BIG RESULTS AT SEVEN82MOTORS JUNE AUCTION

SEVEN82MOTORS’ huge June auction delivered equally huge results, with a strong clearance rate and six-figure sales totals achieved by 23 of the 47 vehicles on offer. Of the vehicle consignments, 31 went to new owners, while every single item in the memorabilia side of the auction sold.

As with past SEVEN82MOTORS online stock drop auctions, the high prices achieved by the classics, customs, restomods and street machines reflected the high quality of the vehicles on offer.

All the pre-auction attention was on Mario Colallillo’s world-renowned ‘Wild Cad’ 1959 Cadillac custom Coupe de Ville, which didn’t disappoint in an auction that ran longer than usual – from 8 June to 20 June – to co-ordinate with the Cooly Rocks On even on the Gold Coast.

Upping their involvement in this year’s Cooly Rocks On, SEVEN82MOTORS opened up their Nerang facility for a tour as part of a cruise event on 8 June.

For all the attention it received prior to the 13-day online auction, Wild Cad wasn’t the top seller, with that honour going instead to a restored example of classic Aussie muscle.

NOTE: All prices listed below include buyer’s premium

Lot 147 – 1969 Holden HK Monaro GTS 327 – SOLD for $301,000

Genuine ‘Bathurst Monaro’, rotisserie restoration to original specification, unique colour combination

Built at GM-H’s Pagewood plant in 1969, this car had a Gold Coast connection for the Gold Coast auction, as it’s believed the first owner was Bruce Small, who was Gold Coast mayor at the time.

Remaining with the family for decades, this Monaro underwent a full rotisserie restoration in the early 2000s to what has been described as an extremely high standard.

Original and NOS parts were chosen over reproduction items for the resto, after which the Monaro went to a Victorian collector and was stored in a climate-controlled environment before being sold to the vendor and returning to Queensland in 2015.

An Ermine White interior with Jacana interior (both Type 2 colours) was original to this car and make it unique amongst HK Monaro production. A rebuilt 327 V8 was paired to the car’s original four-speed manual transmission, with power steering fitted for easier driving.

Lot 149 – 1959 Cadillac ‘Wild Cad’ custom Coupe – SOLD for $263,375

World-famous custom Cadillac coupe, magazine feature car, multiple trophy winner.

Created by Mario Colalillo (d. 2018), with paint by the legendary Gene Winfield, Wild Cad is the best-known custom car in Australia and a creation that’s respected internationally, too.

Six years in the making, Wild Cad started as a partial ’59 Coupe de Ville that Colalillo would equip with a custom-made chassis, Jaguar independent front end and four-link rear as part of a custom suspension package and Wilwood brakes.

Body modifications on Wild Cad included a five-inch roof chop, rear-hinged doors and a power-operated bonnet and boot lid before it was painted in PPG ‘Vibrance’ purple by Gene Winfield.

A custom front grille and rear bumper, Radir wheels and Coker whitewalls completed the exterior.

Inside, a ’59 Chevy gauge cluster was centre-mounted in the dash and the headliner was all metal, with custom panels for the boot and doorcards, too. An automatic quick shifter and retrimmed Thunderbird bucket also featured inside, but the interior feature was the custom centre console housing a ’59 Caddy tail fin.

Under the bonnet, Colalillo fitted a 454ci Chevy Big Block V8 making 450hp, matched to a TH400 three-speed automatic and Ford 9-inch diff. Despite its fully functional driveline, Wild Cad has covered only around 11km in the 12+ years since its completion.

Upon its completion, Wild Cad featured in numerous magazines and won awards, both here and in the USA, including:

• Australia’s Top Custom – Meguiar’s Motorex, July 2010

• Kustom D’Elegance Finalist - Long Beach Motorama, September 2010

• GM Design Excellence Award - SEMA Las Vegas, November 2010

• Top Radical Custom Hardtop & The George Barris Kustom D’Elegance Award - The Grand National Roadster Show, January 2011

Lot 146 – 1967 Ford Mustang Eleanor tribute – SOLD for $247,250

High-quality Eleanor tribute, 4-year build, 390 V8, 5spd manual

In storage for 25 years before it was shipped to Australia, the rebuild of this project-spec ’67 Mustang GT S Code fastback as an Eleanor tribute started in 2013.

The bodykit was fastened using hidden fittings, with steel rear quarter vents and all the panels adjusted to ensure a perfect fit before being painted in DuPont ‘Pepper Grey’ with metallic black stripes.

A Ford FE 390 big block V8 was rebuilt and upgraded for the project, with a Tremec TKO 5-speed manual and 9-inch diff completing the driveline, while suspension incorporated Koni shocks, lowered front coils and a GT leaf spring rear with Caltracs. Brakes are factory discs up front and drums at the rear.

The retrimmed black vinyl interior was updated with a Shelby dash, factory air con, a Pioneer sound system and Eleanor’s famous ‘Go Baby Go’ nitrous button.

Completed in 2017, this high-quality Eleanor tribute was a trophy winner at the Queensland Hot Rod show.

Lot 125 – 1965 Ford Mustang GT350 tribute - SOLD for $169,850

Rare K Code GT rebuilt as Shelby GT350, Paxton supercharger fitted, signed by Carroll Shelby

This highly accurate Shelby clone was built in the US for Jay Edde by Bob Beauconde, whose contacts meant it was fitted with a number of authentic and original Shelby parts, including components for the K Code 289 V8. The Paxton supercharger was a later addition, though, requiring new heads and other upgraded parts to be fitted.

The brakes, steering and suspension were rebuilt to Shelby spec, too, but the four-speed Toploader manual from the K Code Mustang GT donor car was one of the few non-Shelby parts retained.

Inside, radio and heater delete panels, Shelby sill plates, and aircraft seatbelts were fitted, with Carroll Shelby himself driving the car in the US prior to the installation of the supercharger.

When Edde emigrated to Australia, this Shelby GT350 tribute came with him and was on display at the Ford Discovery Centre in Geelong before that facility closed in 2012.

Lot 143 – 1968 Dodge Charger restomod – SOLD for $161,250

Rebuilt in Australia with a V10 engine, 4-speed auto, four-wheel disc brakes and 20-inch wheels

Four years in the making, the rebuild of this 383 and 3-speed auto ’68 Charger as a high-spec restomod started soon after it was imported into WA.

The key change was the V10 engine, which required some modification and custom fabrication in the engine bay. The 505hp V10 was sourced from a RAM SRT-10 pickup and matched to a four-speed automatic, ECU and wiring loom from the same vehicle.

This car’s original dark turquoise metallic was replaced with Mazda metallic green, with new bumpers fitted and the suspension lowered before 20-inch 2-piece Bose alloys were fitted.

Unlike the exterior, this Charger retained a mostly factory look inside, aside from a ratchet shifter and carbon fibre dash for the RAM SRT-10 gauges. An aftermarket sound system was also fitted, with dual 12-inch subwoofers in the boot.

Previously registered in WA and Queensland, this custom Charger also featured power steering and modern disc brakes all round.

Lot 130 – 1955 Ford F100 restomod – SOLD for $160,000

Comprehensive custom rebuild completed in 2019, 408 V8, 3-speed auto, custom interior

Imported from the US in 2012, the restomod treatment of this classic F100 pickup started four years later, with Parker’s Body Shop taking on the panel work that included a lot of new metal before everything was coated in gloss Jet Black paint.

Body mods included deleted bumpers, a new gravel pan and filled tub side ends, with American Legends alloys and Pirelli tyres chosen for the rolling stock.

A 351 Windsor V8 was stroked to 408 cubes and enhanced with a bunch of performance parts, while a three-speed auto and Strange 9-inch diff completed the driveline.

A Mustang II independent front end and triangulated four-link rear was selected for comfortable cruising, with Wilwood disc brakes fitted to all four corners.

Inside, Sewfine Upholstery completed a full custom fitout, with leather and suede all over - even on the dash. Dolphin gauges, a Lokar shifter and a tilt steering column were also fitted.

This stunning custom pickup had only covered around 1,000km since the build was completed in 2019.

Lot 138 – 1957 Chevrolet 210 sedan – SOLD for $159,100

Tough street car build, supercharged 400ci V8, T400 auto, mini-tubs, custom interior

What started as a mid-tier 1957 Chevrolet 210 2-door sedan has been rebuilt with a bunch of extra goodies and quality parts under the skin.

Stripped and repainted in metallic black with a gold fleck in 2014, all the chrome and brightwork was repaired or replaced at the same time, with Billet Specialties wheels – 20-inch front, 22-inch rear – and one-piece door glass fitted.

Under the bonnet, Feneck’s Race Engines fitted a 400ci SBC V8, topped with a Holley Demon 650 double pumper and 6/71 supercharger from The Blower Shop. A custom exhaust system and alloy radiator were also added to the detailed engine bay, with a T400 auto, 3-inch tail shaft and 9-inch diff with 3.01:1 gears completing the driveline.

Inside, a custom fitout in black and grey vinyl included a centre console, Autometer gauges (in addition to the factory instrumentation), shift lights, a modern stereo, Hurst shifter, custom steering wheel and tilt steering column. The boot got a custom trim, too.

Lot 140 – 2011 Ford GT40 replica – SOLD for $158,025

Roaring Forties kit, high-quality replica, supercharged 5.4lt V8, Audi 6spd transaxle

Based on a Roaring Forties kit consisting of a spaceframe chassis and fiberglass body, the build of this GT40 replica started in South Australia in 2005 and was first completed in 2011.

This example eschewed the usual stripes and race replica livery for a subtle, understated black exterior finish, offset by large BRM replica alloy wheels.

The drivetrain consisted of a Ford ‘Boss 290’ 5.4-litre V8 - mid-mounted, of course - and matched to a six-speed Audi manual transaxle. An SCT Flashtune programmer, ceramic-coated exhaust headers and thermatic water pump were other features.

Suspension comprised Koni shocks all round, with AP Racing disc brakes on all four wheels - 6-piston front and 4-piston rear.

Roaring Forties designed their bodies for larger drivers, so there’s room for a six-footer inside, with the ring-riveted seats more comfortable than they look. Built-in air conditioning added to the comfort factor.

Instrumentation and a period Moto-Lita steering wheel gave this GT40 replica a classic look, as did features like the fixed Perspex windows and right-hand gear lever.

Previously registered in both SA and Queensland, numerous spares were included with the sale, including race harnesses and headlamp covers.