick one as the better deal, which one would it be and why?
Readers respond:
Paul H., via email: The Super Snake test car should have been
the better buy for its rarity, originality and provenance — as well as
the correct NOS tires (wonder what they drive like, as I suspect they
gave very little grip even new). But sadly, in the celeb-obsessed world,
the Eleanor rep will probably climb in value faster because of the
Hollywood connection. In my opinion, all these look-alikes should be
put back to standard at their owners’ expense.
Jim B., via ACC Blog: I was asking myself this question as I
watched the two cars cross the auction block. What a (relative) bargain
for the Shelby vs. who the hell would pay a million dollars for a movie
prop?! There can only be one answer: the Shelby.
John, via email: No question — the Shelby.
A better question is who would have ever expected to see ANY
Mustang bring more than a million? But if any modern American car is
worth that kind of money, it would be a Shelby.
Jay Parrish, via ACC Blog: I think that Shelby’s Super Snake is
super in this case. Although the movie for which Eleanor was created
brought a new energy back to the world of muscle cars. It was Shelby’s
magic that not only was the base of that energy, but it still lives and
defines the world of muscle today, and I bet even tomorrow. Therefore
26 AmericanCarCollector.com
Lot S135, 1967 Ford Mustang “Eleanor”
the Super Snake is a real super car!
Slypops, via ACC Blog: For the next 20 years, old geezers like me
will continue to push Shelby prices up to stupid levels, those with ED
paying the most for the race models. Eventually we will all be dead,
and those 25-year-olds who fell for their “Eleanor” movie in 2000 will
be 57 years old with their sweet little wives whispering in their ear,
“Please, baby”; that’s good for at least $2.5 million. Shelby prices will
have dropped back to their late-’70s prices of $5k to $10k.
Bill Warner, via email: Neither was a bargain. They are Mustangs,
for cryin’ out loud.
John Adams, Wilmington, NC, via email: The Super Snake will
be the best deal in the long run. It truly has a special history as a significant
car in the Carroll Shelby fairytale. The Eleanor is significant too,
but only as the original movie car. The Super Snake is chronicled in
several documentaries and books written about the wonderful Shelby
saga. The $320,000 premium will, in the long run, be less significant,
as F203 will continue to grow in value much more than S135.
Bob Lagler, Fullerton, CA, via email: The Shelby, of course. The
other Mustang was in a movie — whoopee. The Shelby has material
substance that will last as long as the car exists. The value will climb as
years roll by. It’s a one-of-one in real terms built by a legend. Interest in
movies will diminish over time and so too will the value of “Eleanor.”
I believe the one-off GT500 Shelby Mustang will stand the test of time
and continue to increase in value.
Jimbosidecar, via ACC Blog: If I had a cool million laying around
and I had to blow it on a Mustang, then I’d be looking for the Sir
Stirling Moss Mustang or maybe the real authenticated Mustang that
Steve McQueen drove in “Bullitt.”
Jared Hoke, via email: The provenance of the GT500 is impec-
cable, its history demonstrable and singular. For my money, it’s by far
the more desirable of the two. But a million-plus? I am rather amazed
that it actually fetched such a price.
Kevin Conrad, Seattle, WA, via email: I would vote overwhelm-
ingly that the Super Snake is going to be the better buy. Anytime you
put “one of one” and “Shelby” in the same sentence, you have a winner.
Derbusa, via ACC Blog: You pay for what a car “is” or you pay
for what a car “was.” Eleanor “was,” but the Shelby will always be a
Shelby.A
Page 26
CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE 101
You probably did your homework before you bought them. You’ll have to do a little more homework to properly protect them
Are you properly insured?
A QUICK LOOK INTO THE WORLD OF CLASSIC-CAR POLICIES
by Dale Novak
N
ot long ago, I was working with a very nice
gentleman to help him find a buyer for his
1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible. He
had owned the car for over 30 years and
had been carrying insurance on it through
the same company that insured his late-model cars.
The car was likely worth about $10,000, but because
of the policy he had, he had been writing a check for
over $1,000 annually to keep it insured. I just about fell
over when he told me that. When I told him he could
have been paying under $300 a year, he just about fell
over.
Which type of insurance works best for a given car
in a given situation? A lot of guys just don’t know much
about it. I’ve been tapped to dig into this sticky web of
information to see if I can untangle some of the most
common questions.
Where to start?
There are basically three ways to go about getting
your classic car insured. First, you can simply add
the car to your current “name brand” policy. Second,
you can work with an independent insurance agent to
help you explore multiple insurance company options.
28 AmericanCarCollector.com
Finally, you can turn to one of the many specialty insurers such as Hagerty, Heacock,
Chubb and Infinity, to name a few. You’ll see their ads throughout this magazine.
Let’s take a closer look at each option.
Keep in mind that this isn’t a dissection of any one company or the policies that they
offer, nor should you use this information as the basis of your decision. That should be
discussed between you and your insurance agent or provider. Due to the complexities
of all the information, we can only take a general look here, since every company and
every state has different rules and rates.
The big boys
If you simply add a classic car to your existing auto policy, you’ll likely be paying
the same rates or close to the same rates as for your late-model car. And if you file
a claim, you might be shocked at the value one of these companies places on your
antique car. You don’t treat your modern SUV the same way you treat your classic car,
so why insure them both the same way?
If you decide to use your typical late model “name brand” insurance company, you
might want to ask your agent if there are any specialty programs for a classic car that
is rarely driven and used only for pleasure. A number of the big companies do offer
classic policies — many will require a written appraisal of your vehicle.
Going independent
With an independent insurance agent, your opportunities to find a policy that fits
your needs — one that is tailored specifically to your intended use — open up to a
larger pool of insurance companies.
Page 27
might cost to get your particular car repaired. They know that tracking down some
OEM parts can become very costly, and more importantly, they understand why you
want to repair your car using the proper parts — and that originality can make one
classic car worth two times as much as a similar car. That all sounds great, right?
The classic policy catch
Classic-car policies do come with a few catches in order to keep the premiums as
low as possible. Each company has slightly different rules, but in general, you can’t
use your classic as an everyday driver. It also can’t be used for commercial activities.
Track, racing or timed events, whether competitive or not, are usually not allowed
either. It also can’t be a backup car for your personal-use vehicle. In other words, if your
everyday car is in the shop, you can’t jump into your ’32 Ford to commute to work.
Other limitations or requirements may also include that your car be stored in a fully
enclosed, locked garage when not it use. There are also mileage restrictions for some
policies. Again, all this will vary from company to company, and some have riders
that can offer a policy that’s more tuned to you and your car.
In essence, when you use your classic for pleasure, which might include driving
to shows, cruise-ins, club activities and parades — you’re covered. But, it won’t be
covered if you take it to the Friday night drags and put it into the wall, or get in a pileup
on the freeway during the morning rush-hour commute to work.
You want to insure what?
Some of the other less obvious advantages are the types of cars that most specialty
Courtesy of Steve Loos Photography
insurers will cover. These can include modern classics, street rods and modified cars,
special-interest cars and trucks (a fire truck or military vehicle for example), kits,
replicas and exotics.
Just imagine calling your mega-company insurance and telling your agent that you
The advantage of working with an independent agent
is that you will likely receive a more thorough discussion
about your particular insurance requirements.
Many times, those agents can write the policy through
specialty collector-car insurers at no additional cost to
you, since they are compensated through the underwriting
insurance company.
This can be a great option, especially if you are not
well versed in all the rules of the road when it comes to
insuring your classic car. Plus, you’ll have an advocate
if you ever need to file a claim rather than calling an
800 number and getting lost in a sea of recorded telephone
prompts.
The classic-car companies
Companies such as Hagerty, Heacock, Chubb and
Infinity have been built from the ground up to insure
classic cars. Many of them also insure classic boats,
motorcycles and even airplanes.
Their insurance concept is very simple — these com-
panies know that you will treat your classic car with
kid gloves. They know that, historically, claims filed on
classic cars that are not used for daily transportation
are very low. They also know that those cars are driven
primarily for pleasure and rack up very few miles annually.
Most also use an “agreed value” formula to insure
your car. In other words, if you and your insurance
company both agree that your car is worth $30,000,
that will be the general basis of your annual premium.
These premiums can be refreshingly low when stacked
up against your typical late-model policy — often just
a couple hundred dollars a year for a stock vehicle,
sometimes less.
Other advantages of specialty insurers include a far
better understanding of your car’s worth, and what it
need to insure a 1943 White M16 Halftrack with two replica .50-caliber machine
guns mounted on it — one you just bought at auction. That would be an interesting
conversation.
All in the timing
Something else to keep in mind: If you purchase a car at auction, at the drop of the
hammer, you own the car. All ownership interest becomes your liability. If you delay
insuring the car until you get the car in your driveway and something happens either
on the auction grounds or on the way to your home garage, that claim might fall on
your current late-model insurance company.
Many policies include a provision to cover a newly purchased car for up to 30 days
after you purchase it — but that will vary from one company to another. While that’s
a comforting notion, it most likely isn’t practical.
Your late-model insurance provider may have a widely varying opinion of the value
of a 40-year-old car (regardless of what you just paid for it). That’s not a discussion,
or argument in which you want to be engaged. It would be far more prudent to be
prepared for your possible purchase with a pre-emptive discussion with an insurance
professional.
Tip of the iceberg
There’s a lot to know about classic-car insurance, and we only touched on a small
portion of it here. Miles of legal jargon, state-to-state differences, politics (don’t get
me started on that one), regulations and fine print are the basis of today’s modern
insurance policies.
The main takeaway here would be to do your homework and know the benefits and
drawbacks of each selection before choosing what’s best for you.
Ask your insurance professional about your options. If your current policy doesn’t
handle or work well with a classic car, explore your options. Ask lots of questions and
never assume that your car is covered in the event of X, Y or Z. It may not be.
One more word to the wise: Don’t dance around the truth with your insurance pro-
vider. Tell your agent exactly how you plan to use your car and how and where it will
be stored. If you travel with it, let them know it may be driven in different states. It
all starts with an honest discussion with your chosen insurance company or insurance
professional.A
A special thanks to David Scott, senior vice president at Jefferson-Allsopp Inc. in
Lakeland, FL, for all his help and assistance in preparing this article. www.jeffersonallsopp.com
September-October 2013 29
Page 30
SNAPSHOTS
A photo album of Leake’s
June 2013 auction in Tulsa, OK
L
eake Auctions
calls Tulsa, OK,
home, and their
June 7–9 auction
had the feel of a
homecoming dance. More
than 500 gearheads stood
in line on Friday to register
for a bidding pass, and
the auction filled the gigantic
Tulsa Fairgrounds
exhibition hall.
The action was con-
stant, thanks to Leake’s
unique twin-turntable,
two-auctioneer system,
which keeps a steady
stream of cars rolling
across the block. By
the time the turntables
stopped on Sunday, 470
of 696 cars sold for a total
of $11.8 million.
“It’s always a fun
party,” said Jerry Miller
of Springdale, AR.
“And the cars are beautiful.”A
Photos and text by
Chester Allen
Christine Strobietto lets a bidder know it’s his
turn to make a play
Leake auctioneer bob Ehlert, also known as
bobby D, puts a bidder on the spot
A bidder takes a long look at a gleaming 1958 Ford Fair
ringman Marty Hill opens up a Corvette as it spins on a giant turntable
32 AmericanCarCollector.com
A face that only a mother — or an American Car Collec
Page 31
rlane 500 Sunliner convertible
ctor — could love
The 1968 plymouth barracuda b029 Factory Drag Car looks menacing even while asleep
September-October 2013 33
Page 34
Cheap Thrills
B. Mitchell Carlson
The performance
OLDSyou never heard of
THINK PLYMOUTH GTX FROM OLDSMOBILE AND YOU GET THE IDEA
chell Carlson
The performance
OLDSyou never heard of
THINK PLYMOUTH GTX FROM OLDSMOBILE AND YOU GET THE IDEA
it would still get out of its own way, but with a deep list of comfort options, it took a
bit longer that the 442.
F
However, who said that
eap Thrills
B. Mitchell Carlson
The performance
OLDSyou never heard of
THINK PLYMOUTH GTX FROM OLDSMOBILE AND YOU GET THE IDEA
it
it would still get out of its own way, but with a deep list of comfort options, it took a
bit longer that the 442.
F
However, who said that your father didn’t like to
Detailing
Years produced: 1970–71
Number produced: 9,344
(7,197 for 1970; 2,177
for 1971)
Original list price: $3,151
Current ACC Valuation:
$12,000–$28,000
Tune-up cost: $200
Distributor cap: $12
Chassis number: Lower
driver’s side of the
windshield
Engine number: Driver’s
side, forward upper end
of the block, below the
generator bracket
More: www.sx455.com
Additional: www.Classicoldsmobile.com
Alternatives: 1970–72
Buick GS, 1968–71
Plymouth GTX, 1970
Mercury Cyclone GT,
1970–74 AMC Javelin
ACC Investment Grade: C
Club: Oldsmobile Cutlass
Supreme SX Club
36 AmericanCarCollector.com
put his right foot down and smoke the tires once in
a while? To that end, for 1970, Olds introduced the
Cutlass Supreme SX. Think Plymouth GTX from
Oldsmobile and you get the idea.
Formal look, big performance
The SX — officially known as the Y79 Performance
Package — was only available as a Cutlass Supreme
hard top or convertible. The hard-top Cutlass Supreme
for 1970 was the first year the series had a unique
body. Unlike the F-85, Cutlass S or 442 fastback-style
hard top, the Cutlass Supreme had a more formal
“notchback” roofline with a markedly more upright
rear window.
All Cutlass Supremes’ VINs have the same prefix
for each body style (34257 for hard tops, 34267 for
drop tops), as the SX was just an option package.
Today it makes verifying a real SX a challenge, but
back in the day, the SX saved you money at the insurance
agency. Mr. Agent thought your Y79 was just
a regular Cutlass just like your Uncle Bob had listed
with them — not a surcharge-laden performance
442 hard top or convertible (with 34477 and 34467
prefixes, respectively), although the SX could’ve had
the same engine.
The party lasted for only two model years — 1970
and 1971. There were minimal cosmetic changes be-
Thrills
B. Mitchell Carlson
The performance
OLDSyou never heard of
THINK PLYMOUTH GTX FROM OLDSMOBILE AND YOU GET THE IDEA
it would still get out of its own way, but with a deep list of comfort options, it took a
bit longer that the 442.
F
However, who said that your father didn’t like to
Detailing
Years produced: 1970–71
Number produced: 9,344
(7,197 for 1970; 2,177
for 1971)
Original list price: $3,151
Current ACC Valuation:
$12,000–$28,000
Tune-up cost: $200
Distributor cap: $12
Chassis number: Lower
driver’s side of the
windshield
Engine number: Driver’s
side, forward upper end
of the block, below the
generator bracket
More: www.sx455.com
Additional: www.Classic-
oldsmobile.com
Alternatives: 1970–72
Buick GS, 1968–71
Plymouth GTX, 1970
Mercury Cyclone GT,
1970–74 AMC Javelin
ACC Investment Grade: C
Club: Oldsmobile Cutlass
Supreme SX Club
36 AmericanCarCollector.com
put his right foot down and smoke the tires once in
a while? To that end, for 1970, Olds introduced the
Cutlass Supreme SX. Think Plymouth GTX from
Oldsmobile and you get the idea.
Formal look, big performance
The SX — officially known as the Y79 Performance
Package — was only available as a Cutlass Supreme
hard top or convertible. The hard-top Cutlass Supreme
for 1970 was the first year the series had a unique
body. Unlike the F-85, Cutlass S or 442 fastback-style
hard top, the Cutlass Supreme had a more formal
“notchback” roofline with a markedly more upright
rear window.
All Cutlass Supremes’ VINs have the same prefix
for each body style (34257 for hard tops, 34267 for
drop tops), as the SX was just an option package.
Today it makes verifying a real SX a challenge, but
back in the day, the SX saved you money at the insur-
ance agency. Mr. Agent thought your Y79 was just
a regular Cutlass just like your Uncle Bob had listed
with them — not a surcharge-laden performance
442 hard top or convertible (with 34477 and 34467
prefixes, respectively), although the SX could’ve had
the same engine.
The party lasted for only two model years — 1970
and 1971. There were minimal cosmetic changes be-
HursHurst
variations), guess again.
Oldsmobile’s use of the A-body platform ranged from sedate to blister-
ing. On the blistering end was the 442, especially with the W-30 option,
and on the sedate end was the Cutlass Supreme. With a 350 under its hood,
tween the two years. It’s also no small coincidence that
the SX disappeared for 1972 — the same year that the
442 went from being a stand-alone model to a Cutlass
S trim package.
It’s all in the engine
Sure, it looked like a loaded Cutlass Supreme, but
with GM lifting the 400-ci displacement ban on the
A-platform cars in 1970, Olds could now easily drop
their big-car 455 into the 442 — and the Cutlass.
The SX came standard with the 455 mill. Initially
this was the L33 320-hp 2-barrel, but later in the
model year it was changed to the L31 365-hp 4-barrel.
The L31 was the same engine that was used in the
full-sized 88s and 98s, set up as a torquey cruiser. The
standard rear-axle ratio was 2.56 — handy for blasting
down vast stretches of America’s newly opened
freeways that still had “reasonable and prudent” speed
limits, but hardly the stuff of stoplight terrors.
Optionally, it could be had with the 365-hp 4-barrel
W-32. Despite the same horsepower rating (and generally
believed by most enthusiasts to be intentionally
underrated), this was actually the standard engine for
the 442, dialed in more for revving with a different
cam and carburetor. W-32s also came with at least a
3.08 rear end, and could even be had with the W-27
aluminum-housing rear differential.
That said, just because a Cutlass has an L33 in it
doesn’t necessarily make it an SX. One of the reasons
for making the 455 available in the A-platform was
as an option for the Vista Cruiser station wagon, as
previous model years had larger engines available for
those wagons.
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Page 35
Initially, the L33 could be ordered in any Cutlass,
including all Cutlass S models and Cutlass Supreme
4-doors. When the L33 was canceled, the only Cutlass
available with a 455 became the SX. The one and only
engine for the 1971 SX was the L32 365-hp 4-barrel
455. Akin to the L31 from the previous year, this was
the common lower-compression “big-car” motor. And
like the W-33 was the previous year, this was also now
the base engine in the 442 for ’71.
All SXs also had the Turbo HydraMatic 400
automatic transmission. The package also had a few
unique features not available in the garden-variety
Cutlass Supreme. Aside from the prerequisite badging
on the front fenders, it had dual exhausts with trumpet
outlets, clearance cut-outs in the bottom of the bumper
for said dual exhausts, and on hard tops only, extra
front fender braces. Note that the last three were also
found on the 442s.
Poseur’s paradise
Therein lines part of the problem with SXs today.
While the 442s had the fastback body for the hard
tops, the SXs had the formal notchback roof of all
Cutlass Supremes. Building a fake 442 from a hard
top was all but impossible to do, remembering that the
VIN prefixes were also different. In essence, doing so
would make a phantom that never originally existed.
However, for a convertible, all the parts swapped over
to the exact same bodies to make a fake 442. For even
less-scrupulous folks, swapping VIN tags made the
change all but complete, aside from the Level II VIN
stamped in the
frame.
At a major
collector-car auction
this spring,
I reported on a
replica ’71 442
drop-top that the
consignor laid
bare as originally
being an SX. Is
that same car
worth converting
back to being an
authentic SX?
At this point, it’s
noble but financially debatable.
Going the other way — making a fake SX — traditionally hasn’t been worth
the effort. They were virtually unknown, hence nobody would’ve really cared.
The shade-tree motor swap from a 350 to 455 had been enough to make a Cutlass
Supreme go fast on a budget, without going into the details to make it an SX.
However, interest in and general knowledge of these cars has been increasing.
There are hundreds of thousands of 350-powered Cutlass Supremes out there, so the
poseurs are starting to appear.
Although the bright and flashy muscle cars have traditionally brought the most
traction since the 1980s, today the sleepers from the era are just as desirable.
Especially those with low production numbers like the SX. As the legions of musclecar
enthusiasts who grew up with these cars start to mature and gray, the loud and
cartoonish examples will lose some of their charm, and I think cars like this will
take up the slack. Especially for buyers who want to hear the radio over the comfortable
a/c while roasting the tires. A
September-October 2013 37
Page 36
Horsepower
PARENTING
Good
ALL OF OUR BABIES NEED TO GET OUT AND PLAY.
EVEN THE ONES WE KEEP IN THE GARAGE
running a GTO through the gears is good for both car and driver
blindly, but I contend even partial ignorance is blissful. The basic
reality is that there was the time before having a child, of which I
remember little, and now the time after. To date, at least as far as I can
tell, I haven’t screwed up any part of this parenting gig, but I know the
real verdict may take a few decades. Wish me luck.
So what does this have to do with cars? Well, the act of caring
A
for this little person who can’t care for herself yet has also made me
look at how good of a guardian I am to my cars, because they can’t,
and will never, care for themselves. And, as luck would have it, these
first months of parenting have coincided with the first months of car
season here in the Midwest.
Waking them up
It’s the time of year when we all try to
jump in cars that have sat through the winter
and expect them to act as if they didn’t.
Problem is, cars don’t act. I have a fairly
large stable of cars, too large according to
She of Too Many Shoes, and I have always
thought I kept on top of maintenance pretty
well. I keep them in a nice, climate-controlled
environment, attached to maintenance battery
chargers, and rotate through them keeping gas
(non-ethanol only) and lubricants fresh. Each
38 AmericanCarCollector.com
s a new parent (Remington Marie Comer, six months
and counting), I’m sure I have pondered the same basic
question every parent has since the beginning of time:
“Will I be any good at this?”
I don’t want to say I walked into this parenting thing
car has a maintenance log sheet in it, on which I record each fueling,
fluid changes, repairs and the like, along with what types of fluids and
fuel, tire pressures, and any other important care and feeding each car
needs. I’m sure this is similar to the instructions future baby sitters
will be given.
I’m a stickler for details. I have always been adamant that every
car in my garage be ready to be started and driven anywhere, at any
time, by anyone. That means no special instructions like “don’t use
the parking brake because it sticks” or “if it doesn’t start there is
a hammer in the trunk” kinda stuff. No dead batteries, no repairs
needed. This has always been accomplished by the note pad I keep
next to the log sheet — if I notice something wrong when I’m driving
a car, I make a note to myself so I remember to fix it.
For years this system has worked remarkably well. However, the
past year or so I’ve been pulled away from being a nearly full-time lot
attendant, and have also been able to find
little time to simply exercise all of the cars
as much as I’d like to. So some have just sat,
and while they have strong batteries, round
tires, and fresh fluids, it isn’t all sunshine
and lollipops, as I have been finding out
lately.
Don’t ignore me
Case in point: my 289 Cobra, one of my
not stone chips — badges of honor
favorite cars. I purchased it from the original
owner in 2007 and proceeded to make it
mechanically perfect. The first few years of
ownership, I drove it every chance I got. It
Colin Comer
Page 37
under the rear of the car. Yep. The gas tank I had boiled, repaired,
and sealed in 2007 was leaking again. And when I fired it up to
drive down to the shop, I noticed the parking lights came on with
the ignition switch. There is no doubt in my mind that, with the possible
exception of the gas tank, these are all things that would have
not failed if I had driven the car more. Even if I had just put a few
thousand miles on it last year like I normally do and then put it away
for the winter. But for now, the master is rebuilt again, the gas tank is
fixed again, and the ignition switch (original 1964 Ford with 133,000
miles worth of starts on it) is again working perfectly after just being
used — so no more auto-on parking lights.
A little play keeps the wrenches away
In the weeks since this episode, I’ve been making a real effort to
Colin’s 289 Cobra suffering disuse atrophy
went on the Copperstate 1000, saw many trips to Road America, went
to California, Arizona, and back, and took a lot of Sunday morning
drives. It never skipped a beat, never leaked a drop of oil, always
ran like a Swiss watch, and performed just like the sweetheart it is
without asking for anything other than fuel in return.
But, other than a trip to Watkins Glen last year for the SAAC
convention, I didn’t drive it much in 2012. And I didn’t try to again
until June of this year for a trip to an SAAC event at Road America.
Of course, it started instantly and drove flawlessly like it always does,
but after a few days of driving I noticed it was leaking brake fluid
from under the pedal box. The clutch master cylinder, the same one
that was re-sleeved and rebuilt in 2007, was leaking.
The next day, I opened the garage door to find a trail of fuel from
get on the road in all of the cars, even if it is just driving back and
forth to work or a quick 30-minute drive to get them limber again,
and let them know I still care. Thankfully, none seem worse for their
extended bench times, and doing this has helped me remember each
car’s unique qualities that attracted me to them in the first place.
It is no secret mechanical things need exercise as much as humans,
and the more the better. Ever notice how good you feel after a good
bike ride or an hour at the gym? Sure seems like our cars feel better
after a good run as well. They sound and perform better, the exercise
helps keep everything working well and keeps that crucial mechanical
handshake between parts intact.
I’m trying to break that habit of letting cars sit idle and to drive
them more often. Lately that means driving the old cars my daughter’s
baby seat won’t fit in as much as the ones that it does. Well, in between
diaper changes, that is. The bottom line? All of our babies need
to get out and play. Even the ones we keep in the garage. A
September-October 2013 39
Page 38
Corvette Market
John L. Stein
LONG GONE?
How far is
FOUR DECADES LATER, I SERIOUSLY BEGAN WONDERING
IF I COULD LOCATE MY UNCLE’S CORVETTES. SO I TRIED
The missing ’61, somewhere in the Sierra nevada, back in the day. Where is it now?
cially that midyear Tri-Power convertible that Uncle B. found at the
local used-car lot in 1973, drove home and stored in the barn. That
rare ’56 automatic he bought through a body-shop lien sale that, even
minus its engine, would well be worth resurrecting today. Or even the
plastic-bumper ’77 with 13,000 miles on the clock he got as a creditunion
repo.
How did the family ever let these get away, and more importantly,
I
where are they today? Such questions are more easily asked than
answered. I know, because I recently asked them myself.
40 AmericanCarCollector.com
f your family is anything like mine, there are probably a few
cars you wish had never been sold along with old Uncle Buck’s
farm when he passed away. But you were a kid then, or perhaps
immersed in college, working on the other coast — or maybe you
weren’t even swinging from that branch of the family tree.
So while you couldn’t have stopped it, the loss still hurts, espe-
Get the VIN, Slim
Although I never had an Uncle Buck, my real aunt and uncle
actually were into Corvettes. They owned a pair of them, including
a Jewel Blue ’61 automatic with gold coves and a Tuxedo Black ’64
coupe, also an auto due to my aunt’s preference for easy driving. They
sold the ’61 in the late 1960s to make room for the Sting Ray, which
also departed in the early 1970s — replaced ultimately by an AMC
Gremlin X. But that’s another story.
Four decades later, I seriously began wondering if I could locate
those cars. So I tried.
The first thing was to ask family members if they recalled where the
’Vettes went, meaning the subsequent owners. No luck there. The next
logical step was to ask for written records, especially the VINs, which
can theoretically be traced in all 50 states. It can be surprising what
people will salt away. But in my case, due to purging of paperwork as the
Page 39
generations passed on, there were simply no records to be found at all.
If you live in a small town (or perhaps a big town where there’s
been long-term stability at the Chevy dealership or repair shop), local
businesses might have old records containing such useful details as
a VIN. You might even discover that an old-timer in Service or Parts
remembers a particular car. The same strategy may work with your
family’s insurance agency, although from what I could determine,
inactive account records are typically purged after a few years.
Turn to family photos
Lacking any useful paperwork identifying either a buyer or a VIN,
the trail gets tougher to follow — but it’s not impossible. After finding
no success uncovering paperwork, I moved into searching for family
photos. My rationale? While families may trash dull old file folders
with no aforethought, they’re probably way more likely to retain photo
albums or boxes of slides.
And that’s where I hit pay dirt — sort of. Inside the boxes of
35-mm chromes that my uncle had shelved were several images
of the beloved Corvettes — the ’61 parked alongside an old cabin
somewhere in the Sierra Nevada, and the black ’64 covered in snow
at a wintry Lake Tahoe. And eureka! there were the California black
plates, plainly legible. I felt extremely hopeful that running the numbers
would yield a current owner whom I could call.
DMV no savior
But even that didn’t prove so easy. For one, today’s privacy laws
mean you may not be able to skate into the DMV and request current
ownership info for any given license number. And even working an
inside angle, such as through law enforcement or a helpful official,
may still return a “No Record” response. And that’s what happened
to me, suggesting that a period tag number is of little value unless
Covered in snow, and mystery
the vehicle is still registered in the same state. This underscores why
having the VIN is essential. (And why you should keep a permanent
record of your vehicle VINs; you never know when they might be
useful. — Ed.)
So in the end, having photos and license numbers didn’t help
me find my aunt and uncle’s Corvettes — but I’m still hopeful that
someday they might. Meanwhile, there are other avenues to try, such
as owners clubs. And thanks to the growing reach of social media,
you might actually find the current owner by creating a Web page, or
even a Facebook page, about your search for the car. Maybe I should,
because a Jewel Blue ’61 with gold coves is a fairly rare duck, after all.
The way I figure it, every lost Corvette is worth finding. And so
while your own family tree may not have enough branches to find
the ones that Uncle Buck once squirreled away, the much broader
Corvette family tree just might. A
September-October 2013 41
Page 40
PROFILE CORVETTE
1963 CHEVROLET CORVETTE 327/300-HP CONVERTIBLE
Drop-top driver
I’d rather
have the
entire vehicle
history
including
any crash
damage
or major
component
substitutions
than no
records for
a seemingly
nice car
42 AmericanCarCollector.com
42 AmericanCarCollector.com
VIN: 30867S116652
by John L. Stein
• L75 327-ci 300-hp small-block engine
• 4-speed manual transmission
• Riverside Red exterior, black interior
• AM/FM radio
• Black soft top
• Finned aluminum knockoff wheels
• Whitewall tires
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 476, sold for
$46,200, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at the Leake classic car and truck auction in
the Expo Center at the Tulsa Fairgrounds in Tulsa,
OK, on June 7, 2013.
Buying your sweetie a diamond ring at Costco in
Saskatoon will be a different experience than shopping
for one on Rodeo Drive. It’s also likely to be much
cheaper, but will the quality be similar? The same
question could apply to buying a Corvette at auction
at any place not named Scottsdale, Amelia Island or
Monterey. For example, the average sale price of the
eight midyear examples sold at the Leake auction in
Oklahoma was a reasonable $53,143, with the most
affordable one selling for $44,000 and the highest at
$71,500. That’s below prime-time auction numbers.
Then again, that’s good news if you’re a buyer hunting
for a deal.
Nice car — with lots of questions
The example shown here, a common 300-horse
roadster that was restored in popular Riverside
Red with black interior and optional cast-aluminum
knockoff wheels, looked like something of a bargain at
$46,200. Eventually, the new owner of Lot 476 will find
out if it actually was. But meanwhile, we can do some
forensic evaluation from the sidelines.
A quick run through the ACC Premium Auction
Database brought up two hits on this car. First, it sold
at the Branson auction in 2002 for $23k (ACC# 29147).
It had 97,474 miles showing. It was painted gold at the
time and listed as a 20-year-old resto. Ten years later,
in June of 2012, the car sold again at Mecum’s Salmon
Brothers Collection sale for $56k (ACC# 210511), looking
as it did here at Leake. Mecum’s description called
it a full frame-off restoration.
Unfortunately, very little other information was
provided about the car by Leake, which immediately
brings up significant questions about its prior life.
One would think, for instance, that a cherished car
supported by its build sheet, window sticker, ProtectO-Plate
and full ownership and service records would
be presented as such. Because no such scenario was
presented here or anywhere else the car sold, I pretty
much have to conclude that this particular car had
Courtesy of Leake Auctions
Page 41
ACC
Digital Bonus
Detailing
Year produced: 1963
Number produced: 10,919
Original list price: $4,037
Current ACC Valuation:
$36,000–$65,500
Tune-up cost: $400–$500
Distributor cap: $25
Chassis #: Cross brace under
glovebox
Engine #: On block in front of
right cylinder head
Club: National Corvette
Restorers Society, 6291
Day Road, Cincinnati, OH
45252
been rescued from less-than-desirable circumstances.
We know it was restored at least twice.
But the car did look generally nice. The red exterior,
black interior, bright plating, new-appearing wheels,
thin-whitewall bias-ply tires and preferred 4-speed
manual trans all contributed to its stage appeal. It has
the bones of a great driver, with the color combination,
no-nonsense powerplant, and 4-speed manual.
But hopefully the buyer did a closer inspection prior
to the car getting anywhere near the auctioneer and
his gavel.
Sometimes the lack of information presented about
a vehicle is more concerning than any admission of
problems, even prior collision damage. This is especially
true with Corvettes, as history and originality
can make or break a car’s value. One thing is for sure
— I’d rather have the entire vehicle history including
any crash damage or major component substitutions
than no records for a seemingly nice car.
Light history, limited value
Perhaps all the unknowns kept the price down in
this case, as bidders felt the same caution that I did.
When a nice and tidy little 300-horse convertible restored
to period-correct specs attracts only $46k, the
absence of hard info — and some visible issues — is
most likely to blame.
This is important on two levels. First is that your
safe use and enjoyment of the car is directly related
to the quality of the restoration — both mechanical
and cosmetic. And second, the day you want to sell the
car, any savvy potential Corvette buyer will deduct
significantly from your asking price simply because
you don’t know the car’s history, other than, “Wish I
knew more, but I bought it at auction.”
There was no mention of this being an original-
engine car. Was it, or was it outfitted with a replacement
engine and other key components in order to flip
it at auction?
Was it sporting a mass of re-pop parts? From
unblemished knockoff wheels to bumpers and interior,
my assumption is, by necessity, that these were not
original or NOS components. Again, in the Corvette
world, that can and does limit value.
Fit and finish
There were some visible fit and finish issues, as you
might expect with any midyear Corvette. The left headlight
door fit was askew, as was the alignment of the
right-front bumper. And while the engine bay appears
nicely finished and presents as-new, we don’t really
know at a glance what’s authentic there and what’s not.
Inside the car, an obviously redone interior shows doorpanel
fit issues on the driver’s side, at least.
So why did this car sell for $46,200 instead of the
$10,000 more it made last year? I’d chalk the Mecum
price up to a little auction magic, as well as some
competition in the room — that price is closer to what
you might expect for a well-documented original.
I think the price achieved at Leake was on the
money for a car with these visible flaws, along with
the more important questions that the glaring lack of
history raised.
The end result of those factors is uncertainty. And
just as the stock market doesn’t like uncertainty,
neither do the astute buyers when it comes to mysteriously
restored Corvettes.
But as long as the mechanicals check out, this’ll
make a great driver, and if that’s how it’ll be used, the
Company.)
1963 Chevrolet Corvette
327/300 convertible
Lot 505, VIN: 30867S115124
Condition: 2Sold
at $45,100
More: www.ncrs.org
Alternatives: 1965–66 Ford
Mustang V8 K-code convertible,
1964–65 Pontiac
GTO 4-speed convertible,
1967 Chevrolet Camaro
SS convertible
ACC Investment Grade: B
Comps
1963 Chevrolet Corvette
327/300 convertible
Lot S3, VIN: 30867S114242
Condition: 3
Sold at $39,220
Mecum Auctions, Kansas City,
MO, 3/29/2012
ACC# 197627
1963 Chevrolet Corvette
327/300 convertible
Lot 363, VIN: 30867S109460
Condition: 3+
Not sold at $47,000
Auctions America by RM,
Carlisle, PA, 9/29/2011
ACC# 186090
new owner didn’t pay too much. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Leake Auction
Auctions America by RM, Fort
Lauderdale, FL, 3/4/2011
ACC# 169125
September-October 2013
43CC
43
Page 42
PROFILE GM
1969 HURST/OLDS
ILE GM
1969 HURST/OLDS
John
John Henricks, courtesy of Mecum Auctions
The Hurst/
Olds was
a torque
monster,
capable
of low
14-second
ETs. Super
tuning and a
set of headers
and slicks
whittled that
time down
to low 12s
44 AmericanCarCollector.com
44 AmericanCarCollector.com
VIN: 344879M359750
by Patrick Smith
• Sold new by Minyard Motors Inc., Anderson, SC
• Documented with Hurst Performance Research
papers, original build sheet and factory warranty
books
• Completely frame-off restored from late 1990s
to early 2000s
• Completed by Nyle Wing, Wings Auto Art
in Ionia, MI
• Restoration completely documented with photos
start to finish
• Matching-numbers engine
• 455/380-hp V8 (#396021F) code QE, Ram Air
hood
• Turbo 400 transmission (#69OH1352)
• Posi rear end (SH-3.23 ratio)
• Power steering and disc brakes
• Tilt steering column
• Factory tach, gauges and AM/FM radio
• Factory 15-inch wheels with Goodyear tires
• Factory air conditioning
ACC Analysis This car, Lot F244, sold for
$80,250, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at the Mecum Original Spring Classic in
Indianapolis, IN, on May 14, 2013.
The Hurst/Olds was one of the first American su-
percars. It was groundbreaking for GM — this project
broke the corporate rules on engine size in an intermediate
A-body car, and that made it a hot performer
on the streets. And it looked great, too.
A new performance Olds
The H/O was the result of a collaboration between
Hurst’s “Doc” Watson and Oldsmobile Division chief
engineer John Beltz. In the mid-1960s, Oldsmobile
was left behind in the sales race in spite of good, solid
muscle cars like the 442, which had powerful options
such as the 400-ci triple-carb L69 and W-30.
Beltz complained to Watson about how much press
Pontiac’s GTO got whenever something new came out.
Watson replied, “You’ve got a 455 V8 going into the
big cars; why don’t we do a special car and put a 455
into an A-body?” Beltz liked the idea and got management
to buy into a special concept car, provided the
engine was installed off-premises, skirting around
the GM corporate limitations that kept engines at
or under 400 cubic inches in anything other than
Corvettes, full-size cars and trucks. The vision was
to create an executive muscle car and forever kill the
“Menopause Manor” impression that performance
fans had of Oldsmobile.
At the same time, Watson realized that the young
kids who had dreamed about 1957 J2s and the original
Rocket 88s had grown up. They were now at their peak
spending power and could afford a luxurious hot rod.
So the Hurst/Olds was designed as a loaded machine
with most luxury options included in the price. Only a
few items such as air conditioning and 8-track player
were optional.
From 442 to H/O
Starting in 1968, John Demmer Engineering han-
dled the cars’ transition from factory 442s to Hurst/
Olds. The cars were shipped to a facility in Michigan,
Page 43
ACC
Digital Bonus
where the Peruvian Silver and black
paints were applied along with a
t Dual Gate shifter,
h appliqués, badges,
s and other goodies.
, the production cars’
s were installed at the
e plant, not at the special
y. This broke GM’s
oncerning engine size
, but the story that Hurst
he motors kept the GM
ontent, even if it wasn’t
y 515 units were built in
he package worked, and
ars sold like wildfire.
smobile ramped up the
ement for 1969. They
d an aluminum intake
old, D-code cylinder
, recurved the distributor, fitted a W-30
t, installed a vacuum-operated Outside
ion system with two large scoops sticking
od, and fitted a large rear spoiler on the
CC
Digital Bonus
where the Peruvian Silver and black
paints were applied along with a
t Dual Gate shifter,
h appliqués, badges,
s and other goodies.
, the production cars’
s were installed at the
e plant, not at the special
y. This broke GM’s
oncerning engine size
, but the story that Hurst
he motors kept the GM
ontent, even if it wasn’t
y 515 units were built in
he package worked, and
ars sold like wildfire.
smobile ramped up the
ement for 1969. They
d an aluminum intake
old, D-code cylinder
, recurved the distributor, fitted a W-30
t, installed a vacuum-operated Outside
ion system with two large scoops sticking
od, and fitted a large rear spoiler on the
f
f 914 examples were built in ’69, including
bles. All were finished in Cameo White
st metallic gold accents and 455 HO
he scoops. Imported sports mirrors, a
r spoiler and unique SSII wheels with gold
olid chrome rim were added, along with
h Goodyear Polyglas tires. The overall
look screamed performance.
And the Hurst/Olds had the power to back it up,
too. These 455 engines were rated at 380 hp, but the
big news was the massive 500 ft-lbs of torque, which
pushed the car to low 14-second ETs. Super tuning,
a set of headers and slicks whittled that time down to
low 12s. This was phenomenal performance for 1969,
and that, along with the overstated looks and low
production, made them into icons.
Rarities, rivalries and values
Only a few other midsize cars were available with
limited-production big-block engines in 1969; the
Camaro ZL1 and GM COPO variants, Mustang Boss
429, Shelby GT500 and ’Cuda 440. All of these except
the Shelby GT were stripped cars. Performance-wise,
an H/O compares with a Shelby GT500 automatic
or Boss 429. There were lots of faster muscle cars
available. A Super Bee 440 Six Pack was faster, but
none had the aura of a limited-production, loaded car.
In the luxury muscle car class, the H/O’s closest rival
was the Shelby GT500.
Among those cars, in terms of bang for the buck, the
H/O ranks near the top of the list. Today, Boss 429s
are in the $250,000 range for restored examples with
low miles; very expensive compared with a Hurst/
Olds. A COPO Camaro or Chevelle is in nosebleed
territory. The Shelby GT500 is a $100,000-plus car in
comparable condition to our subject car — you can
find some nice GT500 examples for the same price as
this H/O, but they’ll need work before they’re the same
quality. When you consider that most muscle cars
lacked features such as air conditioning and plush
interiors, the Hurst/Olds starts to look even better.
Best of the best
Many of these cars have survived, but quite a few
are missing their original engines or other crucial
parts such as cylinder heads or intake. For many
years these were just used cars, and once they left the
original owners’ hands, were modified extensively.
Examples like this often sell in the high $30k to mid$40k
range, depending on the quality of restoration
and which parts are missing. Since Oldsmobile added
a partial VIN to the engine in ’69, a nice numbersmatching
example with documentation and extras like
air conditioning is a real bonus.
Where’s the top of the market for these cars? A
fantastic example is the Hurst Heritage cover car with
its numbers-matching drivetrain and desirable options
such as air conditioning and 8-track player. It was
fully restored and listed in the Hurst Registry — as
good as it gets for quality and provenance. It sold for
$91,690 at Mecum’s Kissimmee sale in January 2012.
Our subject car was also a matching-numbers
example that had been given a complete photodocumented,
frame-off restoration. It featured a bunch
of original paperwork as well, which helped boost its
value even further.
Considering what you’d have to pay to restore one
to the level of our subject car, or what you’d have to
pay to buy a competitive make, $80,250 doesn’t seem
out of line. In fact, I’d call it a good deal for what the
car was — and once the market for American muscle
heats up a little more, this car at this price will seem
cheap. Call it well bought and decently sold. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Mecum
Auctions.)
September-October 2013
45CC
45
Detailing
Years produced: 1969
Numbers produced: 914,
(912 hard tops and two
convertibles)
Tune-up/ major service:
$150
Original list price: $4,600
Current ACC Valuation:
$33,000–$47,500
Distributor cap: $17
VIN: Driver’s side dashboard,
partial on engine block,
behind power steering
pump
Engine #: Stamped on oil fill
tube (it’s easy to change,
so don’t rely on it alone)
Club: The Hurst/Olds Club of
America
More: www.hurstolds.com
Alternatives: 1969 Shelby
GT 500 hard top, 1969
Plymouth ’Cuda 440, 1969
Chevrolet Camaro SS 396
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
1969 Hurst/Olds
Lot 56, VIN 344879M336338
Condition: 1Sold
at: $95,700
Gooding & Co., Pebble Beach,
CA, 8/21/2011
ACC# 183120
1969 Hurst/Olds
Lot 369.1, VIN
344879M350668
Condition: 2
Sold at: $58,500
SCM# 182168
Barrett-Jackson Auctions,
Orange County, CA,
6/25/2011
1969 Hurst/Olds
Lot 1221, VIN
344879M359850
Condition: 1Sold
at $84,240
Barrett-Jackson Auctions,
Scottsdale, AZ, 1/14/2006
ACC# 40398
Page 44
PROFILE FOMOCO
A Highway Patrol 5.0
1993 FORD MUSTANG SSP
I sure hope a
background
check was a
mandatory
piece of this
transaction
VIN: 1FACP40E5PF138819
by Jay Harden
• Retired Missouri Highway Patrol car
• One of 25 cars ordered by MSHP in 1993
• Seven were Vibrant White with Red interior
• Ordered new from Shawnee Mission Ford in
Shawnee, KS
• Once retired, it was sold to the last trooper
assigned to the car and used for MSHP special
events
• Copy of original window sticker and purchase
order and invoice
• Photos of the car with the assigned trooper
• MSHP motor equipment division letter verifying
its authenticity
• Letter from superintendent of MSHP allowing
Dun-Lap to sell door and fender decals for this
car
• Article of Patrol News from April 1996
• Service records and receipts
• Also including MSHP uniform, two sets of
correct decals, two officers’ ticket books and
one warning book, first aid kit and correct fire
extinguisher
46 AmericanCarCollector.com
46 AmericanCarCollector.com
ACC Analysis This car, Lot F159, sold for
$13,910, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Mecum’s 2013 Original Spring Classic.
This sale has the wheels in my head spinning so fast
I can barely think through all the smoke. Am I reading
the sales literature correctly? All I had to do was write
a check for $13,910 and someone would have handed
over the keys to a fully equipped state patrol Mustang?
And two uniforms? And two officers’ ticket books?
Really? This has to be one of the best bad ideas I’ve
ever stumbled across.
Evil temptation
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love bad ideas. I really
do. The majority of my favorite memories were born
out of bad ideas, and many of my best friendships
were forged surviving bad ideas. However, there’s
only so much temptation a man’s soul can withstand.
I like to think that if someday the balance of the
world relied on my ability to don Superman’s cape and
make the choice to use my powers for good over evil, I
would make the right choice and good would prevail.
Unfortunately, it’s also quite likely that I would get
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Page 45
ACC
Digital Bonus
s of steel at hot-wing
e flights to Bora Bora,
he test (only for pururse).
r lived in my garage. I
mptation of evil, but
, and a megaphone in a
0 makes the hair on the
igital Bonus
s of steel at hot-wing
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he test (o
CC
Digital Bonus
s of steel at hot-wing
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urse).
r lived in my garage. I
mptation of evil, but
, and a megaphone in a
0 makes the hair on the
e
e 15,000 or so Special
d Ford Mustangs built
ere distributed to
ry as lightweight, fleete
beefy full-sized sedans
st police departments
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s of steel at hot-wing
e flights to Bora Bora,
he test (only for pur-
urse).
r lived in my garage. I
mptation of evil, but
, and a megaphone in a
0 makes the hair on the
e 15,000 or so Special
d Ford Mustangs built
ere distributed to
ry as lightweight, fleet-
e beefy full-sized sedans
st police departments
cement
cement agencies from
a to New York fielded
odied units, and many
ill survive today
d/or display cars.
e cars were equipped
r of standard features
t were unavailable
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n reliability and longeved
performance. The
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y structure.
ays worth noting that
s, law enforcement
n driven hard and put
o fail to tell the whole
h because police cars
roughout a day, and
many fractions of miles are clicked off at full song
while in hot pursuit.
On the upside, very few privately owned vehicles
receive the type of care and meticulous maintenance
that service vehicles are afforded. Most sales of this
type include pages and pages of reference material
providing detailed accounts of routine maintenance
and accident history. Keeping our
shield-wearing men and women in wellserviced
and operational equipment is
a state and national priority that few
departments are willing to skimp on.
Fully equipped
Our feature ’Stang is a perfect
example of the well-documented vehicle
history one can expect to accompany
the purchase of a government-owned
vehicle, but this car is a bit unusual for
a number of reasons. First off, almost
all retired police cars are stripped of
any functional equipment that could
possibly inspire the new owner to dole
out a little civic justice of his own. This
car, however, is still equipped with
all of the communications and speedtracking
gadgets that were deployed in
the field. Although initially sold to the
last officer who owned the car, someone, somewhere
along the decision tree, had to know that people like
me exist in the world.
What’s that, you say? Operating retired public-
service vehicles under the guise of legitimacy is
illegal and not the intended purpose of a machine like
this? Well, you are correct, of course, but long, tireshredding,
maniacal-laughter-inducing burnouts are
illegal as well. So are wheelies. So are doughnuts (the
rubbery ones). Shall I go on?
In addition to the on-board goodies, the great state
of Missouri was kind enough to throw in not one, but
two state-issued uniforms with the purchase of this
temptress. Do you know who likes company just as
much as Misery does? That’s right, Trouble. Throw in
those ticket books, and my checkbook is out before you
can yell, “Stick ’em up!”
To misdirect or conserve?
To make the most sense out of a sale like this, let’s
imagine for a moment that terrorizing teenagers
and the turn-signal-challenged is not an interest of
potential buyers. What then? This particular car is
too nice (and expensive) to convert into a Friday night
special or track-day marauder. It can’t — or rather,
shouldn’t — be driven on the street, and is really only
good for parades and events commemorating our best
and bravest. In that regard, this sale seems like an
awfully expensive homage.
On the other hand, a quick search on the Web will
put you in touch with local and national hobbyists who
spend their free time collecting and restoring policeand
military-issue vehicles solely for the sake of conservancy.
For that crowd, a car like this is an absolute
gem. It really doesn’t get much more authentic and
well documented than this example, and, as restorers
of anything on wheels are well aware, having all the
desirable and hard-to-find goodies all accounted for
in a seductive package is often worth the premium
paid. I’m sure our buyer would agree.
I think it’s safe to assume that this show pony has
seen its last rodeo, but I sure hope that a background
check was a mandatory piece of this transaction. For
some of us, the responsibility that comes with wearing
the cape is just too great a burden to bear.A
(Introductory description courtesy of Mecum
Auctions.)
Detailing
Years produced: 1982–93
Number produced:
Approximately 15,000
Original list price: $11,567
Current ACC Valuation:
$10k–$20k
Engine #: Top rear of block
Club: www.sspmustang.org
Alternatives: 1991–2002
Chevrolet Camaro B4C,
1986–96 Chevrolet
Caprice 9C1, 2006–10
Dodge Charger Police
Package
ACC Investment Grade: D
Comps
Tune up/major service: $150
Distributor cap: $7
VIN: Tag on top of dash,
sticker in door jamb
1986 Ford Mustang Saleen
Lot 146, VIN:
1FABP28M9GF261017
Condition: 3+
Sold at $14,300
Auctions America by RM, Fort
Lauderdale, FL, 3/4/2011
ACC# 169167
1999 Ford Crown Victoria
police car
Lot 96, VIN:
2FAEP71W3XX142765
Condition: 3
Sold at $8,820
McCormick, Palm Springs,
CA, 11/19/2010
ACC# 168310
1989 Ford Mustang LX
police replica
Lot 200406317701, VIN:
1FABP40E9KF160567
Condition: 3Sold
at $5,005
eBay Motors, West Chester,
PA, 6/25/2010
ACC# 165085
September-October 2013
47CC
47
Page 46
PROFILE MOPAR
1972 DODGE DEMON GSS
Mr. Norm’s street machine
Supercharging was a slick solution that boosted the factory 340 V8 to a stout 360 hp
Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
VIN: LM29H2B351509
by Tom Glatch
• Built by Mr. Norm’s Grand-Spaulding Dodge
• The only one finished in Petty Blue
• Authentic Paxton-supercharged Mr. Norm
GSS Demon
• Complete rotisserie restoration
• Date code-correct 340-ci V8
• NOS Paxton supercharger specifically for
GSS Demon
• Console-shifted Torqueflite automatic
transmission
• Black bucket seats, console, factory gauges
• Sport steering wheel
• Black hood accents
• Twin hood scoops, hood-mounted tach
• Solid-state AM radio
• Auxiliary gauges
• Multiple award winner with judging sheets
• Numerous magazine features
• Signed by Mr. Norm Kraus
ACC Analysis This car, Lot U72, sold for
$69,550, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Dana Mecum’s 26th Original Spring Classic
in Indianapolis, IN, on May 18, 2013.
The ’60s was the era of the muscle car, but not
everyone was content with what the Big Three considered
fast. Some buyers wanted cars that were faster
than fast. And for those buyers, there were dealers
who would oblige their every need.
48 AmericanCarCollector.com
48 AmericanCarCollector.com
More speed? No problem
These dealers knew how to make the cars the manu-
facturers wouldn’t — or couldn’t — build themselves.
Most car guys knew who those dealers were. If you
were a Chevy man, you’d see Yenko in Pennsylvania,
Baldwin-Motion in New York, Dana in LA, and Berger
in Michigan. Blue Oval fans flocked to Tasca Ford out
East. Royal Oak Pontiac was almost in the shadow
of the GM Tech Center, and made the fastest “Tin
Indians” around. And for the Mopar crowd, 3300
Grand Avenue in Chicago was the place to be: Mr.
Norm‘s Grand-Spaulding Dodge.
Norm Kraus knew the market. He and his brother
Len began selling used cars from their father’s gas
station on the corner of Grand and Spaulding streets
in 1948. They built a new Dodge showroom in 1962,
and sensing the growing performance market, they
turned their focus on selling Dodge’s hottest cars in
the mid-’60s. When those cars weren’t fast enough,
Mr. Norm and his lead mechanic, Gary Dyer,
started building their own. The team built the first
383-powered Dart in 1967, which became the factory’s
prototype. Their first series-built “GSS” was a ’68
Dart stuffed with 440 power, which also became the
prototype for the ’69 Dodge Dart M-code.
Ducking premiums, boosting power
In 1971, at the twilight of the horsepower era, Mr.
Norm’s developed the Dodge Demon 340 Six Pack.
This car kept performance high while leaving the
Page 47
ACC
Digital Bonus
insurance premiums relatively low.
On paper it looked like any other
340 Demon, but it wasn’t — this
was a full-blown performance
machine with quarter-mile times to
prove it.
Most muscle-car history books
will tell you the market for these
e most
er of
ing
igital Bonus
insurance premiums relatively low.
On paper it looked like any other
340 Demon, but it wasn’t — this
was a full-blown performance
machine with quarter-mile times to
prove it.
Most muscle-car history books
will tell you the market for these
e most
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eed.
w
, one
arger
r comilder
cams could no lono
create power. Mr. Norm
ficantly modifying the
ould raise the ire of the
e performed an old hot-rod
d a Paxton supercharger.
ed speed
t supercharger fed seven
s of boost to a custome
aluminum air box around
the factory carburetor. Mopar’s A-block 340 made
275 hp in 1970, but the compression had to be lowered
in 1972 to accommodate the move to lead-free gas,
which allowed Mr. Norm’s to supercharge this engine
without internal modifications. It was a slick solution
that boosted the factory 340 from a wheezing 240 hp
all the way to a stout 360 horses.
The GSS package also included oversize pulleys,
a modified fuel pump and pressure regulator, a
heavy-duty oil pump and valve spring retainers, and
a Sure-Grip 3.55 rear axle. Before delivery, every
GSS was dyno-tuned on Mr. Norm’s Clayton chassis
dyno. My first car was a 1970 Duster 340 4-speed with
3.23 gears that was ridiculously fast to 60 mph, so I
can only imagine what an extra 85 hp and 3.55 gears
would be like.
The base price was a reasonable $3,695, but these
were truly custom cars, and Mr. Norm’s could make
them as plain or as fancy as the customer wanted.
That bought 0–60 in about 5.6 seconds, and the quarter
mile in around 13.92 at 106 mph — these were true
muscle machines.
First of its kind, last of its era
Mr. Norm’s 1972 Dodge Demon 340 GSS was es-
sentially an early version of today’s performance cars.
Look under the hood of a late-model ZL1 Camaro,
ZR1 Corvette or Shelby GT500 and you’ll see a modern
interpretation of this methodology.
The 1972 Demon GSS was the last performance car
Mr. Norm’s built in the period. Sensing the potential
explosion in the conversion-van market, Norm Kraus
turned his attention there. In 1974, Grand-Spaulding
Dodge became the world’s largest Dodge dealer,
thanks to conversion-van fever.
Some records from Mr. Norm’s performance years
were lost in a flood, but Norm Kraus remembers
“about 100” GSS cars were built out of 8,750 1972
Demon 340s. But unlike COPO Chevys, Hemi 4-doors,
and other special-order factory anomalies, these
were just stone-stock Demons, according to the VIN
and build sheet, and that makes them difficult to
authenticate — especially when the original engine
is missing. That was the case when our feature car
was discovered in 2003. An entire month was spent
verifying that this truly was a GSS before the decision
to restore was made.
Russo and Steele auctioned this car at
Scottsdale in January, but it was a nosale.
Five months later, Mecum was able
to sell it at Indy for $69k.
The 1970–74 Plymouth Duster/Dodge
Demon A-body twins have never had the
market presence of the more traditional
Mopar performance cars, and the only
factory cars to have any real value are
the ’70 340 and, to a lesser degree, the
less-powerful ’71 340 cars. Normally,
the 1972 Demons would have value only
as the basis for a custom car, but Mr.
Norm’s GSS is no ordinary ’72. $69k for
a little slice of Mr. Norm’s magic? That
seems like a good deal for both buyer and
seller.A
(Introductory description courtesy of
Mecum Auctions.)
September-October 2013
September-October 2013
49
Detailing
Years produced: 1972
Number produced:
Approximately 100
Original list price: $3,695
Current ACC Valuation:
$50,000–$75,000
Tune-up/major service: $150
Distributor cap: $19.95
Chassis #: VIN plate on the
driver’s side instrument
panel behind windshield
Engine #: Pad on the right
side of the block, to the
rear of the engine mount
Club: Mr. Norm’s Sport Club
More: www.mrnorms.com/
new/sport_club/index.html
Alternatives: 1970 Chevrolet
Chevelle SS 454 LS5,
1970 Dodge Challenger
R/T 440, 1969 Pontiac
GTO Judge
ACC Investment Grade: B
Comps
1970 Plymouth Duster 340
Lot F76, VIN:
VS29HOB184103
Condition: 3
Sold at $30,740
ACC# 213138
Mecum Auctions, Dallas, TX,
9/8/2012
1971 Plymouth Duster
custom
Not sold at $50,000
Bonhams, Carmel, CA,
8/14/2009
ACC# 142114
Lot 275, VIN: VL29B1E100818
Condition: 2+
1969 Dodge Dart GTS
Lot 111, VIN:
LS23H9B396577
Condition: 2+
Sold at $32,940
Auctions America, Raleigh,
NC, 12/5/2008
ACC# 118880
Page 48
PROFILE HOT ROD & CUSTOM
1933 FORD WOODIE CUSTOM “COUPE”
Six figures worth of fun?
These
high-zoot,
high-tech
cars
epitomize
a phrase a
late friend
of mine liked
to use: “Ain’t
no Henry in
that thang”
50
VIN: AZ312284 (Special Construction)
by Ken Gross
terned from the Vern Luce 3-window coupe by the
late Boyd Coddington), round-tube cross members, a
hand-made steel body with a steel-cage inner structure
and wheel tubs, a rolled rear pan, a four-piece hood,
and vee’d windshield posts.
Power is a Roush 401IR Ford V8 with an AOD
S
AmericanCarCollector.com
transmission. Specs include a five-inch dropped front
axle, Wilwood disc brakes and a Winters quickchange
rear. Fabrication, assembly, and paint were
by Squeeg’s Kustoms in Chandler, AZ. The leather
interior was by Gabe’s Custom upholstery. The one-off
hand-made maple body was built by Doug Carr of The
Wood’N Carr, Signal Hill, CA.
ACC Analysis This car, Lot S724, sold for
$110,000, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Russo and Steele’s Newport Beach, CA, auction
on June 22, 2013.
There’s a huge dichotomy between traditional hot
rods and modern, high-tech street rods. You can trace
tarting with a Squeeg’s Kustoms concept
and a Jimmy Smith rendering, this woodie
was built from the ground up with a ’33
Ford roadster cowl from Steve’s Auto
Restorations, custom SAC frame rails (pat-
it back decades. Some point to Boyd Coddington’s ’29
Ford roadster, better known as “The Silver Bullet,” a
L’il John Buttera-influenced highboy that blew people
away when it appeared in Street Rodder in 1978. That
car helped accelerate Coddington’s rapid transition
from his maintenance job at Disneyland to a shop of
his own.
But I like starting with Coddington’s stunning Vern
Luce ’33 Ford coupe, the winner of the Al Slonaker
Award (for technical excellence) at the 1981 Oakland
Roadster Show. The Luce 3-window was smooth as a
baby’s bottom, devoid of superfluous slots and louvers,
and metal-massaged to a fare-thee-well.
The following year, Boyd won the coveted AMBR
(America’s Most Beautiful Roadster) award at
Oakland with Jamie and Terry Musselman’s oh-sosmooth
’33 roadster. Subsequent trend-setters from
Boyd’s exponentially growing business included a
“phantom” two-door phaeton for Judi and Larry
Murray and went on to include “CadZZilla” for
Billy Gibbons, Buz Di Vosta’s “Road Star,” the
Aluma coupe for Mitsubishi and Joe Hrudka’s wild
“Chezoom.”
Coddington didn’t do this alone. Artists such as
Larry Erickson, Thom Taylor and Chip Foose often
Courtesy of Russo and Steele
Page 49
ACC
Digital Bonus
began the process with skilled renderings. And Boyd
surrounded himself with mechanical talent, so the
work was first-rate, innovative and good enough to
make the cover of Smithsonian magazine in 1993.
Love ’em or hate ’em
I’m not saying I loved these cars, but I respected
their intent and admired the workmanship. I’m a
stone hot-rod traditionalist, who likes old Fords with
updated engines (flatheads and Hemis) and doesn’t
remove one piece of trim. But as the supply of original
steel bodies dried up, more and more guys wanted
what they perceived as modern hot rods. Boyd really
started something.
Bucks-up rodders began commissioning shops to
build all-new cars with totally custom chassis, handbuilt
bodies and injected, all-electronic engines.
Today, besides Street Rodder, there’s a new
magazine, Street Rodder Premium, that’s filled with
ultra-contemporary, high-zoot, high-tech cars that
epitomize a phrase a late friend of mine liked to use:
“Ain’t no Henry in that thang.”
Future past
These cars aren’t resto-mods (updated classics);
they’re virtually all-new. The result is a totally original
creation, and a seriously depleted bank account.
I’ll say it again. Cars like these are expensive to
build, and in most cases, you haven’t a prayer of recouping
the cost. This ’33 woodie is a prime example.
It began with an artist’s sketch by Jimmy Smith, and
a set of pinched and bowed SAC rails (SAC Hot Rod
Products, Orange, CA) that were based on the Vern
Luce coupe’s neatly narrowed bones. SAC still had the
patterns.
That slanted chassis, along with big-and-little rub-
ber, dictated the car’s raked stance. The transverse
leaf “buggy” spring in front is mounted suicide-style,
as it’s located behind the deeply dropped axle. John
Nickel built the chassis. Coil-over springs support the
quick-change rear. Specially made structural elements
include a sturdy triangulated steel core support to
mount the ’33 Ford-style grille, which was slid forward
and down to accentuate the rake, and the “floating”
King Bee headlights. The lights are originals, by
the way — a rare inclusion in a contemporary car like
this one. The wheels, 15x4½ in front and 17x8 in the
rear, are Halibrands.
And the patron is ...
Squeeg’s Kustoms, Chandler, AZ, completely
scratch-built this woodie coupe for Jason Wolfswinkel,
a Tucson real estate developer who wanted a hot rod
that he could drive with his wife and two children.
No expense was spared, according to Doug Jerger,
whose Dad, Squeeg Jerger, founded the shop in 1964.
There’s a completely hand-fabbed structural metal
perimeter inner framework by Brian Cline at Concept
Works for the body, and a pair of metal wheelwells
too, so the custom-made wood panels, by noted woodie
craftsman Doug Carr and his wife, Suzy, are securely
fastened. They probably don’t creak and shift like a
traditional woodie body does.
Peek inside and you’ll see the traditional lat-
ticework wood roof structure and garnish moldings.
That lovely lumber, by the way, is Eastern hardrock
maple; the insert panels are birch, all beautifully
finished. Doug carved a shift knob out of bird’s-eye
maple. Gabe’s Street Rods Custom Interiors did all the
leather and carpeting.
’33 Fords didn’t have vee-ed windshields, but this
car does, courtesy of a Model 40 cowl from Steve
Frisbie’s Steve’s Auto Restorations in Portland, OR. It
was extensively modified, with new windshield posts
by Squeeg’s. The four-piece hood began as a Rootlieb
product, but it’s been considerably reworked. Squeeg’s
did all the rest of the metal forming, including the
rolled rear pan, set off with ’37 Chevy taillights, and
completed the car. It’s a hot rod, hence the 402-ci EFI
Roush Ford small-block V8.
The ’33 has won its share of trophies, including a
class win at the 2010 Grand National Roadster Show,
although Doug points out, “We go to shows, but we’re
not trophy collectors. They’re a great place to show
our shop’s work and get new customers.” I estimate
this car probably cost about $250k to build. Doug
didn’t deny it, simply saying, “He (Wolfswinkel) didn’t
get his money back,” and adding, “He’s had his fun
with it and he’s ready for something else.”
Here’s the deal ...
You can commission a very expensive modern street
rod like this one, take it to shows, win a few trophies,
drive the wheels off it, then sell it. Just don’t expect to
get your money back. $110k from a $250k investment
won’t fly on Wall Street, but that’s not the point.
Did Mr. Wolfswinkel have six figures worth of fun
with this car? I’ll bet he did. Once again, I’d call
this realistically sold and, if you’re crazy about this
particular woodie, very well bought. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Russo and
Steele.)
September-October 2013
51
1940 Ford DeLuxe Custom
by Boyd Coddington
Lot 1315, VIN: 5K06159
Condition: 1Sold
at $77,000
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale,
AZ, 1/15/2012
ACC# 192581
Detailing
Current ACC Valuation:
$100k–$130k
Years produced: N/A
Number produced: One
Original price: Approximately
$250k
Tune-up/major service: $150
Distributor cap: $20
VIN: On chassis
Engine #: N/A
Club: GoodGuys, NSRA
More: www.good-guys.com,
www.nsra-usa.com
Alternatives: Any high-dollar,
modern-tech street rod
ACC Investment Grade: D
Comps
1933 Ford pickup
Lot 1033, VIN: 18519067
Condition: 1
Sold at $181,500
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale,
AZ, 1/18/2011
ACC# 168538
1940 Mercury Custom
by Rick Dore
Lot 530, VIN: 99A157242
Condition: 1Sold
at $137,500
RM Auctions, Monterey, CA,
8/17/2007
ACC# 46257
Page 50
PROFILE CLASSIC
1948 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY CONVERTIBLE
A woodie with Full Classic status
Courtesy of Bonhams
The novelty
of varnishing
your car
every six
months wore
off rather
quickly, thus
resulting in
the very low
survival rate
VIN: 740235
Engine number: C3958169
by Carl Bomstead
ordered with the leather option). It is complemented
with gray Wilton wool carpeting and is well appointed
with a plethora of factory-correct accessories including
the dual-cowl-mounted spotlights, dual side-view
mirrors, dual amber-colored fog lights, rear-view mirrors,
a deluxe push-button AM radio, a clock, optional
dual Mopar Model 54 heater units, front and rear
bumper guards, and wide whitewall Firestone Deluxe
Champion tires.
This car was reported to have been the subject of a
T
52 AmericanCarCollector.com
52 AmericanCarCollector.com
restoration prior to arrival in this ownership a decade
ago.
In 2007, this attractive convertible woodie was shown
at the Newport Concours in Rhode Island, where it
rather appropriately received the Best Newport award.
That same year, it gained second in the Post War
Convertible Class at the Stowe Fall show. More recently,
it was exhibited at the 2012 Boston Cup, garnering the
City of Boston Commissioner’s Cup.
ACC Analysis This car, Lot 364, sold for
$126,500, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Bonhams’ Greenwich, CT, sale on June 2,
2013.
his 1948 Chrysler Town and Country shows
only 77,630 miles, which is believed to be
from new. The interior is finished completely
in striking blue leather upholstery, a rare
option in 1948 (supposedly only 10% were
A top-shelf wagon
In 1940, Chrysler president David A. Wallace
set his design team to work developing a tight and
streamlined station wagon that was a step ahead of
the “clumsy, boxy creations” being offered at the time.
The result was a wood-bodied station wagon with a
white ash framework and Honduras mahogany paneling
that had the look of a fastback sedan.
It was based on the Chrysler Windsor, and the
engine was the L-head 112-horsepower inline six with
Fluid Drive. Wallace was also the president of Perkin
Wood Products in Helena, AR. I’m sure the contract to
supply the wood paneling for the cars entered into the
equation as Wallace shepherded the project through
the approval process.
Production began in March of 1941, and the Town
& Country — a name credited to Paul Hafer of the
Boyertown Body Works, who said, “The front looked
‘town’ and the rear looked ‘country’” — was the first
luxury station wagon that appealed to the more affluent
upper-crust buyers. In the model year, 997 were
built. Another 1,000 were produced the following year
before Chrysler shifted production toward the war
effort.
Post-war boom
As the country returned to more normal footing
at the war’s conclusion, the automotive industry
faced tremendous pent-up demand, and Chrysler
Page 51
ACC
Digital Bonus
was set to offer an entire series of the Town
& Country line, complete with the inline eight
offered in the New Yorker series. But for some
undocumented reason, they dropped the station
wagon.
Only the convertible and the sedan made it
to dealer showrooms, although seven prototype
hard tops were also built in 1946. As an aside,
David Wallace for many years drove what is
thought to be the fifth one produced before
returning it to the Chrysler Motor Pool. It
survives today, and is thought to be the only
one that does.
Production continued through 1948 with few
changes. They did, however, stop using real
mahogany for the inner panels, switching to
Di-Noc decals. 1948 was the last year for the full wood
body, as for the final two years of production, they
simply trimmed the doors with wood.
High maintenance
From 1946 to 1948, 8,373 convertibles were pro-
duced, with a rather low survival rate due to the high
maintenance requirements. Of the 3,309 convertibles
produced in 1948, it is thought that only 195 survive
today.
The Chrysler Town & Country owner’s manual
stated, “You can keep your car looking new with very
little trouble… Under ordinary conditions, a good
varnish job will last a year, but we recommend that it
be varnished every six months so to preserve the wood
and retain for many years the sparkling beauty of the
rich ornamental woods.”
The novelty of varnishing your car every six months
wore off rather quickly, thus resulting in the very low
survival rate.
Joining the ranks
In 2010, the Classic Car Club of America, after pro-
longed debate and gnashing of teeth, elected to grant
the 1946–48 Chrysler Town & Country Full Classic
status. The process produced long-lasting ill will with
members rumored to have resigned over the inclusion.
The Classic Car Club of America recognizes
automobiles that were “built in limited production
numbers and were quite expensive when new. As a
group they represent the pinnacle of engineering,
styling and design for the era.” The net of it all is that
some members didn’t think the Town & Country lived
up to that definition.
Full Classic status often comes with financial bene-
fit, as values tend to appreciate with the newly granted
prestige. The example Bonhams offered appeared to
be exceptional, with low mileage. It had a long list
of desirable options including leather interior, dual
Mopar heaters and deluxe push-button radio. It also
had numerous awards, albeit from second-tier events,
in the back seat.
The ACC Premium Auction Database lists dozens
of recent sales of these cars, and the cream of the
crop sold between $132,000 and $159,000. But going
back to sales in 2008, we see the same range, so the
Full Classic status does not seem to have had much
influence here.
It does show, however, that this T&C convertible
was very well bought indeed. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Bonhams.)
Detailing
Years produced: 1946–48
Number produced: 8,373
convertibles
Current ACC Valuation:
$115,000–$160,000
Tune-up cost: $200
Distributor cap: $25
Chassis #: Left front door
hinge
Original list price:
$2,725–$3,420
Engine #: Left side block
between 1 and 2 cylinders
Club: National Woodie Club
More: www.nationalwoodieclub.com
Alternatives: 1946–48 Ford
Sportsman, 1941 Chrysler
Town & Country wagon,
1954 Cadillac Eldorado
convertible
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
1946 Chrysler Town &
Country convertible
Lot 106, VIN: 7400604
Condition: 2
Sold at $132,000
RM Auctions, Fort Worth, TX,
4/27/2013
ACC# 216088
1947 Chrysler Town &
Country convertible
Lot 322, VIN: 7402722
Condition: 2-
Not sold at $110,000
Bonhams, Boca Raton, FL,
2/23/2013
ACC# 215419
1948 Chrysler Town &
Country convertible
Lot 8, VIN: 7407045
Condition: 3
Sold at $104,500
Gooding & Co., Pebble Beach,
CA, 8/18/2012
ACC# 209393
September-October 2013
53CC
53
Page 52
PROFILE RACE
1968 JIM DAVIS DRAGSTER “BLOOD, SWEAT & NITRO”
Top Fuel terror
RACE
1968 JIM DAVIS DRAGSTER “BLOOD, SWEAT & NITRO”
Top Fuel terror
vintage
vintage
Top Fuel
drag cars
generally
achieve
over-thetop
prices?
It usually
comes down
to one thing:
usability
OFILE RACE
1968 JIM DAVIS DRAGSTER “BLOOD, SWEAT & NITRO”
Top Fuel terror
vintage
Top Fuel
drag cars
generally
achieve
over-the-
top prices?
It usually
comes down
to one thing:
usability
by
by Tom Glatch
strips such as Famoso, Half Moon Bay, Lions, OCIR,
Irwindale, Sears Point, Carlsbad and Fresno. Fremont
Drag Strip was the car’s home track, and Ritter took
home his share of trophies.
While attending the 2005 Hot August Nights event
T
54
AmericanCarCollector.com
with his two restored front-engine dragsters, the
“BankAmericar” and the “Mastercar,” John Ewald
was approached by a guest who told him about a friend
with an old dragster that had been stored in his garage
for about 15 years.
That car turned out to be the Jim Davis chassis,
Jack Hagemann full-bodied “Blood, Sweat & Nitro”
of Gary Ritter and his partners Jack Cary and Doug
Kinner. Ewald bought the car, and it was delivered
to Bruce Dyda’s shop, Dyda Race Engineering in
Gardena, CA, where it was restored to 1970 configuration.
Now the car is ready to join the nationwide
“Cacklefest” events with a fresh 392 Chrysler Hemi
and a removable driveline for either push starts or
static fire-ups.
ACC Analysis This car, Lot S704, sold for
$73,700, including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Russo and Steele’s Newport Beach auction
on June 22, 2013.
Here’s a staggering statistic: One modern Top Fuel
dragster produces as much horsepower as the first 10
he Blood, Sweat & Nitro Top Fuel dragster is
the only surviving original Jim Davis chassis
with a full aluminum body by the famous
Jack Hagemann. Driver Gary Ritter terrorized
the competition with this car at drag
rows of the Daytona 500 combined. A Top Fuel car
accelerates like a space shuttle launch (pulling 3Gs)
and is just as loud (150 decibels). Forty-five years ago,
the Top Fuel cars were 100 mph slower, but they were
just as spectacular, and just as addictive.
By the late ’60s, the Top Fuel cars had evolved from
home-built “slingshot” dragsters to professionally
built, nitromethane-burning monsters. Most were powered
by supercharged 392-ci Hemis, but unlike today’s
cookie-cutter, corporate-sponsored cars, these frontengine
dragsters (FEDs) had distinctive hand-formed
aluminum bodies and beautiful custom paint schemes
sporting colorful names such as Chris Karamesines’
“ChiZler” or Don Garlits’ “Swamp Rat.”
One of the top builders of these front-engine
dragsters was Jim Davis of Walnut Grove, CA. Not
only were they fast, but his cars often had that Cal
Custom look, thanks to the hand-formed bodies by
Jack Hagemann, along with paint jobs by the coast’s
best sprayers. One the most famous Davis dragsters
was this car, “Blood, Sweat & Nitro,” raced by Gary
Ritter.
From barn storage to center stage
John Ewald bought the car, which was complete but
in rough shape. He spared no expense in restoring the
dragster to museum quality, as noted by its two-year
stint in the Wally Parks NHRA Museum in Pomona.
But it was not built just to be pretty. When restoration
was complete, “Blood, Sweat & Nitro” made its
debut at the Cacklefest at the 2008 March Meet in
Bakersfield, CA.
Cacklefest is an event where these vintage drag cars
Courtesy of Brian Crawford
Page 53
ACC
Digital Bonus
line up and fire their flame-throwing, nitro-burning
engines. Anyone who’s heard a nitro engine knows the
sound — it’s deafening and permanently pounded into
your brain. Now imagine dozens of restored or recreated
vintage dragsters all running at the same time.
Greg Sharp of the Wally Parks NHRA Museum once
called it a veritable “cacklefest,” and the name stuck.
acklefest in 2000 was held at the
ot Rod Reunion, and it drew nine vintage
s getting more popular: The three
ents this year will draw more than 100
Digital Bonus
line up and fire their flame-throwing, nitro-burning
engines. Anyone who’s heard a nitro engine knows the
sound — it’s deafening and permanently pounded into
your brain. Now imagine dozens of restored or re-
created vintage dragsters all running at the same time.
Greg Sharp of the Wally Parks NHRA Museum once
called it a veritable “cacklefest,” and the name stuck.
acklefest in 2000 was held at the
ot Rod Reunion, and it drew nine vintage
s getting more popular: The three
ents this year will draw more than 100
ace
ace car
atching a car like “Blood, Sweat & Nitro”
n auction can be a painful experience,
rejudice of the marketplace regarding
e cars. Generally, if it didn’t race on a
se, a lot of buyers just don’t consider it a
ace car, and that affects value.
e’s a perfect example: In ACC #3, I wrote
t the 1960 “Race Rat” Corvette that raced
nce, at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and
ed 1st in class and 16th overall. That car
or $440k — almost six times what “Blood,
Sweat & Nitro” made at Russo and Steele.
How is this possible? Why don’t
vintage Top Fuel drag cars generally
achieve the same prices as vintage
? It usually comes down to one thing:
CC
Digital Bonus
line up and fire their flame-throwing, nitro-burning
engines. Anyone who’s heard a nitro engine knows the
sound — it’s deafening and permanently pounded into
your brain. Now imagine dozens of restored or re-
created vintage dragsters all running at the same time.
Greg Sharp of the Wally Parks NHRA Museum once
called it a veritable “cacklefest,” and the name stuck.
acklefest in 2000 was held at the
ot Rod Reunion, and it drew nine vintage
s getting more popular: The three
ents this year will draw more than 100
ace car
atching a car like “Blood, Sweat & Nitro”
n auction can be a painful experience,
rejudice of the marketplace regarding
e cars. Generally, if it didn’t race on a
se, a lot of buyers just don’t consider it a
ace car, and that affects value.
e’s a perfect example: In ACC #3, I wrote
t the 1960 “Race Rat” Corvette that raced
nce, at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and
ed 1st in class and 16th overall. That car
or $440k — almost six times what “Blood,
Sweat & Nitro” made at Russo and Steele.
How is this possible? Why don’t
vintage Top Fuel drag cars generally
achieve the same prices as vintage
? It usually comes down to one thing:
e
e that Corvette is simply more approach-
r average buyer than a vintage digger
slurping nitro and belching flames. There are plenty of
vintage events for cars like that Corvette to be raced.
And while expensive, it’s also relatively comfortable
for a vintage race driver to actually use. For Top Fuel
drag machines like our subject car, it’s a different
story.
Grit, power and flames
Vintage Top Fuel cars are and always were
downright dangerous. These cars ran in the sixes
at over 200 mph, and things happen very quickly at
those speeds. When something went wrong with one
of these, it tended to be in a big way — component
failures were common, and exploding engines and
clutches usually caused severe injury. Suffice to say,
a lot of dragster drivers in the ’60s didn’t survive the
ride. You had to be fearless to run one.
A lot of these drag cars aren’t restored to be used in
competition and don’t meet modern NHRA tech standards
— that’s the case with this car and its vintage
roll cage. It’s right for the period, but any NHRA tech
inspector would flunk it in a heartbeat if you actually
tried to run it down the quarter today.
And frankly, a lot of owners would be wary of run-
ning one in anger down the quarter mile even if it did
pass tech. They’re just too hairy for most people — I
think you can argue that makes them more “real” than
some of their softer track-racing counterparts.
Regardless, their use is limited to events such as
Cacklefest and static shows, and that limits their market.
Ultimately, that also limits their final sale prices.
Vintage cool
But for that narrow set of the market, there’s
nothing cooler than a vintage 392 Hemi sucking nitro
through a mechanical injector and blowing blue
flames out its zoomie headers. I’m definitely a part of
that group.
To me, it doesn’t matter if a car raced at the Grand
Prix of Monaco, the Daytona 500, the Winternationals
or the Hoosier Hundred; if it was a successful on a
track, it’s worthy of our respect and admiration. I’ve
always marveled at the engineering, the craftsmanship
and the innovation these vehicles possess, and the
brave souls who piloted them, no matter the venue.
All things considered, the new owner got “Blood,
Sweat & Nitro” for a bargain price compared to what
it must have cost to restore. With the money he saved,
I hope he can now haul his dragster to Cacklefest
events all over the nation, and I bet he’ll have a lot of
fun doing it. A
(Introductory description courtesy of Russo and
Steele.)
2013 Cacklefest® events
JUNE 13–15
11th National Hot Rod Reunion
Beech Bend Raceway Park
Bowling Green, KY
SEPTEMBER 12–14
Inaugural New England Hot
Rod Reunion
New England Dragway
Epping, NH
OCTOBER 18–20
22nd California Hot Rod
Reunion
Famoso Dragway
Bakersfield, CA
September-October 2013
55
Detailing
Year produced: 1968
Number produced: One
Original list price: N/A
Current ACC Valuation:
$70,000–$150,000
Tune-up/major service:
$5,000
Distributor cap: N/A
Chassis #: None
Engine #: None
Club: Wally Parks NHRA
Motorsports Museum
More: www.cacklefest.com
Alternatives: Slingshot
dragsters, multiple-engine
dragsters, vintage Funny
Cars
ACC Investment Grade: C
Comps
1966 Mercury Comet
Funny Car
Lot 1306, VIN: N/A
Condition: 2+
Sold at $176,000
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale,
AZ, 1/18/2010
ACC# 155047
1961 Buick Wagon Master
Lot 250, VIN: N/A
Condition: 3
Sold at $209,000
RM Auctions, Los Angeles,
CA, 9/26/2009
ACC# 143224
1966 Ford Super Mustang
Lot 80, VIN:
M10058A206L052305
Condition: 2+
Sold at $154,000
Gooding & Co., Pebble Beach,
CA, 8/16/2009
ACC# 142010
Page 54
PROFILE TRUCK
Originality vs. eyeball appeal ...
1945 FORD GPW
Courtesy of Bonhams
Yes, there are
still “Jeeps
in the crate”
out there.
Problem is,
most of those
are on the
bottom of
the North
Atlantic
by B. Mitchell Carlson and Stuart Lenzke
1945 Ford GPW
VIN: GPW247613
• Real military Jeep
• Frame-off restoration by noted military
Jeep restorer
• Classic, timeless style and looks
• Very capable both off-road and on
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better example than
this 1945 Ford military Jeep. Yes, this is a military
version and not a civilian converted to military specs.
It received a complete frame-off restoration by a
renowned specialist of Army Jeeps.
1944 Willys MB
VIN: 280026
• Discovered in its original crate about 30 years ago
• Never restored
• Nicely presented in classic olive drab
• Rich with character, ample in capability
Discovered by a military vehicle collector a bit over
30 years ago still crated, this mostly unused and never
abused Jeep is all-Toledo, OH-built. Save for a repaint
done shortly after it was discovered, it is 100% original.
Complete with the usual shovel and ax for when
things really get down to business, this Jeep exudes
more character than even the nicest restored examples
ever could.
56 AmericanCarCollector.com
56 AmericanCarCollector.com
ACC Analysis This 1945 Ford GPW (Lot 305)
and 1944 Willys MB (Lot 353) sold
for $25,000 and $26,400, respectively, including buyer’s
premiums, at Bonhams’ Greenwich, CT, auction
on June 2, 2013.
The history of the ubiquitous World War II Jeep has
been well told elsewhere, so instead we’ll look at the
reality of these Jeeps in the 21st century using these
two as examples.
Restored Ford
From the outside, the Ford GPW looks like a quality
restoration done to a standard that would make it
worthy for Military Vehicle Preservation Association
judging for accuracy.
However, that level of inspection does reveal some
inaccuracies. The ax and shovel appear to be Home
Depot specials rather than the correctly fitting originals
or reproductions.
Under the hood, it’s been updated with a modern 12-
volt alternator, which is a major deduction in judging
and would in fact move it down to the modified class.
Unlike most larger military vehicles, a G503 (World
War II-era) Jeep doesn’t have enough of an electrical
load to warrant converting it to either 12 volts or to an
alternator. Since a G503 isn’t used by anyone to commute
anymore, especially not to town on a cold winter
morning, you’re better off leaving the electrical system
in one of these as original as possible.
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ACC
Digital Bonus
1944 WILLYS MB
Detailing
... a never-ending battle
Years produced: 1941–45
Number produced: 631,927
(281,578 GPWs and
350,349 MBs)
Current ACC Valuation:
$12,500–$22,000
VIN: Dataplate on the dashboard,
over the front axle on
the left frame rail
Engine #: Pad on the
passenger’s side of the
engine block, just below the
cylinder head adjacent to
the distributor. (Ford GPW
should be the same as the
chassis number; Willys
MB will be greater than the
chassis number)
Clubs: Military Vehicle
Preservation Association
(MVPA)
More: www.mvpa.org
Also: www.g503.com
Alternatives: 1950–52
Willys M38 military Jeep,
1945–49 Willys-Jeep
CJ-2A, 1941–45 Ford GPA
amphibious military “Seep,”
1942–45 Dodge WC-56
command car
ACC Investment Grade: B
Comps
Courtesy of Bonhams
Heavier wear on the clutch and brake pedals is
also surprising, as they are readily available as
reproduction parts with the correct F-script cast into
them (both authors have a set for their own 1942 GPW
restoration projects).
The restoration focus on this GPW was to have a
“pretty Jeep” to play with rather than a correct show
Jeep. They all have their place, but this I felt sold more
for the sizzle than the meat on the bone. And with that,
it sold well.
New in the box?
Then there’s the Willys.
The whole “$50 Jeep in a crate” legend is based
mostly on ads in magazines in the 1950s and ’60s.
Most of these ads were placed by less-than-scrupulous
individuals who would sell you a list of sites where you
could bid on war surplus, with the tag line claiming
you can buy a Jeep for this sum. These listings, by the
way, were always available free of charge, but a lot of
folks didn’t know that in the pre-Internet era.
During World War II, vehicles destined for bases
in the U.S. were shipped directly on car carriers, on
flatbeds, or in boxcars if by rail. Only vehicles destined
for overseas shipment were crated, for both ease
of bulk handling and protection from the elements in
transit.
In the case of the MB and GPW, each overseasbound
Jeep was individually crated, but to a certain
extent was disassembled to get the maximum volume
out of the given space. This meant the freshly built,
fully assembled Jeep had its wheels, hood, and steering
wheel removed and packed inside its tub.
The windshield was folded flat, the air cleaner loos-
ened and adjusted to allow clearance for a support
brace for the top of the crate (hence the removal of the
hood), and the steering box and column were unbolted
and set loosely on the body. How to do all this (and
how to put it back together once delivered) was welldocumented
in the Army Tech Manual.
Uncrating the myth
Crated Jeeps obviously existed, but I’m skeptical of
this one’s claim.
First, the description states that it at least had been
repainted. If it came out of the original crate, why did
it need to be painted? Did it fade in the crate?
The front suspension is also missing the torque
reaction leaf spring on the left front corner. This was
added on all Jeeps — Ford and Willys — built after
May of 1942, and would have been part of regular
production on this November 1943-built example.
And that date doesn’t bode well for the legend,
either. In late 1943, the primary thrust for war material
was England, setting the stage for the invasion
of Fortress Europe on D-Day. We were simply too
engrossed in getting as much material “to the boys” to
let a few crates of Jeeps get waylaid at a shipping port
1942 Willys MB
Lot 350, VIN: 453798
Condition: 3
Sold at $19,627
1942 Ford GPW
Lot 467, VIN: 37594
Condition: 2Sold
at $37,440
ACC# 202077
Bonhams, Greenwich, CT,
6/3/2012
Bonhams, Hendon, U.K.,
4/30/2012
ACC# 201525
1944 Ford GPW
Lot S61.1, VIN: 110507
Condition: 3+
Sold at $29,680
Mecum Auctions, Indianapolis,
IN, 5/19/2010
ACC# 162779
September-October 2013
57CC
57
Page 56
PROFILE TRUCK
or warehouse here or in England. They were too important for that. Most crated
military vehicles that did wind up at auction were 1945 vintage.
Running the numbers
The dataplates on the Willys pose another problem. These are reproductions and
they’re not quite correct, and all of them are attached with Phillips screws rather
than the original cold rivets. Most obviously incorrect is the center plate. Not only
does the vehicle model decrypt as Canadian, but the indicated Canadian contract
number of CDVL505 was completed in 1942 and as such is flat-out incorrect for this
chassis serial number.
Also, on the original data plate for the Canadian contracts, the CDVL number
was stamped into a blank area similar to the chassis, engine, and date of delivery
numbers, not printed on the plate itself. And the original data plates did not have
colons and periods.
Then there’s the actual information stamped into the repro data plates. Again,
referring to original plates, the engine numbers for contract 505 should be roughly
5,000 higher than the chassis number, not 340,000 higher like our subject vehicle.
There are also issues with the date of manufacture. Originals are stamped month,
day, two-digit year, separated by hyphens; for example, 4-22-42. They were not
denoted by month/year, and there was no use of 0 as a space keeper as we see here.
Finally, the hood number. For a military Jeep owner to find their correct number
by carefully sanding down multiple layers of paint is akin to finding the Holy Grail.
3025500 is wrong for either a U.S. or Canadian Jeep, as that number block crosses
to 1½-ton military Chevrolet trucks.
What’s original?
Where should we draw the line for “original” versus “restored”? Does putting
a new gas tank, tires, and fan belt on make it unrestored?
Does giving it a masked-off repaint make it
unrestored? Does taking all the parts off of the tub but
leaving the body on the chassis make it unrestored?
As far as most serious automotive historians and
enthusiasts are concerned, any claims of originality
were blown to the wind with the repaint.
Yes, there are still “Jeeps in the crate” out there.
Problem is, most of those are on the bottom of the
North Atlantic in freighters destined for England and
Russia that were torpedoed by German U-boats.
Maybe this Willys did come out of a crate, but there
was no evidence here to prove it. Had the story been
verifiable, retaining even some of the original crating,
or physical proof that it was uncrated 30 years after
the end of the war, it would have sold for significantly
more than the $26k it brought here. As it happened, it
did about the same as the well-restored GPW without
a story attached to it.
I’ll go on record and dare say that if only just the
crate were to turn up on the market, it would sell for
more than this Jeep did. Potentially even more than
both of these Jeeps combined.
At the end of the day, both of these Jeeps sold well.
But for a driver Jeep with eyeball over originality, I
think I would have saved myself the premium and gone
with the Ford. A
(Introductory descriptions courtesy of Bonhams.)
58 AmericanCarCollector.com
58 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 60
MArKET OVERVIEW
For complete results of each auction
covered in this issue, scan this code
or go to http://bit.ly/YLyfw2
TOP 10
sales this issue
1. 1967 Shelby GT500
Super Snake fastback,
$1,391,000—Mec, p. 68
2. 1967 Shelby GT500
“Eleanor” fastback,
$1,070,000—Mec, p. 68
3. 1970 Oldsmobile 442
W-30 convertible,
$269,500—r&S, p. 74
4. 1966 Shelby GT350 fastback,
$167,200—r&S,
p. 78
5. 2012 Chevrolet
Camaro COpO coupe,
$151,200—MidA, p. 82
6. 1948 Ford woodie
wagon, $129,800—r&S,
p. 76
7. 1967 Ford Galaxie 500
XL 7-Liter 2-dr hard top,
$104,860—Mec, p. 68
8. 1951 buick Super
wagon, $102,600—Silv,
p. 98
9. 1961 Chevrolet Corvette
resto-mod convertible,
$95,230—Mec, p. 66
10. 1955 Cadillac Eldorado
convertible, $93,500—
Lke, p. 82
BEST BUYS
1. 1968 plymouth road
runner 2-dr sedan,
$13,770—MidA, p. 87
2. 1969 Dodge Charger 500
2-dr hard top, $52,430—
Mec, p. 70
3. 1978 Ford F-150 ranger
XLT SuperCab pickup,
$13,230—MidA, p. 84
4. 1978 Seagrave Sr25768
hook & ladder fire truck,
$3,410—Luc, p. 105
5. 1947 Willys-Overland
Jeep wagon, $9,570—
Lke, p. 88
62 AmericanCarCollector.com
by Tony Piff
prices and overall totals holding steady or growing.
n n n
I
At Leake’s hometown sale in Tulsa, OK, sales
surged forward by 29%, totaling $11.8m up from $8.3m
last year. It was their biggest Tulsa sale since 2009, with
470 cars selling out of 691 for a 68% sales rate and a
$25k average price. Top sale was a 1937 Packard street
rod at $143k, followed by a 1931 Cadillac 370A convertible
at $138k. A documented 1969 Chevrolet Yenko
Camaro was the most expensive muscle car at $134k.
n n n
A 2012 COPO Camaro sold by an ACCer made
$151k at MidAmerica’s “Back to the 50’s” sale in St.
Paul, earning high-sale honors. It was MidAmerica’s
first time operating this annual sale, and performance
figures were strong. Sales totaled $1.9m (up from $1.6m
last year) between 105 cars sold out of 172 consigned
(up from 89/170). Behind the Camaro, a ’69 Shelby
GT500 sold for $76k, and a replica Cobra powered by a
vintage 427 earned $55k.
n n n
n the middle of the year, it’s the middle of the
country that keeps the market moving. Three of
the four feature auctions in this issue took place
in the American Heartland. Sales looked healthy
across the board, with great cars fetching great
Two significant Shelbys made more than $1m
apiece at Mecum Indy. This well established megasale
saw a staggering 1,713 cars cross the block, which
was actually a decrease from 1,991 last year. Totals
dipped to $48k from $50k, but the sales rate held solid
at the same 67%, and average price per car notched
up to $42k from $38k. A 1967 Chevrolet Corvette
427/400 4-sp convertible was the most expensive
Corvette of this issue at $653k.
n n n
In Southern California, Russo and Steele held
their inaugural Newport Beach sale. The sales rate of
31% re-confirms the challenge of selling to this region,
but $6.5m in totals is still respectable, and there
were plenty of strong sales and good deals. The top
American lot was an extremely rare, extremely well
restored 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 convertible, all
the rarer for its code W-27 aluminum rear axle carrier,
sold for $270k. A 1966 Shelby GT350 did not have its
original drivetrain, but it still achieved a strong $167k.
n n n
We conclude this issue’s market report with the
ACC Roundup. We take a look at highlights from
Lucky Tacoma, WA; Silver Coeur d’Alene, ID and
VanDerBrink Murdo, SD. A
MidAmerica’s “back to the 50’s” sale saw a 2012 COpO Camaro take top-sale
honors, selling for $151,200
Heartland sales get
the summer rolling
A 2012 COPO CAMARO MADE $151K IN ST. PAUL,
AND TWO SHELBYS TOPPED $1M APIECE IN INDIANAPOLIS
ACC 1-6 scale
condition rating
1. perfect: National
show standard
2. Excellent: Club
show-worthy, some
small flaws
3. Average: Daily
driver in decent
condition
4. Meh: Still a driver,
with some visible flaws
5. Questionable:
A problem-plagued
beast that somehow
manages to run
6. Lost cause:
Salvagable for parts
Page 62
MECUM AUCTIONS // Indianapolis, IN
Mecum — 26th Annual
Spring Classic
TWO CARS EARNED THAT COVETED SEVENTH DIGIT,
AND BOTH WERE ’67 SHELBY FASTBACKS
Report and photos
by B. Mitchell Carlson
Market opinions in italics
M
$10m
$20m
$30m
$40m
$50m
0
64 AmericanCarCollector.com
ecum Auctions had another
successful Spring Classic
during the third week of May.
Conducted once again at the
Indiana State Fairgrounds in
northern Indianapolis, this 26th annual edition
saw two cars earn that coveted seventh
Mecum Auctions
26th Annual Spring Classic
Indianapolis, IN
May 14–19, 2013
Auctioneers: Mark Delzell, Mike Hagerman,
Jim Landis, Bobby McGlothlen, Matt
Moravec, Jeff Knosp
Automotive lots sold/offered: 1,142/1,713
Sales rate: 67%
Sales total: $47,968,240
High sale: 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake
fastback, sold at $1,391,000
buyer’s premium: $300 up to $5,499;
$500 from $5,500 to $9,999; 7% thereafter,
included in sold prices
Sales Total
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
digit, and both were 1967 Shelby fastbacks.
First was the one-off 1967 GT500 Super
Snake. Modified by Shelby from new with a
GT40 Mk II-specification 427 under the hood,
it was made as both a Goodyear tire test car
and as a prototype for limited production. It
crossed the block Friday during prime time,
and the reserve was lifted at $1.3m — a big
price for a worthy Shelby.
The next day, the second million-dollar
fastback sold. Arguably far more famous,
this was one of the actual “Eleanor” modified
1967 Shelby replicas used in the 2000 edition
of the movie “Gone in 60 Seconds.” This one
was the glamour car that was used by actor
Nicolas Cage for close-ups and beauty shots
during the movie and for PR materials for the
film. Perhaps the most well-known resto-mod
of all time — and the inspirer of countless
Eleanor replicas — it hammered sold at one
million dollars.
Another big sale was the 1967 Galaxie
500 XL 7-Liter. Said to be one of eight XL
fastbacks with a 427 — and the only one in
red — it sold for $105k. A 1961 Chevrolet
Corvette continued the trend of well-executed
resto-mods fetching about $100k. This one
came just shy of the century mark, selling
at $95k. And in the expensive vintage SUV
category, a built-up and tricked-out 1974
International Travelall earned a whopping
$43k.
Big sales aside, the overall numbers were
slightly down from 2012. One reason was that
there were simply fewer places to put cars
this year, since one of the major buildings
was closed for renovation. Another was that
volume consignors opted to bring fewer cars
but of higher quality. But with 278 fewer cars
consigned and 191 fewer sold, the sales rate
still worked out to the same 67% as last year.
Overall, Mecum has a winner with the
Spring Classic, and while it won’t likely
be larger than their Kissimmee auction in
January, it should continue to thrive next
May.A
Goodyear test car — 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake fastback, sold at $1,391,000
Page 64
MECUM AUCTIONS // Indianapolis, IN
GM
#T130.1-1965 CHEVROLET CORVAIR
Corsa replica convertible. VIN: 105675W110721.
Red/white vinyl/white vinyl. Odo:
37,006 miles. 164-ci H6, turbocharger, 4-sp.
Originally blue metallic with blue interior.
Old cheapie repaint. Solid A-pillars. Has
both Monza and Corsa crosses, but missing
the wheelwell trim and rocker panel trim.
Serviceable original bumpers and trim;
windshield trim has heavier sanding
scratches. ’70s aftermarket mag wheels.
Fitted with Clark’s seats, door panels, and
carpet in recent years, with more wrinkling
from amateur installation than wear.
Cond: 3-.
use that word), offered as Lot F267. That
one sold for $48k while this one failed to sell
at a somewhat weak offer.
#F267-1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO
COPO replica coupe. VIN: 124379N668557.
Cortez Silver/black vinyl. Odo:
46,103 miles. 427-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Started
out as an SS 396, converted into an obsessively
correct COPO clone, including fake
documentation. Excellent prep and paint.
Reproduction interior, minimally worn.
Highly detailed underhood. Cond: 2.
Smoke Gray/black vinyl. Odo: 5,366 miles.
454-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Shipped directly to
Chevrolet Engineering and fitted there with
an LS6 454, M22 4-speed, JL6 4-wheel disc
brakes, unique cold-air ducting, L88 radiator,
heavier front suspension and multi-leaf
rear springs for FIA homologation testing.
Later shipped to Smokey Yunick for further
testing, where it was found in 1989 and purchased
by the restorer/consignor. Restored
to decent standard in FIA testing configuration.
Cable-drive tach from testing still
mounted in the right gauge nacelle. Sold on
bill of sale. Cond: 2.
NOT SOLD AT $12,000. This car is typical
of the Corvair world in the 1970s: Nobody
thought twice about turning Monzas into
Corsas. It’s not like they were worth anything
back then. It’s certainly easy enough
to do with a dead parts car—just replace the
dashboard, swap engines if the donor didn’t
already have a 140 or a turbo in it, swap
trim, and if you really wanted to do it right,
paint the rear panel argent silver. Generous
bid.
#F236-1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO
COPO coupe. VIN: 124379N67 6397. Cortez
Silver/black vinyl. Odo: 273 miles. 427-ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Certified by Jerry MacNeish
as an actual COPO 9561, with 425-horse
427 and Muncie 4-speed, full tinted glass,
power steering and brakes, AM radio. Decade-old
restoration. Generally good paint,
although the hood could stand to be colorsanded.
Chrome is starting to dull slightly.
Sloppy glue on replacement windshield.
Reproduction door panels, carpeting and
seats; the latter looking a bit flat from fatigued
original foam padding.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $48,150. This car was actually
nicer than the real COPO it was based on,
which was also consigned here (Lot F236).
If the restorer had just restored it to the
stock SS 396 configuration in which it was
born, the resulting value would be pretty
much the same as this.
#F205-1969 CHEVROLET NOVA SS 2-dr
sedan. VIN: 114279W399689. Dover White/
blue vinyl. Odo: 91,678 miles. 396-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Concours-quality restoration
less than a decade ago, done well enough
to score 999 points at Chevy VetteFest in
Chicago in 1999. Paint application and
panel gaps better than technically possible
when it was new. Sits slightly low at rear.
Well detailed underhood when restored,
including authentic sloppily masked engine
painting, with only flash rust on the exhaust
manifolds since. Well-detailed undercarriage,
minty brake hardware. Aside from
slightly soiled pedals, interior showroomnew.
Cond: 1-.
NOT SOLD AT $185,000. This was the first
second-gen Camaro built at the Norwood
Assembly Plant, as a pilot production car in
November 1969, originally equipped with a
Cross Ram 350. Some of the pilot production
parts that were too far gone to be restored
(Smokey disassembled much of the
car and had the pieces all over his shop)
were mounted in Plexiglas and displayed
alongside the car. Hard to place a value,
except that the bid here wasn’t going to get
it done today.
CORVETTE
9
VIN: 10867S 100772. Blue metallic/black
cloth/black & white leather. Odo: 1,578
miles. 350-ci 375-hp fuel-injected V8, 6-sp.
Tube-frame chassis, painted to match wellprepped
and painted bodywork. Doors stick
out from body slightly. Reproduction
chrome, trim and emblems. Fitted with a
lightly modified LT5 and 6-speed from a C4
ZR-1. Four-wheel disc brakes with a hydraulic
booster, custom fitted to clear the
motor. Very clean chassis, with semi-polished
dual exhaust and coil-over shocks.
Nineteen-inch wheels. Custom interior, recontoured
stock-appearing seats, white
gauge faces, lots of billet aluminum.
Cond: 1-.
#U54-1961 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
resto-mod convertible.
NOT SOLD AT $115,000. It was interesting
to compare this car with its honest-to-gosh
clone (one of the few times you’ll see me
66 AmericanCarCollector.com
NOT SOLD AT $65,000. For once, a bigblock
Nova SS I feel good about reporting
on. Usually, one has to assume it’s a replica
and try to prove it correct from there. Well
documented and well restored, the car deserved
a better bid. Then again, it was bid
to $80k at this sale last year, and it still
didn’t sell (ACC# 205255).
#S188-1970 CHEVROLET CAMARO pilot
production coupe. VIN: 123870N500001.
TOP 10
Page 66
MECUM AUCTIONS // Indianapolis, IN
SOLD AT $95,230. On the outside, the
wheels are the only things that readily look
non-stock, in line with the subtle look that is
more prevalent today than wild paint jobs.
This also helps when it comes time to sell it,
as you don’t have to find the only other person
on the planet who also likes blue flames
on a yellow body (for example). You’d
spend more than this to build it, not including
the C1 to start with, so call it a good
buy.
#F200-1968 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: 194678S419379. Tuxedo
Black/black hard top/white vinyl soft top/
black vinyl. Odo: 16,723 miles. 427-ci 430hp
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Verified L88, with M22
4-speed, 3.70 diff and both tops. Restored
by the Naber brothers in late ’80s, Bloomington
Gold certification in 1990, still presents
very well. Paint starting to show light
polish scratches. Fingernail-sized chip
gaps, even if they clunk like an old refrigerator.
Older re-dye on select interior pieces.
Wrinkled front seat is on the verge of cracking.
At least they’ll match the cracks in the
dashboard wood. Cond: 3-. NOT SOLD AT
$14,000. When Lincoln reinvented themselves
with the new ’61 Continental, it was
more than just clean looks in a landscape of
monster tailfins. They also pared down their
model range from three series to only the
Continental. Not only did it pay off, but it
caused the domestic luxury car industry to
turn 180 degrees from monstrous and
gaudy to tastefully minimalist. Declared on
the block that it “takes just north of 15”; the
consignor should’ve taken this bid for this
needy car.
#S97-1967 FORD GALAXIE 500
XL 2-dr hard top. VIN: 7N58R118553.
Candy Apple Red/red vinyl. Odo:
65,505 miles. 427-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp. Optional
8V-427 High Performance Package
and 7-Liter Sports Package. Recent professional
restoration by a Ford specialist. Flawless
engine bay detailing. Authentic chassis
and red oxide-primered underneath. Light
rust forming on low spots on exhaust system.
Reproduction interior soft trim, with the
only wear showing on the carpeted floor
mats. Superb paint and bodywork. Cond: 1-.
7
on hard top. Slight clearance cuts in front
wheelwell lips. Excellent door and panel fit.
Light seat wear and soiling on driver’s side.
Older engine detailing. Heavier flash rust on
exhaust manifolds. Cond: 2. NOT SOLD
AT $625,000. One of the 80 L88s for 1968,
and perhaps one of the more famous in civilian
trim, as it appeared on the cover of
the February 1986 issue of Road & Track,
along with an eight-page feature comparing
it with the newly released 1986 convertible.
With a published guesstimate of $750k to a
million bucks, no wonder it went home in
the same trailer it came here in.
FOMOCO
#W261-1961 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
convertible. VIN: 1Y86H415079. White/
black vinyl/black leather. Odo: 28,803 miles.
430-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Older repaint with
light orange peel and fish eyes on upper
surfaces. Scrape along full passenger’sside
edge of front bumper. Stainless trim is
in pretty good shape; cast-plated pieces
have notable pitting. Decent door fit and
show finish. Heavily modified engine bay
and undercarriage, with coil-overs and
some body structure stiffening. “GO BABY
GO” shift knob with integral line lock. Cond:
3+. SOLD AT $1,070,000. For the past
dozen years, you couldn’t swing a dead cat
at a collector-car auction and not hit an Eleanor
wannabe. Considering what some of
those have brought, I suppose I shouldn’t
be all that surprised that this hammered for
seven digits, but it’s still very well sold.
F4A00544. White, blue stripes/black vinyl.
Odo: 26,630 miles. 427-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Claimed original miles and unrestored. Authentic
repaint, including unique striping.
Well-kept original chrome and trim, including
the unique driving-lamp surrounds.
Older engine bay detailing showing light use
and dust, but it retains the GT40 Mark IIspec
alloy-head-and-intake 427. Recent
undercarriage detailing. Wears a set of
NOS Shelby 10-spoke alloys with an NOS
set of Goodyear Thunderbolt tires. Good
original interior, with light seat and carpet
wear. Cond: 2-.
1
#F203-1967 SHELBY GT500 Super
Snake fastback. VIN: 67402-
SOLD AT $104,860. Said to be one of eight
XL fastbacks with a 427, out of 70 427s put
into 1967 Fords. While the 428 V8 came
standard in the 7-Liter Sports Package, the
427 was the only optional motor. Nice, rare
(this is the only red one red example built)
and expensive—but worth it.
#S135-1967 SHELBY GT500 “Eleanor”
fastback. VIN: 7R02C179710.
Gunmetal/ black vinyl. Odo: 58,110
miles. 351-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. 289 Mustang
converted into “Eleanor” Shelby for the Y2K
edition of the movie “Gone In 60 Seconds.”
Driven by Nicolas Cage as the main “beauty
car” used for close-ups and promotional
materials. Fitted with custom fender flares
and front fascia, which have now become
so familiar. Decent repaint nowhere near a
2
SOLD AT $1,391,000. Heavily documented
as a one-off built by Shelby America as a
test car for Goodyear tires—as Carroll
Shelby was also a distributor for them.
Those Thunderbolts, like the ones on the
car, were run for 500 miles at speeds up to
147 mph, using only 3% of their tread. This
heavily documented car had the reserve
lifted when the bidding ceased at $1.3m.
Hopefully the new caretaker will leave on
the skinny Thunderbolts, as they truly tell
the story of its creation.
#W54-1968 MERCURY PARK LANE convertible.
VIN: 8Z65Q563093. Dark green
metallic & faux wood/dark green vinyl/dark
green vinyl. Odo: 1,302 miles. 428-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Optional 428 mill, a/c and “yacht
paneling” fake wood appliqué. Per a Marti
Report generated on the car, configured as
when it was originally sold by Johnny Haas
Lincoln-Mercury of Denver. Good older trimoff,
body-on repaint. Most trim buffed out
while off the car; bumpers replated. Newer
68 AmericanCarCollector.com
TOP 10
TOP 10
TOP 10
Page 68
MECUM AUCTIONS // Indianapolis, IN
replacement windshield. Good original top
with glass backlight. Presentable original
interior, although driver’s seat-bottom is
starting to split. Clean and generally original
under the hood, but not detailed. Cond: 3.
NOT SOLD AT $20,000. Yes, it’s rare, with
only 1,112 Park Lane drop-tops built for
1968, and just 10 reportedly equipped with
a 428 under the hood. But that doesn’t
mean everyone is beating a path to your
door to buy it. Final bid was reasonable.
MOPAR
#U62-1969 DODGE CHARGER 500
2-dr hard top. VIN: XX29L9B210723.
Red/black vinyl. Odo: 95,277 miles. 440-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Professional rotisserie restoration
in last few years. Excellent repaint.
Light dings and waviness in several pieces
or brightwork; show chrome bumpers. Modern
replacement windshield. Good panel
gaps and door fit. Authentically restored
engine compartment and undercarriage;
latter is starting to gather dust. All-reproduction
interior soft trim, with good installation
workmanship. Optional center console and
Rally gauge package. Wears modern reproduction
Magnum 500 wheels. Cond: 2.
repaired seam. Re-dyed dash and door
panels. ’70s Realistic FM stereo converter
under dash. Earlier chrome valve covers—
not black-wrinkle painted. Various eras of
performance upgrade tidbits litter the engine
bay. Sloppy wiring. Cond: 4+. NOT SOLD
AT $275,000. Now THIS is how I remember
’Cudas from my high school days of the late
’70s into the early ’80s. Rusty, crusty and
made trusty with baling wire and spit. All it
really needs is a set of Cragar SS wheels
and some traction bars on the rear axle. Not
a “preservation” car by any means, just a
numbers-matching restoration candidate.
Crazy high bid for condition today, but will
be worth it after restoration.
AMERICANA
#W96-1947 INTERNATIONAL KB-6 2-ton
flatbed. VIN: KB630766. Forest green/gray
vinyl. Odo: 10,828 miles. 250-ci I6, 1-bbl,
5-sp. Originally a fire truck, now sporting a
steel deck flatbed with integral steps, class
III receiver and wood side-stakes. Miles
believed original. Good repaint. Good original
brightwork and weatherstripping. Right
door window starting to delaminate on right
side following a slight crack. Modern truck
turn signals mounted to top ends of front
bumper. Someone must not have known it
was powered by a Blue Diamond six, as the
motor was hastily painted Chevy orange.
Cond: 3.
NOT SOLD AT $11,000. In 1967, the Super
Sonic Transport commercial airliner was still
just a concept, but the acronym made a
good buzzword for AMC’s “performance”
Rambler, fitting in well in a world of GTs,
SSs, R/Ts, GTOs, GTXs, and so on. With a
rather lukewarm V8 under the hood, enough
was bid here.
SOLD AT $52,430. One of the 500 built to
homologate for use in NASCAR. Values for
these have really never made it to the levels
you’d expect, even during the boom years
of almost a decade ago. Bought well.
#S144-1970 PLYMOUTH HEMI ’CUDA
2-dr hard top. VIN: BS23R0B257766. Jamaica
Blue/black vinyl. Odo: 16,774 miles.
426-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto. One-owner unrestored
car. Old repaint with heavy overspray
under the hood. Aftermarket vinyl pinstriping
and with striped bodyside rub strips. Tops of
A-pillars rusting out. Doors a bit clunky but
close nicely. Claimed all-original interior.
Heavier wear on driver’s seat with a
SOLD AT $9,250. I’ve always liked these
larger cornbinders, although I’d prefer a
KB-7, which has the 5-speed overdrive
transmission, rather than the 5-speed direct
of the KB-6. Since they don’t fit in a singlecar
garage, it pares the market down significantly.
But both are rated under 26,000
pounds, so you don’t need a CDL to drive
them. Reserve was passed at $8,500,
bought by a large Midwest collector-car
dealership, so there could still be some
money left in it, although I think that’s more
likely after a few minor things are put right.
#T292-1967 AMC RAMBLER REBEL SST
2-dr hard top. VIN: BS23V0B201084.
White/black vinyl/maroon & mauve vinyl.
Odo: 58,183 miles. 287-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto.
Miles claimed actual. Good exterior trim-off
repaint. Good original emblems, buffed-out
stainless trim, replated bumpers. Aftermarket
spring-base antenna, canted outboard.
70 AmericanCarCollector.com
#T216-1974 INTERNATIONAL
TRAVELALL 1210 SUV. VIN: 4H1H0DHB12609.
Light green metallic/tan
leather. Odo: 1,283 miles. 345-ci V8, 4-bbl,
5-sp. 1971 body with dual rear doors, 1974
frame, VIN and powertrain—a built-up 345
V8, T36 5-speed manual transmission, and
3.07 differential. Running gear further enhanced
with 4-wheel power disc brakes,
power steering, dual fuel tanks, billet dual
master cylinder, and dual gel-cell batteries.
Good body prep, some light orange peel.
Custom bumpers have a winch up front,
and match the roof rack with spare-tire carrier
in matte black. Modern a/c, custom
sound, leather upholstery. Cond: 2-.
Vinyl roof is likely the re-dyed original, as
it’s sagging a bit at the bottom. Seats likely
have been reupholstered, as they’re close
but not quite the same as the door panels.
Re-dyed dashboard. 1970s vintage FM converter
for original AM radio. Light fluff under
the hood, with incorrect clamps, aftermarket
chrome air cleaner. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $42,800. While some may think
that the 5-speed manual transmission is a
modern component adapted to fit behind
the 345, they were in fact available as a
factory option from 1966 to 1974. As for the
price, well, an IH truck enthusiast dealer
and I looked at one another, shrugging our
shoulders and shaking our heads. It
seemed as exceptionally well sold today as
when it sold for $40k at Mecum Kissimmee
in January (ACC# 200806). A
BEST
BUY
Page 70
RUSSO AND STEELE // Newport Beach, CA
Russo and Steele — Newport
Beach 2013
A ONE-OF-ONE 1970 OLDS W-30 442 CONVERTIBLE WITH EXTREMELY RARE
W-27 ALUMINUM REAR-AXLE CARRIER SOLD FOR A STAGGERING $270K
Report and photos
by Michael Leven
Market opinions in italics
D
rew Alcazar and the team from
Russo and Steele conducted
their first auction in Southern
California this June, taking their
shot at a car-crazy market that
has nonetheless stymied the efforts of other
big auction houses.
Held at the Newport Dunes Beachfront
Resort, Russo and Steele assembled their
usual mix of collector cars led by American
muscle, Corvettes, racers, hot rods and
Russo and Steele
Newport Beach, CA
June 21–22, 2013
Auctioneers: Frank Bizzaro, Charles
Engelmann, Phil Gee, Dan Roush, Rob Row,
Jeff Stokes
Automotive lots sold/offered: 105/343
Sales rate: 31%
Sales total: $6,503,865
High sale: 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30
convertible, sold at $269,500
buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold
prices
Top-sale honors — 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 convertible, sold at $269,500
resto-mods, along with a sampling of upscale
European sports and luxury cars.
The highest price paid for an American
car was $270k for a one-of-one, no-questions
1970 W-30 Oldsmobile 442 convertible. The
only example ordered new with the W-27
option aluminum rear-axle carrier, it was
restored to an extraordinary level and sold
post-block.
The next-highest domestic sale was for a
’66 Shelby GT350 fastback in seldom-seen
Sapphire Blue. Despite a non-matchingnumbers
driveline, the unusual color and
the quality of the restoration drove it to an
incredible $167k sale price. This was followed
by two Ford woodie street rods: a 1948 wagon
at $130k, and a wagonesque 1933 at $110k (see
the profile, p. 50).
The highest Chevrolet-built sale was for
1966 Shelby GT350 fastback,
sold at $167,200
72 AmericanCarCollector.com
a nicely done 1969 Yenko Camaro tribute,
which went to a new home for $89k. The
best price for a Mopar product was $36k — a
screaming deal for an extremely well-done ’72
Dodge Demon resto-mod. “Stone Age Man,”
a 392 Hemi-powered front-engine rail, sold for
a very respectable $94k.
My picks for best domestic value of the
sale were the aforementioned Dodge Demon
and a 1970 Boss 302 Mustang, sold at $56k.
The Light Blue Kiwi vinyl interior was
indeed rare (this was one of just two examples
delivered in this combo), but if the new owner
opted for a swap to ho-hum black, I don’t
think value would be penalized at all.
In total, Russo sold 105 cars out of 343,
for a 31% sell-through rate. It seemed to me
that many of the attendees were new to the
collector-car hobby and bid tentatively, while
many consignors were unrealistically holding
out for top-dollar prices. These two factors,
combined with the challenge of establishing
a new event from scratch, made this first sale
an uphill push, but I have no doubt that the
energy and tenacity of Drew Alcazar and his
team, along with their commitment to the
area, will prove successful in the long run.A
Page 72
RUSSO AND STEELE // Newport Beach, CA
GM
#S687-1957 CADILLAC ELDORADO Biarritz
convertible. VIN: 5762031566. Red/
white vinyl/red & white leather. Odo: 23,169
miles. 365-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto. Two-owner
car; 43 and 13 years, respectively. “Refinished”
in 2012 to driver standard. Gaps variable.
Trim serviceable but unusual on a car
of this stature and value: a lot of pitting, gold
“V” on trunk badly so. Windshield scratched
and with cracks; rubber seal perished.
Wrong trim spliced in around top boot area.
Interior all right, dash and gauges dull, tired.
Correct batwing air cleaner and surprisingly
tidy engine compartment. Cond: 3.
home. Attractive and unusual Casino Cream
color is more like pea-soup green and with
tri-tone interior would not look out of place
on a mid-’50s car. Car could have sold at
high bid.
#F574-1967 CADILLAC ELDORADO 2-dr
hard top. VIN: H7122760. White/white vinyl.
Odo: 32,722 miles. 429-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. A striking design that still looks great
40-plus years on. Corporate cousin to the
oft-lauded Olds Toronado. Paint redone to
driver-minus standard; very thick with lots of
orange peel. Poor masking, too. Trim
dented in places; chrome cracked and
scratched throughout. Rust in windshieldsurround
a big concern. Replacement dash
cover cracked and ill-fitting. Newish seat
covers, door panels—and likely everything
else—may need to be redone, as interior
smells awful. Red flags abound. Cond: 4.
SOLD AT $269,500. Ordered new in ultimate
high-performance spec. Car was even
supposed to be stripe-delete, but someone
at the factory didn’t read the fine print. One
of only 264 1970 442 W-30 convertibles,
this car ticks all the boxes and then some.
Unsold across the block at high bid of
$246k, but declared sold in final results at
this eye-watering price. But you will likely
never see another, and when you do, it
probably won’t be nicer than this. Congratulations
to all.
SOLD AT $68,750. “Refinish” appears to
mean a respray and general freshening.
Overall a bit dingy and desperately in need
of a detailing, but clearly loved, maintained
and used by two long-term owners. Unusual
to see one of these in this middling state, as
they tend to be either basket-cases or trailer
queens. Would love to have bought this
boat; with limited ownership and driver status
you could feel comfortable and justify
tooling around for no good reason. From 20
feet, you’d look like a million bucks. Fairly
bought and sold.
#S616-1960 BUICK LESABRE convertible.
VIN: 4G1089453. Casino Cream/green
vinyl/green tri-color vinyl. Odo: 68,339
miles. 364-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Claimed original
except for new convertible top. Gaps
good, even tight in spots. Paint still very
good and well preserved. Lots of touch-ups,
however. Trim mostly straight. Chrome
good, emblems good though enamel fading
on Buick badges. Interior well preserved.
Not fast but not underpowered with the famous
“Nailhead” engine. Highly optioned
with Sonomatic radio, power top, speed
minder, power brakes, deluxe hubcaps,
dual exhaust. Cond: 3+.
#F527-1979 PONTIAC TRANS AM 10th
Anniversary coupe. VIN: 2X87Z9L170139.
Silver & gray/silver leather. Odo: 105 miles.
403-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. One of 7,500 10th
Anniversary Trans Ams. Said to be one of
1,817 with a 4-speed manual. Owned from
new by Pontiac ad man Jim Wangers,
“Godfather of the GTO.” Gaps variable, per
’70s GM standard. Paint and decals all very
good. Interior nice overall. Wear on driver’s
seat looks like more than 105 miles of use;
lots of creasing/soiling. Oil leak near pan.
Engine bay surprisingly soiled. Lots of curious-looking
caulk or undercoating on passenger’s
firewall. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $10,450. As a professional winemaker,
I’m highly trained in sensory analysis,
but even I was unable to identify the
stench inside this car. The new interior
alone will have the buyer upside-down with
the first check. Owner indicated a $15k–
$25k estimate on windshield (R&S doesn’t
issue estimates), but car was offered at no
reserve. Winning bid was $3k–$4k high.
Well sold.
#S746-1970 OLDSMOBILE 442
W-30 convertible. VIN: 344670M265957.
Galleon Gold/white vinyl/white vinyl.
Odo: 8 miles. 455-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Real W-30 with very rare W-27 aluminum
rear-axle carrier/diff housing; only one
known to be ordered from new. Also with
W-25 fiberglass hood option. Gloriously restored
by Level One Restorations. Paint to
concours standard, except plastic caps on
rear bumper don’t quite match body color
(likely didn’t when new, due to different materials).
Gaps even but a touch wide.
Chrome to showfield standard. Three owners
from new and highly documented. A
no-questions car. Cond: 1-.
3
SOLD AT $66,000. Here was the rare instance
where an owner was rewarded
handsomely for socking away a car from
new. But it was iconic ownership and low
mileage that drove this over-the-top result.
New owner paid one or two multiples over
market for condition. While provenance,
some fettling, and a really good detailing
might put them in the black in the future,
this car was very well sold.
CORVETTE
NOT SOLD AT $35,000. While I prefer the
slightly funky ’59s and their slanted headlights,
this was one I could have taken
74 AmericanCarCollector.com
#S736-1967 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: 194677S100335. Ermine
White/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 342
miles. 427-ci 400-hp V8, 3x2-bbl, 4-sp.
Bloomington Gold and triple NCRS Top
Flight award-winner. All numbers match.
Gaps to factory; not overly straight. Trim all
very good; chrome all excellent. Correct
engine overspray on intake manifold. With
sidepipes from new. Trip odometer has 150
miles more than the main counter. One of
2,101 L68s in 1967. Documented with tank
sticker. Cond: 1-. NOT SOLD AT $130,000.
Not as powerful as the solid-lifter cars, but
more civilized. Unlike some of its hoarier
brethren, this car looks relatively sedate in
its simple Ermine White and black colors.
TOP 10
Page 74
RUSSO AND STEELE // Newport Beach, CA
Very classy looks and plenty of grunt. This
car will never go out of style and deserved
its high praise. Given the history and quality,
owner will get more, somewhere,
sometime.
FOMOCO
#F477-1934 FORD 3-window coupe. VIN:
18592114. White/black leather. Odo: 1,721
miles. Fiberglass body with roof chopped
5½ inches on a Pete & Jake’s chassis. Louvered
hood, trunk and riveted roof insert
panel. Rivets rusty. Chrome dropped and
drilled. SoCal front axle with radius arms.
Lincoln brakes. Sits on tall, skinny period
tires and later steel wheels with “V8” caps.
No rear fenders. 454 lump with electronic
ignition and big Holley 4-bbl completely fills
the engine bay. Fabricated headers wellengineered.
iPod hook up (as if you could
hear it). Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $45,100. A really great, periodcorrect
gentleman’s hot rod. Would look
great in my garage. As a pleasant reminder
of how small our world can be, the consignor,
whom I’d never met before, happened
to be the son of respected Seattle
restorer Stan Murray, who resuscitated several
cars for my family more than 30 years
ago! Fairly sold at no reserve.
2886. Black/black cloth/brown vinyl. Odo:
1,684 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. One of
the nicest cars at the auction and only
marked down for signs of use. Wood meticulously
restored by “Teddy Z” using original,
beautifully restored hardware. A real
treat. Rear hatch opens like it’s on roller
bearings. Subtle custom touches to bodywork
elegant and well conceived. Jet-black
paint five miles deep and nearly flawless in
unforgiving light. Omega Custom instruments
in custom dash and tasteful interior.
Edelbrock intake and carb on nicely dressed
SBC. Cond: 1-.
6
#S721-1948 FORD DELUXE
Woodie wagon. VIN: 899A235-
NOT SOLD AT $90,000. Mr. Dore’s personal
transportation for some time. Body
and paintwork alone certainly way into the
five figures. All the custom touches are nice,
but bodywork aside, car does not appear to
break new ground. Lots of chrome dress-up
on a slammed custom lead sled will always
look great. And although a bit formulaic, you
will certainly be the only kid on your block to
have one—much less Dore’s personal ride.
Could you build it for $90k? No way, but this
one’s no longer fresh.
#F523-1953 MERCURY MONTEREY
wagon. VIN: 53LA28954M. White/white &
black vinyl. Odo: 71,246 miles. 255-ci V8,
2-bbl, auto. Creatively presented woodie
with some artistic license taken. It does not
appear that Mercury offered white paint in
1953; body section between roof and beltline
was painted as if it were wood. Painted
section matches neither the real wood and
Di-Noc below, nor the wooden roof rack,
creating a mish-mash of colors and grains.
Both passenger’s doors askew. Trim mostly
very good. Bumpers nicely rechromed. Period
a/c under dash. Interior nicely kept.
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $45,000. A great period piece
with the right stance and attitude. In good
shape but not a trailer queen, this was
clearly used as intended. Certainly not what
you’d want for long hauls, but who cares?
Expensive for a catalog-built car, but still
fairly bought, as it will certainly prove itself
at the stoplight and look very cool doing it.
#S722-1939 MERCURY EIGHT convertible.
VIN: 99A30976. Cream/tan cloth/tan
leather. Mild custom with many very subtle
body mods and some great period hardware
underneath. A tuck here and a bob
there to reprofile fenders and bumpers, repositioned
Ford taillights, and a stylized
dash all make for a more elegant look. Papaya-colored
wheel rings against cream
body paint both jarring and wonderful.
Warmed flathead with triple carb, Offy
heads and Fenton headers. Lincoln brakes
and 3-speed transmission round out the
package. Cond: 2+.
76 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $129,800. Somebody emptied
the piggy bank on this one. Very expensive
and worth every penny. Well bought and
well sold. Sometimes it’s that simple.
#S672-1951 MERCURY EIGHT 2-dr sedan.
VIN: 51SL29433M. Lavender pearl/
pearl vinyl. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Rick
Dore-designed and built. Chopped, channeled,
shaved, nosed and decked.
Frenched headlights. All chrome, modified
Cadillac Dagmars. Cool “floating” grille.
Rear-wheel skirts. Lavender Pearl paint
certainly eye-catching, but not inappropriate
for style. Chrome excellent. Sits on a 1980
Buick chassis; bagged suspension. Very
much a classically styled ’50s Mercury custom.
Cond: 2.
NOT SOLD AT $57,500. The sins were minor
and easily fixed. Mercury offered twotone
paint on these cars, with the second
color in the section here painted as wood.
Consignor would do well to either repaint it
white or find another color to fill that space.
Plenty of money offered here, as I found at
least two other “correct” cars currently available
online that were either better or less
expensive.
#F494-1963 FORD GALAXIE 500 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 3P63G127443. Black/black
vinyl. Odo: 25,575 miles. 406-ci V8, 3x2-bbl,
4-sp. Claimed one of 400 G-code box-tops,
and one of 84 in black. Originally built for a
TOP 10
Page 76
OURCARS
RUSSO AND STEELE // Newport Beach, CA
1964 FOrD
Country Sedan 6-passenger
station wagon
Owner: B. Mitchell Carlson, ACC Contributor
purchase Date: August 2006
price: $1,200
Mileage since purchase: 12 (on a trailer)
recent Work: Damage assessment, pulling
trim, parts gathering
Ford exec, so without DSO card. Driven,
then garaged for 30 years. Shutlines good.
Stainless straight but with miscellaneous
scratches and scuffs. Repaint well done but
with marks from use. Chrome American
Racing wheels. Drilled front discs with
drums in back. Billet brake reservoir with
flanged steel lines. Triple-carb engine
dressed in lots of chrome. Reserve came off
at the hammer price. Cond: 2-.
Blue metallic/black vinyl. Odo: 42,314 miles.
426-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp. Second of two R/T
Hemi Challengers at the auction. Restoration
of indeterminate age; still nice but no
longer fresh. Gaps wide in spots; car codes
out to a Monday build. Trim well-polished
but slightly worn. Paint very nice. With
Shaker hood. Interior either well-preserved
original or aging repop. Pistol-grip shifter.
Correct overspray in engine bay; Hemi Orange
paint on lump may be too glossy. No
power accessories. Dana 60 rear end.
Blessed by Galen Govier. Cond: 2.
I’ve always been intrigued by
the possibility of getting a car that’s
the same age as me. I was born on April 19,
1964 — two days after the Ford Mustang
was introduced to the public, so I always
have identified with them. But I tend to
prefer the bigger iron.
About a decade ago, I nearly pulled the
pin on a multi-car trade for a ’64 T-bird
drop-top with a 21D build date (April 21,
for those who don’t speak FoMoCo). Since
19D was a Sunday, the chance of finding that
build date is nada. When that didn’t come to
fruition, one of my partners in crime, Stuart
Lenzke, found a ’64 Galaxie 500 XL with a
21D build date in a junkyard in Minot, ND. I
OK’d him to pick up the car.
So it’s Friday afternoon at the 2006 Kruse
fall Auburn auction, I’m chasing cars down
for my report and my cell phone rings. It’s
Stuart.
Stu: Hey, let me run this past you. I went to
pick up the Gal XL, but I found something
better instead.
Me: What could be better?
Stu: Try a complete Country Sedan,
Rangoon Red inside and out, with a 390 and
automatic, built in St. Paul. Also, it’s the
same price as the fastback. And has a 17D
build date.
Stuart has a minute of dead air as I pick
my jaw up from the pavement.
Me: You’d better be putting it on your trailer.
Stu: I know you all too well; it’s paid for and
winched down.
With that, I became the owner of a
Country Sedan.
Since the wicked fun 427 was not avail-
able in wagons, the T-bird 390 was the
big-dog motor. Clearly, it had been sitting
for quite some time. The engine cranks but
won’t light off.
I need another project car like I need a
hole in my head, but I do believe that this
is the last car that I’ll restore — sometime
when I have a chance between going to
auctions. At least that’s what I keep telling
myself. A
78
AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $50,600. Their size and formal
roofline can make these real sleepers, although
this one’s black paint and chrome
wheels looked great but were anything but
subtle. Strong money for condition, but how
fun would it be to go out in this beast with a
car full of friends and blow most everyone’s
doors off?
Blue & white/ black vinyl. 289-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. An unusual Shelby in a handsome,
non-Guardsman blue. Paint good with little
to fault. Clearcoat shot over stripes. Gaps
okay. Trim mostly very good with some pitting.
Nice chrome. Incorrect side mirror.
Emblems and badges very good. Carpets
newish with new upholstery. Engine and
other drivetrain components all date-codecorrect.
Engine compartment clean and well
detailed. 1965-style side exhausts.
Cond: 2+.
4
#S732-1966 SHELBY GT350 fastback.
VIN: SFM6S4717. Sapphire
NOT SOLD AT $155,000. This car last appears
in the database in 1991, offered by
Kruse auctions in Auburn. It no-saled at a
high bid of (are you sitting down?) $3,100
(ACC# 22515). Of course, Hemi pricing
went berserk before the Great Correction of
’08 but has softened considerably since. I
think this is the market for now. Hold ’em if
you got ’em.
AMERICANA
#F553-2012 LOCAL MOTORS RALLY
FIGHTER coupe. VIN: AZ307306. White/
black cloth. Odo: 1,139 miles. 6.2-L fuelinjected
V8, auto. Built around tube chassis
and 50-state-compliant using a lot of existing
components. Body 100% fiberglass
composite. Vinyl wrap exterior finish. Interior
simple but surprisingly well finished; a/c,
nav, nicely laid-out dash. GM LS3 located in
front mid-ship configuration. Powdercoated
chassis meets SCORE off-road requirements.
Solid rear axle on very long trailing
arms. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $167,200. Nicely restored and in
a rare color. It’s in the registry and everything
about the car is known. Now here
comes the proverbial “but”: None of the
drivetrain is original or even claimed to be
from another Shelby. K-code block has
been stroked to 331 ci and makes 400 hp,
and, well, you get it. Not sure what drove
the big money realized here, but the new
owner will sure have a lot of fun. Well sold.
MOPAR
#S743-1970 DODGE HEMI CHALLENGER
R/T 2-dr hard top. VIN: JS23R0B224047.
NOT SOLD AT $64,000. Built with an unusual
“open source” design philosophy, this
self-build completed over two weeks with
assistance by factory technician. Claimed to
be reasonably civilized. Priced new from
$99k, there are not a lot of comparables out
there for used vehicles, but high bid looks
toward the low end of the used-car value
range. A
TOP 10
Page 78
MIDAMERICA // St. Paul, MN
MidAmerica — 27th Annual
Twin Cities Spring Classic
AN EXACTINGLY AUTHENTIC REPLICA S/C COBRA WITH A VINTAGE 427
BARELY SQUEEZED UNDER THE HOOD SOLD FOR $55K
Report and photos
by B. Mitchell Carlson
Market opinions in italics
M
$3m
$2.5m
$1.5m
$2m
$.5m
$1m
0
80 AmericanCarCollector.com
2013
2012
2011
idAmerica took over the
collector-car auction at
the Minnesota Street Rod
Association’s annual “Back to
the 50’s” weekend this year.
For more than a decade, Mecum Auctions
operated the sale, but they elected not to
return for 2013, focusing their attention on
MidAmerica Auctions
27th Annual Twin Cities
Spring Classic Auction
Minnesota State Fairgrounds
St. Paul, MN
June 21–22, 2013
Auctioneers: Dave Talberg, Todd Fiskness,
Scott Mihalic
Automotive lots sold/offered: 105/172
Sales rate: 61%
Sales total: $1,889,190
High sale: 2012 Chevrolet COPO Camaro,
sold at $151,200
buyer’s premium: 8% ($125 minimum),
included in sold prices
Sales Total
2012 Chevrolet Camaro COpO coupe, sold at $151,200
larger auctions in other parts of the country.
So locally owned MidAmerica Auctions
eagerly jumped in to take their place.
Overall, it was a very smooth transition.
Casual observers would be hard pressed to
tell a different auction house was conducting
the sale. Conducted once again in the historic
Cattle Barn on the state fairgrounds, the
auction started at 2 o’clock each day — a little
later than previous years. This was a prudent
move, especially on Saturday, as “Back to
the 50’s” served as the starting point for this
year’s “The Great Race.” The first car cast
off at 10 a.m., but the revised schedule gave
plenty of time to watch the start and then
make it over to the auction area within the
fairgrounds.
MidAmerica embraced the event fully,
and their numbers bested last year’s in all
aspects. They consigned two more cars and
sold 16 more, for a 9% jump in the sales rate.
The top car sold for $61k more, and the total
take grew by $285k.
These figures also exceeded
MidAmerica’s own efforts at last year’s annual
St. Paul auction in April, nearly tripling
the final receipts.
The top seller was a 2012 Chevrolet
Camaro COPO coupe. Owned by a subscriber
to Sports Car Market and American Car
Collector, it was in freshly delivered condition.
Most seasoned auction-goers who saw
it figured that it was just eye candy, with
no realistic hope of selling. However, there
was a two-way phone-bidder battle — one
from the East Coast and one from the West
Coast — plus a couple of bidders on site.
When the reserve was lifted at $140k, it was
shortly declared sold to an on-site local bidder
for $151k.
Another eye-opener happened early on
Friday, with the sale of a 1990 ERA Cobra
427 S/C. No Tupperware wannabe, this was a
well-built, exactingly authentic replica, with a
vintage 1967 Ford 427 barely squeezed under
the hood. Bidders recognized the quality, and
spirited bidding saw it sell for $55k.
Overall, taking on this auction was a
good move for MidAmerica. Considering the
company’s more local focus and eagerness to
enhance the venue, it was a win-win for the
auction house and “Back to the 50’s.” A
Mecum
Mecum
Page 80
MIDAMERICA // St. Paul, MN
GM
#60-1934 BUICK SERIES 60 3-window
coupe. VIN: 2716885. Black/gray mohair.
Odo: 40,415 miles. Equipped with rumble
seat and rear-mounted spare tire. Highly
authentic frame-off restoration approximately
two decades ago, and still presents
exceptionally well. Runs out fairly well, despite
a jumpy clutch and somewhat fussy
carburetor. Paint presents well from a moderate
distance, despite some light polishing
swirls throughout. Most of interior upholstery
is quite good. Older engine detailing,
recently tidied up and rather presentable.
Heavier surface rust on the exhaust system.
Cond: 2-.
Design series in 1948. The reserve was off
by $11k and generated a few more bids to
get it bought by a Midwest dealer who
knows a thing or two about old trucks and
how to sell ’em.
#121.1-1955 BUICK CENTURY convertible.
VIN: 4B2078443. White/black cloth/red
leather. Odo: 12,810 miles. 322-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Restored in mid-’80s, wearing a 1987
AACA National Senior First badge. Popriveted
s/n tag. Expert bare-body repaint.
Slightly wider door gaps at back than front.
Bumpers replated when restored. Leather
seating surfaces show light wrinkling. Recent
cleanup under the hood on a well-kept
engine compartment. Equipped with power
brakes, steering, top and windows. Fitted
with repro Skylark wire wheels shod with
yellowing bias-ply wide whites. Cond: 2-.
nyl. Odo: 66,579 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl,
4-sp. Recent engine bay cleanup and detail,
but not authentically detailed. Modern compact
power brake booster and aftermarket
chrome valve covers. Smog pump removed,
ports expertly plugged. High-quality prep
and paint. Wavy rear spoiler. Mostly reproduction
brightwork. New interior vinyl, redyed
console is off-hue. Aftermarket sound
system, reusing stock knobs and faceplate.
Hurst shifter. With power front discs. Aftermarket
alloy wheels look period but are
modern production. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $52,920. Buicks have always
been strong sellers in Minnesota—ever
since the first year of statewide licensing in
1909, when they were the second-bestselling
car in the state behind the Ford
Model T. (I know this because I counted
each car registered—not quite 10,000—in
the original DMV logbook from 1909 in the
Minnesota Historical Society’s library for an
article in the SAH Journal 20 years ago.)
One look at this classy non-CCCA classic
coupe shows why: You got a lot of solid
classy car for the money. Ditto for 2013.
#71-1940 CHEVROLET SERIES KC
pickup. VIN: K2864791. Cream/black vinyl.
Odo: 79,673 miles. Eight-year-old amateur
restoration. Not the best coverage on the
cream paint, but the black fenders come off
well. Several pieces of trim have been
painted or powdercoated rather than replated.
Missing rear hubcaps. Replacement
highly varnished box floor wood shows
some weathering. Economy seat upholstery
with heavily compressed padding. Shift lever
painted body color. Period aftermarket
windshield fan painted silver. Older engine
repaint. Older painted chassis with rust
bleeding through. Very old bias-ply tires.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $49,680. While the consignor
liked the car, he needed to thin his large
collection. This was originally scheduled to
run on Friday as Lot 42, but some tire-kicker
turned on the key during the Thursday inspection,
draining the 6-volt battery. Once
recharged, it re-ran on Saturday as Lot
121.1. Rather well bought.
#185-1967 PONTIAC GTO 2-dr hard top.
VIN: 242177P123950. Red/red vinyl. Odo:
2,709 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. PHS
and original documentation show that this
was originally sold locally at Hansord Pontiac
of Minneapolis. Frame-off restoration in
recent years, with odometer reading likely
indicating miles since redo. Excellent colorchange
repaint, as the car was originally
Burgundy. Once authentically restored under
the hood, it is now starting to grow light
surface rust. Equipped with optional power
steering and power brakes. Wears modern
plus-one-sized TorqThrust wheels on radials.
Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $31,860. Two weekends after
this car sold here, I saw it with the new
owner at the local Cars and Coffee; he was
generally having a ball with it. This is what
really needed to happen to this car, as the
consignor was holding out for a retail-plus
price for it while he was alive. Even his estate
didn’t let it go last year when it was offered
at Mecum’s Spring Classic, bid to
$30k (ACC# 204689). It actually was a nosale
on the block but was cut loose by the
end of the day as a post-block sale.
032. Black/black leather. Odo: 1 miles. 427ci
fuel-injected V8, auto. Equipped with
naturally aspirated 427 with ATI ProGlide
automatic and Strange Engineering solid
rear axle. In as-delivered-new condition.
The only use it’s seen since delivery is driving
it on and off the trailer and staging for
auction. Even the undercarriage is as clean
as the interior. Still retains most shipping
plastic for the interior. Cond: 1-.
5
#134-2012 CHEVROLET CAMARO
COPO coupe. VIN: 1012COPO-
SOLD AT $12,690. This was the first year
of what would prove to be a very popular
series of trucks that lasted until the Advance
82 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $43,200. This Goat is a good
detail job away from being a $43k car. Oh,
that’s right, it did sell for that. Someone
must not have got the memo on that. It
would’ve been a slam-dunk for this money if
redone in Burgundy. As a “yeah, but” car,
sold well.
#135-1968 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS
coupe. VIN: 124378N422892. Red/red vi-
SOLD AT $151,200. The hammer price of
$140k is exactly what a red COPO hammered
for at Mecum’s 2012 December Kansas
City Auction half a year ago. With 69
built, that’s close enough to call it the market.
For now. Delivered new to Minnesota,
and sold here to a prominent collection in
the state, despite phone bidders from both
coasts battling it out.
CORVETTE
#166-1970 CHEVROLET CORVETTE con-
TOP 10
Page 82
MIDAMERICA // St. Paul, MN
vertible. VIN: 194670S415455. Donnybrooke
Green/white vinyl/green vinyl. Odo:
52,873 miles. 350-ci 300-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp.
Stated to be almost all original, including
miles, paint, top, interior, engine, hoses,
belts, transmission and differential. That
original paint is crazed in most places and
broadcasting all of the body joints. A few
clearance cuts in the front wheelwell lips.
Door fit and gaps better than usual. Same
for original trim. Nice original seats, light-tomoderate
carpet wear. Nothing much done
under the hood since new, except for a recent
power wash. Not much for options: just
AM/FM radio and luggage rack. Cond: 3-.
black vinyl/black & white vinyl. Odo: 802
miles. 361-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Reproduction
body tag attached with modern pop rivets.
Frame-off restoration not that long ago.
Crack in windshield. Good body prep and
repaint. Replated bumpers and select
pieces of trim. Not the best door fit. Good
engine bay detailing, just shy of concours
quality. Just as good on the undercarriage,
which has been recently refreshed. Modern
radial tires. Authentic interior upholstery
redo. Some of the pinchweld molding is
coming loose. Cond: 2-.
wear on the repro seats. Modern speakers
cut into door panels. Older engine detailing.
Recent Marti Report. Factory a/c. Retains
the original alloy five-spoke wheels, with
heavier corrosion and shod with modern
radials. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $20,520. How appropriate to be
Donnybrooke Green; the only year the color
was used, named after the race course near
Brainerd, MN, and sold in MN. Originally a
no-sale at $18k on the block. Remember,
it’s only originally uncared-for once. As they
say, “Good news: It’s original; bad news: It’s
original.”
FOMOCO
#140-1931 FORD MODEL A sedan delivery.
VIN: A3963143. Dark green/black vinyl.
Odo: 75,948 miles. Consigned by family of
second owner, who purchased it from original
owner in 1965. Older frame-off restoration
with a recent repaint. Mostly older
brightwork with a few new pieces. Good
older authentic bias-ply tires. Presentable
older roof leatherette. Decent enough door
fit for an A. Reupholstered in plain vinyl on
door and seat. Gray-painted wood cargo
floor. Silver-painted gearshift and parkingbrake
lever. Aftermarket oil pressure gauge.
Generally tidy under the hood. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $43,200. The Pacer was a step
above the 1958 Ranger series, which was
also Ford-based, but below the Mercurybased
Corsair and Citation series, which
included convertibles. The reserve was
passed at $40k on the block. Rather
strongly sold, considering that some of the
restoration is already beginning to unwind.
#40-1966 FORD FAIRLANE GTA 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 6K40S168868. Black & red/
red vinyl. Odo: 2 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Two miles on fresh, highly competent,
bare-body restoration. Superb color-change
repaint from original Emberglo Metallic.
Mostly new or replated chrome. Good door
and panel fit with all-new seals. Full reproduction
interior soft-trim kit, professionally
installed, replacing original Parchment vinyl.
Generally authentic and clean under the
hood; double-pumper carb the most obvious
deviation from stock. With power steering
and brakes and a/c, now converted to
R134a. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $75,600. The same consignor
owned Lot 123, the ’68 GT500 KR, having
bought both from the same person in the
mid-1980s in Phoenix. The whole rebuiltbut-once
NOS Super Cobra Jet was more
of a boat anchor than asset for value.
Wisely cut loose as it started to roll off the
block, even if it does break up the set.
6156. White & light blue/Parchment vinyl &
cloth. Odo: 34,060 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. High-quality restoration is exceptionally
authentic. Paint is spot-on for original
Ford finish—good, but not spectacular. Excellent
original and NOS trim. Replated rear
bumper is canted forward slightly. Hose
clamps and modern battery can be
swapped for a show-quality engine bay.
Authentically upholstered seat, although
rear bench is all vinyl, where the front splitbench
has cloth seating surfaces. Optional
400-cube engine, dual fuel tanks, outside
storage compartment, power steering and
brakes, a/c. Cond: 2-.
#174-1978 FORD F-150 Ranger XLT
SuperCab pickup. VIN: X14SKBE-
SOLD AT $24,840. This auction had one of
almost every example of Model A—sedans,
coupes, pickups and this rare sedan delivery.
Seven total, and all but one generally
stock. Who says nobody collects them anymore?
Then again, that might be why there
were seven at a 176-car auction. A decent
price, if slightly strong.
#38-1958 EDSEL PACER convertible.
VIN: W8UR717178. Light yellow & black/
84 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $47,520. Usually, the 1966–67
Fairlane GTs trail far behind the same-year
Chevelles in the market. The added effect
of MidAmerica being rather Ford-centric
brought a higher-than-expected sale for this
exceptionally well-done and freshly restored
Fairlane.
#124-1969 SHELBY GT500 fastback. VIN:
9F02R480872. Candy Apple Red/black vinyl.
Odo: 36,955 miles. 428-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Repowered with a balanced and
ported NOS 1971 428 SCJ. Original motor
available, condition not stated. Good recent
repaint with overspray in wheelwells. Good
door fit, even if gaps are wider in front than
rear. Typical upwardly bowed hood. Minimal
SOLD AT $13,230. Today, with SuperCab
and SuperCrew cabs vastly outselling the
standard cab pickups, it’s a little hard to
grasp that a SuperCab in the 1970s was
somewhat uncommon, rather like 4-wheel
drive was a decade before. This very authentically
restored example shows that the
1973–79 Ford F-series trucks continue to
go nowhere but up in value. Well bought.
#19-1990 SHELBY COBRA S/C ERA replica
roadster. VIN: ERA254. British Racing
Green/black leather. Odo: 35,377 miles.
427-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Originally built in
1990 with a 1967 Ford 427 side-oiler engine
in it, which retains the original Ford ID tag
under the coil. Said motor was recently refreshed
by Cottrell Racing Engines and is
still quite tidy and generally authentic-look-
BEST
BUY
Page 85
MIDAMERICA // St. Paul, MN
ing, complete with “turkey pan” air box.
Claimed $20k repaint in 2002, which still
presents very well even with a few light bug
splats on the front. Chrome slightly dulling.
Light carpet and seat-bottom wear.
Cond: 2-.
251135. Red/ two-tone red vinyl. Odo:
42,124 miles. 383-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Decent
topical repaint a few years ago, still with
quite a bit of overspray on the undercarriage.
Mix of new and old brightwork. Heavily
dented and dinged trunk lid rear trim.
Decent original interior. Modern sound system
mounted in dash, with crude speakers
in rear footwell. Older engine repaint and
low-impact detailing now very dusty. Dogdish
hubcaps and modern radials on steel
wheels. Minimal options. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $55,080. Owned and commissioned
by local automotive artist J. Paul
Ness, who wanted the closest thing to a
Shelby Cobra 427 S/C that could be run on
the street without worrying about something
happening to a million-dollar investment.
The 535-horsepower rating at 6,000 rpm is
from the dyno after the motor was refreshed.
Pretty big money for a replica, but
cheap for what you’re getting.
MOPAR
#176-1946 CHRYSLER WINDSOR 8-passenger
sedan. VIN: 70566932. Black/dark
blue broadcloth. Odo: 35,343 miles. 250-ci
I6, 2-bbl, auto. Stated that it’s a two-owner
car from new. Older, good-quality repaint,
recently buffed out. Rust blisters on far end
of left rear fender; light dent in the middle.
Replated bumpers; light pitting on all plated
pot metal. Crack in the left front headlight.
Expertly reupholstered seats eight years
ago, mellowing slightly to mate well with the
rest of the original interior. Carpet was also
likely replaced in the same time frame. Light
cleanup under the hood, none on the undercarriage.
Cond: 3.
#54-1973 PLYMOUTH ’CUDA 2-dr hard
top. VIN: BS23H3B375729. True Blue
Metallic/black vinyl. Odo: 59,474 miles. 340ci
V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Repaint with a light hint of
pearl. Slight door edge chipping. Non-stock
graphics on side striping. Excellent door fit,
shut effortlessly. Newer interior panels and
seat upholstery. Stick-on carbon fiber on the
dash, pistol-grip shifter and console. Aftermarket
gauges added beneath dash.
Touchscreen entertainment center displaces
stock radio. Very little stock under
the hood. Original engine block; with aftermarket
induction, headers, ignition and cast
alloy valve covers. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $13,770. This is what the original
Road Runner was all about: go without the
goodies. Unladen with an a/c compressor or
power-accessory motors, a B-body Mopar
can move out pretty well with the standard
Road Runner 383 in it. Remember, they did
put slant-sixes in the lesser B-body models.
This one’s just a driver—but with lots of
easy potential to make it better. Easily surpassing
the $10,500 reserve, this was a
pretty decent buy.
SOLD AT $32,400. 1973 was a rather hohum
year for the former shell of the ’Cuda
package. The 340 in this car (and the 360
that replaced it mid-year) was the hottest
thing going for the car’s last two years of
production. As such, ’73 and ’74 values are
also a hollow shell compared with the earlier
years. Reserve wisely lifted when the
bidding died off. A
SOLD AT $14,040. Immediate post-war
eight-passenger Chryslers are pretty rare—
especially the middle-series Windsor line.
Unfortunately, Chrysler’s records don’t
break production totals out on individual
body styles. That makes me think that the
first caretaker could’ve been an undertaker,
since funeral parlors tended to favor the
luxurious and reliable (but less ostentatious)
Chrysler sedans in dead-common black.
And yes, this is a sedan, not a limo. There
is no divider between the front and rear
compartments.
#172-1968 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER
2-dr sedan. VIN: RM21H8A-
September-October 2013 87
BEST
BUY
Page 86
LEAKE // Tulsa, OK
Leake — Tulsa 2013
THE ONLY 1951 FRAZER MANHATTAN CONVERTIBLE SEDAN
THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN AT AUCTION SOLD FOR $53K
Report and photos
by Phil Skinner
Market opinions in italics
Trip Center, among the largest one-room
“clearspan” buildings in the world, boasts
nearly 450,000 square feet of air-condition
comfort — plenty of space for vendors, au
tion offices, the auction platform, audience
accommodations and nearly 700 vehicles.
Registered bidders came from all four
corners of the country, including Washing
T
$12m
$15m
$3m
$6m
$9m
0
88 AmericanCarCollector.com
Leake Auction Company
Tulsa 2013
Tulsa, OK
June 7–9, 2013
Auctioneers: Jim Ritchie, Brian Marshall,
Tony Langdon
Automotive lots sold/offered: 470/691
Sales rate: 68%
Sales total: $11,801,911
High sale: 1937 Packard street rod, sold at
$143,000
buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold
prices
Sales Total
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
E // Tulsa, OK
Leake — Tulsa 2013
THE ONLY 1951 FRAZER MANHATTAN CONVERTIBLE SEDAN
THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN AT AUCTION SOLD FOR $53K
Report and photos
by Phil Skinner
Market opinions in italics
Trip Center, among the largest one-room
“clearspan” buildings in the world, boasts
nearly 450,000 square feet of air-condition
comfort — plenty of space for vendors, au
tion offices, the auction platform, audience
accommodations and nearly 700 vehicles.
Registered bidders came from all four
corners of the country, including Washing
T
$12m
$15m
$3m
$6m
$9m
0
88 AmericanCarCollector.com
Leake Auction Company
Tulsa 2013
Tulsa, OK
June 7–9, 2013
Auctioneers: Jim Ritchie, Brian Marshall,
Tony Langdon
Automotive lots sold/offered: 470/691
Sales rate: 68%
Sales total: $11,801,911
High sale: 1937 Packard street rod, sold at
$143,000
buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold
prices
Sales Total
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
ulsa
ulsa is home base for Leake
Auction Company. The auction
house conducted its 40th annual
sale in this Route 66 city over th
weekend of June 7–9. The Quik-
state, Southern California, Florida and New
England.
Consignments ranged from a 1907 Ford
Model S runabout to a 2007 Four Winds
Kodiak Super C55 motorhome. A large
collection of automobilia was offered at no
reserve. The collection included automotive
research books, early horseless-carriage
lamps and many vintage toys, which found
relatively inexpensive prices.
But it was automobiles that the crowds
came to see, and they didn’t go away
disappointed. On the “unusual” side was a
1951 Frazer Manhattan convertible sedan,
beautifully restored and presented. This was
the only example I have ever seen in over
20 years of covering auctions, and it sold for
$53k. For rarity and coolness, I think it was
worth every bit of the seller’s hoped-for $60k,
but the price paid accurately reflects the top
of the market for orphan cars.
Pickup trucks and 4x4 SUVs always play
a major role at Leake sales, and there were
many excellent examples here, modified
and stock. One highlight was a charmingly
restored 1947 Willys-Overland Jeep wagon,
which seemed like a fair buy at $9,500, with
a good chance of financial upside in the near
future.
Leake Auctions is operated by Richard
and Nancy Sevenoaks. Nancy is the daughter
of the company founder, the late James
“Jimmy” Leake. One of the highlights of the
Tulsa sale is the presentation of the James C.
Leake Lifetime Achievement Award, which
goes to a person who has given much to the
hobby. For 2013, this coveted honor went to
passionate Thunderbird restorer (and longtime
Leake customer) Amos Minter.
By every measure, sales figures were up
from the past few years. Leake consigned and
sold more cars, and overall totals and average
price climbed. Driving this growth is a higher
caliber of automobiles, combined with an
auction crew that knows its customers on a
personal level. A
Page 88
LEAKE // Tulsa, OK
GM
#447-1955 CADILLAC ELDORADO
convertible. VIN: 556255099.
Red/white Colortex/red & white leather.
Odo: 20,907 miles. 331-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto.
Recent re-do by family of original owner.
Very little reportedly needed for body. Red a
little bit richer than original. Lot of money
invested in chrome. Plush interior, tight and
correct-fitting top. Parade boot in place,
should be red but is painted white. Polished
aluminum Sabre wheels with proper center
caps. Top-shelf bodywork, alignment, paint
condition, glass, etc. Mechanicals and electrics
all very good. Cond: 2.
10
wear and tear. Underhood not available for
inspection, but undersides are clean but not
detailed. Stock dashboard showing age with
bright trim faded. Original car had white
seat, but dark brown comes off well. Glovebox
signed by Monkees D. Jones, P. Tork
and M. Dolenz. Could pass for the real deal.
Cond: 2-.
opening in the dash for the radio, a few
loose trim bits, hide-away headlights are
winking. Recent paint has bubbles and
scratches. Body fit and finish needs lots of
TLC. Interior not that bad, but underhood
cosmetics call for help. Cond: 4.
SOLD AT $66,000. Both of the original
Dean Jeffries-built cars are well documented
and in private ownership today, so
this was a chance to own a great look-alike
for not a lot of money. That said, it sold for
$41k at Barrett-Jackson’s 2012 Scottsdale
sale (ACC# 194073), so call it well sold today.
SOLD AT $93,500. Not sure if miles had
turned over or been reset, or what type of
investment the family made when restoring
Grandpa’s Caddy, but I think the new owner
got the better end of this deal. Most of the
major work is done; all it needs is a deep
detail, get it licensed and have fun.
#1229-1963 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 963P263463. Brown
metallic/Parchment vinyl. Odo: 74,093
miles. 389-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, auto. Looks
mostly original. Body very straight, some
exterior chrome trim a little pitted, plastic
lenses all clear and bright, glass shows no
major issues, light wiper marks on windshield.
And everyone loves those K-H eightlug
wheels. A well-presented ride from the
past. Cond: 2-.
#484-1967 CHEVROLET CAMARO RS/SS
convertible. VIN: 124677L177340. Butternut
Yellow/black fabric/black vinyl. Odo:
25,856 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Restored,
according to underhood build plate.
Color well applied, some minor issues with
decal installation. Panels well-gapped, nice
chrome. Interior tight and looks proper,
dash fitted with proper gauges; a bit of rust
flaking on speedo/odo. With power steering,
brakes, windows and soft top. Everything
reportedly works, except maybe the clock.
Rally wheels look clean, tires fresh.
Underhood clean. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $18,700. On the plus side, this
was a real GTO convertible—but it had
seen a lot of things happen to it since leaving
the assembly line. For the price paid, I
expect new owner to sort out a few of the
bugs, make it look a bit more pretty and
then try to turn a profit. It won’t be a showpiece.
Well sold.
#1228-1972 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 1M47H2S175150. Dark
brown metallic/white vinyl/dark brown vinyl
& cloth. Odo: 27,635 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Claimed unrestored and unhit with
actual miles. All the typical power appointments.
No signs of paint touch-up or damage
aside from a couple of very minor
parking-lot dings. No crunchies under the
vinyl top. Interior has slight musty smell.
Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $18,425. Seen recently at Auctions
America Auburn on May 10, not sold
at a high bid of $15k (ACC# 222102). In top
condition these cars bring $20k–$30k.
While not exactly a bargain, new owner
should enjoy and show this car before
selling it or restoring it.
#506-1966 PONTIAC GTO “Monkeemobile”
replica convertible. VIN:
242176B119532. Red/tan canvas/saddle
leather. Odo: 84,348 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Beautiful re-creation of iconic TV rock
‘n’ roll car. Nearly perfect match of original.
Doors line up well. Paint was showing a little
90 AmericanCarCollector.com
SOLD AT $36,850. First-generation Camaro
convertibles are highly sought-after,
and this one showing a Van Nuys, CA, assembly
was kind of like a bonus. Seller did
a good job promoting the vehicle, and the
small amount of rust flakes evidently didn’t
hurt it. At least two bidders went head-tohead
once reserve was lifted at $30k. Having
both RS and SS packages is always a
big plus, and with a little sprucing up, this
car should be able to reward the new owner
with some financial gain.
#750-1968 PONTIAC GTO convertible.
VIN: 242678P230740. White/black canvas/
black vinyl. Odo: 39,926 miles. 400-ci V8,
4-bbl, 4-sp. Looks like it was thrown together
and a few parts didn’t make it. Big
SOLD AT $4,675. In today’s market, this
car really has an $8k potential, and as interest
in well-preserved original cars grows,
examples like this will escalate in value.
Well bought.
#154-1977 PONTIAC TRANS AM coupe.
VIN: 2W87Z7N249333. White/red vinyl.
Odo: 93,916 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
One repaint with reapplied decals. According
to PHS documents, fitted new with
power steering and disc brakes, a/c, tilt, and
Snowflake wheels, which it still wears (some
scuffing on the sides). Body looks solid, but
rear quarter damaged and issues with back
bumper. Lots of minor scratches in paint.
Underhood slightly above average for a
36-year-old driver. Undersides same basic
condition. Interior has appropriate wear and
tear. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $14,850. Looking
at the late 1970s, Trans Am is one of the
few bright stars from that era. (Thank you,
TOP 10
Page 90
LEAKE // Tulsa, OK
QUICKTAKE
1969 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro
Don Yenko started his rise to fame, within the performance community when
SOLD at $135,025
Leake Auctions, Tulsa, OK, June 7–10, 2013, Lot 470
he began building his now-famous “Stinger” Corvair (1965–67). These were modified with
upgrades not only for horsepower, but for handling and braking as well.
Yenko’s “sYc” Camaro Yenko Supercar was an off-the-showroom-floor quarter-mile terror.
These cars were equipped with Chevrolet’s monster L71 427 along with rear axles and suspensions
designed to try and get all the power to the ground. Yenko built a total of 371 Yenko
Camaros between 1967 and 1969, according to various published resources.
The Yenko market has
seen a dramatic rise, fall
and rise again over the past
several years. For the 1969
model, prices have varied
from more
Burt Reynolds.) I think this was an outstandingly
well-bought car, but it needs lots of
cosmetics. Its unmolested condition hid
nothing from bidders, which translated into
real interest. Wise investment of time, parts
and money could produce a sweet ride,
great performance and with a bit of luck,
maybe a few dollars in the profit column.
CORVETTE
than $300,000
to as low as $100,000. Our
ACC Premium Auction
Database shows an average
recent value of about
$200,000 for a well-sorted
#2 example, but an upward
trend is forming.
Our subject car presents
well, but is beginning to
show signs of use and age.
This color may be a yawner
compared with red, yellow
or black, but it seems like the darker greens are starting to climb out of the doldrums lately. It
boils down to this: More guys have simply decided they want a Yenko, color be damned.
What about this one’s value? Our subject car previously appeared at the Leake Oklahoma
City auction on February 23, 2013, (ACC# 215383) as Lot 471, where it sold for $209,000 including
the buyer’s premium. Then, at the most recent Leake sale, held on June 7–9, 2013, in Tulsa
OK, our subject car sold as Lot 470 for $135,025.
This gap represents a $73,975 loss for the seller, assuming that the car did not change hands
in between the two sales; given the short span of four months of ownership, it’s unlikely that’s
the case.
But a loss for the seller is a gain for the buyer, and this car’s new owner should be over the
moon about this deal. This was a lot of car for the money, especially when you consider that
$200,000 market level. Call this one phenomenally well bought. A
—Dale Novak
SOLD AT $67,100. Of all the solid-axle
cars, the 1958 is the easiest to recognize
with its simulated hood louvers and chrome
stripes on the deck-lid. While this car might
never be NCRS material, it’s a good-looking
little ride. For the price paid, it should deliver
a few fun drives and will make a centerpiece
for a collection where beauty and flash outweigh
authenticity. Well bought.
#476-1963 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
VIN: 30867S116652. Riverside
Red/black Colortex/black vinyl. Odo: 97,571
miles. 327-ci 300-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Restoration
several years old and holding up well.
Straight bodywork, no signs of stress in the
usual places. Bumpers line up well, but front
has some hazing on the chrome, rear very
good but needs minor adjustment. Interior in
order. Full instrument package with clear
faces and working tach. Wheels may be
vintage; new whitewall tires and no scuff
marks. Underhood neat and tidy, minor
92
AmericanCarCollector.com
#456-1958 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. VIN: J58S104140. Aqua &
white/ white Colortex/black vinyl. Odo:
34,420 miles. 283-ci 245-hp V8, 2x4-bbl,
4-sp. Restored in 1995, holding up well for
18 years. Nicely presented. Colors come off
well even if not 100% correct. Some chrome
issues on rear bumper near exhaust outlets.
Engine could also use some detailing. Body
panels line up well. Glass is good. Engine
starts, but I detect slight odor of stale fuel.
Has original Wonderbar radio, heater, tach,
spinner wheel covers, etc., plus hard and
soft tops. A good servicing would be recommended
before a drive. Cond: 2.
Page 92
LEAKE // Tulsa, OK
seepage by the carb. No mention of matching
numbers. Cond: 3.
FOMOCO
SOLD AT $46,200. This car sold for $23k at
the Branson auction in 2002 with 97,474
miles showing (ACC# 29147). More recently,
it sold for $56k at Mecum’s June
2012 sale in Little Rock (ACC# 210511).
With everything reported to be in working
order, the new owner only needs to maintain
this car to keep his investment safe. To
make it grow, he will have to invest in paint
and some chrome work. Still, well bought.
(See the profile, p.42.)
#549-1972 CHEVROLET CORVETTE convertible.
VIN: 1Z67W2S514705. War Bonnet
Yellow/black fabric/black leather. Odo:
57,292 miles. 454-ci 270-hp V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Recent cosmetic econo-overhaul. Fresh
paint smells like it’s still curing. Body looks
straight, no signs of stress cracks. Good
glass. New top, front shocks, brakes, alignment.
Overspray on door weatherstrip and
underhood. Daewoo in-dash CD player.
Cond: 3.
#126-1955 FORD FAIRLANE Crown Victoria
2-dr sedan. VIN: U5RW141545. Tropical
Rose & Snowshoe White/white & rose
vinyl. Odo: 81,269 miles. 272-ci V8, 2-bbl,
auto. At a glance, a pretty sharp-looking
car. Has a “quickie” look to it up close. Restored
to the specs shown on the reproduction
data plate. Left door has alignment
issues. Minor pitting on front glass. Soft trim
tight and clean. Plastic emblems look pretty
good. With radio, heater and clock in the
dash, power steering, brakes and windows,
rocker moldings, skirts and Continental kit.
Cond: 3+.
1950s vintage decal from fabled Seminole
Golf Club in Florida supports seller’s story
of coming from Sunshine State. Best of all,
it’s complete—no parts hunting. Cond: 4+.
SOLD AT $23,100. The Mark II was technically
a Continental, not a Lincoln, but no
one seems to remember that detail. Marketing
plans were to make this America’s version
of the Rolls-Royce, and it was a worthy
competitor. Today, however, restoration and
maintenance costs limit value. This car sold
on its second trip over the block, where a
previous high bid had been turned down.
Coming to one’s senses on rerun lane usually
means less money.
SOLD AT $24,200. While this was a looker,
it wouldn’t satisfy the purist. Seller wanted
$30k but settled for this fair price.
#2509-1956 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
MARK II 2-dr hard top. VIN: C56A1766.
Black/gray & red leather. Odo: 30,358 miles.
368-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Decent condition as
a starting point for an entire restoration.
Older lacquer repaint has major crazing.
Interior appears done in original colors, but
materials don’t feel quite right. Underhood
complete, but in need of detailing. Does
have original hood ornament and all four
expensive-to-replace wheelcovers.
SOLD AT $30,800. I still think the chromebumper
C3s are undervalued. Price for this
car was about spot-on. Seller did the right
thing to lift the $40k-plus reserve and see
this car find a loving home. I don’t think
prices are going to be taking any immediate
downturns, so if you fancy one of these
C3s, now is the time to buy.
#189-1960 FORD THUNDERBIRD 2-dr
hard top. VIN: 0Y71Y173341. Aquamarine/
white & turquoise vinyl. Odo: 400 miles.
352-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Economy restoration
completed not long ago. Redone in original
colors and materials. Later-model engine
looks like a post-1965 block. Bodywork very
good. Doors, hood and deck all align well.
Interior has “new car” smell. Original AM
radio, factory a/c and the usual power goodies.
Tinted glass clean all around. Overall
decent driver. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $12,925. When Ford conducted
the final build of these cars in September
1960, there were a reported 5,000 confirmed
orders that didn’t get filled. Fifty-three
years later, they are still as popular as they
were back then, but at a much better price.
This was kind of a bargain, but the transplanted
engine limits future appreciation.
While the two-seater will always rule the
roost, these “square birds” have a strong
following, too. Values remain good but not
out of reach.
#229-1963 FORD FALCON Sprint convertible.
VIN: 3H15F195687. Rangoon
Red/black vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 82,458
miles. 260-ci V8, 2-bbl, 4-sp. Decent overall
condition, restored to original specs. Color
match spot-on to original. Body shows some
signs of work in rear quarters; floors may
have been replaced, too. Overspray
94 AmericanCarCollector.com
Page 94
LEAKE // Tulsa, OK
on weatherstripping. Underhood detailed a
while back. All glass is good, chrome trim
redone or replaced, side stainless polished
to high gloss, aluminum grille a bit milky.
Soft trim looks comfy. Cond: 3. SOLD AT
$17,050. A precursor to Ford’s Total Performance
program for compacts, which would
really be played out with a “pony” theme
within a year of this car’s birth. Lack of a
tachometer might have knocked off a grand
in value, but simulated spinner wire wheelcovers
were a plus. These peppy Falcons
can still be bought for relatively low money.
I call this one both well sold and well
bought.
#1129-1978 FORD PINTO fastback. VIN:
8R10Y128293. Medium Jade/green vinyl &
tan cloth. Odo: 10,724 miles. 140-ci I4,
2-bbl, 4-sp. A couple of small parking-lot
dings on side panels, but basically an original
car. Does have new tires. Basic stuff:
AM radio, heater and add-on period tachometer.
Cond: 3+.
bright trim looks factory and is a little dulled.
Cheap interior redo. Mechanicals original
and complete. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT
$18,150. A shiny paint job would have
brought much more attention. This car sold
for the exact same price in January 2012 at
Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale (ACC# 193528).
Station wagons continue to command a bit
of a premium price over most other models.
A hard top in this condition would have
been hard-pressed to raise this type of
money. If new owner puts some pretty on
this one, it could easily go $30k–$35k.
#501-1967 PLYMOUTH GTX 2-dr hard
top. VIN: RS23L75108218. Turbine Bronze/
black vinyl. Odo: 35,988 miles. 440-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Professionally detailed with all
the right things going for it, including excellent
rubber gaskets and weather stripping.
Sheet metal excellent. Some minor microscratches.
Clean tinted glass all around.
Factory performance vehicle with gauge
package, power steering and front disc
brakes, “pit-stop” quick-release fuel filler,
original wheels with full covers and Redline
tires. Interior clean with AM radio, heaterdefroster,
lots of pretty gauges all very readable.
Cond: 2+.
heater. Retains original stencil-painted
name on right-side glovebox door. Car has
patina of use, could be cleaned up as a
preservation piece. Twelve-volt upgrade
and modern radio. New black rubber floor
mat has a few issues, but they could be
worked out. Glass good but chrome bumpers
dull. Aftermarket wheelcovers.
Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $9,570. I really liked this wagon
and thought anything under $12k would
have been a bargain. Values have been
moving up a little on these early post-war
Jeeps. Watch for wagons like these to become
even more popular in the near future.
SOLD AT $4,620. Born and raised in California,
acquired by a dealer around 2010,
bounced to a couple of others before hitting
the auction, and I bet another dealer bought
it. Laugh about them, but these are collector’s
vehicles today, and low-mile, totally
original examples like this one are popular
with novice collectors. Seller’s hoped-for
$8k was unrealistic, but I think this should
have made something closer to $6.5k. One
of several Tulsa cars I would have liked to
own. Well bought.
MOPAR
#1186-1956 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY
wagon. VIN: W5667247. Light green
satin & white/dark green vinyl & cloth. Odo:
13,420 miles. 331-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Rather
plain-looking car made a bit more dull by
the sheen of the paint. Body straight, most
SOLD AT $39,875. Brought to the sale by a
regular consignor who brings top-shelf cars
and usually demands that level of pricing.
Surprising to me that these early Mopar
muscle machines don’t bring more, but this
was a strong offer and the seller realized it.
While not promoted as numbers-matching,
it did have a Govier authenticity report. Well
bought.
AMERICANA
#1253-1947 WILLYS-OVERLAND
JEEP wagon. VIN: 46394727. Green &
tan/black vinyl. Odo: 95,707 miles. 134-ci
I4, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Amateur light cosmetic restoration.
Solid body in authentic colors. No
sign of any major issues. Interior has only a
#512-1951 FRAZER MANHATTAN 4-dr
convertible. VIN: F516B0010037. Light
green/black canvas/dark green leather.
Odo: 72,984 miles. 226-ci I6, 2-bbl, 3-sp.
Full body-off restoration a few years back.
Good chrome and glass. Has a couple of
minor cosmetic issues. Underhood clean
and tidy, a bit of seepage near the carburetor,
but no oil leaks or staining from the
cooling system. Has original radio, heater
and clock. Equipped with power windows
and power top. Everything said to work.
Cond: 2.
CAR COLLECTOR
96 AmericanCarCollector.com
AMERICAN
SOLD AT $52,800. My favorite car in Tulsa.
Only a few of these were built, about a
dozen are thought to exist today, and this
may be the nicest of them all. The seller
was shooting for at least $60k, which
doesn’t seem unfair, but orphan cars just
don’t bring more than this. Well bought and
sold. A
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GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
Selected Sales Combined in One Comprehensive Report
American highlights
at three auctions
GM
#302-1929 GMC C-CAB movie prop box
van. VIN: 2336535. Black & green/black
vinyl. 200-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp. A Depressionera
box van with C-cab and wooden box
composed of planks with non-weather-proof
gaps. Wears different company graphics on
sides and front, reportedly, as more versatile
movie prop. Steel portions a bit lumpy,
front bumper and leading edges scratched
and dinged. Open cabin dirty, half of wood
steering wheel missing, speedometer destroyed,
ratty bench seat. Engine thick with
grime, but appears complete. No reserve.
Cond: 5-.
VanDerbrink Auctions — Murdo in May
VanDerBrink Auctions
Murdo, SD — May 11, 2013
Auctioneers: Yvette VanDerBrink, Dale Pavlis,
Aaron Williamson
Automotive lots sold/offered: 45/79
Sales rate: 57%
Sales total: $303,258
High sale: 1962 Chevrolet Corvette, sold at
$35,535
buyer’s premium: 3%, included in sold prices
(8% Internet buyer’s premium not included)
Report and photos by B. Mitchell Carlson
Silver Auctions
Coeur d’Alene, ID — June 15, 2013
Auctioneers: Mitch Silver, Matt Backs
Automotive lots sold/offered: 51/118
Sales rate: 43%
Sales total: $802,686
High sale: 1951 Buick Super, sold at $102,600
buyer’s premium: 8%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by John Boyle
Lucky Auctions
Tacoma, WA — June 2, 2013
Auctioneers: Jeff Stokes Auction Group
Automotive lots sold/offered: 89/104
Sales rate: 86%
Sales total: $410,110
High sale: 1988 Kenworth T800 tow truck, sold
at $58,300
buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Jack Tockston
SOLD AT $17,050. It would be interesting
to find the films in which this rig starred, as
that might add a modicum of value. Extremely
well sold. Lucky Collector Car
Auctions, Tacoma, WA, 06/13.
#132-1951 BUICK SUPER wagon.
VIN: K1130E073. Green/green
cloth. Odo: 52,865 miles. 263-ci I8, 2-bbl,
auto. Beautiful paint on excellent body.
Wood and chrome excellent. Underhood
looks new with all the correct decals.
Unmarked interior and headliner. Sits on
correct bias-ply tires. First owner was the
governor of Minnesota. Cond: 2+.
8
SOLD AT $102,600. Has won several
awards including best in class at Buick Club
national meets. An impressive car and the
star of the auction. Further confirmation that
woodies, even partial woodies, are still hot.
Even at this price, well bought. Silver Auctions,
Coeur d’Alene, ID, 06/13.
Lucky — 2013 Truck Auction
98 AmericanCarCollector.com
#37-1955 CHEVROLET NOMAD wagon.
VIN: VC55N087026. Green/green & white
vinyl & cloth. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. A street
TOP 10
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GLOBAL
rod with an older restoration showing some
age. Hot-rod upgrades include newer 350
V8, aftermarket radiator, Muncie 4-speed
with Hurst shifter, Edelbrock chrome air
cleaner, 4-wheel discs, upgraded dash,
LED taillights, glasspacks. Older respray in
original color but extra metalflake. Top now
body color. Poor gaps where fenders meet
cowl. Fender trim screwed in place. Nice
factory-style interior, headliner stained.
Steering wheel worn. With factory power
brakes, steering and windows. Cond: 3-.
interior. Color-change repaint, with added
accents in flat black. Good replated bumpers
and polished alloy trim. New repro seat
upholstery, door panels and carpeting (with
stains indicating leaky heater core). Aftermarket
gauges. Generic small-block V8
bored 0.030 over and fitted with roller rockers,
Eagle crank and rods, aluminum heads.
TH350 transmission has a 2,500-rpm stall
torque converter—making inching along the
staging lane interesting. Cond: 3+.
vinyl. Odo: 81,978 miles. 396-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Excellent paint and bodywork. Recent
painted pinstripes. Chrome a mix of original
and new. New window felt. Deluxe interior.
Factory air, now upgraded. Underhood
clean with GM hoses, sparkplug wires.
Aftermarket distributor, chrome alternator.
Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $24,840. A numbers-matching
car sold under the market. Minor underhood
upgrades enhance driveability. Well
bought. Silver Auctions, Coeur d’Alene,
ID, 06/13.
SOLD AT $43,740. The owner had the car
24 years and said it was mechanically refreshed
in 2010. A stock Nomad would be
worth a lot more, but it’s a usable cruiser.
Well sold, considering its issues. Silver
Auctions, Coeur d’Alene, ID, 06/13.
#30-1962 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2-dr hard
top. VIN: 21747L203344. Autumn Gold &
Ermine White/Fawn vinyl. Odo: 32,548
miles. 235-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp. A recent restoration
with great paint over nice body prep.
Chrome and side trim lightly scratched, grille
has a half-inch dent just below hood. Carpet
and interior new but with a few wrinkles on
back of seats. Later radio. Engine bay asoriginal
with correct hoses and wires. Factory
gaps. Trunk has speckle paint and
rubber mats, but with very light surface rust
on a seam. Restored in the ’90s, well preserved
and improved since. Cond: 2-.
NOT SOLD AT $14,000. A sign on the car
stated that its nickname was “Bradley.” Publisher
Martin has both a modified Chevy II
and a son named Bradley. Coincidence?
Enough bid on it, but likely wouldn’t cover
the build cost. VanDerBrink Auctions,
Murdo, SD, 05/13.
#57A-1966 OLDSMOBILE F-85 Deluxe
2-dr hard top. VIN: 336176W379806. Red
& white/red vinyl. Odo: 79,675 miles. 330-ci
V8, 2-bbl, auto. Old repaint with light
scratching on rear corner and plenty of
gravel nicks on leading edge of hood and
front fenders. Replacement grille and front
trim in vastly better condition than the paint.
Light scuffing and pitting on window trim.
Decent gaps. Aftermarket antenna. All-original
interior. Moderate soiling on carpet and
seat bottom, with a couple of small rips on
driver’s side. Newer shock absorbers and
economy-grade radial tires. Cond: 3-.
#144-1970 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE SS
396 2-dr hard top. VIN: 136370K147815.
Silver/black vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 18,997
miles. 396-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. A 10-year-old
restoration that still looks fresh. Unmarked
paint, vinyl top, excellent interior. Enginebay
details are correct with hoses. OEM
Firestone Wide Oval tires. Copy of build
sheet. Well equipped with power steering
and brakes, M21 Muncie 4-speed, 12-bolt
rear end, F41 suspension. Nice but not perfect
underneath. Originally sold by Craddock
Chevrolet, Radcliff, KY. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $38,070. The seller sold it 10
years ago and recently repurchased it. A
very nice car that would do well at local
shows. Sold at lower end of ACC price
guide range. Very well bought. Silver Auctions,
Coeur d’Alene, ID, 06/13.
SOLD AT $16,740. Said to have its original
engine. It’s great to see a non-V8 car restored
and kept original. Let’s hope the new
owner resists the temptation to drop a 409
in it. This two-door sold for four-door money.
Well bought, considering condition and originality.
Silver Auctions, Coeur d’Alene, ID,
06/13.
#65-1965 CHEVROLET NOVA 2-dr hard
top. VIN: 115375N125536. Dark aqua
metallic/aqua vinyl. Odo: 28,833 miles. 350ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Originally a 6-cyl in Ermine
White with aqua vinyl bench-seat
SOLD AT $6,180. Several dealers told me
that this sold for $3,700 at the Specialty
Auction near Denver two weeks prior. Yes,
they were all kicking themselves for not
buying it and selling it here. Heck, I think
there’s still money left on the table. However,
with the same VIN prefix that was also
used with the 442, I fear that this rarely
seen F-85 Deluxe will next turn up as a
“numbers-matching” 442. VanDerBrink
Auctions, Murdo, SD, 05/13.
#49-1967 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO SS
396 pickup. VIN: 136807Z126797. Red/red
#22-1972 BUICK SKYLARK custom convertible.
VIN: 4H67H2H196810. Fire Red/
white vinyl/white vinyl. Odo: 68,979 miles.
350-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto. Real-deal red car,
with an older repaint showing some blistering
at bottom of door seams. Lame attempt
at etching most of the glass. Seat is far too
good to be original; vinyl grain does match
original door panels. Moderate carpet wear
and heavier fading. Rebuilt original motor,
with a scattering of aftermarket performance
parts. Non-stock dual exhaust. Retains original
window sticker. Optional power discs,
steering, seat, a/c, tinted glass, block
September-October 2013 99
Page 98
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heater, tilt steering column. On aftermarket
alloys. Cond: 3.
needy and way too rough in other ways for
this to be much more than an okay deal.
VanDerBrink Auctions, Murdo, SD, 05/13.
FOMOCO
SOLD AT $9,579. An Air Force buddy in
West Germany had a virtual clone of this
car. Take it from me: Lose the smog pump,
retune it, make it breathe, and a Buick 350
V8 will get up and fly on the Autobahn. Not
only would it trounce my BMW 2002 tii, but
past 200 clicks (124 mph), it left my BMW
728 in the dust. Nostalgia aside, this was a
decent buy on a good cruiser with room for
the new owner to improve it. VanDerBrink
Auctions, Murdo, SD, 05/13.
CORVETTE
#58-1979 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. VIN: 1Z8789S436862. Corvette
Light Blue/Oyster cloth. Odo: 32,167 miles.
350-ci 195-hp V8, 4-bbl, auto. Old repaint in
the stock color—so old that it’s peeling off
the fender tops and hood. Long body crack
emanating from top dead center of right
front wheelwell, almost reaching the hood
opening. Heavily soiled and worn seats and
carpeting (staining on the latter shows why
the heater core was replaced in 2008).
Broomstick hood-prop rod. Cond: 4-.
#22-1929 FORD MODEL A rumbleseat
roadster. VIN: 2346337. Black/black vinyl/
brown vinyl. Odo: 64,300 miles. An older
but unused restoration. Light orange peel
on body, minor cracks on hood and rear
fender. Polishing marks on fenders. Wheels
are matte. Top, running boards and interior
look unused. Excellent plating on radiator
and headlights. Passenger’s door out at
bottom. Has two side-mount spares with
strap-on accessory mirrors. MotoMeter
temperature gauge atop radiator instead of
usual quail. Etched dual wind wings,
wood floor has gaping holes for unknown
reason. Underhood stock, dusty engine
block painted bright blue. No reserve.
Cond: 4.
SOLD AT $4,675. A Model A-based truck
not often seen with six beefy steel wheels
and dump box. This rig was ideal for the
landscape contractor seeking a business
write-off, attention, or both. It was all there,
and ready to work. Or, with minor restoration,
it could win trophies. Market-correct
price. Lucky Collector Car Auctions,
Tacoma, WA, 06/13.
chrome stone guard, dual cowl lights.
Cond: 3. SOLD AT $19,440. A well-optioned
roadster just out of long-term museum
display. Incorrect color combo for
year, which probably won’t bother anyone
but purists. Correct #2 As can bring $25k or
more, so buyer has room to improve the
paint and still be ahead. Silver Auctions,
Coeur d’Alene, ID, 06/13.
SOLD AT $3,708. While it may have looked
like a rat, it actually ran out nicely, and the
fact that the seller drove it here from central
Nebraska inspired confidence. Still, way too
#230-1930 FORD MODEL AA dump truck.
VIN: A2327639. Green & black/black vinyl.
Odo: 45,674 miles. 200-ci I4, 1-bbl, 3-sp.
One-ton cab and chassis with aftermarket
dump box of unknown origin. No rust, panels
mostly flat except for wavy hood along
center hinge. No fenders over rear dual
wheels. Serviceable paint except where
door lettering was roughly ground off. Stock
interior, good glass all around, replacement
#296-1947 FORD COE stakebed truck.
VIN: 1564256. Gray/green vinyl. Odo: 267
miles. 226-ci V8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Fresh restoration.
Flawless paint inside and out. New
everything including paint, seals, wood,
chrome. Doors click shut, perfect panels
and gaps. Interior factory-fresh, probably
better than Henry did it in 1947. Jewel-like
engine compartment reflects detail-oriented
attitude. Cond: 1-.
NOT SOLD AT $25,000. If there were a
Pebble Beach class for post-war stake-bed
trucks, this was a sure winner. Flawless top
to bottom and, by far, the finest vehicle at
this auction of any type. I spent considerable
time trying to find a single flaw, and
came up with zero. The unmentioned
reserve was not achieved, so the owner
rightly kept this restoration masterpiece.
Lucky Collector Car Auctions, Tacoma,
WA, 06/13.
#7-1947 FORD SUPER DELUXE 2-dr
sedan. VIN: 040H47110224. Washington
Blue/gray cloth. Odo: 67,616 miles. 239-ci
V8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. Frame-off restoration in
2000. Great paint and gaps. LeBaron
Bonney interior is unmarked. Underhood is
stock and correct, but modern battery and
extra fuel filter show it’s meant to be driven.
Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $14,310. A well-cared-
100 AmericanCarCollector.com
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for car that still shows exceptionally well.
This was the “Ford in your future” they
promised GIs during the war, and the volume
seller for Ford in ’47. A #2 car for #3
money. Very well bought. Silver Auctions,
Coeur d’Alene, ID, 06/13.
#29-1949 LINCOLN COSMOPOLITAN
coupe. VIN: 9EH037627. Blue/gray cloth.
Odo: 53,875 miles. 337-ci V8, 2-bbl, 3-sp.
Seller states the car was originally sold in
Pendleton, OR, and the second owner displayed
it there for 30 years inside his auto
parts store. Said to be completely original
except for paint. Impressive paint of unknown
age. Minor dent in passenger’s door
where it was opened too far. Chrome generally
good with minor wear, some surface
rust inside rear bumper. Rear quarter-glass
delaminating. Interior looks new. Impressive
dash, but clear plastic on the large pull-out
switches along bottom edge are crazed.
Cond: 2. SOLD AT $21,060. The Cosmopolitan
was the larger Lincoln of the time,
riding on a 125-inch wheelbase and featuring
factory “Frenched” headlamps. This car
sold for market-correct money, but I think it
was well bought considering its very few
needs. Silver Auctions, Coeur d’Alene,
ID, 06/13.
#298-1953 FORD F-350 pickup. VIN: F35R3R12692.
Blue/gray cloth. Odo: 43,820
miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl, 5-sp. Scratches and
light dings in paint on rust-free classic cab.
Late Dodge dually pickup box narrowed by
Sawzall and tack-welded to fit chassis. Unpainted
rolled rear pan lightly rusting. Box in
bed with spare parts. Glass delaminating,
factory gaps, no rust-through found. Interior
taste, vision and means to finish the work.
Well sold. Lucky Collector Car Auctions,
Tacoma, WA, 06/13.
#244-1956 FORD C-600 car hauler. VIN:
C60R6H64847. Black/black vinyl. Odo: 992
miles. Custom show truck built to haul a
T-roadster show car, but never used.
Flawless black paint with tasteful ghost
flames over laser-straight panels. Rear deck
unblemished, flush storage boxes underneath.
Show chrome throughout. Gorgeous
new marine-quality black vinyl interior in
classic tuck-and-roll. Clean Y-block turns
5-speed manual. Cond: 1-.
has contemporary gray cloth bench seat of
unknown origin. Underhood not detailed,
recent 4-bbl carb on Chevy 350 spins a
5-speed manual from unstated source.
Cond: 4-. SOLD AT $4,400. According to
the consignor, this unfinished custom with
little info was a Craigslist find. Fortunately
here, the seller found a buyer with similar
NOT SOLD AT $39,000. Even with flawless
presentation, sometimes the right bidder
isn’t there to appreciate it. This transporter
was a fresh build, and the only flaw was
pointed out to me by the owner: some hamhanded
attendee bent one of the scissor
supports, so the hood wouldn’t open. That’s
annoying, but there’s time to fix it since high
bid was $10k under reserve. We’ll see this
one again. Lucky Collector Car Auctions,
Tacoma, WA, 06/13.
MOPAR
#269-1947 DODGE FLATBED dump
truck. VIN: 86503. Red & black/black vinyl.
Odo: 87,380 miles. 218-ci I6, 2-bbl, 3-sp.
Dull red paint, glossy black front fenders.
Heavy-duty winch between cab and woodframed
dump box. Six serviceable tires.
Original glass delaminating. Right-side
wiper missing, perished weather seals.
Interior needs deep detailing, but is
complete. Hood will not open, undetailed
compartment assumed. Painted lettering on
doors reads, “San Juan Islands Cannery.”
No rust found despite assumed salt-water
history. No reserve. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $4,950. All the big bits were pres102
AmericanCarCollector.com
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GLOBAL
ent with demerits easily overcome with
cleaning, new glass, and paint. And it ran
toward the block without apparent difficulty.
Final bidder stepped up to ownership at
what a seemed a reasonable value for
condition. Lucky Collector Car Auctions,
Tacoma, WA, 06/13.
#272-1952 DODGE M-37 military truck.
VIN: T453010. Green/gray vinyl. Odo:
64,499 miles. 218-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp. A military-spec
weapons carrier with thick, ancient
Army Green paint covering everything,
including unreadable dash instruments.
Grille fashioned from welded rebar. Green
overspray on all tires. No top. Ratty interior,
vinyl bucket seats baggy. Underhood filthy,
tin can covers carburetor. 24-volt electrical
system noted. No reserve. Cond: 5.
SOLD AT $1,100. Of thousands of vehicles
I’ve studied at auctions, this one holds the
record for thickest paint. There’s no potential
collector value, but the price paid may
be worth it for a few needed parts. Lucky
Collector Car Auctions, Tacoma, WA,
06/13.
#27-1969 CHRYSLER 300 2-dr hard top.
VIN: CM23K9C192628. Gold/black vinyl/
white vinyl. Odo: 52,628 miles. 440-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Appears to have original paint,
with various nicks and a few small scrapes
on its flanks. Good original brightwork. Vinyl
roof has some lifting at corners. Newer-era
Rally wheels with older radials. Original
engine bay with heavy surface rust and no
attempt at cleanup. Older aftermarket ignition
wiring hurriedly installed; new battery
bungee strapped in place. Newer replacement
interior soft trim, expertly installed.
Dull interior brightwork. Cond: 3.
cars, but this was one of the last gasps for
the original 300 concept, including a center
console and floor shift. Think huge GTX, as
they had the same standard 440 engine.
However, you get a bulk discount this way.
VanDerBrink Auctions, Murdo, SD, 05/13.
AMERICANA
#289-1914 AMERICAN LAFRANCE 12 fire
truck. VIN: 350006. Red/black vinyl. Odo:
7,957 miles. This geriatric pumper presents
as neglected, with faded paint, dull brassworks
and musty smell. Dirty engine
appears complete, various professional accessories
missing. Tires dried and cracking.
Ladder on left side, hose on right. Righthand
drive, shifter outside above running
board. Driver’s seat dry and failing. Dash
only has oil pressure, amps and speedo.
No top. Needs everything. No reserve.
Cond: 4-.
SOLD AT $8,240. It’s hard to think of these
“Fuselage Body” Chryslers as performance
September-October 2013 103
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GLOVEBOXNOTES
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ROUNDUP
By John L. Stein
2013 Ford F-150 4x4 SuperCrew
Ecoboost pickup
GLOBAL
ROUNDUP
SOLD AT $13,200. This was Seattle’s first
motorized fire truck, listed on the city’s inventory
as “Apparatus #1.” (#2 was its twin.)
Somehow, this historic artifact ended up in
the LeMay Collection instead of a Seattle
museum. Hopefully, it will receive the full
restoration it deserves and be displayed in
Seattle where it belongs. Lucky Collector
Car Auctions, Tacoma, WA, 06/13.
price as tested: $45,345
Equipment: 3.5-liter, 365-horsepower
turbocharged V6 with direct injection,
6-speed automatic transmission, shifton-the-fly
4x4
EpA mileage: 15/21
Likes: For cross-country towing trips, I
want three primary skills: ample tow capability;
interior roominess, comfort and
quietness; and good fuel economy. The
EcoBoost V6 doesn’t offer the raucous
performance of Ford’s Power Stroke
diesels, but with 420 lb-ft of torque, it
can tow 8,800 pounds, and it accelerates
to freeway speeds and up grades
without difficulty. The SuperCrew interior
is impressively quiet, has comfortable
seats, a cavernous 3x5x4-foot rear storage
area, and plenty of amenities. And
the 14.6-mpg observed fuel economy
was at least acceptable.
Dislikes: I was hopeful the EcoBoost V6
would return 20 mpg with our relatively
small motorcycle trailer in tow, but it
didn’t quite happen. It would also be
easy to ding the F-150 for its large size,
but trucks can’t be targeted simply for
being big — because that’s what getting
work done often requires. This leaves my
only other gripe as the step-up height to
the cab and pickup bed, although Ford
has mitigated this somewhat with step
bars and a clever fold-out tailgate step.
Verdict: Owning classic cars, bikes
and boats mean you sometimes need
a tow vehicle, but the typical 8–10 mpg
penance for towing a trailer gets old fast.
Enter Ford’s EcoBoost V6. With direct
injection and twin-turbocharging, it
promises torquey performance together
with reasonable thrift. It succeeded in
everything except outright fuel economy
on our trip to cover The Quail Motorcycle
Gathering in Carmel, CA. Fortunately, the
seating comfort, interior roominess and
quietness are superlative, which made
the drive extremely pleasant.
Fun to drive: ªªª
Fun to look at: ªªª
Overall experience: ªªªª
ªªªªª is best
104 AmericanCarCollector.com
#294-1930 MORELAND pickup. VIN:
157520. Green/black vinyl/black vinyl.
Heavily worn paint on cab; cargo area borrowed
from a small green fire truck. Lumpy
panels in black, box straight, full-length
running-boards continue around rear.
Windshield broken, failing duct tape on rear
of roof, spare tire mounted on left. Engine
filthy, “GMC” on intake manifold, wires
dangling, rotted fuel line disconnected.
Rare example that might be restorable with
considerable effort. No reserve. Cond: 5+.
original leather back, filthy canvas for one’s
bottom. Ancient bald tires hold air. No reserve.
Cond: 6. SOLD AT $18,700. This
truck reminded me of characters from the
movie “Cars,” with its saggy panels and
hood askew. Kenworth, a name well-known
today, began in Portland, OR, in 1912. Their
first truck with an inline six cylinder engine
was produced in 1932, and this happens to
be one of them still equipped with a 7-speed
transmission. A cadre of specialists could
bring this one back, but at mind-bending
cost. For the price paid here, that may be
what’s in this rig’s future. Lucky Collector
Car Auctions, Tacoma, WA, 06/13.
#262-1935 INTERNATIONAL C1 pickup.
VIN: C145764. Rust. Odo: 47,853 miles.
213-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp. Surface rust throughout,
some rust-through noted on front
fenders. Traces of original green paint
found. No glass, interior, headlights, or
bumpers. Large gash through steel and into
wood on left-rear of cab. Underhood just as
rusty as exterior; rusty I-6 engine still there,
but hasn’t run for decades. No reserve.
Cond: 5-.
SOLD AT $1,275. Even Jay Leno may not
be aware that Burbank hosted a truck plant,
despite the fact that Moreland was “one of
the most innovative and important truckproducing
firms on the West Coast,” according
to the Standard Catalog of American
Cars 1805–1942. This example had an original
front half and later rear section, so let’s
call it a 1930 “hybrid” and move on. Lucky
Collector Car Auctions, Tacoma, WA,
06/13.
#308-1932 KENWORTH 100 flatbed truck.
VIN: 10052. Green & rust/black leather &
canvas. Odo: 47,867 miles. A sad-looking
stakebed in need of everything. All panels
have surface rust replacing original green
finish. Wood framing rotted. Lethal-looking
cable-operated turn-signal spear on left side
of cab. Interior weathered, bench seat has
SOLD AT $1,925. An ambitious project or
front-yard planter for those living without
covenants. Some rat-rodders have spent
fortunes replicating patina like this. The
stance was already there, and a small block
V8 from a Travelall would look appropriate
framed amid the warm glow of decay
underhood. Bystanders thought it would
never sell, but someone caught the vibe
and paid nearly two large—which begs the
question, “What was he thinking?” Lucky
Collector Car Auctions, Tacoma, WA,
06/13.
#263-1942 DIAMOND T COE truck. VIN:
AA59017. Red/black vinyl. Odo: 55,676
miles. Cab and chassis with dull red paint,
black and chipped front bumper, no rust
found. Six serviceable tires. Interior dusty
but complete, dash brush-painted black
some time ago. Windshield cranks open.
Large steering wheel is chest-high. Engine
compartment dusty, appears original, no
leaks. Looks to be a runner, but no verification.
No reserve. Cond: 4+. SOLD AT
$3,960. This truck was 71 years old, complete
and rust-free, thanks to the mild
Pacific Northwest climate. And with some
effort, it could be made into something
Page 103
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GLOBAL
Seats replaced with ones from 1970 AMX.
Engine bay repainted with poor prep, a/c
removed, aftermarket chrome on engine.
Owned by ACCer for nine years. Cond: 3-.
Paint, brightwork, glass and rubber very
good. Cab dusty with cat’s paw prints, clear
gauges. Foot button for siren works. Beefy
timing chain on floor not explained, but engine
starts. Rig seems to drive fine. Some
pumper parts missing, as disclosed.
No reserve. Cond: 3.
purposeful for the 21st century. Last bidder
thought the same, and took this rig home at
what seemed a most reasonable price for
condition. Lucky Collector Car Auctions,
Tacoma, WA, 06/13.
#43-1969 AMC AMX fastback. VIN:
A9M397N341102. Red/black cloth. Odo:
91,329 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Older
repaint in non-original color. Bumpers now
body-colored (body color bumpers were
available only with the “Big Bad” paint option).
Dent below passenger’s door handle.
Window stainless dull. Plastic grille-surround
faded. Windshield cracked, new one
included. Dry dash, interior plastic cracked.
SOLD AT $16,740. A capable driver, not a
show or investment car. Wisely cut loose by
seller for a bit less than he was hoping for,
but a fair sale considering its modifications
and needs. Silver Auctions, Coeur
d’Alene, ID, 06/13.
#284-1978 SEAGRAVE SR25768
hook & ladder fire truck. VIN:
H75200. Red & white/black vinyl. Odo:
50,843 miles. Diesel engine encased in an
aluminum box and very clean. In a word:
HUGE. Largest fire truck here of 13 offered.
Very nice visual condition, fully equipped.
SOLD AT $3,410. Could be a parade favorite,
a childhood dream fulfilled or both. Here
in the Pacific Northwest, perhaps one could
water apple trees with the pumper section,
then raise the huge ladder to reach every
Golden Delicious at harvest time. Whether
valued by length or weight, this was the
auction’s best buy—and it ran! Lucky Collector
Car Auctions, Tacoma, WA, 06/13.
A
September-October 2013 105
BEST
BUY
Page 104
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ROUNDUP
106 AmericanCarCollector.com
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September-October 2013 107
Page 106
The Parts Hunter
Chad Tyson
Big-money parts and
accessories from around the country
Favre (four or five times?), Michael Schumacher, etc. Ardun-building king Cotton Werksman
built this one for a friend, long after the builder’s glory days, but it wasn’t ever used. It will be
the last new one, until the next one comes out. Well sold.
# 200934553580—Ardun Ford
Flathead V8. 12 photos. Item condition:
Rebuilt. eBay, Monterey, CA.
“New, never ran, and built on a very
rare, absolutely perfect, uncracked virgin
59 “L” block. Four-inch perfect crank,
Scat rods, Ross pistons, 3-5/16-inch
bore. Balanced and blueprinted. The
Orosco-Ferguson upgraded roller-rocker
heads are also blueprinted. 5,000-cc
S.Co.T. blower is a pristine, original unit
that is ready to go using an OroscoItalmeccanica
intake with two rebuilt
97s. Joe Hunt vertex magneto ignition.
New Centerforce clutch, pressure plate,
belts and Ardun exhaust flanges. This
is as near a perfect Ardun powerplant
that can be obtained. Cotton Werksman
is definitely retired and not building any
more.” 24 bids.
Sold at $47,000.
We all love the story in which some guy
comes back to give it one last shot for
continued glory — Rocky Balboa, Brett
# 170—Duesenberg Fuel Pump. 1
photo. Item condition: Used. Bonhams,
Greenwich, CT.
“Appears nearly complete, three fuel pumps
and two manifolds, dirty but sound, good
for a restoration.”
Sold at $500.
I did find a Duesie fuel-pump bellows housing
for more than the price of the complete
unit here ($592). But that was the only other
recently advertised part for a Duesenberg
fuel system. This pump setup will make for
good table art or take up some space on
those shelves in the garage. Well sold.
# 281078564744—1969 Dodge Charger/Super Bee/Coronet
Dash Assembly. 15 photos. Item condition: Used. eBay, Fairhope,
AL.
“Original, complete Rallye dash for a 1969 B-body. The gauge
cluster has been completely restored, calibrated and polished.
Finished in the original black face. The frame has been blasted
and painted, with all switches tested. The a/c vents all work as
they should, and the upper pad is a super-nice original. Original
harness is included. Ready to bolt in. We can add the Tic Toc Tach
for an additional charge.” Buy It Now.
Sold at $3,499.99.
Who doesn’t want a plug-and-play dash when doing a restoration?
It’s important to verify the quality of the wiring, however. Rebuilding
a dash can be done for cheaper, sure, but how much longer will
your car sit there waiting for that to be done? Good buy that would
have been even better with the Tic Toc Tach included.
108 AmericanCarCollector.com
# 140962941884—1954 Chevrolet Corvette Windshield
Assembly. 11 photo. Item condition: Used. eBay, Pendleton, IN.
“Complete 1953–55 Corvette windshield assembly. Just removed
from a virtual time-capsule 1954 Corvette. It is in unrestored condition
but will restore nicely for NCRS or BG judging. Windshield posts
are not broken and do not require repair. This assembly is still fitted
to the glass. I will ship without the glass unless you want it. The glass
is not showquality.
These
assemblies are
getting harder to
find and are not
reproduced. Get
it while you still
can.” 11 bids.
Sold at $2,600.
New glass for
1953–55 models
with correct logo
and date is available for about $489. The seller is right about these
not being produced. I did find a service to restore your frame with
new seals, glass, etc. for $2,495 plus shipping. Difficult-to-find part in
restorable shape for an American icon equals winning for the bidder
(getting one) and seller (getting this price). A
Page 108
Showcase Gallery
Sell Your Car Here! Includes ACC website listing.
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American Car Collector Magazine is not responsible for any omissions, erroneous, false
and/or misleading statements of its advertisers.
GM
1948 Cadillac Series 61 club
coupe
Black/black. 138,000 miles.
V8, 4-spd automatic. Very rare,
nearly all original, completely
rebuilt, everything works, drives
great and wins trophies. Pictures
and spec sheet available.
$45,000 OBO. Contact Britt,
425.432.1231, Email: britt@
careycreek.com
CORVETTE
1967 Chevrolet Corvette
427/435 coupe
Elkhart Blue/Elkhart Blue and
White. 67,000 miles. V8, 4-spd
Advertisers Index
American Car Collector ........................88
AuctionAZ.com ...................................109
Auctions America .................................21
Barrett-Jackson ................................9, 11
Bennett Law Office ...............................86
Blue Bars ............................................102
Camaro Central ....................................67
Carlisle Events ......................................34
Charlotte AutoFair ..............................101
Chevs of the 40’s ...............................100
Chubb Personal Insurance ...................31
Classic & Collectible Cars Las Vegas 107
Collector Car Price Tracker ................111
Corvette America ..................................37
110 AmericanCarCollector.com
Sunset Orange w/flames/white.
5,000 miles. V8, other. Beautiful
all-steel 1929, meticulously put
together. Great running. Easy
to drive. Great bargain at this
price. $30,000. Contact Bill, Old
Iron, 520.390.7180, Email: old-
Corvette Expo Inc .................................79
Corvette Repair Inc. ...............................7
Corvette Specialties ...........................111
County Corvette .....................................2
Grundy Worldwide ................................39
Hagerty Insurance Agency, Inc. ...........73
Infinity Insurance Companies .............116
Intero Real Estate Services ..................86
Iowa Auto Outlet ............................. 60–61
JC Taylor ..............................................71
Jim Meyer Racing Products Inc. ........111
L.A. Prep ...............................................75
Law Offices of Bruce Shaw ..................22
Leake Auction Company ....................115
Lucky Collector Car Auctions ...............85
Lutty’s Chevy Warehouse ..................105
S/N 6F09C132646. Candy
Apple Red/black. 44,150 miles.
302-ci V8, 4-spd automatic.
Candy Apple Red, with painted
Pearl White stripes and black
vinyl interior. Auto trans and
Mac Neil Automotive Products Ltd ......87
Mershon’s World Of Cars .....................69
Mid America Auctions ..........................89
Mid America Motorworks ...............35, 77
Mid-Fifty Ford F-100 Parts ...................87
Mustangs Unlimited ...........................106
National Corvette Museum .................113
National Corvette Restorers Society ..103
National Parts Depot ............................25
Outlaw Classic & Exotic Motorcars ....109
Paramount Classic Cars .......................83
Park Place LTD .....................................65
Passport Transport ...............................81
Petersen Collector Car Auction ..........111
Pro-Team Corvette Sales, Inc ..............85
Putnam Leasing ......................................3
manual. I purchased this CA
car from my 73-year-old neighbor,
who gifted it to her husband
38 years ago. I put 20,000
miles on it. Drivetrain and
interior are rebuilt and redone.
a/c added and it does not overheat.
All it needs to be perfect
is a paint job. $85,000. Contact
Scott, 925.989.8102, Email:
banshee880@comcast.net
FOMOCO
1929 Ford roadster pickup
Maybe the most original ’50
Ford woodie on the planet.
Repainted once, otherwise all
original. Original wood, radio,
owner’s manual, etc. Runs
and drives flawlessly. $65,000.
Contact Matt, deGarmo Ltd.,
203.852.1670, Email: matt@
deGarmoLtd.com Web: www.
deGarmoLtd.com
1965 Ford Thunderbird
Landau coupe
S/N 5Y87Z122318. Wimbledon
White/black vinyl. 18,190 miles.
V8, 3-spd automatic. Original
miles, one-family-owned since
new. Lot of photos; you won’t
find another like it, all original.
$17,500 OBO. Contact Brian,
Buxton Motorsports.com,
812.760.5513, Email: BrianBuxton@BuxtonMotorsports.com
Web: www.BuxtonMotorsports.
com
f1966 Ford Mustang
astback
ironarizona@gmail.com Web:
www.oldironaz.com (AZ)
1950 Ford woodie
1972 302 V8 with 9.5:1 compression,
1964 Hi-Po heads,
and built to a very high standard.
$29,950. Contact Brian,
Buxton Motorsports Inc., 812760-5513,
Email: brianbuxton@
buxtonmotorsports.com
Web: www.buxtonmotorsports.
com/7.php
2005 Ford GT coupe
Silver w/white stripe/black.
1,100 miles. V8, 6-spd manual.
As-new condition with all books
and records. All available options.
$233,000 OBO. Contact
John, 817.475.8955, Email:
jjcouch1@tx.rr.com
AMERICANA
1987 AM General M923A1
Military Truck
S/N C52308486. Camo/green.
954 miles. I6, 5-spd automatic.
Military soft top M923A1 5-ton
6x6 monster cargo truck (rebuilt/refurbished
in 2009 by Red
River Army Depot.) Unit is in
NICE shape, great for a Military
Museum, Desert Machine,
Be the King of Your Neighborhood.
Only 954 MILES!
$17,500 OBO. Contact Brent,
Military Surplus Liquidation,
714.863.1553, Email: brent@
militarysurplusliquidation.com
Web: www.militarysurplusliquidation.com
A
Reliable Carriers ...................................63
RKM Collector Car Auctions ................59
Russo & Steele LLC........................15, 17
SEMA ....................................................30
Silver Collector Car Auctions ...............23
Specialty Auto Auctions, Inc ..............113
Sports Car Market ..............................113
Street Shop, Inc....................................86
Summit Racing Equipment ...................19
Superior Collector Car Auctions ...........27
The Chevy Store Inc ...........................106
Thomas C Sunday Inc ........................111
V8TV Productions Inc. ..........................81
Vicari Auctions ....................................107
Volo Auto Museum ...............................83
Zip Products .........................................41
Page 109
Showcase Gallery
WHAT’S YOUR
CAR WORTH?
FIND OUT AT
NOW FREE! The world’s
largest collector car
price guide based on
over 500,000 sold
transactions from
Updated weekly.
www.collectorcarpricetracker.com
September-October 2013 111
Page 110
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Put your company in the ACC Resource Directory. Call 877.219.2605 Ext. 211,
or email advert@americancarcollector.com
Auction Companies
Auctions America, 877.906.2437,
5540 CR llA Auburn, IN 46706.
Home of the 480-acre Auction
Park in Auburn, IN, where the
annual Labor Day Auction is held
in conjunction with the Auburn
Cord Duesenberg Festival.
www.auctionsamerica.com. (IN)
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)
Classic Car Transport
Leake Auctions. 800.722.9942,
Join Leake Auction Company as
they celebrate 40 years in the collector
car auction industry. Their
unsurpassed customer service
and fast-paced two-lane auction
ring makes them a leader in the
business. Leake currently operates
auctions in Tulsa, Oklahoma
City, Dallas and San Antonio. Visit
them online at www.leakecar.com
or call 800.722.9942.
Intercity Lines, Inc.
800.221.3936, 413.436.9422.
Rapid, hassle-free, coast-tocoast
service. Insured enclosed
transport for your valuable car at
affordable prices. State-of-theart
satellite transport tracking.
Complete service for vintage
races, auctions, relocations.
www.intercitylines.com. (MA)
American transportation company
does it all. www.reliablecarriers.
com
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)
Lucky Collector Car Auctions.
888.672.0020, Lucky Collector
Car Auctions is aptly named after
Harold “Lucky” Lemay. Based in
the majestic, pastoral ground of
Marymount, home to the Lemay
Family Collection Foundation
near Tacoma, WA, the collection,
formerly the biggest in the world
according to Guinness, now hosts
an unrivaled event center, art collection
and charitable foundation,
which features two exceptional
collector car auctions a year. www.
luckyoldcar.com (WA)
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
St., Phoenix, AZ 85040.
info@russoandsteele.com;
www.russoandsteele.com. (AZ)
112 AmericanCarCollector.com
Passport Transport.
800.736.0575, Since our founding
in 1970, we have shipped thousands
of treasured vehicles doorto-door
with our fully enclosed
auto transporters. Whether your
prized possession is your daily
driver, a vintage race car, a classic,
a ’60s muscle car or a modern
exotic, you can depend on
Passport Transport to give you the
premium service it deserves. We
share your appreciation for fine
automobiles, and it shows.
www.PassportTransport.com.
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.
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
highest-grade, investment-quality
Corvette and specialty Chevrolet
automobiles. We take pride in
providing our clients with the finest
selection anywhere. Offering
investment-quality Corvettes and
Chevrolets for over 30 years!
503.256.5384(p) 503.256.4767(f)
www.thechevystore.com. (OR)
Insurance
Chubb Collector Car Insurance.
1.866.CAR.9648, The Chubb
Collector Car Insurance program
provides flexibility by allowing you
to choose the agreed value and
restoration shop. Broad coverage
includes no mileage restrictions
and special pricing for large
schedules. For more information,
contact us at 1(866)CAR-9648 or
www.chubbcollectorcar.com.
Street Shop, Inc. 256.233.5809.
Custom 1953–1982 Corvette
replacement chassis and driveline
components.
www.streetshopinc.com. (AL)
Reliable Carriers, Inc.
877.744.7889, As the country’s
largest enclosed-auto transport
company, Reliable Carriers faithfully
serves all 48 contiguous
United States and Canada.
Whether you’ve entered a
concours event, need a relocation,
are attending a corporate event or
shipping the car of your dreams
from one location to another, one
Corvettes for Sale
Corvette Central. Parts and
accessories for all Corvettes.
Corvette Central has been a leading
manufacturer and distributor
of Corvette parts and accessories
since 1975. We offer the most
comprehensive and detailed parts
catalogs on the market today
and produce a different catalog
for each Corvette generation. All
catalogs are also online with full
search and order features. From
Blue Flame 6 to the C6, only
Putnam Leasing. 866.90.LEASE.
For over 25 years, Putnam
Leasing has been the leader in
exotic, luxury, and collector car
leasing. This honor comes from
Putnam’s unique ability to match
the car of your dreams with a
lease designed just for you. Every
Putnam Lease is written to provide
maximum flexibility while conserving
capital, lowering monthly
payments, and maximizing tax
advantages. It’s Putnam’s way of
Hagerty Collector Car
Insurance. 800.922.4050.
Collector cars aren’t like their latemodel
counterparts. These classics
actually appreciate in value,
so standard market policies that
cost significantly more won’t do
the job. We’ll agree on a fair value
and cover you for the full amount.
No prorated claims, no hassles, no
games. www.hagerty.com. (MI)
Leasing
Page 111
letting you drive more car for less
money. For leases ranging from
$50,000 to more than $1 million,
with terms extending up to 84
months visit www.putnamleasing.
com or call 1.866.90.LEASE. (CT)
Museums
lived by its motto, “We covet the
rare and unusual, whether pedigreed
or proletarian.” Absurdly
eclectic and proud of it. Find your
treasure here, or pass it along to
the next generation. www.cosmopolitanmotors.com
(WA)
LeMay Family Collection
Foundation. LeMay Family
Collection Foundation at
Marymount Events Center near
Tacoma, WA, hosts an epic
backdrop for your next event.
Home to 500 fabulous collector
cars, world-class art exhibits, and
assorted ephemera, consider your
next event here. Weddings, swap
meets, conventions, auctions.
The facility can likely exceed your
expectations. Visit during the
37th annual open house along
with 13,000 other enthusiasts.
253.272.2336
www.lemaymarymount.org
National Corvette Museum. 80053-VETTE.
The National Corvette
Museum in Bowling Green, KY,
was established as a 501(c)3 notfor-profit
foundation with a mission
of celebrating the invention of the
Corvette and preserving its past,
present and future. www.corvettemuseum.com.
(KY)
Parts—General
Cosmopolitan Motors, LLC.
206.467.6531, Experts in worldwide
acquisition, collection management,
disposition and
appraisal. For more than a quarter
century, Cosmopolitan Motors has
Keith Martin’s
Mustangs Unlimited. Since 1976,
Mustangs Unlimited is YOUR
best source for 1965–present
Mustang, 1965–70 Shelby, and
1967–73 Mercury Cougar Parts.
Call or visit our website to receive
a full-color catalog full of the parts
you need with the best prices in
the industry. With two fully stocked
warehouses, we have the largest
“in stock” selection of parts.
Visit us online at www.mustangsunlimited.com
or join us
on Facebook or Twitter for the
latest buzz in all things Mustang.
Customer Satisfaction is goal #1.
Phone: Connecticut 888.398.9898
Georgia 888.229.2929.
National Parts Depot.
800.874.7585, We stock huge
inventories of concours-correct
restoration parts for:
1965–73 and 1979–93 Mustang
1967–81 Camaro & Firebird
1964–72 GTO, Tempest & Lemans
1964–87 Chevelle, Malibu &
El Camino
1948–29 and 1980–96 F-Series
Ford Truck
1966-96 Bronco
1955-57 Thunderbird
Delivery of your parts averages
just 1–3 days!
www.nationalpartsdepot.com A
Sports Car Market
The Insider’s Guide to Collecting, Investing, Values, and Trends
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September-October 2013 113
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Page 112
Surfing Around
Carl Bomstead
Automobilia on eBay
and beyond
Carl’s thought: Gas and oil collectors, and there are a bunch of them, have swapmeets that are called Gas
Bashes. There are any number of regional events, some having been going on for well over 20 years, but the
two biggies take place in Dublin, OH, in June and Des Moines, IA, in early August. Both are well attended,
with several hundred vendors offering pumps, signs and just about anything else related to the oil industry.
At the recent “Check the Oil” bash June 22 in Ohio, Matthews Auctions offered a portion of an extensive
Mobil collection, along with the normal fare of other advertising signs. The Mobil “Flying Red Horse” was
one of the most recognized logos ever used, and when a marketing “genius” talked Mobil into changing the
famed logo, sales plummeted.
Here are a few of the more interesting items that caught my eye as I whiled away the hours following the
action on the Net. Prices realized include 18% Internet buyer’s premium. Rating based on 1-10 scale.
MATTHEWS AUCTIONS
LOT 20—McCOLL-FRONTENAC
PRODUCTS 36”
PORCELAIN SIGN. Rated:
9.5. SOLD AT: $12,390.
The McColl Brothers and
Company was founded in the
Ontario oil fields of Canada
in 1873. It merged with
Frontenac in 1927 and was
acquired by Texaco in 1938,
with the brand phased out in
the ’40s. This double-sided
sign was in wonderful condition, and anything with an Indian is very
desirable. All things considered, this price was not out of line.
MATTHEWS AUCTIONS
LOT 30—MOBILGAS
AIRCRAFT PORCELAIN
SHIELD. Rated: 9.5. SOLD
AT: $2,655. Mobil produced
a couple dozen different
shields that went on pumps
identifying the various types
of fuel offered. This is one
of the harder ones to find in
decent condition and was
close to mint. Sold for a very
fair price. Well bought!
MATTHEWS AUCTIONS
LOT 50—MOBILOIL GARGOYLE
“D” MOTORCYCLE
PORCELAIN SIGN. Rated:
9. SOLD AT: $4,425. The
black outline of the motorcycle
rider and the Gargoyle
logo add to the allure of this
9x11-inch porcelain sign. It
is most likely British and was
from Vacuum Oil Company
Ltd. These show up every now and then, and this one sold for an
aggressive price, but the condition was there, so no worries.
114 AmericanCarCollector.com
MATTHEWS AUCTIONS LOT
72—WEED TIRE TIN GAS
“PRICER” SIGN. Rated: 7. SOLD
AT: $590. This is one of a series
of three Weed Tire signs that
are all 24x17 inches and woodbacked.
In addition to promoting
the tire chains, the gas station
could set the current price of
gasoline. This is the least graphic
of the set, and due to the lessthan-favorable
condition, it sold
for about a quarter of what one in
excellent condition would go for.
MATTHEWS AUCTIONS
LOT 70—SINCLAIR AIRCRAFT
48-INCH DOUBLESIDED
PORCELAIN SIGN.
Rated: 8. SOLD AT: $8,260.
This is one of the more collectible
gas and oil signs,
and this one was in very
acceptable condition except
for a bullet hole right in the
center of the sign. Would
hazard a guess that the hole
brought the value down by at
least $4,000.
MATTHEWS AUCTIONS LOT
189—MOBILOIL SHIELD WITH
GARGOYLE AND PEGASUS
LOGOS. Rated: 9.75. SOLD AT:
$4,130. This porcelain sign was
as good as it gets. It was in perfect
condition and it was certainly
unusual with both logos. The
Gargoyle was adopted in 1904
as a trademark for the Vacuum
Oil Company and the Pegasus logo was used in the U.S. after they
merged with Standard of New York in 1932. This was obviously used
in the 1932 period as they transitioned to the new badging.A