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orbemnews · 3 years

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From the Charred Wreck of a Lamborghini, a D.I.Y. Supercar PORTLAND, Ore. — Under the rear hood of Chris Steinbacher’s Lamborghini Huracán sits a Chevy engine. Sure, it’s a twin turbo, and, yes, it pumps a menacing 900 horsepower to the wheels, but the pedigree is Detroit, not Italy. And the rest of the car was basically put together in Portland. Lamborghini purists may want to cover their eyes now. The left-for-dead Lambo is one of Mr. Steinbacher’s salvaged supercars. He bought it — what was left of it, anyway, after a fire burned it nearly in two — for $40,000, and it was delivered via forklift. (A new Huracán can approach $300,000, and Mr. Steinbacher’s now-tricked-out 2016 model hovers in that same stratosphere.) Parts for this resurrection cost about $50,000, a discounted total that he kept down with the help of sponsors on his YouTube channel, B Is for Build, which has close to 1.5 million subscribers. Flooded Ferraris and mangled McLarens are easily found on auction sites like Copart and Impact Auto Auctions. Most people playing in this realm work strictly with cash, Mr. Steinbacher said, although financing can sometimes be arranged. What happens after your wreck rolls off the delivery trailer is far more complicated, but with more money and dedication, a dream car may be within reach. A few years ago, Mr. Steinbacher was a senior software engineer with a desire to build unique sports cars. “I started around early 2015 knowing absolutely nothing about cars,” he said of his YouTube channel, where he learned as he went. “In January of 2017, the company I was making software for went out of business, and I continued doing YouTube full time.” When he learned he could buy salvaged supercars at a small fraction of the used market price, Mr. Steinbacher was “kind of hooked,” he said. He started to buy totaled cars and fixed them up in his backyard. Fixing cracked-up cars isn’t easy “unless you’re one hell of a gambler,” Mr. Steinbacher said. “The hunting part isn’t hard — anyone can Google around and find salvaged-car auction sites and find supercars on there.” Most times the car will require a shipment, however, and you might not see it in person, let alone get a test drive. “You’ve got six to 10 pictures to try and assess the extent of the damage and how much it’s going to cost to fix,” he said. This is a skill that can take years and many mistakes to master. “Eventually I turned a camera on to track my progress,” he said, “and started posting it on YouTube.” For a number of prominent rebuilders, YouTube is an essential source of know-how, and the ad revenue certainly doesn’t hurt. “I love working with my hands,” said Rich Benoit of Boston, whose channel is Rich Rebuilds. A computer science major in college, Mr. Benoit “kept working my way up to Teslas, Audis and now the BMW i8,” he said. “Supercar is a funny word,” Mr. Benoit added. “I’ve built many high-end cars, like Teslas, Audi RS7s, but the i8 is my first ‘supercar’ per se.” All have been built in his family’s garage. His personal favorite retrofit? Swapping a V-8 engine into a Tesla. There’s no formal definition for what gives a sports car superpowers, but, generally speaking, this class includes an automaker’s best specimens, in terms of design, power and abilities — and the all-important price tag. Bought after an accident, the salvage-titled carcass of the 2014 BMW i8 cost Mr. Benoit $28,000. After $10,000 of parts and countless hours of labor, his project is complete. Today in Business Updated April 7, 2021, 2:31 p.m. ET And the cost of the i8’s labor? That’s “leisure time and considered fun,” he said. Charging for his time is like “charging money to spend time with your kids.” Trading desks for dashboards, Mr. Steinbacher might not have known much about cars when he started, but he’s a quick study. He lost count after more than 50 rebuilds, he said, and has kept around 25 of them. His YouTube channel has helped fund his “car building addiction,” he said. He wouldn’t mind another day job, he added, “but simply more hours on the cars mean they get done quicker and I’m able to build more and crazier stuff.” Fixing up these cars can make dreams come true at a discount. If you have the skill or connections to get it done, they can cost far less than showroom-floor counterparts. In Clackamas, Ore., Wheel has worked on roughly 200 supercars during his nearly 20 years running Tommy’s Window Tinting. His clients have brought him Ferrari 488 Spiders and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMGs, and a crown jewel, a $2.8 million 1958 Corvette that will debut at this year’s Specialty Equipment Market Association show, known widely as SEMA. “You would probably end up getting your dream car for half the cost,” Mr. Saenz said. “But you would have to also come to the conclusion that you are getting a car that’s either salvaged or has been parted together.” For hobbyists like Mr. Benoit and Mr. Steinbacher, part of the allure is the thrill of the hunt. The mythical “barn find,” of discovering a dusty classic that just needs a deep cleaning? That would be far too easy. A key theme emerges when talking with the rebuilders: A supercar that has been in an accident will only invite more trouble if it’s not fixed properly. This hobby is as cash-intensive as it is labor-intensive. “There are a lot of corners you can cut,” Mr. Saenz said. “You don’t necessarily have to replace it with a factory part.” Once they’re road-ready, insuring a rebuilt supercar can be an interesting endeavor. “Liability insurance isn’t very hard,” Mr. Steinbacher said. “Most large automotive insurance companies won’t bat an eye at insuring a salvaged supercar.” Full coverage, however, can be a different story. Some insurance companies want to inspect the car to assess a value — owners need to agree — in case it gets totaled. Insurance is a gamble the builders take. Mr. Benoit, for instance, has never had a problem arranging full replacement value coverage. Mr. Saenz offers this advice to buyers: Research the seller and what you want to buy. “Hopefully they have a lot of money” for the project ahead, he said. All the effort in the garage can pay off. Mr. Steinbacher’s Huracán took three men working for five months before they revealed their Burntacan. The total outlay? Under $100,000. “It was a creative way to make double the stock horsepower for much less than half the cost of replacing the engine,” he said. Along with the LS Chevy V-8 engine and transmission swap, twin turbos and a custom carbon-fiber body rounded out his one-of-a-kind Lambo. To Mr. Steinbacher’s knowledge, no one had fashioned a manual-transmission Huracán before. Much less one that once looked as if it had hung over a campfire like a singed marshmallow. His next vision is to take a donated 2016 Huracán chassis and build it into a full-blown Mint 400 off-road racecar, “turning it into a purpose-built endurance desert racer,” he said. Source link Orbem News #charred #DIY #Lamborghini #supercar #Wreck

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poolealex1993-blog · 3 years

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iaa insurance auto auction portland oregon

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iaa insurance auto auction portland oregon

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Insurance Auto Auctions Invests in Innovation Hub

Insurance Auto Auctions Invests in Innovation Hub and the Automotive Maintenance Corporation of America, Inc., where we show you a picture of the product’s cost (for a car insurance policy), and what it uses to build the home. In short, it works as a marketplace. And there are many customers who want a better deal. Our goal at OZWIN has always been insurance for home and auto insurance customers. We’ve helped more people than ever, and we deserve it, so let us get you some of the best home policy rates in Pennsylvania. Home insurance is a form of coverage that is designed to help meet the financial and liability limits of property owners. Insurance is purchased and owned by individuals, businesses, and individual’s within a home or community property. Home insurance is often purchased without an individual, including an insurer, on its home, auto, or business property, or through association associations such as the AAA Board of Trustees. There are many different types of insurance coverage you can buy,.

IAA Launches Clear Title, Non-Insurance Auction Channel Brand at New Location in Portage Wisconsin

IAA Launches Clear Title, Non-Insurance Auction Channel Brand at New Location in Portage Wisconsin & Son & Son in Ohio State Farm Insurance is one of the best, most trusted and competitive insurance companies in America at a one-time price. Our primary goal is to help consumers understand its products by making sure all of the prices are fair. I would consider getting a company like the insurance companies, to better represent the company but it has been a very tough time. They were very loud, and very disrespectful of the company. They have had one customer in the last year who had auto/car insurance issues and couldn’t get them to pay for a claim because it was so bad in September and October, they just wanted to make money by paying out on their policy but my rate that month went lower after they took out my insurance policy. Marlie is a proud sister who started out as a farmer. Her father, Mark Mancuso, is a farmer in the Madison area. Her sister, Kathy, is a farmer.

Insurance Auto Auctions Adds Locations in Fort Worth, Des Moines

Insurance Auto Auctions Adds Locations in Fort Worth, Des Moines, and San Antonio, TX, This program is a free service of the insurance company, auto dealership and collector dealership (CAO) organizations. A dealership, museum, auditorium, or gallery may be covered by the dealership and you can use the dealer’s car insurance, whether or not you are renting or leasing your vehicle. However, you may be entitled to non-refunds of premium payments. At least four years is a reasonable minimum coverage requirement. It is also important to have the following coverages for any auto title, whether it is in a new vehicle, new title or just for one vehicle. You may wish to provide these items: The dealership will also issue a check or money bond and your policy will also include liability insurance for the dealership and other companies using your vehicle. In your contract with the dealer, make sure you have this policy, and at least the dealer is listed on the coverage. Many agents are available for both new and antique licenses. Your insurance.

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realestatedigitalsales · 4 years

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Why Assets Will Crash

Why Assets Will Crash

BY CHARLES HUGH SMITH The increasing concentration of the ownership of wealth/assets in the top 10% has an under-appreciated consequence: when only the top 10% can afford to buy assets, that unleashes an almost karmic payback for the narrowing of ownership, a.k.a. soaring wealth and income inequality: assets crash. Most of you are aware that the bottom 90% own very little other than their labor (tradeable only in full employment) and modest amounts of home equity that are highly vulnerable to a collapse of the housing bubble. (The same can be said of China’s middle class, only more so, as 75% of China’s household wealth is in real estate, more than double the percentage of wealth held in housing in U.S. households.) As the chart illustrates, the top 10% own 84% of all stocks, over 90% of all business equity and over 80% of all non-home real estate. The concentration of ownership of assets such as vintage autos, collectibles, art, pleasure craft and second homes in the top 10% is likely even greater. The more expensive the asset, the greater the concentration of ownership, as the top 5% own roughly 2/3 of all wealth, the top 1% own 40% and the top 0.1% own 20%. In other words, the more costly the asset, the narrower the ownership. Total number of U.S. households is about 128 million, so the top 5% is around 6 million households and the top 1% is 1.2 million households. This means the pool of potential buyers is relatively small, even if we include global wealth owners. Since price is set on the margins, and assets like houses are illiquid, then we can anticipate all the markets for assets owned solely by the wealthy to go bidless — yachts, collectibles, vacation real estate — because the pool of buyers is small, and if that pool gets cautious due to a drop in net worth/unearned income, there won’t be any buyers except at the margins, at incredible discounts. As we know, in a neighborhood of 100 homes currently valued at $1 million each, when a desperate seller accepts $500,000, the value of the other 99 homes immediately drops to $500,000. Since few of the current bubble-era asset valuations are supported by actual income fundamentals, then the sales price boils down to a very small number of potential buyers and what they’re willing to pay. Houses have a value based on rent, of course, but rents will drop very quickly for the same reason: prices are set on the margins. The most desperate landlords will drop rents and re-set the rental market from the margins. If demand plummets (which it will as people can no longer afford rents in hot urban markets once they lose their jobs), then vacancies will soar and rents will crash as a few desperate landlords will take $1200/month instead of $2500/month. Due to the multi-year building boom of multi-family buildings in hot job markets which inevitably leads to an oversupply once the boom ends, there are now hundreds of vacancies where there were once only a few dozen, and thousands where there were previously only hundreds. As millions of wait staff, bartenders, etc. who made good money in tips find their jobs have vanished, all the urban hotspots will see mass out-migration: Seattle, Portland, the S.F. Bay Area, L.A., NYC, Denver, etc. as demand for rentals will evaporate and rents will be set on the margins by the most desperate landlords. Everyone holding out for the previous bubble-era rent will have $0 income as their units are vacant. Tech start-ups and Unicorns are melting like ice cubes in Death Valley, and tech-sector layoffs are already in the tens of thousands. This wave of highly paid techies losing their jobs will become a tsunami, further reducing the pool of people who can afford rents of $2,500 to $3,000 for a studio or one-bedroom apartment. The concentration of ownership generates a self-reinforcing feedback that further depresses prices: since the top 10% own most of the assets of the nation, they are most prone to a reversal of “the wealth effect.” As their assets soared in value, the top 10% felt wealthier and more confident in future gains, enabling them to borrow and spend freely on second homes, pleasure craft, new vehicles, collectibles, luxury travel, etc. Once even one class of assets plummets in value–for example, the recent decline in the stock market — the wealth effect reverses and the top 10% feel poorer and less confident about future gains, and thus less enthused about borrowing and spending. The demand for other costly assets quickly evaporates, further reducing the wealth of the “ownership class,” which further reduces their desire and ability to buy bubble-era assets. The high-priced assets owned by the top 10% will be the assets least in demand due to their high cost and potential for enormous losses: nothing loses value faster in a recession that narrowly owned assets such as vintage cars, art, vacation homes, yachts, etc. Once assets start sliding in value, the reverse wealth effect quickly dries up demand for all asset classes with narrow ownership. Since these assets are illiquid — that is, the market for them is thin, with buyers few and far between–the prices are set by a very shallow pool of buyers and desperate sellers. Consider a pleasure craft that retails new for $120,000. In the boom era of rising stocks and housing, a used boat might fetch $65,000. But as the wealth of the small pool of households able to buy and maintain a costly craft evaporates, the number of qualified buyers evaporates, too. The seller might be aghast by an offer of $35,000 and reject it angrily. Six months later, he’s praying someone will take it off his hands for $15,000, and in another six months, he’ll accept $500 just to get out from underneath the insurance, slip-rental and licencing fees. This is how it happens that boats that were once worth tens of thousands of dollars are set adrift by owners who can no longer afford to pay slip fees, and vacation homes are abandoned and auctioned off for overdue property taxes: the market for these luxuries dries up and blows away, i.e. goes bidless — there are no buyers at any price. Once housing and real estate valuations fall, that will trigger a decline in the value of all other costly, narrowly owned assets, which will reinforce the reverse wealth effect. This is the systemic payback for concentrating ownership of assets in the hands of the few: when their bubble-era priced assets plummet in value, the bottom falls out of all assets with narrow ownership. The price of superfluous assets such as boats, vintage cars, collectibles, art and vacation homes can quickly fall to a fraction of bubble-era valuations, destroying much of what was always fictional capital. The Federal Reserve reckons it can “save” the bubble-era valuations of junk bonds by being the “buyer of last resort,” but it will end up being the “only buyer,” effectively making the system even more fragile and prone to collapse. The public will eventually have to decide if the nation’s central bank should be bailing out assets owned by the financial elite while the upper-middle class watches its assets collapse in value. Regards, Charles Hugh Smith for The Daily Reckoning Read more https://global.goreds.today/real-estate-reverse-wealth-effect-looms-as-global-housing-bubble-pops/ Read the full article

#WhyAssetsWillCrash

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cvauto · 4 years

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2019 Mazda CX-5 from @copart1982 Portland Oregon to Rancho Cordova < Nationwide shipping from all major auction - contact us for a free quote or visit our website cvautotransport.com 👈👈 📲 516.400.6088 < #nationwide #shipping #logistics #trucking #trucker #work #broker #dispatch #business #auto #car #mazda #cx5 #carshipping #autotransport #company #entrepreneur #followus #followme #getshipdone (at Portland, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7urYnzAHJo/?igshid=17hic3x2oh4s

#nationwide #shipping #logistics #trucking #trucker #work #broker #dispatch #business #auto #car #mazda #cx5 #carshipping #autotransport #company #entrepreneur #followus #followme #getshipdone

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trebarobota · 5 years

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Customer Servise Associate/Account Manager ClearVin LLC Company Overview: We are a dynamically growing Portland-based company with global ambitions. Our state-of-the-art e-commerce platform has made us a recognized leader in the auto auction industry, serving thousands of members throughout the globe.

#Житомир

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speedsautoauction · 9 months

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As a savvy car buyer, you may have noticed the growing trend of online car auctions. These platforms offer a massive selection of vehicles that you can bid on from the comfort of your own home. But are they worth it? Read our most recent blog post about the rise of online car auctions and if they are a good deal.

#Auto Auction Portland #Auction Lake Oswego #Auto Auction Gresham #Car Auction Lake Oswego

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modelcars24 · 3 months

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CMC Porsche 904 Carrera GTS Pebble Beach Auction 2017, #42 M-234

CMC Porsche 904 Carrera GTS Pebble Beach Auction 2017, #42 M-234 CMC Porsche 904 Carrera GTS Pebble Beach Auction 2017, #42. M-234 Hochwertiges Sammlermodell im Maßstab 1:18. Laut Geburtsurkunde des Fahrzeugs mit der Fahrgestellnummer 904-042 wurde dieses im März 1964 in Silbermetallic mit blauer Velourspolsterung hergestellt. Dieses Fahrzeug war eines von 24, das in diesem Jahr in die USA exportiert wurden. Es wurde ursprünglich an Reviere Motors von Knute Qvale in Portland, Oregon, verkauft. Der neue 904 GTS wurde für den Renneinsatz mit Mike Eyerly oder Gary Wright am Steuer eingesetzt. Während der gesamten Rennsaison 1964 fuhren sie 904-042 zu mehreren Siegen und Podiumsplätzen. Folgende Erfolge erzielten die beiden im Jahr 1964: USRRC-GT Kent: 5. Gesamtrang, 1. Platz in der Klasse; Westwood Players’ Pacific: 3. Gesamtrang, 2. Platz in der Klasse; Portland International Raceway GT-Rennen: 1. Platz; Portland International Raceway Rose Cup: 1. Platz; SCCA Regional Oregon Production vom Juni 1964: 1. Platz; SCCA Regional Oregon Production vom Juli 1964: 1. Platz; SCCA Regional Oregon Modified: 2. Platz; SCCA Divisional Kent: 2. Platz; und SCCA Regional Oregon Production vom Oktober 1954: 3. Platz. Nach seiner erfolgreichen Debütsaison wurde 904-042 mit einem Racing-Update-Kit für 1965 versehen. Dieses Paket beinhaltete unter anderem einen neuen 587/3-Motor (Nummer 99156) mit spezieller Nockenwelle, Megafon-Auspuff und ein extrem schnelles und leistungsfähiges Motoröl-Bypass-System nach Le Mans-Spezifikation. Mike Eyerly fuhr bis Juli 1965 erfolgreich Rennen auf 904-042, ehe der Wagen dann an den Rennfahrer Wade Carter aus der Region Nordwest Pazifik verkauft wurde. Mit 904-042 belegte Carter 1965 den 5. Platz in der Pacific Coast Meisterschaft der SCCA und gewann 1966 sowohl die Oregon- als auch die Northwest SCCA Production Meisterschaften. Er fuhr das Auto sogar bis 1967 weiter und gewann zwei Rennen in Kent. Nachdem Wade Carter 1967 904-042 zum Verkauf angeboten hatte, wechselte das Fahrzeug mehrmals den Besitzer, bevor Jeffrey Keiner aus Orlando, Florida, es um 1983 herum erwarb. Als aktiver Oldtimer-Rennfahrer war Keiner auch ein ernstzunehmender Sammler mit beeindruckender Porsche-Sammlung. Nach einer Komplettrestaurierung und Lackierung des Autos im heute noch vorhandenen Rot-Silber, nahm Keiner mit diesem 904 an zahlreichen Oldtimerrennen und Concours-Events in den USA teil. Dazu Keiner: „904-042 ist in seiner jetzigen Form absolut authentisch. Der Wagen wurde häufig bei historischen Concours ausgestellt und ist auf der Oldtimer-Rennstrecke sehr bekannt. Das Auto ist nicht nur für Rennen hergerichtet, es befindet sich in jeder Beziehung in perfektem Zustand und hat viele Shows und Auszeichnungen gewonnen, darunter den Montique Thomas Tieneer's Award für seine perfekte Technik, die Peter Gregg Memorial Trophy, First in Class beim Meadow Brook Concours d´Elegance, drei Mal in Folge First in Class beim Chicago Historic Races Concours, Gewinner des Chesrown Concours Award bei den Mid-Ohio Historic Races und war auch bei vielen Oldtimer- und historischen Rennveranstaltungen First in Class.“ 904-042 ist ein beeindruckendes zeitgenössisches Wettbewerbsfahrzeug und genießt unter Markenspezialisten hohes Ansehen. #exoto #autoart #tecnomodel #F1 #lemans #diecast #diecaster #diecastcars #diecastcollector #diecastphotography #modelcars #giftforhim #giftfordad #Christmas #bbr #frontiart #cmc #luxury #collectorsitem Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel

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ffuckthesepeople · 5 years

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Monthly Public Auction

Portland, Oregon heavy equipment auction on Friday, September 27th, 2019 at 8:30am. Find industrial equipment and autos for sale at Bar None ... from Google Alert - Heavy Equipment https://ift.tt/2ZTZYAD

#Heavy Equipment Rental #Google Alert - Heavy Equipment

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rjbailey · 5 years

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Reposted from @mecum_auctions - Take in that view. ... 1968 Pontiac Firebird // LS3/550 HP, Automatic ... Mecum Portland Lot S84 ... #Pontiac #Firebird #PontiacFirebird #Custom #CustomBuild #RestoMod #LSSwap #MuscleCar #ClassicCar #MecumPortland #Portland #PDX #Mecum #MecumAuctions #WhereTheCarsAre #Car #Auction #Auto #CarLifestyle #Drive #DriveTastefully #CarsWithoutLimits #CarsOfInstagram #CarPhotography - #regrann https://www.instagram.com/p/Byu3Cm4lKJw/?igshid=bymdavppfrxh

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jrgarcia · 7 years

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What’s the Gambler 500? It’s a Road Trip Rally

“It’s not a race, it’s a challenge.” A quote taken from 1976 film the Gumball Rally. Let me set the record straight that the Gambler 500 is NOT, I repeat, not a race or a timed event. This is a navigation rally designed to show you the Oregon landscape while having road trip fun in a wacky car with friends. The gamble comes from showing up to the start line in whatever, road legal, vehicle you can piece together that can survive 500 miles over a two day event. The Gambler 500 is Wacky Racers meets Family Vacation at the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mons. A motoring event unlike anything you’ve seen.

Team Rabid Beaver aka Red Beaver

How I ended up in Portland, Oregon on the eve of the Gambler 500 is a story that took a year in the making. It all started when I randomly came across a Facebook video clip of last year’s Gambler 500. It showed a bunch of wild cars and trucks being taken off road with big smiles all around. It looked fun. I shared it saying I would add it to my bucket list. One friend agreed, and meant it. Jeremy Mahovlich, a friend, fellow auto writer, mini truck aficionado, and general car nut from Vancouver, Canada. He was actually one of the first people I asked for advice on how to get into the automotive media racket in 2014.

At the start of 2017 he tagged me on another Gambler video asking if we should actually do this rally. I said yes, but in the same way friends agree that they should open a bar together. Sincere but with no real plan to actually go through with it. Wishful thinking. I didn’t think I would actually be at this event until he showed me the photos of the car he and Ron Kertesz, Rabid Beaver Co-driver, had bought at the auction. Soon as I saw the car in Jeremy’s driveway I started looking for flights.

The Red Beaver is a 2002 Ford Focus ZX3 hatchback with a 5-speed manual and that Jeremy picked up for $600 bucks. After a mild tune up of new spark plugs, fluids, and an air filter the car was given spacers to add ground clearance. The wheels were painted white and an Amazon Prime ordered light bar was dressed on the grille. Jeremy and Ron created a spoof livery on the Red Bull rally car of the same era. (Points for creativity!) I had no idea how the car was going to look until I saw at 11 pm the night before the race. Seeing my name on a professional looking rally car was a really good feeling.

A Symphony of Misfires

The start of the rally was a symphony of sputtering exhausts pipes, squeaky fan belts, and rough idling engines. Hood slams echoed as gamblers pushed their heaps to the start line. This was the 4th running of the Gambler. In previous years attendance was small. Around 40 teams entered last year, but thanks to social media a record setting 300 was expected to show up at the Portland Meadows horse track to start gambling. We arrived at 8 am and saw that over 700 teams had showed up! Unpresented and unplanned.

Teams ranged from chump cars and junkers to full builds and customs. Everything on wheels was represented at the event. AMC Eagles, lifted Crown Vics, a JDM Firetruck, 70s land yachts and wagons, limos, Pontiac Fieros, a white hearse, smokey motorcycles, ex-food trucks, vans, muscle cars, Jeeps and Subarus, and a $600 Toyota Prius! Our unofficial celebrity guest was Fred Williams, editor-at large for Peterson’s 4-Wheel & Off-road and host of Dirt Everyday, who showed up in a wicked 4×4 Dodge Tradesman.

Fred William’s Far Out 4×4 Dodge Tradesman

When Team Rabid Beaver set off it was 11 am and we were the 721th car to leave the starting point. We were given a paper with a list of GPS coordinates to different way points along the way towards the overnight checkpoint. Each waypoint ranged in road difficulty. Easy ones were just off the highway. Median way points involved dirt roads and pot holes. The most hardcore off road waypoints were appropriately named “Satan’s B***hole” in terms of difficulty. These required ATV permits. Vehicles that could handle rock climbing.

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There were only two rules in the rally, “If you aren’t having fun, go find some!” And “Always be Gamblin!” Enjoy the fun of being the weirdest convoy on the road. Driving through small towns like a herd of renegades in vehicular cosplay. Playing on the CB to live out your Cannonball Run day dreams while following the unwritten rule of stopping if you see a fellow Gambler on the side of the road. Big feeling of comradery among us as Gamblers. We were all here to have fun and nearly everyone was a first timer so we all shared the experience.

The Gambler 500 was sponsored by NAPA auto parts which gave Gamblers a 10% discount during the race. Also, the Gambler is not a race so you don’t need to wear crash helmets or invest in a 5 point safety harness. Only things required on gambler vehicles is for it to be road legal and a CB radio for emergencies since cellphone signal can be dicey in the Oregon country side.

Woodstock for Oil Burners

The overnight checkpoint for the rally was a ski lodge near the city of Sister, Oregon, named Hoodoo (Who-doo). By the time the Red Beaver arrived the ski lodge was completely full and we had to park in the street along with several dozen other Gambler teams.

Hoodoo entrance gate

The scene was wild. Crazy cars littered the parking lot with tents and camps set up around them. Alcohol vendors were on the scene handing out samples and by 10 pm everyone was holding at least one sudsy beverage in their hand. Live music echoed as we walked the grounds checking out the cars and observing the crowd. Guns, cars, and music was the only topics of conversation. No politics, no current events. Nothing annoying. There was even a city bus that had been converted into a mobile Tattoo parlor that was opened for business.

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What amazed me was that we had over 800 vehicles, with 3 or more people per vehicle. At least 90% of us were new to the event with drinks flowing freely. I didn’t sleep at all that night, mostly because I didn’t prepare for winter conditions in July. Spending the night freezing allowed me to listen and observe the campgrounds. Were we loud? Of course! But all you could hear was talking and laughter. No fighting, no shouting, no foul language echoing in the distance, no dangerous burnouts, and no cops. It was surreal seeing such a diverse group of people spending the night together and getting along. No drama, just civil fun with beer breathe.

Naturally the restrooms were a mess but what do you expect? A few wild cards started setting off fireworks but were quickly shut down (Smokey the Bear didn’t approve). Others who brought bikes were riding up and down the ski slopes in the darkness. A few college kids dancing on the hoods of cars. The point is that all these people showed up and nobody got hurt, nobody was offended, and nobody’s car caught on fire. The planets were aligned in the Gambler’s favor that night.

By 2am most had gone to sleep except for a few dozen huddled around the bonfire. The band had called it a night and allowed anyone to grab an instrument and jam. I couldn’t sleep so I stood listening to the group of strangers play together. They played tunes that reminded me of Link Wray and Dick Dale. Surfer music, exhaustion, and the few beers I had made for some essential thinking while looking up at the stars in the moonless Oregon sky.

Junkers for a Good Cause

The end of the rally was back at Portland Meadows were it began. All cars were able to cross the finish line and park in the horse track infield to create the most outrageous looking parking lot. Once we were all here the awards were given out. This year’s winner was given to a man who visited all the waypoints in a $500 Honda 500cc motorcycle that he put together days before the rally started.

The cherry on top of the Gambler 500 sundae is the auction held after the awards. At the end of the rally anyone who wants to sell their ride can do so at the auction and 100% of the money goes towards the Children’s Cancer Association. How awesome is that? Anyone who buys a gambler car will have an automatic entry for next year’s rally.

Sold for $500

Ramblin for Next Year’s Gamblin

I was able to talk briefly to T. Cole, founder and organizer for the Gambler 500. My main question for him was how they planned to control the number of Gamblers for next year. A large attendance was a great surprise but things could have quickly gotten out of hand. No secret that we were lucky this year. Cole couldn’t give me a definitive answer but I assume that ticket sales to partake in the rally will be in order next year. Money will be the factor that separates the real Gamblers from the trouble makers. The Gambler 500 is not a Gumball 3000 or Cannonball Run. They want this to be a family friendly event that focuses on fun and not speed.

I was able to talk to Fred Williams and ask him for a quote on this event. His answer was as accurate as it was funny.

“The Gambler 500 is all the people waiting to be extras in the next Mad Max movie.”

After spending 2 days looking at some of these creative rides I can certainly agree with him. Everyone was friendly and everyone I talked to was excited to do this again next year. Jeremy, Ron, and I spent most of the time on the road thinking of theme ideas for next year. What kind of car? Livery and costume ideas? How will one decision impact the other? Best road game ever. Check out the Gambler 500’s FB page to see more content and vides of this year’s gamble.

Below is a gallery of some of the Rides from the Gambler 500.

The Battleship Lincoln

Original drivetrain and chassis, slightly modified of course

Used to be a 1999 Crown Vic

Used to be a 1970 Cadillac

$600, owner just removed all fuses and added a skid plate

Miniature Dog Van

1941 Dodge Power Wagon Weapon’s Carrier. All original!

Beastie Boys Cosplay

Mighty MG

“If you ain’t first….”

Fancia, Get it?

It’s a Pontiac Fiero dressed up like a Lancia Stratos

Mary Kay Special

“Make Mexico Great Again”

My favorite decal of the entire event.

Gambler 500 is officially an international event.

These guys used the Gambler 500 as a company retreat. Are they hiring?

Not your typical hair dresser’s car

No idea, but I want one.

A mail truck Jeep!

Discount Roadkill Muscle Truck

Good Old Truck

Only Suzuki represented

Long live the Crown Vic

Reminded me of 80’s NASCAR

This Cheby was wraped in printed Duct Tape

Looked as if the internet had vomited on this thing.

A Pontiac Bonneville dressed to look like the T/A Trans Am

Get It?

Great name for a Crown Vic

Breakdown lane to the Danger Zone

Team Suburbia

Moon Buggy Scoobie

“This is a van”

An International Pickup, these are getting rare.

Crown Vics were a favorite vehicle of choice at the G500

AMC Eagles!

A Brown 70’s Olds, love it.

a JDM fire truck

Left hand drive

Canadian Mopar

Wizard Van

The OJ Special

An Olds Cutlass

Imagine seeing this heard in your rear view

Mad Max Mustang

Mark 5 Mercury Wagon

I called it the Mercury 5

A hearse, because of course

I want one

Honda hatchback

Mods

These 2 Camaros drove all the way from the East Coast to be here

Costumes are encouraged

Strongly encouraged

AMC Eagles, may they live on

This Dodge looked ready for the Baja 500

Push

This food truck reject was sold at the auction for $400