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More GTO chat

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by Bob Zambelli, Sep 11, 2007.

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  1. Bob Zambelli

    Bob Zambelli F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed Silver Subscribed

    Nov 3, 2003
    3,492
    Manning, SC
    Full Name:
    Robert G. Zambelli
    Mr G.

    Stan and I were close friends. At one point, he called me about a GTO somewhere near New Rochelle.

    Since I was visiting my parents that weekend - they lived in Dobb's Ferry - I decided to look at the car.

    It was in a small garage, covered with a canvas tarp.

    Looked a bit tatty but Stan assured me that it was complete and driveable.

    But, $40,000.00??? I had just bought my house for $29,000.00!! Now way I could afford it.

    Stan told me that I should try and come up with the money as the car might someday sell for as much as $100,000.00
    But, no money, no purchase.

    Bob Z.
     
    Red Rocket likes this.
  2. Napolis

    Napolis Three Time F1 World Champ
    Honorary Owner

    Oct 23, 2002
    32,118
    Full Name:
    Jim Glickenhaus
    :)
     
  3. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    The one "in the field" was actually a Texas Race Team (Rosebud Racing?), they finished with it and donated it to the Victoria Texas High School Auto shop program, IIRC....then the school district auctioned it off...


    It went 'into the field" for $6K sealed bid originally....
     
  4. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
    Honorary

    Mar 2, 2005
    22,739
    It went "off that field" to F.G. in NJ for 1 Million US$. F.G. re-sold it 12 months later to Switzerland for US$ 4.2 M. Not a bad profit for a one year wait. And the car came totally dismantled in several wooden boxes. A real do-it-yourself GTO.
    Marcel Massini
     
  5. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    Indeed.....wasn't it covered by an article in R&T with Innes Ireland? That must be my source of the info........
     
  6. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    That story makes me fell only slightly better about my #22641, surrounded in Waller Texas by longhorn cows, behind AJ Foyt's shop...........:(

    I need to at least move it into the shade........:D :D :D
     
  7. jimz68

    jimz68 Karting

    Jul 17, 2006
    59
    Castro Valley, Ca
    Full Name:
    Jim Williams
    #57 jimz68, Sep 29, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Here's a shot of Tom Price in Ch#3943 at the recent Ferrari Challenge event at Sears Point.....er....I mean Infineon Raceway.
    I was lucky enough to get a ride in it a few years ago. My first thought was "I thought these thing sounded good from the OUTSIDE!!"

    Jim
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    elmadi likes this.
  8. Michiel Mobiel

    Michiel Mobiel Formula 3

    Mar 27, 2006
    2,301
    Holland
    Full Name:
    Michiel van den Brink
    #58 Michiel Mobiel, Oct 1, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
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  9. solofast

    solofast Formula 3

    Oct 8, 2007
    1,773
    Indianapolis
    Does anybody know the chassis number of the GTO that sat in Geman Motors on Bunker Road (in West Palm Beach) for about two years?

    As I recall, (the father of a friend was a salesman there at the time and got us a short ride in it, LOUD, FAST and COOL).. It ran Sebring in probably around 66' and ended up in the sandbank at the haripin early in the race. The driver got help to get it out of the sandbank but was disq'd for not getting it out himself.. The car sat for a couple of years and German Motors freshened up the paint and hammered out the underside of the nose, and then sold it off for the outstanding storage bill (or that is the way it was told to me) for the grand sum of about $4000 (this was in 1968) to Fred Opert Racing. Apparently Fred sent a guy down to Fla with an overnight bag, a lump of cash, and he drove the car back up north... whatta drive !!!

    I tried to get my old man to let me buy it, but he wouldn't have any part of it, he said no 18 year old kid of his was gonna have anything like that, and then he went on to bellyache about how I should be saving up for college, yada, yada, yada, and where was I gonna get parts for that thing, it was too fast to drive on the street..... Funny, but if I woulda bought that car instead of the BMW 2002, I wouldn't have needed college, woulda, shoulda, coulda,.....

    Just curious after all this time what happened to that particular car. I figure somebody here will know the chassis number
     
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  10. Christian.Fr

    Christian.Fr Two Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 9, 2005
    20,682
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    Christian.Fr
    #60 Christian.Fr, Oct 9, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
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  11. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 6, 2003
    24,957
    Las Vegas, NV
    Full Name:
    Ryan Alexander
    Well, as long as your $29,000 house is worth over $8,000,000 now I'm sure you're ok. ;)
     
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  12. buster bram

    buster bram Formula Junior

    Dec 10, 2005
    439
    mussolini's Garage
    Full Name:
    Sean
    I think you mean $18 not $8
     
  13. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
    BANNED Owner Silver Subscribed

    Oct 16, 2007
    6,546
    Edwardsville, IL
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    Jeff Kennedy
    In around 1977 there was an FOC track event at Riverside. The big item was that Bob Epstien had driven his 250LM (5909LM) down from the Bay Area. At the end of Sunday a group of us went to a local Mexican restaurant in Riverside and while waiting for the table Ken Starbird told how Epstien had paid $70,000 for the lM and wasn't that so astonishing. One of the other members of the group was Jim Stollenwerk who had his GTO on the trailer in the parking lot outside. Jim just started smiling and said how any GTO had to be wrth more than any LM. I don't remember how it came out but I rember hearing that Stoney had paid his brother-in-law about $35-40,000 for his.

    Jeff
     
  14. Christian.Fr

    Christian.Fr Two Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 9, 2005
    20,682
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    Christian.Fr
    Thanks Jeff and welcome here, nice story.
     
  15. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
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    Oct 16, 2007
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    Jeff Kennedy
    In those days Steve Earle and Stoney woul both bring their GTOs to the club track events. They gave rides willingly to anyone that wanted them. As the day was coming to a close they tried to be the last 2 cars on the track and do nose to tail "racing". I happened to be a passenger with Stoney one of those times.

    Stoney's car is the one that eventually was auctioned by the US government.

    Jeff
     
  16. Christian.Fr

    Christian.Fr Two Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 9, 2005
    20,682
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    Christian.Fr
    auctioned by the US government why? problems with customs?
     
  17. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
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    Oct 16, 2007
    6,546
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    Jeff Kennedy
    The buyer from Stoney ran arcades (or something like that) on Coney Island. At least that was the cover story. Turned out that the real source of income were drugs. The guy fled the US for Europe (Spain?) where he eventually showed up dead. The US siezed the car and actioned it.

    Jeff
     
  18. Christian.Fr

    Christian.Fr Two Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 9, 2005
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    Christian.Fr
    Thanks for the precision, always a pleasure to read post like yours.
     
  19. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
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    Oct 16, 2007
    6,546
    Edwardsville, IL
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    Jeff Kennedy
    Around 1978 Bob Epstien of Piedmont, California (adjacent to Oakland) owned 250 GTO 4091 (re-bodied to 64 GTO) and 250 LM 5909. At a point Bob decided to sell one of them but was having a hard time deciding which. He did ultimately decide to sell the GTO and put in on the delivery truck. I don't think I ever knew who the buyer was but they may have been in Texas [anyone know this detail?]. As the truck is making its trip to the car's new home Bob changed his mind. The truck made a U-turn somewher and brought the GTO back [one would surmise the the buyer was less than pleased at this point]. The LM was sold to Obrist in Switzerland.

    Jeff
     
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  20. ROADRUNNER3

    ROADRUNNER3 Formula Junior

    Sep 11, 2004
    284
    LONDON
    Full Name:
    TIM SCOTT
    #70 ROADRUNNER3, Oct 16, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017

    Agreed, 4293 is very special indeed. I shot this at the Monterey Historics in August :

    www.fluidimages.co.uk
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  21. Christian.Fr

    Christian.Fr Two Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 9, 2005
    20,682
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    Christian.Fr
    it s nice to see how people love the GTO, hard separation and finaly a lot of regrets.
    So the LM went to a great collector of F Cars, probably one of the best Mr Obrist in 80/90.
    Thanks again for this story much appreciated in this section.
     
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  22. GTSguy

    GTSguy Formula Junior

    Oct 25, 2004
    615
    Northern California
    Full Name:
    Jon
  23. Ed Niles

    Ed Niles Formula 3
    Honorary

    Sep 7, 2004
    2,493
    West Hills, CA
    Full Name:
    Edwin K. Niles
    Hi Jeff, and welcome! You didn't tell the rest of the story: Stoney got paid in cash, in a brief-case, in NY. So how did he get it back? He checked the brief-case in the hold of the plane!
     
  24. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
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    Oct 16, 2007
    6,546
    Edwardsville, IL
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    Jeff Kennedy
    Ed,

    I heard it was a duffle bag left with Francois but I suppose you got the news straight from Stoney while mine was by way of Minneapolis. I heard it as the car was with Francois getting some work done and the buyer (sorry, do not off hand remember his name) left "earnest" money to entice Stoney to seriously consider the offer.

    You know crickly money sure eliminates check or wire clearance delays.

    If memory serves me right the amount was $300,000 or $320,000.

    Jeff
     
  25. Christian.Fr

    Christian.Fr Two Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 9, 2005
    20,682
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    Christian.Fr
    Today! today! it s infineon.
     

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