Oddball Collection: 1973 Brubaker Box, Centaur Scooter & More!

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If you say the words “Brubaker Box,” you will have my attention. Short of saving another actual human’s life, I will stop whatever I’m doing and follow you to were one lurks, sitting in the brush or the back of a southern California hot rod shop. I’ve wanted one of these for years and of course, this one posted rather tantalizingly here on craigslist isn’t for sale. Fortunately, the seller isn’t a complete tease and has some other fascinating projects up for grabs.

Posting the Brubaker is a giant tease, but to the seller’s credit, he seems to be doing it as a means of generating interest from other fans (like me) to pony up for him to build fiberglass replicas. I doubt he’ll find many takers, but it’s a bold strategy nonetheless (and side note, someone may indeed offer him a stupid amount of money for it.) I’d rather focus on what is available, like this wild Centaur foldable scooter, apparently designed for pilots trying to race from one end of the airport to the other.

This Fiat 850 coupe amazingly has claimed original paint, and some awesome period accessory wheels. I keep looking at that paint and telling myself there’s no way it could be original, but given the seller’s expansive  collection of oddballs, I’m inclined to believe him. The asking price is quite strong for a car with a limited following, but this indeed could be one of the best. The listed price is $18,950, but the seller seems quite open to trades (except for the Brubaker).

Here’s another stunner, this time a restored Honda N600. Truthfully, there’s much more listed that sounds way more interesting than the majority of the cars featured, including: a 1970 Lotus Europa barn find; a 1957 Chevy sedan delivery station wagon; a 1960 Empi Sportster; a 1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo showcar replica; and more. Take a look at the list and tell us which one you’d try and buy, but don’t take my Brubaker! Thanks to Barn Finds reader Russel C. for the find.

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Comments

  1. bobhess bobhessMember

    Wheels on the coupe look to be the American Libres introduced in the late ’60s. We run them on our Vintage race car and I think they were put on every other 240Z in the country.

    Like 12
    • Dale DavisMember

      The wheels are actually Fiat-Roosevelt manufactured by ARE, (American Racing). Roosevelt Motors was the US importer of all Fiats in 1969 and commissioned ARE to provide the wheels. ARE later made a slight alteration and produced the wheels as a Libra, Libre?.

      Like 4
  2. Rick

    That’s a Z600. I only know because I have wanted one for years. In that color, no less.

    Like 5
    • Miles Chappell

      AZ600s are easy to find and buy. They were sold in USA 2 years. I started and host 2 internet groups for them and sell parts. There’s also lots of other groups on Facebook for vintage Hondas. I started working on them in 1979.
      Miles

      Like 6
      • Frances Crowell

        I think I bought parts from you in the past. My AZ600 runs pretty good and one of my AN600s runs too. My problem with both is brakes. I am leaking somewhere, I think down the firewall. Do you have any NJ clients who will take on fixing it?

        Like 1
    • Dale DavisMember

      Come and get it! 50k real miles and rebuilt throughout.

      Like 1
  3. Car39

    A friend used to have the original molds for the Brubaker. I’m not sure he still has them.

    Like 9
    • DayDreamBeliever DayDreamBeliever

      This guy probably paid $50 to pull it out of the back yard where it sat for 20 years….

      Like 1
      • Dale DavisMember

        25 years where it “ran when parked”. We flew to Florida from Ca. with a large stack of Benjamins and dug it out of the swamp. We were the first to get to the Box. There were no bargains and there were others waiting to buy if we didn’t. That’s a bit different than $50 easy pull. Most guys prefer to talk. We go.

        Like 6
    • Jo

      Find out and let me know. That would be a trip to pull molds off of all these years later.

      Like 3
      • Dale DavisMember

        Send an email to dale@driven.co and I’ll put you on the list.

        Like 1
    • Keruth

      Now that’s an idea I like, making a mold off this body would be a HUGE undertaking, and then the bodies come, just sayin,,,!

      Like 1
    • Frances Crowell

      I will sell my trio of 600s soon

      Like 0
  4. Fireman DK

    I actually like that , what a fun car . The one in the photo i am posting needs a better rear bumper treatment for sure. Reminds me of the Hot Wheels Van

    Like 30
  5. Fireman DK

    rear view

    Like 21
  6. Lance Nord

    I love the styling of the Brubaker Box. However, it’s really a vehicle for small people. I would jump all over it if that was the styling was packaged as a full size van.

    Like 3
    • Dale DavisMember

      Indeed, they are smaller than they look.

      Like 4
  7. scott

    You all missed the entire sales pitch!! He is a well known DEALER in southern California! I flipper with money, love the cars, but the price tags… But, there’s more! He offers financing! And, of course, he lists the cars he likes/wants, but, contact him if they are not on the list!

    People are bold these days!!!

    Like 4
    • Dale DavisMember

      Well known? Cool, Thanks!

      Umm, dealer. Yes, have been for 31 years now.

      Lots of people finance classic cars. If you don’t offer the service, it would sort of silly since everyone else does.

      Flipper with money! We wish. Build some old cars, pay rent, salaries and taxes and we can talk about the big bags of cash left over. Funny, no one ever complains prices are too low. Bold indeed

      Like 11
      • George

        What’s your website address?

        Like 1
      • Glenn T Cunningham

        Are you the one who buys the 69 lemans. I seen the Craig list ad yesterday but it said today no longer available?

        Like 0
  8. PAW
    • Dale DavisMember

      Same guy

      Like 2
      • ChristianS.

        Not sure about those 22″ rims on the samba page bossman! Otherwise: waaaannnt one _sooooo_ bad! Thanks for keeping a mechanical oddity running also!

        Like 2
  9. Mercury Man

    I think his pricing is way out of line but I suppose there are some uninformed people out there with more money than brains that will pony up. The Centaur scooter is far from being worth $3,950, I own a very original almost perfect example and even I do not value it for that amount.

    Like 1
    • Dale DavisMember

      Interesting measuring stick, your valuation of yours. So if I give mine away does yours become worth zero?

      Like 8
  10. Dale DavisMember

    Ruthless Flipper dealer here with some corrections I’ll post as replies to the fun comments. Yes it is my partner’s ad and it’s generating a ton of interest for the Brubaker Box. Overwhelming is a good way to put it. We hear a lot of “I want one” so we are trying to sort the window shoppers from those who are serious.

    Thanks for the kind words on our eclectic inventory. We fall in love with these oddballs, clean them up and then look for homes in order to fund the next thing we can’t live without. The Fiat 850 Sport Coupe is sold (mailing a check, no kidding). It was repainted in the original color but completed in two stage. Ever more weird and wonderful stuff at the website. Thanks

    Like 9
    • Jeff LaveryAuthor

      Dale, as you’ve no doubt seen, I’ve been helping out with a large collection in GA. I have to chuckle at the number of people who come out of the woodwork to complain about prices and then never make an offer. Come and talk to me and we’ll make it happen.

      Amazing how many people just like to bark from behind their computer screen and never have the stomach to negotiate man to man.

      Also, the assumption that anyone makes a killing flipping project cars is a joke. Very, very modest profit that, if I was trying to survive on this little side hustle of mine, I’d be broke as a joke.

      Keep finding those oddballs!

      Like 5
      • Dale DavisMember

        Thanks for the kind words Jeff,

        I’m not sure why guys get their kicks bashing away at their keyboards either. Like you, we enjoy the hunt and the rescue of some cool stuff and try to share it. Thanks for providing a great site for just that.

        See you out in the rough!

        Like 0
  11. tomo@driven.co

    as we understand the story………..the fiat / abarth wheels are “roosevelt” alloys. the fiat importer at the time, (Roosevelt….imagine that) who wanted some neat alloy wheels particular to the 850 sport coupe to set them apart and make the 850s more appealing. hence these specifically styled wheels were actual rare dealer installed “factory” alloys. these wheels were well received and soon became known as the Libres……which we’ve seen on many period cars since. this was supposedly the first production application of this wheel. additional info or clarification is always welcome.

    Like 2
  12. tomo@driven.co

    for those of you not lucky enough to have experienced it……..this is the feeling you get when you’ve finally got the car you’ve been lusting after for over 40 years !! one of only 28 brubaker box/ automecca sports vans ever produced…..and one of only 17 known to still exist. what a crazy cool piece of rolling artistic design !! we would like other fans to enjoy this same feeling……that’s why we are offering bodies for other enthusiasts to enjoy, since the originals are virtually impossible to find, and off the charts expensive. we’d love to see this car personalized, perhaps updated styling cues, or on an EV platform. we’ve been fortunate to have been the caretakers and restorers of some of the most unique cars extant…….but this one has always been at the top of every list for me. and…….if you absolutely must………the original will be available for sale……….but be advised its value to us is incredibly dear (and no…..I won’t discuss it online or the phone). check out some of the unique vehicles we’ve done over the years at our website: driven.co (not com).

    Like 3
  13. tomo

    as mentioned in the original write up: 1970 Lotus Europa solid, complete, project.

    Like 1
  14. tomo@driven.co

    hi george, per your request. the website address is: DRIVEN.CO (not com). thank you.

    Like 0
  15. PRA4SNW

    I remember reading about the Brubaker Box in an issue of Car & Driver (if memory serves) probably back in the early 70’s(?). I only recall it now from seeing this posting and remember how much I loved looking at it and all its funkiness.

    Like 6
  16. CK

    Wow some of you guys are unbelievable .Hey just so ya know this is how the world works,with EVERY SINGLE THING,Someone has to be the seller/dealer and someone has to buy it.Get over it .OH he just bought that car to flip it. WAAAAAHH WHAAAAAAH WHAAAAAAAAAAAH.Ge-suss Stop CRYIN About it already!!!

    Like 5
  17. Russell C

    Glad to have helped get this thread going with my original tip to BarnFinds about the Craigslist ad I found. Never heard of the Brubaker Box before.

    Regarding the topic of classic car dealers / flippers, some may be perfectly legit and participating in basic American capitalism, but don’t get me started on my particular vehicle focus, the Chevy Blazer Chalets / GMC Jimmy Casa Grandes. In my 14 years of keeping an eye on those and documenting all I find with my mega-spreadsheet, there are way too many instances of the flippers misrepresenting what they have to unsuspecting buyers who can’t be troubled to do more than superficial research on these while also being gullible enough to pay more than double what the rigs are worth. Such flippers have thrown a huge monkey wrench into the relative values of these, which leads rank amateur ‘experts’ astray on what they are really worth compared to others in similar condition.

    Like 2
  18. Mountainwoodie

    Lets all agree. As most of us use the word “Flipper” it is used to characterize the general sort of re- seller who ads no value to the vehicle he is “flipping”..er selling.

    It does not, at least for me, refer to sellers who buy a car, fix it up, and sell it, leaving it better than they found it. Whether it’s tires, paint, mechanical or whatever else, no one can realistically expect someone to spend money on something and not try to recover (most of) it when it is sold.

    An example would be someone who advertises the car he found, on a trailer that he used to pull it from the place he bought it, untouched, but asking far more than he or she paid for it.

    Like 1
  19. Dale DavisMember

    Thanks to all of the Barn Finds fans who stopped by to say hi at Pomona! And thanks to the guys yelling BARN FINDS !! as we drove by. We got to share the Brubaker Box with a lot of people who knew about the Box but had never seen one in person. We even brought out one of our first test molds. Sign up to follow the build or get on the list for your kit here http://www.driven.co/boxx/

    Like 0

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