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Defining Resto Mod
Restomodding has been controversial from the gitgo. Those who treasure the authentic nature of classic and muscle cars are held agast at modifying original cars. But today collectors want to drive their investments. The Hot Rod Power Tour has grown so big over the past 20 years that it has changed the way we think about collector cars. Pro Touring demands that cars be reliable and take us across the country without incident. And today we know how to make old cars perform way better than those that came from the factory. But restomodding only works when the classic car retains the look and design of the original car. That’s a fine line that can’t be crossed.
This week, RK Motors of Charlotte, North Carolina listed a restomod for sale that defines what a restomod should be. This 1959 Corvette Convertible demonstrates how modern engineering can enhance the show quality build with performance you would expect from a Gen V Corvette drivetrain. Everything about this car mirrors the level of craftsmanship that was built into it. The restoration was done by Burning River Restomods in Ohio. They used an Art Morrison chassis, and “Hot Cam” GM Performance parts with a 6.2L LT1 crate engine and 4L50E 4-speed automatic transmission. RK Motors tells us this Corvette delivers 495 horsepower to the ground.
Underneath, the restomod Corvette includes a full independent suspension front and rear, with Hyperco coilovers and Brembo four-wheel disc brakes. The power rack n pinion steering brings it full scale into modern handling, and the interior is wrapped in leather. The Alpine touchscreen head unit with Bluetooth and SiriusXM capabilities update it for today’s users, and there is a control switch for the power-operated hood. It features cold modern plumbed air conditioning. The 19” wheels are by Curtis Speed and they are wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero Nero tires.
But you will notice that the original style trim and badging remains in place. The Corvette has been completely re-mastered, yet retains its original style (albeit with an upgrade in elegance.)
New Listings
New Listings Page
Click this link to see all of today’s new listings.
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
Hot August Nights
Hot August Nights in Reno is billed as the World’s Biggest Car Show, with over 10,000 collector cars and trucks parading daily through downtown Reno. It is one of COL’s favorite shows and is happening now, August 1 through August 10, thoughout the Reno and Sparks area in Nevada. It’s like the whole world goes back in time to the 1950’s and 1960’s, with parades and car shows springing up all over the area. (Click here to review one of our reports on Hot August Nights in Reno.) Every casino in the Reno area has daily car shows with judgings every evening and trophies galour. Each collector gets his “fifteen minutes of fame.” With thousands of spectators lined up along the strip in downtown Reno the cars are the stars every evening for a cruise between Reno and Sparks. This is the best representation of car culture in America.
Make sure you check our Car Show Calendar so you don’t miss any of the great shows like this one this summer. August has a great lineup of top national level car shows and auctions. Click here to view our calendar. You may want to bookmark it for future reference.
Euro Car Prices Dropping
RC Classic Garage is a London based You Tube channel with an associated Facebook page. Richard has a knack of creating interesting commentary on the restoration business and classic car sales in general. This week he explained to his followers what is happening in the classic car market right now. Most of us don’t want to talk about how prices on classic cars are dropping. But Richard has identified five classic car genres that are tanking in value right now as you read this. (Click this link to watch his explanation of why classic car values are declining.) The Jaguar E-Type, Ferrari 308 and 328, air cooled Porsche 911’s, BMW 8 series E31’s and Aston Martin DB series (except for the DB5), and so on, are no longer going up in value. He blames the cost to repair these cars as the main reason prices are tanking. He says there is also a generational shift in desirability for today’s collector car market. The bulk of today’s collectors are now into 1980’s cars. (That’s right. It was verified by Hagerty Insurance that this is what is happening as Gen X’ers and Millenials are starting to collect cars meaningful to their generations.) If the sun is setting on the cars of the Baby boom generation, it is rising on succeeding generations.
This Weeks Featured Stories
1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda
When internet “click-bait” websites put together their “Top Ten” lists of most popular classic muscle cars, they often leave out the most desirable muscle car of all time … the Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda. Legendary in its importance among performance cars, this 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda was just listed for sale by West Port Auto Center in Fenton, Missouri. They say it has been the “lucky recipient” of a “nut and bolt rotisserie restoration” to the highest level. It has only 1,390 miles on it since completed. With a Shaker hood, Wilwood Dynalite Pro Series disc brakes and custom red gauges, it is not all original … yeah, its better than original. But it has the Pistol Grip shifter, and you’ll see in the photos that the undercarriage is amazing. Click here to watch their interesting walk-around video.
1991 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing
A few weeks ago Gullwing Motor Cars in New York posted an ad for a 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing replica. It was one of the coveted reproductions done by Tony Ostermeier in California. The authenticity of these reproductions is becoming well known. So this week Gullwing Motor Cars came up with two more outstanding 300SL Gullwing replicas for sale. The one you see hear is the 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing done in red with a 5-speed gearbox and tan leather interior. Showing just 1,518 miles, they say it runs and drives excellent. It has air conditioning, making it practical to drive today. Yet it captures the nostalgic effect of driving a legendary sports car with its iconic gullwing doors. See more in the Replicas Section below.
1974 Triumph TR6 Convertible
You will find some great prices in today’s New Listings. That is as a result of the sudden drop in value on some of the European two-seater sports cars worldwide. Here is a 1974 Triumph TR6 Convertible, for instance. Legendary Motors LLC in Beverly, Massachusetts has it for sale at below $20,000. You would not expect a collector sports car this nice to go this cheap. It shows just 63,834 miles and has been maintained by a British sports car specialist. They say it starts well and runs smoothly. The 2.5-liter inline six cylinder engine has dual Zenith Stromberg carbs and a 4-speed manual transmission. Click here to watch their walk-around video. You wouldn’t expect to get a car this nice for this price, but times are changing. You don’t know how long this correction in classic car values will last. This might be your opportunity to expand your automotive dreams.
Video Ads
2008 Bullitt Mustang
In 2008 Ford paid homage to the 1968 Hollywood movie Bullitt by producing a special edition Bullitt Mustang in Highland Green. One of those special cars was listed this week by Unique Classic Cars in Mankato, Minnesota. The 2008 Bullitt Mustang comes with a clear Carfax history and no accidents, and the digital odometer reads 20,038 actual miles. It has the 4.6L V8 mated with a 5-speed manual transmission and 18-inch Bullitt special wheels. That deep throaty sound you here in the video comes from the Borla exhaust. Watch the video above to inspect the condition. Note the charcoal leather interior with power windows, locks and mirrors. It has the Shaker 500 stereo system as well.
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
1979 Oldsmobile Toronado
A 1979 Oldsmobile Toronado is presented in almost new condition. That is because it still has only 3,723 miles. It was confirmed by Greg at Vanguard Motor Sales in Michigan that the miles are accurate. Watch the walk-around video and see for yourself how pristine and beautiful this black Toronado presents. They describe it as a “time capsule.” You’ll see the interior in the ad photos and on the video. Black interior with a walnut trim and Comfort Lounge front seats. They don’t make them like this anymore. And here is one in which the miles are so low it is almost new.
Here are more recent Low Miles additions:
1988 Cadillac Brougham, Primo Classics International, 12,036 actual miles
2008 Mercury Marquis, Orlando Classic Cars, 8,000 miles
1999 Plymouth Prowler Supercharged, Streetside Nashville, 17,516 actual miles
2001 Corvette Convt, Verrillo Motor Car Co, 7,260 miles
1986 Corvette Convt, Garage Kept Motors, shows 12k miles
1995 GMC Sonoma Pickup, East Coast Classic Cars, 24k original miles
1998 Corvette Convertible 3LT, Garage Kept Motors, 42,292 miles
You’ll find these and hundreds more in our Low Miles Section online now.
Project Vehicles for Restoration
1928 Pierce-Arrow Series 81
A luxury car from the roaring Twenties, this 1928 Pierce-Arrow Series 81 Sedan is a five-passenger touring car in need of full restoration. It is being offered for sale through Gullwing Motor Cars in New York. The owners have enjoyed it and then it somehow got lost in storage for a number of years. Gullwing says it will need both costmetic and mechanical recommissioning. For its time, the Model 81 was thought to be technically advanced and very attractive luxury car during the Jazz Age. They say the car is straight and an honest example of a car in need of restoration.
The following are just some of the cars available in the Project Car Section this week:
1967 Camaro, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1942 Lincoln Continental Club Cpe, Beverly Hills Car Club
1953 Porsche 356A, Gullwing Motor Car Co
1967 Mustang Convertible, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1972 Chevrolet Nova, GearHead Classics, TX
1973 International Scout II, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
1986 Porsche Carrera Sunroof Cpe, Beverly Hills Car Club, CA
Find hundreds of project cars for sale in the Project Car Section.
Price Reduced
1969 Hemi Road Runner
If you have been reading the newsletter in recent weeks, you may have noticed this 1969 Plymouth Hemi Road Runner for sale from Ontario, Canada. The Hemi 426 ci V8 engine is not original to the car since it is a ’67 Hemi engine. But the Plum Crazy Mopar is a tempting opportunity to know and experience the performance of a real Hemi car. An ecclectic example, it comes with a lift-off hood, Dana 60 rear end and 3.54 gears. The Canadian seller says “every nut and bolt is brand new,” so this is a wonderful non-numbers matching find. He was originally asking $130,000 in U.S. funds for the car. But just this week he dropped the price to $120,000. Now we’re getting somewhere.
Here are more vehicles with price cuts this week:
| Vehicle For Sale | Original Price | Reduced To |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air | $60,000 | $54,000 |
| 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL | $54,000 | $46,500 |
| 1999 Chevy Silverado 1500 | $45,000 | $37,500 |
| 1972 Plymouth Road Runner | $55,000 | $50,000 |
| 1958 Corvette Convertible | $209,900 | $199,000 |
| 1955 Ford F100 Pickup | $26,900 | $23,900 |
| 1964 Ford Galaxie 500XL Convt | $36,900 | $31,995 |
| 1956 Ford Ranch Wagon | $23,000 | $20,000 |
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
Classic Luxury
You can see all the fresh ads as they are listed each day on the New Listings page.
Classic 60s Cars
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.
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.
Check out the Buick Muscle Car Section. More listed daily on the New Listings page.
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.
Replicas
Volkswagen
Race Cars
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
1969 General Lee Charger
One of the reasons that there are so few 1969 Dodge Chargers left in the collector car market today is because of the TV series Dukes of Hazzard, with the General Lee ’69 Charger as the actual hero of the show. They estimate that up to 350 Dodge Chargers were used in the filming for stunts and jump scenes. Most were destroyed during the filming. Then came the General Lee replicas, where every ’68 or ’69 Charger they could find were being reproduced as General Lee tributes. Not many are in the condition of this 1969 General Lee Charger, though. You can find it at the Classic Auto Mall in Pennsylvania. Read through the description to find out the condition and price. It has an NOM 440 under the hood. The trunk lid has the signatures of all the cast members, including Daisy Duke.
The following are more recently listed Muscle Car Clones:
1970 Corvette Convertible, Classic Auto Mall, L88 hood 454
1969 Plymouth Road Runner, Vanguard Motor Sales, A12 tribute
1972 Chevelle, Primo Classics Intern’l, SS tribute
1965 Mustang Fastback, Streetside Charlotte, Shelby GT350 tribute
1967 Chevelle, East Coast Classic Cars, SS clone
1966 Chevelle, Streetside Nashville, SS tribute
1967 Mustang Fastback, Garage Kept Motors, Shelby GT500 tribute
1966 Mustang Fastback, Garage Kept Motors, Shelby GT350 tribute
1972 Chevrolet Nova, Garage Kept Motors, SS tribute
1970 Chevrolet Nova Sedan, Classic Auto Mall, SS emblems
Make sure you watch our New Listings page for daily updates. There’s even more in the Muscle Car Section.
Deals of the Day
1965 Chevelle Malibu SS
Few cars are as important to collectors as the first year Chevelle Malibu Super Sport edition. Here is a 1965 Chevelle Malibu SS sport coupe with a 350 ci V8 engine and automatic transmission. It is being offered for sale through Beverly Hills Car Club in Los Angeles. They say it is a California car with Rochester 4-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust. Note the 15-inch wheels with Chevrolet hubcaps, bucket seats and vent windows. These early Chevelle Super Sports combined style and performance. This one has an aftermarket B&M Quicksilver shifter and fun looking aftermarket gauges on the console. It looks good in the photos, but you still might want to have it inspected before you buy. But hurry! It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Saturday. Their asking price is only $19,750.
1937 Oldsmobile Coupe
Beverly Hills Car Club also came up with a vintage collector car this week. They are advertising a 1937 Oldsmobile Coupe at a great price point. This rare car is presented in Santome Cream with a green interior. It really looks good in the photos. They say this one is mechanically sound, and will be a head-turner wherever it goes. The photos of the exterior look really good. When you get to the interior you see minimal wear and a very clean presentation. You should have it inspected to find out more about the mechanical condition. We know that it is equipped with a 3-speed manual transmission, a straight eight engine, floor mounted shifter, whitewall tires and 16-inch wheels with Oldsmobile hubcaps. Interestingly, it has bucket seats. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Sunday. Their asking price is only $19,750.
1959 Edsel Ranger
The Edsel was in its waning years when this 1959 Edsel Ranger 2-Door Hardtop was produced. They only made 5,500 of these 2-Door hardtops in ’59. It is finished in its factory correct two-tone Light Aqua and Snow White colors. These were big cars with lots of chrome and brightwork. And, of course, it has the signature vertical grille. It is being offered for sale by Streetside Classics out of their Nashville store. They say it has good glass, proper panel gaps and updated lighting throughout. It has the distinctive Edsel gauges and dashboard. It has the 292 ci V8 engine with a two-speed Mile-O-Matic automatic transmission. And it will be our DEAL of the DAY on Monday next week because the asking price is only $15,995.
1973 Lincoln Town Coupe
The 1970’s Lincoln Town Cars were as elegantly exciting as they were stunningly big and formidable. A nineteen foot long car with limousine like qualities was not for everyone back in the day. But it had its followers. Even today there are people who cherish these big highway cruisers. The Classic Auto Mall just listed a 1973 Lincoln Continental Town Coupe for sale. It is one of the most formal looking Lincolns of all time. The color was called Light Ginger Moondust. It is as quiet and luxurious to drive as it is oustentatious to behold. In the engine bay is a 460 ci V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor. Although it is clean and drives well, they note a few deficiencies in the descriptive text. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Tuesday next week. Their asking price is $15,000.
1950 Plymouth Deluxe
A 1950 Plymouth Deluxe 2-Door Sedan is being offered for sale by Unique Classic Cars in Mankato, Minnesota. They act as wholesalers to classic car dealers. This one is in need of some repair before it can be used. It runs and drives right now with an inline six cylinder engine. They believe it will need brake work, a valve job and will need wheel cylinders in the future. The paint still shows a nice shine, although it is an older paint job with chips and pitting. The interior is ready for a redo. They tell us the car rides softly and handles well. But it pulls to the left when braking. You may want to have a full pre-purchase inspection done before you buy. But hurry. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Wednesday. Their asking price is $13,900.
1960 Triumph TR3A Roadster
As a follow-up to some of the stories we have run this week here in the newsletter, here is a 1960 Triumph TR3A Roadster, a very popular classic sports car that is being offered for sale at Beverly Hills Car Club in Los Angeles. In the past we would have said that the price on this one was “too good to be true.” But now that prices have come down on European sports cars you might be able to buy cars like this one at a discount. The Pale Yellow finish is part of its timeless design. The TR3A has a heritage that British sports car enthusiasts admire. It has an inline four cylinder engine with Zenith Stromberg dual carburetors and a 4-speed transmission. With Jaeger/Lucas instruments, banjo style steering wheel, wire wheels with knock-offs and bucket seats, the little Triumph has everything Americans look for in a classic two-seater sports car. It will be our DEAL of the DAY late next week. The asking price is $19,750.
2008 Saturn Sky
Remember when GM’s offspring, the Saturn Corporation, began producing an American sports car called the Saturn? Competing with BMW’s Z3 and Pontiac’s Solstice, the Saturn Sky Convertible had a 2.4 liter Ecotec inline 4 cylinder engine. This 2008 Saturn Sky Convertible has a 5-speed automatic transmission with 4-wheel power disc brakes and 4-wheel independent stabilizer bars front and rear. The top is manually opened and closed. It has dusk sensing headlights, theft alarm system, heated mirrors, and auto delay off headlights with front fog lights. It is being offered for sale by East Coast Classic Cars. They say it “drives and handles great!” It will be our DEAL of the DAY late next week. The asking price is $16,500.
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:
| 1974 Triumph TR6 Roadster | $17,500 | Morgantown, PA |
| 1980 Chevrolet El Camino | $14,900 | Holland, MI |
| 1990 Pontiac Firebird | $13,995 | Nashville, TN |
| 1994 Camaro Convertible | $13,500 | Morgantown, PA |
| 1990 Jaguar XJS V12 Convertible | $12,000 | Morgantown, PA |
| 1978 Buick Regal LTD | $12,000 | Alsip, IL |
| 1984 Chevrolet C10 Pickup | $12,900 | Elkhart Lake, WI |
| 1990 Mercedes 300E | $13,900 | Mankato, MN |
| 1995 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 LS | $17,900 | Holland, MI |
| 1995 Buick Riviera Supercharged | $15,900 | Mankato, MN |
| 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII | $14,995 | Phoenix, AZ |
| 1999 Jaguar XK8 Convt | $19,995 | Charlotte, NC |
| 2001 Mercedes SLK320 Convt | $11,900 | Mankato, MN |
| 2010 Lincoln Towncar | $13,900 | Lakeland, FL |
Cars for under $10,000:
| 2001 Jaguar S-Type | $9,995 | Phoenix, AZ |
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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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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