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

magnetophonemagnetophone Member Posts: 605
I think I needed to create a message board where we talk about crazy old obscure cars that we saw on the way to work, in the neighborhood, or at the junkyard.

I'll start:

2 blocks from my house, someone owns a red Yugo with a flapping American flag hanging on its rear!

On my way to work, I saw both a DeLorean and an AMC Spirit 4WD station wagon with wood paneling.

How bout you?
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Comments

  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,363
    on the Classic Cars board.

    Saw a Ferrari 360 Modena the other night. For more details, see "Ferrari sighting" under the "Ferrari the Ultimate Classic" topic
    (Classic cars board)

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • machiavellimachiavelli Member Posts: 260
    This isn't anything exotic, but it was somewhat surprising -
    I saw a newer Saturn SC coupe with the full "rice" treatment - giant rear wing, coffee can muffler, clear tail-lights, lowered suspension, etc... It's the first time I've seen a Saturn like that.
  • magnetophonemagnetophone Member Posts: 605
    I've never seen a Saturn SC like that.

    andys, I never noticed that message board. :(
  • sonjaabsonjaab Member Posts: 1,057
    A what I thought was a 90s Chev. Corsica
    Looked closer and it was a Pontiac Tempest.
    Rear end the same as chev. but it had a
    pontiac-esc double egg crate nose. It had
    Canadian plates on it..........geo
  • magnetophonemagnetophone Member Posts: 605
    Has anyone ever seen a Pontiac Firefly?
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    ...but there was a bad horror movie called "Valentine" that came out in 2001, that had a Firefly in it. I had to do a double-take at first, because it just looked like an old Chevy Sprint. The grille was a bit different though.

    I wouldn't recommend renting the movie just to see the car though, unless you're into bad horror movies!
  • drivinisfundrivinisfun Member Posts: 372
    Yes I saw a Pontiac Firefly at least once when I was up in Toronto, Ontario last week. The Firefly is the Canadian market version of the late Geo/Chevy Metro. Also saw a couple of new Lamborghini Murcielagos as well.

    Here in my neck of the woods, Ferrari Modena 360's are pretty common sight as well as new Mini Coopers, etc.

    By the way, during the last 6 months I have seen 3 times a white Mercedes A140 and even a new Smart driven around a Mercedes Benz dealer.

    Thi sis the happening place if you want to see fancy cars and beaters sharing road space.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    "I seen a peanut stand,
    Heard a rubber band,
    Seen a needle that winked its eye!

    But I'd be done seen
    About e-ev'rythin'
    When I see a Fi-i-re fly..."

    Sorry. Dumbo, you know. Great picture.

    Not this AM, but last Friday, I happened on a 4-door Maverick with a carriage roof, wire rims, whitewalls and a full-on gold package. Oh yeah, it had hood scoops too.

    Why?
  • drivinisfundrivinisfun Member Posts: 372
    Who has seen a Pontiac Tempest?
  • wilcoxwilcox Member Posts: 582
    Everytime I see a Contour, I see a car that Ford of America really destroyed to save it's 3.0 pushrod pos Taurus. Now they are doing their best to drive people away from Focus.

    Ten years from now, someone will be seeing a nice green '96 V6 Camry, and they'll say, "That's the one wilcox bought back 16 years ago...it still runs real good."
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    I saw a pristine-looking '88 Cadillac Cimarron at a restaurant parking lot in Connecticut yesterday. Like, who in their right mind keeps one of those?
  • machiavellimachiavelli Member Posts: 260
    I've seen a Pontiac Tempest in Western PA, too. It even had PA plates. It's exactly the same as the old Chevy Corsica, with Pontiac badges.
  • drivinisfundrivinisfun Member Posts: 372
    Has anyone ever seen:

    1996 Caterham 21
    1989 BMW Z1
    2000 Pagani Zonda C12S
    2000 TVR Tamora
    1975 Maserati Merak
    1989 Alfa Romeo SZ
    1994 Schuppan 962CR
    2000 Ford FR200
  • machiavellimachiavelli Member Posts: 260
    None of the above
  • magnetophonemagnetophone Member Posts: 605
    I've seen a Maserati Merak!
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,363

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,363
    I saw a Bora from the same era on I-684 in New York (great road to go fast on.)

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • lokkilokki Member Posts: 1,200
    I wish I'd posted this before that list of interesting cars, but I DID see a Nash Metropolitan convertible today.

    Maserati Bora.... Nash Metropolitan... never mind
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...not far from my neighborhood. It's outside a repair shop and is primered. Looks like an aborted restoration project.
  • magnetophonemagnetophone Member Posts: 605
    There's an orange Rambler sedan about 2 blocks from my house, but I don't know if that counts as obscure.
  • diploiddiploid Member Posts: 2,286
    Saw one drive by today. Are they even out yet? I am positive that it was a 2003 Saturn L-Series. Trust me, it doesn't look any better in real life.
  • kw_carmankw_carman Member Posts: 114
    I saw a Renault Medallion recently, and I thought, "Hmmmm...they had something going." What happened there? I missed out on it, and now it's driving me insane!

    To jog your memory: http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/m/p/mps165/renault.html
  • sildogsildog Member Posts: 50
    My fiance and I have a running contest spotting El Caminos, Caballeros, Sprints and Rancheros. You get points if you are first to spot. Number of points is based on if it is actually moving, looks like it recently moved (like in a parking lot of a store) or looks dead! GMC Sprints and Caballeros get quadruple points over Caminos. Rancheros get double points over Caminos. A 59 Camino gets max points (we've never seen one). The problem is they are getting so rare that we sometimes have to add other vehicles to the spotting list just to add some scoring-otherwise it is too much like soccer!

    We did see a very clean Pacer recently in Cincinnati area.
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    Sunday, I saw an Aston-Martin Vanquish parked in front of the 4 Seasons Hotel just off Michigan Avenue. Wonder which lucky hop got the honor of parking that beauty?
  • ajvdhajvdh Member Posts: 223
    There's one of them right near where I live. He brings it to some of our club functions.

    There's some other weird machinery around here: I see a beat-up Maserati Bora parked at the local Home Depot once in while. A local bakery has a Citroen DCV with a big plastic bread loaf sticking out the back. Then there's the guy with the Pinzgauer.

    We get some neat stuff at our open track days. A Pantera, a real Shelby GT350, and a Sunbeam Tiger that competed in the '66 Targa Floria. Also a Shogun (Ford Fiesta with a Taurus SHO drivetrain stuffed into the area where the rear seat would be). Oh yeah, there's the guy who has two vintage Camaros built to Trans-Am specs.

    Weirdest thing I've ever seen was some years back, I was driving past a low-rent used car dealer in NJ, and they had a Kaiser-Darrin on the lot: A fiberglass two-seater from the '50s, with doors that opened by sliding forward into the fenders.
  • magnetophonemagnetophone Member Posts: 605
    I guess I am lucky to live in a quirky neighborhood, but here's what we have:

    My apartment complex: it's just a gated walkup complex, but the quirkest car is probably the TDI Passat wagon. Nothing too special :(

    But in the neighborhood, we have a Yugo at the hardware store down the block, a Mini Cooper a few blocks down the street, a Rambler on the same street. But within about 10 blocks, there's also a Renault Fuego, VW Thing, a house with three Citroen 2CV's. Also, there's a French family who owns a large house and has a Peugeot 604 from the mid-70's, as well as a 505 and a 405 (these people are extremely rich - I applaud their choice in cars!), a Volvo P1800, a Merkur Scorpio, and my personal favorite - an Eagle Premier with maroon landau roof and gold accented trim! Klassy!
  • nwngnwng Member Posts: 663
    One of my neighbor owns a red pantera, the only time I can see it is when it is nice and warm outside, otherwise it stays inside his garage.
    Also saw a beat up Rover in faded British racing green sitting on a driveway. A couple weeks ago I saw a Aston Martin Lagonda - what a weird car!
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    I saw yet another Cadillac Cimarron today, only this was one of the earliest models- an '82. It was very rough, with plenty of rust, cracked windshield, etc.
  • sildogsildog Member Posts: 50
    About 9 months ago, I saw a - GET READY - remember the Dodge OMNI? I saw one stretched like a limo! It had some graphics for a business on it. It was stretched quite far - I would estimate about 6 to 8 additional feet.
  • magnetophonemagnetophone Member Posts: 605
    Hahahahahaha! I saw an Escalade limo recently. yuck!
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...how about a Hummer limo! Just saw one about two weeks ago. I swear they'll make a limo out of anything these days. Back in college I saw a beige 1986 Honda Accord made into a limo.
  • magnetophonemagnetophone Member Posts: 605
    verozahl's dream!

    Limos as we know it in America are the stretched to infinity versions, but in Europe it's just a term for a really nice private taxi with possibly an extended rear end. Like an SEL Mercedes.
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    I saw a 60s vintage Mustang limo a few years back at a show. More recently I saw a Z1 in Germany, and I have seen not one but two Caterhams in Eastern Mass (on separate occasions). There is an old Saab 96 parked on the side of the road a few blocks up from my apartment, the only one I have ever seen.
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    I saw a stretched Hummer in Chicago as well. Thoroughly bizarre.
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    Right you are.

    Some of my older relatives from the Strassbourg area say they would not want to buy larger Benz, BMW and Jaguar models people in the US think nothing of buying as they do not want to hire a driver. Seems among some of the more conservative French there is a feeling a car does not have to be all that large to be considered a limo.

    In Italy I have seen modest sized Alfas with uniformed drivers.
  • ghuletghulet Member Posts: 2,564
    I guess I'll have to find the place that will make my '87 Accord into a limo. Let's see, 98hp from carburated engine, manual transmission, crank windows, no a/c, 13" wheels. Sounds like a limo to me.

    Lately, let's see: I still see that Maserati Quattroporte in my neighborhood once in a while ('80s, faded ice blue paint with buttery tan leather seats), a '60-61 Rambler Ambassador sedan for sale near me, also a same era Rambler wagon for sale, just saw a '64 or '65 Studebaker (Lark? Commander?) sedan (the bigger, boxier one) in burgandy, kinda nice and unusual. Um, more later. Must go out and drive now.
  • nickpernickper Member Posts: 28
    I have seen a couple of the Pontiac Tempest versions of the Corsia too. Does anyone know the story about those? One had Canadian plates, the other had Michigan plates. What were those supposed to be???
  • logic1logic1 Member Posts: 2,433
    Every now and then I will see auto transport trucks with Neons heading east toward the Chicago railyards from the Rockford area DC factory. What strikes this US citizen as odd is that these are Chysler Neons. Obviously on their way to Canada and beyond.
  • verozahlverozahl Member Posts: 574
    Accord limos? ewwwwww!

    My building's real estate agent owns an old Alfa Romeo convertible. Any guesses as to what it might be? I'll have to ask him.
  • magnetophonemagnetophone Member Posts: 605
    Alfa Romeo Spiders were very popular... I see them around occasionally. I saw a Fiat X1/9 recently and remembered that my grandfather owned an orange one around the time I was born.
  • magnetophonemagnetophone Member Posts: 605
    Vero, unless it's one of the really really old Alfas (pre-1976 or so), and it's about the size of a Mazda Miata, it's just an Alfa Romeo Spider.

    It may be an Alfa Romeo Spider veloce...they made them until 1995 or so and was the last car sold here. In fact, you could say it was Italy's only fairly reliable car sold in America...
  • g1994stsg1994sts Member Posts: 26
    Saw an older couple driving It today. The car was in like new condition. From the back bumper to where the door ends, It had that upside down Nike swosh shape, hidden headlights, no grille? and overall a very handsome and with design details that seemed to be ahead of It's time. Were these cars forgotten and junked or are they collectable today?
  • verozahlverozahl Member Posts: 574
    magneto, that Alfa, it's pre-1980s.
  • wishnhigh1wishnhigh1 Member Posts: 363
    g1994sts...sounds like a 65, but that description could also fit up to the 1970 model. My favorite Riviera is the 65. Hell...my favorite American car of all time is the 1965 Riviera.
  • ghuletghulet Member Posts: 2,564
    G1994sts, I think you saw an Oldsmobile Toronado. The Buick Riviera was kind of similar in size, price and likely buyers at the time (late '60s) but was rear-wheel drive. The Toronado was front-wheel drive (the first mass-produced FWD car built in the U.S., I think).
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    I also see a few Alfa Spiders on occasion, as well as a few MGBs. Would it be safe to say that the MGB was Britain's only reliable car sold in the States?
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    All those cross-border, cross-branded, cross-plated vehicles you mention.

    We have the Corsica/Tempest. Firefly/Geo Metro/Suzuki Swift < All 3 the same.

    But question is: Have you ever seen an old-school:

    Skoda
    Lada (not just the Niva "SUV", but the cars too)
    Dacia (Romania's fame on middle-eastern roads)
    Oltcit (same as a Renault Axel 11R, but made in Romania - we actually bought one in 1989 and it drove remarkably well - by Eastern Euro Standards)
    Aro (Again, a Romanian-made SUV)

    Seen the Fuego, the Merkur, the 2CV.

    Dinu
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...but a cardboard showroom advertisement for an obscure car - the Plymouth Cricket - at a flea market this weekend. It was a 6' tall cartoon cricket wearing a jacket and bowtie and a text balloon that read "Chirp Chirp! Introducing the new Cricket - the little car from Plymouth that can!" Mr. Cricket's face had several large dents, probably from being slugged by some disgruntled customer who purchased a Cricket.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,363
    RWD sedan/hatchback. I think it was sourced from Talbot which Chrysler got when it bought Talbot-Simca in the 70s.

    It was succeeded by the Omnirizon twins.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • verozahlverozahl Member Posts: 574
    Here in Ann Arbor, I see a Merkur or a Sterling on a bimonthly basis or so... not every day, but often enough to know that they're out there.
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