I am watching the live Barrett-Jackson this week on the Speed Channel and am foaming at the mouth to be there. ...
SOS
PS ... If I could buy something and drive it and sell it for same price or more .. that would be great too.
Twelve years ago .. I bought a black, 1970 Chevelle 454, 450 hp, LS6, for $25k and drove it and sold it for $30k. The problem is that car was more of a show car ... I want a "weekend cruiser" this time (front end stone chips are OK this time ... lol)
I have been lucky to do several of these deals and drive a fun car for free for a while ... just can't wreck it or even stone chip the nicer ones ... never bought anything at auction though ???
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Last edited by SOSHeloPilot; 01-16-2009 at 03:58 PM.
Reason: more info & typos
I've never gone to the auction, but they publicize it pretty well out here. They were showing a very early Ford T-bird on TV the other day. I think it was serial #5. I don't think we could buy that one.
My 78 year neighbor brought his old 68 Chrysler 300 four door hard top convertible down here from Nebraska. The first time I met him he said he was gonna restore it someday. He showed it to me and the windshield had been broken by a rock from a neighborhood kid. I'm thinking "yeah you're gonna restore this", but didn't say anything. Years later after I retired, he was fooling with it and we went to junkyards together and finally got it restored to almost perfect condition. We drove it all around it it finally started vapor locking often. Once we rode it about 35 miles to Sun City and played golf with a friend of his. On the way home, we saw cars stalled on the freeway and joked about stopping and helping them. The traffic came to a stop and when we stopped the car died. It was 108f at the time, but we were pretty much used to that. Eventually, a cop came by and pushed us off the road to the center median. We asked if he could push us to an off ramp a couple hundred yards up the road and he said he couldn't. He never did offer to take us anywhere or give us water which we had none of. We were hanging around and one of the people we had joked about came over and lent us her cell phone to call for help. He called his son, but he was no where near and said he'd come by when he could. We waited around for a couple hours and finally got the car started and drove almost alway home to a convenience store and I bought us each a liter bottle of water. We inhaled that and still joke that we were worried that the other one would have a heat problem. Eventually, he talked to an oldtime mechanic who opined that maybe the fuel pump push rod had worn down and it couldn't pump gas enough. We removed the old pump and the push rod looked great, but when measured against a new rod, it was 1/2" shorter. The fuel pump must have been the wrong one also since you couldn't depress the plunger by hand. We replaced the pump and rod and now it runs great. He tried to sell it at another auction in Scottsdale and turned down $10k for it. Now it sits in his garage and he wishes he had sold it. It's actually pretty nice but probably not collectible.
I've never gone to the auction, but they publicize it pretty well out here. They were showing a very early Ford T-bird on TV the other day. I think it was serial #5. I don't think we could buy that one.
My 78 year neighbor brought his old 68 Chrysler 300 four door hard top convertible down here from Nebraska. The first time I met him he said he was gonna restore it someday. He showed it to me and the windshield had been broken by a rock from a neighborhood kid. I'm thinking "yeah you're gonna restore this", but didn't say anything. Years later after I retired, he was fooling with it and we went to junkyards together and finally got it restored to almost perfect condition. We drove it all around it it finally started vapor locking often. Once we rode it about 35 miles to Sun City and played golf with a friend of his. On the way home, we saw cars stalled on the freeway and joked about stopping and helping them. The traffic came to a stop and when we stopped the car died. It was 108f at the time, but we were pretty much used to that. Eventually, a cop came by and pushed us off the road to the center median. We asked if he could push us to an off ramp a couple hundred yards up the road and he said he couldn't. He never did offer to take us anywhere or give us water which we had none of. We were hanging around and one of the people we had joked about came over and lent us her cell phone to call for help. He called his son, but he was no where near and said he'd come by when he could. We waited around for a couple hours and finally got the car started and drove almost alway home to a convenience store and I bought us each a liter bottle of water. We inhaled that and still joke that we were worried that the other one would have a heat problem. Eventually, he talked to an oldtime mechanic who opined that maybe the fuel pump push rod had worn down and it couldn't pump gas enough. We removed the old pump and the push rod looked great, but when measured against a new rod, it was 1/2" shorter. The fuel pump must have been the wrong one also since you couldn't depress the plunger by hand. We replaced the pump and rod and now it runs great. He tried to sell it at another auction in Scottsdale and turned down $10k for it. Now it sits in his garage and he wishes he had sold it. It's actually pretty nice but probably not collectible.
I love the cars on BJ, but I'm not comfortable with paying all of their fees, etc. I'm not one for the gitz, TV cameras, and auctioneers. I'm definitely not flying out to Arizona just to buy the darn thing. If that's your thing, I'm sure you'll enjoy the experience.
When it comes to buying my own cars, I'd rather just do it the old fashioned way...find one in Hemmings or Classic Car Trader, and simply go see it for myself. Buyer to seller. JMO.
You would kind of be wasting your time because most cars go for 50K and up the only way you get one for the price you are looking for is if you get something no one wants.
My dad's been watching auctions carefully recently as I think he finally wants to unload his 1953 Jaguar XK120 after 35 years.
I think the new trend towards resto-mods is really cool. Having the classic bodies beautifully restored with modern engines, suspensions, brakes and interior electronics seems pretty cool to me.
I like sports cars, so I would like something a little more pure. I'm afflicted with a particular curse which draws me to certain German cars. If I ever had a classic, it would have to be a 3.0L or 3.5L CSL. Those cars are so easy on the eyes and offer good performance even today.
Of course, if I was a really high roller, I'd have to look for a Gullwing 300SL.
Enjoy your purchase....when I get back to ATL I'm coming over for a ride.
The first couple of nights on B-J ... it looked like there were a few deals.
But the last few nights ... the vehicles have been waaaayy too expensive for me.
I might go to one of their auctions for the experience and to gain more of a knowledge base.
And then research and join some web sites that are dedicated to "street rods" or "hot rods ???
Need to find some good "street rod" or "hot rod" discussion web sites.
Thanks for all the input here ...
SOS
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I am a member over at Ruffrodders. More of the cheaper build on a budget But still some members have beautiful cars. There is always the H.A.M.B. The problem with that site is they all act like they are hot rod gods and whatever you built is wrong. PLUS if you stray from traditional style they jump all over you. Don't even think of putting bags on a car over there. BUT a good place to look.
__________________ '05 Tundra DC TRD 2 WHL: The TOW truck, Spectra Mica Blue, with Kenwood H/U, Kenwood Amp and crossover. Infinity 6010cs, 10" Rockford SUB, 6 disc CD Changer mounted in Center console, SWI-X to retain steering wheel controls, 7" TV with DVD. Tinted Windows, Three chamber Flowmaster, Painted front chrome strip
1994 Toy: The TOY Standard cab, Long travel front pulling13" w/Double fox w/Res, Deaver rear at 18" w/Single 2.5 18" fox w/Res., full glass, Bumper to Bumper cage, Gusseted frame, PRP seats, Crow harnesses, Custom steering(All Heims & Chromoly), Grant steering wheel, Smoothest ride around. OH by the way only 70,000 miles.
Barrett-Jackson & Buying Something ??
'05 Tundra DC TRD 2 WHL: The TOW truck, Spectra Mica Blue, with Kenwood H/U, Kenwood Amp and crossover. Infinity 6010cs, 10" Rockford SUB, 6 disc CD Changer mounted in Center console, SWI-X to retain steering wheel controls, 7" TV with DVD. Tinted Windows, Three chamber Flowmaster, Painted front chrome strip 
Linear Mode
