More pics from Barrett-Jackson on Saturday

Pictures Copyright Mark C Bach 2009

Ratty Cars? - BS Brash

I'm am sorry, I just don't get Rat Rods, and I have the same disdane for them that I have for Art Cars, why don't you just restore them properly. I feel a little the same way about Streetrods also, but them I understand a little bit better. If you don't think the available cars will fit your personality, and you don't have the money to buy something really fancy, you start with what you have right where you are and hope for the best.

But Rat Rods are ratty looking! If you have $50k under the skin, why not top it off with a 100 coat hand rubbed paint job and really wow the world?

Give me a break! If you drive a Rat Rod, what kind of statement are you making? "Hi world, here I am, a ratty person with an ugly, fast car?" The same thing goes for Art Car owners, are you debasing yourself or just cleaning out the garage? Your girlfriend HAS to be ashamed to ride in it?

Don't misunderstand me, if you are driving a ratty looking classic just for the fun of it before you start restoration on it, I am not talking about your car!

Yeah, I know, I am going to get a lot of nasty emails because of this article! But I stand by what I wrote!

Copyright 2009 BS Brash

WHERE IS THE MARKET HEADING? - Mark C Bach

WHERE IS THE MARKET HEADING?
- Mark C Bach

Even after the dust settles from the auctions currently being held in Arizona, I’m not sure many folks will know the answer to that question. That being said though here are a few thoughts to ponder.

Most cars are being bought at a car auction with a buyer’s premium. That means above the stated purchase price, the buyer must pay an extra amount. And most sellers get a commission deducted from the selling price. So auction houses make money from both the buyer and the seller. What that also means is there is always a gap (sometimes huge) between what a buyer pays for a car and what a seller receives for that same car.

So buying at an auction and then quickly selling it can be an expensive and harsh lesson.

Hagerty Insurance sponsored a Smart Collecting Seminar at the Russo and Steele Car Auction this morning, Thursday January 15, 2009 in Scottsdale. The six panelists voiced their opinions on several items that collectors can take to heart.

Has the Collector Car Market Tanked?

No. Some speculators who rushed blindly into the market may get spanked, but prices- while soft- have certainly not dropped as much as the US stock market.

“Knowledge is Power” said McKeel Hagerty and with the growth in the Internet and the sources available to knowledgeable appraisers, a prudent buyer will know more about the cars available today. They’ll know common repair issues, past history on specific cars and what prices have been going for on that marque around the world.

Collect with a Passion

For the past five years many felt that the collectors are buying cars that they had a personal connection to. So even if the market does drop, the collector can still keep the car without regrets. The car was bought to bring pleasure and that won’t change.

Many of us can remember when silly money was being spent for questionable 57 Bel Air Convertible Fuel Injected cars in the late 1990’s. If you were buying as an investment that was probably dumb. If you bought one because you always wanted a Bel Air convertible and have kept it, what’s the harm? Just as in stocks you don’t suffer a “loss” until you sell.

Photos and copy all copyrighted 2009 by Mark C Bach

Barrett-Jackson Day Two - Mark C Bach

Barrett-Jackson Day Two
- Mark C Bach

The second day of the Barrett-Jackson auction is being held today and Speed is showing five hours live (5-10 PM, locally from Arizona.). Speed cable coverage continues through Sunday with live telecasts and tape re-broadcasts. The weather was great and as the television lights came on, so did the prices.

The folks from GM are selling off some cars from their Heritage Museum. It is interesting to note that the auctioneers are repeating frequently that these cars are not warranted, nor necessarily carry the required safety or emission equipment. Instead of a bill of sale, which is common when cars don’t have a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) like NASCAR race cars – these cars are being sold with a scrap title. Some collectors might be paying top dollar for cars that will never be able to get on the road. Speaking of NASCAR, Rick Hendrix was buying some of these GM pieces.

When GM first started to list the cars they were releasing for this auction, some bloggers criticized them for selling plain Jane pieces that could be easily be replaced in the museum at a later time. But in reality many are concept cars or one offs that don’t have a twin in existence. These cars were rightful fought over and the prices show the collectors’ interest.

Copy & Pictures Copyrighted Mark C Bach 2008

Antique & Vintage Cars Auction

Just wanted to tell you about these antique cars we have on an auction Feb. 7th for the Walker Family in Frontenac, (Pittsburg, Ks).

You can see our pictures and listing on these cars at www.meyerauctionservice.com

Feel Free to call

Col. Dave Meyer

Meyer Auction Service

Pittsburg, Ks

620-231-7561

Antique & Vintage Cars

1950 Ford Coupe (Solid Body - Solid V-8 - Needs Restoration)

1954 Ford Customline (No Engine - Solid Body - and All There)

1960 Cadillac Sedan Deville (Runs Great - Excellent Original Condition)

1962 Thunderbird (Nice Interior and Instruments - Solid Engine - Rough Body)

1970 Chevy Pickup (3/4 ton - 4 Speed - Runs Great - Good Work Truck)

1973 Cadillac CoupDeVille

1974 VW Carmen Ghia (Ran When Parked - Rusted Body)

1979 Chevy El Camino (Runs Great - Bored 350 Engine - Body Average)

1984 Cadillac (Runs Great - Nice Interior)

(2) 1984 Cadillac El Dorados - (Parts Cars)

Misc Car Parts of All Descriptions, 1940 Chevy Grill, Old Hub Caps, Old Car Radios, Lots of Model Cars (Unassembled), Repair Manuals, Auto Magazines and Books

Tractor

8 N Ford Tractor (Runs Great - Needs Tires - with 5 foot Bush Hog)

Thanks

Col. Dave Meyer

Car Auctions Are Coming To Arizona

- Mark C Bach

Each January the car auction companies flock to various Phoenix area sites to hold their classic car sales/auctions.

The grand daddy of them all is Barrett-Jackson’s auction held in Scottsdale and featured live and on tape on Speed with nearly 40 hours of coverage next weekend. This will be the 38th annual auction for them which they call – The World’s Greatest Collector Car Events” TM. And they probably are right! This year the auction offers a stunning black T-Bird, the first one off the factory floor. Plus Craig Jackson will assist GM in auctioning off for charity the first 2010 Camaro, outfitted as the winning bidder desires. Readers might remember that last year at Barrett Jackson, the first production Corvette ZR-1 sold for $1,000,000. GM is even feeling the pinch and will be selling some cars there from their extensive collection.

Russo Steele will be holding four days of car auctions further north in Scottsdale and ESPN cameras will tape the auction action for later broadcast. The contrast here is that only actual bidders are allowed into the auction tent and cars can be sold with a reserve. This means if the current owner wants to sell the car for at least “$x” amount, they can keep an unannounced reserve on the car and hope it fetches at least that amount.

Silver Car Auctions will be on the east edge of the metropolitan area at Fort McDowell for four days as well. Mitch Silver and his auctions helped establish Hot August Nights in Reno and is boastful that their slate of cars is more for the average buyer – meaning more reasonably priced.

Boutique auctions also occur next week with RM and Gooding in town as well for separate one day sales.

In two weeks Kruse Auctions comes into town and sweeps up the remnants, boasting of nearly 1,000 cars to auction. Sometimes I think they must be counting the car’s wheels to come up with their car counts but they still have a great selection.

The bottom line is there will be plenty of cars in Arizona for the next two weeks and lots of money passing hands. Will there be million dollar cars crossing the auction block? You can count on it.

Stay tuned for more coverage as the auctions proceed.

Copyright Mark C Bach 2009

OODLES OF FREE ADVERTISING!

OODLES OF FREE ADVERTISING!
- KL Nichols

Craigslist.com is the first place, these days, that most people think of when they want some free advertising, but I am going to recommend Oodle.com. In the cars for sale category as I write this, there are over 27,000 cars for sale. Admittedly, like on CraigsList.com, most of the cars for sale are daily drivers. But this indicates the activity on Oodle.com and where car buyers congregate, collector buyers can't be far behind!

Admittedly, CraigsList.com is a bigger website with more traffic, but the fact that you can only advertise in one city at a time on CraigsList.com negates their size and traffic.

I report this information only to prove that as a collector in these trying times, you can sell your collector vehicle and save money on advertising to boot!

http://oodle.com

SEMA SHOW 2008

SEMA SHOW 2008
Mark C Bach

Each year the Las Vegas Convention Center is besieged by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). Over a million square feet of indoor spaced was covered with cars, car parts and an expected 125,000 registered attendees.

Over four days this week countless celebrities mingle with the crowds, unveil cars, sign autographs and drool over the cars. Perhaps the strangest celebrity pairing was Carroll Shelby from Cobra fame and Guy Fieri the cook/host of “Diners, Drive Ins and Dives.” This year a record fifteen car manufacturers brought out their stock of new releases and concept cars.

Despite the economy we read about in the newspapers and hear on television, there was plenty of business to be made. Typically at the SEMA show manufacturers strut out their latest offerings and products and write orders with their jobbers and wholesalers. As the public sees the new offerings they tell their suppliers what THEY want to buy. Besides the car manufacturers, almost 2000 other exhibitors brought out their lines. One of the highlights of the show is many exhibitors bring out their demo cars or show cars to draw in the crowds and showcase their equipment. So over 2000 great cars are on the premises to look at.

Some of the cars included a restored Ghostbuster’s ambulance, some pimped out cars from DUB with outrageous rims, the much touted 2010 (or whenever) Camaro, the Hyundai Genesis and Toyota’s Venza. If you looked closely you could find more brands of quick detailer car spray than you even knew existed!

This year marked the 36th year of the show which first modestly started at LA Dodger Stadium. As tantalizing as all this sounds and seems, it is a trade show and closed to the general public.

Copyright 2008 ClassicRag.com

1936 Ford Tudor Sedan Stainless Steel

This is the 1936 Ford Tudor Sedan built for and owned by Allegheny Ludlum Steel. This is 1 of only 4 in existence and is the only one currently in running & in road worthy condition. The car is in exceptional condition, with the interior and even the frame looking great. All 4 cars each had over 200,000 miles on them before they removed them from service.

These cars were built for Allegheny as promotional and marketing projects. The top salesmen each year were given the honor of being able to drive them for one year. The v-8 engine (max 85 hp) ran like a sewing machine and was surprisingly smooth and quite.

The story has it that the dies were ruined by stamping the stainless car parts, making these the last of these cars ever produced. More information of the history on these automobiles can be found at Allegheny Ludlum's website

http://www.alleghenyludlum.com/pages/companyinfo/stainlesscars.asp

Happy Birthday USMC

November 10. The only fraternity I ever joined, Semper Fi Marines!

Happy Birthday Route 66!

Route 66 Birthday - Route 66 was officially established on November 11th, 1926.

All Automotive Appraisers are not equal

All Automotive Appraisers are not equal; to locate a certified IAAA
appraiser and read the Classic Car News; go-to www.AutoAppraiser.info. If you are or know of a recognizedautomotive appraiser who could qualify, write or call for a membership application. IAAA, PO Box 338, Dept. RAG, Montvale, NJ07645. 201-391-3251 (12d07)

BUSINESS FUNDING SOLUTIONS

BUSINESS FUNDING SOLUTIONS

"The Secrets of Raising Capital for Start-Up & Early Stage Business"
This eBook Serves As The Most Comprehensive Guide Available Into The World Of Raising Capital.

http://tinyurl.com/6dcsub

WIN A SHELBY TERLINGUA RACING MUSTANG

WIN A SHELBY TERLINGUA RACING MUSTANG
Benefiting The Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation
http://tinyurl.com/43hfsy

QUICKIE WATERLESS CAR WASH

QUICKIE WATERLESS CAR WASH – WE PAY THE SHIPPING!
Environmentally Safe!! Saves our Precious Water!
(The average car wash uses over 100 gallons of water)

Quickie Waterless Car Wash Cleans, Polishes and protects cars, trucks, boats, recreational vehicles, airplanes - virtually any non-porous surface – all without using any water. You just spray Quickie Waterless Car Wash directly on the dirty surface, wipe to lift dirt and buff it
dry with a clean terry cloth! Now you can have a just-detailed, showroom finish without messy hoses, buckets, cleaners or waxes!
Waterless Car Wash contains no silicons or other ingredients harmful to your vehicle's paint or the environment. $16.95 a Quart.
One Quart will wash the average car 8-12 times. Or one GALLON IS $39.00 (Gallon includes Spray Bottle) also shipped FREE!
http://www.QuickieCarWash.com

BARGAINS AT BARRETT-JACKSON

BARGAINS AT BARRETT-JACKSON
- Larry Edsall

2006 Ford Mustang customized by By now you know there were no million-dollar cars at Barrett-Jackson's inaugural Las Vegas auction.

Hard to believe, isn't it? A Barrett-Jackson auction and not only were there no million-dollar cars, there were no half-million dollar cars.
In fact, in going through the auction results, I found only four cars that sold for a quarter of a million dollars or more:

$330,000 for a 2006 Ford Mustang customized by "Funkmaster Flex"
$313,500 for the 1949 MG TC that was the first car ever raced by Carroll Shelby
$260,700 for a 2003 Saleen S7 sports car
$225,500 for a highly customized 1954 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn sedan

Nonetheless, something like 15,000 people showed up on opening day and by the time the three-day event concluded $29.1 million in collector vehicles had changed owners.

Barrett-Jackson president Steve Davis noted that half of those bidding had never been to a collector car auction before. "At times," added Craig Jackson, "the bidding went in smaller increments because some of the bidders were less experienced."

Whether it's the overall economy or all the new bidders, maybe there's finally an opportunity for those of us of more modest means to get our dream machines.

With that in mind, I paged through the Barrett-Jackson catalog and results sheets and discovered some relatively affordable classics I'd love to have in my garage:

Read More Here: http://tinyurl.com/ClassicRag06

OMG! I WANT ONE!!

OMG! I WANT ONE!!

Bugatti's Veyron is the world's most expensive and powerful production
car ever. At $1.3 million, it boasts a 8.0L quad-turbo W16 engine that
produces 1000+hp and 927 ft. lb torque -- rocketing the vehicle from
0-60 mph in just 2.4 seconds.
http://tinyurl.com/ClassicRag05

Bruce Willis's Sale

Bruce must be running short of cash? He has sold his collection of cars. Bruce Willis Auction Report - http://tinyurl.com/route66er11

Oklahoma Surf Rods?

Can you imagine what size of fish requires a fresh water Surf Rod? Oklahoma's got 'em! Get your Surf Rod from www.CherokeeRodCompany.com

Corvette Giveaway!

Corvette Giveaway! Benefits Kids Wish Network. Win a Pair of Vets worth $250k Tax Free! Better than stock market! www.winthevettes.com