Back in 2013, there was a substantial auto auction held in Pierce, Nebraska that handled the inventory of a shuttered dealership known as Lambrecht Chevrolet. Many of the vehicles were new old stock as in never sold. My colleague, Todd Fitch covered some of the inventory in this 2018 post. Today, we have an inaugural year, 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that is claimed to have come from that same Lambrecht inventory, so let’s check it out. This M/C is located near LaCrosse, Wisconsin and is available, here on craigslist for $7,000. Thanks to Gunter K for this tip!
Before delving into the car, I gave some thought to its auction association and whether or not that would be some sort of value enhancer. My conclusion is that it depends. If it’s a rare model due to equipment configuration and still new, I suppose the answer would be yes. In a case like this, where it’s a generic Monte Carlo that is now reporting 86K miles, then I would say no. The seller claims that he has documentation to prove that this was an auction car, so we’ll have to take him at his word. That said, I found this auction inventory list and there is a ’70 Monte Carlo listed (lot 401L) about halfway through the ninth page.
The seller states, “This car runs and lot drives, but has not been driven much on the road“. There is no description of the engine though it is more than likely a 350 CI V8 that started life as either a 250 or 300 HP variant. There are non-OEM components present, including the air cleaner, carburetor, intake manifold, and valve covers. There was also a 265 HP, 400 CI small-block V8 available in ’70 for the Monte Carlo, but they’re not real common so it’s doubtful that’s what this motor is. Interestingly, that 400 SB was dropped for ’71 and didn’t make a Monte appearance again until ’74. The transmission is listed as an automatic so it’s probably a Turbo-Hydramatic 350, three-speed unit but it could be a two-speed Powerglide as that way-beyond-its-freshness-date transmission was still lurking around in ’70. Of note, the A/C compressor has been ditched.
The exterior is just plain rough. It has dented body panels, a bent and rusty rear bumper, missing trim, a missing headlight, mismatched wheels, a missing trunk lock cylinder, and lots of surface rust. This one must have spent a lot of outside time up there in Pierce, Nebraska. As to serious rot, these few images don’t reveal any but it would be worth the effort to inspect the underside and inner rockers.
There is only one image of the interior and it tells us little other than the windshield is cracked. The bench seat upholstery and dash pad, however, appear to be holding up. Bucket seats and a center console were an option in a ’70 Monte Carlo but the more pedestrian ones came equipped like our subject car.
The seller suggests that this Chevy, “is in decent shape overall“. I’d say that’s a subjective call. And for $7,000, I’d suggest GLWTS.
That was an interesting auction but unless this is super low mileage this is just a worn Monte Carlo that needs work.
That looks like a Lambrecht car based on condition. Lambrecht was little more than a hoarder. Hundreds of vehicles were allowed to deteriorate needlessly.
By now, I would have thought any association with the Lambrecht auction would actually hurt a cars value.
Steve R
It’s a $4000. car maybe.
By saying “This car runs and lot drives, but has not been driven much on the road“ , I assume the seller is referring to the time since the auction.
I know many of the cars sold at the auction were “NOS” if you will, having never been sold to the public and/or with super low miles.
Regardless, it’s lineage is a moot point.
$7k might be a stretch in the current condition, but hey, I’m at the age where nothing surprises me.
Yes, definitely GLWTS
I am retired from service management at a GM dealership. You want a genuinely rare 1970 Monte Carlo? I had one for a company vehicle in triple green, bucket seats, console, 400 SB and M20 four-speed!
If the rust issue is just superficial, the price is not too off. Unfortunately the photos don’t show trunk or undercarriage which will give a better description of the car.
Per the Craigslist ad, the car has 86,000 miles on it now. In my opinion after looking at the pictures, and considering all the years it sat at the dealership, and the poor care it has received by whoever bought it, the car has deteriorated beyond any reasonable cost it would take to restore it. You would have to buy it for no more than $500 to make it a worthwhile project.
The auction also included trade-ins that were not re-sold. If I remember what I read at the time of the auction Mr. Lambrecht did not make a lot of effort to sell the trades, putting most of them literally out to pasture.
Lambrecht didn’t sell any trade in’s, they all went outside under the trees. He was so cheap, or just could care less, he allowed leaves and debris to cover the cars, and rust out the crevices and area’s covered. He could have hired some kids to merely brush them off, but didn’t. Some previous owners tried to buy back their old cars, but he refused, just to be mean. Even brand new vehicles stored inside weren’t cared for, if the building roof caved in, he just left it to ruin the vehicle.
I remember the frenzy the auction caused, so I still imagine his kids (heirs) got rich!
Based on previous posts, I hope not…
Nothing wrong with that. A bunch of idiots descended on the dealership and farm for the auction and bid way more for the cars than the cars were worth. They were the ones trying to get rich but were too ignorant/uneducated to know they were buying junk. They had a fundamental misunderstanding of old cars and bought into the hype that “barn finds” were valuable regardless of condition or desirability. That line of thinking still persists today. That’s the fault of the buyers since they are the ones controlling the purse strings, if they were to become disciplined prices will drop and sellers will have to react accordingly.
Steve R
Wow, I can’t believe that auction was 8 years ago. How time flies when you’re having fun. Especially since we are in lockdown here thanks to a government that doesn’t know it’s rs from its elbow.
So apparently this prior Lambrecht auction ’70 Monte Carlo is being sold in “as purchased” condition.
Hit hard in the back, buckled both rear quarters & cracked windshield. Plain Jane monte, not a Super Sport, no buckets, no console, no big block, car a money pit, not worth restoring, good for some ordinary parts, $2k max.
While I know it’s sin to gloat, I simply can’t resist,,,HA, HA, here it comes, the “Lambrecht remorse sales”. I bet dollars to donuts,,,wait, can’t say that, donuts ARE $1, but this bozo probably paid TWICE what they are asking. That auction was the clearest example of people with more money than brains, and are weak people that got caught up in the auction madness. I bet divorces spiked after that foolishness. Don’t get me wrong, a Monte like this is a great find, it’s just, this shmuck is going to lose $10 grand, I wonder how that is going to work? Probably part of the divorce settlement, the Monte has got to go. I apologize to anyone here that actually got caught up in that madness, I think there’s a lesson to be learned here, the Lambrecht family( and Van der Brink) is VERY happy right now.