Pontiac’s Best Kept Secret
Although it was quite unintentional on Pontiac’s part, their introduction of the Trans Am in 1969 was the best kept secret in automotive history. Pontiac literally only ran two ads about the Trans Am prior to its debut. Most new car buyers never knew the Trans Am existed. After all, it did not premier until the mid-year mark of 1969. A strike at one of Pontiac’s plants kept production low. There were just 697 Trans Ams made that first year.
All that history ads up to the perfect storm for car collectors today. The rarity of the 1969 Trans Am is what makes it so attractive to collect, and what keeps the price so high that most car collectors can only dream.
Just this week a 1969 Pontiac Trans Am was listed for sale by Earth Motorcars in Carrollton, Texas (just outside of Dallas.) It is a real Ram Air III Trans Am that is documented and came from the factory with air conditioning. Earth Motorcars tells us it is a true numbers matching example which has been fully restored. It is one of 117 that came with an automatic transmission in ’69, and one of only 32 that had factory air.
The Ram Air III 400 was rated at 335 horsepower from the factory. The base Trans-Am package also included dual exhaust, power front disc brakes, variable ratio power steering and “Saf-T-Track” 3.55 differential. The air conditioning however was an added option which had to be ordered.
A Trans Am could only be purchased with one color and trim package in ’69. They came with Cameo Ivory paint and blue accent stripes with a blue vinyl interior. All first year Trans Ams came with functional Ram Air hoods and a rear spoiler. The vent scoops on the front fenders were for show.
New Listings
New Listings Page
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Linked above are the New Listings to the Cars-On-Line.com website. The page is updated in real time.
Classic Car News This Week
Replacing a Windshield
You may have seen some of the click bait on the internet about how to replace your windshield yourself. Well, one of our specialty car dealers did a cool video on how you can replace a windshield DYI. Response Motors in Mountain View, California produced a very detailed video “how-to” that you have to see. Click here to watch how it is done. The video shows you how to remove the windshield using tools you can get inexpensively at Harbor Freight. After removal and clean up, you just use a high quality bonding glue with a one-hour drying time to replace with a new windshield. Ready to try this? You can subscribe to the Response Motors You Tube channel to get more How-To info. They specialize in Porsche sports cars.
Collector Trends
Cars-On-Line.com is in the catbird seat to spot trends in the collector car market. Nobody sees more classic and specialty cars come and go than we do. (Probably, nobody else cares but us.) So we like to keep you abreast of what we are noticing. The hot new trend recently is muscle car era Plymouth Dusters and Dodge Darts. The 1970’s and 1971’s have always been popular, but now they seem to be red hot. You can’t keep them “on the shelf” anymore. As soon as they are listed they sell. But now the fever has spread to the 1972 through 1974 Dusters and Darts, the ones that were just tepidly interesting to collectors. They are now in demand. Take note of this 1974 Plymouth Duster with the 340 and custom hood which was just posted for sale by Showdown Auto in Fraser, Michigan. Bookmark it and see how long it stays in our New Listings. It should prove our point.
Inspection Review
When a New Jersey buyer asked us to inspect a classic 1970 AMC AMX muscle car for him in Wisconsin. His concern was about which condition class to peg it in. The car was a “barn find” so he wanted to know where “the rust and rot was.” Was it a low Number 3 Condition Class that runs and drives but needs some cosmetic work short of a full restoration? Or was it a low Number 4 Condition Class that needs a lot of panel replacement and structural repair? There was a lot to consider as there always is in the pursuit of a “barn find.” The inspector seemed to be overall impressed with the body panels and structural integrity of the AMX. There were some troublesome discoveries along the way, mostly little things like the window regulators and horn not working. You can read the entire report here.
The first item on a buyer’s “To Do” list should be to contact the Cars-On-Line Inspection Service. Buying a collector car is much different than buying a new or used late model car. It is always a “buyer beware” type of sale. With a network of inspectors all over the U.S. and Canada, your first line of protection in any sale is a COL Collector Car Inspection. Learn more about collector car inspections when you read our COL Inspection Referral Service page.
This Weeks Featured Stories
’57 Bel Air Convertible
A long-time private party collector from Wisconsin just posted his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible for sale this week. He tells us it is a recent frame off rotisserie restoration of a Southern car, and has been a constant award winner since. He says you “won’t find a better classic Chevrolet Bel Air anywhere. The description says it has 76k miles, and has been kept inside a climate controlled garage. The price is under six figures, way better than the six figures you see them advertised for at high dollar venues. He says it is “laser straight with excellent panel fitment. Click the link above to review the photos. The classic Bel Air is America’s favorite collector car. Try to find one this nice at this price.
American Show Truck
Classic Car Marketing out of Southern California has another outstanding classic custom show car for sale again this week. One of their clients is selling one of the top Impala show cars in the country, a 1961 Chevy Impala Convertible built by Hot Rods & Custom Stuff in Escondido, California. The custom bodywork on this lowrider is “real smooth” dressed up in House of Kolor Brandywine finish. The paint alone will “take your breath away.” Sitting on an Art Morrison GT Sport Chassis, with AccuAir/Ride Tech Suspension, it has the stance that every show car tries for. All trim and chrome work were done by Advanced Plating, the world’s finest. Power is supplied by a LS3 backed by a 4L65e automatic over-drive transmission, so there is no lack of high end detail. Check out the ad at the link. A car like this doesn’t come along everyday.
Ford Torino Twister
A true muscle car collector may know about the Twister special editions that were produced by Ford for Kansas Ford dealers for the 1970 production year. But few know that they also produced a smaller number of Torino and Ranchero Twister Specials also. Represented as one of 90 Torino Twisters here is a 1970 Ford Torino Cobra Twister Special with the 429 Cobra Jet engine and an automatic transmission. The color is called Vermillion and it comes with the black shaker hood and black trim with Twister decals. The 429 CJ was rated at 375 horsepower from the factory. The private party seller who listed it is from Canton, Michigan. He says it has undergone a complete rotisserie restoration and is an MCACN Show winner. The all original sheet metal covers an original Arizona body. The seller says it runs and drives “perfect.” If you are a Ford collector this Twister will set your collection apart.
Nickey Camaro
As happened back in the day when the Camaro first emerged there were aftermarket companies that produced big block versions of the little Pony car. Legendary names such as Yenko, Berger, Dana and Baldwin Motion all produced collector Camaros that today are priceless. So it came about that when the retro Camaro returned in 2010, another legendary name, Nickey Performance, began producing retro Camaro super cars. This week one of these very rare Nickey cars came up for sale. Nickey Performance out of Illinois listed this 2013 Nickey Camaro ZL1 for sale. The Nickey Super Camaro is #017 of the series. It is what they designate as a Stage II package producing 900 hp. It runs on pump gas and has had only one owner since it was new. They say it is still just like new and has never been raced. It is reported to have just 9,000 miles.
Auctions
The big Fall Carlisle Collector Car Show and Flea Market is just around the corner now, coming up September 25-October 1, 2023. One of our favorite parts of that great show is the Carlisle Auction which is held at the Expo Center adjacent to the Carlisle Fairgrounds, September 28-29. Their inventory is growing every week. Here are a few of the newest additions to their auction lineup.
1954 Corvette
You go to the Fall Carlisle Auction in Carlisle, Pennsylvania each year hoping to find good low miles collector cars. That is the case with many of the classic 1950’s offerings at the Fall Carlisle Auction this year. Here is a good example. It is a 1954 Corvette, one of several classic first gen Corvettes scheduled to cross the auction block at Carlisle two weeks from now. This one really pops in the photos. They tell us it has only 50k actual miles. What a sweet find.
1958 Chevrolet Apache Pickup
Among the hundreds of collectible classic trucks to be offered for sale at Fall Carlisle this year, this 1958 Chevrolet Apache Pickup really stands out. It is scheduled to be offered for sale on September 28th during the Fall Carlisle’s special event called the Truck Hour. That starts at noon on the 28th and this truck will be one of the featured vehicles to be sold on the auction floor. It has the 235 ci 6 cylinder engine that Chevy is famous for. They say it is a complete restoration. This is one you could literally drive home in.
1962 Pontiac Bonneville
Many rare collector cars such as this 1962 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible will be offered for sale at the Fall Carlisle Auction this year. The Carlisle people tell us it has only 34k actual miles, althought the miles on the title are exempt. This is a numbers matching 389 ci V8 with a Tripower. Man, it doesn’t get any better than that. The car comes with full power, leather buckets, nicely detailed and with PHS documents.
Click this link to preview more of the cars that will be offered at the Fall Carlisle Auction in two weeks.
Video Ads
1956 Chevy Nomad Wagon
Unique Classic Cars out of Mankato, Minnesota has a huge selection of fresh cars and trucks for sale in this week’s New Listings. They even have this incredibly desirable 1956 Chevy Nomad Wagon which they featured here in a full walk-around video inspection. Take a few minutes to watch this video with an honest discussion of the condition class. The video is an excellent example of how to sell a collector car on the internet today.
Have you seen our CarsOnLine.tv Classic Car Video marketplace? To feature your car on CarsOnLine.tv, just add a video to your Cars-On-Line.com ad. Video ads have become the most important development for internet sellers. Just upload your video to YouTube and we’ll embed your video in your Cars On Line.com ad at no extra charge.
Here are a few more ads with interesting videos:
Collector Cars with Low Miles
Low Miles Ford
How does this happen? A 1950 Ford Dustom Deluxe Tudor was just posted for sale with only 32,900 actual miles, according to the private party seller from Colorado. He says this car displays the rare combination of originality and excellent condition. In Sheridan blue, it comes with a Flathead V8 engine. He says the radio, clock and heater still all work as if they were new. Wow! Amazing.
Here are more recent Low Miles additions:
1996 Corvette Collector Edition, Unique Classic Cars, 35k actual miles
1995 Corvette Convertible, Revheads, MO, 28,517 miles
2003 Corvette 40th Anniv Convt, Classic & Collectible Cars, 7,300 orig mi
1984 Corvette, Showdown Auto, MI, 43,980 miles
You’ll find these and hundreds more in our Low Miles Section online now.
Project Vehicles for Restoration
1959 Impala Project
Can you think of a more desirable project car to restore than a Chevrolet Impala? Almost all of us have owned an Impala at some point and here is a rare one. This 1959 Chevrolet Impala is said to have a nice solid body but needs foot pans (don’t they all?) The private party seller thinks it is a “desirable classic car to collect.” He says the wheels and tires do not come with the car. It has an automatic with a V8.
The following are just some of the cars available in the Project Car Section this week:
1955 Jaguar XK140 MC FHC, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1960 Triumph TR3A, Unique Classic Cars, MN
1966 Morgan Plus 4, Gullwing Motor Cars, NY
1953 Jaguar XK120 Roadster, Gullwing Motor Cars, NY
1958 Jaguar XK150 Roadster, Gullwing Motor Cars, NY
1964 Chevelle, Country Classic Cars, IL
Find hundreds of project cars for sale in the Project Car Section.
Price Reduced
1951 Ford Custom
An Iowa seller told us to reduce the price on his 1951 Ford Custom this week. He really needs to sell it to “trim the herd.” He says, “Somebody is going to get a really good car here,” he said as he explained his dilemma. He said he has a whole lot more than that in the car, but he has to sell now. His original asking price was reasonable at $24,800. But just yesterday he told us to drop the price to $18,000. Wow! I think you’ll agree that it is a lotta’ car for the money.
Here are more vehicles with price cuts this week:
| Vehicle For Sale | Original Price | Reduced To |
|---|---|---|
| 1934 Ford Tudor | $79,500 | $65,000 |
| 1969 Camaro SS | $58,500 | $49,900 |
| 1947 Hudson Pickup | $44,400 | $36,000 |
| 1953 Chevrolet | $32.500 | $25,500 |
| 1941 Ford Super Deluxe | $41,900 | $36,500 |
| 1955 Pontiac Chieftain | $18,900 | $14,000 |
Street Rods
See more great deals in the Street Rod Section, or watch the the New Listings page.
Exotic Car Section
Rock n Roll 50’s
Find more in the Off Road Section on Cars On Line.com. There’s even more on the New Listings page!
Future Collectibles
Find more in the SUV Section online. You can see all the fresh ads on the New Listings page.
You can see all the fresh ads as they are listed each day on the New Listings page.
You can see all the fresh ads as they are listed each day on the New Listings page.
Vintage Motorcars
You can see all the fresh ads as they are listed each day on the New Listings page.
Chevy Muscle
Find more in the Camaro Section of our website.
Find more in the Ford Muscle Car Section, or watch the fresh listings as they appear on the New Listings page.
Check the Mercury Muscle Car Section. Or you can see all the fresh ads as they are listed daily on the New Listings page.
Check the Pontiac Performace Section for more. See all the fresh ads listed on the New Listings page.
Check the Oldsmobile Muscle Car Section . See more listed each day on the New Listings page.
Check out the Buick Muscle Car Section. More listed daily on the New Listings page.
You’ll find many more modern sports cars listed by year in the Late Model Sports Car Section.
Scroll through the Trucks & 4x4s Section for more. The newest ads come in on the New Listings page.
Classic Customs
You’ll see more for sale in the Customs Section and on the New Listings page.
Volkswagen
You’ll see more for sale in the Pro Street Section, or on the Cars On Line New Listings page.
See more for sale in the Truck Section or watch for fresh listings on the New Listings page.
See more great deals in the Luxury Section or on the New Listings page.
See more great deals in the Mustang Section and on the New Listings page.
Muscle Car Clones
Is It A Shelby?
Oh, yeah, this 1965 Mustang Fastback looks so authentic you wouldn’t even know it’s not a real Shelby GT350. It is being offered for sale by Earth Motorcars in Carrollton, Texas. They deal in top quality builds and this one has been fully restored and is turnkey ready. It has a built Ford 302 ci V8 motor, long tube headers and Borla exhaust. Think of what that must sound like.
The following are more recently listed Muscle Car Clones:
1965 Mustang GT350, Streetside Classics, GA, Shelby tribute
1967 Camaro, Revheads, MO, SS tribute
1968 Camaro, Streetside Classics, TN, SS tribute
1969 Camaro, Streetside Classics, AZ, SS tribute
Make sure you watch our New Listings page for daily updates. There’s even more in the Muscle Car Section.
Deals of the Day
1954 Chevrolet 210
The good people at Country Classic Cars in Staunton, Illinois tell us this is a real police cruiser from the Carson City, Nevada sheriff’s department. It is a 1954 Chevrolet 210 Sedan with functional top mount siren, front siren lights, and horn siren in place. It should be in a museum, but think of how much fun you could have if you had this in your collection. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Saturday because the askiing price is just $16,000. (You can have it inspected before you buy.)
1940 Buick 8 Special
Country Classic Cars also has this 1940 Buick 8 Special which is a little more of a project car. They say this car runs and drives great and is a true time capsule. However it has patina’d black paint and you can take a look at the interior and engine compartment. All need some work. Click this link for a video inspection and see for yourself. But it will be our DEAL of the DAY on Sunday. The asking price is only $8,500.
1953 Chevy SC
This might be the “sleeper” in this week’s DEALs of the DAY. Here is a 1953 Chevy Sport Coupe classic custom with subtle flames. It really looks good in the photos but the private party seller says it needs paint touchup. It comes with a 355 ci engine, automatic transmission and 4/10 gears. Have it inspected to get an idea of how deep the cosmetic issues go. But hurry. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Monday. The price is only $15,000.
1962 Ford F100
Look, this is by no means a show truck. On the contrary it is a driver that you might want to restore some day. It is rough all over but it is a 1962 Ford F100 Flareside Long Bed Pickup. Country Classic Cars out of Staunton, Illinois has this one in their inventory this week. Click here for a walk-around video so you can see what kind of condition it is in. But the price is right. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Tuesday. They are asking $13,400.
1962 MGA 1600 Roadster
Here is another one that might be a bit of a project, but the price is so affordable that you might want to get involved. Beverly Hills Car Club listed this 1962 MGA 1600 Roadster for sale this week. This Mark II edtion is equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission, 1622cc inline-four engine, SU dual carburetors, front disc brakes, Jaeger instruments, single exhaust outlet and 4-spoke banjo-style steering wheel. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Wednesday. The asking price is $10,750.
2000 Trans Am
When Pontiac stopped making the Trans Am a proud tradition of sports car production ended. Soon after Pontiac itself was no more. Would it have brought back the beloved Trans Am if it had made it to 2010 as did Chevrolet with the Camaro? So this late model 2000 Pontiac Trans Am Convertible is moving closer to being a collector car everyday. The photos look real good on this one. Have it inspected first, but hurry. The asking price is really right. It will be our DEAL of the DAY later in the upcoming week. The asking price is $17,900.
1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass
Another great ride for the performance era enthusiast is this 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham, considered at the time to be a mid-sized car. With a V8 engine it was a reminder of the muscle car era and very popular even today yet. This one is being offered for sale at Unique Classic Cars in Mankato, Minnesota. They say it shows only 37k miles, although the miles cannot be documented. It came with T-tops. Be sure to have it inspected before you buy because there may be some cosmetic issues noted in the photos. It will be our DEAL of the DAY late next week. The asking price is $18,900.
Often there are more cars that deserve to be in the DEAL of the DAY than we can schedule for our front page feature. Here is a list of cars that just missed the cut for the DEAL of the DAY this week. Remember, you saw them here first:
| 1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SL | $12,750 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1989 Buick Reatta | $12,995 | Mooresville, NC |
| 1984 Chevrolet Caprice | $14,995 | Garden City, NY |
| 1984 Mercedes-Benz 380SL | $14,900 | Mankato, MN |
| 1989 Cadillac Eldorado | $14,900 | Mankato, MN |
Cars for under $10,000:
| 1975 MGB Convertible | $9,995 | Mooresville, NC |
| 1979 Ford Thunderbird | $9,000 | Danville, VA |
Cars On Line features vehicles here based on their listed price. We are not endorsing these vehicles. We have not inspected or appraised any of the above vehicles. We are only pointing out that these vehicles are priced at a discount to the market. When you buy from a private party the purchase is always “as is” and “where is.” There is no warranty implied or given on any of these cars by Cars On Line. It is your responsibility as the buyer to protect yourself from misrepresentation of any car advertised. We strongly recommend having a vehicle inspected as one precaution before you buy. Click here to purchase a detailed vehicle inspection.
Sold Thru Cars On Line
Here are some of the comments from happy sellers who were nice enough to tell us about their experience advertising on the Cars On Line website.
A regular customer of our from Oak Hill, West Virginia told us to mark his 1960 Ford F100 Pickup as SOLD this week. “Your service worked well,” he said as he added comments to the SOLD notification. “I got the price I was asking,” he said.
NEW Free Parts Ads Section
… NOW FEATURING PHOTO ADS FOR PARTS
Check out our NEW Parts For Sale Section with Photo Ads. We think you’ll really like using our FREE Parts Listings. It is now much easier to place your ads. Have some old but valuable parts you want to sell? Cars On Line Parts Ads are FREE. And we just added photo capability. It is the best of both worlds.
You can run Parts For Sale ads for FREE! Check it out. Just click go to the Parts Section. Once there, look for the FREE Plan, and click “Get Started Now.” We also have ad plans for vendors at a very modest cost.
Thank You
Thanks for reading Cars On Line ads. We really appreciate the community of car enthusiasts who read our website daily to keep up on what’s for sale. This newsletter is designed to make your efforts a little easier and give you a shot at the great deals when they first hit our pages.
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DISCLAIMER: Readers should be aware that the editiorial comments made in this newsletter are strictly the opinion of the author, Larry Kolb. Mr. Kolb offers his editorial opinion of the marketability of these cars based on information provided by the sellers. Neither Mr. Kolb nor Cars On Line.com has seen or inspected these cars. These comments are not to be mistaken for advertising, nor should they be considered an endorsement of any product. They are strictly editorial in nature. Neither Mr. Kolb nor Cars On Line will profit from the sale of any of the cars mentioned here. No warranty of these vehicles is implied or given. It is strongly recommended that anyone interested in the purchase of these vehicles should have them inspected before the sale.
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