High Dollar Ponies: Mecum Mustang Preview

–by Jonathon Klein 

Monterey and Pebble Beach weekend are drawing ever nearer. This means millions upon millions of collector cars will be descending on the Californian city for a straight-up car lovers’ festival of amazing and weird vehicles. It’s quite the spectacle and each year brings some of the best and craziest cars ever made by both manufacturers and home-built hot rodders alike. What it also does is bring Mecum Auctions to the weekend where they will be wheeling and dealing to their little hearts’ content. Being that this is The Mustang Source, we thought we’d highlight some of our favorite and weird Mustang auctions going on that weekend.
 

1968 FORD MUSTANG PICKUP

Let’s start off with something as weird and as glorious as you could ever imagine. A 1968 Ford Mustang Pickup. Yes, you read that right. It’s a pickup.
Little is on the website to determine the origin or story behind this motor, but just the fact that it has a candy-red flame job, rally wheels, and a pickup bed with a tonneau cover makes this little Mustang epic as all hell.

 

The only thing you get, besides a thumbs up from everyone around, is a neat instrument panel, and the written word that it was done by a professional who converts things like this.
 

1970 FORD MUSTANG BOSS 302 FASTBACK 

Next is a 1970 Boss 302. I picked this one because it’s had a full restoration. Nuts, bolts, rotisseried like a chicken at Jewel, and lovingly painted in a fantastic bright yellow paint with black Boss graphics. It has been restored to MCA Concours standards, which means if you so choose, you could show this car. But let’s be honest, you should be roasting the tires off this car every chance you get.
There’s a 429 Boss I shot a few weeks ago that gave me a new appreciation for these cars. I hope to get the story out soon. This Mecum car is truly one of a kind, and I would love to own it. Mecum is estimating that it will sell anywhere from $80,000 to $100,000.
 

1970 FORD MUSTANG FASTBACK

The next car on this list is a 1970 Fastback with a 351 and five-speed transmission. This caught my eye because it was just a straight-up, badass-looking car. It’s not that flashy. It doesn’t have any stupid stripes, or flames or anything, but the stance, the hood scoop, the front splitter — they all just ooze, “I’m coming to rip your little head off, you piece of surrender monkey commies!” It’s just wonderful.
It’s the kind of car you drive. You don’t hide this thing away in your garage under a tarp. You get out there, rip some sick burnouts, and scare women and children! That’s what this car was meant to do. Scare people.
 

1997 FORD MUSTANG SALEEN CONVERTIBLE

Last (and least) is a 1997 Saleen. Nope. Nope. Nope. Don’t like it. Didn’t like driving it. Didn’t like shifting it. Didn’t like the body style. Didn’t like the car.
Sometimes, there are some really odd cars that cross the Mecum block. Not odd as in cool, but odd as in, “Really? You’re taking your 1997 Mustang to Mecum to get $5,000 and then have to pay $2,000 in auction fees? Are you stupid?”
This seller obviously is because that’s exactly what’s going to happen with this car. This model year isn’t collectible yet. I hope it never is. It was a gutless piece of crap, like the Mustang II. It shouldn’t even be here breathing the same air as the Boss. If the GT from the last highlight saw this car, it would stab it – repeatedly – just to put it and us out of our misery. Don’t buy this car. Don’t help this gain value. It doesn’t deserve it.
So what do you all think? Bet you can find something better? There are thousands of things happening next weekend in Monterey, and Mecum is only one of them. Maybe you are there. Maybe you want to buy one of these cars. My advice? Go do it, and then call me, and I’ll take the car out for a ride and you’ll have 15 seconds of fame. Plus, I’ll get to drive the car. Just not the Saleen.

Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>

via [Mecum Auctions]