[ bird calling ] im jamie colby, and today, im in south west florida, driving through the marshy flatwoods outside punta gorda. You know, not every strange inheritance offers unexpected riches. Sometimes it can bring on a massive, screeching headache and a huge mess to clean up. Im lauri caron. In 2005, i inherited an exotic zootype Wildlife Sanctuary from my husband and continues to be wild every single day. [ lion roars ] [ birds chirping ] hi, lauri. Hi. Im jamie. Nice to meet you, jamie. Great to meet you, too, at this animal retirement home . Yes, its pretty much like a nursing home retirement village. Were not talking about kitty cats or puppies. I heard a roar already. Can i take a look . Absolutely. Come on. As lauri gives me a behindthescenes tour, i catch a glimpse of the 100plus creatures that currently live at the octagon Wildlife Sanctuary. [ lion growls ] clearly, the sound of feeding day. Yes. In the air. Yes, absolutely. Lauri tells me every animal here is a rescue, at one time abused or abandoned, that would otherwise be euthanized. Animals like lily, a black leopard saved from a closeddown breeding zoo, are given a second lease on life. Look at her eyes. Shes beautiful. Isnt she beautiful . [ black leopard purring ] is she purring at me . Yeah, shes purring right now. Or growling . Right now, thats a purr. And this is onyx, an abused bengal tiger lauri personally rescued five years ago. They used him as a photography baby. They were gonna euthanize him. Onyx was malnourished as a cub and continues to struggle with painful swelling and digestive issues. Hes now fed a special diet to help reduce the side effects. I just hope tv host isnt on todays menu. You want to be very safe. Watch his mouth and watch your fingers at all times. Note that i have 10 fingers starting, okay . And i still have mine after 22 years, so, you know oh, then im good. Im good. The first one ill do, kind of watch me here. Sure. Bones and all . Bones and all. Okay, my turn. Aww. And now, if you want, just start throwing the rest in there. Lauri assures me that her fences exceed state and federal codes, which is comforting when its the only thing between you and a 500pound hungry tiger. Onyx. Im youre new best friend. Hey, the way to an animals heart is through their stomach. Kind of like guys. Yeah. So, you have 100 animals like this . Yes. Absolutely, and each one of these animals has a story of what they went through. And so does lauri. 26 years old and just divorced, she relocates from illinois to southwest florida in 1993. A few weeks later, she shows up at octagon as a volunteer. When i first walked through the gates, i never looked back. Its then that lauri first takes note of the sanctuarys 54yearold, eccentric owner and founder, pete caron. Kevin shirley was petes attorney and friend for over 15 years. He was a unique character. People recognized him by his hat and by his gruff voice. We use like 26,000 lbs. Of chicken or beef every six weeks. You know, thats just the chicken and beef part. Thats not all the rest of it. He was never too busy to stop and talk about his animals. This was his life. Right here. Come right here. I need to get some love. Like lauri, pete also migrated south in search of a fresh start. Back in 1970, the former air force pilot and his retired father move here from New Hampshire and buy 10 acres of secluded, undeveloped land. As they ponder what to do with the property, fate comes knocking with big, hairy paws. He started it, basically, with a couple of bears. Florida wildlife officials come across two adult brown bears in a brokendown trailer but not just any bears. These were actors left behind after filming wrapped on the hit tv series gentle ben. The state considers euthanizing them, until pete steps in. Pete, whod worked at a Wildlife Sanctuary a few years before, now figures hell start his own. He tells state officials, ill take those bears. Within 72 hours, pete and his father have an enclosure built and lure the bears into the cage with a blueberry pie. Pete is soon licensed to handle exotic animals and becomes the goto guy in southwest florida when creatures are abandoned or removed from homes. Lenny barshinger worked as a state fish wildlife investigator for 27 years. Over that time, he brought more than 60 animals to the sanctuary. Whyd you pick here . At that time, there was no place in in Collier County that i could take the animals to. What kind of reaction did you get when youd call pete and say, i got a lion, a tiger, an elephant . It didnt matter what time of the day or night, he would be there, ready to help. I feel like im the ugliest surrogate mother in the world. But pete does not exactly have a business plan. He solicits donations and even resorts to scouring dumpsters for food. So, why did he do it . He just had a real, real care for the animals. If he ever had to put an animal down, he was genuinely upset. When you feed and care for an animal like this for six or seven years and then you lose them, you know, its its you cant describe the loss of a friend. But pete doesnt share the same love for the state and federal wildlife agents checking to see that the animals are okay and the public is protected. He quickly becomes known as a loudmouthed cowboy whos difficult to control. What was his reputation . A wild man. Was he a guy that played by the rules . Um. No. [ chuckles ] did pete have a problem with the government . He thought some of their rules were silly. So he would challenge the silly rules. Challenge is putting it lightly. When pete has had enough with the inspectors, hes known to tap his holstered gun and say, i think were done here for today. Was he a bully . He wasnt a bully, but he was very forceful. It was his way or the highway, basically. Petes abrasive attitude results in some inspectors being particularly tough on the sanctuary. We would end up in court from time to time over minor events. A water pan in a lions cage was dirty, or the food in the freezer was not raised off the floor. When you walked into court with pete, did any of the judges faces say, oh, here we go again . Well, yes. One that just shook his head and thought that the government was kept picking on pete. Whether theyre nitpicking or not, the sanctuary isnt without incident. Any animals ever escape . Back years ago, we had hippos out in our front pond, and one time, one of em decided to take a walk. After busting through the sanctuarys fencing, the hippo finds its way to a nearby swimming pool. The shocked Neighbor Calls authorities, claming a dinosaur had taken over her backyard. Pete quickly gets the animal back home before any damage is done. But as much as pete ignored and even battled government officials, they turn to him when an animals in trouble. It sounds like you and pete. Butted heads a bit. Was it worth it . Oh, absolutely. We need places like this rather than to go ahead and to euthanize them. There is someone who wants to tame pete that passionate volunteer from illinois. We were actually doing a lot of rescuing together, and it seemed to work really well, and then we decided, yeah, lets take it another step. [ laughs ] despite their 28year age difference and the fact that pete is twice divorced with three adult children, lauri and pete decide to start dating. Then a Health Crisis throws the future of this wildlife refuge into doubt. He says, my kids will sell this place, and the animals will be euthanized, and that will be it. That is, unless pete can find another heir. Was it a real marriage, or was it a marriage of convenience to save the sanctuary . [ sighs ] thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. Iswhy is ambition respected in men and criticized in women . Is it. We may think ambition in women is a good thing, but because of a lifetime of cultural stereotypes, we react negatively. Thats unconscious bias. But can unconscious bias really limit womens success . Well, when asked to draw a leader, the vast majority of people both men and women draw a man. When we imagine positions of power, we erase women from the picture. Today, only 5 percent of ceos are women. Its time to challenge cultural stereotypes and outmoded mindsets. The world is a better place when we support one anothers ambitions, whatever they may be. Together, lets. Question the biases that hold people back. Voice our ambition proudly, without apology. Model ambition for our sons and daughters. Our ambition is to challenge double standards to help achieve womens equality. Whats yours . Im mindy kaling and i embrace ambition. So. Its a, tigers. As many as 7,000 tigers are kept as pets in the u. S. While only 3,000 are found in the wild. For decades, pete carons octagon Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the top spots in florida for abused and neglected animals. Along with his most trusted volunteer and girlfriend, lauri, the pair take in animals that would otherwise be euthanized, like these former performance bears. The previous owner that had them was actually training them with a lead pipe. Lauri uses a gentler training tool doughnuts. One of my volunteers actually taught him some sign language. Really . And. To the point of where, if he was hungry for a sweet, he would actually let you know when hes ready for how . With this little gesture of please. Lets see if i have the magic touch, too. Oh, that was sign language for doughnut, please. Yes. I think im getting the hang of this. You are doing well. Look, i still have 10. [ laughs ] but things arent going so well for the sanctuary in the year 2000, when pete, now in his 60s, is diagnosed with coronary heart disease. The crisis forces pete to think about what will happen to his beloved sanctuary when hes gone. He says, my kids will sell this place, and the animals will be euthanized, and that will be it. While pete doesnt bother with a will, he does have a plan. He wants to make lauri his legal heir and put octagons fate in her hands. He just says, hey, you want to get married . We really have a lot in common with this place, wanting to keep the place going, and i said, absolutely. So, what did pete give you as an engagement gift an orangutan . [ laughs ] you would think. Pete and lauri marry in may 2002. Was it a real marriage, or was it a marriage of convenience to save the sanctuary . [ sighs ] i think it was more a marriage of convenience. I had the experience. I had all the licensing. There was definitely love and respect there, but we knew at that point. Anybody else would come in and try to demolish his dream and mine cause it had become mine, too. In june 2003, petes health worsens, and he undergoes triplebypass surgery. He actually was in the hospital for about a total of maybe two, three months. Lauri takes over daytoday operations of the sanctuary. Its then that she starts to sense the challenges that lie ahead. I think i always knew there was gonna be a lot of trouble when he passed just cause of the way that he would always handle things with fish and wildlife. Pete has earned a reputation with government officials as confrontational and hostile. Wildlife inspectors will even show up with police escorts. They felt that their life was in danger sometimes the inspectors. And not cause of the animals. Mnhmnh, but of pete. They cite octagon time and time again. Whether theyre being hard on him or not, lauri tells pete he isnt helping. I said, somebody else is gonna have to deal with the messes that you are deciding here, and he goes, let it be somebody elses problem. Im like, hello . [ laughs ] im like, but thats gonna be me. On may 9, 2005, pete dies in lauris arms. Hes 66 years old. Overnight, lauri becomes the leader of the octagon pack her strange inheritance. That was when the anger just hit, you know, right away. Anger . Just, i wasnt ready for him to go at that point. I think it was also fear because i knew. Okay, here comes the test. Lauri is determined to carry on petes work, but its going to be much harder than she ever thought. We were one hour away from losing octagon completely. Thats next. Heres another quiz question for you. The answer in a moment. These elderly jews have taken the bus from across the city to come to this fellowship distribution spot and get food that they cant afford. sorrowful music [announcer] there is an emergency food crisis for elderly Holocaust Survivors in the former soviet union. [yael] this is a crisis. These elderly Holocaust Survivors are struggling to survive. Theyre starving, have little money for food, electricity or medicine. [announcer] just 25 provides one needy elderly holocaust survivor in the former soviet union with a special emergency food package that contains a note saying its from christians and jews in america who want to bless them. Call now. Please call the number on your screen. In ukraine, theres no support network. They dont have food cards or neighbors that come in to help. Theyre turning to us because they have nowhere else to turn. The bible teaches blessed is he whose help is in the god of jacob. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. [announcer] these special passover food packages represent a gift of life for destitute, elderly jews in the former soviet union. Just 25 provides one elderly holocaust survivor with a special emergency food package. Call right now. Please call the number on your screen. [yael] what i pray is that you wont turn your eyes, but you will look at their suffering and your heart will be changed. [announcer] we pray that god will move upon your heart and send an emergency gift of just twenty five dollars so that we can help more frail and lonely elderly Holocaust Survivors in the former soviet union before its too late. sorrowful music has you covered withe fast, reliable internet. Finity with advanced security to help keep you secure online. And with the most tv shows, movies and streaming apps all in one place. With simple Digital Tools you can get the help you need or even trouble shoot your services on your own. Download the xfinity my account app or just say help into your xfinity voice remote. We are working to make things a little easier on everyone. Download the xfinity my account app today. [ birds calling ] so. Its c, hippopotamus. They appear to be gentle grazers, but hippos are highly aggressive and have been known to attack humans without provocation. After her husband petes death in 2005, lauri caron is struggling to run the florida Wildlife Sanctuary, with more than 200 animals, that he left behind. Money is tight, and relationships with state and federal inspectors strained. Pete didnt always make friends doing this. No, he burned a lot of bridges. Within days of petes funeral, lauri is already feeling the heat. Octagon is hit with a surprise visit from the u. S. Department of agriculture, which enforces standards of care and treatment for animals exhibited to the public. The Authorities Say that lauri must fix conditions that put the public and the animals in danger. She thinks theyre just are out for blood after years of butting heads with pete. One inspector, hes like, if you dont get your fence fixed, im closing you now. Its a fence that they had been okaying for 30 years. Lauri frantically seeks out donations so she can build a new fence. But her problems only get worse when she digs through octagons paperwork. Lauri comes across four years worth of property tax bills unpaid. He left you with a mess. He did. Yeah, he did. The amount due is 7,400 money lauri doesnt have in the bank. Im thinking, what do we do . I didnt go through everything all those years prior to that to just give up. With lauri unable to cover the taxes, octagon board member sherry pate and her husband graciously offer to cover the debt. When they arrive at the courthouse. We laid down the property taxes, and the woman said, well, thats funny. We just sent this over to the lawyer yesterday. County officials are about to put the property up for auction. But finally, a stroke of luck. They hadnt yet gotten to octagons paperwork. She just kind of shook her head and said, you realize if you would have waited another day, this property would have been gone. That would have been the end right there. We wouldve lost the whole sanctuary. Lauri also beats the clock with the fencing, thanks to some timely donations from local businesses. But even with the eleventhhour bailouts, lauri faces one more crisis when a wouldbe whistleblower drops a dime on octagon. At times, i would shake my head, and id be in tears, thinking, what am i doing . Can i do this . Thats next. We can see it. This day has never been closer. Today, the leukemia and lymphoma society, is leading the way to cancer cures. Lls funded research, has led to nearly every blood Cancer Treatment available, and is now helping patients with other kinds of cancer. At lls, Beating Cancer is in our blood. Join us at lls. Org now back to strange inheritance. In 2005, lauri carons husband, pete, dies and leaves her his octagon Wildlife Sanctuary, along with a parade of problems for her to resolve. Shes already been tested by florida wildlife officials and delinquent property taxes, but the headaches of petes past just keep coming. The irs also came knocking. Yeah, they showed up and said, well, were here to do an audit. Apparently, somebody called and said that, even being a nonprofit, we werent doing anything with our nonprofit, that we absolutely had zero animals here. Lauri assumes the call came from an adversary of pete, looking to cause trouble for the sanctuary, but the irs finds no misuse of funds. Since then, lauri has made it her mission to do all the repairs needed at octagon, including to the relationships pete damaged. I really strive to show that we are trying to do the best we can and get out of that shadow. She also has to keep the wolves from octagons doorstep and her own. The animals need 700 pounds of food every day, and operating costs average 7,000 a month. And its all on lauris shoulders to bring in donations and grants, as well as entrance fees, from 30,000 annual visitors. None of the 40 sanctuary workers takes a salary, including lauri, who lives in a small trailer right on the property. Do you ever have a day where you think, im not gonna have enough food to feed these animals . Absolutely. Whats that like . Its horrifying. You think youre gonna be able to pull it off . Yeah. [ voice breaking ] you know, its, um. For you, for pete, or for the animals . The animals. You know, im not one to give up easy. [ chuckles ] its a good thing that lauri is a fighter because there will always be animals like onyx, who was once near death, that need octagon. Hows his health now . Hes doing good and very vocal. [ lion roaring ] call of the wild. Yeah. [ laughs ] wow, im so glad that he made it. What do you think petes saying right now . You know, im hoping hes proud. I never expected that pete would have passed as soon as he did, but i didnt go through everything to give up and give up on petes dream and these animals. Lauri and pete worked side by side for years here at octagon before they started dating, but is it possible the wild beasts were on to them before they were even on to themselves . Several years before lauri came on the scene, pete had taken in a baboon named max from a circus. Max instantly formed a bond with pete, then young lauri shows up, and every time max sees her working with pete, the poor guy starts acting out badly. In his jealous rage, max begins to toss, um, his droppings at lauri with impeccable aim. And lauri says that gave her pause, so to speak, to wonder if something just might be going on between pete and herself. Im jamie colby for strange inheritance. Thanks so much for watching, and remember, you cant take it with you. Do you have a strange inheritance story youd like to share with us . Wed love to hear it send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. Inside a farmers barn. All you see is these packedin cars everywhere, bumper to bumper. Rows of classic rides. My jaw hit the ground. There was the rollsroyce, the bentley, pickup trucks, camaros. Harvesting gems from junk. Dad would take the car down to literally the bare bones and then restore them and make them these beautiful pieces of art. Wow. Sparks are flying. Heres one of the starsw rig. His heirs hope to reap a fortune. Yes yes yes [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] im jamie colby here in savannah, georgia, today on my way to meet a woman whose strange inheritance was built with blood, sweat and gears. My name is Sherri Anderson. My dad was a farmer who worked more than 5,000 acres of potatoes, beer barley and sugar beets, but his real bumper crop was growing inside his barns. Sherri. Hey. Im jamie. Nice to meet you. To savannah. Oh, its gorgeous and so great to meet you. Inside, sherri shows me some old photos that tell the story of her fathers 20plus years restoring cars and trucks in his barns near paul, idaho. What variety. Absolutely. He had cars dating from 1919 up to 1982. He got a 1968 mustang, which was moms cruising car, a 1928 rollsroyce. This looks special. The 1950 bentley, my personal favorite, too. The restoration wizard, callan cal phillips, born 1925. He spends his childhood working on the family wheat and potato farm in southcentral idaho. Cal serves in the pacific in world war ii, returns home to work on the family farm, gets married and raises six children, then gets divorced in the late 1960s. He remarries to marilyn hanshew, who has three children of her own, including sherri. Its like a blended brady bunch. It is. The blessing was, i got a great dad, and i got some really great stepsiblings, too. And, says sherri, her stepdad knows how to fix just about anything. You had to figure out how to fix that car or fix that engine or make it work because, obviously, time was money when it came to farming. In 1994, after half a century working the fields, 69yearold cal phillips decides its time to hang up his farmers hat and begin sellling off his acre. He was tired. He knew that his health was not going to let him do the farming as he would have liked to have done. But rather than quietly slipping into retirement, he surprises friends and family with news that he wants to try something completely different restoring and selling classic cars. I didnt really think that cal was the kind of guy to get into cars. Maynard wall, whos known cal 40 years, is just one friend whos baffled. Why do you think he took up restoring cars . He needed something to do. He wanted to do Farm Machinery collection, and i think he found out that cars were easier. Cal has the basic mechanical skills. The rest hell learn as he goes. His first project an old pickup truck. He strips it down to bare metal, patches up rust holes and gives it a fresh coat of paint. What did he love about it . It was something that he was discovering about himself and what he could do, what his talents were, and he put his heart and his soul into that car. Cal finds a buyer but parting ways with his first restoration turns out to be harder than he imagined. He sold it right away, and after he did, he cried, and that was just too much for him. So he never sold any more . After that, no. He couldnt part with them. That was the first one that he ever did, so he left his mark on it. Hell make his mark on many more, like this 73 mustang, or whats left of it. He transforms it into a redhot beauty, with fresh paint and a new white interior. How about a shell of a 1928 rollsroyce . It rolls out of his barn looking like this. And check out this black beauty that cal restores, a 1919 model t. Its not an overnight process to restore a car. No, it is not. Hed take every car down to the nuts and bolts. How long did it take him to do this . Usually, it would take him minimum 6 months, if not a year sometimes to restore a car. Into his mid70s, cal keeps turning wrenches. He gives a 1975 mg roadster a makeover from red and rusty to silver and sexy and picks up some horsepower when he restores this 1966 chevelle super sport. Check out those red vinyl door panels and white bucket seats. How about some fun in the sun with this 1949 Willys Jeepster cal gets looking like new inside and out . Would dad pick up some of these cars on the cheap . Hed love a bargain. I found several bills of sale where he may have only paid for. It was a number of different types of vehicles pickups, cars, muscle cars, classic cars. Did mom participate . She did participate, especially on decorating the cars for the parades. She loved showing them off with my father as well and loved riding in them and, once in a while, driving them. By the late 90s cal has restored more than 20 cars. Next on his list, a 1950 bentley. You wouldnt believe what he found with that car. But im about to find out. Sparks are flying. Hey, dave, are you nervous . Oh, not yet. Heres a strange inheritance quiz question. Way back in 1958, chrysler offered a luxury option called autopilot. What do we call that feature today . The answer after the break. Wash, washy wash, washy wash wash your hands scrub em while you sing this song wash, washy wash, washy wash, wash rub your hands and fingers and the places in between using soap and water makes your hands so clean wash your hands great job, youre almost done five, four, three, two, one elmo now dry vo wash your hands for 20 seconds, just like elmo. So what was chryslers new autopilot feature in 1958 . Its b, cruise control. Cal phillips is restoring classic cars and trucks in his idaho barn. After regretting the sale of his first fixerupper, the retired farmer decides to keep the rest of them. So far, there are more than 20 and counting. You know, the thing that strikes me, sherri,is he was too tired and too elderly to continue farming, but it sounds to me like with the cars, he was working just as hard. In some ways he was, but i think he found a second wind and a second love. Cal takes a 66 thunderbird down to bare metal and transforms it into this mean, green machine with a black vinyl top and whitewalled tires. And this rare 1961 Studebaker Champ pickup cal tunes it up, refreshes the interior and finishes it in cool blue with lots of chrome. Youre opening this huge barn door, and all you see is these packedin cars everywhere. Kandice little is cals granddaughter. He always would take me show me what he was doing. Kandice has her eye on this cherryred 1968 mustang convertible. He knew that i loved that mustang. Every time i went to visit, i asked to ride in it. So on one visit, cal just puts kandice behind the wheel. He wanted to teach me how to drive, and i was only 14, so i think he knew that that would be Something Special for me. He had a way of making you feel like you were the most important person in the world. One car cal is excited to restore this 1950 bentley that his daughter sherri found for sale on the roadside. What kind of shape was it in . It was in okay shape. The engine was perfect. The body needed a little work. What did he pay for that . Seventeen thousand dollars. Was that a deal at the time . It was a very good deal at the time. Really . But how does that old saying go . If its too good to be true. He took it down to literally the bare bones and found out there were holes that were almost 5 inches wide stuffed with tinfoil and covered up with mesh and painted over, so consequently, he had a lot of work cut out for him. To see what it takes to fix someone elses botched job, i meet dave lester, owner of a restoration shop in boise, idaho. Hes been building hot rods and classics for more than 40 years. This fender has had damage on it in the past, and it was restored by somebody that wasnt real experienced in bodywork. We can do better. Yeah. Take this grinder. Okay. Got it. Any risk of me going too deep here, you know . No. We want to get down wow. Sparks are flying. Hey, dave, are you nervous . Oh, not yet. Grinding down a classic takes some guts, but it reveals how this 1946 lincoln continental, like cals beatup bentley, is hiding a heap of bad bodywork. Excess body filler was used to mask the damaged metal below. I can just restraighten this metal until we dont really need very much body filler. We clearly have a long way to go on this baby. Stripping off some more paint, properly applying body filler, sanding that down just a few of the steps cal would have taken on that 1950 bentley. And after more than a year of painstaking dedication, he gets it looking good as new. Its just one of more than 50 cars he goes on to restore. In 2012, at age 87, Health Problems slow cal down, but he never quite yields. He was sick for quite a few months, but even in his worst shape, the man was still trying to find parts for cars. Cal phillips dies in june 2013 at age 88 and leaves his wife marilyn the 59 cars that hed lovingly restored and couldnt bring himself to sell. Nearly 4 years later, when she passes away, the cars are handed down to their five children. Sherri and her stepbrother, randy, are named executors. Was he specific about what he wanted to happen to his collection . He was very specific. He wanted those cars to be auctioned off. Really . Why . Well, i think for the fact that we have so many beneficiaries in the family, it seemed like the fair thing to do so that no one would have to be squabbling or, you know, upset over who got what car or what. So its time to call in the experts. My jaw hit the ground. There was the rollsroyce, the bentley, model t, a mustang, pickup trucks, camaros. He had them sandwiched in there so close you could barely walk. But how will cals cars appraise outside the barn under the light of day . Was his goal to make it up to factory standards . I think he wanted to be to cals standards. Heres another quiz question for you. The most miles ever driven in a single car is over 3 million. Was it. The answer when we return. Natural disasters are a fact of life in the us. And between activities and school, chances are, you wont be with your kids when they happen. Will they know what to do . Ready. Gov kids can help your children feel prepared, not scared. So talk with your family today. Bewere bringing the theater home to you with xfinity movie premiere. Such news. I know what this is. This is a real thing. Our Brand New Service that lets you watch movies at home, while theyre still in the theater. Oh, mister elton. Ahh he has figured out a way to be invisible. They picked the wrong woman. Just say xfinity movie premiere into your voice remote to bring the theater to you. So what make of car holds the record for the most miles ever driven at more than 3 million . Its b, volvo. The record is held by a american urban gordon and his 1966 p1800. Sherri anderson and her four siblings are putting their strange inheritance up for auction, 59 classic cars lovingly restored by their late father, cal phillips. Steering the process, brittney edward at dealers auctions of idaho. Whats your first reaction when you walk on somebodys property, and you see how many cars . My jaw hit the ground. I couldnt believe what we were looking at. In one barn, there was a model t, the rollsroyce, the bentley. It was crazy. I couldnt believe what we saw. Would one of the determining factors in this auction being a success be the diversity of the collection . I think that definitely is the case because itll bring in a whole variety of car buyers. Was his goal to make it up to factory standards or something less . I think he wanted to be to cals standards. A collector who wants a museumquality car, thats probably not whats in this collection. Brittney tells me cals collection will likely attract a big crowd of enthusiasts looking for cars they can still put their own finishing touches on or drive to the local car show without breaking the bank. Appeals auction definitely to the average car collector. If youve ever thought about collecting a car, now is your time because theres going to be a car in your price range there. That price range starts at about 6,000 bucks for a car like this little hudson metropolitan all the way up to 60,000 for the 1928 rollsroyce. We think the collection is going to bring anywhere between 550,000 and 650,000. Really . Thats a nice days work. Yes. Well done, cal. But its bittersweet for sherri, as she watches her fathers cars leaving his barns. [ crying ] it was a huge piece of dad. I understand. Sorry, guys. In august 2017, the cars go up for auction in nampa, idaho. As you can see, these cars were a labor of love for my dad. Take them home. Enjoy them and know that there was a man that loved those cars. First to cross the block, that 1957 hudson metropolitan. Eightyseven now, sold your car, sir, its sold, 8,700. It hammers in at a betterthanexpected 9,000. Cals oldest car, that 1919 ford model t coupe. That 1919 ford model t coupe. Wow. Wow. Sold, 9520, 16. 5. Fetches 16,500. This 52 chevy truck goes for 11k. Can i get a 10, . Remember that 68 mustang that cal taught his granddaughter to drive in . Heres [indistinct] at 1968. Look at that mustang. 21,000. Five . Sold right there, went and got her bought, 21,000 bucks. Wow, 21k how about that 66 chevelle super sport . It revs up to 25k. In comes that elegant bentley that cal spent more than a year restoring. Yes, sir, heres one of the stars of the show right now, a 1915 bentley vi. The bids quickly jump to 20,000, 30,000, 40,000. How high will it climb . And meet the surprise bidder next. Whoa, whoa whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email or go to our website, trangeinheritance. Com. These elderly jews have taken the bus from across the city to come to this fellowship distribution spot and get food that they cant afford. sorrowful music [announcer] there is an emergency food crisis for elderly Holocaust Survivors in the former soviet union. [yael] this is a crisis. These elderly Holocaust Survivors are struggling to survive. Theyre starving, have little money for food, electricity or medicine. [announcer] just 25 provides one needy elderly holocaust survivor in the former soviet union with a special emergency food package that contains a note saying its from christians and jews in america who want to bless them. Call now. Please call the number on your screen. In ukraine, theres no support network. They dont have food cards or neighbors that come in to help. Theyre turning to us because they have nowhere else to turn. The bible teaches blessed is he whose help is in the god of jacob. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. [announcer] these special passover food packages represent a gift of life for destitute, elderly jews in the former soviet union. Just 25 provides one elderly holocaust survivor with a special emergency food package. Call right now. Please call the number on your screen. [yael] what i pray is that you wont turn your eyes, but you will look at their suffering and your heart will be changed. [announcer] we pray that god will move upon your heart and send an emergency gift of just twenty five dollars so that we can help more frail and lonely elderly Holocaust Survivors in the former soviet union before its too late. sorrowful music now back to strange inheritance. August 2017, Sherri Anderson and her siblings strange inheritance, 59 classic cars and trucks all restored by their dad, are rolling across the Auction Block in southcentral idaho. Its been real emotional. These were dads cars. Some of them were just pieces of metal that he took in and made something so beautiful, and its something that all of us enjoyed at one time or another. So it is a very bittersweet moment. The auction house estimated that cal phillips collection could bring in 650,000 bucks, and the way things are going, that number might be in reach. Sold at 25,000. Woo one car receiving a lot of attention, cals 1950 bentley. It quickly passes 30k, then 40. Now 40,000, 40,000. Now 42. 5, now 42. 5 again. Yeah now 45, now 46,000. 46. Now. 5. We have sold 46,000, 9541, 46 thou, 9541, one. Woo yes yes yes and here comes another british beauty, cals 1928 rollsroyce. Can i get 50 grand . Fifty, now 54,000, anyone for 54, 54 . Fiftyfive thousand . Now 6, 56,000 . Sold 57,000. Sold 57,000. Woo in all, the sale of 57 of cals cars brings in just under 600 grand. Sherri tells me she and her Four Brothers and sisters will divide up the profits among themselves with a little going to each of cals grandchildren. I think it went very well. Dad would be doing the happy dance right now. This will be the last time we see a lot of these cars, one last look, one last goodbye. But is it goodbye or see you later . Wait a minute. Whoa, whoa. You bought the bentley . Yes, we did. There was no way i was going to let this car go. You see, before the auction, sherri and her siblings had agreed to sell all the cars, so if any of the heirs wanted to keep one, theyd have to bid on it themselves. It is really beautiful. I am so excited to get a good look at it. Were not going to just look at it. Were going to ride in it. Youre taking me for a ride . I am taking you for a ride lets go. All right. I would have thought it woul. It kind of rides smooth. Its actually a very, very nice car. This is a classic. Did you pay more than you thought youd have to . Slightly more. Our limit was 40. We went up to 46. Sherri tells me she has big plans for the bentley, along with two other classics she and her husband purchased from her dads collection. We plan on opening up a vintage limo service here in savannah. Its the numbertwo wedding destination in the nation, so what better way to ride in style than riding in Something Like this for your special day . In honor of my dad, weve decided to name the business callans classics. I can just imagine how proud your dad must be, his little girl behind the wheel, making a business out of it. I think he would be so thrilled and so honored and so happy. Was dad a classic . Dad was an incredible classic. Sherri tells me that even though her mom supported her dads car hobby, there was one time she put her foot down. Cal was hot on the trail of a 1930 ford model a that came up for sale in a neighboring town. He was in love, but his wife, marilyn, told him he had enough cars and shouldnt spend money on another one. He was upset for months, that is until Christmas Morning when he found that very car waiting for him outside, red bow and all. It had been her plan to surprise him with it all along. Thanks so much for watching strange inheritance. And remember you cant take it with you. Musclebound heroes. My dad said, if im gonna do conan, its gonna be done my way. Curvy vixens. When i look at the female characters that dad did, mom was okay with that . The da vinci of fantasy art. This entire visual genre traces back to this one artist. How much did it sell for . About 1. 1 million. But when hes gone, a real battle takes shape. How bad did it get . Im not close to my brother anymore. Even today we dont talk. Can the next generation save the family and its fortune . I think i was like their last hope. My grandfather deserves to live on, and what better place than comiccon . [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ]