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5 '55 Centurys, Parts, Tools - Estate Auction of Bob Coker Sat. Nov. 3rd


MrEarl

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 Posting for Mrs Coker

 

 

IMG_3624.JPG

 

Funwood Auction

 

To skip right to the pictures of the items to be auctioned:  Photos

 

 

Here in Bob's own words are brief descriptions of the cars and bikes

 

Two Door Hard Top – restored to look like my first new car.  Paint code shows different color, original mileage shown.  Added electric fuel pump and windshield motor.  Original interior – replacement carpet. No rust car.    Frame up restoration.  Owned since ’97.  Driven on two great races.  Vin.  6B2002076

Station Wagon – Original Denver Co. car – no rust.  Complete frame-up restoration.  Made one great race trip.  Additional electric fuel pump in car.  Century clone – originally was a Special.  Only difference is trim tag, vin #, and speedometer are series 49 – not Century (69). Vin.  4B1221631

 

Four Door Hardtop – red motorama prototype.  Series 48 but became Series 63 in production.   Factory installed wire wheels.  Spent first part of life in California.  From ’72 until 2009 (when I purchased it)  was in a storage building.  Can be seen on Youtube.com/watch?r=9pYIpZAwFz8 (at 4 minute mark car is shown).  Vin. 2667341 

Convertible – ground up restoration to factory specifications.  Any rustout was replaced with metal – no bondo.  Optional wire wheels.  AACA National winner 2014.  Vin 6B1086205 

Four Door Sedan   Series 61.  Restored cosmetically – no rust, Florida car.  Vin. 6B3033000

 

1935 Hudson Terraplane streetrod – ’96 vortex engine, Cadillac seats, jaguar suspension.  Looks, drives, runs – excellent.  Vin. 5136983 

 

 

MOTORCYCLES

 

Blue Vespa Super 150 – owned since ’84.  One repaint in ’71. 

 

White motorcycle – (1962) Honda Dream 305.  Viv.  CA7721989

 

 

Red motorcycle ’62 250cc, totally disassembled, total ground up restoration. 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
1 hour ago, MrEarl said:

 

More pictures added. How they plan to auction all this in one day ?

 

 

https://www.estatesale.com/feed/es_c1003.php?es_id=7762&id=191151&feed_type=100&es_cfid=6387

 Think they may do the parts and cars at the same time , 2 auctioneers ??????

Hope they group more parts together then the individual photos show .

Bill 

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Gorgeous cars in this auction.  I would love to attend, if nothing else.  @MrEarl, did you see the Buick with the green interior?  The rear speaker switch knob seems to be the same as all the other knobs.  What do you think?

 

@wndsofchng06, this is right around your way, are you going?

 

Anyone else?

 

 

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Just now, Kosage Chavis said:

Gorgeous cars in this auction.  I would love to attend, if nothing else.  @MrEarl, did you see the Buick with the green interior?  The rear speaker switch knob seems to be the same as all the other knobs.  What do you think?

 

@wndsofchng06, this is right around your way, are you going?

 

Anyone else?

 

 

I am indeed going.  Can't afford anything, but I wanna size up who gets these cars  ?

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On 10/1/2018 at 11:43 AM, MrEarl said:

Talked to Mrs Coker. The auctioneer says preview will be a the day before but that anyone wishing to closely check out vehicles may call the auctioneer and set up a time to look.

That's a little disappointing.  I was hoping I could look at the cars the day of the auction.  I live too far to make 2 trips.

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Well let me rephrase, all items may be viewed Friday, the day before the auction as well as of course Saturday the day of the auction. Anyone seriously interested in purchasing a car can call the auctioneer  and set up a time to inspect prior to those times. No pre auction sales. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
41 minutes ago, Kosage Chavis said:

All the Buicks were sold...but nothing near the ballpark of what think they are worth.  Especially the prototype Century.  I will be posting pictures on my Buick thread.

 So towards the end things got really slow and nobody was bidding and very few people were there so I bought everything that was left in the garage for one price.

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61 4 dr blue sedan - $12,750 local buyer 

 

66R 2dr white over green hard top - $20,000 same local buyer as the 4 dr sedan. 

 

49/69 red white Estate Wagon- $15,000 local buyer was overheard to say he was taking it to another collectible car auction in NC  

 

66C Turquoise and white Convertible - $56,000 Local older gentleman 

 

63 4dr red and white hard top prototype Motorama car - Gentleman from Texas who already has 17  other Buick’s- $———

 

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On 11/4/2018 at 1:06 AM, MrEarl said:

 

61 4 dr blue sedan - $12,750 local buyer 

 

66R 2dr white over green hard top - $20,000 same local buyer as the 4 dr sedan. 

 

49/69 red white Estate Wagon- $15,000 local buyer was overheard to say he was taking it to another collectible car auction in NC  

 

66C Turquoise and white Convertible - $$56,000 Local older gentleman 

 

63 4dr red and white hard top prototype Motorama car - Gentleman from Texas who already has 17  other Buick’s- $ ————

 

 

killed me that the wagon went that cheap and is going to be resold.  ?

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I hesitated on whether or not to post prices as some may not wish it be disclosed, but figured it to be no different than say BJ or RM where sold prices are listed on web sites for all to see. If a forum user is a buyer and wishes the price not be disclosed please pm me and I will remove it.

 

4 hours ago, billbuickgs said:

Sad to see one mans collection taken apart and then resold .

 

It was indeed sad Bill. However I spoke personally to the buyers of all the cars both before and after the sales and with the exception of one, feel the cars went to very appreciable buyers who will love and give the cars good homes. But yea, I know what you're sayin Bill. One of the saddest parts was watching all the tools that Bob use to work with and all the parts he had collected over the years get sold for below value. I bought a few items just for sentimental sake. More about that later. The saddest time for me was on the drive home last night knowing that this would likely be my last trip down the so familiar highway I had traveled so many times to share good times with the ol cod.  

 

4 hours ago, billbuickgs said:

I bet if the wagon is resold , it won't be disclosed that it is a Special Model 49 , not a original Century Model 69 !

 

Yea, possibly. It was well disclosed during the auction that it was a "clone"  and if the next buyer hasn't the gumption to look at the data plate and see it was originally a 40 series..... well.....

 

4 hours ago, billbuickgs said:

The cars should have been sold  separately to get max value .

 

Very possibly so Bill. I worked closely with Linda on setting reserves for the cars. I did exhaustive research on past sales, talked wjth '55 owners and also checked several Collectible Auto Value websites (which by the way I feel Hagerty to be one of the most right on and consistent and others to be all over place). Linda knew going in that the cars may sell better at big time auction houses or individually but she also knew that would require more hands on dealing as well as possible shipping of cars etc.  Whereas doing it this way, the cars, the parts, the tools, the junk nobody would otherwise buy, ALL got sold in one day it's done. And I am sure you understand that. We also had a Plan B if the cars did not sell. Actually all the cars except for the convertible, the prototype and the Hudson Terraplane restomod met reserve. If a car didn't meet reserve, the auctioneer was on the phone with her and they came to an agreement on final sell price. In the end Linda was very satisfied with the sales and I could see she was visibly relieved to be done with it all. She was smiling. Also seeing the older gentleman with a big smile on his face driving off in that gorgeous Gulf Turquoise and white convertible told me we had done OK.

 

9D4990E0-2EBB-4501-8904-7B3FFE6A191D.jpeg

 

All in all it was a good day, I really liked the auctioneer and how he was personable and handled working with Linda. It all was however an eye opener for me and the cars, parts and junk that I currently have and do not wish to know that Rita may someday have to go through the same thing.

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, wndsofchng06 said:

killed me that the wagon went that cheap and is going to be resold.  ?

IMHO, considering the car  was a clone and was basically just a very nice driver I think the sell price was fair. Maybe, maybe not. Also, I'm not sure the buyers initial intention was to flip it or if that entered his mind when he was sitting in the middle of the highway after the car died on him as he pulled out of the driveway and he had to enlist the help of folks to get it pushed back in the driveway til he went and got his roll off. :wacko:  I have ridden in the car before and it always performed well and am sure the problem was just a matter of possibly old lacquered up gas and likely clogged filter and told him so.   

 

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A few folks got a very, very good deal.  While it is rewarding to bring one back to life with your own hands, you cannot bring it to the level of these cars for twice the money.

Of course there will be those pontificating bottom feeders who never buy anything, but complain  about the high price of collector cars, parts, services.

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The cars will all be cared for, and they were very nice representations of authentic Buicks and  for parts, Bob sold the parts on ebay and swap meets for years, so I am confused about comments, sad to see one mans collection bought and re sold if the parts were not sold there,they would most likely be scrapped by the family. The barn full of sheet metal at the end went for 120.00 to one of the Buick Chevy guys he will sell and it will get out of the barn and help the preservationist continue with there restores. Whats wrong with that? Better to get it back to someone restoring there cars then go to scrap yards. I had a very good time there. I thought some car prices were a deal and others sold were spot on, and some didnt meet reserve I beleive?also I beleive two were sold localy which was nice for Linda. Probably better to air in if you were there. Good times by all who made the trip.I put faces with many who I only talked to for years on aaca forums.

Semper Fi

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...
On 3/3/2019 at 1:41 AM, FireballV8 said:

Hi Guys

Received the April Hemings and the motorama car is advertised for $99,999 Firm!!!!

Did it sell for close to that amount?

I still would love to own that some day.

Steve

 

4893F7C7-0F7F-4560-BD1E-743FF0082C86.jpeg

@MrEarl I think it went in the 40s right?

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