Mecum Monterey 2010

[LongRanger]

After attending the Concorso Italiano (@$110 each), on Friday 13-Aug, we headed over to town for the Mecum Auction preview to check out those cars.

I went with a Mopar Caveman so, after a morning spent looking at sports cars, I was expecting to leaven my companion's diet with a healthy dose of muscle, the kind Mecum is known for. Was not disappointed.

And also . . . pleasantly surprised.

There were several auctions going on that week-end, including Gooding and Bonham's --- which I was interested in seeing as I'd only seen these events on TV --- but many were charging to attend their previews, some as much as $40. So much for a 'down economy.' I was still a bit tender from the bending-over I took at Concorso, so Mecum's no-charge preview had definite appeal.

We got there later in the day, tired from all the walking and a bit crispy from being out in the sun. The parking folks were very courteous and directed us to a huge expanse of parking, evidently on a golf course, just behind the venue.

Here's some pics.

[LongRanger]

1) Its nice to see that some folks still bring dirty cars to a car show. This is how I roll. (Looks more like 'vector abatement' . . . about two-state's-worth. Must've come through the Delta.)

2) And remember these? 'What ever happened to all those Pint-- oh, that's RIGHT!' Lovely shade of Road Cone.

[LongRanger]

430 Scuderia.

Just in case I was thinking that maybe Mecum only had vintage 'Murrican Cars. This thing had, like, 1300 miles on it, or something just as ridiculous.

My companion's been jonesin' for something stupid for a while, so I ran him by this to, you know --- torture him.

What are friends for, right? . . . . 'Oh, Linda will just LOVE this. So roomy, so practical. And LOOK! It's all a bashful shade of easy-care-black! And think of the fun your kids have dragging their soccer stuff down the sides . . . '

[LongRanger]

. . . '68 Dodge Coronet R/T HEMI

Knuckle-draggers' Delight. Kooky colors, and I've seen better panel fit at an air crash.

But.

Fire this thing up, burp the gas a coupla times . . . and who cares?

Obscene, I know. And its irrational that something this big and heavy should move at all, let alone so quickly. Total dinosaur.

I think that everybody who loves cars --- or claims to --- at some time in their life . . . just has to sit down in the driver's seat, behind an honest-to-God, All-American high-compression big-block, with a manual trans . . . and feel one of these things wind-up, get up on its toes, and effing lift-off . . . .

[LongRanger]

' . . . for broadcast.'

Check out the front axle and suspension . . . and that radiator's proximity to any- and everything.

[LongRanger]

Chevrolet Camaro . . .

ZL-1

Chevrosaurus Rex.

Basically, an aluminum-block L-88; motor weighs less than the iron small-block. This particular engine option cost more than the whole base car.

One of 69 Camaros built with this option. (There were two 'Vettes.)

Heard about 'em. Read about 'em. First one I've ever seen. Up close. Hope it doesn't eat me.

427/430HP at 5000 RPM. But red-lines at, like, 6500? . . . so actual power is up over 500.

Zero-to-60 = 4.1 sec
Zero-to-100 = 9.4 sec
Standing 1/4 mi = 11.8 @122 MPH

. . . in 1969.

[LongRanger]

. . . 1948(?) Caddie 'Vert

After The War, there was huge demand for personal transpo, after all the years of shortages, ration cards, and nothing to buy in general. Its funny how few cars survive from that time --- immediately after. Here's the closest I found, from the whole week-end.

Basically a carry-over of the pre-War mechanicals (ie. no OHV) with a few styling flourishes, these cars still have a lot of presence.

[LongRanger]

. . . Uh --- yeah. And Ben Hur was a pony ride.

1922 Hacker.

These kinds of boats are called 'barrel backs' because of their hull shape. Which happens to be made out of wood. (No smoking. I am so NOT kidding.) Powered by what looks like a WWI Liberty V12. (Safety first . . . or, well, no worse than, like 4th -- maybe 5th.) And check out those stacks.

Betcha this thing was a real big hit at the Yacht Club. (Alright -- who blew-up the jetty? Again!)

[LongRanger]

Driver in back.

Passenger in front.

Open-exhausted WWI Liberty V-12 in between.

Makes sense to me.

In a Hacker --- nobody can hear you scream!

[LongRanger]

. . . 1940 Chris-Craft.

Try keeping this thing clean. I don't think this even gets wet anymore.

Or floats . . .

Or --- God forbid --- move. Like, in the water.