Dallas Mecum Auction

[Tom M.]

Re: Dallas Mecum Auction

Wow. You sure lumped a lot of us that have sold a car at Auctions together. I guess that 69 L88 Bloomington Gold, Survivor, Special Collection, NCRS Regional Top Flight falls into your "crappy, put together car" category.

That was a strong price for a great car

[Mike G.]

Re: Dallas Mecum Auction

cool! sounds fun

[Norris W.]

Re: Dallas Mecum Auction

I just took NCM delivery of a new ZR1, (shown below with her grandmother who was in my garage), and I can tell you it is the best, most incredible performance car on the planet for any amount of money. I have had Porsche Turbo S, Ferrari, etc., and nothing can touch this car for the relatively low price. And that engine is fantastic and simple, I know I drive it and I built it too. GM and Chevy have a big winner in the ZR1.

I agree with you 100% on the awsomeness of the car, but the question is, does the upgrade itself require the difference in price, given the similarity to other cars? For instance, if a Cadillac CTS V compared to a CTS?

[Michael J.]

Re: Dallas Mecum Auction

I agree with you 100% on the awsomeness of the car, but the question is, does the upgrade itself require the difference in price, given the similarity to other cars? For instance, if a Cadillac CTS V compared to a CTS?

Don't know about Caddys, but for the Corvette, it was to me, easily. The base coupe is $50K base, at 430 HP and standard suspension, steering, frame, brakes, etc. The ZO6 is $76K base with 505 Hp, upgraded suspension, steering, frame, brakes, etc. ZR1 is $111K base, with 638 HP, supercharged, vastly upgraded suspension, frame, brakes, interior, etc. The ZR1 is vastly superior to the base car, in numerous categories, and if you look at the 0-60, 60-0, 1/4 mile, etc. times it is a supercar by any measure. Just take a look at the video of the 2012 ZR1 driven by Mero on the 'Ring setting the second fastest ever time with a car that costs 1/4 to 1/10th what the other nearby cars are, that convinced me.

[William L.]

Re: Dallas Mecum Auction

That was a strong price for a great car

I agree, I wish I could afford it. How about 320,000 for the Red 67/435 and it was a NO SALE
Its like they say " good cars with good paper and history, bring good money"

[Ridge K.]

Re: Dallas Mecum Auction

That is correct.

I have shown collector cars all over the country for 30 years. Nowhere but Dallas has such stringent rules about cars. It is the Fire Marshal that imposes these dreadful rules at events held in City of Dallas facilities. The Dallas Convention Center, where the Mecum Auction was held, is a City of Dallas facility.

I cannot understand how blue masking tape, or any kind of tape for that matter, will prevent a fire or prevent someone from tampering with the gas cap/tank. Also, all gas caps had to be taped, regardless of what type cap, locking or not. Also, I am under the belief that a full gas tank is less likely to explode than an almost empty one. That is due to no explosive fumes in a full tank. I can only surmise that they want to minimize gas spillage. It is the Dallas Fire Marshal that enforces this.

The absolute worst thing was that due to the layout of the Dallas Convention Center, the cars were not in another building where they could be started and warmed up, then driven into the building where the auction stage was set up. This would have solved a lot of the "no start" problems with cold engines, etc.

We only got to start the engine as it sat on the auction block, in order to drive it to the center of the stage to start the bidding. Then after it was pushed to the far end of the stage, the driver was allowed to start the car again and drive it back to its display spot from hence it came. Ten of the 21 cars I "drove" during those three days could not be started. Another one, a '72 Chevy p/u, sprang a power steering leak when started. So, it had to be pushed all the way across the stage. It sold for $15,000!

I got in one car, a "C5 chassis Corvette" with a widened "tribute" '62 body that had a dead battery because whomever parked it did not leave it in reverse gear. This runs the battery down, apparently, on a manual transmission C5 Corvette. When the car was started by jumping, we then had a hard time getting the steering wheel to unlock. For a while, there, we thought the car could not be towed to the staging lanes and certainly not pushed across the stage. But, the owner showed up and got the steering wheel unlocked.
-Clark

Clark, as Terry and Dick have explained, local Fire Marshalls essentially have no choice but to adopt and follow National Fire Codes. A fire department's primary function is to protect it's jurisdiction's citizens lives and property. A secondary, but important consideration is also to protect the city or town from loss liability. They have no choice but to have the liability concern..

The amount of fuel requirement in gas tanks has nothing to do with explosion hazard. It has to do with concerns regarding the amount of flammable liquid present inside the structure. Many of the larger collector car auctions will hit the 400 car mark on cars registered for sale. Some have been as high as 600 vehicles. You can do the math yourself on 600 times 20 gallons of gasoline, or 600 times 5 gallons. Twelve thousand gallons of gasoline is quite a fuel load inside any building. Even though we all know that a conflagration fire that would consume all the vehicles would be very remote in possibility, the risk of liability for the fire department (and it's boss, the city or township) would be astronomical. The blue tape is typically used to denote a "checked" tank, verified to have the correct amount of fuel.

Back in 1983 I promoted a classic car show inside Tulsa'a 448,000 square foot "IPE" building. I indentified myself at the time as a member of the Tulsa Fire Department, yet was still required to follow these same safety guidelines regarding fuel, and Fire Marshall inspection.

Hope this helps in understanding the concerns, Ridge.

[Gary C.]

Re: Dallas Mecum Auction

Clark,

As Ridge points out all Fire Marshal's everywhere have adopted and use the National Fire Code. Some smaller venue Fire Marshal's are car guys and are more "understanding", but still adhere to the 1/4 tank or 5 gallons of gas code, etc. Some of the bigger cities may even have more stringent Fire Codes. Bottom line is all incorporated city venues check and follow the National Fire codes, particularly the inside venues.

Have had the opportunity to do floor plan layouts for many NCRS meets in Texas and else where for more than ten years and the Fire Marshal requirements are mostly the same.

Gary
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[Erv M.]

Re: Dallas Mecum Auction

Are you in Houston? I saw a red one with a Mecum auction plate being unloaded from a truck near my shop.

Yes that was mine.