Mecum Indianapolis

[JH27N0B]

I made my annual trek down to Indianapolis yesterday, and got to enjoy seeing thousands of cars with perfect weather.
I still am sorting my pictures and will have to dust off my weezing old laptop to make a Flickr album when I get time after sorting.
It seemed like crowds were down.  Even though Wednesday isn't one of the prime days, I went last year on rainy Wednesday and there were a lot more spectators and potential bidders getting in the way when I was trying to take pictures in 2022!
So far the bidding hasn't been very spirited, lots of "bid go on" and many cars that sell aren't garnering very impressive high bids. Now that we are getting toward the latter parts of the event with more of the high end iron, we will see if the big money is still there.
With interest rates up, and all the covid stimulant money the government was helicoptering out a few years ago spent, has the recent bull market in vintage cars ended?
It was great to see the RTS 'cuda.  They had it on a rotating turntable and you couldn't get too close to it, and it was hard to get sharp pictures of a moving object! They found a new tire I saw!
Depending on where it ends up, this may have been my only opportunity to see it.  Or it will be front and center at MCACN in November and maybe at some other national shows like Carlisle.  Time will tell....

[JH27N0B]

Here is one of the prime car buildings at around noon.  Where is everyone?  Bueller?

[JH27N0B]

I took several pictures of the FM3 V code Challengers fender tag, but they all came out sort of hard to read.
The car is cool, but quality wise it should have been better for such a rare desirable car.  Panel alignment and the dash pad had no stitching are a few examples.  A friend of mine said that car has been here local in the hands of a flipper type guy.
I looked at the original owner T/A with the modded up dash and underhood components pretty closely.  It is a pretty cool car.  The contraption in front of the radiator was a engine oil cooler.  The oil filter is mounted on the passenger side inner fender.  I am assuming its a dry sump system.
Maybe the car was used for rally racing?

[Floyd]

Very cool!  Thanks for the pics, etc

[JH27N0B]

Here are the cars the tags belong to.

[JH27N0B]

The T/A only bid up to 50K, but appealed to me.  It looks like a super solid car with a bunch of period correct mods, and assuming it runs well and is dialed in would be a blast to drive the heck out of.  Those side moldings would have to go though!
This custom cuda is a real R code as it turns out.

[JH27N0B]

I was watching the coverage today on TV (please don't tell my boss  ) and things seemed more lively there than yesterday.  Some strong money being bid on many cars, especially 50s convertibles, and you could see more people strolling around than yesterday.  Tav's roadrunner sold for $97K which is super strong money for a N code.  Well sold! 
Interestingly, a A12 roadrunner ran after it, and only bid up to $62K "bid goes on".  Must have been some skeletons in that cars closet?
And this U code Challenger convertible only bid up to $85K.  I looked at it pretty close, but didn't open the hood.  Something must have been sketchy with it, a U code Challenger convertible should be north of 100K IMO.

[anlauto]

Those 71 Wingcars that Gary and Pam built looks like they got some pretty strong bids in the mid-$100's , but no sale, I wonder what the owner thinks they are worth ? Do Gary and Pam still own them ?

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

The RTS is sitting on four new rims and tires.  I've been told the originals come with the car.

[cuda hunter]

Thanks for the pics so far!   And a special thanks for posting the fender tag pics!!

[torredcuda]

Those 71 Wingcars that Gary and Pam built looks like they got some pretty strong bids in the mid-$100's , but no sale, I wonder what the owner thinks they are worth ? Do Gary and Pam still own them ?

They have been for sale for a while, pop up occasionally on some consigners ad I think. Not sure what the asking prices are.

[JH27N0B]

Here's my album from Wednesday
https://www.flickr.com/photos/111914442@N04/albums/72177720308471378

[cuda hunter]

Thanks for sharing the pics!   

That pink wagon, the engine bay is bad asssss !!!!!   Looks alien like.

Let me guess, the hood was never open for viewing of the fender tag on the RTS. 
And it appears that the car was kept farther away from people than any other car there. 
Very unfortunate.  That fender tag is surprisingly difficult to find a picture of.

I would very much like to see a broadcast sheet for the RTS car.  Anyone heard of there being one in existence? 

[JH27N0B]

The car was on a turntable and not accessible to look at close up.
Ryan or Ian Ashton had pictures of the fender tag in the videos they took of it last year. Most unusual thing about the tag was that it was BS23V9E not BS23V0E.
It was a very early production LA built car.
Broadcast sheets are very rare in LA cars so it's doubtful this car has one.