Another month, another Mecum auction coming up for us to paw through. Clicking through the auction lots online reminds us of digging through the JCPenny’s catalog as kids as we wrote our Christmas wish lists out for our parents, who promised that they would deliver them to Santa instead of hauling off to the department store to figure out what toys on the list were the cheapest. Luckily, we’re older, and we have money for decent toys nowadays, but we are also smarter on how we spend our cash. Here’s our picks from Mecum Anaheim, which runs November 12-14, 2015.

11. 1995 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R

In the 1990s, the Ford Mustang had to endure a regularly scheduled ass-kicking by the F-body twins. Except for the 1995 Cobra R…this is the Mustang that kicked back, hard. The 5.0L was canned in favor of a 300 horsepower 5.8L, a stronger five-speed manual was included, and such frivolous things like the fog lights, backseat and radio were left out of the car. Ford was so serious about this Mustang that potential buyers had to have a valid racing license to buy it.

10. 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 429CJ 

There are people out there who deride the 1971-73 Mustangs for being the big cars of the model run, but trust us: a 429 Cobra Jet can cure a LOT of ails. That engine proved lively in bigger cars, like the Torino, so jamming into the still-smaller Mustang meant that even with a little more weight on, this pony would still run circles around all but the absolute best on a Saturday night.

9. 1958 Plymouth Fury 

Pure 1950s cruising, baby! A dual-quad equipped 318ci Poly, a pushbutton TorqueFlite and Kelsey-Hays knockoff wires on whitewalls beg for some early-evening cruising. Besides, this one isn’t red, white, and temperamental as a mother…there isn’t anything to worry about!

8. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Station Wagon 

What are the chances of finding two sweet green Chevelle wagons at the same auction? There is a similar 1972 in the auction, but this 1970 is the one that caught our eye. It is packing a clean 350 under the hood and a saddle-colored interior that has air, modern tunes and tilt. Under the car, RideTech suspension components and Year One 17×8 Magnum 500s combine to help the Chevelle in the handling department. Decisions, decisions…

7. 1971 Dodge Charger 383 

The 1971 Charger might not have had quite the same aggressive look as the prior generation, but no matter…it still is awesome and still had a big-block option on the order form. This 383/automatic version is subtle: basic color, column shift, and full bench seat. Someone who could do their thing on the street, then head up into the hills to do their thing, maybe?

6. 1971 Chevrolet C-10 Cheyenne 402 

You really wanted a Camaro, but you’ve got to haul more than ass. Problem, solved. 402ci, shortbed, the Houndstooth interior, tachometer and a tilt wheel. Put all of that into one of the most timeless pickup designs ever sold to the public, and you are good to go, sir!

5. 1969 Dodge Charger SE 

 

I have no idea what the “White Hat Special” is, and frankly I don’t care. Any 1969 Dodge Charger that looks this good is worth a moment of your time, especially when it isn’t blaring out “Dixie” with a Fury Pursuit following it. The air conditioning is a welcome addition but isn’t a surprising one for a Southern California car. Please, leave this Charger it’s original color instead of bright orange…

4. 1933 Ford V-8 

 

This one is for the old-school rod fans. A Wescott body sits on a 1933 Ford frame and houses a 24-stud flathead sporting Offy heads and manifold, a 12-volt conversion, dual Stromberg 97s and a three-speed manual. With only 2,000 miles on the car since the build was completed, you’d be hard-pressed to do better.

3. 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 

You can thank the movie “Demolition Man” for our desire to own a red 1970 Oldsmobile 442. Forget Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock, the Oldsmobile was the star of that flick. A tuned 455 Oldsmobile and an automatic shifted by a Hurst Dual-Gate shifter checks a lot of nice boxes on our wish list, and the W-30 package is the perfect finishing touch.

2. 1958 Packard Hawk Sport Hardtop

 

The strange combination of Studebaker and Packard was arguably the only way either company was going to ride out the tidal wave of bad news coming out of Detroit in the late 1950s. Brand names were disappearing left and right…Edsel, Nash, DeSoto, Hudson, Kaiser had all gone, prompting Studebaker and Packard to come together for one final salvo in the hopes of gaining some sales. The Packard Hawk is a Studebaker Golden Hawk with a new nose and the option book thrown at it: McCullough supercharged 289, automatic, and the Twin-Traction limited-slip rear. In 1958, this was  a stomper with a catfish-like mouth.

1. 1973 Plymouth ‘Cuda 

I’ve documented my adoration of the round-taillight (1972-74) E-body ‘Cuda plenty here, and it seems that someone shared pretty much my entire vision. While this one is missing the twin-scooped hood and a trunk spoiler, I’m not missing them one bit. The slot mags, white-letter tires and beautiful black paint set the mood, and the 440ci big-block and four-speed give the ‘Cuda back the attitude it lost in 1972’s update. No callouts, no stripes, no billboards…just a barking exhaust and chirping tires.