<VV> Re: B-J (no corvair)

[Bill Elliott]

Padgett wrote:

>
>> On another list (with the same sort of B-J
>> bashing going on) a member actually owned up to having purchased a GTO
>> Judge convertible for something like $185,000.
>
>
> Mustabin a '71. Only 17 Judge convertibles built (of which about 300 
> survive) and the last year. When you get that low a production number 
> in a top-of-the-line car, funny things happen to the value. About ten 
> years ago the only recorded sale (triple black car AFAIR) was close on 
> $100k.

I saw a nicely restored one (real) go for a tad under $100k in Chicago 
about 5 years ago in a private sale.... at the same time Volo had an 
inferior fake priced at $110k or so.

>
> Wonder what his insurance runs a year and how much it gets driven 
> (have been a lot of threads on this but all in all cars make lousy 
> investments). Am quite happy with my three toys (Monza convert is 
> latest) particularly that I do not need to be worried about taking 
> anywhere (though at 11 mpg of premium plus additives do tend to be 
> selective about the Goat).
>
Quick story... I moved to the little town of Lake Mills, WI in 1997. The 
owner of the dry cleaners (huge business known regionally) was said to 
have a big collection of cars. (I didn't find out until later how big... 
he owns the Wisconsin Dells Auto Museum and stocks it with his personal 
cars!). So the first time I meet him running around town he's in this 
slightly ratty GTO 'vert (light green with dark green Judge stripes). I 
immediately told my wife it was a fake... that none were made. Later (of 
course) I discovered that they were indeed made and that his was 
original and unrestored and was his summer driver... and had been for years.

He also had a huge (at least 15 that I saw) collection of Factory Pace 
Cars (all unrestored) which he would let the local high school use to 
transport the Homecoming Court out on the field each year. He also had a 
Model A with a "factory" AM radio.... and these were just the cars he 
kept "at home"...

Just before I left WI, his warehouse caught on fire and every single car 
that I've listed above was lost.  Even with insurance,. somethings are 
simply irreplaceable.

I've learned from his example to drive and use my cars regularly... no 
trailer queens here...

Bill Elliott


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