I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today!

andre1969

I've always had a soft spot for the '56-57 Studebaker. It's too bad they didn't come out with that "Starlight" hardtop coupe a couple years earlier. It would have looked pretty sharp as a '56 or '57.

uplanderguy

I agree. The roofline is nice.

uplanderguy

Taken at our Ohio Region Studebaker Drivers' Club annual meet at Summit Racing in Tallmadge, OH today. We invite other independents to participate.

I gotta say, the '57 Rebel is oddly styled to my eyes, inside and out. That said, I guess they went like a scalded dog, and I never see them, so I can appreciate the rarity.

The '56 Golden Hawk was on the turntable inside--a 20-some-K-mile car, just beautiful.

And I was smitten with the Moonlight Silver, red interior '64 Daytona sedan. The detail styling is nicer than the '66 I just sold I think. I really like the color combination and in a two-door hardtop, I could rethink my C8 order! LOL

fintail

I like the Rebel, a cool proto-muscle car. I know I have mentioned it before, I've always enjoyed the front on the "Rebel" emblem, to my eyes kind of a rockabilly style I would expect on a period guitar or amp:



Amazing colors on that Hawk.

For obscure cars, last week I saw a very clean white Mark IV Continental quietly glide by my house, spotted it again this morning parked a few blocks away. Someone seems to be driving it as a local cruiser. Seems bigger now than when I was a little kid and my mom had the T-Bird variant.

uplanderguy

'Rockabilly' is the perfect description of the "Rebel" script!

stickguy

I like a lot of Studes from that era, but that Rebel, is just not an attractive car.

uplanderguy

Continental kit option too; I could certainly do without that.

imidazol97

Thanks for the photos. Do you have any of the blue Commander?
That Nash brings back memories as well.

imidazol97

The Rebel looks overdone compared to how they were equipped
back when they were original. Hanging the continental kit and the
trunk antenna overdid it.

imidazol97

I missed our area's orphan show yesterday. I hadn't been checking the listings and I didn't put it on the refrigerator calendar.

Something changed with the local a couple years back. The AMC/Rambler group must have quit helping sponsor it. A lot of those cars don't show up anymore.

AND I see the show has even more "orphans" that are 1957 Chevies, Corvettes, and a couple others that showed up yesterday.

ab348

Nash/Rambler/AMC styling through most of the 1950s simply was not good. Lots of unfortunate themes like shrouded wheel openings, inset headlights, and bizarre instrument panels.

andre1969

For some reason, I kind of like the big '57 Nashes. I never liked the skirted front wheels. Also never liked where they had the single headlights mounted outboard, and the too-small grilles, or the years where they put the single headlights in the grille. But the '57 front end, somehow, manages to work for my tastes.

Where it loses me is that haphazard two-toning that looks like it was just randomly slapped on the side. And, there's something about the proportioning. It's like they're still a bit too tall, too slab-sided, and the passenger cabin seems too wide, in relation to the rest of the car.

They look like they were roomy, comfortable cars though. I'll see one on occasion at a car show, and am always surprised at how big they look inside. I imagine they were probably the best cars on the market back then if you really wanted 3-across seating.

Maybe that was part of their problem, that they were designed to be comfortable and functional first and foremost, and as a result, styling took a back seat. Usually in those days it seemed like they'd style a car first, and then worry about how the driver and passengers fit in, after the fact.

I think that Rebel 4-door hardtop is sort of a victim of the same fate. That roofline really isn't that different from that of a '58 Sedan DeVille, or Buick Super/Roadmaster/Limited, with the reverse-slant C-pillar, and the quarter windows in the back doors. However, when you transfer that style to a compact, and one that's more upright, it just doesn't work as well, stylistically. Plus, those Ramblers were also designed to be somewhat space-efficient, for the time, so again they put the focus on functionality, rather than style.

Oh, one other Nash/Rambler/AMC product I do kind of like, is the '55 Rambler. I think it looks nice, with non-skirted front wheels. And, while the front-end won't win any beauty contests, I think it looks less goofy than the '54, and less vulgar than the '56.

uplanderguy

When I was small (I mean, like kindergarten or maybe first grade), our neighbors had a '60 Rambler American two-door station wagon. One really oddball thing I remember about it is that the gear shift lever came out at an angle from the instrument panel, not the steering column. It wasn't like a Corvair or Tempest automatic little thumb lever, but a regular shift lever, just came out of the dash!

roadburner

uplanderguy said:

When I was small (I mean, like kindergarten or maybe first grade), our neighbors had a '60 Rambler American two-door station wagon. One really oddball thing I remember about it is that the gear shift lever came out at an angle from the instrument panel, not the steering column. It wasn't like a Corvair or Tempest automatic little thumb lever, but a regular shift lever, just came out of the dash!

Try an old Renault 4:

fintail

Citroen Traction Avant, debuted in 1934 - the French copy nobody, and nobody copies the French:

explorerx4

Saw a red targa top Ferrari 308. Magnum PI must be in town.

uplanderguy

Thanks for the photos. Do you have any of the blue Commander?

Sorry took me so long to respond! I do not have more pics of the blue '55 Commander, although it belongs to a friend of mine from Ashtabula, OH. He drives it regularly.

uplanderguy

Thanks for the pics of the goofy gearshifts!

andre1969

Speaking of old Studebakers, a few months ago at a car show in Macungie, PA, Grbeck, Lemko and I all bought raffle tickets for this beauty

However, once I paid my money and filled out the ticket, I paid a bit more attention to the car. It's a stick! And alas, my stick-shift driving skills leave something to be desired. So, it would be just my luck, I'd win it!

uplanderguy

Boy, even I wasn't aware of that car as the 'Keystone Raffle Car' yet!

'63 in Blue Mist.

I prefer the '64 Hawk in styling details, but I guess I'd take that one as a free car!

stickguy

Pretty cool car. I like the drivetrain, color and dashboard!

uplanderguy

I just looked at the other pics. You know me, for authenticity purposes, the wheels should be painted off-white (would be visible behind and around the outside of the full wheel covers).

That said, pretty nice car. I see the original owner traded in a '58 Hawk for it.

In my memory, any-hoo, I think people buying Studes in '62 and later years leaned older and were Stude loyalists.

uplanderguy

At the risk of posting too much Studebaker content here (as Joe warned me about back in the day--the son of a Packard employee, LOL!)--the first about minute-and-a-half of the below link is from CBS Sunday Morning two weeks ago--news footage from the shutdown of Studebaker in South Bend. I'd posted it on the Postwar Studebaker page here but I think it's generally interesting enough to post here. It's footage I'd never seen before.

I gotta say, I think the guy interviewed in the food line had a perfect answer to the reporter's question.

I'd heard before that being laid off at Christmastime was such a regular occurrence at Studebaker over the years, that many employees just couldn't believe this was final. One maintenance guy I remember reading said that he walked along the assembly line one morning after the shutdown and said "It looked like we could start production tomorrow. I couldn't believe there wouldn't be tomorrow".

I also read once how a day before the shutdown announcement, a South Bend newspaper reporter stood outside the gate at the end of first shift and was asking employees what they thought about the rumor that Studebaker was closing. One employee shouted back, "Studebaker will be here when you're dead and gone".

They were in production in South Bend for 111 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgil7z23SQc

uplanderguy

My dealer emailed me this morning that the targeted production week for my C8 is September 18 with expected delivery mid-October--assuming there is no strike. I'm not a betting man but I predict there will be a strike.

I feel rather nervous, and I'm not exactly sure why that is!

kyfdx

Thought I read where Stellantis is the chief target, this year? Maybe, GM won't get hit.

tjc78

@kyfdx said:
Thought I read where Stellantis is the chief target, this year? Maybe, GM won't get hit.

The latest has GM and Stellantis both looped in for “not bargaining in good faith”

andre1969

I wonder what I'd end up doing with it, if by some freak of nature I ended up actually winning it!

uplanderguy said:

My dealer emailed me this morning that the targeted production week for my C8 is September 18 with expected delivery mid-October--assuming there is no strike. I'm not a betting man but I predict there will be a strike.

I feel rather nervous, and I'm not exactly sure why that is!

Yech...that's the date my Mom and stepdad got married...back in 1982!
Hopefully that date will hold a better meaning for you, Uplander!

I might finally be in the market for a new car, myself. I've been nursing my Dad's '03 Regal for some time now, trying to wring every bit of use out of it...and also trying to put off the new car payment! Well, on Wednesday, the one day per week I need to go into the office, I thought the transmission was finally going to crap out. It was at a point where I came to a stop sign and had to make a right turn, that went up on a bridge that crosses some railroad tracks. When I made the turn, I gave it some gas, and it just seemed like it took a bit too long for the transmission to react. At that point I was only a few miles from work, so I just went on it.

On the way home, there was a few times where I swear I felt sort of a lurch every once in awhile, as if it was slipping out of gear.

The other month, I actually went so far as to shuffle some money around, to get ready for a down payment. Only problem is, that money is parked in a money market account, currently earning around 5%, and I have to admit, it's a bit addictive seeing the extra interest get tacked on at the end of the month. I just keep finding excuse after excuse to put off getting a new car, but, to quote Vicki Lawrence, from Mama's Family, I think it's finally time to sing or get off the pot!

As for cars, I have my mind set on a Dodge Charger. Only thing is, I'm being a bit picky. I want a blue one, V8, sunroof, and preferably, leather. I dunno if I want to mess around with the higher-performance models, with the 6.4 V8. The 5.7 would be good enough for me! Only thing is, looking online, every once in awhile I'll find a 6.4 for not much more than the 5.7, and start thinking well, you only live once!

uplanderguy

Good luck on finding that Charger! Go for it! I know, easy for anyone else to say. I wonder how close you could get with searching dealer inventories. Get exactly what you want and order one, if you're not worried about the wait!

This C8 is only the second car I've ever ordered (although eight others I had my dealer get from another dealer). My only other ordered car was my two-door '85 Celebrity Eurosport in solid dark plum (not what Chevy called it). Took twelve weeks, when promised 6-8.

explorerx4

@andre1959,
Better check how much for insurance. Those HiPo Chargers have a high theft rate(might even be the highest).
Dodge's are one of the easiest brands to steal.

ab348

tjc78 said:

@kyfdx said:

Thought I read where Stellantis is the chief target, this year? Maybe, GM won't get hit.

The latest has GM and Stellantis both looped in for “not bargaining in good faith”

Yes, the UAW has filed a complaint somewhere making that allegation. But I read in Automotive News that they also made Ford their strike target this time.

It must be hard running a big union like that and being angry all the time.

ab348

uplanderguy said:

My dealer emailed me this morning that the targeted production week for my C8 is September 18 with expected delivery mid-October--assuming there is no strike. I'm not a betting man but I predict there will be a strike.

I feel rather nervous, and I'm not exactly sure why that is!

What colors did you end up choosing?

ab348

andre1969 said:

As for cars, I have my mind set on a Dodge Charger. Only thing is, I'm being a bit picky. I want a blue one, V8, sunroof, and preferably, leather. I dunno if I want to mess around with the higher-performance models, with the 6.4 V8. The 5.7 would be good enough for me! Only thing is, looking online, every once in awhile I'll find a 6.4 for not much more than the 5.7, and start thinking well, you only live once!

Good luck finding one. It may be different where you are but up here those seldom get ordered for inventory and when they do, almost always they order black on black. I didn't even know you could get them in blue.

uplanderguy

ab348, picked the rather mundane white with red interior, LOL. I like dark colors but black is the only one. In fact, I originally chose black and had the dealer change it to white.

tjc78

@andre1969 said:
I wonder what I'd end up doing with it, if by some freak of nature I ended up actually winning it!
Yech...that's the date my Mom and stepdad got married...back in 1982!
Hopefully that date will hold a better meaning for you, Uplander!

I might finally be in the market for a new car, myself. I've been nursing my Dad's '03 Regal for some time now, trying to wring every bit of use out of it...and also trying to put off the new car payment! Well, on Wednesday, the one day per week I need to go into the office, I thought the transmission was finally going to crap out. It was at a point where I came to a stop sign and had to make a right turn, that went up on a bridge that crosses some railroad tracks. When I made the turn, I gave it some gas, and it just seemed like it took a bit too long for the transmission to react. At that point I was only a few miles from work, so I just went on it.

On the way home, there was a few times where I swear I felt sort of a lurch every once in awhile, as if it was slipping out of gear.

The other month, I actually went so far as to shuffle some money around, to get ready for a down payment. Only problem is, that money is parked in a money market account, currently earning around 5%, and I have to admit, it's a bit addictive seeing the extra interest get tacked on at the end of the month. I just keep finding excuse after excuse to put off getting a new car, but, to quote Vicki Lawrence, from Mama's Family, I think it's finally time to sing or get off the pot!

As for cars, I have my mind set on a Dodge Charger. Only thing is, I'm being a bit picky. I want a blue one, V8, sunroof, and preferably, leather. I dunno if I want to mess around with the higher-performance models, with the 6.4 V8. The 5.7 would be good enough for me! Only thing is, looking online, every once in awhile I'll find a 6.4 for not much more than the 5.7, and start thinking well, you only live once!

Found it!

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/new/searchresults.action?sourceContext=homePageNewCarTab_true_0&selectedEntity=d733&zip=21201#listing=355444074/NONE/DEFAULT

explorerx4

@uplanderguy,
Posted last week in another thread, although nit sure if you saw it, I saw a caffeine colored C8 last week.
I thought it looked pretty good, It let you see the styling of the body. Black hides the styling.

andre1969

tjc78 said:

Found it!

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/new/searchresults.action?sourceContext=homePageNewCarTab_true_0&selectedEntity=d733&zip=21201#listing=355444074/NONE/DEFAULT

Funny, I actually ran across that one the other day, searching, and if it's still around once I'm truly serious, I was going to inquire about it! I just didn't want to get my hopes up too high, in case it was gone by the time I force myself to get serious!

andre1969

uplanderguy said:

ab348, picked the rather mundane white with red interior, LOL. I like dark colors but black is the only one. In fact, I originally chose black and had the dealer change it to white.

I don't know why, but I thought you had ordered one in a sort of "Coffee" or "Mocha" color? White's not a bad color, although I'm trying to swear it off. Just about every car my stepdad has bought has been white. My '68 Dart was antique white, and my '12 Ram is refrigerator white. I'm also trying to swear off grays and silvers. I like black, except that it looks dirty about 15 minutes after you wash it, and I'm not militant enough to keep it that clean!

White with a red interior sounds nice, though.

uplanderguy

@uplanderguy,
Posted last week in another thread, although nit sure if you saw it, I saw a caffeine colored C8 last week.
I thought it looked pretty good, It let you see the styling of the body. Black hides the styling.

The color Caffeine, I absolutely loved on the C8--with neutral (beige/tan) interior. It added elegance to the car I think, as opposed to the screaming bright "Look At Me!" colors, usually in tandem with big rear spoilers (which I hate).

Caffeine didn't even survive the entire 2023 model year, it sold so poorly.

It was replaced for '24 with a yucky green called 'Cacti', that isn't even available at the beginning of the '24 model year.

I do look forward to the red interior (which has its share of black inside too).

andre1969

I just got a quote from my insurance agent...shockingly, the Charger isn't as expensive to insure as I thought it would be! It would make my annual premium jump from $1576, to $1948, so a $372 increase.

Right now, my policy covers the 2012 Ram 5.7, 2003 Regal 3.8 (not supercharged), and my '79 New Yorker, the "Nightwatch" blue one. It's not high-value enough to insure with a regular antique company like Hagerty, so I put it on with my regular insurer.

Anyway, I guess that's one less excuse for not pursuing a Charger! I was a bit worried that they might not insure it at all. This is Erie Insurance, and they can be picky. I remember years ago, they wouldn't insure his 1998 Tracker. Not because of his driving record, but they considered it too dangerous of a vehicle!

Now that I've looked at that CarGurus page, I'm getting an occasional pop up ad for a Charger. This loud green one just popped up. No sunroof, and that green does shout "LOOK AT MEEE!" but I have to confess, I kinda like it!

explorerx4

I'm glad insurance turns out to be reasonable.
Here's a blue one near me, although I don't know exactly where Painesville is.
https://www.ganleyvillagechryslerdodgeram.com/new-Painesville-2023-Dodge-CHARGER-RT-2C3CDXCT5PH607358

fintail

I like that blue. I assume in a relatively mild climate like MD, that RWD is fine.

These are the last of the V8 Interceptors, get em while you can.

Michaell

fintail said:

These are the last of the V8 Interceptors, get em while you can.

I have somehow started getting pictures on my FB feed of scenes from the original "Mad Max", then and now. Amazing how little has changed for most of the roads in the last 40 years.

@andre1969 - time to pull the trigger! One is in stock, you kinda/sorta need a car, and it's Labor Day weekend, which might result in a better than average deal.

My inflation calculator says that $22,500 in 2002 (approximate price and year for the Intrepid, right?) is around $38K today. But, you're getting so much more with the Charger.

texases

And it has the mandatory yellow air splitter caps!

roadburner

I'd get a Charger Scat Pack; some horsepower is good, more is better, and too much is just enough.

uplanderguy

I might've mentioned this, but our plan originally was to pick up the car in Bowling Green with their 'museum delivery' program. For the '24 model year, that's $1,400 ON TOP OF the required $1,595 freight charge to any dealer in the U.S. (outside shipping company). They should put us up in a hotel or at least buy us a meal for that, IMHO!

Also, originally, with the first dealer I had a deposit with, we were looking at a summer '24 delivery. With the dealer I eventually went with, we're looking at a lot sooner.

I haven't mentioned to a whole lot of people about it, but I'm surprised how many have assumed it's a $100K car. Sticker is $84,590--2LT hardtop convertible with only option, the front lift. Dealer said he sells pickups that are as much as a C8, and that Tahoes and Suburbans can be more than a C8. For a mid-engined V8, the engineering is pretty remarkable at the price point I think. I appreciate that it's designed and assembled in the U.S.

I have $2,611 in GM Card earnings now, which comes off the top of the car, and selling the Stude gave me $10K to put towards it, all of which helps of course.

There are still dealers adding markup, which is insane. This little dealer I'm going with has been open under the same family ownership since 1928 and charges MSRP for a C8, plus only a $73.70 document charge. The owner and his son are the only salespeople, and the owner's wife is the office manager.

My daily whip now is my daughter's old '15 Cruze 1.8 with 96K miles. Keeping it as an "I don't care" car.

Michaell

uplanderguy said:

I might've mentioned this, but our plan originally was to pick up the car in Bowling Green with their 'museum delivery' program. For the '24 model year, that's $1,400 ON TOP OF the required $1,595 freight charge to any dealer in the U.S. (outside shipping company). They should put us up in a hotel or at least buy us a meal for that, IMHO!

Also, originally, with the first dealer I had a deposit with, we were looking at a summer '24 delivery. With the dealer I eventually went with, we're looking at a lot sooner.

I haven't mentioned to a whole lot of people about it, but I'm surprised how many have assumed it's a $100K car. Sticker is $84,590--2LT hardtop convertible with only option, the front lift. Dealer said he sells pickups that are as much as a C8, and that Tahoes and Suburbans can be more than a C8. For a mid-engined V8, the engineering is pretty remarkable at the price point I think. I appreciate that it's designed and assembled in the U.S.

I have $2,611 in GM Card earnings now, which comes off the top of the car, and selling the Stude gave me $10K to put towards it, all of which helps of course.

There are still dealers adding markup, which is insane. This little dealer I'm going with has been open under the same family ownership since 1928 and charges MSRP for a C8, plus only a $73.70 document charge. The owner and his son are the only salespeople, and the owner's wife is the office manager.

My daily whip now is my daughter's old '15 Cruze 1.8 with 96K miles. Keeping it as an "I don't care" car.

That's a lot of car for the money, for sure.

Congrats. Perhaps we will all chip in for a pair of New Balance shoes - what's your shoe size?

uplanderguy

9.5 wide, LOL.

stickguy

Love that blue. Not a huge fan of the black inside but at least it’s cloth, and seats look comfy!

If that’s what you want, just crack open the wallet, let a few moths out, and treat yourself. Nobody who isn’t living hand to mouth should be risking their life driving a regal that is dying.

uplanderguy

BTW, that one Charger in Painesville, means Painesville, OH, slightly north and east of Cleveland along I-90 and quite close to Lake Erie.

texases

The only car more stolen than a Hemi Charger is the SRT Hellcat Charger:
https://jalopnik.com/these-are-the-most-stolen-vehicles-in-america-1850794381/slides/15