NOS Barn Finds - Sale Is Next Month

[Lunajammer]

Ray Lambrecht's dealership in Pierce, Nebraska closed in 1996, but his stash of unsold new cars dating to the 50's goes to auction next month. The ultimate IRA.

Video report from WOWT, Omaha

Associated Press article

[b_lever1]

That will be one awsome sale new cars but their old

[slusher]

That is so neat. l wish l had some cash and heathy enough to get a couple of those..

[Longbox55]

Unfotunatly, while they are "new" cars, every single one of them needs a complete restoration to undo all the damage caused by how they were stored. Personally, I wouln't buy any of them at the inflated auction prices. Now if they were selling them at the original sticker price, seeing as they were never sold in the first place, then I might be interested. Even then, I would haggle on the price due to the condition of the vehicles.

[ChrisBcritter]

Bidding has started - but a lot of the vehicles are heartbreakers; single digit mileage and thoroughly wasted by the elements. A lot of the seventies vehicles are pretty much going straight from the dealer to a demo derby, if not the scrappers.

Oh well. Bid early, bid often, but brace yourself:

https://www.proxibid.com/asp/Catalog.asp?aid=68561

[slusher]

Why would they go to the scrapers and demo derby when most are restorable.??

[ChrisBcritter]

I'm talking about the mid-to-late '70s cars, mostly deteriorated four-door sedans like this one that despite having only 5 miles on the odometer says "Weird survivor - derby?" in the description:

https://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotDetail.asp?ahid=1530&aid=68561&lid=17400681&title=1978-Chevrolet-Impala-4dr-Sedan#

[Longbox55]

I paid less than what most of those are going for when I bought my '55, and it was is far better condition, even after having been used a farm truck for 200k+ miles.

[Lunajammer]

Unfotunatly, while they are "new" cars, every single one of them needs a complete restoration to undo all the damage caused by how they were stored. Personally, I wouln't buy any of them at the inflated auction prices.

Sad how they were stored, yet compared to what cars go for on other internet auctions, getting ones with no miles and no dings or tears would still be appealing and could be a light restoration. Granted, I wouldn't bid "sight unseen" though. And not all of them were new.

[Longbox55]

Just from what I can see, there's plenty of rust on many of the vehicles from sitting in the elements, even on the "new" ones. Plus, hard to tell what rodents and age has done to the interiors. I do see a couple that might be able to get away with a light resto, or evne used as is with minor mechanical freshening. But most are going to need complete restoration, engines, brakes, and transmissions gone through due to water damage, and even body work from the rust. I did also notice that most are not too far out on the bidding, but the "official" action is still a month away, so that will probably change.

[Skip]

Actually the smart thing to do with those that were stored inside would be a preservation "restoration". Where only those things required to make it start, run, steer and drive are repaired with NOS OEM parts. They are only original once, a full restoration makes it not original. The story of their survival adds value to their existence.

[Tom Geiger]

An incredible collection of brand new cars. There's at least a half dozen new Corvairs, and a dozen or more mid sixties pickups. What a waste. You know these will be out in the collector car market, some restored right, others made to look good and the buyer beware.

It's beyond comprehension how anyone could run a business like that and survive. Figure that a small dealer like that putting a dozen new cars in the field each year, would be all the profit from that year. I want that brandy new '82 Chevette !

[Lunajammer]

Horder?

[Fabrux]

There's even a couple of promos in there!

[Greg Myers]

Along with the question of how they were stored, look at how they are treated now. In some of the videos the "handlers" , for lack of a better term, seem to have little or no knowledge of how to treat these cars. Watch them move these cars around pushing them into what little space there is and then piling stuff on top of them.

[mikemodeler]

I would be willing to bet that we see a few of these show up at Barrett Jackson in the coming months. Some jackwagon will try to buy low and sell high.

I would rather have a running "original" than some no mileage car that has been sitting for 40+ years.

[Longbox55]

I wouldn't be suprised to see that, either. That Cameo, which is already bid up more than it's worth, wil be the most likely to show up there, along with the '78 Corvette.

[Deano]

I think the coolest thing I saw was the Corvette pedal car! And the '28 Durrant would make one wicked rod!

[KingSix]

So who is going to watch history being made tonight ? The auctioning off of "brand new" 1950's and 60's cars ..

[Longbox55]

Might be worth watching if only to get a laugh at what some of those people paid for those cars. I know that the wrecked Cameo went for far more that it would even be worth if it was in perfect condition.

[KingSix]

I don't think you can put a price on originality , these cars have the opportunity to set the restoration world on it's ear ..

[Casey]

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2013/09/27/preview-begins-at-lambrecht-chevrolet-auction/

I don't think the majority of these cars are in great condition, especially those stored outside. The few which were kept indoors and were protected should bring good money, but a '65 Chevy stepside with a straight six and rusted out floors and bed isn't going to cause a bidding war.

[KingSix]

I guess that's why over 10, 000 people showed up huh ?

[Longbox55]

Most of those cars and trucks aren't worth much more than parts cars, I've actually seen better condition vehicles in junk yards. Even the ones that are in decent shape are not necessarily desirable models, mostly 4 doors and plain no option trucks. But, like the old saying goes, "A fool and his money are soon parted".

[KingSix]

a brand new '58 Cameo for 140k ? that's not stupid, that's incredible ...