Barrett Jackson and brains?

[cicero819]

1967 Corvette L88 sold for close to $ 4 Millions dollars. These men who bid on these cars at one time or another must have had brain cells to have accumulated such wealth. I don't care if the car was blessed by the Virgin Mary herself it can't have appreciated so much. Considering that Reggie Jackson(former baseball player) cloned a similar Vette for little under $150k perfect with all the paint flaws that came with these cars. I've owned many Vettes: 56(worst car that I've ever own) 66 (nice but lacking in power) 70 rag top 427 tri power(the engine was replace with a 402 and we kept the tri power, nice car to pick up women with but leaked like a sieve) 76,79,80 (nose heavy, great brakes) all these car were bought at the dealership across my house(always in their used and abuse side) so I got to be the local expert for all my friends and I can tell you that everything about bad quality on these car was present every year. look I bought a Super Bird Petty Blue in a yard sale and sold it one week after finishing putting it back a week after for a profit of $3000, I didn't know the price of these cars were going to reach these crazy level. A friend of my brother bought a 67 Corvette big block when he was release from the Army in 68, he saved every penny from his paper route to his Army pay and after his father sign for it, he drove it for 35 yrs, he stipulated in his will that the first generation couldn't sell it and had to past it on to the second generation. He's still around.lol What do you guys think?

[X-TECH MAN]

I guess it all in what makes the buyers skirt blow up. Detroit makes mostly JUNK today. They buy these old cars to try to regain their youth. Buying from Barrett-Jackson or Mecum is a waste. Id never do it myself. Buyers fees and sellers fees of 8 and 10 % just sucks. The 70 Model you had didnt have 3 twos unless you put in on yourself. The original engine was a 350 small block or a 454 with 1 carb. I guess its like buying anything old. Id rather have the L-88 Coupe rather than a painting to hang on the wall. But thats just me and I dont have 3 1/2 million plus commisons either. .I have owned 11 of the damn things and raced 2 of them. Most were junk and the 2010 I now have is giving me fits in the computer dept. It has 11 computers. Quiet and smooth riding but still a piece of junk. Since they only made 20 of the L-88's to begin with its kind of rare. Some say only 17 real ones are left. Cant drive it unless you run racing fuel because of the 12 1/2 comp. The L-88 sucks as a street ride as it dosent have a radio or a heater. GM planed it that way to discourage people from buying them for the street. Probably gets 8-10 MPG at best with street gears. Its one of one because of the red on red color. I still like to watch the crazies bid on the cars when I have nothing better to do. Working class people who would rather drive their rides instead of just looking at them would do better to build a clone with lower compression. Thats what Im doing......99.9% of those looking at a good clone wont know the difference. Driving in and out of a trailer at a show dosent do it for me. As the saying goes " A fool and his money are soon parted". But if you has the $$$$$$$$ and can afford it.........go for it.

[John Kissel]

A good friend of mine described these events as a bunch rich guys get drunk up a bit,and play "mine is bigger than yours".Why does that guy on barret/jackson always wear those sunglasses inside. I like the Mecom auctions better as they seem to have some affordable stuff and seem like real people.At least it's something to watch, John Kissel

[cicero819]

Terry, you're right I never checked what engine came with the car in those year(just expected it must have been a 427), just happy that the set up was on the car.lol I still would love to build or have a company build me a clone a la Tim Allen(if I had that type of doremi), his 68 COPO was built the way he would of like, if he could have ordered one in those years, look it up on the Jay Leno garage.Claude

[bykr]

I agree with you guys that these auctions have turned into an egofest.

[Wade Mahaffey]

I like to watch and see some very nicely done cars. I don't really pay much attention to the money, except during the the first couple of days when there are deals to be had. I never had the money that most of you have had owning all of those cars you talk about. So I have to buy junk the build it myself or, as in most of my own race cars build the whole car money permitting. But then again that's the way I like it, because you can enjoy the build and the accomplishment is far greater having built it yourself. Never was crazy about having a 1 of 100 built type of thing. I always have a 1 of 1 built. To each his own, if you can't build it....you have to buy it. At least we all love the car culture.

Wade Mahaffey

[Dwight Southerland]

Remember also that this is an entertainment venue. What you see may not be what really happens transaction wise. Few people will watch a ho-hum auction where the sale price for a legitimate collector car is also ho-hum. I believe B-J got called on a televised session a few years back where the actual sale was totally different than what the viewer saw. "Scripted entertainment."

[Jeff Teuton]

I heard someone describe BJ as drunk men and plastic women. Probably close on some folks.

[63corvette]

I was there several years back just to watch on Friday afternoon.
There was a 55 T Bird if I remember correctly that a couple of older guys with their girlfriends who could have also been their daughters got into a bidding contest.
I felt like the T Bird was a $30,000 to $40,000 car. The two were a little boozed up and to impress the young girls ran the car to over $60,000 before one would drop out.
It was really pretty funny and almost all the crowd was pushing both to keep bidding. It was only those two bidding from somewhere in the $30,000's until the one dropped out.
It was entertaining for those who were just watching.
I am sure that happens a lot.
To me the auction is a chance to see cars you would never see anywhere else and worth the price of admission to see them.
I saw a Tucker there one of the years I attended and have never seen one since.
That was a car far ahead of its time.
Just My 2 Cents
Rick Cates
Canyon, TX

[jmcarter]

I went 2 years ago just for the experience...seeing some amazing and rare cars made it very worthwhile, plus Scottsdale weather this time of year is about perfect. It's a very affluent area (imagine many of the well off are part timers there) and you even see some beautiful and rare cars roaming the streets. Get a kick out of Steve 'the car guy', he knows his stuff and old Mopars are his passion...gotta like that.

So yea, I'd say do it at least once and that will probably be enough.