Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: The Hot Rod Mart for 1963! Continue reading the Original Blog Post
Seems I remember the late Pat Ganahl commenting on traveling to see that chopped '40 Ford ragtop! I think he couldn't afford it at the time. Do note most vehicles were feature cars. That Chev Healey gets my attention!
Well if money was no object. This in spades! But since $6000 equates to $62,601.90 in today's money, it's hardly likely that most people at the time had that kind of money, so it'd have to be the '40 Ford. Which again was still a chunk of money in 1963.
Absolutely the '34 Ford, my fav amongst all the other hotrods of the era. I can't even afford to try to buy one today at these prices, although I do still look. Too bad daddy-oh didn't pick this up back in the day, what an investment!!!
Many of those ads contained phone numbers. Anyone just call the number and see if the original owner is still around and if they are still into hot rodding? I was 19 at the time and I'm still here so the chances are....... Warren
i remember contacting an old ad for an ardun decades ago and the people said it went to bill harrah's museum!--so where did ALL that stuff end up??!
The biggest impression those ads made on me was the difference between dollars invested and the asking price.
agreed-usually say they have 2-3 times invested what they are asking-(and a lot of draft notices in reference as well)
Hello, The classifieds at the end of the hot rod magazines were popular to read. But, not actually classified ads that one would buy. Why, well the ads were “two months from the ad is received…” is the key. Now, the magazine had the editorial group and this portion of the magazine had its hits and misses. It they could not fill up their portion of the given space in the HOT ROD MART, then your ad was in luck. It got a space. If the spaces were filled up, then it took longer than two months. Sometimes, it took longer for the ad group to pick your ad and now, it was more than “hopefully” posting it in the next month’s issue. Normally, stories are accepted and printed as they are stacked on the editor’s desk. Then in order of likable feature hot rods, they get shoved down the list or up to the top if it is a rare hot rod or a really one of a kind hot rod. The ad group was using similar ideas with the ones being sent in to the magazines. Then most people did not get their hot rods to sell within two months and so, it took so long it was no longer worth it to send the ad in, wait two or more months to get accepted and now the stack on the ad guy’s desk had its own priorities. So, it took longer than two months. But, it was in a "national magazine!" Jnaki We all saw that as a fun place to place an ad. It was a national ad service, but realistically, the wait of two or more months was not “worth waiting for” the actual hot rod to get sold. It was faster in the local papers. Actually, the fastest classified ads for hot rods was in the "Weekly" Drag News classifieds that went all over the USA nation in subscriptions and sold at most popular hot rod shops and auto parts stores. So, the built in market saw the ads weekly and the movement of ads was such that it did not take long to be accepted by the editors and posted in the next week's classified ads. Note: In 1961, my brother finally was getting better on his recovery from the burns and accident memories. So, he decided that all of the drag racing stuff had to get sold. No, we were not going to make another hot rod or drag race vehicle, so, even the complete 671 292 c.i. SBC blower spec motor was for sale. I typed the ad on the old typewriter and then had it ready when the drag news operator answered the phone. As I read the description, she typed. When we were finished, she read back the typed copy she had made. Hers was fit into the space provided on her design board and could be placed on the editorial format of the classified ad pages. She typed in 283 not a 292 c.i. SBC motor also typed in 49 Willys motor not a 1940 Willys motor... Sheesh! This was also a “national posted” ad attracting buyers from all over the USA. A guy from the Midwest called first, reserved the motor and wired a down payment via Western Union. So, a week later, he flew out and came to pick up the motor. He had also sent a moving van to pick up the crated motor for shipment. The Drag New ad was weekly and did its intended job. All parts were gone by March 1961. YRMV
In addition to HOT ROD, ROAD & TRACK also had classifieds. These were money makers for the magazines and the income was 2 to 3 times the the price of a single column third of a page ad. Ads were paid with US postal money orders or personal checks. If you used a personal check, the ad usually appeared 3 issues out instead 2 based on when the check cleared.
After inflation a dollar today is worth almost exactly 1/10th of it's value in 1960. Multiply those prices by 10 to get a better idea. Some of them still seem cheap, but there were a lot of these old cars around then.
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