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Hurst Takes Indy
During the 1971 Indianapolis 500 parade festivities, a local Indianapolis Dodge dealer was driving the 1971 Dodge Challenger Pace Car Convertible when it accidentally hit a photographer stand injuring 29 people. In the following year, no U.S. automotive manufacturer wanted to participate in the Indy Pace Car program because of the potential liability. So George Hurst stepped up to offer an aftermarket conversion 1972 Hurst Oldsmobile Convertible to be the Indy Pace Car for 1972. It was a great way to promote his Hurst Performance products, especially the legendary Hurst short throw shifter.
The W45 Code Hurst/Oldsmobile Pace Car Convertible was Cameo White with gold accents, and was powered by a 455 ci V8 engine. The W25 appearance package included a fiberglass ram air hood and gold rally wheels. As the Indy Pace Car decals proclaimed, this was the 56th Annual running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile race. And Hurst/Oldsmobile logos appeared on both the front and rear fenders. During the parade laps prior to the race, Miss Hurst, the beautiful Linda Vaughn, stood astride a giant Hurst shifter mounted on the deck of the convertible Pace Car. It was a sight to behold. I venture every Baby Boomer remembers that scene. The TV cameras loved it.
This week one of the Festival Cars which was said to have been at the race has been offered for sale. North Shore Classics has this 1972 Hurst/Oldsmobile Indy Pace Car Convertible for sale in their showroom. What’s more, they have the lowest price we’ve seen on one of these rare pace cars. They say the 455 ci V8 is numbers matching, and it has the Hurst dual gate shifter. The car is equipped with air conditioning, as well as a power convertible top. Click here to view their walk-around video and hear it run.
In the ad photos you can view a picture of the cowl tag which verifies that it is a W45 Pace Car. You will also notice that Linda Vaughn has signed the car in two places, on the dash above the Hurst/Oldsmobile logo and on the inside of the trunk lid. There is also a letter from the Hurst Olds Registry that states that this car was #31, and was a Festival Car at the Indianapolis 500 race in 1972. Although there were 130 Hurst/Olds Pace Car convertibles produced, only 43 of them were actually at the race in 1972. Pace Cars were provided to VIP’s and officials for the week’s activities. The Hurst/Olds Registry says this was one of those cars.
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
Pedal Cars at Auction
It was announced this week that a very special collection of pedal cars will be auctioned off at this year’s Spring Carlisle Auction next month. The Spring Carlisle Collector Car Flea Market and Show (see Car Show Calendar for dates) is one of the oldest car shows in the country. During the Spring Carlisle Auction they will have a Charity Sale to benefit the Sun Technical Institute for their Collission Repair Department. Students designed and built these pedal cars in their coursework. The one you see pictured here is a 1932 Ford Speedster inspired by the legendary Mustang P-51 “Shark,” a World War II fighter plane. The students who crafted this pedal car were Logan Schlief and Aden Martinez. You will see more of the custom pedal cars below in this week’s newsletter.
AI For Car Collecting
Everybody is talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI) these days. My wife asked me the other day if we would ever use AI in the car collecting business. No sooner had I shrugged my shoulders than I ran into a new website that uses AI to do vehicle research on the internet. The website is Bumper.com. They say you can get accident history reports, maintenance records, a history of previous owners, mileage and more from a simple VIN number.
Okay, so I tried it. And, by gully, it worked. I put in a VIN number for a Corvette. I wanted to find out if it had been “born” with the engine it had in it. I found out from just putting in the VIN number that the Corvette did not come with the L76 engine it had in it. It came from the factory with an L79. They say they can also estimate values by the data you input.
Bumper.com will give you seven days of free information. But you have to give them a credit card. They will then charge you $27.99 a month for their service. If you are looking to buy a lot of cars, it might be worth it.
COL Car Show Calendar
Be sure to check our COL Car Show Calendar of events to find out when the top car shows, auctions and swap meets in the country will happen in the next few months. Starting today you will find the Daytona Turkey Run on the grounds of the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. This is a mega marketplace of everything automotive. The 35th Annual Spring Daytona Turkey Run 2025 will attract over 2,000 vendors from all over the country. On the eastern section of the infield you will find over 5,000 collector cars on display. An additional 1,500 cars will be for sale or trade in the Car Corral area. The Giant Swap Meet uses the whole raceway complex. Collector car parts and memorabilia abound. Lots of displays and interesting project areas will be found on the grounds also. It is one of those shows you have to put on your bucket list.
Check the COL Car Show Calendar every week to find the top shows in the country as they are added to our listings. You’ll find lots of good information there, so you can plan your vacation trips around a good car show.
This Weeks Featured Stories
1969 Camaro Z/28 RS
Classic first generation Camaros are still among the most popular cars to find for muscle car collectors. And the top of the Camaro food chain is the 1969 Camaro Z/28 RS, one of the most iconic designs in automotive history. This Camaro Z/28 RS takes it one step further because it is seen here in Hugger Orange, the most popular color for ’69. It is being offered for sale this week by Ideal Classic Cars in Venice, Florida. Yes, this Z/28 RS has it all, including the Muncie 4-speed transmission, Hurst shifter, Winters aluminum intake manifold, wood trimmed steering wheel, Rallye wheels, D80 spoiler, ZL2 ducted hood, and, of course, the iconic hideaway headlights that make it an RS. Look through the photos and see the clean undercarriage.
Willys Swoopster
The Willys Swoopster was the concept designed by Dennis Taylor Reproductions in Arkansas. Taylor’s shop has been chronicled in Hot Rod magazine and other car magazines over the years. He is the center of a cult movement in Willys reproductions and gassers. This 1940 Willys Swoopster is being offered for sale this week at Coyote Classics in Greene, Iowa. It has the suicide doors, 401 ci V8 with dual 4-barrel carbs, headers, 700R4 automatic transmission, 4-link suspension, Detroit steel wheels and a beautiful Ginger Ale exterior paint that melts over the fiberglass body. The custom brown leather interior has show quality appeal. Click here to view a walk-around video inspection and test drive.
1952 Allard J2X
This is the legendary 1952 Allard J2X, a race car like the one actor Steve McQueen raced and had in his collection untill his death. The J2X edition of the Allard came out in 1952 replacing the former J2 model. The J2X was fitted with a roll bar for safety. They made the J2X untill 1954. It came with a hood scoop and more leg room for the driver. You will recognize it by its longer nose. This J2X is being offered for sale at Gullwing Motor Cars in New York this week. It has the most desirable engine, the Cadillac V8. They say it has been “recently serviced and is mechanically excellent.” This little race car is eligible for road rally events such as the Colorado Grand and California Mille, Monterey Historic races or even the Goodwood Revival. It is one of just 83 such Allard J2X’s built.
Video Ads
1951 Mercury Lead Sled
The most interesting video ad in the newsletter this week comes from Unique Classic Cars in Mankato, Minnesota. They just listed this 1951 Mercury Lead Sled for sale. Not only is it one of the most desirable cars for custom collectors, but it is listed at a very affordable price. It has a Flathead V8 with Strombergs. Look at all that chrome. The black car looks pretty straight, doesn’t it? This is a lotta’ car for the money. Click the video window above to see for yourself.
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
Mustang Indy Pace Car
Yes, this is a 1994 Mustang SVT Indy Pace Car Convertible without the Indy Pace Car decals. The Rio Red paint looks good in the photos. It is being offered for sale at Online Auto Connection in West Seneca, New York. They tell us it only has 10,730 miles from new! The official Pace Car Decals are in the box, yet. It is one of only 1,000 Pace Car replicas produced, and comes with a saddle leather interior. The Pace Cars came with a 5.0L V8 engine and 5-speed manual transmission. This one has cruise control and the Mach 460 stereo. They say it still has the original window sticker. An historic car with low miles.
Here are more recent Low Miles additions:
1994 Pontiac Trans Am 25th Anniv, Classic Auto Mall, 17,156 actual miles
2001 Corvette Convertible, Verrillo Motor Car Co, 16,000 miles
1978 Lincoln Mark V, Carlisle Auction, 17k original miles
1999 Mercedes SL500 Convt, The Last Detail, 30,100 miles
You’ll find these and hundreds more in our Low Miles Section online now.
Project Vehicles for Restoration
1961 Jaguar XKE
Now here is a project for restoration that will take some real expertise to complete. The 1961 Jaguar XKE Roadster was listed for sale this week at Beverly Hills Car Club in Los Angeles. They don’t list a price so you’ll have to call them and make an offer. Why would someone take on a challenge like this one? Well, it might be for the satisfaction you’ll get from completing such a project. But, even more motivating, the value of a totally restored Jaguar E-Type such as this one is over six figures.
The following are just some of the cars available in the Project Car Section this week:
1948 Delahaye 135M Drophead, Gullwing Motor Cars, NY
1974 Corvette T-Top 454, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1939 BMW 327/38, Gullwing Motor Cars, NY
1939 BMW 327 Cabriolet, Gullwing Motor Cars, NY
Find hundreds of project cars for sale in the Project Car Section.
Price Reduced
Real ’69 Trans Am
Remember when this real deal 1969 Pontiac Trans Am was listed for sale by a private party seller from Rhode Island? Yes, this is a first year Trans Am with the Ram Air III 400 ci engine and a 4-speed transmission. It is one of the rarest muscle cars in the collector car hobby. The Trans Am package was an $1,100 Firebird option that first year they came out. The seller says the car remains original, currently showing 90k miles. Although he had a $140,000 price tag on the car when he first listed it for sale, this week he just dropped the price to $110,000.
Here are more vehicles with price cuts this week:
| Vehicle For Sale | Original Price | Reduced To |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 Chevrolet Cameo Pickup | $68,500 | $62,500 |
| 1936 Huppmobile 618G project | $4,800 | $3,500 |
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
Specialty SUVs
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.
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.
Ford Muscle Cars
Find more in the Ford Muscle Car Section, or watch the fresh listings as they appear 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.
Oldsmobile
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.
Motorcycles
Micro Cars
Convertibles
Replicas
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.
See more great deals in the Mustang Section and on the New Listings page.
Muscle Car Clones
A-12 Road Runner Tribute
A Vitamin C 1969 Plymouth Road Runner was just restored as an A-12 tribute. It will be offered for sale at the Spring Carlisle Auction next month. The RM23 Road Runner has been given a lift-off hood like the drag racing cars from that era. It also has an NOM built 440 big block motor and Holley 750 4-barrel carb with aluminum intake. It has bucket seats and console. With a “beautiful, solid and clean body” they say it is “very, very nice.”
Make sure you watch our New Listings page for daily updates. There’s even more in the Muscle Car Section.
Deals of the Day
Corvette Silver Anniversary
If you are on a budget and want to get into collecting, here is your ticket. This 1978 Corvette Silver Anniversary Edition was just listed by a private party seller from New York state. He tells us there are only 16,000 original miles on the car, and that it comes documented with only three owners during its lifetime. He says it is in excellent condition and has always been garage kept. The L48 Corvette has automatic transmission, air conditioning and leather interior. This is a T-top coupe with tilt steering, power windows and door locks, and he says everything works. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Saturday. His asking price is $17,900.
1931 Buick 96C 5-Passenger
An elderly gentleman from Ontario (3 hours from Detroit) is ready to part with his 1931 Buick 96C 5-Passenger Coupe. His son placed the ad in the COL Buick Section this week. They tell us the vintage classic runs and drives. You should have it inspected before you buy to get a better idea of the condition class it is in. From the photos we can tell that it would need paint. It comes with a trunk and side mounted tires with wire wheels. Only a pre-purchase inspection would tell you more about the interior. A question you would want to know is, “Was it stored inside a heated garage?” And, how much work would it need to be a driver? Although there are still many questions unanswered by the description, the price is interesting. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Sunday. The asking price is $20,000.
1984 Mercedes 380SL
There are always a number of Mercedes-Benz SL roadsters gracing our Sports Car Section these days. This 1984 Mercedes-Benz 380SL is particularly interesting because of its price. It is being offered for sale this week at Beverly Hills Car Club in Los Angeles. They say it is mechanically sound and they have it priced to sell. They say it is a lifelong California car equipped with an automatic transmission, fuel injected V8 engine, dual exhaust, power steering, four-wheel disc brakes, cruise control and Bosch fog lights. It also has air conditioning, power windows, adjustable bucket seats and a center console. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Monday next week if it lasts that long. Their asking price is $10,750.
1976 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
You say you’ve always wanted to own a Rolls-Royce luxury car? Well, here is you chance. Beverly Hills Car Club listed a 1976 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow for sale this week. It is a long-wheelbase version with an automatic transmission and V8 engine. The white finish looks good in the photos. They tell us the luxury sedan is mechanically sound. It comes with the Spirit of Ecstacy hood ornament and Rolls-Royce hubcaps. Convenience features include air conditioning, power windows, center console, 3-spoke wood steering wheel, analog clock, and a stereo with radio. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Tuesday next week. The asking price is $14,750.
2007 Saturn Sky
Again this week there is a 2007 Saturn Sky Convertible being offered for sale at an affordable price. This very desirable sports car is on consignment at the Classic Auto Mall in Pennsylvania. They say it is title verified to have just 29,221 actual miles. Since a Saturn Sky would not have been used as a daily driver, but as a weekender type car, the miles on some of these sports cars are very low. The Silver Birch paint has a should line red pinstripe. The 18-inch polished wheels carry 45 series tires. It also has the sport steering wheel with plenty of thumb controls to make life easy. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Wednesday. The asking price is $18,000.
1995 Camaro Z28 Convertible
A 1995 Camaro Z28 Convertible was just listed for sale by Haggle Me, an internet broker. Their client’s Camaro has the 5.7L V8 engine and automatic transmission. They say the top works perfectly. Other than that, though, there is very little known about the car. You should have it inspected before you buy. The interior and undercarriage look real clean from the photos. But the mileage is not noted. The phtotos look so good that it might be worth having a pre-purchase inspection done on this one to fill in the blanks. But hurry. It will be our DEAL of the DAY late next week. Their asking price is only $12,900.
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:
| 1986 Chevrolet El Camino | $19,900 | Linthicum, MD |
| 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | $10,979 | Pompano Beach, FL |
| 1998 Camaro Z28 | $14,900 | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 2002 Corvette Coupe | $18,995 | Tampa, FL |
| 1988 Chevy Cavalier Z24 Convt | $16,995 | Atlanta, GA |
| 1999 Jeep Cherokee | $12,900 | Mankato, MN |
Cars for under $10,000:
| 1979 Mercedes 450SLC | $6,950 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1979 Corvette T-Top | $9,750 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 2002 Toyota 4Runner SR5 | $9,750 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1995 Cadillac DeVille | $8,900 | Mankato, MN |
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.
Joe, from British Columbia, Canada notified us that he had SOLD his 1978 Pontiac Firebird through his Cars-On-Line ad online. “Yes, I sold through Cars-On-Line.com,” he said. “Excellent result as always. Everything I’ve ever listed has sold on Cars On-Line. Much appreciated.” This was the Firebird that resembled the Rockford Files TV car that James Garner drove every week in the TV series. Thanks, Joe
Timothy from Minnesota told us he SOLD his 1972 Corvette with a Cars-On-Line ad. “The ad produced a fair amount of hits and led to the sale,” he told us. It was Steel Cities Gray with low miles. There is always a market for that color. Very popular.
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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