Mecum car prices [Archive] - The Supercar Registry

Les Quam

05-18-2008, 02:20 AM

This is off topic but I couldn't post on the members rides section. I just got that July 1990 Musclecar magazine off ebay with Sam and Dave's LS-6s on the cover when I noticed the pictures you posted on the members section which I can't seem to post on? Wow what great old cars with fantastic histories thanks for the posts.

Back to topic I saw on the news a giant nuclear mushroom cloud over Indy was that the muscle car market going up in smoke at Dana's auction? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Does anyone know what Dave's yellow GSX brought?

njsteve

05-18-2008, 02:47 AM

Has anybody recorded the auction coverage on TV? I'd be happy to pay for a copy of the tape or disc. We dont get that channel out here (plus I dont have HD to get it anyway)

chads454Ls6

05-18-2008, 02:50 AM

Does anyone know what Dave's yellow GSX brought?

i believe 160k

LITTLE TOMMIE

05-18-2008, 02:59 AM

last time i talked to Craig Jackson, witch has been some time ago he did still owen the silver rs zl1

quick-bowtie

05-18-2008, 03:47 AM

Its definately hit and miss, so cars are bringing real good money and other feel way short, Charley and Stefano bought a few.

The ZL1's and the W30 Rag tops are the cars that fell way short in my opinion.

SBR

05-18-2008, 07:29 AM

The Mopars seemed soft, although I am no expert on them.

442w30

05-18-2008, 06:07 PM

[ QUOTE ]

The ZL1's and the W30 Rag tops are the cars that fell way short in my opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

What did the Oldses get?

quick-bowtie

05-18-2008, 06:54 PM

Jesus you'd swear I had to many beers in me with the spelling in my last post.

Anyways the Black X-Chandler W30 Convert brought in the low 80's and the Red w30 convert brought in the 50's.. Pretty sure those were the prices but I did have a couple beers in me..lol

Both cars were Autos but I still thought that was light considering a 72 olds convert brought in the low 70's later in the day..

Does anyone know who bought the Blue ZL1? He looked very familiar

NovaMob03

05-18-2008, 07:26 PM

It's not rocket science...The, hit or miss scenario, seems to happen at Mecum because they have too many awesome cars & not enough high end buyers.
Awesome inventory + fewer bidders = lower prices...it's where shrewd buyers, like Stefano, Charley & others go to buy http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif
Les, the sky is not falling http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

SBR

05-18-2008, 08:30 PM

[ QUOTE ]
It's not rocket science...The, hit or miss scenario, seems to happen at Mecum because they have too many awesome cars & not enough high end buyers.
Awesome inventory + fewer bidders = lower prices...it's where shrewd buyers, like Stefano, Charley & others go to buy http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif
Les, the sky is not falling http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ] I agree, too many cars and waaay too many auctions. There is less excitement between auctions now because it seems like there is another one just around the corner. This is in no way a knock against the auction houses as they are in business to make money and if the demand is there they will have more of them, which will continue to hurt prices JMHO. Overall however I would say the market is still strong for quality no BS stuff, just not crazy money. Not too bad considering consumer confidence is at its lowest point in nearly three decades.
Regards,

Les Quam

05-18-2008, 09:06 PM

I agree that high end stuff is still in some circumstances bringing great money. And in some cases crappy stuff is still bringing silly money as in the case of the black Boss 9 that brought 275K plus fees. That being said the pre auction estimates for Dave's cars were 5 million for the 23 cars. I doubt they brought 4 million? The W30 ragtops were expected to bring 200K each. The blue RS ZL-1 was expected to bring 1.5 million or more and the yellow ZL-1 800K to a million. That the two ZL-1 brought roughly half what was expected and the W 30 ragtops if the number reported on this thread is correct is way below market, or what people thought the market was? I think like others have said it was too many quality cars for too few buyers but I also think having the auction in a lousy area of Indy was not a great business plan. Most heavy hitters prefer a resort atmosphere or at least outside of a city like Chicago for their families to have some fun? I can't imagine Dana or Dave are very happy right now?

427king

05-18-2008, 09:17 PM

Certainly if you want to bring top dollar for rare cars, it wasnt a good idea to bring so many good cars at once because it confuses people as to what they want to buy,having multiple[3] ls6 ragtops and 2 zl1s did nothing but bring the price down for them. Had there been one of each i think both types of cars would have broiught alot stronger money. If there were 2 guys wanting a zl1 they didnt have to compete against each other since there were 2 cars for them .

69 JL-8

05-18-2008, 09:58 PM

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHY DAVE DECIDED TO PART WITH HIS COLLECTION?

SBR

05-18-2008, 11:52 PM

I believe that Dave had 21 cars for sale at the auction and all were sold except the restomod Mustang. The cars brought over 4.9 million plus commissions. While I liked the setup at the auction site it is not in a great location as was already said. I hope they move the auction to St. Charles.

Les Quam

05-19-2008, 12:11 AM

If they all add up to 4.9 million in sales plus fees, plus the sale of the signs, then everyone is satisfied and nobody got hurt. Maybe it wasn't the home run they expected and hoped for but not a disaster either. That is good news if the number is 4.9 million.

SIR-VIVOR

05-19-2008, 01:12 AM

I wrote the check for the Boss 9. If you can find me another unrestored black California one, I'll buy it too! Way easier to replace the money than the car!

ohhawk

05-19-2008, 01:54 AM

I watched most of Saturday on TV and viewed some of the sales that are now posted on their website. As has already been noted it looked hit and miss but in general I think if you went there with money to spend and an open mind there were some good buys.

If you were there to buy a hot rod or restomod there were some steals. Cars with racing history seem to continue to bring good money. A number of documented LS6 hardtops could be had in the 70's range. A couple of cars I've seen at auctions earlier this year ended up bringing nearly 20% more at this auction and sold......so go figure.

Can't argue with the thinking that too many cars/too few buyers but perhaps part of the reason there were too many cars is that there is a general softness in the market.

Les Quam

05-19-2008, 02:42 AM

Sir-vivor,
Very sorry about the comment but I looked at the Boss 9 twice when Dave owned it and thought it was a nice driver, with fantastic paperwork and history, I also looked at it when it was for sale before Dave bought it. Two Gold card MCA judges looked at it again Friday and told me they thought it was "crappy" I told them I thought it was a nice driver with a bulletproof history. I figure the judges know more than I so I went with their opinion. It has all original paint except for the two doors which were painted. Ed Meyer the Boss 9 guru thinks it is one of the best around period end of story. I paid 300K for my 9000 mile all original black Boss 9 and later sold it for a lot more during the market frenzy about a year ago. I know of a red 4000 mile Boss 9 purchased from the original owner that can be bought for 350K right now if you want another original one or know someone that does. I simply think you paid strong money for the car in a down market but you can't pay too much, just too soon and who is to say you paid too much when you consider what was paid for the Boss 9s at Barrett Jackson the last two years. Your car is clearly better than any sold there in the last two years. Black is rare for a Boss 9 and your car runs really well which is also rare for any Boss 9. Your car has had nothing done to it while at Dave's and with some detail would probably win a MCA unrestored Gold. My two cents.

Xplantdad

05-19-2008, 03:15 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I wrote the check for the Boss 9. If you can find me another unrestored black California one, I'll buy it too! Way easier to replace the money than the car!

[/ QUOTE ]

Congrats Chris... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/headbang.gif

SIR-VIVOR

05-19-2008, 04:41 AM

Thanks. I love black cars and enjoy the challenge of cleaning up unrestored cars with a tooth brush and fine tooth comb. Every car I own has a story, and I'm okay with that. Dave and I went to high school together. It was a great time this weekend with great friends. That's priceless.

olredalert

05-19-2008, 05:09 AM

------Chris,,,Congratulations!!! Have toothbrush will travel. Now you will have to get some blue-oval stuff for the Garage-Mahal. Its never ending......Bill S

Les Quam

05-19-2008, 05:34 AM

Chris,
I meant no disrespect towards you. Your integrity, knowledge and reputation in regard to unrestored cars is widely known. As is your prestigious collection of unrestored Vettes. The Boss 9 market much like the rest of Ford world is impossible to predict and much less stable than Vette world.

January before last an restored Boss 9 that had never been judged but was marketed as a Thoroughbred went for 660K. This past January some sold in the 360K range and your car is better than all of those by a wide margin.

The two MCA judges who looked at your car Friday were comparing it to a unrestored Black Boss 9 that had sold for 550K so I don't think that is fair? If anyone can detail an unrestored car to high show standards it is you.

The problem with Boss 9s compared to Vettes is that the Boss 9 runs like a turd in relation to a big block Chevy( and some would say a Chevy Vega) and as a veteran of MCA competition Its my observation the Ford meets are highly political and the MCA unrestored class is similar to your Vette benchmark class in that the MCA requires all the parts to be original and precede the cars build date including tires, battery and exhaust and 80% of the paint for which they use a paint gauge.

More problamatic is a lack of uniformity that Vette shows have in judging standards that the MCA doesn't. The MCA doesn't have a survivor class like the Vette world does for cars that aren't benchmark level. Your new Boss 9, I would think would sail through the new survivor program Dave Burroughs has put together? I am not sure if it has date code correct tires, exhaust etc that MCA judges are looking for and think any unrestored car without them is crap. The MCA guys are just beyond anal when it comes to originality, they evaluate every original Mustang from a benchmark level status.

Charley Lillard

05-19-2008, 05:52 AM

I was amazed at what a nice facility it turned out to be and the amazing amount of quality cars. Dave and Dana are happy with how the sales went. Try selling off 21 cars and wading thru 21 cars worth of tire kickers. It would probably take a couple years to go thru those cars. Dana did it in a couple hours. Real bids, real money. Nobody in the car world can say they didn't know the cars were for sale. If you wanted one of the cars, you came or bid from home. The reserve on the blue RS ZL1 was 675K but it sold for 800K. I don't think having two ZL1's there had anything to do with the prices. That just appears to be where the prices are now. If you are buying and selling you are taking a hit but the cars in reality are getting more affordable. I don't need a family resort, just cars. Everyone there that I asked about it thought the whole setup was great.

sixtiesmuscle

05-19-2008, 05:57 AM

Well said Charley. I agree totally. Chris, you got a great car at a fair price IMO. Les, you should have actually attended.

SIR-VIVOR

05-19-2008, 05:58 AM

No problems at all. They are just cars. I actually bought it because I know it will clean up. A friend here in Dallas loves these, and he wasn't able to make it and couldn't be reached by phone, so I bought it. If he wants it, it's his and I'll help him clean it up.

442w30

05-19-2008, 05:58 AM

I just checked the Mecum website and saw the red W-30 ragtop go for 55 or so, the black one 80. The 4-speed reddish one went for a buck fifty. I wonder the level of documentation on the first two as it seems too low.

On the other hand, perhaps there were other variables affecting prices, such as being 2nd tier cars among 1st tier cars? There's not a lot of Chevy guy who are interested in spending that kind of coin for an Olds.

Les Quam

05-19-2008, 05:59 AM

Charley,
Its good to hear some positive news. Everyone seemed to like the facility, Indy is just not considered a resort destination? No one can fault the effort Dana put into selling Dave's cars. I just think they sold under the market? But the market is changing I guess?

Great news about super ultra rare supercars like the Blue ZL-1 being more affordable and selling for half of what we thought market value was. That would mean the Supersnake is also more affordable right? Half of what we thought it was?? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Les Quam

05-19-2008, 06:05 AM

Mike,
I had planned on coming but had to be in Chicago unexpectedly the previous weekend for a funeral and have to fly back this weekend on more unpleasent business. I couldn't be out of town three weekends in a row. It's my loss, had I been there I would own the unrestored blue ZL-1 right now. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Charley Lillard

05-19-2008, 06:21 AM

You don't know if you would have owned the RS ZL1. Remember you still would have to out bid the guy that got it and you don't know what it would take to out bid him. Same guy that bought a couple Cobras a auction last year ? Has a few hundred cars ? Remember when ZL1's were 200 K ? Not so long ago.

302moz

05-19-2008, 06:26 AM

Did Jerry Macneish sell Old Reliable? What was the price?

Mr70

05-19-2008, 06:33 AM

It was bid on the block to 400K,but was not accepted.

427king

05-19-2008, 06:40 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Remember when ZL1's were 200 K ? Not so long ago.

[/ QUOTE ] And now we are saying the sky is falling because they are ONLY doing 800K ?? The market is fine, that auction did better prices than alot of people thought . You can always point to a few cars and ask what happened. No one said the market was soft when the green copo camaro did 85K at BJ a few years ago.

Charley Lillard

05-19-2008, 07:26 AM

I was sure that the owner of Reliable transport was going to buy Old Reliable and park it next to Little Hoss but he didn't. I was so sure of myself, I bet Jerry it would happen. Jerry didn't sell his car but he did get 20.00 from me.

TimG

05-19-2008, 06:03 PM

I keep thinking of that black W30 at $80,000. What a car.
But as mentioned earlier, who knows how high the buyer was willing to go on that one.

Vintageracer

05-19-2008, 06:18 PM

Anyone know that the Red 70 Buick GS Stage 1 Convertible brought?

Mr70

05-19-2008, 06:28 PM

It sold for $115,000.00.
http://www.mecumauction.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=SC0508-65956

olredalert

05-19-2008, 07:28 PM

-----Wow!!! Automatic for $115,000. Either crazy or a visionary. The two are close, I think.......Bill S

Les Quam

05-19-2008, 07:41 PM

There are ZL-1s and then there are ZL-1s. This unrestored blue ZL-1 with the low miles and original paint and original interior not to mention the original engine was one of the two or three most historically significant muscle cars in existence. IMHO far more valuable then any of the HEMI Cuda convertibles that sold for two or three times as much.

We all agree a car can only be original once and original cars command a justifiable premium. This car had no stories attached to it , no one was going around claiming it was a re-body or a repaint or had tape marks etc. It has always been a well known car with tons of media coverage.

Many considered it to be the holy grail of muscle cars. The ZL-1 in the Camaro is widely considered to be the pinnacle of muscle car performance and this car was a documented low mile unmolested one of two RS ZL-1.

So today's market is evidently saying the holy grail is worth 800K. That is good or bad depending on which side of the fence your on I guess? Buyer or seller?

sixtiesmuscle

05-19-2008, 08:05 PM

Sorry you couldn't make it Les. I think you would have a totally different opinion on the venue if you could have made it. The sale was very well run, and, I think very successful. I haven't heard the final numbers, but, I think they will be great. Yes, the market has "stabilized" a bit, but, I think that is exactly what we needed, and, I'm speaking as one who has a pretty good sized dog in the fight. It was a pretty simple equation as far as the values on the cars. The rarity of the car plus the condition of the car, times the documentation on the car = the price. Maybe simplified, but, you get the picture. Even a rare car, in #3 condition with no docs did NOT set a world record like they used to, LOL.

As far as ZL1 prices, it was not that long ago that I called Dave C telling him he was crazy for spending 200 & then 275 on the two cars that sold this weekend. I have graciously eaten several meals of crow since that time. The guy who bought the blue car buys with a "money is no object" philosophy, so, if another serious collector like Les had been bidding, I also believe it would have cracked the million dollar mark. And, the last time I looked, $800,000. was a lot of money for a Camaro of ANY type.

sixtiesmuscle

05-19-2008, 08:16 PM

As far as the "holy grail" status of the blue car, that may be the opinion of many people, but, I can assure you, not all people. I have cars that are worth less than half of that car that I would personally rather keep than trade for it. That is without regard to value of course. I might be dumb, but, I'm not stupid. I think.

Anyway, the crazy run up of prices for hemi Cuda converts dragged everything else up with them. That was a lot of blue sky IMO, and, the leaders on the way up have also led the pack on the correction. I think this sale has established a base for buyers to feel comfortable to start buying again. A good healthy market with reasonable increases in values is good for buyers, sellers, AND keepers in the long run.

sixtiesmuscle

05-19-2008, 08:33 PM

One more thing. In the weeks leading up to the Mecum sale, I had heard about several high end collectors who planned to bid on the ZL1s. The rumors that they were going to buy those cars may very well have scared off some viable bidders. I think that happens more than we want to admit. The thought that "I want that car, but, I'm not even going to go because [insert name of rich guy] is going to pay whatever it takes to own it". Then "rich guy" doesn't show up, or, is able to steal something because nobody else with the wherewithal shows up.

Canucklehead

05-19-2008, 08:42 PM

I thought the ZL1 corvettes are the holy grail!

Stefano

05-19-2008, 09:32 PM

Great Auction!
I bought some cars, sold some cars. Spent time with good friends, from all over the world. The location and venue are very good for a muscle car auction. Much better than schlepping cars around in the Mud at B/J.

The Mecum Team "delivered the goods" once again!

See you there next year!!

Vintageracer

05-19-2008, 09:53 PM

Either Dana or Dave lost their ass on the 70 GS Stage 1 Convertible. Somebody got a heck of a deal on real car for cheap money!

P.J.

05-19-2008, 10:48 PM

In 1988 the 427 67 documented restored corvette was selling for $100,000 Canadian at auction.In late 1989 when the economy hit the skids that same car sold at a local auction for $50,000 Canadian. The car market is like the stock market. Buy low sell high.For some of us that are in this hobby for the sheer pleasure its not a problem because we are in it for the long run.
PJ

wesyenko

05-19-2008, 11:12 PM

I too feel Mecum put on a First Class Event and has raised the bar for muscle car auction. I was able to buy the Yellow ZL1 for what I feel is way under the market value of these cars. Dave & Jill'S collection was one we all admired & will be missed. Thanks for all the hospitality & memories. Wayne

Les Quam

05-19-2008, 11:28 PM

Wayne you stole that car you should have been wearing a mask. LOL

Mike , I think Dana always runs a great auction arguably the best out there IMHO. I just think the TV coverage was hard to find and INDIANAPOLIS sucks as a venue city. There I said it all you Indy residents and Indy lovers commence with the bashing. Indy may have been attractive to Dana but I have been to Indy and hope to never return. Chicago suburbs, Phoenix, Vegas, California all are places that would attract more buyers. Indy was a great place to hide an auction and a great place for dealers to pay wholesale.

Yeah I heard the rumors about the heavy hitters bidding on the ZL-1 and am kicking myself for listening to them.

And yeah I think the Colts suck also. Da Bearz rule. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Charley Lillard

05-20-2008, 12:15 AM

"Hide an auction" ? Were you under a rock ? It was on directv for 7 hours. It was on Ebay. Plenty of us were there, just not you so you think it was hidden ? The economy is in the tank. Prices on everything has tanked except for the price of gas. I know one bidder that was set to buy a couple of the significant cars but is very unsure of things because his business involves transportation and the price of diesel is a big concern. He was prepared to pay more than the 800K for the ZL1 but didn't bid at all. There are tons of guys that say "I would have paid more than that" on certain cars but they didn't. There was a guy that supposedly was offering 6 mil for Daves collection about a week before Dave comitted to Dana. He was at the auction saying how much better it would have been for Dave. He could have bought the exact same collection at the auction and saved a million dollars but he bought nothing! So was he really going to pay 6 mil or was he just another stroke ?
The Olds converts had no paperwork and the front sheetmetal on the red car had fenders from a different year so that is why the prices were lower than some people expected.

People have been bitching for the last few years about how over priced the cars are. Now that the prices are dropping they are bitching about prices dropping. There are a bunch of cars that used to sell on the 60K-70K range that over the last few years have jumped over 100-200K that will probably come back down again.

Xplantdad

05-20-2008, 12:35 AM

[ QUOTE ]

There was a guy that supposedly was offering 6 mil for Daves collection about a week before Dave comitted to Dana. He was at the auction saying how much better it would have been for Dave.

[/ QUOTE ]

So, was it Mike S. that wante to buy the collection as a whole? I mean...at one time he said that he already had it. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

sixtiesmuscle

05-20-2008, 01:06 AM

I respect your opinion Les, but, as I've said many times on this board, if you're not at the auction in question, your opinion can't be considered accurate. There were plenty of people with the ability to buy these cars. I spoke with the person heading up the phone bidding effort, and, they had no less than five phone bidders on the major cars, each with their own phone bid attendant. There was plenty of opportunity to bid if you wanted to, so, the location was secondary to the cars themselves. The simple fact is that the bidding stopped when there weren't two people willing to go higher. There is no telling where it would have stopped if there was another willing bidder.

Dave & Jill were happy, Dana was happy, the attendees were happy; it seems like only Les is unhappy, LOL. Chill & I hope to see you at the Mecum Fall auction in St. Charles.

As an aside, a couple of the Mecum auctioneer group also work the B-J auctions. Jimmy Landis is the best at what he does in my opinion, bar NONE. The word is that for even the B-J team, they have never sold a higher dollar volume in the same time that that it took to sell the Christenholz collection. We can disect this all day, but, that said a lot to them, and, it says a lot to me as well. Let's not lament the prices. Let's celebrate the new momentum that should lead to a nice steady up trend. We all have something to look forward to. My suggestion to those that have been locked out of the market especially for Supercars, is to jump in while you can. I don't think there has been a better time to get in, at least for the last several years.

shor

05-20-2008, 01:08 AM

I liked Indy.
We were there one year for the Indianapolis 500.
I especially liked the parade and the motorcops doing stunts and trick riding at the head of the parade.
I wish I had filmed it.

Xplantdad

05-20-2008, 01:09 AM

Thanks for your perspective Mike...sounds like you guys had a blast there. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

csx289

05-20-2008, 01:21 AM

Hi There,

Can I chime in? Les, Charley, Mike - Group Hug!

Regards,
Stuart Smalley, Host
"Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley"

Tenney

05-20-2008, 04:08 AM

Looks like a great venue - most (all?) cars indoors. Recall the fairgrounds working okay for the Street Nats, too.

Bet the RS ZL-1 buyer'll get his money back when he's done having fun.

Les Quam

05-20-2008, 05:02 AM

Yeah Charley I was hiding under a rock. Unfortunately my rock didn't have a HD TV decoder box and we couldn't get the auction? 77 hours or 77,000 of TV it doesn't matter if you can't find it. I can watch Barrett Jackson in my cabin 9000 feet up on a remote Utah mountain in a blizzard but can't find Dana's auction in my living room in Vegas?

Yeah I wasn't there this weekend but I have been there before for a car show and half a dozen of my friends were there this weekend who don't have to tow Dana's party line on this forum and the facility is located in the middle of a poorer section of Indy. Heck why not just find a real ghetto next time? LOL

So Charley and Mike I am just curious how many times in the past when the kids were a little younger have you said "Hey Honey get the kids and pack up the car were going to Indy to watch the grass grow" or whatever they do there for excitement?

Lets see BJ has three auctions one in Phoenix, one in West Palm Beach and now one in Vegas all on speedvision. Drew has one in Scottsdale, one in Monterray and one in Florida near Disney World. So you guys are arguing its easier to get the family to a bad section of Indy rather than those places I just mentioned? And I am living under a rock??? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

I have always said Dana gets the best cars and runs the best most relaxed customer friendly auctions but in my very humble opinion Indy sucks, his HD TV coverage sucks and first and foremost http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/CharleySucks.gif LOL LOL

Charley Lillard

05-20-2008, 05:30 AM

Sorry if you can't afford Directv. Do we need to setup a donation thread ? If you are posting here you have access to Ebay and it was on Ebay also. I leave the family at home when I go to the auction. Any of the half dozen friends you have that went have a problem with the auction ? What was it they didn't like ? Tow Dana's party line ? I'm sorry you had to miss the event but knocking it still won't make it any less than the steller event it was.

Les Quam

05-20-2008, 05:52 AM

It was stellar because Dana always gets the best quality and most significant muscle cars and runs the most fun auctions not because it was in Indy or because of the facility. I get direcTV but need some decoder box and perhaps a secret decoder ring to get the signal? Feel free to send me any donations to purchase them.

I just received Dana's latest auction flyer in the mail today, this one is in St. Paul. I think this December Dana is having the Anchorage Alaska Mid winter classic let me know how the skiing is big guy? Say hello to Reggie for me. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/CharleySucks.gif

Johnny Horsepower

05-20-2008, 08:17 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I respect your opinion Les, but, as I've said many times on this board, if you're not at the auction in question, your opinion can't be considered accurate. There were plenty of people with the ability to buy these cars. I spoke with the person heading up the phone bidding effort, and, they had no less than five phone bidders on the major cars, each with their own phone bid attendant. There was plenty of opportunity to bid if you wanted to, so, the location was secondary to the cars themselves. The simple fact is that the bidding stopped when there weren't two people willing to go higher. There is no telling where it would have stopped if there was another willing bidder.

Dave & Jill were happy, Dana was happy, the attendees were happy; it seems like only Les is unhappy, LOL. Chill & I hope to see you at the Mecum Fall auction in St. Charles.

As an aside, a couple of the Mecum auctioneer group also work the B-J auctions. Jimmy Landis is the best at what he does in my opinion, bar NONE. The word is that for even the B-J team, they have never sold a higher dollar volume in the same time that that it took to sell the Christenholz collection. We can disect this all day, but, that said a lot to them, and, it says a lot to me as well. Let's not lament the prices. Let's celebrate the new momentum that should lead to a nice steady up trend. We all have something to look forward to. My suggestion to those that have been locked out of the market especially for Supercars, is to jump in while you can. I don't think there has been a better time to get in, at least for the last several years.

[/ QUOTE ]

The venue was excellent! The location so so, but I wasn't there for sight seeing, I was there for Iron watching.(Wife and 3 year old car nut in tow) I also was able to pop over to bump day at the Speedway and take in some high speed open wheel rippin! I wish they had an all indoor venue that was doable in Chicago, but as the stones said "You can't always get what you want."
I also think one big weekend is all that is needed. As much as I like to watch it. I wondered if earlier/quieter auctions did not lower the expectation of those not in the know and keep them from attending the big one. (maybe that does not matter cause they would not be real money anyway)
I also agree with Mike and think Dana's block staff are excellent with my favorite also always being Jimmy Landis.

Most importantly, while I was sad to see a collection I personally enjoyed watching grow over the years get dismantled, I am glad that no one can take away my friends, Dave and Jill, and that they were happy in the end. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa261/Zgusto/Mecum08048-1.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa261/Zgusto/Mecum08046-1.jpg

67rscoupe

05-20-2008, 08:33 AM

[ QUOTE ]
"Hide an auction" ? The economy is in the tank. Prices on everything has tanked except for the price of gas. I know one bidder that was set to buy a couple of the significant cars but is very unsure of things because his business involves transportation and the price of diesel is a big concern.
People have been bitching for the last few years about how over priced the cars are. Now that the prices are dropping they are bitching about prices dropping. There are a bunch of cars that used to sell on the 60K-70K range that over the last few years have jumped over 100-200K that will probably come back down again.

[/ QUOTE ]

very well said imo.the economy is in the tank.

Stefano

05-20-2008, 08:48 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I too feel Mecum put on a First Class Event and has raised the bar for muscle car auction. I was able to buy the Yellow ZL1 for what I feel is way under the market value of these cars. Dave & Jill'S collection was one we all admired & will be missed. Thanks for all the hospitality & memories. Wayne

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm happy to see that some of the special cars went to sYc members.

Congrats with your purchase.

PhilS

05-20-2008, 09:17 AM

Great event even with a hangover. Although the prices were a little erratic I felt that overall the market seems pretty healthy. It did seem that much of the energy was gone when the Kevin Moore collection ran. Some pretty good deals were had on those cars. A black 6pak cuda rag for 175k seems pretty reasonable.

1railman

05-20-2008, 04:03 PM

If I had gone, I would have bumped that '68 L89 Corvette. 9000 mile all original for $115, I thought was a very good buy.

mrrec

05-20-2008, 05:35 PM

It was a great venue. I didn't spend any time in the adjoining neighborhoods. Likewise, I don't do that anywhere else so it really doesn't matter too much to me anything other than the cars (and lack of mud and dust on my car).

I've bought and sold at B-J, Russo and Mecum. Nobody works harder than Dana to sell your car and treat you right as a buyer.

I believe there are fewer and fewer real, no BS, documented cars at auction. How many RS Zs, xram, JL8 were there? No docs. Price means nothing on these to me (I'd rather have one of those rare non xram cars anyway). Reading the auction results without having intimate knowledge of the car in question means little. When you see a 69 396 Pace Car that was a no sale that only bid to about $37k, you might think "recession". Or you could've been there and looked under the hood and have seen the EGR valve sticking out of the junk truck motor.......

Dave

SBR

05-21-2008, 04:22 AM

[ QUOTE ]
If I had gone, I would have bumped that '68 L89 Corvette. 9000 mile all original for $115, I thought was a very good buy.

[/ QUOTE ] Harold, I too wanted to bid on the car, it is an awesome piece! I was shocked that he lifted the reserve but it was a great deal for someone.

csx289

05-21-2008, 07:41 AM

The 9k mile L89 car just happens to be in Milwaukee now...

Xplantdad

05-21-2008, 05:20 PM

Will it go on the Copperstate Rally next year? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

SBR

05-22-2008, 04:05 AM

[ QUOTE ]
The 9k mile L89 car just happens to be in Milwaukee now...

[/ QUOTE ] Colin, congrats on a fine purchase! You stole that car. Is the car going in your personal collection or did you buy it for inventory?

1railman

05-22-2008, 04:57 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The 9k mile L89 car just happens to be in Milwaukee now...

[/ QUOTE ] Colin, congrats on a fine purchase! You stole that car. Is the car going in your personal collection or did you buy it for inventory?

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree. I was never one for white Corvettes, but when I saw it at Carlisle NCRS Gallery it was my favorite car.

Les Quam

05-22-2008, 04:59 AM

I don't think Colin bought it? I think a friend of Colin's from Milwaukee bought it? But I could be wrong? Or I could be living under a rock like Charley thinks? LOL http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/CharleySucks.gif

mockingbird812

05-22-2008, 05:27 AM

Mecum website (http://editor.delivra.com/vo.aspx?FileID=168675&MemberID=149464124&MailID=50 36357) states 55% sale rate.

1969z280

05-22-2008, 05:41 AM

Mecum Auctions average a 54% sell through so, this one was spot on. It was a great venue if you were into buing cars. Thank God we've seen the last of the mud and storms associated with Belvidere. I had a GREAT TIME and bought two beautiful cars and once again the Mecum Folks couldn't have done a better job! I don't have a party line to tow ... just my opinion. Ed http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

Mr70

05-22-2008, 05:50 AM

"Thank God we've seen the last of the mud and storms associated with Belvidere".

I heard that,as when cars of this quality & magnitude are assembled under one roof,it's beneficial to ALL involved to have it be under hard construction and not some canvas tent flapping in the wind.
Adios Boone Co. Fairgrounds... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/flag.gif

Xplantdad

05-22-2008, 07:19 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Mecum Auctions average a 54% sell through so, this one was spot on. It was a great venue if you were into buing cars. Thank God we've seen the last of the mud and storms associated with Belvidere. I had a GREAT TIME and bought two beautiful cars and once again the Mecum Folks couldn't have done a better job! I don't have a party line to tow ... just my opinion. Ed http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey Ed...what did you pick up...if you don't mind me asking? Were they blue? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

1969z280

05-22-2008, 07:30 PM

Bruce:

I don't like being so predictable but, I couldn't help myself. I bought a 1970 Mulsanne Blue Z/28 M22 with the window sticker and POP. It went Friday as F218. Sunday before I left I bought a 1967 Lemans Convertible with an OHC 6. It's a restored 67,000 mile car and extemely cool in this time of high gas prices. Maybe John D. was more of a visionary than most give him credit for. But alas, it is Red. Ed

Xplantdad

05-22-2008, 09:08 PM

Cool Ed...they both sound like really cool cars! Congrats... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/headbang.gif

Johnny Horsepower

05-23-2008, 05:45 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Bruce:

I don't like being so predictable but, I couldn't help myself. I bought a 1970 Mulsanne Blue Z/28 M22 with the window sticker and POP. It went Friday as F218. Sunday before I left I bought a 1967 Lemans Convertible with an OHC 6. It's a restored 67,000 mile car and extemely cool in this time of high gas prices. Maybe John D. was more of a visionary than most give him credit for. But alas, it is Red. Ed

[/ QUOTE ]

Ed, i wish I would have met you while I was there. Since we talked on the phone alot when I was looking for my Z, I figured we should meet in person.
Well next time we will hunt each other down.

JOHN http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

ohhawk

05-23-2008, 06:14 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Bruce:

I don't like being so predictable but, I couldn't help myself. I bought a 1970 Mulsanne Blue Z/28 M22 with the window sticker and POP. It went Friday as F218. Sunday before I left I bought a 1967 Lemans Convertible with an OHC 6. It's a restored 67,000 mile car and extemely cool in this time of high gas prices. Maybe John D. was more of a visionary than most give him credit for. But alas, it is Red. Ed

[/ QUOTE ]

Congrats on your 70Z purchase. Looked that car over pretty well a year ago and took it for a spin.

Mr70

05-23-2008, 06:38 AM

Is that the same 1970 Z/28 that GTO DON restored & made the cover of MCR?
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/124379/page/0/fpart/1/vc/1

1969z280

05-23-2008, 07:40 AM

Rick:

My car is not the one described in the thread. I am familiar with that car recently. It sold in Florida for $88K and failed to sell at Mecum for $91 or 92K. I'm not sure if that was real money or not. Mine is a beautifully restored 41,000 mile car that was brought to Mecum by a Mopar Dealer and I believe it was previously owned by a fellow in Arizona and restored by a fellow who died at age 41.

Johnny, sorry I missed you as well. I saw your car at Chevy Vette Fest but didn't see you around the show. Take a day and drive out to Columbia City this Summer. It's 3 hours form Perfect Ridge.

Ed http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

Johnny Horsepower

05-23-2008, 06:43 PM

[ QUOTE ]

Johnny, sorry I missed you as well. I saw your car at Chevy Vette Fest but didn't see you around the show. Take a day and drive out to Columbia City this Summer. It's 3 hours form Perfect Ridge.

Ed http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Might have to do that.....and Ed......you know it's Action Ridge http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

John

RM Schimel

05-24-2008, 01:07 AM

I thought Dana did a great job with the spring auction. The new facility is much nicer than the old swamp in Belvidere, Illinois. There were many nice cars for sale.

Once again this auction dictated just how important a solid history with paperwork has become for these cars now. It has greatly effected the Olds and Chevy cars without bulletproof histories and no documentation to prove authenticity. This was strongly demonstrated with the black Christenholz collection LS-6 ragtop with a truly solid past and known history selling for 500K… while a comparable blue LS-6 ragtop with no docs or reputation went for around 80K. If you can prove the legitimacy of an LS-6 ragtop or W-30 ragtop … the sky is the limit but if you cannot the cars will just SING clone to most savvy buyers today. Most of the finest Olds and Buick’s have always sold privately for the huge money anyway and not through the auction houses and that will probably continue in the future.

I have seen a recent increase for the 1969 Hurst Oldsmobile cars probably due to the fact that many of the VIN’s are known.

Overall though, I believe the market has remained strong on high quality cars but slipped on the fringe cars with no histories. I like the new location and thought it was a good time especially with the Indy time trials right next door. RM

JTH74

05-24-2008, 05:23 PM

Where did the Lemans Blue RS/ZL1 go? 2 years ago that car would probably have brought 1.5, regardless of price its one of the most significant cars to ever come off a GM production line, and congrats to the new owner!

rich p

05-25-2008, 06:22 PM

RS ZL1 is in Maryland !

csx289

05-25-2008, 07:03 PM

Black LS6 Convert is in Milwaukee (15 miles from where Dave bought it from the 2nd owner http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif )!

Mr70

05-25-2008, 07:30 PM

Nice!...

Bob Fuller,Iowa
Gary Esse,Wisco.
Dave Christenholz,Az.
Colin Comer,Wisco.
Me,littleburg http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Les Quam

05-26-2008, 04:55 AM

I had no idea Dave was the third owner of that car? I knew Fuller owned it until the late 80s because I have the Muscle car magazine article. Maybe Charley was right and I do live under a rock? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

csx289

05-26-2008, 06:02 PM

Yep, Fuller sold it to Gary Esse - who owns Madison Classics, the people that put on the Jefferson/Elkhorn/Waukesha show/ swap meets. I remember the car from when Gary had it on display in his showroom and at a few Jefferson shows. I forgot how good the docs are for the car, even got a great letter from Gary to Dave describing how the convertible top had only been down once for 10 min for the Super Chevy show. Of course, Mecum's guys put the top down and left it down for a week http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif so I'm going in to the shop today to hit it with the steamer to get the wrinkles out! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Canucklehead

05-26-2008, 06:54 PM

Anyone know what the "rocket car" brought?

Mr70

05-26-2008, 07:21 PM

The 'Tobacco King' rocket car brought $375K.
http://www.mecumauction.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=SC0508-65922

Les Quam

05-26-2008, 08:38 PM

Mr. Corner,
What docs came with the Fuller LS-6 car? The owner history and document history was not listed in the auction description.

csx289

05-26-2008, 08:53 PM

Quamo aka Juggernaut:

Fuller car has the original window sticker, original dealer invoice, POP, warranty book, 3(?) build sheets, etc. Basically every slip of paperwork. Fuller, from my understanding, drove the car for about 11 months and then mothballed it. Dave had Mark Scalpone take off the original belts, hose, tires, trans modulator, and waterpump to prep the car for a few passes at SCR9 (or was it SCRX?)... all the original items are in a box in the trunk. I almost had a heart attack when the truck driver delivered the car last week and "didn't know nothin' about no old tires"...of course, I found them in the front of his trailer and he replied "oh, dem is fo' yo' caa? Dem jus' some ol' REPRODUCTION polyglas tires, ain't they?" http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif Thank God Dave had the preseence of mind to label them as "original tires black LS6"

Heck, the undercoating is still on the original tail pipes. Only issue is she is leaking coolant from somewhere, looks like a heater hose so I need to investigate. OK, I better get back to steaming the top out now.

Hey, next time you visit your Supercars in my shop you can take a closer look! Bring your Lactaid, and I'll buy the butter burgers and Sprecher root beer at Solly's http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Colin

olredalert

05-26-2008, 09:48 PM

-----Colin,,,About 1978 or 79 I bought a gorgeous red 1966 Hemi Satellite from Jerome Shinkay. He got it from Fuller. I later went to Bobs place on unrelated business and saw your new acquisition. At that time he was telling me he would be buried in the car, but obviously that thought changed. Even then I thought it was probably the coolest Chevelle ever ordered. About a year later my boss, Richard B had an auction downtown and I needed to sell one of two cars and the Hemi turned out to be the one. As it happened, Bob Fuller was at the auction with a beautiful 1970 454 Vette coupe, and he wanted the Hemi back. We ended up trading and somehow in the middle of all that Bob got angry at me and would never talk to me again. To this day I dont know what sparked him because as we all know, I am a warm wonderful human being. I should have been mad at him because the Corvette turned out to have a one piece Ecklers nose on it. It wouldnt have done me any good in any event and it was at least partially my fault for not looking over the car close enough. I trusted Bobs description, and while he might not have known I always sort of felt like he did.........Bill S

mc25t190

05-26-2008, 10:22 PM

The "Rocket" car belongs to a very close friend of mine here in Greensboro. He decided not to sell the car and bought it back. His son started getting upset the night before he was to leave town and head to Indiana. No money would have bought it. He called me when he got home and told me he was offered $700k with a trade to sell it. The guy that made the offer told him he thought it was a million dollar car, but, of course didn't have the money.The seller has plenty of money and believe me when he made up his mind he wasn't going to sell it , no amount of money would have bought it. It met reserve if that tells you anything. I have been up and down that car numerous times. He has it on a lift in his garage. You should see the workmanship that went into that car. It is wicked mean!

68CamSS

05-27-2008, 12:14 AM

Wasn't Grumpys 67 Camaro going to be up for auction?

Canucklehead

05-27-2008, 08:18 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The "Rocket" car belongs to a very close friend of mine here in Greensboro. He decided not to sell the car and bought it back. His son started getting upset the night before he was to leave town and head to Indiana. No money would have bought it. He called me when he got home and told me he was offered $700k with a trade to sell it. The guy that made the offer told him he thought it was a million dollar car, but, of course didn't have the money.The seller has plenty of money and believe me when he made up his mind he wasn't going to sell it , no amount of money would have bought it. It met reserve if that tells you anything. I have been up and down that car numerous times. He has it on a lift in his garage. You should see the workmanship that went into that car. It is wicked mean!

[/ QUOTE ]

Have you ever seen the car go for a run?

RM Schimel

05-28-2008, 01:02 AM

Congratulations Colin on the acquisition of such a historically significant auto…. Well done!!! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

SS427

05-28-2008, 02:47 AM

That is great news Colin and glad to see it is staying with one of our own. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

wagonman

05-28-2008, 06:11 AM

Charley Lillard

05-28-2008, 07:00 AM

You saw the owner in front of the podium buying his car back. I spoke to him at length and he was really regretting selling it. He hoped it would not meet reserve but if it did he would just bid to buy it back until he felt he couldn't bid any longer. Nice guy that realized just what he was giving up. He had it stored on a lift, under a cover and kind of forgot just how special of a car it is.

wagonman

05-29-2008, 03:02 AM

[ QUOTE ]
You saw the owner in front of the podium buying his car back. I spoke to him at length and he was really regretting selling it. He hoped it would not meet reserve but if it did he would just bid to buy it back until he felt he couldn't bid any longer. Nice guy that realized just what he was giving up. He had it stored on a lift, under a cover and kind of forgot just how special of a car it is.

[/ QUOTE ]

wow! nice story!!! i like that.....so he was able to keep his car after a quick sellers remorse......

i'm glad the buyer let him have his car back....i would have done the same thing.....good story!!!!!

still good people out there..i hope he wasnt out of pocket much.......hope the auction house voided all fees......but i kind of doubt it....

Charley Lillard

05-29-2008, 05:36 AM

He was the buyer and he was glad to pay the fees.

92646

05-29-2008, 08:15 AM

I guess it is better to get seller's remorse at that point than after the car is gone.
Mark Sheppard

69Tom

07-11-2008, 11:37 PM

Cool thread. I watched the entire auction and still have it recorded on my cable box. Often, I found myself getting annoyed by the commentators, because they just weren't saying much about the actual car. For instance, and I've watched all the Mecum auctions this spring, what really annoys me is that over half the time, they don't say whether the car at auction is a manual or automatic. To me this is a major point in terms of what the car might go for. I know I can go look it up, but then I'm missing what's happening on TV.

So, anyway, on the LS6 Colin, perhaps you could explain this to me (and maybe this has been in another post; if so, I apologize): how did the 450 H/P get on the rear bumper molding? I've seen many other LS6s and never have I seen that. I was just curious.

I also find it pretty cool to be able to talk to some of the people who bought some of these great cars. I'll keep watchin if you keep buyin'. haha.