It’s amazing to think that there are numerous lots throughout America holding thousands, if not tens of thousands…or even more maybe, who knows…of vehicles that are just sitting. Some are the Volkswagen recall lots, where what had been perfectly useable TDI cars are now sitting as VW goes through it’s very painful recall and buyback procedures. Then there’s the flood lots, from this year’s hurricanes, especially in Texas, where Hurricane Harvey proceeded to dump record levels of precipitation down in what has been dubbed a 500,000 year storm. The impacts are astounding, to put it mildly, but from a gearhead’s point of view, flood cars are the focus. Early estimates put the figure at over half a million vehicles that took a swim, and are now sitting in a lot somewhere in Texas, ready to be auctioned off for parts or scrap, mainly because the titles have been branded “NONREPAIRABLE-FLOOD” by the state of Texas.
Case in point is this particular heartbreaker that is currently sitting on Copart, a 1969 Pontiac GTO “The Judge”. This is Pontiac heaven, a musclecar fan’s dream, a collector’s fantasy, and the kind of car a kid like me growing up in the early 1990s fantasized about, with the thumper of a Ram Air V8 under the hood, the spoiler, the stripes, all of it. Built as Pontiac’s return shot for the Plymouth Road Runner, the Judge package was all of the go-fast stuff plus some looks, backed by John Z. DeLorean and named after a character on the comedy show Laugh-In. Unfortunately, the Judge is not a swimmer, and now this Carousel Red monster that someone lovingly restored and cared for is now destined to be nothing more than a parts car, and an expensive one at that.
Copart Cadaver Link: 1969 Pontiac GTO “The Judge”
This is one of the saddest pictures I have ever seen on these pages. My thoughts go to the owner who genuinely loved and cared for this car and I just hope modern technology can find a way to put it back on the road…
Don\’t feel too sorry for this guy. He more than likely had it insured for more than market value, likely $50-100K. Got his money, believe it. I do feel for the car though. Bring it to another state and likely get it re-registered as salvage title.
It got wet….thoroughly….but it can be restored, don´t see the sense in parting it out.
Someone will buy this from the CoPart auction, get the salvage tag lifted, and take it to BJ in Scottsdale…all while making a huge profit
I bet a little work, clean out some stuff, a new carpet and its back on the road. Its probably all dried out already,its friggin Texas.
Bring it down here to Florida,probably the easy state to get a salvaged car titled.Then you transfer between family members a few times and you don\’t even have a salvage title anymore. 🙂
20,000 Ill take it.
If the guy that owned this was in fact a car guy, this car wouldn\’t be sitting in an insurance impound lot, it would be in his garage getting dried/fixed. Some scum F\’king pretender made money on this deal.
How do we get our hands on these cars?
20,000 I will buy it Cash
“I bet a little work, clean out some stuff, a new carpet and its back on the road. Its probably all dried out already,its friggin Texas.”
You haven’t see what flood waters to to things. I have, it ain’t pretty. Underneath and in every crevice it’s rusting like hell and quick. You could probably save it with body dip of some sort to arrest the cancer and you’d have to strip every inch of wire and electrical out of it. Especially around Houston with all that unknown stuff in the bayous, the mud clings such that you can’t get it off with hose or power washer, its mildly conductive and quite probably toxic.