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Top 11: Shopping At Mecum’s Portland Auction – Two Days Of Difficult Decisions!


Top 11: Shopping At Mecum’s Portland Auction – Two Days Of Difficult Decisions!

Portland, Oregon isn’t exactly automotive Mecca, but it isn’t the desert, either. There is plenty of gorgeous iron hiding among the redwoods and Douglas Firs, and if you cross the mountains to the eastern side of the state, you’ll find the kind of high-desert cars that Rust Belt people only dream about. Normally when we hunt these auctions we try to go for realistic choices for someone who has saved their pennies to buy themselves something nice, so take that into consideration: this is what affordable looks like at Mecum! We picked eleven of our favorites…check them out below and let us know what you think!

11. 1953 Studebaker E7

fri stude copy

It is difficult to not find the 1950s Studebaker trucks classically pretty, isn’t it? This fine blue example has a rebuilt 1957 259ci V8, a three-speed with overdrive, new wiring and upholstery, and looks ready to live a nice, comfy life doing mild work on a farm.

10. 1961 Corvair Greenbrier

fri corvair copy

The “in” thing right now is to be different from the crowd, to have something that nobody else remembers, and to be a subject matter expert on it. We aren’t suggesting you become a hipster…please, spare yourself the skinny jeans and funky ‘stache…but if you want to really annoy one, park this beautifully-restored Corvair van next to their beauty. One of two things will happen: either they’ll love it or they will hate your guts. You win either way.

9. 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Rallye 350

fri rallye350 copy

The gearheads inside Oldsmobile had a plan for the insurance adjusters that had gone after the buyers of big-block Cutlasses and 442s. Take the Cutlass in sporty trim, paint everything…and we mean everything…bright yellow, put on the spoiler and the scooped hood, and add in the L74 350ci engine. It looked the part, it ran just fine, the 310 horsepower rating wasn’t shabby and since it was just a small block car, the insurance guys ignored it.

8. 2002 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 by GMMG

sat GMMG copy

The F-body was in death throes in 2002, but everyone who thought that the Camaro was just going to die quietly was sorely mistaken. Packing the LS6 from the Corvette Z06 (among other raided goodies) and a chambered exhaust that provided more factory bark that any other Camaro had seen since 1971, the final F-bodies did not go off into that gentle night but raged against the dying light.

7. 1961 Chrysler Newport

friday newport copy

Anybody else want to check the trunk to see if there’s a few Mason jars full of clear? This cosmetically-unrestored Newport is packing a 361 and a floor-shifted three-speed, and has only seen 41,300 miles since it left the dealer lot. We had to snicker when we saw the part about the “five foot wide sofa size seats” in the listing. This Chrysler came out when bigger was better and the seats were more like old-school couches than automotive seats.

6. 1972 Pontiac Firebird Formula 455 H.O.

fri formula copy

Pontiac was fighting the horsepower withdrawal tooth and nail, and most people consider the 1973-74 Trans Am Super Duty cars to be the final farewell to balls-out Pontiac power. But maybe the Trans Am was a bit too garish for your tastes. That didn’t mean you had to forego the 455, it just meant that you had to check the right boxes when ordering a Formula. Consider this the middle ground between Rockford and Bandit.

5. 1973 International Harvester 1210 Travelall

friday 1 IH copy

Four doors, enough room for anything you could possibly want to pack around, a 392ci V8 that will crank plenty of torque out, and fitted with all of the foo-foo-ness of a backhoe. Yes, the International Travelall is a bare-bones truck, but look on the bright side…it’s everything you need and nothing you don’t.

4. 1996 Ford Mustang GT

fri sn95 copy

Yes, we picked an SN-95 Mustang out of a Mecum auction that isn’t a Cobra R or a rare GTS. Why did we even bother? It’s that typical green color that tons of Mustangs seem to have been painted in, the prerequisite Cobra R wheels are present, and the badge indicates that it’s a 4.6L car. Here’s why we picked this Mustang: the badge lies…badly. Underhood is a stroker engine that is pushing north of 500 horsepower. Any listing that says, “Extra set of slicks included” is alright with us!

3. 1974 AMC Javelin AMX

sat AMX copy

1974 claimed three pony cars (Dodge Challenger, Plymouth Barracuda and AMC Javelin) and nearly claimed the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird as well. Luckily, all four cars were carryover models from previous years, so true malaise hadn’t set in quite yet. Rocking an AMC 360 and a four-speed, this Javelin looks just as serious as any other AMC muscle car.

2. 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

fri vette copy

Restored? Resto-mod? We don’t care. We want to get those tops off, fire off the 396, letting it bark it’s orders through those side-pipes: it’s time to get rowdy, ladies and gentlemen. That four-speed is ready to row and the Wilwood brakes will do what they can to keep you safe. It’s pretty, it’s dangerous and it’s fast. Questionable qualities in the dating game, excellent qualities for a car.

1. 1983 Dodge D-150 Stepside

friday 2 d150 copy

If McTaggart suddenly goes missing, this is why, right here. This 1983 Dodge looks resto-clean, or at the very least meticulously taken care of. Take a shot at what’s under the hood. Slant six? 318? 360? NOPE! Surprise, it’s been fitted with the 5.7L Hemi V8 and 545RFE automatic raided from a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500. That ought to up the fun factor quite a bit! Couple that power with the most unassuming beige we’ve seen in a while, steelies and dog dishes, and the cleanest D-series Dodge interior we’ve seen..well, ever…and you end up with a nice resto-mod that looks as unassuming as Grandpa Earl’s fishing truck.


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5 thoughts on “Top 11: Shopping At Mecum’s Portland Auction – Two Days Of Difficult Decisions!

  1. Chevy Hatin' Mad Geordie

    That AMX!

    Its a shame the vendor kept the alloy wheels for his next project though – those hideous mismatched steelies ruin the whole effect….

    1. Jav343

      Geordie, I agree with you. Those wheels don’t belong on that X. Old school Magnum 500’s would work wonders there.

  2. skylark_1967

    The Chrysler is a ’62. ’61’s have tail fins that would make a ’59 Cadillac green with envy.
    Nice group of cars, I’d pick the AMX if I had the time, space and cash.

  3. Michael

    That AMX isn’t an AMX, it’s a gussied-up Javelin (check out the grill). The bizarro painted roof is ugly as all get out and the T-stripe is incorrect as well. I’ve seen this car in person, and it’s a pile. Those are the factory wheels though!

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