A tuba, trombone and snare drummer paraded the grounds and you could not hear the auctioneer. They also had a stage for musicians and entertainers. Why? I'm not really sure. SO, I sent an email to Mecum and this is what it said:
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The auction was only missing the clown and an elephant. (it was a circus) There was even a brass band! The tuba had Brass Band printed on it! I was disappointed with the presentation.
I counted 4 view screens total, One was frozen for hours and nobody knew how to reset it. The large one was blinded by the sunlight and good luck finding the other 2.
Then almost all of the stadium seating was blocked for bidders only. Do you think MotorTrend was soliciting auction goers for live streaming services? Having a stage with 'live" music and bands parading around the grounds isn't really what we expect at an auction. If you can't see the auction and you can't clearly hear the auction, then why go?
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The results? The millennials fell in love with the 65-70 Mustang pony cars all over again. Even a coupe is bringing 5x more than 2 years ago.
Corvette prices were all over the board, but in general, lower than expected unless you had good documentation and /or show experience.
Restomods are in high demand and bring high dollars (well over $100k) for the right combo. Many were sold in the $200 - $300,000 range.
Trucks did quite well also. I saw a Bronco sell for $95,000! The average old generation trucks were bring ing over $40,000 consistently.
I see an improvement in the viewiable quality of the cars and I attribute that to the fact many of the cars have been re-worked several times.
I just had a car come in with fire damage. The problem? The 60 year old brass float had a pin hole leak and the float was full of gasoline. If the float doesn’t float (because it is too heavy), gas keeps coming in and the fuel dumps all over the intake manifold. It only took a spark from bad sparkplug wires to set it off.
Carburetors inherently have issues related to older technology, fuel blends and age related problems. Carbs use a least one float and a needle & seat to regulate how much fuel enters the carbs. The needle closes off the fuel supply when there is enough fuel is the carb. When the float goes low, the needle allows fuel to flow until float is at the proper level. (much like your toilet) LOL.
These needles and float tension are designed for pressures less than 7lbs. Electric pumps easily make that kind of pressure and a fuel pressure regulator may be needed if used with a carb. Another COMMON problem is dirt can get in the needle. IF this happens, fuel will continue to flow & cause problems much like described above. It is important to always have a good fuel filter installed to prevent ANY kind of dirt from reaching the carb.
Even if the sparkplug wires had not set off the chain re-action above, the fuel would have continued to OVERFILL the carb and leak everywhere, possibly the exhaust and creating an even larger fire. It is important to keep all of your fuel hoses, filters, and carbs service in top notch condition.
I want to create a south Florida community garage center for car buffs, mechanics and collectors. IF you have more than a few cars, the issues are the same. Not enough time, no help, not enough space and the list goes on. I know people spending large amounts of money to build a 'man cave' and then, they are missing something. Friends, Specialists, Tools, Lifts, Convienence and so on. If we pool our resources on a common goal, the possibilities are endless.
The basics are:
- Warehouse space located near I95 for easy access
- Place to store vehicles in a showroon environment
- On site mechanic to attend to basic vehicle maintenance
- Service bays & lifts available for member use - (disclaimer required)
- 24/7 access for members
- Wash bay facilities
- Camera survellience & security inside / outside with phone app
- Concierge Service available that includes complete automotive services provided by Moparresto.
- Personal Webpage and Story about your car
Fees would be based / sq. ft. usage.
Example: A month storage for 1 vehicle occupying 300 sq ft. (30 x10) , with member access and services could be about $3/ sq ft/ /month.
To be included would be a service to maintain the vehicle in running condition and prep prior to pick up.
Additional services could be provided al la carte.
Anyone interested should contact Rick Rossi rick@moparresto.com or 561-699-0252
Overdrive Transmissions - the gears of things.
in the 60's & 70's most of the vehicles had 3 speed automatics or 3 or 4 speed manual transmissions. As the end of that era grew near, manual transmissions were available in 5 or 6 speed configurations while automatics now have 6, 8 or 9 speeds. Why? Fuel Economy! Better torque curve! Lower RPM's at Cruising Speeds! Quieter! Most transmissions today offer some form of overdrive.
Overdrive is when the transmission output shaft is turning faster than the engine crankshaft or less than 1:1 ratio. THe allows for less RPM's at the same cruise speed than without overdrive.If you have an older car with only a 3 speed automatic, or a manual shift with 3 or 4 speeds, you might want to consider some kind of overdrive upgrade in the future.
Depending on your application, some upgrades are relatively simple. Example: a Chevrolet 200R transmission is a 4 speed transmission and is direct replacement for a Turbo 350 trans. Some other conversions require fabrication work. It is best to look at all available options before heading down path. Companies like Gear Vendors make bolt-in over-drive units you can purchase. Usually, this requires a new driveshaft to be made. The fuel economy you get from the upgrade will offset the cost to do the job.