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Ridler Winner
There aren’t enough superlatives to describe what it means to win the world’s top custom car award. The coveted Ridler Award is the Holy Grail for custom car builders all over the world. To win the Ridler Award at the Detroit Autorama means yours is the best custom car built that year.
This week A&E Classic Cars out of New Braunfels, Texas listed a former winner of the Ridler Award, the much heralded 1949 TwelveAir Corvair/Corvette, a totally refabricated Chevrolet built as a tribute to the Corvette Corvair Motorama concept car from 1953. The key concept design elements were a fastback roofline and a long trunk line. It was a ground breaking custom build and one of the first Ridler Award winners to break from the street rod genre of custom car building. Full classic customs were coming of age. It was built by Hot Rods & Custom Stuff in Escondido, California. The vehicle underwent an extensive frame-off restoration with detailed modifications taking nearly 16 months to complete.
In addition to the Ridler Award, this car was honored with the “Yosemite Sam Radoff Sculpture of Excellance” award; “Best Custom” & “Outstanding Display” at the 2001 Detroit Autorama; “Best in Class” & “Boyd’s Pro Pick” at Goodguys Del Mar, CA; magazine cover and centerfold in “Super Rod” April / May 2001; “Street Rodder” magazine August 2001; “Hot Rodding” Rookie of the Year September 2001; and “Rod & Customs” top 50 December 2003. The vehicle has since spent the past 15 years in a private collection in Texas, showing 2,638 miles since the build out.
The Corvair was chopped and lowered 3″ in front while moving the cowl down 1″ lower in the rear. The doors were lengthened 2 inches and B pillars were slanted forward. It has cantilevered hood hinges and the rear wheel wells were tubbed. The look is singularly incredible.
The Butterscotch leather bucket seat interior was custom designed by Ron Mangus at his Custom Auto Interiors. Kugel components were used for the independent suspension. The custom headers were hand fabricated. The M-80 graphics were done by Pete Finlan. The gauge cluster was made by Westach. The machined wheels were by Halibrand.
Be sure to view all the photos. This car has never before been offered to the public. It is rare to be able to own a Ridler Award winner in this condition.
New Listings
New Listings Page
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Classic Car News This Week
Rest In Peace
The collector car world is paying tibute this week to Gene Winfield, a man who was a living legend in the custom car hobby. He passed away March 4, 2025 of cancer at the age of 97. Winfield was a custom car builder, race car driver, promoter and all-around body man. He was most noted for chopping lead sleds. For years he had a backlog of customers who wanted him to chop ’49 and ’50 Mercury customs for them. He also built dozens of vehicles for movies and TV shows. His list of accomplishments is unending. Winfield started a body shop business in Modesto, California after returning from World War II in 1946. Over the years he worked with all the big names in the custom car hobby. He was a constant participant at classic car shows and hot rod shows all over the country. And he was a consumate teacher, always ready to give tips and advice on techniques he had developed in his many years of experience building custom cars. Some of his builds were legendary, like the Jade Idol, a 1956 Mercury with his special Candy paint job. (Click here to watch a video on Winfield’s shop done by the Petersen Museum.) This was a man with an amazing talent, a leader who was ahead of his time. He will be missed.
Cars Coming Out
The spring car show season is unfolding and in some parts of the U.S., car guys are starting to think about getting their cars out of winter storage. Even if you have stored your car for just a few months during winter there is a checklist of things you should consider before you can start ‘er up and drive away for a road trip. Here is a great article on how to prep your car for the car show season after winter storage. It was written for the Life Lanes section of the Progressive Insurance Company’s website. They have several links in the article with detailed “How-to” tips on battery maintenance and which fluids need testing. They recommend looking for oil additives like ZDDP for flat-tappet camshafts for cars prior to 1980. Their source for the article is Ernie Morreau, shop foreman at RM Restorations in Blenheim, Ontario, Canada. You might say Canadians know a little more about winter storage than most do.
This Weeks Featured Stories
1957 Belaro Convertible
A company called Easy Rods designed and marketed a Belaro Convertible which mated a figerglass tribute 1957 Chevy body with a 4th generation Camaro chassis and drivetrain. This week a rare 1957 Belaro Convertible was listed for sale by Haggle Me, an internet broker representing their collector client. They say only three were sold in this color. They think about 100 of these conversion kits were sold. The name is a combination of “Bel Air” and “Camaro.” Easy Rods is still selling easy-to-build fiberglass hot rods. The Bel Air fiberglass body is only ¾ the size of the original classic Bel Air. It has a power top, cold air and EFI 3800 Buick engine.
Pastel Blue Boss 302
This is a rare 1970 Boss 302 Mustang which was just posted for sale by Mershon’s, the big Corvette and Muscle Car dealer in Springfield, Ohio. You don’t see many Boss 302 Mustangs on the market right now. Those who own them are not letting them go. But you never see a Boss 302 like this one in Code N Pastel Blue. Only 66 Boss 302 Mustangs were produced in Pastel Blue in ’70. They say this one has the Boss 302 DOZE casting block and comes with a close-ratio 4-speed. It has front power disc brakes and the competition suspension. Click here to view the video done in Mershon’s showroom. You can read the Marti Report in the ad photos.
Rare ’59 Ferrari
Historically, Ferrari’s PF coupes were significant to collectors because of their limited production during the Golden Age of classic Ferraris. This week, an amazing find was announced by Gullwing Motor Cars in New York. They have listed this 1959 Ferrari 250 GT by Pinninfarina (known as a PF Coupe.) Only about 335 PF Coupes were produced between 1958 and 1960. The lines of this car are considered elegant and timeless by Ferrari collectors. This one is known to have been delivered to Luigi Chinetti Motors in New York in June of 1959. The car still has its original interior and less than 40k on the odometer. Very few of these PF coupes still exist in their original form. This is one that could be the centerpiece of any top collection.
Video Ads
1970 Dodge Charger 500
Greg at Vanguard Motor Sales is showing off a “like brand new” 1970 Dodge Charger 500 that looks as good underneath as it does on top. Watch the video (by clicking the video window above) to see how “gorgeous” the trim and chrome look on this car. It now has a 505 ci stroker V8. Tour the interior and then watch as Greg gets it up on a lift and shows you the undercarriage. Want to know what 700 factory horsepower sounds like?
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
1983 Camaro Z28
If you are looking for low miles collector cars, Orlando Classic Cars is your “go to” to find them. Dave, the owner, scours the country for collector cars with low miles. He has this 1983 Camaro Z28 just arriving at his Orlando facility. He says it has just 13,000 miles and comes with the optional L69 HO engine with a 5-speed manual transmission. It has T-tops, power windows, tilt steering, tinted glass and a rare factory custom interior. He says the paint and interior are still original.
Here are more recent Low Miles additions:
1985 Camaro IROC-Z, Orlando Classic Cars, FL, 15,000 miles
2000 Corvette, Connors Motorcar Co, PA, only 22k miles
1974 Cadillac Sedan DeVille, Orlando Classic Cars, 25,000 miles
1993 Corvette 40th Anniv Convt from New Bedford, MA, 26k miles
1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Brghm, Orlando Classic Cars, 27,000 miles
1991 Cadillac Fleetwood, Spring Carlisle Auction,
1976 Ford Thunderbird, Super Sport Classics, FL, 31k orig miles
1976 Corvette, Streetside Phoenix, 44,682 actual miles
1996 Corvette Collector Edition, Mershon’s, 21,000 actual miles
1993 Corvette 40th Anniv, Streetside Nashville, 21,607 actual miles
1971 Lincoln Mark III, West Port Auto, MO, 47,000 miles
You’ll find these and hundreds more in our Low Miles Section online now.
Project Vehicles for Restoration
1966 Corvette Convertible
For the restorer who wants to take on a project that will be a “money maker,” here is one to check out. A 1966 Corvette Convertible was just listed by a private party seller from Florida. The Corvette is intended to be a restomod custom. It already has the Art Morrison IRS chassis with the fiberglass rear floor work completed. The exterior fiberglass has been stripped and repaired, so much of the hard work is complete. You pick the engine and tranny. This was intended to be a “high end” restomod. Can you complete it?
The following are just some of the cars available in the Project Car Section this week:
1966 Oldsmobile 442 Holiday, Haggle Me
1972 Mercedes 300SE Coupe, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1938 Chevrolet Master Business Cpe, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1958 Austin Healey 100-6, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1939 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1975 Porsche 911S, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1972 Porsche 914, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1966 Jaguar XKE Series I FHC, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1973 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1983 Mercedes-Benz 380SL, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
Find hundreds of project cars for sale in the Project Car Section.
Price Reduced
1968 Camaro Restomod
A sharp looking 1968 Camaro Restomod was listed for sale on this website last year. It is an SS clone which has been upgraded with a ZZ430 roller cam engine and a serpentine belt. The transmission is a TKX 5-speed with low miles on it at the time of the listing. The seller says the car was built in 2010. Check out the photo of the undercarriage. Impressive. When it was first listed the seller was asking $62,500, a fair price for the car’s build, right? But just this week he lowered the price to $48,000. Do you have the phone in your hand yet?
Here are more vehicles with price cuts this week:
| Vehicle For Sale | Original Price | Reduced To |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 Challenger Mopar 10 | $37,500 | $32,000 |
| 1941 Willys Gasser | $85,000 | $79,000 |
| 1955 Studebaker President | $42,500 | $39,500 |
| 1981 Corvette Restomod | $33,900 | $29,900 |
| 1955 Chevrolet 210 | $49,500 | $42,000 |
Pro Touring and Resto Mods
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
Off Road, 4x4s, and Jeeps
Find more in the Off Road Section on Cars On Line.com. There’s even more on the New Listings page!
Future Collectibles
Corvettes
Find more in the SUV Section online. You can see all the fresh ads on the New Listings page.
Fresh ads appear first on the New Listings page.
Fresh ads appear first on the New Listings page.
Classic Luxury
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
Chevelle
Find more on the New Listings page 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.
Pontiac Muscle Cars
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.
Buick Muscle Cars
Check out the Buick Muscle Car Section. More listed daily on the New Listings page.
Station Wagons
Late Model Sports Cars
You’ll find many more modern sports cars listed by year in the Late Model Sports Car Section.
Late Model Trucks
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.
Convertibles
Replicas
Volkswagen
Imported Sports Cars
You’ll see more for sale in the Pro Street Section, or on the Cars On Line New Listings page.
Classic Pickups
See more for sale in the Truck Section or watch for fresh listings on the New Listings page.
Late Model Luxury Cars
See more great deals in the Luxury Section or on the New Listings page.
Classic Mustangs
See more great deals in the Mustang Section and on the New Listings page.
Muscle Car Clones
’69 Pontiac Trans Am Tribute
They only made 689 Pontiac Trans Ams in 1969, the first year of production. It is one of the most sought after cars in the collector car hobby. So, naturally, someone has made this 1969 Pontiac Firebird into a Trans Am tribute. Even tribute cars are rare. This one has been advertised for sale at Midwest Car Exchange in Alsip, Illinois. Click here to watch an interesting walk-around video. They say it spent most of its life in California. It has the 400 ci Ram Air III V8 engine Code “WS” built .030 and Ram Air III “D” port heads. Click the video link above to hear it run.
The following are more recently listed Muscle Car Clones:
1969 Plymouth Convertible, Streetside Nashville, Road Runner Tribute
1969 Chevelle Convertible, Streetside Charlotte, SS 396 tribute
1965 Mustang GT350, Streetside Tampa, Shelby tribute
1967 Chevelle Convertible, Vanguard Motor Sales, SS badging
1966 Plymouth Belvedere, WeBe Autos, GTX tribute
1969 Chevelle, Super Sport Classics, FL, SS badging
1970 Chevelle, Streetside Tampa, SS tribute
1968 Camaro, Streetside Phoenix, SS tribute
1968 Chevrolet Chevelle, PJ’s Auto World, SS tribute
1966 Chevelle Convertible, WeBe Autos, 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
1969 Corvette T-Top
This sinister looking 1969 Corvette Coupe with T-Top and black/black features looks sharp in the photos, don’t you think? It has been listed for sale this week at Beverly Hills Car Club in Los Angeles. They tell us it has a “potent 350” small block Chevy engine fed by a Holley 4-barrel carburetor and shifts with a smooth automatic transmission. It has 4-wheel disc brakes, concealed headlights, 15-inch Rally wheels and Rally hubcaps. The hood scoop and dual exhaust add an aggressive tone to the car. Most important, Beverly Hills Car Club says this one is mechanically sound. Have it inspected before you buy, but hurry! It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Saturday. Their asking price is $34,750.
1950 Olds Futuramic 88
One thing we like about the collector car market right now. You can still buy a real nice looking classic car for an affordable price. Here is a 1950 Oldsmobile Futuramic 88 Sedan for sale at Connors Motorcar Company in Pennsylvania. They tell us it was restored frame-off just 10 years ago with only 7,000 miles put on since the redo. And it looks like new. See photos in the ad. The paint is a beautiful Crest Blue with “immaculate correct tan cloth interior.” The chrome and stainless gleams. It has a fully rebuilt 303 ci 135 HP Rocket 88 V8 engine and Hydramatic transmission. Click here to watch a walk-around video and hear it run. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Sunday. Their asking price is only $19,900.
1955 Ford Customline
Connors Motorcar Company also listed an interesting 1956 Ford Customline 2-Door Sedan that has been updated with a Ford 5.0 liter fuel-injected V8 engine and a 4-speed automatic transmission. Look at the photos. It looks clean inside and out. Have it inspected before you buy to see if it drives down the road as good as it looks. But we have to say this one looks like a lotta’ car for the money. They tell us it is rust-free with beautiful red paint and a gray cloth interior. It does have power steering, power disc brakes and dual exhaust. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Monday. Their asking price is $27,500.
2000 Chevy Roadster
Do you think Chevrolet would have built a roadster like this one? Here is someone’s idea of a custom roadster as they thought Chevrolet should have done it. The 2000 Chevy Custom Roadster is being offered for sale at Streetside Classics out of their Tampa, Florida location. That is a gray wrap over the fiberglass body panels. The fiberglass hardtop is removable, and the tilt-forward nose is something you won’t find anywhere else. It was built on an S-10 Blazer chassis. Those are Cragar wheels with 205’s up front and 275’s in the rear. The interior sports Dakota Digital gauges and a Hurst floor shifter. The engine is a 2.8L V6 with a 5-speed manual transmission. The little roadster has power steering and power brakes. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Tuesday. The asking price is $16,995.
1990 Buick Reatta
Only time will tell if this 1990 Buick Reatta Convertible will be a hot collector item some day. Right now you can buy this one at a very affordable price. It is being offered for sale at Unique Classic Cars in Mankato, Minnesota. It just arrived in their showroom and they don’t have a full description on it yet. We do know that they say it has only 32,881 actual miles. It comes with a 3.8L V6 and automatic transmission with overdrive. Look at the photos. This car is sharp and clean. You can click here to watch their full walk-around inspection video and hear it run. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Wednesday. The asking price is $18,900.
1995 Ford F-150 XL
A private party seller from Arizona believes he has a solid 1995 Ford F-150 XL pickup truck for sale that will be a good daily driver for his buyer. It is a short bed pickup with 74,000 actual miles. The options include power steering and power brakes. He says the air conditioning blows cold. He even notes that it has new tires. He tells us that this truck lived its whole life in Arizona. It has the 5.0L engine. If you have had some experience with old trucks from a dry desert state like Arizona, this one is one to check out. It will be our DEAL of the DAY late next week. His asking price is $12,500.
1979 Jeep CJ7 4X4
Jeeps just keep getting more popular. Everybody wants one. Here is a 1979 Jeep CJ7 4X4 that you can buy at a discount to the market. This fiberglass-bodied example has an Inline 6 under the hood with a 3-speed manual transmission. It is being offered for sale by Unique Classic Cars in Mankato, Minnesota. The technitions at the dealership say the brakes are good. But there is a slight seep at the transmission pan and oil pan. This one just came in and you can buy it as is for an affordable price. Aftermarket retro sound stereo was added to the dash. There is a black bimini top that will go with the sale. You should have it inspected before you buy. But hurry! It will be our DEAL of the DAY late next week. Their asking price is $17,900.
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:
| 1972 Mercedes 450SL | $18,995 | Charlotte, NC |
| 1989 Cadillac Eldorado | $19,000 | Morgantown, PA |
| 1985 Mustang SVO | $19,900 | Sherman, TX |
| 1983 Pontiac Trans Am | $19,900 | Daytona, FL |
| 1981 Caprice Station Wgn | $16,995 | Tampa, FL |
| 1985 Buick Riviera | $14,900 | Alsip, IL |
Cars for under $10,000:
| 1978 Alfa Romeo Spider | $7,500 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1975 Mercedes 450SL | $5,950 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1978 Mercedes 450SL | $7,900 |
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.
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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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