Fun day at the Branson Classic Car Auction.

[earthquake68]

Every once in a while, I get to do some very cool things being a hotrod guy. I pulled up to the auction today to check in the 'Vette. As I pull up, the guard asks if I know anything about Lincolns. I say yes. He says, "Good, because the Batmobile won't start."
Now, this is the Batmobile from the original series, so I couldn't help myself.
As I walk up I shout, "Holy car trouble, Batman! What happened?"
So, ....I'm working on the Batmobile, (no kiddin') and the Charger from Fast and Furious 4 pulls up next to me. ......Sometimes I get to do the coolest stuff!

Oh yeah, Eleanore from Gone in 60 seconds was there too.

The day started out rough, but it ended up pretty cool.

[smoke' em II]

That is cool, like a kid in a candy shop!:D

[shadowgray396]

Sounds like a great time

[Ms Grumpy]

OMG...that is so cool. Many of us here are extremely jealous. I hope the day just kept getting better and better. By the way, did you fix the Batmobile ?

[flash]

Sounds like a fun time ,I wish we all could have been there .

[earthquake68]

It was a great time. I think I walked about 6 miles the first day. There was lots to see and walking back and forth to my car, etc. Yes, I did get it fired up. They had a D.U.I. distributor in the 460 and the pick up coil harness fell to pieces. I checked the color code on my 'Vette and just put the terminals back on without the connector.

I got a picture I thought you all might like.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013BransonAutoAuction005_zpsa5627638.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013BransonAutoAuction005_zpsa5627638.jpg.html)

[shadowgray396]

Great picture, thanks for sharing

[flash]

Im glad you had fun ,thanks for the pic .

[Stormer]

Wow, very nice, thanks!!!!

[Ms Grumpy]

So cool, what a great story to tell people.

[SS Shaun]

glad you had fun but no pictures?

[earthquake68]

Heh, heh. .......you asked for it! :D

You already know these two. Here's one without my ugly mug in there.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonAutoAuction006_zps5ba0bd2f.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonAutoAuction006_zps5ba0bd2f.jpg.html)

Recognize this one?

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonAutoAuction009_zps4aba8dc6.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonAutoAuction009_zps4aba8dc6.jpg.html)

The show "Car Warriors" on speed channel had an episode where they built two VW bugs.

This is one of them.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction017_zpsddbfa59f.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction017_zpsddbfa59f.jpg.html)

...and this is the other one.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction026_zps4bfac14f.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction026_zps4bfac14f.jpg.html)

[earthquake68]

Here's a couple over all shots. This was pretty early on Friday. Things picked up as the day wore on.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction020_zpsf34a9ee3.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction020_zpsf34a9ee3.jpg.html)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction019_zps43569a66.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction019_zps43569a66.jpg.html)

Here's a shot of the actual bidding block during the "opening ceremony".

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction044_zps3221929d.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction044_zps3221929d.jpg.html)

Here's a shot of cars getting lined up to go across the block. That's my red Corvette.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction046_zpsccc6bcc5.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction046_zpsccc6bcc5.jpg.html)

[earthquake68]

Some other cool stuff floating around.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction033_zpsc4b6f4d6.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction033_zpsc4b6f4d6.jpg.html)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction002_zps8799dd91.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction002_zps8799dd91.jpg.html)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction032_zps35ad8d46.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction032_zps35ad8d46.jpg.html)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction042_zpsabe00dba.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction042_zpsabe00dba.jpg.html)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction043_zps7145f6fb.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction043_zps7145f6fb.jpg.html)

[earthquake68]

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction030_zps7f013eca.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction030_zps7f013eca.jpg.html)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction036_zps5ecff5c8.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction036_zps5ecff5c8.jpg.html)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction037_zps923a01c1.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction037_zps923a01c1.jpg.html)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction024_zps3ec04c81.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction024_zps3ec04c81.jpg.html)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction001_zpsd2b7bcfa.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction001_zpsd2b7bcfa.jpg.html)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonAutoAuction013_zps4edc17ff.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonAutoAuction013_zps4edc17ff.jpg.html)

[earthquake68]

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction021_zpsb6da4d78.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction021_zpsb6da4d78.jpg.html)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction028_zpse84e7563.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction028_zpse84e7563.jpg.html)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction029_zpscbbf0f18.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction029_zpscbbf0f18.jpg.html)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p224/earthquake68/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction040_zps42c4eaeb.jpg (http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/2013BransonSpringauction040_zps42c4eaeb.jpg.html)

[earthquake68]

Here's my Corvette actually running across the block. This was the disappointing part.

http://s129.photobucket.com/user/earthquake68/media/2013%20Branson%20Auction/Videos/2013BransonSpringauction047_zps87172f8c.mp4.html

[flash]

Someone got one hell of a buy in your Vette ,sorry it went so low .I thought it should have brought a lot more .

[earthquake68]

I didn't sell it. I had a $7,500 reserve on it.

After talking with some people "in the know" about it, I find my shiny red Corvette has no value at all. "The paint is dead and oxidized, the interior is trashed out and appears to have been under water, and it needs too much work under the hood."

'78-'82 Corvettes:

Unless it's a documented, one owner, numbers matching, all original car in PRISTINE condition, ...it's not worth $5K.

So I still own it, but my asking price is $6K to make it go away. I have $8K in the car and I'm not spending any more on it. What do the "experts" tell me to do? Replace the hood, do the body work and paint it, completely re-do the front and rear suspension, completely replace the interior, rebuild the engine and trans, and return everything back to stock. (ie: exhaust and engine mods)

THEN, ...I could sell it for $12K!! :eek:

So the "experts" are telling me to spend another $8K on a car I have $8K into so I can ship it to a better market like California and sell it for $12K!!!

....because that's what I do. I dump TONS of money and effort into something so I can lose half of it just for the privilege of doing it.

.......right. I'll get right on that. I'll scrap it first.

[earthquake68]

Yes, I'm a little bitter about it all. No worries, though. I'm done making excuses for it, and even more importantly, I'm done LISTENING to excuses for it.

[earthquake68]

Corvette sold today to a private buyer for $6K.

I lost $2K on selling my wrecker and $2K on selling the 'Vette. It was an expensive couple weeks. I got a line on a buyer for the Chevelle if I get it done in the next six weeks. I'll be toyless, but considerably more liquid than I am now. I also have a couple higher paying jobs lined up to help things out.

[flash]

Alan ,good luck as you go forward .

[earthquake68]

The goal is to buy a house this year. ...even if I have to pay cash. Interest rates are low, but if you don't have perfect credit, they won't give you a loan. Since I've paid cash for things most of my life, I don't have much credit.

Every year, we've tried to clean up our credit and every year some creditor comes out of the wood work saying we owe them money. For the past couple years, we've paid off debts we owed and wiped out everything on our credit reports. Then it seems the word gets out we're trying to fix our credit and more crap shows up! I got a call the other day for a debt on a vehicle that was repossessed in 1998!!! FIFTEEN years ago!!!! I told them to take me to court. It's SO frustrating. I hope to raise around $50K this year so I can just buy a place and fix it up as I go. The banks can get bent. I'll do it without them like I always have.

[flash]

Pay as you go is the best way anyway if you can ,good luck with getting your house .There are deals out there still.