Car auction, swap meet moving to Talladega Superspeedway

1954 Pontiac - runs good, $3200. For sale in 2009 Fairgrounds car corral. 

 

Old car auction, swap meet forced out from landmark racetrack site. Bill Chapman's Alabama Antique & Classic Car Auction, Car Corral & Swap Meet is moving from the Alabama State Fairgrounds in Birmingham to Talladega Superspeedway's infield. Chapman's annual automotive event is Alabama’s version of Barrett-Jackson’s mega buck auction seen on SpeedTV. It has grown every year since 1980 when Chapman started it. "We had outgrown the Fairgrounds but had not planned to move," Chapman said. For the past 28 years the event has been held at what was the home of the oldest race track in Alabama. Circumstances forced Chapman to move the event 52 miles away to the notorious infield of NASCAR's Talladega Superspeedway the weekend of February 26-28, 2010.

"Last year's event almost didn't take place. Buildings that we were supposed to have access to at the Fairgrounds were being torn down the week of the show," Chapman said. "The city of Birmingham destroyed a source of revenue." Former Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford, convicted of 60 bribery-related counts on Oct. 28, 2009, spearheaded a plan that proposed to build an Olympic-style village in the place of the historic 5/8th-mile race track known as BIR or Birmingham International Raceway. The race track, grandstands, along with most of the buildings, excluding the Bill Harris Arena, were demolished last year.

I wrote about Chapman's final antique auction at the Fairgrounds, (here and here).

Chapman says the Talladega car auction/corral and swap meet will be a full 3-day event. Spectators will enter through a gate near turn 3 and drive across the backstretch of the track into the infield. If you attend the show be sure to check out the cars in the parking lot too. At past shows I have seen a large number of spectator's classic cars in the parking lot with for sale signs propped in their windows.

More than 400 cars are expected in the car corral. That's where you can sell your own car from an assigned spot. Cost is $100 per car.

Saturday at 11 a.m. the car auction takes place inside the Sprint Cup Garage. "This will allow a travel day for those from out of town." Chapman also said he "expects this to be the largest show he has ever had." Last year more than 100 cars went through the auction.

This should be a good time to find a deal on a classic vehicle or that hard to find part you need. That is, if junkyardlifers have cash to spare? Also, the Dixie Vintage Automobile Club is also hosting a car show on pit road during the 3-day event.

DETAILS

Alabama Antique & Classic Car Auction, Car Corral & Swap Meet
February 26-28, 2010

Schedule
Friday, February 26        8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday, February 27    8 a.m. - 6 p.m.        Auction Time: 11 a.m. Saturday
Sunday, February 28      8 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Tickets
Three (3) Day Ticket    $25.00
Single Day Ticket         $10.00
Children 10 and under FREE  

Flea Market
10' X 20' Outside Space    $100.00
10' X 10' Limited Inside    $100.00 (Pre-Registration Required)

Car Corral
Sale Your Car Outside      $100.00

Auction
Attention Sellers - All you pay is $100.00 Entry Fee (5% Commission Charge Buyers & Sellers)
Bring Cars and Proper Papers. Minimum Seller Fee $200 or 5%

Attention Buyers - Bidder Registration is $10.00
Bring Cash, Cashier's Check or Irrevocable Bank Letter of Credit. Bring your car haulers and trailers.  Minumum Buyers Fee $200 or 5%

For more info contact Bill Chapman 205-426-5256 or email here.

Send your car stories and photos to junkyardlife.

1955 Chevrolet hardtop - complete, $8,950. For sale at 2009 Fairgrounds car corral.

 

 

“General Lee’ clone 1970 Dodge Charger 500 for sale at 2009 Fairgrounds car corral.

1964 Oldsmobile 442 convertible for sale for $13,900 at 2009 Fairgrounds car corral.

 

 

1961 Chevrolet Impala ‘bubbletop’ for sale for $24,500 at 2009 Fairgrounds car corral.

 

1953 Chevrolet ambulance for sale at 2009 Fairgrounds car corral.

Auto auctions: Where junkyard dreams come true

Want to drive home in a new $400 car? Take a trip to a local auto auction and beat the recession blues. Deals are ready to be had on ‘new’-to-you cars. Keep in mind these deals might have some dents, fire damage or be inoperable. That means the savings are passed on to you. No monthly payments to worry about or high-pressure from a salesperson. Win the bidding, pay up and drive or tow your prize home.

I checked out the auction action at Weil Wrecker in Birmingham, Alabama recently. Steve Weil, the owner of Weil Wrecker, his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Stacey Kaylor, were signing bidders in and giving them bid numbers when I arrived shortly before 10 a.m. on a Wednesday. Two dozen bidders were canvasing the giant surface lot, inspecting possible purchases. Shortly after 10 a.m. bidding started on three vehicles seized by the U.S. Marshals. To bid on these vehicles a deposit of $500 was required. That covers storage fees, should you win the bid and be unable to pay.

Auctioneer Drexel Johnson was seated on a flatbed wrecker with a metal awning. A long table and chairs lined the makeshift stage. An orange traffic cone was placed on each vehicle as it went up for bid. This is a precaution to prevent people from bidding on the wrong vehicle. Drexel entertained as he worked the crowd for the highest bids. 

Some bidders in the crowd were first-timers, Tyrone Colburn is a regular at Weil’s auctions. He has his own bid number automatically on the bid sheet at each auction. He usually buys wreck vehicles to rebuild. Once he bought a 1997 station wagon for $200. He took a test drive around the auction lot to make sure it was roadworthy, then drove it home.

Adamsville's Bill McDonald enjoys auctions despite buying a vehicle which he learned had a 2-inch hole in the engine block. He discovered the busted engine block when he got the car home. “I buy cars for my son to fix,’ said McDonald.

I noticed several familiar faces that were at a recent ABC Towing auction in Trussville. Gordon Madden, an auction regular, is a salvage/scrap buyer. He placed a $425 bid on each of the cars on the abandoned vehicle lot. By doing so, all the bidding started at a minimum of $425. There were 160 cars on the abandoned vehicle lot. That takes some guts and money. Gordon says business is soft right now. He worked the lot like a seasoned auction pro. Positioning himself between the auctioneer and the vehicle being auctioned. Madden was confident and bid without hesitation or fear of making a mistake.

WHAT IF I WIN THE BID?
If you are the lucky bidder, be prepared to pay immediately following the auction by cash, check, credit card or cashier's check. Sales tax will apply on vehicles without a title. If you want title paperwork, it costs an extra $35. Weil says vehicles must be removed within a week.

WHEN IS THE NEXT AUCTION AT WEIL in 2010?
On the third Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m. Weil advertises the auctions in The Birmingham News' legals classified section, The Alabama Messenger newspaper and online.

MANY CARS SOLD, ONE PERSON GOES TO JAIL
A total of 222 vehicles were sold at the Weil auction I atteded. Prior to the sale a gentleman was escorted out of the gated lot by security. He was caught him stealing items from the cars. You can look, but be advised, do not remove anything from the vehicles like this guy did. The police showed up, ran his name and arrested him for outstanding warrants. How many good deals did he miss out on?


Do you have a cool vehicle or story? Send your story and photos here.

Tyrone Colburn discusses a possible auction purchase

An early 60s Corvair ready for auction.

Bidders register prior to auction.

Bidders gather near the auctioneer’s mobile trailer.

Bidders inspect a former Homewood, 

Alabama police car.

Dozens of small economy cars were up for auction.

Many of the vehicles were wrecked or damaged.

1987 Pontac Fiero Formula at the auction

1979 Camaro lowrider at auction.

Interior of Corvair at Weil’s auction.

$250 1972 Cutlass Supreme for sale: Buy or not to buy?

A 1972 Cutlass Supreme sounds like a bargain at $250. My friend spotted the car at the end of a dead end dirt road in Cullman County, Alabama. ‘It looks like a decent project car,’ he said. He sent me on my way with this threat. ‘If you don’t buy it, I will.’ My task was at hand. A possible classic project car for chump change. Was it too good to be true?

Hot trip
Driving alone for 50 miles to see a car on a hot August day in Alabama is no fun. So I took my dad along for a sweltering ride in my latest ‘box’ Caprice. Vintage 1986 General Motors. Uninsured driver essentials such as random body dents, sagging springs, a droopy headliner and nonfuntioning A/C were along for our trip. Twenty-plus years of decay and neglect rolling on shiny wire wheel covers. Making matters worse, the foam headliner backing material was crumbling and blowing into our eyes with the windows down. We lowered the windows just enough to prevent suffocation from the stiffling heat eminating from the Caprice’s ‘air’ vents. Sweat ran down my shins. The pea green velour seat, our couch-like sponge. I mentioned to my dad that our long, hot trip to a dead end dirt road was wearing on my enthusiasm. 

The car

The Cutlass was dutifully planted behind a house at the end of a dead end road. An overgrown single-wide trailer also graced the backyard. The owner paused from picking vegetables long enough to tell us her Cutlass was parked due to transmission issues. Decals decorating the back window glass told more of the Oldmobile’s story. ‘B!tch from hell’ and ‘Calvin’ peeing on the word ‘ex-husbands’ stickers were proudly displayed. Rust holes oozed beneath the rear window and splattered sunlight into the trunk. Moisture trapped by the tan vinyl top had caused the only damage to the otherwise flawless creme-colored body. Its brown interior contained the junkyard smells of mold, assorted papers and discarded memories. The driver’s seat bore the brunt of years of wear but otherwise the Olds’ upholstery could be cleaned up. Raising the hood to look at the Olds 350-cubic-inch engine proved to be a difficult task. Pulling the latch and gently rocking the hood side-to-side a dozen times freed the stagnant hinges. I didn’t expect the swarm of wasps I laid eyes on when I lifted the hood. My dad had already backpedaled, years of junkyarding taught him to beware. I jumped away and we waited for the swarm to calm. A quick glimpse of the dirt-glazed engine bay revealed the original 350-V8 engine and 2-barrel carburetor. 

Deal or no deal?

I didn’t buy it. I should have.

Car buyers remorse in reverse

Looking through these pictures is painful. I missed out on a deal. 1972 and older models are like money in the bank, even if they are projects. Its always a good idea to make photos when you check out a car for sale. I should have looked at the photos the day after our trip. My decision would be different today. With a bit of research I would have known that the fenders go for $200 each. Selling a few parts would have covered the cost of the car if I had gotten into a financial bind. I would also have been the proud owner of an Oldsmobile, another GM make that has ceased production.

Gone for good
The car is gone. My buddy, Michael, drove to the dead end road for another look. The dead spot in the grass was all that remained of the 1972 Cutlass. The owner likely scrapped it out for a few hundred bucks.

Plan your purchase options before you go
Without a buying plan, I turned tail without a Cutlass. Maybe I was crazy from the heat? No, I just failed to see the potential of the car.

Buyer’s checklist for cheap cars

•     Research the values of vehicle and their parts online. Try sites like these link, link, link
•     Will cost of vehicle and repair costs total exceed market value of vehicle?
•     Most of all — is it a vehicle you love enough to live with on your lawn?
•     Asking price too high? Make an offer before you walk.

    Be prepared to haul it home

•         Buy a car trailer if you plan on buying and selling vehicles frequently.
•         Factor in the cost of a towing if you don’t have access to a trailer.

 

 

VIN # fodder see this link. First digit is a 3, its covered in photo.

Test Drive: 1972 Pontiac Firebird

You don’t see early, second generation Firebirds in the classifieds often. So when this 1972 Firebird appeared in the newspaper for $3,500, I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to see it. I contacted the seller and we arranged a meeting spot where I checked out the ’Bird.

Details
The seller wheeled his orange ’72 Firebird into the shopping center parking lot just before sunset. I started making mental notes as he filled me in on the history of the 66,000 mile car. He became the Firebird’s second owner 15 years ago. It was parked in a yard covered in a mountain of wet leaves and resting on flat tires. He purchased the car and got it car running with hopes of restoring it at a later date. The seller mentioned that he didn’t really want to sell the car. He placed an ad to please his wife. She hopes unloading the Pontiac will increase the curb appeal of their house which is for sale. His stalled plans of restoring the car are up to their stiffest challenge.

Body/interior
This Firebird appears to have its original, rare Sundance Orange paint and the Saddle interior has all the original but worn parts and pieces in place. It has factory a/c and the doors shut well. A walk around the rear of the orange Firebird revealed a rust-pocked roof. Most of the damage was caused by water soaked up into the old vinyl top. Quarter-size holes along the rear edge of the roof pointed the way to the rusty rear floorpans in the Firebird. The current owner removed the original vinyl top when it was purchased from the original owner around 1993. The trunk has weathered the wrath of the vinyl top issues without signs of rust.

 

Mechanical
The car drives great and the seller said he would drive it 500 miles without fear. I liked the throaty sound of the 350-cubic-inch V8. This engine was the economical V-8 choice for ‘72 Firebirds. Under the hood a few replacement parts from discount auto part chains have kept the Pontiac moving.

How rare?
Pontiac made 12,000 Firebirds similar to this in 1972. A total of 29,951 Firebird, Espirit, Formulas and Trans Ams were built. How rare is this one? I can’t tell you specifically, but how many 1972 Firebirds do you pass on your way to work, let alone see at car shows? Not many.

Verdict
Overall, this is a large project but one that could be driven as is. That’s always a plus. You never know what might turn up for sale in the newspaper. A new project may find you.

Do you have a cool ride? Send your story and photos here.

Honeycomb wheels minus the factory trim rings.

1972 Firebird has 66K miles and a 160 MPH speedo.

 

 

 

1972 Firebird has its original saddle interior.

 

Early second generation Firebirds like this ’72 came with an Endura front bumper.

 

I bet this 1972 Sundance Orange Firebird has been sold by now.