Old cars up for auction

Bidders on Tuesday attend an auction of old cars and car parts from the estate of former Buena Park contractor Gerald Willits, who died in 2014. Willits had two competing wills and the question of who is the beneficiary of his estate is being tackled in court.

Jay Skinner from Long Beach sits in the front seat of a 1950 Ford truck before bidding on some old radiators and a tractor from a collection of cars and car parts up for auction in Santa Ana.

Prospective buyers place bids Tuesday at an auction of old cars and car parts from the estate of former Buena Park contractor Gerald Willits, who died in 2014.

Prospective bidders in Santa Ana on Tuesday check out some of the collectible cars up for auction from the estate of former contractor Gerald Willits of Buena Park.

An experimental airplane is among the 69 items up for auction from the estate of former contractor Gerald Willits in Santa Ana on Tuesday.

Prospective buyers check their lists before placing bids on some of the collectible cars up for auction in Santa Ana on Tuesday.

Rust is part of the charm of the old, “barn-find” vehicles among the collectible cars and parts that went up for auction in Santa Ana on Tuesday.

The hand-crank on a vintage Ford may look a little rusty, but that was part of the appeal for some prospective bidders at an auction of collectible cars and parts in Santa Ana on Tuesday.

Rust is part of the charm of old, “barn-find” vehicles such as this Mercedes Benz, which was among the items up for auction in Santa Ana on Tuesday.

Prospective bidders check under the hood of one of the cars that went up for auction in Santa Ana on Tuesday.