STORY LINE: NEW YEAR … ‘STUPH’

It’s a new year, 2004, and the specialty and classic automobile interest is as strong and solid as we car lovers could never have dreamed of … but I do see some changes. More interest in less expensive cars, more interest in cars of the ‘70s and ‘80s, and cars being sold off to just one or two specialty vehicles in the ‘collection’.

Newer cars are also being collected as drivers, as it is more economical fun to have a later model car that has all the amenities to comfortably drive long distances and carry a larger payload-as in a pic-a-door and long roof modes of transportation. Follow some of the hobbyist publications and you will see and agree that these vehicles are becoming quite popular and are being publicized graphically. Station wagons and four doors are today really way cool!

Street rods of the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s have typically been of the roadster, chopped top models and business coupe variety, but more and more, the hot rodder has shown an interest in the much larger and more comfortable sedan models. Ah … comfort. The other side is that the roadster and chopped coupes, are, getting very pricey. Sedans are … cheaper. And the newer long roof cars are still even less expensive. So far.

Of the four cars that I now possess, only one is an ‘older’ car, down from the typical three to four usually in stock-over and above the daily drivers. And it’s a pic-a-door touring high performance sedan from the ‘70s. This 1973 Pontiac Grand Am is a great fun and comfortable performance car to drive; all the amenities, handles like a slot car, plenty of usable torque, runs on pump gas, has a totally unique appearance as a recognizable specialty car …and is really comfortable.      

The three daily drivers are a rear wheel drive LT1 motivated Chevy wagon akin to the last Impala SS built. It’s a Nomad SS and no they never built ‘em, but it is the second one that I have owned. The White Diamond Eldorado is of the ETC variety with a Northstar that has been tweaked to surpass 160 when pressed … love those heated leather seats. And the GMC 4.3-V6 Safari (soon to be Surfari)… it runs great  just the way it is with a very nice ride height viewing position. Oh, does the 1950 wood Chris-Craft and ’86 Astro-Van contemplating a V8 conversion count?  Driver cars are way more fun … when they are comfortable. Must be gettin’ smarter … and older.

AUCTIONS.  The last RM Classic Car auction held at the Novi Expo Center was a mixed bag of  types and styles of cars, as it usually is. But what I did notice is that some very good buys could be had if you were looking for a car. All auctions have some good buys if you are astute and pay attention, and this last one had some of those price point cars in all categories, whether it was a Cadillac of the ‘70s, a modified muscle car or a street rod. The numbers can be checked out at http:/www.rmclassiccars.com

Coming up in Arizona, January 21-25 is Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale. THEE auction to be at if: you desire to watch huge sums of mega-dollars exchange owners, peruse some excellent automotive; steel, fiberglass and art-where most qualifies as rolling sculpture, gorgeous very rich women, and palm tree surrounded car cruises with hordes of car liking people- the likes of Moses crossing through the Red Sea. Scottsdale is the place to be in January … other than Pago-Pago sucking on a Margarita while observing sunrises and sunsets. If it ain’t in the cards to be that lucky … you can play virtual reality by lounging in your easy chair, wearing a bathing suit and catching THEE auction on Speedvision … narrated probably by Alan Cadenet the English witt describing… “THIS BEAUTIFUL RED CAR!” 

Corvette plastic fantastic folks? Barrett-Jackson will be auctioning four Callaway Super Vettes at a NO RESERVE price: the ’88 Chevrolet Corvette Calloway ‘SLEDGEHAMMER’ Twin-Turbo, it was clocked at 254.76mph; the ’91 Chevrolet Calloway Twin-Turbo ZR1 Speedster; the ’97 Chevrolet Calloway C12; the ’97 Callaway C7R-the first all Callaway automobile. Happy plasticing!!!    See ya.

TOP HAT JOHN can be contacted for story leads, vehicle appraisals, or questions at: P.O. Box 46024, Mt. Clemens, MI., 48046-6024; or call 586-465-1933