From the estate of accomplished race car driver and aerial photographer Ralph Foster. Please be sure to see my other auctions over the next few months for some very interesting items and some great surprises.
Ralph Foster was born in 1914. His life was full of the most interesting things... he was a winning sprint car driver, a fighter pilot, an author and a respected aerial photographer. He worked around the world for private individuals and government agencies, and he did freelance work. He was involved with the Indianapolis 500 and had many friends in the racing and flying fields. For a very interesting story on Ralph Foster, CLICK HERE.
This vehicle started life as a 1962 Hillman station wagon. I have Mr. Foster’s records for this car dating back to the initial purchase of it in 1968 including many photos of the car during it’s modification which was apparently ongoing over the 40 years he owned it. Mr. Foster did all the custom body work to make this a panel wagon, and in my opinion it came out great.
As far as I can tell, the vehicle was last on the road in 2006 before my purchase of the entire Foster estate a couple of months ago. We have done a few simple things to get the car running again but it will need more work before it is ready for the road.
Since this wasn’t my personal vehicle and I haven’t got Mr. Foster here to answer questions about it’s history, all of my observations below are based on my visual inspection of it. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about things important to you, and as always I welcome, advise and invite your personal inspection during the auction.
EXTERIOR: This is one good looking little wagon.
The outside is finished in a flat yellow. The exterior trim is in good shape. I see a few nicks and dings here and there, but nothing distracting. The glass is all good.
The doors and the rear door all open and close easily. The hood opens properly, stays up on it’s own and closes tightly.
The tires are matching and what I think is known as low-profile, with real vintage Moon racing disc wheel covers... and one wheel cover has a curb scratch. The tires are in very nice shape with plenty of tread left.
The only rust I found on the car is some small bubbling under the paint on the driver’s side rear before and behind the wheel… see my close up photos. No rust holes or anything like that… just oxidation bubbling under the paint. I would consider this to be very minor.
There’s been extensive work under the car, but not being the mechanical type it’s hard for me to describe. Please examine my photos of underneath the car. Looks impressive under there.
In general the outside is very neat and clean, and a real eye-catcher… I had the car outside my home for the afternoon for these photos and had about a dozen people stop and check out the car. I've had one person tell me this vehicle is also known as a "Commer Cob" and I did find some with that name using a Google search. This car is registered as a Hillman, though.
INTERIOR: The general look of the interior is that of a vintage hot rod… I believe the interior was done about 20 years ago or more so it is age-appropriate. It has held up well but some parts could use some help and freshening up.
As you can tell, Mr. Foster loved gauges… remember, he was a pilot (we’ll be selling his plane later). In addition to the functioning gauges for the car, there are also aircraft gauges installed such as air speed, altimeter, etc. Of course the aircraft gauges don’t function, but they do look impressive. There’s all the regular gauges like fuel (tank 1 & 2), oil pressure, alternator, etc. For some reason there’s also a cable hanging out of the center of the dash which controls the carburetor throttle, same as the gas pedal. There’s also a pull knob for the manual carb choke. A single CD player is installed and works fine. Lots of things on this dash to keep you interested and informed!
The car does have A/C installed, but there’s no belt on the compressor so the A/C is inoperative and I don’t know the working condition of any of it’s components.
The seats are in fine shape and are actually quite comfortable. There’s a fire extinguisher mounted between the seats. There are seat belts for both seats.
The carpet in the front area is worn in spots and cut poorly around the accelerator pedal area… that’s the soundproofing material you see in the photos where the carpet doesn’t cover it.
The steering column is a tilt unit.
Both windows crank up and down just fine. There’s an interior release knob to pull to pop open the rear door. The dome lights work and have a switch on each to control them.
The rear area has been made into a flat carpeted cargo area, with black vinyl on the interior walls. The carpet is in ok condition, but the black vinyl on the sides has shrunk and wrinkled and needs replacing. The spare tire slides into a compartment under this flat area.
Generally, the inside looks like it needs some simple things… but for the most part it’s presentable.
MECHANICAL: We installed a new battery in the car, and cranked it over… and it fired right up.
The Chevy 283 V8 with a four barrel carb sounds very nice. As the photos show, the dual exhaust exits on both sides by the rear wheels… and the exhaust sounds low and not too loud. I didn’t hear any strange engine noises. When revved up, it sounds good… but it also sounds like it could use a tune up too.
I drove this car around my neighborhood a couple of times. Frankly, it was a scary ride… there’s a lot of power here for such a lightweight vehicle. The steering is okay… non-power, with some play in the wheel.
After the engine warmed up I noticed smoke coming from the engine as the seepage from it sitting unused burned off. The car smoked a little from the exhaust for the first few seconds after we started it, but it stopped. I believe all this to be normal behavior for an engine that’s been sitting for a couple of years.
There’s a B & M Quicksilver floor shifter installed which works fine. The transmission seemed to be in good working order.
This car retains it's original 12 gallon gas tank... and a 50 gallon tank has also been installed with a switch to change between the two.
I tested the lights, turn signals, horn (a button on the dash) and a few other things… and found those systems to be in good working order.
THE BRAKES WILL NEED REPAIR! As I mentioned, I drove the vehicle around my neighborhood for a bit. As I pulled back into my driveway, the brakes went out completely. I have checked under the hood and under the dash and can’t see what the problem might be… but the pedal just goes easily to the floor… as if it’s not connected to anything. In addition, the parking brake does NOT work. So, plan on repairing the braking system because right now the car HAS NO BRAKES.
There you have it… a nice little hot rod that needs some things.
ABOUT PAYING AND PICKING UP: This vehicle is located in Anaheim, California. This is near the greater Disneyland area. You must pay and pick up within SEVEN DAYS of winning the bid, which would be on or before Monday, November 10th. You may pay with cash when you pick it up or electronically beforehand. I do not accept checks nor money orders of any type. I can meet you for pickup Monday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm, and occasionally at other times, too.
ABOUT THE TITLE: I have the clear, signed-off California title in hand, ready for transfer to the new owner. The registration is currently on “Planned Non-Op” status. Last sticker on the license plate is August 2008.
ABOUT THE PRICE: This is offered for auction with a low reserve to protect my investment. The car should sell for much more than that small amount. Don’t be afraid of the reserve price… it’s not that much for a car like this. Bid above the reserve price and the car will go to the highest bidder… if the bidding ends below the reserve, I’ll hang onto it. The amount of the reserve is not important... just bid what you are comfortable paying. Please don’t write and ask me the reserve price. Also, I don't want to trade for something you already have… I’m not interested in selling parts off of it… I’m selling the whole thing in one piece. There is NO Buy-it-Now price, and I won't end the auction early. Yes, really.
ABOUT BIDDING: Bidders with zero or very low feedback scores MUST EMAIL US when bidding to verify your bid... or your bid will automatically be removed. As a way of screening out deadbeat bidders, you must have a Paypal account to bid on this item... you do not have to pay with Paypal; it's just a screening process.
PLEASE BE SURE to have your finances in order before bidding. Ask your wife first, check your job stability, keep your children off the computer, call your mother and make sure she's healthy, don't drink and bid... I've heard it all already. We take a lot of time and effort to describe things properly and honestly... and we take your Ebay bid seriously, just as we take our obligation for an honest description seriously.
QUESTIONS? Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. Please also read the Frequently Asked Questions below, since your question may be answered here... of all the thousands of things we sell every year, vehicles generate the most questions... so we try to answer the most common ones below.
ALL the questions I receive and my answers will be posted right here on the bottom of this page for all the world to see, so everyone has the same information... you may want to keep this in mind when you ask your questions, especially if you feel like sending your name or phone number. Real questions I have had in the past such as "Can I buy just some parts?", "Is this used?" or "Do you want to trade for a street lamp?" have entertained many people.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions about our vehicle auctions:
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Q: I’m ridiculously cheap and I’d like to get this for much less than others are willing to pay you. I don’t want to bid against other people on Ebay who may bid more than me and I’m hoping you are an idiot. Do you have a Buy-it-Now price on this? Will you end the auction early?
A: We do not offer Buy-it-Now prices or end any auctions early. We don’t have a reason or incentive to do so.
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Q: What if I write and tell you I’d like to inspect this, just to get you to meet me there... and then I'll make an insulting cash offer. Would that be ok?
A: Don’t go there.
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Q: But if I really just want to inspect the thing before bidding and promise to behave myself, is a personal inspection ok?
A: Yes, of course.
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Q: I don't need everything... I just want one piece. Can you sell me just the one piece I want?
A: Now that’s just crazy. Why would we do that?
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Q: It’s the last hour of the auction. I have a list of about 143 questions I’d like answered immediately. Can I send these questions to you and expect answers to all my questions in a few milliseconds, since I expect you are hovering over the computer 24 hours a day?
A: Not really. My days are very busy just like yours. If you have questions about the vehicle, you should send them to me in plenty of time for me to get my email, check out the question, find the proper answer, and get back to you. This can take a day or two.
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Q: What’s your bottom line price? How much do you want for this thing?
A: The price is not determined by me... it's all up to you. If you like what you see, just go ahead and bid whatever you want to pay. If you are the high bidder at the close of the auction and meet or exceed my “reserve price”, it's yours. This is a real, honest auction with no baloney.
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Q: I’d like to take advantage of Ebay’s new feedback policy… you know, the one where the buyer can do whatever they want after winning the bid without any punishment or penalty for his actions, including things like disputing the bid price, asking for free bonus items, or disappearing into thin air. I may do all of the above. What are your thoughts?
A: Yes, it’s an interesting new approach to business by Ebay… taking the concept of “The customer is always right” to an insane level. Anyway, win the bid & pay your bill, get your vehicle and enjoy… and everyone’s happy.
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Q: What if I can’t pick it up within seven days?
A: This must be paid and removed within seven days because I have no room for storing vehicles here. However, I have a friend with a tow company and a storage yard who can move it and store it for you. He charges about $70 to move the vehicle and about $80 a month to keep it for you. Some of my previous buyers are storing their vehicles with Tom until they find a more convenient time to pick up. After you pay me within the seven days, I’ll send you all the paperwork, he’ll move it to his yard and all your future dealings will be with him.
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Q: I like this and want to bid, but I am a bit afraid of bidding on a thing I haven’t seen in person. What if it’s a piece of crap? What about the seller… I don’t even know who you really are? How can I be sure you aren’t a scam artist?
A: Actually, you have a lot of ways to be sure of things here. As far as the item, there are tons of pictures to show you all the important views and aspects of what you are considering buying. I have a little experience with selling vehicles on Ebay and try to take the best pictures I can based on what I think is important to the buyer. You can also come here and take a look at this item, or hire an outside inspection service to come and check it out for you, or maybe you know a friend who lives in the area… and I’d be glad to meet them for your inspection any time. As far as the seller, you should always click on the number near the seller’s name before purchasing anything on Ebay… this will give you the feedback history for the seller based on previous customer’s experience, and will tell you how long they’ve been selling on Ebay. In my case, you can also click on the little “ME” icon near my name and see a picture of me and some of my helpers, my address, phone number and other information about who you are dealing with. I am a real person with a real address who you can contact and confirm anything that concerns you.