Current Mecum auction

[LoStHeMi]

i think that Yellow Hemi Cuda (not vert) was the one listed on here a while back.  The old drag car that was re-built/bodied.   i also think it was at Ponderosa too,  i remember the rims.  anyone remember it..... i think one of the owners... a few years ago... had a car magazine article about it...     

[JH27N0B]

That FJ5 T/A caught my eye. Back in the late 90s a local guy Gil restored a FJ5 T/A with no vinyl top and louvers.  He was not happy after he bought the car because when he tore it apart to restore he found it had been back halved. He sort of disappeared after he sold the car, I'd heard that car soured him on his car restoration hobby.
I wondered where his car ended up, there can't be too many FJ5 T/As with no vinyl top and louvers out there.

[LoStHeMi]

http://mopar-ponderosa.com/cars-4-sale/?VID=76595918

[MoparCarGuy]

That Sublime TA is rough...someone way overbid IMO.

I guess being a four speed with rear window louvers, someone must have wanted it pretty bad....It looks like it could need to be restored 

The A-44 Back window louvers package was a bargain for about $90 and it included the dual color-keyed racing mirrors.
Interestingly enough, there are T/As out there that do not have dual mirrors and the passenger-side stripe is missing the crescent cutout for the mirror on these cars.

[LoStHeMi]

Yellow Hemi Cuda....   different tag... one wing one without...  same rims..... sure looked like the one i had seen.. oh well.... at least i'm not losing my mind...   

[autoxcuda]

That Sublime TA is rough...someone way overbid IMO.

I guess being a four speed with rear window louvers, someone must have wanted it pretty bad....It looks like it could need to be restored 

The A-44 Back window louvers package was a bargain for about $90 and it included the dual color-keyed racing mirrors.
Interestingly enough, there are T/As out there that do not have dual mirrors and the passenger-side stripe is missing the crescent cutout for the mirror on these cars.

Relative pricing comes into play. Not sure if bargain back then...

About $3500 car then

Now comparable to $40K

That would make those louvers about a $1,000 option today.

[MoparCarGuy]

http://mopar-ponderosa.com/cars-4-sale/?VID=76595918

Yellow Hemi Cuda....   different tag... one wing one without...  same rims..... sure looked like the one i had seen.. oh well.... at least i'm not losing my mind...   

Yes, the HemiCuda on the Ponderosa site is a different VIN and has an original fender tag.
The very, similar yellow HemiCuda that sold at Mecum has a repro fender tag with at least one code on it that does not appear on an early build car (SPD A06, OCT `69).

[JH27N0B]

This car sold for 84K and the under hood picture doesn't even show that the car has a fender tag.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0122-498594/1970-dodge-challenger-rt/

[cuda hunter]

js23U0B199912

factory air conditioned U code challenger.
It had leather seats interior.
Was painted 27 years ago.

Says the data plate is included with the sale.  So it must be in a folder with the info on the car.
Why it wouldn't be on the fender is your best guess. 

[anlauto]

This car sold for 84K and the under hood picture doesn't even show that the car has a fender tag.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0122-498594/1970-dodge-challenger-rt/

I thought $84K was on the high side for that car as well....but I guess EVERYBODY wants a purple Challenger 

[JH27N0B]

js23U0B199912

factory air conditioned U code challenger.
It had leather seats interior.
Was painted 27 years ago.

Says the data plate is included with the sale.  So it must be in a folder with the info on the car.
Why it wouldn't be on the fender is your best guess.

Maybe the seller was afraid it would get stolen?  With the AC line routed over the tag that would be tough (but not impossible) to steal. 
All in all not a smart move IMO.  I remember a story about about Greg Nelson at a Barrett Jackson auction around 10 years ago.  He saw a hemi Coronet R/T there with no tag.  He ran across the owner, who it turned out had the tag but didn't want to put it on the car for whatever reason. Greg then bid on it and got it cheap.  Other potential bidders got scared off because they thought the car had no tag.
Whatever the case, if a U code auto Challenger really sold for that price that's pretty nuts!
Didn't a similar one sell here last summer for under $40K?  That one might have even been a 4 gear.

[RzeroB]

I saw the '70 yellow hemi 'Cuda sell too and wondered why the price was so low.  I recorded the show and played it back several times to try to see exactly what it was being presented as.  I thought it might be a clone but the announcers always point that out when a clone is presented.  In fact, they announced that this was one of 368 hemi 'Cudas with the venerable auto transmission.  I don't think they would have said that and quoted the number of autos if this was a clone.  I am wondering if there was something funny going on with this car as it has a lot number of 102.1, which indicates that it was a late addition and the car did not show up in the results online late last night.  It seems to have disappeared.

From memory, yes, the radiator support was stamped with the same VIN. I remember thinking maybe the cowl had been replaced due to rust damage and also thinking that this car, whether real or not, was going to be questionable forever.

There is a whole lot of back and forth on Facebook Mopar fender tags club that the car has a fake fender tag and engine stamping and the buyer swearing he got a steal.      Being Facebook who knows but as always buyer beware.

I looked at this yellow `70 Hemicuda on Saturday. The car presented well but had some details that needed correction. The fender tag is a reproduction and the cowl VIN is not visible at all. The cowl area is smooth with no impressions showing at all. Sold price was $126,500 including buyer's premium.

Did it have radiator support numbers?

Did the frame reinforcements look OE?

Yes, the radiator support matched the dash VIN. I remember thinking this car would always be questionable with the cowl VIN possibly having been repaired due to rust. Good restoration pics and documentation showing that area would go along way in proving the car is bona fide or not.

Here is the supposed engine stamp that those on Facebook are calling fake.  I say supposed as a qualifier because I have neither the expertise or ability to verify what people are posting or saying is valid.

For me, the thing that first draws my attention is the VIN pad itself. Look how deep and crooked the cut on the pad is ... it's so obvious that the pad has been recut to create a clean surface for restamping. With this engine, you don't need a Dave Wise inspection to tell that this engine has been restamped. This is so bad, I don't know how the fraudster thought it looked good enough to pull off the ruse??

[HP_Cuda]

I watched almost every day of the mecum auction (mopar focused) and had this lingering feeling all throughout the auction. Are we back to the pre-2008 period all over again?

That travel bus going for over 1M was the "jump the shark" moment.

Unbelievable....

[PLY474]

FYI - I recently discovered that Motortrend picked up Mecum auctions.  The Motortrend channel is included with my wife's Amazon Prime.  We have a Fire Stick and I watch it on that.  The Kissimmee auctions are on there and I'm slowly going through them.  Too many Corvettes.  I'm not sure if a live feed will be available for future auctions.

[JH27N0B]

They broadcast a lot of it live on Motortrend TV on cable, and are advertising that they will be doing the same next month for the auction, I believe it's in Anaheim.