The Classic Car Hunter

Up for Auction - 1948 Tucker

2010-11-10T10:12:00.000-08:00

The Gooding & Company 2011 Scottsdale Auction will be held January 21-22 at the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall in Scottsdale, Arizona.

1948 Tucker photo courtesy of Gooding & Company

Up for auction is a 1948 Tucker, No. 1010 - Believed to have disappeared many years ago, Tucker Serial No.1010 re-emerged after more than 50 years spent tucked away in a private barn. Originally delivered to its first owner in Waltz Blue, this 1948 Tucker is spectacular in its near-original, unrestored condition, having traveled only 10,000 miles since new. It is believed that this car raced at Bonneville in the early 1950s, achieving an impressive top speed of 134 mph while defying the harsh elements of the Salt Flats. An exciting discovery for collectors around the world, this car is expected to bring in excess of $1 Million at the auction.

For more information, visit www.goodingco.com.

How to Win a Shelby Mustang

2010-10-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

Fans of muscle cars will have the opportunity of a lifetime to own a piece of Shelby history in June 2011 when the Carroll Shelby Foundation announces the winner of its 2011 “Win-A-Shelby” raffle. One raffle participant will take home the prototype number three 2011 Shelby GT350, owned by the legend himself. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Carroll Shelby Foundation, established by automotive icon Carroll Shelby to provide financial support for children battling life-threatening illnesses and to promote continuing education.

For a ticket price of $25, or $100 for five tickets, participants can place their name in the drawing. The winner will be announced in June 2011 at the 2^nd Annual Barrett-Jackson Orange County Auction at the OC Fair & Events Center in Costa Mesa, Calif. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Carroll Shelby Foundation. For more information, please visit www.winashelby.org.

Photos of American Classic Cars

2010-09-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

1968 Pontiac GTO Convertible

If you have a special interest in American Classic Cars like I do, there are countless websites that feature American Classic Car photos for you to enjoy. Here are just a few in my top list of favorites.

AdClassix – Vintage ads offer a fascinating glimpse of history and represent the archival documents of our society.

OldRide.com – Enjoy a combination of photos on their site; from galleries dedicated to photo snapshots of rusty American Classic Cars, to an expansive Classifieds section with thousands of American Classic Cars for sale, and a library of information about American Classic Cars.

TOCMP - There you'll find original car manuals for old cars and classic cars. Browse hundreds of old car brochures using user-friendly interface.

How Long Have You Owned Your Classic Car?

2010-08-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

Mr. Allen Swift of Springfield, MA. received a 1928 Rolls-Royce Picadilly P1 Roadster from his father, brand new - as a graduation gift in 1928. He drove it up until his death last year.....at the age of 102 !!! He was the oldest living owner of a car from new. Just thought you'd like to see it. He donated it to a Springfield museum after his death. It has 170,000 miles on it, still runs like a Swiss watch, dead silent at any speed and is in perfect cosmetic condition. (82 years) ...That's approximately 2000 miles per year!

Classic Car Restoration! Is It Worth Restoring Dads Car?

2010-08-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

Classic car lovers know that restoring classic cars is not considered a labored, dull and enjoy less work! Quite the contrary, it is a hobby that one can take pleasure in while preserving a piece of automobile history and making a bit of money on that same fun!

I do know a couple of guys that all they do is scrounge the market for classic cars that are thirty or more years old, give it good restoration where necessary and sell them off for a profit!

Yep! Money can be made with classic cars, but you have to be a classic car enthusiast and know how to do most of the work yourself! You can get someone professional to restore your classic car, but that will come out very expensive.

Yourself, as a classic car enthusiast will get more pleasure if you restore it on your own.

Classic Car Data

2010-07-23T15:15:00.000-07:00

As a classic car enthusiast, you can never have too many reference books, diagrams, manuals, build sheets and so on for a project or collection. There are a variety of websites out there geared towards classic car lovers that offer an array of information. Thanks to OldRide.com you can find technical data for just about every classic car from the early 1900s on all in one location.

The OldRide Library covers everything from AMC to Zephyr with such basic information such as production numbers, VIN decoding, original price, engines and transmissions to paint chips and axle ratios.

The library continues to accrue more and more information over time with specific information geared towards individual makes and models, such as the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air or 1969 Pontiac GTO.

So if you have a classic car and you're looking for a bit more information and don't know where to turn, visit the OldRide Library.

Great Father's Day Gift Idea - Classic Car T-Shirt

2010-06-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

As a father, and a classic car enthusiast, you can never have too many t-shirts displaying your favorite passion. Recently I ran across a great t-shirt for sale on OldRide.com.

It has a nice retro design of a classic Merc and it is fairly inexpensive for such a great graphic, and the best part is...they offer FREE SHIPPING!

So kids, or honey...if your reading this...you know what to get me!!

Classic Pontiac Muscle Car Collection Up For Sale

2010-06-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

Legendary advertising executive Jim Wangers, who worked with Pontiac during its heyday in the mid 1960s and early 1970s. As you might expect, Wangers owns quite a collection of classic Pontiac muscle cars and sports cars, and a number of them are now up for sale.

Read more: Classic Pontiac Muscle Car Collection Up For Sale

Classic-car auction spells end for Pate Museum | Local News | News from Fort Worth, Dall...

2010-06-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

Forty-plus vehicles from the horse-and-buggy era to the DeLorean of Back to the Future fame, all collected by two businessmen brothers, go up for auction Saturday June 5, 2010.

The event, conducted by RM Auctions, one of the world's largest car auction companies, will spell the end of the Pate Museum of Transportation, a small, unfussy place on U.S. 377 that became a must-stop for car nuts after it opened in 1969.

Read more: Classic-car auction spells end for Pate Museum | Local News | News from Fort Worth, Dall...

Kruse Auction License Revoked

2010-05-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

Kruse International collector-car auctions is officially out of business as the Indiana Auctioneer Commission today permanently revoked its license, according to news reports.

The personal auction license of Dean Kruse, founder and owner of the Indianapolis auction business was suspended for at last two years, the commission decided after a three-hour hearing.

The session focused on complaints by at least 70 consigners that they have not been paid for their vehicles sold in Kruse’s nationwide auctions. Dean Kruse claims that most have been paid, although late. Kruse said he owes only about $320,000 to the consigners.

Read the whole story here - http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/autos-kruse-auction-license-revoked/

37th Annual Seattle Swap Meet

2010-04-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Swap Meet has been offering great opportunities for auto enthusiasts to view, sell, and purchase collector and classic cars for over 30+ years. This year, the event is in its 37th year, and it will take place at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, WA. from May 15 to 16. Throughout the 2 day event, visitors will get to attend a classic car swap meet and a car corral for the sale of vehicles at least 25 years old.

The Seattle Swap Meet is known as one of the biggest automobile car swap meets in the Pacific Northwest, and it will feature thousands of car and truck parts. Always in attendance is a variety of vendors at the event, selling automotive-related items such as auto parts, accessories, and auto memorabilia. If you are planning to buy a classic car or classic car parts, it is highly recommended that you attend this great swap meet!

For more information on the 37th Annual Seattle Swap Meet on vendor application, registration, setup hours, rv spaces, car corral, etc. visit Puget Sound Regional Group 18 of the Early Ford V8 Club of America.

Classic Car Barn Finds

2010-04-02T11:08:00.001-07:00

I love to reminisce about some of the great barn/garage/storage facility finds that we have been fortunate to hear about in our lifetime. Until the day when such a lucky circumstance will fall upon us, enjoy these stories.

One of my personal favorites, the Portugal Barn Find . While legend is, an American citizen happened to purchase this property in Portugal and stumbled upon an old locked up building that, when finally, opened revealed 100+ cars stored away. This site offers some great photos as well as a link to a more credible story that this really wasn’t a barn find at all. I know, I know, I know, it kind-of ruins the whole story, but the truth must be revealed.

Another great story is one about the 1968 GTO RamAir II – 4 speed Convertible. This guy was actually asked if wanted to buy this car. Um….YEAH!! The owner had no idea of its value and the rarity of a 1968 GTO RamAir II Convertible. He had simply come into possession of the car because the original owner of the house told him to keep it because he didn’t want to have to pay the storage fees. So the car sat, totally unmolested for 30 years, beneath a car cover, inside a two-car garage behind a home fronting a rural highway in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. You can read the full story on Hemmings Motor News.

This is what I like to call “that lucky devil” find: For sale on ebay, 1963 Pontiac Tempest Le Mans – starting bid $500.00…ending bid, $226,521.63! At first glance most wouldn’t even give it a second thought, because your first thought would be “What a hunk of junk,” or something of the likes. Why it doesn’t even have a motor or transmission. However, if you are a Pontiac nut, you quickly might wonder to yourself, “Could this be the 1 of 6 Pontiac Tempest Le Mans ever made?” The seller of the Pontiac had no idea as to the value of the vehicle and apparently was selling it for a friend or relative who owned a storage facility and had obtained the vehicle after the original owner had passed away. Thank goodness they decided not to scrap it!

How about the “That’s what friends are for” find. Donald Schlag had a passion for all things Chevrolet and started collecting stuff while working at his dads Wisconsin John Deere dealership in the 1960s. Between the parts he bought, or traded plus annual trips to California, he started to store stuff in semi trailers. However, after attempts by others to steal Schlag’s collection, he decided to seal up all the 21 or so containers and place them end to end, allowing no one to view or get at his prized collections which included: Yenko Camaro, a pair of 1970 LS-6 Chevelles, 1972 Camaro Z/28, 2 -1957 Corvettes, numerous high performance engines, and much, much more. After Schlag died, the containers were left to his sister who eventually sold them to Larry Fissette – a man chosen out of 5 prospective buyers to acquire the containers. You can read the whole story along with pictures on Old Cars Weekly.

Aussie Man Hoards 297 Classic Cars! I don’t think the next one can be truly classified as a Barn Find, because the gentleman who owns these are well aware that they are there but this is pretty cool nonetheless.

Then, the ever favorite site I never get tired of telling people to go visit. Rusty Rides Gallery’s host an unbelievable amount of pictures displaying an incredible collection of vehicles (including some very rare ones) found abandoned in barns and garages across the world. If you are a classic car enthusiast or collector you will spend days on this site.

In addition, here are a couple of more stories to tickle your taste buds.

20 rare and desirable vehicles laid to rest in a Maryland barn

Brittan’s biggest Barn Find

Vintage and Classic Car Discoveries

California Corvette Barn Find

Classic Car Raffle - 1965 Ford Mustang

2010-03-31T09:32:00.000-07:00

Recently, I ran across an event which I saw posted on Oldride.com. It is the Function 4 Junction car show in Junction City, Oregon. The fact that the show 'n shine and cruise will feature over 600 classic cars, trucks and hot rods kind-of struck my interest. As I looked into the event more, I found that they event coincides with a raffle give away. My interest peaked a little more when I realized that Raffle Tickets were ONLY $1.00 and the prize is a 1965 Ford Mustang! Sign me up!!

If you are interested in more details, visit the event listing on Oldride.com or Function 4 Junction website.

Attention Classic Car Collectors!

2010-03-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Attention! Attention! A great collector car auction is set to take place this coming fall (September 2010) with a vast amount of project cars for sale. It is virtually an automotive Garden of Eden for the Collector Car or Street Rod enthusiast. The Harry Michlitsch Collection derives from over 35 years of collection vehicles. Lucky for us, Mr. Michlitsch has a love affair with cars and fondness for Chevrolet and 348 and 409 motors. His collection contains over 450 collector cars, pickups and hundreds of parts. While there are some drivers, most are project vehicles - yippee! A variety of makes and models are for sale including Ford, Plymouth, Mercury and Chevrolet. His entire inventory of cars, pickups and parts will be sold at auction to the highest bidder.

VanDerBrink Auctions will be hosting the auction on Saturday, September 18, 2010 at 10AM and also on Sunday, September 19, 2010 at 10AM. Bidders will also be able to buy the car and strip the parts that they need and leave the hulks. Here is your chance to find those parts and vehicles that you have been looking for. If you are looking for a project or old iron, don't miss this auction!

Here are a few of the vehicles that will be up for auction.

1952 GMC Pickup

1963 Chevrolet Impala SS 2 door Hardtop

1960 Pontiac Catalina

1948 Chrysler New Yorker

More picture of The Michlitsch Collection can be found at WWW.RESTORABLECARS.COM

Oldest Known Flying Car Up for Auction

2010-03-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

By Jason Paur of Autopia

It doesn’t look like a car, and it doesn’t look like it would fly, but what is believed to be the world’s oldest “roadable aircraft” is for sale.

The antique was built in 1934 by Frank Skroback and at the very minimum provides proof that people have long dreamed of cars that can be flown like airplanes. Or are they airplanes that can be driven like cars? No matter, because whatever you call it, it’s being auctioned this weekend in Atlanta.

Read More

A Great Idea for Your Classic Car Club

2010-03-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

While many Classic Car Clubs host events to raise money for charity another great idea to help the community is to encourage learning amongst our youngsters that hopefully sparks an interest in them to take up the collector car hobby.

Visiting a school or after-school program and allowing the kids to take a look around classic cars help students grasp a better understand of the vehicles many of us old fogeys cherish.

I'm not sure what child, young or old, wouldn't enjoy taking a look at the vintage motors, driven in by members of a Classic Car Club. Opportunities could range from displaying members cars to getting into the nitty gritty of restoring an engine or vehicle back to its luster by some of the older students. All the while giving Club members a chance to teach these students interesting facts and features of their vehicle.

I encourage you to bring up this topic at your next Club meeting. If you're not a member of a Classic Car Club and you would like to find out more about joining a Classic Car Club, visit the Club Directory at Oldride.com

Modern designs out-muscle cars of the '60s and '70s

2010-02-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

I'm still a fan of the classics...

Car Collector Corner: The popular Chevy Impala SS

2010-02-26T08:51:00.000-08:00

A wonderful little article about the Chevrolet Impala SS

Best Christmas Decoration Ever!

2009-12-10T10:23:00.001-08:00

This email was recently passed on to me from a friend and I couldn't help but wish I would have thought of that idea. This is too funny!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Gift for Guys Who Love Classic Cars

2009-11-10T15:29:00.000-08:00

I recently ran across a great gift idea for the guy or gal who loves classic cars, especially those cars left to rust away in fields, yards or junkyards. The gift is a 2010 Calendar with great photos of rusty cars. Inside the calendar, you can find images (such as the one shown above) of Classic Cars, Muscle Cars, Classic Trucks and potential Rat Rods that have been left to rust away. Each calendar month is represented by some of the rarest and most desirable American Cars from as early as the 1920s thru the glory years of the 50’s and 60’s to the muscle car era of the 70’s.

Not only is this a great gift idea (who couldn’t use a calendar) it is also very inexpensive at only $8.95 plus they will even ship it to you for FREE! This is sure to be a gift that classic car & truck fans will appreciated and treasure throughout the 2010 year and beyond. If you are interested in ordering one, you can visit OldRide.com, a classic car website, and get yours today.

COLOR YOUR CLASSIC™ CONTEST

2009-11-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

Another contest for all of you classic car enthusiasts. Color your Classic™ is a contest to determine the finest, custom finished vehicle.

To celebrate the new Collector Color Series color offerings, Planet Color (Sherwin Williams) and Barrett-Jackson are encouraging restorers to paint their vehicles using the new palette and enter them in the new Color Your Classic™ competition. Any vehicle – cars, trucks, motorcycles, watercraft, etc. - finished with colors from the new Planet Color Barrett-Jackson Collector Color Series are eligible to enter.

The contest began on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009 and will expire on April 1, 2010

The winner will receive 2 all travel expense paid VIP trips to Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale, AZ, January 2011 – includes VIP tickets, airfare, deluxe hotel accommodations and rental car to the auction - Approximate retail value of $3,000!

Visit Planet Color for more information on how to enter the contest.

Vote for Your Favorite Car Throughout the Decades

2009-09-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

1910s Decade Winner for 2008 - A 1918 Dodge Roadster
photo courtesy of Texaco Car of the Decades Website

Texaco is providing online viewers with a online auto show making it easy for car enthusiasts to get the thrills and excitement of an auto show in the comfort of their own home. The virtual auto show celebrates people who love their cars in a nationwide car show contest. You can view the cars online and place your votes at TexacoCaroftheDecades.com. Votes will determine the winning cars from 11 decades from 1903-2000. Voting will take place through October 12, 2009 and once announced will go through a panel of judges to determine a Grand Prize winner.

Whether they are muscle cars, sports cars, resto-mods or hot rods, anyone can enter their vehicle for judging and will be eligible to win some great prizes including the Grand Prize - A trip for two to Skip Barber Two Day Driving School, A custom 20 x 30 color rendering of the winner's car by automotive artist Dwayne Vance, $1,000 worth of Texaco with Techron® Gift Cards, and a case of Havoline® with Deposit ShieldTM Motor Oil. Even if you don't win the grand prize, 10 first prize winners will receive a custom Dwayne Vance sketch of the winner's car, $250 worth of Texaco with Techron® Gift Cards, and a case of Havoline® with Deposit ShieldTM Motor Oil.

Some cars already posted on the website include a 1961 Pontiac Catalina, a 1949 Chevrolet 3100 Panel Delivery and a 1987 Buick GNX - Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention, you can even enter your own car. Hurry, you only have until September 14, 2009. For more details you can visit their website, or follow along on Twitter. Don't delay, start voting today!

Lynden, Washington "Razz & Shine" Car Show

2009-07-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

The 3rd Annual Razz & Shine Classic Car Cruise-in was an awesome FREE event held in the town of Lynden, WA. The show captured a great selection of classic automobiles, trucks, and motorcycles from Corvettes to Camaro's and everything in between. Cars of all shapes and sizes lined the shaded streets.

Like I mentioned, the event was free for participants and spectators, and they even had a free raffle at the end of the show with some great prizes to give away. There were at least 160+ cars and trucks plus around 30 motorcycles.

There was a lot to do that day because the Razz & Shine takes place during Lynden’s annual Raspberry Festival. Other events throughout the day included an “all-you-can-eat” raspberry pancake breakfast, a street market & sidewalk sale, petting zoos & wagon rides at a local Berry Farm, wine tasting tours, and live jazz music. There was also a huge basketball tournament taking place on the streets. Definitely a good time for my family and I.

Find your Dream Classic Car with OldRide.com

2009-06-24T15:15:00.001-07:00

Classic car classifieds such as those found on OldRide.com can help you find the car of your dreams. Many enthusiasts enjoy purchasing classic vehicles, either those that need restoring or that have already been restored. There are a lot of places you can go to find a classic car.

Some of the places you can begin searching is the classifieds in the local newspaper. Other local choices are classic car dealers in your area or even estate or car auctions. If you can't find that certain car that you are searching for, you can look online at websites such as Craigslist and eBay and you can expand your search nationally.

Speaking of a national search for classic cars, you might want to try OldRide.com when shopping for old cars for sale. OldRide.com is one of the biggest collector car classified sites on the Internet. You can find almost every classic car or truck for sale imaginable offered by private sellers or classic car dealers.

While it might take some searching, classic cars and trucks for sale can be found both online and off. If you don't know a lot about classic cars, it may be helpful to research the subject or talk to someone who is knowledgeable – and take them along with you if you are going to purchase a classic car or truck. You want to make sure you are getting the best car, and deal, possible.

Dodge Challenger For Sale

2009-03-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

The Dodge Challenger's are very collectible and it has become increasingly difficult to find a Challenger for sale at a good price. These cars aren't cheap anymore from their original price of $2700 to $4100. Here is some information about the 1970 Challenger to get you started.

The 1970 Challenger cam in 2 different body styles – a 2-door hardtop and convertible. The Dodge Challenger project was started in late 1965 as a vehicle to compete with the Ford Mustang's popularity. It wasn't until late in the year 1969 that Dodge introduced the E bodies with a choice of nine popular engines including the Hemi. Various packages could be ordered with the new Challengers including R/T, SE and T/A packages which consisted of different engine and powertrain features, interior elements and exterior elements.

The Challenger model-lineup is based on the Plymouth's Barracuda Platform but its wheelbase was extended an additional 2 inches. Both hardtop and convertibles were offered to the consumer.

The R/T was the hig performance version of the Challenger equipped with a 383-cid four-barrel V8 engine.

The T/A was a special version of the Challenger and included the 340-cid “Six Pack” V8 engine with a 4-speed manual transmission as standard equipment. Just over 1,000 Challenger T/A's were built.

Here is some help if you too are looking for a Dodge Challenger for Sale or more information about the Dodge Challenger in general.