Montana is known as the treasure state. Precious gems, gold, acres of rich farm land, and beautiful views. For those early pioneers and residents, it’s not an easy life, but there is fortune to be had and a good life for those willing to make it through the tough years. It is not for the faint of heart. Alverta and George Dielman ventured to Montana to start their life in the shadow of the Bear Paw Mountains. Alverta purchased their 160 acres in 1935 that would become the homestead and where they would raise their family. The couple had only one child, Lewis Dielman. Farming is a hard life. They raised wheat, barley, oats, and even chickens and had a big garden and beautiful yard. In about the 1950’s there would be another crop, a crop of old iron that would be an addition to the farm and a sideline for some extra money.

Lewis Dielman loved automobiles, and well, the car collection. It all started with a bet. Lewis wanted a car. His dad, George, said, “I bet you cannot buy those cars they saw for $50.00 each. You get them for less, then make a deal. Bet you can’t.” Well, the challenge was on. Lewis took the bet and bought the cars for $35.00 each. This started the Dielman Collection. Lewis liked Dodge pickups, Buicks, Lincolns, and even had a 1940 Chevrolet coupe as a first car. That very car is still in the collection. The father and son duo went to auctions, and traveled around the area buying vehicles, trucks, and more. Soon, car dealers would call them to buy the vehicles that they would take in on trade. The Dielman Collection grew.

Lewis Dielman married and started his family. Lewis’s sons and daughter were also interested in cars and the collecting adventures. They eventually had so many cars that they would sell parts to area residents to fix their cars. Three generations of the Dielman family were all together buying cars, trucks, and pickups, and bringing them to the homestead and stashing them away. They would come across some unusual vehicles like Pierce Arrows, Lincolns, and other rare classics. The family treasured those classics and would take them to shows and parades in Big Sandy, MT area and even into Canada. Lewis Dielman was well known for his collection nationally and locally and a member of several car clubs. The Dielman family is a close family, and they all worked on the farm and enjoyed the collection.

Grandpa George Dielman passed away, but Lewis, Mark, Linn, and Alvie were fixtures at auctions and kept buying old cars, trucks, and pickups. Area people would say Mark was a dead ringer for his Grandpa. In the early 1980’s Lewis Dielman had multiple auctions of about 600 vehicles including some of his rare classics. But he was not done with collecting. Lewis was still buying up until the week he passed. Lewis had bought a 1975 Volkswagen Beetle that week. Lewis Dielman still wanted to be by his collection and is buried in the pasture overlooking the homestead.

Now with the passing of their father, Linn, Mark, and Alvie Dielman have started the task of selling the massive collection. Three generations of classics packed away in the buildings at two farms and four buildings in town. Dust covers the classics, but now they are all being pulled out to be sold to let other collectors enjoy them. The process started last year and just recently finishing up. There are approx. 500 pieces including antique tractors bought new and used on the farm to rare prewar projects. There is everything from Titan Tractors to Lincolns, Maxwells, REOs, Pickups, trucks, and range from the Teens to the 1970’s. It is truly amazing.

* Photos courtesy of VanDerBrink Auctions, LLC

They say that the dry Western climate preserves the old vehicles and it’s TRUE! The Montana weather has preserved most of the classic cars, trucks, and pickups with little rust to be seen. Collectors are always looking for those clean old collections and The Montana Barn Find Collection is where you want to buy. The collection is a time-capsules of classics waiting to be restored or just put back on the road.

VanDerBrink Auctions LLC has been working with the Dielman Family since last year and getting the collection ready for buyers. The farms are located about 48 miles from Havre, MT and West of Box Elder, MT. The location is ideal for lining the vehicles up, but it is still part of the Wild West with very limited cell phone, no internet, and services that are not reliable. The Collection location is trapped back in time and because of limited services, the collection will be sold in an ONLINE ONLY auction. Bidders will be able to come to a big preview weekend on Friday July 18^th, & Saturday July 19^th,2025, 10-5 each day. Potential bidder/Buyers can come and preview and go back home and bid. After the catalog has closed, There will be scheduled load outs for lucky winning bidders. The pictures and catalog are getting completed and will be loaded shortly!

You won’t want to miss this fabulous opportunity for DRY Western Cars, trucks, tractors, and more. There is something for everyone from 1957 Chevrolets bought new by the family, rows of Chevrolet, Dodge, and GMC pickups, grain trucks, square-body pickups, and MANY pre-war, rare vehicles bought by Grandpa Dielman generations ago. There are even several project 1924 White Yellowstone buses in addition to rows of International, Case, and John Deere tractors used on the farm. Watch for this amazing catalog and hope to see you at the preview. Get all the details, catalog, and online bidding, end times, and more auctions at www.vanderbrinkauctions.com .

Follow VanDerBrink Auctions, LLC on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and more updates! You won’t want to miss this opportunity at Dry Western Classics! www.vanderbrinkauctions.com

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They say that racing gets in your blood, but with Dr. Keith Brown, you could say it was in his bones. Growing up in Estherville, Iowa, Dr. Keith Brown, and his brothers were always racing. It did not matter what it was, scooters, cars, and homemade go-carts.  Dr. Keith Brown wanted to race ever since he was 15 years old.

In 1961 Dr. Keith Brown went to Palmer College of Chiropractic and told his dad that he wanted a Triumph TR3 to go to college. Well, he did not get that Triumph TR3, and his dad bought a 1962 Chevrolet Corvette instead. That always bugged him, and he knew that someday he was going to get that car.

Dr. Keith Brown met his wife, Mary, on a blind date in college and after a short courtship they were married. Dr. Keith Brown graduated from Chiropractic College, and they settled in West Union, Iowa, and started his practice. Just like any business starts, sometimes you must sell things to get going. Dr. Brown sold that 1962 Chevrolet Corvette to get his first X-Ray machine for his practice.

Dr. Keith Brown’s practice and family grew. Soon they welcomed Shelly, their daughter. In 1966 Dr. Brown finally got to cure for the racing disease and bought a Formula Vee race car and started fulfilling his racing dream. Now you just do not jump in a race car and expect to compete with the veteran drivers on the track. Dr. Brown attended several race schools and soon was competing in his Formula Vee on tracks in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and around the Midwest. The family would load up the motor home, hook up the trailer, and head to the track. Racing was a family affair with camping and cheering on their racing dad. Shelly remembers that they may have had a successful race, but sometimes the motorhome broke down more than the racecar, and quite often they found themselves on the side of the road.

The weekends were spent traveling around the Midwest racing on tracks from Elkhart to Black Hawk and everywhere in between. They covered countless miles as Dr. Keith Brown took a map, circled all the racetracks, took his finger, and made a bullseye in the center of all the racetracks and there was Onsted, Michigan.  Dr. Keith Brown moved his practice and family to be closer to the tracks. Yep, that is right, he moved his practice and family to make it easier to go racing at his favorite tracks. In the 1970’s, Dr. Keith Brown’s practice grew and another child, Scott, another racing kid, was added to the family. Shelly and Scott got in on the action taking driving lessons and going as a racing family to the tracks.

The practice was doing well, and Dr. Keith Brown never forgot about that Triumph TR3 he did not get to drive to college. It was always the thrill of the hunt, and Dr. Keith Brown found the car of his dreams, a 1958 Triumph TR3, and then adding more race cars, classics, and memorabilia were added to the collection. In the 2000’s, his wife Mary was diagnosed with ALS and passed away. Dr. Keith Brown lost his Copilot which led him to quit racing.

Dr. Brown’s daughter Shelly also went to Chiropractic school, collaborated with her father, and took over the practice. Dr. Keith Brown’s nurse at the clinic also lost her husband. They reconnected and not only had a past working relationship, but they also found each other and were married. Together they collected, adding more gas and oil collectibles as well as cars. Dr. Keith Brown and Janet spent years going to cars shows, races and adding to the collection.

Dr. Keith Brown had a profound sense of humor and known for being a great race car driver. Dr. Keith Brown always joked, “He who drives and dies with the most toys, as they say.” Sadly, Dr. Keith Brown fought health issues and passed away. Well, he died just like his saying, He died with all the toys.

Now his family will sell his collection in a live onsite auction at their home in Onsted, Michigan. If you cannot make the auction, online bidding is available. The Dr. Keith Brown collection has something for everyone. The collection boasts several SCCA British race cars including an Elva Mark IV that was part of the Doug Shierson racing history. The dash of the Elva Mark IV was modified for Doug Shierson’s big stature. The Elva was one of the prizes in his collection among other British race cars. There are several other race cars including a Formula Junior race car, and 1966 Lotus Super 7 that he has a picture with Dick Smother’s, who also raced. The Dr. Keith Brown collection also has a 1962 Chevrolet Corvette roadster, like he had in college, several Triumph TR3’s, a rare Lotus Elan S4 roadster, and even bought a 2005 Lotus Elise 2000 that he drove before he passed away.

The Dr. Keith Brown collection has a wonderful assortment of gas and oil memorabilia including pumps, signs, and his favorite DX collectibles.

Photos: VanDerBrink Auctions

The Dr. Keith Brown collection Auction will take place May 17th at 11185 W. U.S. 223, Onstead, Michigan, commencing at 9:30am.

Information, catalog, online bidding, and more can information at www.vanderbrinkauctions.com . Plan now to attend this auction or bid online and add to your collection so you can say you have the most toys like Dr. Keith Brown. See you there!

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Every car guy dreams about pulling into an old farm place and opening the doors to the barn and finding that hidden muscle car. For Bill Slavens, that was his dream, finding old cars and bringing them back home. Back in the 1950’s and 60’s, having a car in high school meant that you were one of the guys. Bill Slaven and Bob Kuykendall met in High School and instantly were friends. They both had cool cars and that one common factor, looking for cars, fixing cars, racing, and cruising.

For over 60 years, their friendship took them all over the United States hunting classic Corvette cars and parts. Bill and Bob would often jump in the truck and chase down a lead. This was before internet, and it meant listening to stories, newspapers, Hemmings, and talking to neighbors. Bill and Bob put the miles on going to swap meets, car shows, following leads, and auctions. Both car guys would bring home their finds to their places. Bill Slaven though, would buy to sell and Bob would buy to sell. Little did Bob know that his car friend, had accumulated such a hoard of Corvettes, parts, and more. 

Bill would bring them home and drive them for a while and then bring them to storage units, his building, and area farms for storage. The 2 car guys kept going on adventures until health issues started to plague Bill and he was not able to go on as many car hunts with Bob. Bill had a heart attack and then cancer. Bob kept him busy talking about cars and reminiscing.

Bob got that phone call and knew something was wrong. Bob went to his house and Bill had passed away from a heart attack. Bob planned a fitting farewell for his friend and had a Corvette cruise and took his ashes to the cemetery for one last car adventure. Bob now took on the task of going back through history and the years of friendship, by cleaning and sorting through Bill’s collection. Bob knew what they had bought, but did not realize that it had never left Bill’s stash or was sold. Bob found his friend’s secret, over 50 years of Corvettes, parts, and other items squirreled away.

After Months of cleaning and locating, Bob will now offer his friends collection at auction on October 5^th, 2024 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Jefferson, Wisconsin. The collection has many rare cars, parts including a 1953 Chevrolet Corvette that is #108 built. With only 300 of these first for the Corvette, few are left and fewer yet as a rare project. There is a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split Window AC coupe that is 1 of less than 85 AC coupes. There is a 1964 Chevrolet Fuel Injected Corvette that is numbers matching and amazing project. There are 21 or more Corvettes, multiple hard to find fuel injection units, 4-speeds, and more parts. 

This is an amazing story of friendship and Classic Car barn find story. The auction will be Live Onsite with also Online bidding. Being a Chevrolet gal, Yvette VanDerBrink of VanDerBrink Auctions had fun working with Bob uncovering several of the Corvettes from their resting places. 

“It was sad to hear of Bill’s passing.,” Yvette VanDerBrink said. “I have seen Bill and Bob coming to my auctions for 23 years. They are and Bill was a true car guy. I am honored to work with this collection.“

Check out the amazing video of Bob’s journey with the collection and finding and uncovering all these classics. So, Plan now to attend this auction and the Bill Slavens Corvette hoard. For video and more info on the Slavens Corvette Hoard Collection www.vanderbrinkauctions.com

 VANDERBRINK AUCTIONS, LLC
Yvette VanDerBrink- Auctioneer WI 2342-052
605-201-7005 or 507-673-2517
https://www.vanderbrinkauctions.com/

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Growing up on a farm or ranch in South Dakota, mostly likely you, including me, had your first driving lesson in a pickup truck. With the wide-open pastures and fields there was room for making mistakes and the chances of hitting anything was remote except for a badger hole. Greg Anderson, grew up in north-central South Dakota and always enjoyed history, hunting and fishing. Greg started his collecting passion with his first collection of rare and unique antique tractors. Greg searched the country and had several hundred before selling the collection.

His uncle, was a car collector and got Greg into buying classic vehicles. Greg was born in 1960, so he only thought it was natural that he would start buying 1960 Chevrolet Impalas. Greg, besides being a farmer, did nuclear power inspections. His job would require him to travel around the U.S. When he spare time, he would drive around and find Impalas and bring them back to South Dakota. Greg focused on 1959-1963 Impalas and has accumulated over 25 in his collection along with Square Body pickups and some unique older trucks. 

Greg was used to restoring tractors and started to restore several Impalas. While working on a convertible and bubbletop, the others took a backseat waiting for their turn to be restored. Besides doing nuclear power inspections, farming, and cattle, Greg also heads to Nashville and plays blues harmonica and guitar with several bands. So, the cars, well just took a backseat to his adventures and work. Greg has decided that his collection needs to go to classic car enthusiasts that will use them for parts for their builds and restored to hit the roads again.

The Crocker Hills collection is nestled in NE South Dakota, just out of reach of accurate GPS. There are 48 Impalas, Square Body Trucks, and more slated for the auction. The collection will be sold in an Online Only auction. The bidding is open Now! The biding ends November 29th, 2023 at 7PM. The catalog and and online bidding are available at www.vanderbrinkauctions.com. 

These Impalas and more on the Prairie would be a good addition to any collector looking to build or finding hard-to-find parts. There is everything from a 1960 Impala convertible that was owned by an Arkansas Governor to a Rare 1946 White COE Truck that would make for a wonderful build. 20-plus Impalas and more will be incoluded in this online auction. Greg is looking to scale down and wants the cars to go to other collectors and live on in their builds. Check the website for all details www.vanderbrinkauctions.com

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There’s gold in them there hills! The Black Hills of South Dakota are known for tales of the Wild West. The infamous “Dead Man’s Hand” and Wild Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane, Sioux Indians, and Pioneers searching for their fortunes in gold. But for Gary Kuchner, his treasure isn’t gold but iron that Gary has “dug up”, Yee Ha, approx. 80 Classic Cars.

Gary Started his search for old iron as a little kid in Nebraska. Gary’s Mother was fixing an old pedal car for him. She had just painted it and came back to find Gary had wiped off the seat and was riding it around the basement. From then on, he was car crazy. Gary got his first car, a 1942 Dodge that beat up on the local Chevrolets and Fords.

Gary built his 1^st hotrod from a Ford Model A Sportster. He cut down the top and threw on some 1946 Ford wheels and raced up and down the country roads.

After graduating from high school in 1955, Gary went to trade school and learned to be a body man. His first job was at the Ford garage as a painter. This fueled his passion to build hotrods and a means to do it. Gary had heard about the hotrod craze in California and packed up his young wife and headed to California. Gary worked as a body man and loved the car culture. But the farm was calling him back and he went back to Nebraska to the family farm. Gary took over the operation and farmed for about 20 years and still did body work on the side. Soon, he was looking for a change and sold the farm to his cousin.

Gary has worked as a body man at a Ford garage and a Rambler garage, but his favorite job was at a Chrysler dealership. From Road Runners to Challengers, Gary loved seeing the yearly style changes arriving on the trucks.

He got divorced, and well, another marriage, and he headed out to find his treasures in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Gary’s choice of home is fitting for his wild nature and interests. His home is tucked amongst the granite cliffs and tall Pines of South Dakota. Lucky for him, the Internet was coming into its own, and this allowed him to “mine the web” for his “iron” treasures. The web was full of classic cars looking for a new home.

He bought a trailer and started buying cars from all over the area and United States. Gary has had a lifetime of adventures buying cars and pulling his trailer around the United States, but now at 84-years-young, Gary has decided to sell his collection. It’s not that he is parking the trailer, but he has more cars than time and he can’t restore them all, so it’s time for them to go to other collectors and for them to enjoy. VanDerBrink Auctions will sell the cars in an Online Only Auction. 

Gary is a wealth of information and a truly car crazy guy. His mind is so full of car trivia, and he favors Fords and Chryslers. The collection is full of Fords and many Chryslers including “Big Fin” cars. The collection consists of everything from older restored to projects and parts cars. There is a rare 1971 AMC AMX Javelin that has the 401 V8 and is 1 of less than 2000 built. The 1966 Ford Mustang GT Fastback would make a fine addition to any collection as well. The collection has everything from big finned MoPars to a 1955 Chevrolet Belair 2dr. ht. that belonged to family. There are approx. 80 vehicles that are being offered up in the auction. Because the cars are tucked up by Gary’s home in the Black Hills, the auction will be Online Only and can also be viewed for buyers by appointment.

CHECK OUT THE CATALOG HERE

When you walk around Gary’s Collection, you start to see some of his fun personality. There’s a UFO crash sight, a car full of baby dolls, and characters that greet you as you come up the winding road to the collection. The trip to see this collection and buy one of Gary’s well worth it and truly “gold in them there Hills”

VanDerBrink Auctions will sell the Kuchner Collection in an Online Only auction and bidding starts Now! Bidding will end October 21^st, 2022. For more info on the auction, catalog, video, and more auctions. www.vanderbrinkauctions.com or 605-201-7005.

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300 cars! Why would one man need to have 300 cars? I’m sure Randy Milan has heard that more times than he can count. But Randy can’t help it, it’s in his genes. If a scientist would do an analysis of Randy’s DNA, you would find he had a genetic code for old cars. Where did this gene come from, his dad. Growing up, Randy’s dad always had an old car project he was working on. Randy would go with his dad to swap meets and get everything set up to sell. Cars, Parts, and everything needed to build your dream car or finish that project. There was a slight problem, as soon as a car guy started to show interest in a car or part, Randy’s dad would jump in and say, “It’s not for sale!” It never failed; the Milans would go home with more than they brought. Even today at 94 years young, Randy’s dad knows what he has and where it is at. So, for Randy, saying and hearing the phrase, “Not for sale!” came naturally.

Randy started collecting himself at 18 years old. His first car was a 1958 Chevy pickup. Sadly, this is one truck that he sold, but he still knows where it’s at. Randy saw that guys didn’t really like the 1959 a 1960 Chevrolets, so he started buying, any and all of them that he could find. Bubble tops, sedans, convertibles, wagons, and more are still in the collection. If you ask Randy, the reason they are still in the collection is, “They are not for sale!” Today, in the collection there are approx. 40 – 1959 Chevrolets, and 50 1960’s. That’s not all, there are many other Chevrolets from 1950’s including Impalas from 1958 and up. The collection is not all about Chevys, there are Ford coupes that will make great street rods, as well as Mustangs and more. Luckily, Randy had the room, and the collection kept growing like his dad’s. The answer was always, “Not for sale.” Randy broke his own rule and sold a 1957 Chevrolet convertible to pay for a divorce. If you ask him today, rumor has it, it was her or the cars. Well, the cars are all still there… just saying.

In 1985 Randy started Import Towing and Recovery in Ft. Collins, Colo. Along with a body shop. This was a perfect fit for his car collecting hobby because Randy got to see lots of things while towing cars. But the second time was a charm, and he hooked a gal that was into cars, too. Deb Milan, was one of a kind, and the two of them traveled around to auctions while privately buying more cars for the collection. The car crazy couple also bought the Cheyenne, Wyoming Speedway and managed and ran the races up to a few years ago. Deb and Randy have built the towing business to not only have a body shop but also repair facility for their collection.

Randy was getting older and started to see that the cars needed attention and it was time for them to go to another care taker. Randy also saw that he had grown up and was just like his dad. All those cars and neither of them truly finished a project. Sure, there were some cars that were restored, but there were far more that were waiting in line to get back on the road. Randy realized that there isn’t enough time to get them all done and now the answer to, “Will you sell that 1959 convertible?” has changed to “Yes!”

That’ right! Many of his friends didn’t know that the collection had grown to approx. 300 vehicles consisting of older restore, originals, rod projects, and many Chevrolets for restore, and also parts. Randy and the guys have been busy removing the cars from their slumber in the buildings and in storage lots to rows out in a field to be sold on October 15^th, 2022 at 9AM, not far from his Towing company in Ft. Collins, Colorado. VanDerBrink Auctions will sell the collection of approx. 300 vehicles in 1 big day, LIVE ONSITE with ONLINE BIDDING! But you are going to want to be in person for this fabulous collection. Just the fact that the collection boasts 40 – 1959 Chevrolets of all makes and models and along with approx. 50 – 1960 Chevrolets of all makes and models, including those 1959 Convertibles. The collection doesn’t stop there, there are Chevrolets galore! From 1950-1970’s. Many Impalas, 1964-72 Chevelles, and more. Randy’s dad will also sell his collection along with Randy’s, and there are 1959 retractable HT’s, 1959 Chevrolet El Caminos, 1965 Ford Mustang with HI-Pro 289, and a rare 1966 Mercury Comet Cyclone that was an Indianapolis 500 Pace car. The collection also boasts Cadillacs, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and many 1930’s Ford coupes for Rod and Restore. There is a rare 1957 Cadillac Biarritz convertible project. The collection is truly amazing, and you won’t want to miss seeing the collection and being part of this auction. VanDerBrink Auctions is still building the catalog, so follow the progress on the website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Then get ready to bid! When they were getting ready, Randy had friends that said he wouldn’t sell to them, but now he’ll sell them to you, and of course, friends too. Like Randy says, “Come to fulfill your car dreams. I want car guys and gals to come to the auction to buy your future project, get the parts cars you need, because you know what, “Everything is for sale, now!” See you at the Auction! It’s Amazing!

For more information, pictures, and more info on the Milan collection www.vanderbrinkauctions.com or 605-201-7005. 

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The post ‘Not for Sale’… Until Now! – The Milan Collection appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

If you were a car guy in the Bismarck, North Dakota, you probably knew Al Blatter or “Mr. GTO.” Al was a friend to anyone that loved cars, especially Pontiacs. If fact, Al, Mr. GTO, kept a book with all his friends’ cars and other people in their car club and the parts that they needed to get their Classics back on the road. It wasn’t a surprise that Al would walk up to one of the guys in the car club and hand them a part for their car that they had been searching years for. Al, “Mr. GTO”, would walk right up to them and hand them that elusive part and walk away smiling ear to ear. So many lifelong friendships were made from their love of cars. For over 25 years, Al and his car friends had cruises and camp outs and many hours around the bonfire talking cars. There was one cardinal rule in the club, “Don’t count your cars and tell guys what you got.” This cardinal rule became apparent this past year after Al, “Mr. GTO” passed away after contracting COVID in 2021. His friends would finally see the mystery of Al Blatter, “Mr. GTO” and his Pontiac hoard.

Sandy Blatter, his wife called their closest friends over to help her start the daunting task of going through “Mr. GTO’s” Pontiac Collection. They knew he had a lot of cars and parts, but it what they found was unbelievable. 90 Pontiacs and many rare cars with half of them consisting of Lemans, GTO’s and Tempests. Everywhere they looked were parts for Pontiacs and mostly all hard-to-find GTO parts from 1964 to 1974. Now it made sense, when Al would show up and give them that mystery part they were looking for. Sandy even found the notebook with all his hand written notes of friends and their car parts needs. While they were working they remembered stories about Al, “Mr. GTO” and how there was no other car than a Pontiac. John remembered a time that Al got mad that he had bought a Chevrolet Corvette instead of a Pontiac. Another friend had his eyes covered by Al, so he couldn’t look at a car that wasn’t a Pontiac. 

Al was straight forward and there was no filter with him. This went back to when he was a kid and his first car deal at 10 years old, a 1926 Chevrolet that is still in his collection. But it was a 1969 Pontiac Lemans that he bought at 19 that started his passion for Pontiacs. This car also got his other love of his wife, Sandy. She saw him in his Pontiac and that’s all it took. She was a car gal and they hit it right off. Al lived on the farm on the North Highway 83 edge of Bismarck, N.D. and his first job was working as a mechanic at the JCPenney in his hometown. Al was a skilled mechanic and people waited for him to work on their boats and vehicles. Collecting Pontiac cars was a hobby that they both enjoyed and brought them their closest friends.

The Blatters lived on the family homestead and they noticed Bismarck was growing a bit too much for their liking. So, they sold the farm.  Al, being sentimental moved the old shop and even the tree that his dad had planted by the shop years prior. The auction will be held in that shop where you can see that tree today. Al worked as a mechanic and eventually retired to work on his own cars. 

Al and Sandy loved to go to the Pontiac-Oakland Shows and National GTO meets. Al would talk to everyone with an interesting car and wanted to learn about their car’s whole story. Sandy remembers it would take hours to go through a show. He was a social butterfly and his passion showed in conversations with other Pontiac collectors. But it was this passion about Pontiacs that kept Al collecting. Al couldn’t stand to see a car get crushed until all the parts were harvested and in the hands of collectors. Al, “Mr. GTO” collected cars back from his high school days and moved all of his vehicles at least 3 times with him over his lifetime. His collecting was a lifelong passion. He had restored many cars and was in the process of restoring a 1970 GTO for Sandy when he became ill. Sadly, he contracted COVID and succumbed to it. Before Sandy knew it, he was gone. Her heart was broken. 

Al’s cars were special. Sandy had his 1967 GTO on the program for the funeral. When they were getting ready for the auction, his friends drove that exact car.

After Al’s passing Sandy will take on the title of “Ms. GTO.” Sandy is no stranger to the car hobby, she enjoyed and knew as much as Al. While working on the auction it became apparent that the title of “Ms. GTO” was in the right hands. Sandy is having the 1970 GTO finished and will drive the Pontiac cars with pride. Even though Al, “Mr. GTO” is gone, his memory will live on with all his GTO parts going to collectors for them to finish their projects and restorations. Sandy wants all his cars and parts to go to good homes. Bidders from across the U.S. are coming to buy a piece of this amazing collection.

With all the inventory, VanDerBrink Auctions was called and will sell the collection on July 23^rd, 2022 at 9:30 am at the shop outside Wilton, North Dakota in a big 1-day auction. The collection has 90 Pontiacs comprised of GTO’s, Lemans, Catalina, Tempest, 1955 Pontiacs and even an ULTRA RARE 1963 Oldsmobile Jet fire Turbo V8 4-speed car. There are Thousands of 1964-1974 Pontiac GTO parts that will be only for onsite bidders. The auction will be Online and Onsite for cataloged items, but if you are looking for all those GTO parts, you got to be at the auction. There is everything from rare Pontiac Tri-Powers to tail lights and more. Now you can get a piece of the “Mr. GTO” hoard and finish your ride. Just like Al, would say, “Drive them! They don’t belong in a garage or on your trailer!” So, for more information go to www.vanderbrinkauctions.com for pictures, video, catalog, and more information. 

A look at some of the vehicles up for sale at the July 23rd sale

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The post A friend to all that loved cars… The “Mr. GTO” story appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Car guys are always dreaming about that unknown car find. Bruce and Tom are car guys that have known each other for about 35 years. They both work in similar industries with trucking and trucks and both of them had driven past this small, run-down office building with a wooden fence for years. Bruce, playing a little detective work, had figured out who owned the property and finally got the chance to see what was lurking behind those dark doors. The guys met with the representative and ventured into the dark and dirty building. It was obvious that nothing had moved for 30 to 50 years. There were piles of parts, mounds of garbage, and inches of dust and grime. But through all the debris and dirt, they could see the tail fins of a 1957 Chevrolet, and another one, and then a 1957 wagon, and who knew what else was in there. The tour didn’t just include the one building, but went to another, and another, and finally a small house with the wooden fence. They peered over the fence and could see that cars were stacked like cord wood. Door to door with trees growing up through them. It was a “Tri-Five hive.” There were 1955 and 1957’s Nomads, convertibles, and more.

Bruce and Tom couldn’t believe what they were looking at and where it was at. They had driven by this property for years and wouldn’t have imagined so many Chevrolets and parts were in there. The owners had mentioned that they were selling the property and needed all the stuff and vehicles to be gone. Not missing a beat, Tom and Bruce made an offer. Sadly, it was declined. About 2 months later, the owner called them back and wanted to know if they were still interested. They got their checks in order and met the lawyer at the property. They traded the checks for a stack of titles and keys. Then started the task of extracting the cars and parts. This was the mystery and gamble of what they were going to actually find in all the darkness and debris.

The guys started the work of cleaning and soon uncovered a 1969 Camaro convertible, a 1968 Camaro convertible, Camaro parts, and 1955 and 1957 Chevy Nomad Wagons and regular wagons. There was a Chevrolet Blazer, some pickups, and motors and parts everywhere. The vehicles were everything from original projects, to parts, and even the families one-owner 1957 Chevrolet Belair 4-dr. wagon that looks like they just parked it and left. They went from one property to another finding more and more parts and cars. Finally, they made their way to the house. The place that was hidden behind the wooden fence. The previous owner had cut off roofs of sedans and placed them over the roofs to protect them and laid down a black tarp on the ground before he placed the cars. Thinking some of them were sedans, when they took off the roofs, they were 1957 Convertibles! Trees had to be cut and a lot of manpower was called for, but the cars were extracted from the property. The guys found 35 doors under the crawl space of the house and more parts in the garage. Tri-Five seats, more motors, and even Nomad tailgates.

Now that the guys had their friends and wives helping, they had spent countless hours hauling everything home. What were they going to do with it all? A few vehicles were kept for all their hard work, but the remainder will be sold at auction on July 16^th, 2022 Live onsite with online bidding for the vehicles, and if you want all those parts, you got to be onsite bidding. When they finished, there were approx. 50 vehicles including multiple 1957 and ‘55 Nomad Wagons, 1957 Chevrolet convertibles, Camaros, 1960’s Nova’s and Chevy II’s, a 1956 International Traveall, and more… Hundreds of Chevrolet parts including sheet metal, motors, intakes, seats, and more. They filled 3-53 ft. containers with parts!

VanDerBrink Auctions will sell this Tri-Five and Chevrolet Hoard on July 16^th, 2022 just 4 miles from the Denver airport at Bruce’s home in Commerce City, Colorado at 9:30AM. The auction is Live onsite with online bidding for the vehicles, but if you want all those parts, you must be present to buy and bid. Preview will be Friday July 15^th, 2022 and you won’t want to miss this auction. For pictures, info, and more auctions check the website www.vanderbrinkauctions.com , See you there! 

Yvette VanDerBrink- Auctioneer- The Salvage princess

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The post Tri-Five Hive & More… The Commerce City Collection appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

For many people, cars are just a mode of transportation. But for others, they are more like a member of the family. Cars are a right of passage when you’re old enough to drive. You remember the car that you got married in, or even that car your brother had or the one the cool guy in high school had? This auction has two stories of how cars played a part in the lives of our sellers and the special meanings those cars hold to them.

For Harley Moser, he remembered looking through his brother’s Hot Rod magazines and seeing all the cool cars and hoping maybe someday he would have a car like the ones on the pages. Harley grew up on a ranch by Selby, South Dakota and raised more horses than horsepower, but when he had the chance to test out real horsepower, he had a 1966 Ford Mustang 2+2 and boy it was fast. Well, a little too fast. He wound up wrecking it. Luckily, the only thing that was hurt was his pride.

Harley grew up saying his favorite things were fast horses, fast cars, good cattle, and beautiful women. It was after a rodeo that he met his beautiful “brown-eyed gal,”Barb. They fell in love, got married and were excited to start a family. Their first born was a boy, Justin. Growing up on a ranch, you notice when an animal is sick. It was this instinct that saved their little man’s life. Harley noticed that something wasn’t right with their baby. They rushed him to Bismarck and with a good doctor and medication, their baby survived. Justin was diagnosed with a congenital adrenal disease. Soon another baby, and yet another diagnosis. His sister, their second child, Molly, also had the disease. It was a challenge, but with medication, the kids grew up and enjoyed ranch life in South Dakota.

Life was good on the ranch and Harley finally had the chance to fulfill his childhood dream, buying those muscle cars he read about in Hot Rod Magazine. Harley started buying MoPar collector cars as a future savings account for Barb and him. But it wasn’t long, and another crisis arose for the Moser Family, Barb was diagnosed with cancer. Chemo, radiation, and doctor’s appointments ensued. Barb fought hard, but ultimately lost the battle with cancer. Harley lost his brown-eyed gal.

The years passed and Justin started to show signs of the adrenal disease and Molly was also still doctoring. Harley says, “Life is a ruler, and you only get so many inches in time,” and it was time to cash in the savings account and take care of his children. Harley will be selling his collection of amazing MoPar collector cars and more to pay for his children’s medical bills. Justin is in need of a kidney transplant and is on dialysis.

Friends have rallied around the Moser Family. The Moser family was tight with the Haux family and Shari was raised by Barb’s family and accounts them for saving her life. Shari’s husband, Fred Haux, passed away and Shari knew it was time to pay back the family that helped her. Shari donated Fred’s 1969 Ford Fairlane with Cobra Jet motor to the Moser family to be sold at the auction June 3rd to help the Moser Children.

Harley’s savings account of MoPars includes a barn-fresh 1970 Charger RT, a beautiful 1970 Plymouth GTX, 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner, 1973 Dodge Dart Sport with 340 4-speed, and more items. They all will be sold at auction on Friday June 3^rd, 2022 as part of the Droog-Moser Auction at the Kerry Droog farm outside Mobridge. It’s amazing how his love of old cars and their sale will help to save and raise money to help his children.

A little backstory on Kerry Droog

Kerry Droog grew up on the Missouri River by Mobridge, South Dakota. Kerry says that this was the best life. Fishing, riding motorcycle, and playing with the neighbor kids. Being the son of an auctioneer, Droog Auctioneering, Kerry remembers as soon as he was old enough, he was holding up plates and working the auctions with his family. He enjoyed looking at all the old stuff they sold at the auctions and started collecting at a young age. When he was old enough, going to auction school was a right of passage. Kerry and his brother went off to Mason City, IA to auction school. They got back home and Kerry helped for over 20 years. Kerry would often bring home more than he made that day. His dad would always say, “What you want with all that old stuff?” But Kerry would load it up and store it away. Now being West River South Dakota, Kerry didn’t want a car, but a pickup when he could drive. He bought a 1951 Willys CJ2A Jeep and hit the Prairie. Pickups and cars have always been a part of his life. He met his wife, Barb, while hanging out on the tailgate of a truck. This good-Looking gal came up and said, “I like you and your truck.” That was it, they dated and were married.

Kerry’s brother was in the military, Kerry started collecting military and civilian Dodge Power Wagons as well. When Kerry was younger, he started working at UPS and still does today and has done every job from sweeping floors to wearing a suit. They say a rolling stone gathers no moss, that is so true for Kerry. Always working and going. Kerry bought a salvage yard, K and K Auto in 1999 in Mobridge, South Dakota and was able to play with all the cars and trucks he wanted. Kerry had a chance and sold the salvage yard about 4 years ago, but had collected a nice collection of Jeeps, Power Wagons, and square-body pickups, and more.

Soon Kerry realized that he wasn’t getting any younger and didn’t want to leave his many collections for his wife and kids to contend with. Kerry wanted more time to ride motorcycle with spend time with his bride. So, Kerry has decided to sell his collection of many years of gas and oil collectibles along with over 60 antique vehicles, antique tractors, and more. The collection has day 1 Friday June 3^rd, 2022 selling the collector trucks and pickups, Power Wagons, tractors, and parts. Saturday, June 4^th, will kick off selling hundreds of signs, along with gas pumps, and much more. Kerry wants everyone to enjoy the years of collecting and treasures he’s found.

Both the Moser and Droog Collections have something for everyone and with a good cause to boot. The collections have wonderful vehicles that will sell on Day 1, Friday, June 3^rd, 2022. The Moser collection will help his children and check out the lifelong collection that Kerry acquired through years of collection. Come back for day 2 on Saturday, June 4^th, 2022 for the Droog Sign, Gas Pumps, and more collection. The auction will be held onsite with online bidding. But you’ll want to come and spend a couple days out in South Dakota and maybe even take in a day of walleye fishing on the Missouri River. For more information, catalog, and more auctions www.vanderbrinkauctions.com or give us a call 605-201-7005.

Yvette VanDerBrink
The Salvageprincess
VanDerBrink Auctions, LLC
www.vanderbrinkauctions.com
605-201-7005

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Have you ever wondered what your classic ride is worth? Old Cars has you covered with the Old Cars Report Price Guide. We are your source for unbiased and real-world pricing. Subscribe today and find out what your car is really worth! CLICK HERE to subscribe.

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The post For the love of old cars and family- The Moser and Droog collections appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

The scripture says that Jesus is the ultimate architect and is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. These scriptures provide a stable foundation to build a good life upon. As a builder and owner of a construction company, Gary Vanderpol knew that a good foundation was a key to success in life, construction and his faith were based on this premise. Gary was no stranger to hard work, following in the footsteps of his dad and granddad, he brought this strong ethic into his construction work. 

In high school he met his wife Pat and was known to have taken her and a car full of girls to Elvis movies! They were married, and he took ownership of the construction company. The company grew and so did their family. It was this cornerstone of faith that was the foundation for their family and business.

Motorcycles and cars were something that had given him the thrill of speed. Soon after aviation was added to his list of passions, and he acquired his private pilot’s license.

Gary enjoyed driving heavy equipment, like his scraper and bulldozer, and it gave him hours of time for his imagination to develop plans for his next build. He was constantly thinking of plans to build wild rides and something that nobody had, to start a conversation. In 1964 he built his first motorcycle trike. From his imagination Gary fabricated pieces into reality. Additional construction projects gave Gary more time to imagine inventions that he would eventually build.

Gary enjoyed going to shows, especially the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, to show off his creations. He enjoyed talking to people about how he built his wild rides. He also enjoyed giving rides and drag racing with the boys.

The business grew and so did their faith. Their son Tom shared his father’s love of flying and gained his pilot’s license. He used his license as a pilot to assist Mercy Wings in Guatemala, where he flew missionaries into the fields. The foundation of the family’s faith was strong, but was shaken when their son Tom, who was co-piloting a DC3 and trying to land, crashed in Guatemala. Tom and others were killed in the crash. This tragic event only strengthened the family’s faith and inspired them to set up the Tom VanderPol Memorial Fund to help others.

Gary loved helping with Sunday School in Lake Andes, South Dakota and enjoyed the laughter and always had a special place in his heart for children. Every chance that he could he wanted to “save people” by spreading the word of the gospel. Whether it was by a plane ride, a motorcycle ride or even a wild ride in a car, making sure that the people he loved and met had the assurance of salvation.

Gary was stricken with prostate cancer, and even up to the end when he was too weak, created a trac-driven wheelchair for himself. His imagination and love of creating didn’t cease. Gary passed away in November 2020 and his family has decided to sell his collection. Gary’s love for the missions continues with his family and the money from the auction will go to the mission fields through the Tom Vanderpol Memorial Fund.

The auction will be held on the family farm and will host the Motorcycle creations of Gary’s imagination along with collector cars, antique tractors, construction equipment, and rare WWII Airborne Crawlers to a Personnel Carrier. The auction take place May 14th and will start at 9:30am. There’s no small stuff, so be on time for this great collection. The auction will be live onsite with online bidding. There is everything from a 1959 Cadillac to an actual 1966 Dodge Coronet 426 HEMI project and a date coded 1966 426 HEMI in a wild Model T-Bucket drag car! One wild creation is a BMW Isetta drag car that was modeled after his grandson’s Hot Wheels he brought to life! There are many motorcycle trikes that are one-off builds like a 1959 and 1960 Cadillac Motorcycle and Trike. Many of the iconic parts from these cars were used in the builds, especially those iconic tailfins. The collection has antique tractors and vintage to modern construction equipment. Where else will you see 3 WWII Clark Airborne crawlers and a personnel carrier that his grandkids loved to play in?

So, plan to attend this auction or bid online for this wonderful collection, your bidding will further the Tom Vanderpol Memorial Fund and work for missions and building more foundations of faith for years to come. For complete inventory, video, and pictures go to www.vanderbrinkauctions.com.

Yvette VanDerBrink- the Salvageprincess
VanDerBrink Auctions, LLC
www.vanderbrinkauctions.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Have you ever wondered what your classic ride is worth? Old Cars has you covered with the Old Cars Report Price Guide. We are your source for unbiased and real-world pricing. Subscribe today and find out what your car is really worth! CLICK HERE to subscribe.

*As an Amazon Associate, Old Cars earns from qualifying purchases.

The post Building was the key to faith, family and vocation for Gary Vanderpol appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.