The Bronze Brick a Very Unusual 9C1

[Opie Knievel]

Greetings Guys; Well I have reached a reserve price with Gate Way. And a I'm to deliver it March 29th for it's 90 day visit. They don't think I'll get it back. Worse case I do get it back & have to suffer driving it some more! Their price will be North of $25,000 & of course they will offer financing (JJ Best?). I've been doing last minute maintenance & cleaning. The saddest part for me so far is I took the Momo steering wheel off Saturday & the car no longer feels like mine. As I had mounted it the third day of ownership back in August of 79. It had been on their a long time! Anyway ya all got about 2 weeks to step up & buy this before I sign the paper work. Going through all (Ok just some) of the stuff (OE parts) I've replaced is amazing, so many spare parts. If the new owner doesn't want the parts, I'll be posting. Of course it's all the heavy - big stuff hood, bumpers, A arms, spindles, rotors, carb-intake & lots more. Then I realized that my inch based tools are going to be nearly useless. Strange feeling!
As a courtesy to Gate Way I've been editing out recent prices. But if you're interested just call (608 752-5925) & make me an offer you could be Pleasantly Surprised. Ole' Bob.

I'd trade you every vehicle I own for the Brick and it still wouldn't end up being worth the wheels and tires on it! Lol.

Good luck selling the car if that's really what you want. I hope it ends up in the hands of an owner who will appreciate it and take as good care of it as you have for the past 39 years. If it does sell, (to someone who isn't a forum member) hopefully the new owner will join the forum.

 

[vanrah]

Good Morning Clutch, Opie & all;

Wow .... Like loosing a family member

Yes it is a lot like loosing a family member. As I've spent more time with the Brick than most family members. Kids grow up & leave. And that brings me to the fact that it has defined my life to a great extent. Selling it will free up a bunch of time & that's not necessarily a good thing! Then I look at my tool chests & think that they will become nearly useless? And yes I've had to fight back tears, more than once. I'll be 72 this summer & it's not that I want to sell it. It's just time as my body is telling me to scale back. When you reach this age you have to except the fact that major changes are in store. The house will be next?? And when it goes so does my 3 car garage. As shoveling snow & cutting grass is becoming a bigger deal, especially the snow. Is a condo in my future? Few of them have 3 car garages.
As I'm cleaning up the receipts from the last 4 years my brain gets jogged. Speaking of brains*, it doesn't work like I except it to. For instance the 7 page ledger (Excel) that I record all (OK most of) the expenditures on, I had forgot how to read it correctly. As I have a column for whats on the car now including the new car of course. If a part comes off the car that line in that column goes to $0. And the column that keeps track of all the stuff that has been on the car has some minus signs also as the dollars come off or down, if I sell the part. Ok so you're all curious what the totals are?? Somewhat different than I had posted (remember Ole' brain*). Car & all the parts I've kept track of $41,488.00, not as much as I had been thinking! And total for all time, keep in mind that some of these parts are in the junk others have been sold, some are still in my garage & the rest are on the car. $50,712.00. Not counting insurance, gas, most oil & tires and I missed some small stuff.
OK guys make me an offer I can't refuse as I would prefer to sell it to one of you than to take it to Gate Way. Ole' Bob.

 

[WanaBa442]

I'm still buyin' lottery tickets...........
You'll be on my call list..
Always loved the Malibus since my first one back in '83.

 

[Z48LT1]

Hi, Bob. I just finished reading this entire thread and I have to say it's a ripping yarn. A couple questions. I've never seen cars like yours that would fit in a "special interest" category rather than the usual trailer queen or museum piece categories at Barrett Jackson or Mecum, etc., but do they have a policy that excludes unusual treasures like the 'brick? Have you had any conversations/correspondence with any of those auction sites? Would they accept your car for their auctions or would it be not qualify for some reason? What are the costs involved in entering a car in their auctions with a reserve price, which I suspect you'd want to do for such a special car.

Best of luck.

Cheers - Gary

 

[vanrah]

Greetings WanaBa, Gary & all; Ya I bought a lotto ticket too & had two numbers. Ah yes the auctions & the COSTs. BJ of course way expensive, motels, gas, food & shipping the car, not counting the fees. Now Mecum their home office is just 35 miles East of me. And the Chicago auction about 90 miles from me has been a consideration but again the costs are high. One or two motel nights, food, gas (two cars, 1 I'm selling & 1 to get home) & fees. 10% (?) if you have a reserve + up front $175 (2 years ago). I estimated about $1000 for Mecum & $3000 for BJ. So that's what brought me to Gate Way, before March 31st only $225 for 90 days on the show room floor. And they're only 70 miles away Kenosha just South of Milwaukee.
Anyway I've been out in the hobby shop working on the Bronze Brick. Had the steering column apart again as the single light cancel is sticky. Switch is fine it's the lever pivot that's the problem & to get to it ya have to take the switch out. That requires getting on my back & messing with the lower column. That ain't happening, back don't like to bend any more & I can't see through my bifocals looking up. New owner will have to address that problem. GM manual included! On the progress side I got the under hood cleaned up, valve covers back on & the A/C belt & bracket back on. To day fuel line to carb, plug wires & jack it up higher to get underneath as I got to clean up the fancy Global West arms (road film). I also want to clean up the fancy stainless steel exhaust pipes. As they got coated with oil spray from new BAD valve cover gasket I put on last year. I'm trying rubber ones this time. So I pull the distributor cap MSD new 650 miles ago copper of course. And I see all this build up of white corrosion like power on one edge of the terminals. I cleaned that up, but why is it their? Well lesson # 345, too much resistance at the plug, wire or out of phase rotor. I had called MSD about my iridium plugs last year, not their first choice but Ok. Well double platinum & iridium require a lot of Juice (I have all MSD parts) as they have way more resistance that just plain copper core plugs. So if ya have a cap & rotor system use just single platinum or plain copper core plugs, lot less resistance! Next is phasing, I have a MSD Adapt a cap that takes a Ford cap & custom rotor. With vacuum advance you have no choice you have to use their adjustable rotor & I have one. But I took it off back in 09 when I removed the vacuum advance & replaced it with their standard custom fixed rotor thinking all was good, did NOT re check phasing, bad. I had used a cheep Ford cap with holes cut out to view the #1 terminal & with a timing light you can see the rotor position when it fires. Well custom fixed rotor was also out of phase. Creating more resistance & with the iridium plugs it was more than a cap & rotor system can handle. I used Google & found a method to check phase (engine not running). So I put the phase able rotor back on & I'm sure that I'll have to re time now, no biggie. Thanks for joining me on this ride, back to the hobby shop Ole' Bob.

 

[fleming442]

Sounds like you're doing an awful lot of work for something you're going to sell. Didn't they already give you the number? I doubt they'll increase it when you tell them all the tinkerin' you've been doing. Good luck!

 

[vanrah]

Greetings Fleming & all;

Sounds like you're doing an awful lot of work for something you're going to sell. Didn't they already give you the number? I doubt they'll increase it when you tell them all the tinkerin' you've been doing. Good luck!

Yes I am "an awful lot of work" & I couldn't be happier! What the hell am I goin'na do when it's gone?? I'm gettin' a little concerned, as will it kill me?? And the reason it took over a month with Gate Way to come to an agreed price is cause I set it, not them. I think usually they give the customer (seller) an estimate & don't vary much?? In my case they had to agree in advance from pictures & description. But I still haven't signed the papers, I have until the 29th-30th. And if they do get it to sell & it doesn't sell after 90 days I either get it back or lower the price & pay for another 90 days? Damn it sure would hurt my feelings to keep it another summer! I'd really like to go to Byron drag strip again ONE More Time. The dreams of old men, back to the hobby shop, OLe' Bob.

 

[fleming442]

The Old Brick ain't going anywhere. Good on ya!

 

[Turbolq4]

Maybe I'm out of line (let me know if I am) but do you need the money? If not then perhaps just enjoy the car like it is. Seems like a special car both emotionally and physically. I'd keep it even if you only just stare at it in the garage.

 

[Texas82GP]

Bob,

You're not that old. My vote is for you to keep and enjoy the car. Stay active. Sitting around is what will kill you.

Best,

Jared