Texas Archives - Page 8 of 8 - C6Performance Journal

October 3, 2013

[VIDEO] Man Surprises Girlfriend with a C7 Corvette Stingray

Apparently, not everyone gets as excited about getting a new Stingray as we do.

A guy tells us in this Youtube video that heâ€™s going to surprise his girlfriend with a new black on black on black 2014 Corvette Stingray that has just arrived at Peters Chevrolet in Longview, Texas and is being checked out by the crew there to make sure all the nuts and bolts are right on the car.

After he goes to her office and calls her on the phone, the poor fellow has to practically beg her to come out of the office and see the car, and based on her reaction, weâ€™re not sure if she even realizes itâ€™s her car. Her emotion is about as excited as if he had just brought her a vanilla bean frappuccino from Starbucks!

She doesn’t seem to care that she is probably among the first few hundred ordinary folks to drive the new C7.

This is one video that you definitely wonâ€™t see in the Chevy marketing folder. For what we consider an outstanding gift, the poor guy does get a hug and a kiss after she gets done with her quick drive around the parking lot.

But we have a feeling he might have gotten more excitement if he had taken her on a trip to Paris or New York City, and it would have been a lot cheaper than the $70,000 he shelled out for this 3LT Z51 Stingray!

But at least she is honest. â€œI know somebody more excited than I am,â€ she tells him as they climb out of the car.

Maybe he should have just bought her a Spark and kept the Corvette for himself.

Source:
YouTube.com

September 9, 2013

Mecumâ€™s Dallas Auction â€“ Corvette Buyers and Sellers Nirvana

Mecum's Dallas Event â€“ Corvette Buyers and Sellers Nirvana

Dana Mecumâ€™s favorite car has to be the Chevrolet Corvette, especially if solely based on the number of outstanding high dollar cars that were hammered down during the last four days of his third Dallas auction.

It was clearly evident that Corvettes carried the four-day auction and were the car of choice for collectors where a new record price was paid for a Corvette ($3.2M, a 1967 L88, fully documented former NHRA record holder and the only â€™67 L88 to retain its original body panels).

Of the 172 Corvettes that crossed the block 106 were sold, a 61% sell through rate, for a combined hammer price of $9.106M. Though some buyers were able to grab some excellent bargains during the first two days of the sale, the last two days saw spirited bidding and prices well above average. Almost twenty Corvettes were hammered down above $100K. It seemed as though most restored second generation cars were selling between $100K to $150K and if the car had any rare options it was selling close to or above $200K.

It should be noted however that there were some outstanding and historically significant Corvettes being offered many of which, like the record setting â€™67 L88, were from the Buddy Herin collection. We recapped some of the important Corvettes being offered last week.

The rare 1957 “Airbox” (Lot S121), one of only 43 produced, sold for $290K while the 1961 “Big Brake” fuelie (Lot S126) brought $150K. The award winning red 1963 Z06, (Lot 125) one of 199 Z06â€™s produced for the entire C2 production run, sold for $250K. A 1967 Bloomington Gold Benchmark Rally Red 427/435 convertible (Lot 204.1) was also among the top ten cars sold in Dallas bringing $205K which tied another 1967 Red 427/435convertible (Lot S141). Almost every big block C2 brought $100K or more.

Most of the Corvettes that crossed the block on Friday and Saturday were of exceptional quality and subsequently carried high reserves. Though the majority of sellersâ€™ expectations were exceeded, over sixty cars were not hammered and went to “the bid goes on” area where buyers and sellers often can come to a compromised agreement on price.

One of the premier cars of the auction, the last documented L88 produced (lot S130.1), a 1969 Fathom Green C3, failed to meet reserve even though the car had been bid to $430K and had been purchased earlier in the year at another auction for $280.5K, not a bad return for eight months but apparently not good enough. But that was not a unique occurrence, Lot 167, a 1967 black, 427/435 convertible, fully documented and restored was bid to $275K; Lot F235, a 1967 427/435, Marina blue convertible was bid to $200K, and Lot S188, a 1966 “big tank” coupe was bid to $170K and all failed to meet the sellersâ€™ reserves.

Based on the results of Mecumâ€™s Dallas auction, owners of first and second generation Corvettes should be ecstatic based on the continued upward spiral in prices on those cars.

High quality, original, numbers matching, restored first and second generation Corvettes are bringing well above $100K and several with rare options are getting $200K or more in todayâ€™s market with no evidence of those prices falling in the near future. Of the Dallas auctionâ€™s top ten sellers four were Corvettes, all bringing in excess of $200K.

Dana Mecum said in an interview the Dallas results were great and that he actually needs a larger facility, with more space to park consigned cars, to help him meet the demand for an expanded auction in the future. Iâ€™m sure based on the results of this yearâ€™s event he will be looking for ways to make that a reality and I am also sure that based on the quality level of the cars at this yearâ€™s event, auto enthusiasts and especially Corvette enthusiasts, would welcome that expansion.

Rick Tavel writes about automobiles with an emphasis on Corvettes and the hobby in general. You can see his website at revenantrt.blogspot.com

Source:
Mecum Auctions

September 7, 2013

[VIDEO] 1967 L88 Corvette Convertible Sells for Record $3.2 Million at Mecum Dallas

Photo Courtesy of Mecum

On Saturday afternoon at the Mecum auction in Dallas, Lot #123 – a 1967 L88 Corvette Roadster from the Buddy Herin collection took center stage. After five minutes of auction banter, the documented 1-20 L88 Corvette Sting Ray became the highest selling Corvette to ever sell at auction with a gavel price of $3.2 million.

This Corvette spent much of its early life at the drag strip and has the time slips to prove it. The car was raced along the West Coast in the NHRA A/Sports class in 1968-69 before returing to stock form in 1970.

Buddy Herin bought the Corvette in 1998 and sent it to the Nabers Brothers in Houston for restoration. The Corvette claimed a regional NCRS Top Flight award in 1997 and participated in the 2008 Bloomington Gold L88 Invasion.

GM records show 20 L88â€™s sold to the public for the 1967 model year. Documentation for this L88 Sting Ray includes the all-important tank sticker, extensive owner history and old racing photos and time slips.

The Marlboro Maroon Corvette sports a black, mostly original interior and a matching black stinger on the hood. The 427/430hp L88 engine is bolted to a M22 â€œRock Crusherâ€ 4-speed and has a 4.11:1 rear end. Other options include heavy duty power brakes, factory side exhaust, and the F41 suspension.

Here’s the video from of the sale from Mecum Auctions:

With the $3.2 Million dollar sale, this L88 eclipses the $1.6 million spent for the 1963 Corvette “Rondine” Coupe built by Pininfarina which sold at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction in 2008.

Source:
Mecum

September 4, 2013

Corvette Auction Preview: Mecum Offers Museum Quality Corvettes in Dallas

Right on the heels of his successful Monterey event which generated over $31M in sales, Dana Mecum is headed to the Lone Star state to host another auction extravaganza, September 4th through the 7th. This will be Mecumâ€™s third year for his annual Dallas event held at the convention center and will be loaded with over 1400 collector cars featuring over a hundred Corvettes including several examples of the six generations.

Mecum is known world-wide for the vast quantity and high quality Corvettes he miraculously uncovers for each auction and the Dallas auction is no exception. This year Mecum will be selling Buddy Herin’s outstanding collection of extraordinary Corvettes. If you appreciate rare and historically important Corvettes then it would be worth the trip to get to inspect some of finest Corvettes being offered at auction this year. Six of those Corvettes could be “headliners” in any auction event but all six will cross the block Saturday afternoon in Dallas.

It would be easy to overlook some of the other significant Corvettes being offered in Mecumâ€™s Texas round-up due to the heavily promoted feature star of the auction, a Chevrolet Corvette convertible, Lot 123, one of twenty L88 Corvettes produced in 1967. Steve Burns gave you the details on this C2 L88 last month here on CorvetteBlogger, but to keep things in context hereâ€™s a refresh before looking at some of the other exceptional Corvettes which may have been overshadowed by this outstanding Corvette.

1967 L88 Convertible Headed to Mecum Dallas

A part of Buddy Herinâ€™s Collection, the Marlboro Maroon Corvette is equipped with the L88 427/430 HP engine, M22 “Rock Crusher” 4-speed manual transmission, 4.11 rear end, heavy duty power brakes, factory side exhaust and F41 special suspension. It is the only 1967 L88 believed to retain its original body panels and has been restored by Nabers Brothers in Houston, Texas. Mecum estimates the award winning Corvette will sell for prices approaching $3M. Yeah thatâ€™s a 3 with six zeros following it. Corvettes of this rarity and quality cast a long shadow so it is easy to see how one might overlook some of the other cars being auctioned.

1967 L88 Corvette Convertible Headed to Mecum Dallas

But in typical Mecum style that is only one of several important Corvettes that will find new homes during the Dallas auction. If you love C2â€™s and high horsepower then youâ€™ll want to check out Lot S188, a 1966 Corvette coupe, one of only 66 “big tank” Corvettes produced that year. Along with most high value cars, it will also cross the block Saturday afternoon. The 427 cubic inch, 450 HP L72 car has only 7200 miles and has also undergone a Nabers Brothers restoration. The Nassau Blue exterior with black interior car has received the NCRS Top flight award.

Second generation Z06â€™s are highly prized, and Lot S125 is a beautiful Riverside Red/red interior example and one of the 199 Z06â€™s produced before General Motors officially withdrew from racing. The Z06 option was only offered on the 1963 model and was a chance to package several competition options and components together. The only choice of engine in the Z06 was 327/360 HP small block with Rochester fuel injection, the famous Duntov-spec solid lifter cam and forged rotating assembly, backed by a Muncie M20 4-speed and posi-traction. In addition the Z06 came with stiffer front and rear springs, heavy duty stabilizer bar and shock absorbers; special large drum brakes with vented backing plates, finned brake drums, internal cooling fans, a dual-circuit master cylinder and finned aluminum knock-off wheels. In addition to the Z06 options this exceptional example is also optioned with power windows, power brakes, and radio delete. Like many other Corvettes from the Herin collection, Naber Brothers restored the car in 1996 and it went on to capture Bloomington Gold Certification that same year with a score of 98.6, and then in 1999 it earned NCRS Regional Top Flight status.

1963 Corvette Z06 Headed to Mecum's 2013 Dallas Auction

Or if your taste runs to first generation cars, 17 are on the docket for Dallas. If historically important first gens are important then how about a 1957 “airbox” Corvette with a race history, originally owned and raced by Sports Car Graphicâ€™s Kenneth Edwards. Mecumâ€™s is offering Lot 121, one of only 43 “airbox” Corvettes produced in 1957 which offered a new fuel injection system helping the 283 Cubic inch engine attain the mythical “one-horsepower-per-cubic-inch” threshold for the first time.

1957 Rare Airbox Corvette Headed to Mecum Dallas

This option, RPO 579E, included the 283 CI V-8 with Rochester “Ram Jet” fuel injection, cold air induction, Borg Warner 4-speed manual transmission and a column-mounted 8,000 RPM tachometer. Only 17 or 18 of the original 43 cars ordered with that option exist today. This historically significant Corvette was ordered in Onyx Black with red interior and in addition to RPO 579E, included a heavy duty racing suspension, posi-traction, Wonderbar radio, power top, and painted steel wheels with “dog dish” hubcaps. About the only option excluded was power windows. Edwards raced the car at both the drag strip and road courses until selling it in 1962. Typical of many of the Buddy Herin Corvettes being auctioned, Nabers Brothers did a complete restoration on this award winning car and it has collected several prestigious awards.

1957 Airbox Corvette with Racing History

Another first generation car, Lot 126, and another part of the Buddy Herin collection, is a 1962 Tuxedo Black/black interior “big brake” C1 that has only 4,901 miles since it rolled off the assembly line. It is one of only 246 Corvettes produced in 1962 with RPO 687, which encompassed special front and rear shocks, front brake deflector/air scoops, rear brake air scoops, finned drums with internal cooling fans and quick steering adapter, all developed and proven on the track. It has the most powerful engine available in 1962, the 327/360 HP small block V-8 with Rochester fuel injection and 4â€“speed manual transmission, which was required with the “big brake” option.

1962 Tuxedo Black Corvette Headed to Mecum Dallas

In addition the “fuelie” has a Tuxedo Black auxiliary hard top, Wonderbar radio and painted steel wheels with dog dish hub caps. It was restored to its original triple Black color combination by Naber Brothers, who preserved the original interior with the exception of new carpet and dash pad. It was subsequently awarded Bloomington Gold Certification in 1994, and in 1996 it was awarded NCRS National Top Flight honors and the highly coveted NCRS Duntov Mark of Excellence Award, a highly coveted honor that requires that the car pass a demanding judging regime and rigorous performance testing without a single failure. This exceptional collector Corvette is well documented with the dealer invoice, owner protection plan and a file of supporting paperwork

Letâ€™s not forget the third generation Corvettes. There are over thirty C3â€™s being offered with the superstar of the group being the “last documented L88″ ever produced. This Fathom Green/Saddle interior car was built the final day of L88 production, Thursday, December 4, 1969, and is the last of the 116 L88â€™s produced. It was the beneficiary of a body-off restoration by Thorpe’s Corvettes, Thorpe is a past Bloomington L-88 judge.

This important C3 is equipped with the L-88 special purpose 427/430hp engine, leather interior, stainless steel brakes, stainless exhaust, transistor ignition system, F41 special purpose suspension, posi-traction, power brakes, J50/J56 special brake system and M22 Rock Crusher 4-speed transmission. It is documented with build sheet, tank sticker, owner history, NCRS certificate, judging sheets, and title search back to the original owner. Another Saturday car it is lot number S130. The car was sold earlier this year for over $275K.

For Corvette lovers this may very well turn out to be one of, if not, the best auction of significant Corvettes in the country this year, not only in the quality level but the historical significance of many of the cars, especially those from Herinâ€™s collection. Just make sure that if youâ€™re planning on taking one of them home you might want to check with your banker and broker because they say everything in Texas is bigger and I am sure that will apply to the prices of these special cars.

Rick Tavel writes about automobiles with an emphasis on Corvettes and the hobby in general. You can see his website at revenantrt.blogspot.com

Source:
Mecum Auctions

August 23, 2013

1967 L88 Corvette Convertible Headed to Mecum Dallas

Weâ€™ve been a little C7 heavy here lately so hereâ€™s a C2 to mix things up. Mecum Auctions will be offering an uber rare 1967 L88 convertible next month at their Dallas sale. The Marlboro Maroon on black roaster will be crossing Mecumâ€™s red carpet about 2:30pm central time on Saturday, September 7th. Itâ€™s one of 11 cars being offered from the Buddy Herin collection that weekend in Texas. Get your banker on the phone now, because this one is going to be expensive, really expensive.

GM records show 20 L88â€™s sold to the public for the 1967 model year. Like most L88â€™s this one spent its early life on the drag strip.

Jim Elmer purchased the car new at Lyman Slack Chevrolet in Portland, Oregon. After adding headers and 7 inch slicks he ran an 11.47 quarter mile when the car was nearly new. To put that in perspective, the new 2014 Corvette Stingray will run a 12.0 second quarter mile in stock form. Elmer later won the A/Sports class at the 1967 Indy Nationals where he had a fast pass of 11.12s at 127.45mph. Not long after that both the transmission and rear end suffered some injuries so Elmer took the car to the dealer for service. No surprise that his warranty claim was denied as the car was in its race livery while at the dealership. Elmer didnâ€™t want to pay for the repairs himself so he instead sold the car to Rob Robinson in February of 1968 for $5,000. Robinson then raced the car in the NHRA A/Sports class through 1968 and 1969 all along the west coast. Robinson consistently placed among the top 4 or 5 in the NHRA final national points standings with the L88. He returned the car to stock form in 1970 and it was subsequently purchased by L88 guru Tim Thorpe. Thorpe began a detailed restoration before selling the car to Buddy Herin in 1998. The new owners then delivered the car to the Nabers Brothers to finish the restoration job.

Today the car still sports a black, mostly original interior and a matching black stinger on the hood. The 427/430hp L88 engine is bolted to a M22 â€œRock Crusherâ€ 4-speed. Out back thereâ€™s a 4.11:1 rear end. Other options include heavy duty power brakes, factory side exhaust, and the F41 suspension. The car claimed a regional NCRS Top Flight award in 1997 and participated in the 2008 Bloomington Gold L88 Invasion. Documentation includes the all-important tank sticker and old racing photos and time slips.

We all know that L88 Corvettes are rare and highly desirable to collectors. Weâ€™ve seen several C3 L88â€™s trade hands at $500,000 – $600,000 and up for the last couple of years. The last C2 L88 we can think of to have been sold at public auction was the Tony DeLorenzo L88 a few years back in Monterey. That car sold for $1,250,000. Based on the current demand for L88â€™s donâ€™t be surprised if this one draws similar bids next month in Dallas.

Source:
Mecum