This would be Part Two of The Mecum Returns to Kansas City

As I said in the first part of this blog article there were several cars that could be really good “return on investment” vehicles.  Here we have a pair of  1970 Ford Mustang Mach I vehicles.  The first one is with a nice 390 big block motor.  The second with the more popular 351 Cleveland.  Little known fact…there were no 1969 cars with the Cleveland engine.  It was not produced until the 70 models came out…..this is an argument I have had many times when dealing with used Muscle cars as far as finding original engines in 1969 vehicles.  The 390 version sold for $18,750 while the 351 version sold for a mere $16,000.  Either one would cost you $25-30,000 from a reputable dealer and could be in the mid 30’s in a matter of  another year.  The market is slowly coming back and the time to buy an investment car is NOW.  The entry level cars are going to be climbing in price all summer and although it may be a couple years to get to where they were 2 years ago, profits are going to be better for the people who buy at the “bottom”.

The third picture shows how the 390 engine is literally “stuffed” into the engine compartment.  This is why they decided to balloon the Mustang when it was redesigned for 1971.  The 1971 Mustang was designed for the big block engines and to be able to accommodate the ability to actually work on the engine.

The Mustangs are among the lower priced Muscle Cars you can buy, primarily because they produced so many of them.  The original Mustang when it came out sold a million copies before it’s 3rd year of production was over.  So even though it has a huge following there are plenty of them still around to supply the market.  Add the fact that it has been in constant production since the model started and you see why the price is reasonable for a car as powerful and stylish as it was. ( And some would say still is.)

The next vehicle is NOT a true Muscle car, but rather a Collector Car.  It is the 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air.  This one has the original 265 cid V8 engine and it is a 4 door.  The 2 door Chervolets from 1955, 1956, 1957 will almost always sell for double or better what a 4 door will.  That fact notwithstanding, this little beauty sold for a mere $8,000.  Double the money to $16,000 and you probably still could never find one this cheap anywhere when it’s in this kind of shape.  Realistically, this 56 would sell for around  $25-28,000.  TRIPLE what she sold for.

I have seen 2 doors go for 40 and 50,000 dollars in this kind of shape with original V8 engines.  And even the interior is in great shape with this one.

While I am off subject here, there are a couple other interesting cars that sold at the Kansas City Auction.  Almost all collectors will usually have a few period vehicles in their collection that are not “Muscle” cars.  These are vehicles either chosen for their style, luxury, or their manufacturer to be part of their collection.The vehicle here is a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado.  It came with a 425 cid big block V8 that produced 385 horsepower.   She was the ultimate for Oldsmobile personal luxury with plenty of power and the styling was a very streamlined aerodynamic departure to anything Oldsmobile had ever done before.  This was a front wheel drive system that GM would use to power future Cadillac Eldorado and Buick Riviera models.  But Oldsmobile was the first to try it.  Notice the flat floor in the interior shot.  No trans hump or driveshaft tunnel up the middle.  It sold for $10,000.

 The Chevrolet Monte Carlo here is a 1972 model and has a 350 small block.  While it is a personal luxury car and not a muscle car per se, it was available with almost any power option you could get in the mid-size Chevelle including the SS454 option, so it does show up on dealer showrooms from time to time.  This one because it was a 1972 and with the small block sold for $6,900.  It could list for $12-18,000 at a dealer.

Then comes a pair that are close to my heart.  If you follow me on Twitter….I am Dwayne1957…..you probably know I am a fan of the Chevrolet Chevelle.  There were a couple that snuck through the Mecum Auction for very reasonable prices.  A Blue 1970 Chevelle with SS badges and a 350 small block sold for $24,500 and a Red SS396 went for $28,000.  Trust me when I say the Red one could fetch close to $40,000 from a dealer without any problem.  There were other Chevelles that went for $40,000 and up at the Auction.  The color that a lot of collectors prefer is the Cortez Silver, but I do not know why.  I prefer the Reds and Blues.  Just saying, you buy a Muscle Car to be seen not to blend in with your surroundings.

There were several Corvettes that went for reasonable money but the couple of 1982 Collector Edition models they sold went for $16,500 and $14,500.   Note to my friend Randy….hang onto yours for a couple more years.  The 82’s were the first years produced in the Bowling Green factory and were also the first Corvettes to retail over $20,000.  This is useless information, but it was free.

The 1967 Pontiac GTO shown here went for $16,500.  Very low for a GTO.  She had the hood tach which is rare, and the 400 cid engine with an automatic transmission.  Other GTO’s sold for the $40,000 range at this auction, so maybe there were no buyers who liked the Light Blue color.  And yes, these guys who shop the auctions do have a preference.

The Blue Mercury is the peak of the mountain for that division.  It is a Cyclone Spoiler with the 429 Big Block engine.  This car was capable of driving UP the mountains on Interstate 80 through Pennsylvania doing over 100 miles per hour without ever losing speed as she climbed the altitudes.  I know because my brother and me took that trip in 1974 in his 1970 Cyclone Spoiler with the 429 engine.  She was and will always be one of the coolest cars in my memories.  This one sold for $23,000.  If I had been there at the auction it would have went for more because I would have still been bidding well into the $30,000 range if needed to get it.  As the pinnacle of Mercury muscle she should retail for mid 30’s.

This final car to show you….is one of the best “Muscle Cars” ever built.

This is a 1964 Plymouth Belvedere.  While Pontiac has always been given the title of creating the Muscle Car genre with it’s GTO.  Dodge and Plymouth were building these monsters since the earlier 60’s.

This vehicle would be like any other 64 Plymouth except it has the 426 Max Wedge Engine.  This engine was so savage and unruly that Mopar had to detune it and use the hemi head design to make it streetable.  She had 426 cubic inches and put out a claimed 425 horsepower.  Most car magazines back in the day figured the number was quite possibly 50 horsepower too LOW.  Notice the dual four barrel carbs staggered on the intake manifold.  This was the factory cross-ram manifold.  She was a true beast and did not like to idle for street use at all back in the day.  This one is documented by Galen Govier who is the top authority on the Mopars of the era and as such, it’s selling price of $30,000 means someone bought a vehicle that should sell for double it’s price right now or even possibly triple in a year or two.

Anyway, I will keep looking for the bargains out there so if this type of article interests you let me know and I will do more.  Or just tell me to shut up, that’s okay too……although I probably won’t listen.

Davey Boy