Automobile mogul Dennis Collins began a lifelong passion for cars in his early teen years and took that interest of scouring the planet for interesting vehicles to a level most of us only dream about, with many of his restorations documented on his popular YouTube Channel, Coffee Walk. But there are only so many hours in a day, and what’s a guy to do when he has so many cars there’s no way they’ll ever all get around to being worked on? If you’re Dennis, the answer to that question is to get them into the hands of other enthusiasts, which is what will be happening on Saturday, April 29th. VanDerBrink Auctions will be hosting this monumental auction event in Nevada, Texas, with previewing on Friday, April 28th, and with a fleet this size, there’s bound to be something for everybody. Plenty more details can be found here on the VanDerBrink website, and we’d like to give out a big Barn Finds thank you to reader Mitchell G. for the great tip here!
With a magnitude of metal this size, it’s hard to showcase them all here, and the collection spans quite a few decades with several offerings from the thirties, even though at least one car dates back even further than that. One such thirties-decade entry is this 1937 Chevrolet Sedan with those very cool suicide doors. The car is said to have a dry body and is a good choice for a rod project or parts.
Not everything here will come with 4 wheels either, as there are some 2 and 3-Wheelers plus even a couple of no-wheelers, such as this 1988 Seadoo Bombardier Jet Ski. This one’s not running, but it does come with the Rotax engine still intact and looks pretty much complete, so if you’ve got some wrenching skills maybe it can be back out on the water without too much effort.
Chevy fans will be pleased to see a plethora of F-Bodies, such as this 1973 Camaro. There’s still a 350 under the hood, but also some rust in the lower body and no interior so this one’s a project. Still, it may be a good candidate to make a resto-mod out of.
Mopar enthusiasts won’t be disappointed as there are a handful of Chrysler products too, including this 1968 Dodge Charger. Originally blue, somebody painted the exterior Sublime Green, and even though the vinyl top is showing some wear, the half of the body we can see actually looks pretty good. It’s got a non-running 383 engine and a couple of goodies inside such as bucket seats and a Tic-Toc-Tach.
For those buyers seeking something a bit larger, a handful of family travelers are being offered, such as this 1976 GMC Motorhome. This thing is huge and powered by a 455 V8, although it’s not currently running. But it looks mostly complete and might be a decent candidate to work on if you’re looking to be king of the open road. There’s a whole lot more inventory to choose from, so if you’re anywhere near The Lone Star State this seems like an event you won’t want to miss. What are some of the cars you found most interesting from the Dennis Collins collection?
TOO much money….not enough time….Wish I wasen’t the other way around!!
Dennis is a cool cat tho,,too bad its so far away…might be interesting to just look around…
You can watch the WALK AROUND on YOUTUBE
Another “Holy Grail” collection.
Funny, twenty years ago they were called junkyards, now they’re called “collections”.
If my daddy had not died from a heart attack on the kitchen table , i too would have had the ease of a turbo beginning , soo many cars i considered that were bargains that i could not afford …
Life is ups and downs and i have to agree with the previous comment about this being more of s junkyard than a collection
20 years, I wish. I had twice as many and in much better condition. The zoning battles, thieves, nasty so-called neighbors that live a county away, beauracrats. One day I became smart and called in the scrap processor. The remaining ones I have are to be shredded upon my demise as per my request.
Trust fund baby collection.
If there was a 1942 ‘anything’ I register to bid.
I don’t understand your post. There were many ’42 automobiles produced before the Japanese savagely attacked Pearl Harbor and other bases, and the industry switched to war material. I didn’t check to see if there were any in this “collection”, but they’re not hard to find.
https://macsmotorcitygarage.com/the-year-in-cars-1942/
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/ford/super-deluxe/1942
https://www.allcollectorcars.com/classic-cars-for-sale/chevrolet/1942/?cn-reloaded=1
https://www.allcollectorcars.com/classic-cars-for-sale/plymouth/1942/
Scotty, some 1942 models went to the military as staff cars.
Dennis Collins is a ‘for real car buff’ and a class act. If you have watched any Coffee Walk videos you would see that. And he does not need Dick Rawlins for anything anymore. Dennis will go to someone’s house, buy 3 or 4 or 5 of their cars and pay them their asking price, no low balling. So how is he ripping you off? Don’t bid! I will be checking this auction out and hopefully I can come away with that rare gem.
“Pay them their asking price?” Really? No low balling? This Dick Rawlins guy must be different than this Richard Rawlings guy I used to watch offer owners half of what they were asking. Then turn around and flip the car for double the money.
If you could read…. He said Dennis! That’s Collins, not Rawlings, geez.
I was selling my 91 500SL before the market on them tanked.
Some guy came by with the fast and loud type of negotiation and offered me, literally, 1/3’d my asking price.
I told him to have a nice day, pointed towards the gate, and walked away.
Before I got too far away I called over my shoulder and told him that I was letting the dogs out so “don’t dilly dally.”
It was a while back. But there used to be a guy with Rawlings, standing with him, as they negotiated a price. That looked a lot like Collins.
Thank you Ron for trying to enlighten Big C about Dennis Collins. I don’t think Big C has ever watched a Coffee Walk video. Dick Rawlings is nowhere to be found when Dennis is in his ‘zone’ looking at a rare car. Look for the Coffee Walk video when the old man walks through the dealership right in the middle of a taping and Dennis doesn’t get mad and just talks to the guy like they’re friends. Class act!
While I agree that more than 60 percent of this is either junkyard fodder or undesirable cars, I give Dennis the credit for buying and holding cars that would otherwise get scrapped, and for making them available. You never know when someone is looking for the odd unfindable part or something unique (to them) to restore. As an example, I’m a big fan of the two 77 Grand Prix restorable shells that he’s got. If I were closer I would take a swing at both and try and recreate something similar to the one I owned in 1984. I doubt too many others are passionate about 77 Pontiacs.
I’m unhappy the internet has made finding a bargain more difficult, but the flip side is that it’s made parts and cars easier to find in general. I’ll be curious if anything here goes for low numbers. Either he or the auctioneers was smart by peppering in the desirable cars instead of holding them all until the end.
My favorite auction story is a running, fairly clean 73 Catalina coupe I bought at a police auction for the opening bid of $40. Everyone was interested in the clapped out police cars and Harleys and paid no attention. I drove the Pontiac home on decent tires, cleaned it and gave it to a family member who needed a car. Heck the oil change and filters cost more than the car.
Agreed. And just because many people do not like certain cars, does not mean that someone else might not be passionate about it. I would like to see the complete inventory list.
I agree, I too had a sweet 76 Grand Prix, unfortunately totaled by my gf at the time…..man I wish I still had it :-(
I assume you meant you still had the car and definitely not the girlfriend!
Again, a stark reminder of what nobody wants. As always, a few exceptions, but unfortunately, just the wrong time in history for most of this. Vanderbrink, Vanderbrink, that name rings a bell,,,oh yeah, the Lambrecht auction. It seems, they are the pros at dispersing this type of deal. Typically folks get caught up in auction hype, and many never pick up their “treasures”,,once the old lady finds out, that is. I’ve been to several auctions, machinery mostly, and the guy that makes out, like Jim sez^,, is the last person before the item is taken home or thrown away. This kind of activity tells me of the desperation and I don’t know who Mr. Collins is, but if someone like that is throwing in the towel here, should be a lesson for us all. Don’t bother with this stuff anymore.
I’ve found that the best car deals are right in my geographic area. Driving around the local countryside I’ve found lots of derelict cars sitting around (ten split windshield VW buses, four oval window VW bugs, one Shelby Mustang, 1 VW Type 34, 1 63 Impala, 2 Bmw 2002’s, etc..) I’m sure the owners would be more than happy to sell them if an interested party walked up with $$ in his hand; and also there is no competition from other buyers driving up the price.
Where do you live?
must be a large metropolitan area…out west….
I agree with some of the other posters…. I thought these were called junkyards… meaning no one really wants anything from it except for spare parts on something they are making an effort to fix. Some say pa tay toe, others say pa tah toe ….
so junkyard or coffee walk…. take your pick… but no thanks from me…
All I can say is that VanDerbrink runs the most efficient, well paced, organized auctions you can ever find. Yvette runs auctions that have something for everyone!
If Dick Rawlings has anything to do with this, I would stay away. Outside of cheesy old ’70s TV shows and movies, I’ve never seen a more slimy example of the classic used car salesman type of human being. And I use the term human loosely here. The only time I was able to watch the old ass monkey shows was if I made sure I pressed the mute button whenever his face came on. Because before when I would watch the show I used to feel like I needed a shower after I would listen to him talk. I guess the only comfort that any of us have is the knowledge that he’s never reproduced.
Hey somebody find me a 78 four-door Chevette please, I might even take a 79 for the right price. And definitely would take any other year Chevette at a parts price to do a Resto mod.
You can’t take it with you. Jay Leno’s collection will be at auction some day, it will be the opposite of this one!
a butt for every seat.. &..a car that has really been beat. must be the rest (or is that rust?) of that saying. I think the Vandebrink auctions are among the best you can go to. Have been to a number of others and they feel like a high-pressure sales job. Knuckleheads on T.V. auctions running price up included. Although no auction feels relaxed, cars, cattle, horses, real estate, etc. the Vanderbrink don’t feel like they are trying to reach way deep in your wallet. I think this auction will provide parts or complete vehicles for anybody interests who attends. Best of luck to all who go.
Cell phones / smartphones. If you want to get a good deal on a classic car / parts car , you have to find it all by yourself – no advertising. Everyone and their mothers literally move around like sheep , all hooked to their cellphones. I’m guilty too. As one of the previous posters mentioned, go locally or just out of town and look around , you might find a good deal all on your own. In today’s world – you not only have to get there first – you have to get there alone.
Vanderbrink Auctions are greedy, lf you win a bid after fighting with so called internet bidders, Vanderbrink wants to hit you with a 8 per cent commission!!! I was at the Milan auction and will be at this one also but l think it will be the last time for Vanderbrink, 50 dollar admission SMH
Was disappointed to see the $50. admission. Attributed that more to Collins than Vanderbrink as my experiences with that company over the years has been positive. I wouldn’t go to anything Collins if all I had to do was cross the street from my house. He strikes me as the kind of person who perpetuates bad ideas about used vehicle salespeople
.
Try the 10% Buyers 8% sellers commission at some auctions, plus the consignment fee!
That’s greed.
Is anyone else seeing Family dollar ads blocking out the entire BF pages?
I know guys like Collins and Rawlings, They get up in the morning and make things happen, start businesses, make money, and create jobs and donate to charities, and don’t whine about obstacles. Could use more like them.
I agree about the charity part, but Flippers drive the prices up in a big way for us regular guys, not to mention TV broadcasts of car Auctions! Most of them don’t make any improvements to the cars, aside from washing & vacuuming. A lot of profit from just a detail job!!!
Big C, the thing that annoyed me about Dennis Collins is that EVERYTHING was “The Holy Grail of…” whatever. Be it Mustangs, Camaro, Firebirds, Ferraris, and anything else. Maybe even Dan Mar’s 4 door Chevette. I’m sure, according to Dennis, there’s a “holy grail” of one of those, too.
One things for sure about Collins. He sure does have friends here on barn finds. I feel so enlightened.
I submitted this to BF over a month ago when the auction was first announced. I figured that it would bring some interesting comments, and it hasn’t disappointed.
I’ve sold cars to Richard Rawlings and “off the set”, he is a mild mannered, rather professional person. Paid my asking price on them too.
One of them was featured here on BarnFinds a few years ago and ended up as one of their top 10 builds, the green step van, that ended up lowered, running built Chevy V8, painted black.
I don’t watch Gas Monkey and was never really into it, wasn’t a big fan of his “character” on the show. In real life, he’s quite a bit different.
I’ve run into him at auctions and he’s always been very low key and professional.
Cars I sell pop up on Barnfinds all the time.
Dennis couldn’t resist having the head Monkey Man himself do a promo video of this junkpile. Every one of them is described as an awesome find.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E15aqzQN9zo