G-bodies at Barrett-Jackson 2018

[Jeff L]

I went to the Scottsdale auction a few years ago and it was fun walking around and seeing the cars. Plus they also sell a bunch of memorabilia like old gas pumps, signs, etc. Having no intentions to bid, I looked at as a huge car show and felt great leaving with my bank accounts intact! lol

 

[mclellan83]

I went to the Scottsdale auction a few years ago and it was fun walking around and seeing the cars. Plus they also sell a bunch of memorabilia like old gas pumps, signs, etc. Having no intentions to bid, I looked at as a huge car show and felt great leaving with my bank accounts intact! lol

I have done that a few times at both BJ and Mecum, it is a fun experience to check everything out. A few years ago at Mecum buddies wife talked him into buying an F Body was going for a reasonable price, how could he say no with the wife pushing for it.

 

[fleming442]

However, it will also increase the number of shops and hobbyists trying to snap them up from barn or field finds, making them harder to find and more expensive.

That is what I was trying to imply.....

 

[TURNA]

They took all the fun out of it and made it strictly business.

 

[mclellan83]

They took all the fun out of it and made it strictly business.

I would say its the opposite, because of the auctions popularity it has to be made for the fun of the rich guys because its too much of a gamble for it to be business wise. Becoming harder and harder especially as the auctions make people start paying more because of people getting out of hand bidding at these things. Usually first day you can get a decent price on a few but anytime prime time rolls around they start overspending.

 

[UNGN]

UNGN, I kind of see it as a double-edged sword. Yes, more attention toward G-Bodies at auctions like B-J will increase aftermarket support, ultimately making parts cheaper and more available, and will also increase the cars' value. However, it will also increase the number of shops and hobbyists trying to snap them up from barn or field finds, making them harder to find and more expensive. I think it will be quite a while before G-Bodies in general are as sought after as Tri-5s, Chevelles, Mopars, Mustangs, etc. I think the awareness of them among the "rich dummy" crowd is primarily the GN/GNX, MC SS, and 442. Once valuations on those reach nosebleed levels, you may see interest in the more common or less sought-after models increase.

When a type of car gets "too expensive", I just move on to a better car. G-bodies are head and shoulders above most "classic" muscle cars for handling, ride, drive, etc, but newer cars are constantly getting cheaper. My next big build is an LS1 /T56 Jaguar coupe that I paid $4500. It was originally a $70K, late 90's car, so needless to say it going to be a much nicer car than a G-body. After I get done with that new 5.0's/Camaros will be pretty cheap, and the cycle continues.

With low mile, 1 of 20K stock '87 GN's bringing I'm assuming $30K+, who couldn't build a nice, mild Turbo LS1 G-body for that? Soon we'll be might even be able to put $40K in a G-body and get it back out when we sell it (like most Muscle car era muscle cars).

When B-J haters whine "rich guys" are driving up the price of cars, I ask for the evidence. Craigslist is still full of cars that just need a couple thousand dollars to finish for 1/4 of what the same models are selling for at B-J and 1/2 of what the clowns on CL think their overpriced junk is worth..

I chalk up MOST of the B-J hating to "Haven't been there, Haven't done that, Don't realize how much it sucks". Buying a 7,800 mile, One of 50 Big Block Muscle Car actually isn't all that fun. You have to enclosed trailer it everywhere, you can't drive it, you can't modify it and the happiest day of ownership is when you sell it for double what you paid for it (because you didn't drive it. anyway).

Building something you can drive is way more fun that owning a barn full of low mile stock restored muscle cars, and higher prices brought to us by B-J makes building something to drive make more economic sense to our wives.

 

[rogue_ryder]

When B-J haters whine "rich guys" are driving up the price of cars, I ask for the evidence. Craigslist is still full of cars that just need a couple thousand dollars to finish for 1/4 of what the same models are selling for at B-J and 1/2 of what the clowns on CL think their overpriced junk is worth...

I've been saying for over a decade that B-J has ruined the 60s & early 70s era muscle cars for the average Joe. BUT not because "rich guys" are paying too much; it's the knuckle heads that have a clapped out 307 Nova with a flat cam thinking their car is worth north of $10K because they saw a Nickey Nova sell for close to $100K on T.V. Then you combined that with the guy that always wanted a Nova SS and now has the money to build/buy one and actually pays up for the clapped out car from the craigslist clown! These guys were/are mostly blue collar Babyboomers that came into a lot of money 10-15 years ago with finally having kids college paid off, skyrocketing IRAs, and a ton of home equity. Sure they're not paying 6 figures for a car but $30-$40K for your average run of the mill BB Chevy/Mopar/Ford is common place now.

The cars the rich dudes are paying all the money for, are actually worth it; because the restoration costs are exorbitant for the level of restoration you see on the prime time B-J cars AND the production numbers of these cars are generally pretty low. And even still a CoPo Camaro is a relative bargain compared to a Ferrari Daytona! Look up some sales at https://www.goodingco.com/!

The prices will eventually fall for the common cars as the Boomers start getting their licenses yanked for poor eyesight. There's not enough Gen-X'ers in the hobby to maintain the demand we've seen for the last dozen plus years and the Millennials...well they're lusting after Teslas and the Google car. Let's just hope that driverless electric cars don't take over the roads before the Collector Car market crashes...

 

[fleming442]

I've been saying for over a decade that B-J has ruined the 60s & early 70s era muscle cars for the average Joe. BUT not because "rich guys" are paying too much; it's the knuckle heads that have a clapped out 307 Nova with a flat cam thinking their car is worth north of $10K because they saw a Nickey Nova sell for close to $100K on T.V. Then you combined that with the guy that always wanted a Nova SS and now has the money to build/buy one and actually pays up for the clapped out car from the craigslist clown! These guys were/are mostly blue collar Babyboomers that came into a lot of money 10-15 years ago with finally having kids college paid off, skyrocketing IRAs, and a ton of home equity. Sure they're not paying 6 figures for a car but $30-$40K for your average run of the mill BB Chevy/Mopar/Ford is common place now.

The cars the rich dudes are paying all the money for, are actually worth it; because the restoration costs are exorbitant for the level of restoration you see on the prime time B-J cars AND the production numbers of these cars are generally pretty low. And even still a CoPo Camaro is a relative bargain compared to a Ferrari Daytona! Look up some sales at https://www.goodingco.com/!

The prices will eventually fall for the common cars as the Boomers start getting their licenses yanked for poor eyesight. There's not enough Gen-X'ers in the hobby to maintain the demand we've seen for the last dozen plus years and the Millennials...well they're lusting after Teslas and the Google car. Let's just hope that driverless electric cars don't take over the roads before the Collector Car market crashes...

I'll do burnouts for those that can't.

 

[UNGN]

I've been saying for over a decade that B-J has ruined the 60s & early 70s era muscle cars for the average Joe. BUT not because "rich guys" are paying too much; it's the knuckle heads that have a clapped out 307 Nova with a flat cam thinking their car is worth north of $10K because they saw a Nickey Nova sell for close to $100K on T.V. Then you combined that with the guy that always wanted a Nova SS and now has the money to build/buy one and actually pays up for the clapped out car from the craigslist clown! These guys were/are mostly blue collar Babyboomers that came into a lot of money 10-15 years ago with finally having kids college paid off, skyrocketing IRAs, and a ton of home equity. Sure they're not paying 6 figures for a car but $30-$40K for your average run of the mill BB Chevy/Mopar/Ford is common place now.

One my Engineers is THAT GUY. He has always wanted a '68-72 Nova and is currently talking about using his 2017 bonus as a downpayment and will probably pay $25K for a 350/350 auto one and I say "let him". That is a mental condition and not logical, rational thought... the brain keeps nagging until it convinces itself otherwise. It's why the country is addicted to facebook and opioids. I could have a "intervention" with the guy but it would be no use.

Let them all pay that. The more people driving "cool", ill handling, rough riding, no A/C, no power windows, no power steering, correct bias ply tire muscle cars, the more jealously when you roll into Good Guys with a big block (or LS1) and a 6 speed and big tires/brakes and 1/4 the money he spent on his trailered, static show piece (or 1/2 the money of a run of the mill 15 Second yawnmobiles).

People learn eventually, but most only learn by doing. Paying too much for a muscle car is part of their journey. Some just keep doubling down and end up with a warehouse full of trailer queens before they finally realize "what was I thinking? cars were meant to be driven".

 

[Z48LT1]

Barrett Jackson starts Tuesday with a bunch of low mile GN's coming out of the woodwork:

Lot 182 - 87 GN with 13K miles - Tuesday

Lot 407 - 87 GN with 23K miles - Wednesday

These two GN's are even being sold by the same outfit in Lincoln, NE:

Lot 559 - 87 GN with 7,400 Miles - Wednesday

Lot 1554 - 87 GN with 5,700 miles - Sunday

They even use the same underhood pictures.

Then there are two GNX's:

Lot 1307.1 - 87 GNX #375 - Saturday

Lot 1327 - 87 GNX #003 with 10K miles - Saturday

For considerably less money, you can get a 33K Mile Regal Limited with the T package:

Lot 347 - 87 Regal Limited T with 33K miles - Wednesday

And the only non buick G-body I could find: the Prestone Monte Carlo SS:

Lot 3004 - 87 Monte Carlo Aerocoupe for Charity (TGen foundation) - Thursday

They should all bring good money, with the stock market at record highs and Good Guys letting them all in for 2018. We shall see this week.

GNX #003 was written up By Road and Track last November; its history is semi interesting although the story reinforces the consensus that the thing is a museum piece completely worthless for its original purpose:

https://gbodyforum.com/threads/you-can-buy-the-first-buick-gnx-ever-sold.65871/

Cheers - Gary

The thread back then got the bid up to $500,000. Anyone want to raise the offer?