I would love to see that car with the chrome reverse, spider caps, and the blower back on it. Those hubcaps just have never done it for me, regardless it looks like someone did a great job restoring it.
Yup, I owned that car in partnership with Guffey, we sold it to Ralph Whitworth in 2006 ish. His guys restored it and I know that he had over 250 grand in it. They said non running in the auction description but I know it had everything it needed to have to be a functional car, they just chose not to run so it would not blue the headers. I remember that car selling for 120 grand at his 2009 auction... someone or several people lost real money on that car. It is a wonderful car historically , It was the first runner up in points the very first year of the ISCA
That’s a steal/deal!! First built with the caps, it was a sign of the times, but I sure do like that second version. I sure hope it gets driven, even just a little bit!
So, it is true, ...... that the wheels make the car. The car would have sold for more possibly with different rims and tires?
It is a historic car correctly restored with the wheels and tires just like the ones it wore when it placed in the ISCA points championships and when it was featured in the magazines. The key here is that traditional cars do not do well at auction. Especially no reserve on the early days of the event...
It is an incredible piece, and I don’t feel it got the attention it deserved. Having worked at Barrett for years, and been a buyer/seller there, oftentimes noteworthy vehicles get “lost” in the vastness that is this particular auction in Scottsdale. It may have been best suited to another event wherein it could have shined brighter and stood out more. On the flip side, the best way to determine the true value of a car is to send it to auction without reserve. I suppose the hammer price was, in fact, its true value….
Strangely enough, my first car was bought from a place called Wheels and Deals in San Bruno. I can't post a picture since it's off topic by 3 years. I am currently half ass searching for it so I can maybe bring it home again.
It's an interesting with a cool history but it's not a car that people outside of diehard hotrod history buffs are going to know about, like the Beatnik Bandit, the Ala Kart, or the Dream Truck. Even at that $38,000 seems like a lot of money to me! That's 3/4 of the cost of a new truck (My current one cost $10,500) or would make a large down payment on a house. $38,000 for something you can't use to get to work, chase parts or live in seems outrageous to me. I hate to say it but, it's getting to or even beyond the point where hot rods are out of the reach of the working class, I saw it happen in oval track racking and now it is happening here.
I agree that this is a very large sum of money for a car—way, way out of my price range. I disagree, however, that this car can't be used to get to work. Depending on where a person lives, this thing could be driven daily if they were so inclined. If it were mine, that's what I would most definitely do. Let the paint chip and headers blue...
Agreed, I'd have no problem driving that to work and around town regularly. Of course, if I had the means, I would've dropped 2 mil on the Hirohata and driven it home from the auction and then to work the next day....and most days after. LOL
I would drive it if I owned it, I drove my 53 Chevy every day to work at one point 30 miles one way rain or shine, but here in the northeast a roadster it's a very practical. I am just amazed at what people have and seem to be willing/able to give for cars and parts. About a weeks ago Cyclone BlueFlame 6 to early Ford transmission adaptor (I have two already I gave a few hundred each) came up on Market place it the asking price was $650.00. I connected the seller, about the price he said he had to hold firm. I had the cash and was giving it serious consideration, until I thought about the fact $650.00 is just under half of my auto insurance premium (due in March) for a year for three vehicles, two modern one with collision and collector car insurance on my 53 Chevrolet.
The Jalopy Journal
