[Dr. Eric M. Schiffer]

Dana Mecum runs cars through many times just to get a value on them. Problem is they are using shills to bid the cars up. How many times have you seen Colin Comber send through the two '65 GTO's. Gold Give-A-Way and White convertible Motor Trend 500 Give-A-Way cars? It looks like they sold but really didn't.

Heck I'll take $1,250,000. for my Jim Wangers Black Bird. LOL

There is a great new print coming out by Dave Snyder. It takes place at Ace Wilson's Royal Pontiac in fall 1968. It has a 428 1968 Verdoro Green GTO Royal Bobcat convertible with black top sitting in front of Royal's used caron Main Street.A smatering of GTO's and Firebirds line the front row. Wanger's Judge and Bobcat are in the isle getting ready to go out street racing. You can see the "Popular Hot Rodding" cover shot in the back ground. With Dave Warren, white shop shirt, and Milt, in yellow wind breaker, putting the 428 into the '68 GTO.

[aguyandhisgoat]

Originally Posted by Dr. Eric M. Schiffer

There is a great new print coming out by Dave Snyder. It takes place at Ace Wilson's Royal Pontiac in fall 1968. It has a 428 1968 Verdoro Green GTO Royal Bobcat convertible with black top sitting in front of Royal's used caron Main Street.A smatering of GTO's and Firebirds line the front row. Wanger's Judge and Bobcat are in the isle getting ready to go out street racing. You can see the "Popular Hot Rodding" cover shot in the back ground. With Dave Warren, white shop shirt, and Milt, in yellow wind breaker, putting the 428 into the '68 GTO.

awesome..can't wait to see that one!!

[tom s]

I got a email from Mike the owner of the car.Just want to state that I meant no disrespect to him or the car.It was just my opinion that 260 plus K was crazy money.I still stand by my post.I guess I just dont see that kind of value it it.But to each his own.No diff from when my good friend John bought the 63 SD Lemans body.Good luck to Mike and the sale of the car.Tom

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by tom s

I got a email from Mike the owner of the car.Just want to state that I meant no disrespect to him or the car.It was just my opinion that 260 plus K was crazy money.I still stand by my post.I guess I just dont see that kind of value it it.But to each his own.No diff from when my good friend John bought the 63 SD Lemans body.Good luck to Mike and the sale of the car.Tom

Well, if the owner took offense, I imagine it was because of the word 'fool' used in the post...but as for the actual intent of your statement...I'd have to agree. That's pretty crazy money for that car...And that's coming from a guy that absolutely loves it.
In fact, I'm thinking of copying it when I paint it. Poverty caps and all.

[brians]

Sorry to the owner, have to agree with Tom on his intent also.

I have probably one of the biggest 68 A and F body RA fans and would love to own it, but I can’t believe the bidding was real. Just do not see where the history of this car would warrant a 400 to 500% increase over a comparable restored 68 RA car.


I am curious of this statement in the add “Arnie’s search for more performance in the GTO began even before its arrival at Royal when he secured a pre-production set of Ram Air II cylinder heads, which were bolted to the 428 short block prior to its installation.”

In that magazine cover shot, it sure looks like a D port head and headers going in the car.
Anybody have the article? Is there any other engine shots in the magazine?

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

I noticed the head looked D-port too, when that pic was first posted.
The center exhaust ports lean real heavy towards D-porters.
But didn't want to cloud anything while it was heading to market.

Doesn't take anything away from the car.
So many things and so many photos in articles are staged or buffed up anyway.

For all we know - the cover shot was actually the 400 coming out - instead of 428 going in. Or the 400 buffed up for photo because of delay on 428 - and they mocked it up as going back in. Amongst other possibilities, and other embellishments.

I also don't see why they would have re-used the ported vacuum deal for the advance on a Hi-Po build either. Another thing that makes me think that shot was actually the pre-existing 400.

[tom s]

Mike seems like a nice guy,hope to meet him one day.The car is his baby and has a value on it that is what it would take for someone else to own it.I know it would take WAY more than its worth to get my 63 Lemans away from me.Just the way some things are.Tom

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

In fact, I'm thinking of copying it when I paint it. Poverty caps and all.

Sorry, meant to say '...thinking of copying it when I paint mine...'

[68pongto]

The 68 Bobcat is a beautiful car, I have seen it in person. It does have a couple of flaws, but most every car does. What really makes one car worth so much more than a standard car? Is a CEO really worth $3,000,000 a year when his average employee gets $50k? Is a star baseball player really worth so much more than a bench warmer? Yes, certain premium cars DO deserve premium prices, but 10 times a standard one?? Most RA 2 and RA 4 cars original drivetrains are gone, (afterall they were race cars) yet a round-port car with a SR block will bring way more than a standard 68 GTO or a 69 RA III with every single matching #, block, heads, trans, rear end, etc. Yes the rare cars do deserve more, but much of their value has been driven up by the speculators who use auctions like the stock market. I would be willing to bet 20-30 years from now, when most of the baby boomers are gone, that a RA 2 or a RA 4 will only be worth about twice a STD. GTO, not 10 times like now. I could have a super rare stagecoach, but what's it worth if NOBODY wants it? Scott

[PaulatFast]

I have talked with Milt and Dave Warren about the cover shot. It was set up for the magazine, I don't beleive the actual engine was ready at the time of the photo shoot. Anyone really think that was an action shot? Anyone think Milt worked on the cars???? He was the Perfomance Service director. Not a line technician.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by PaulatFast

I have talked with Milt and Dave Warren about the cover shot. It was set up for the magazine, I don't beleive the actual engine was ready at the time of the photo shoot. Anyone really think that was an action shot? Anyone think Milt worked on the cars???? He was the Perfomance Service director. Not a line technician.

I can't speak for that particular magazine shoot but, in general, Milt worked on the cars. Especially in the early (earlier) years. He was/is a pretty "hands on" kind of guy anyway.

K

[PaulatFast]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I can't speak for that particular magazine shoot but, in general, Milt worked on the cars. Especially in the early (earlier) years. He was/is a pretty "hands on" kind of guy anyway.

K

As I understand it, from Milt, when the Royal club took off and the mail order business started growing, he was put in charge of making sure the orders were filled. As the performance jobs grew in number in the service dept., he was put in charge of scheduling them and dealing with the customers. Sid and Dave Warren were among the performance technicians, from my talks with Dave, he had kind of said the same thing.

One thing is for sure... there are several very different angles as to what exactly went on at Royal back then! Your dad should have written a book, that probably would have been the most accurate recounting of the truth! He seemed like a guy that wasn't out for personal glory, the guys out there talking are trying to sell themselves!

[nmoreilly]

Car went through BJ Scottsdale 2020
https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Even...UdWDB9i4IvrAkU

[OCMDGTO]

Beautiful car with a great story. Am I reading it right that it sold for 66k?

[1965gp]

Yes- I think it bid to 60k and the 66k includes the 10% fee

[68pongto]

The car went up to $240,000 in 2011 and $195,000 in 2017, both Mecum auctions and the seller did not accept the high bids or remove the reserve.

[Formulajones]

There is another thread on this car. We viewed the car Saturday. Personally I think it brought all the money it's worth and the buyers agreed. The front bumper and valance had some issues but overall a decent car. No original drivetrain and just a story about what the car was used for. No real racing history advertised with the car, no trophies or records set that I saw, just a connection to Royal.

Frankly I feel the crazy money it was bid for at Mecum years before wasn't legit. You're talking super car money for a 68 GTO that was originally a ram air car, not a RA II round port car. Not on the same playing field. If the bidding were real any smart seller would have taken that money and ran.

This time around it was legit bidding and it brought what it brought. The story with it, and it's connection to Royal probably helped raise the price to where it was. Otherwise a RA D-port 68 goat would have been $40 maybe $50k tops.