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

andre1969

Richie bought a beater of a car, something like a '52 Chevy convertible. When he brought it home, little Joannie said "Those are Nash seats..."
"Hey, that's right!" Richie replied.
"...great for necking!" she finished. Mr and Mrs C did not look amused! ;-)

Mr_Shiftright

Oh, yeah, that was the big joke back then, if you look at the old car mags. Of course, teenagers didn't need all that equipment to do what they wanted to do...in the 1950s, the ONLY place you could get away from your parents' supervision was a car. I think this is why a teenager's first car is such a rite of passage, even today. You are away from the searchlights and the guard towers.

Wigwam motel could have been Route 66...I really don't remember. I would have loved to stay there. Why don't they build things like that anymore?

andys120

I have a bunch of stuff about old Route 66, 'cuz I've been fascinated by it since the days of the namesake TV show. IIRC correctly the Wigwam was on 66, when I can I'll rumage around for a mopre precise location.

<Get your Kicks on Route Sixty-Six!>

kyfdx

There are quite a few of those wigwam motels.. there is one in western Ky as well.. called Wigwam Village.. I could never get my Mom to stay there when we were kids, though...

Mr_Shiftright

Wasn't there a car marketed that suggested you could sleep in the trunk?

kyfdx

I think that is: "sleep with the fishes".. But, of course, you start out in the trunk..

Mr_Shiftright

Oh, in New York they (you know, "them") would stuff the body in the trunk and then send the car to the crusher. Not only does that take care of evidence but it suggests a very personal message about the event.

No, I was thinking about some kind of "traveling salesman" pitch that a car maker made right after World War II. I distinctly remember an ad like this for a "trunk-sleeper".

stickguy

a few cars, including the hatchback Nova from the 70s, offered a tent contraption that fit over the open hatchback. I guess you blew up a mattress to sleep on.

ghulet

Didn't Chrysler or DeSoto offer a 'sportsman' model or something in the late '40s that offered a fold-down rear seat with a pass through to the trunk, creating a flat load floor (IIRC even made of wood)? Not that it would be too comfy to sleep on, but definitely possible, anyway.

I thought someone mentioned Lincoln Highway a few posts back, that's Route 30.

andys120

on old Rte. 66 in Holbrook Arizona, near Canyon de Shely.

http://www.nephi.com/wigwam_motel.htm

It's still there!

jlawrence01

Funny, I have driven through Nephi five times in the past five years and never seen that place ... guess I have to open my eyes more ...

andre1969

called the "Carry All", and I think other Mopar models might have offered something similar. Here's an old ad for one:
http://www.adclassix.com/images49desotocarryall.jpg

It was mainly marketed as a pre-historic hatchback/SUV, but looks like it could have been set up to easily sleep two.

Mr_Shiftright

that's it, I'm going! I hope there's a bathroom in there.

andre1969

a chain of motels? When I was a kid we lived in Southern MD for a year, and I could swear there was a WigWam in Waldorf. This was back in '79-80, and at the time, Waldorf had kind of a seedy charm to it, like a cross between Ocean City, MD and Las Vegas. Only without the slot machines! Although they did have a Stardust motel!

Mr_Shiftright

I'd love to buy a used one and ship it to California, and stick it in the middle of a redwood forest. Be a great summer cabin.

andys120

I doubt the WigWam was a chain. I suspect it was just a popular gimmick and name that was adopted by individual owners in various areas.

It's sorta like my favorite motel/motorcourt names:

The NoTell Motel and The Squirrel's Nest ;^0

andre1969

I just did a little checking, and the WigWam in Waldorf is actually a restaurant.

kyfdx

I think there might have been a company that specialized in building those motels.. that is why there were a few of them.. not a chain though, just a gimmick..

Mr_Shiftright

you probably remember the Indian motorcycle, which reminded me of the Brough motorcycle (pronounced "bruff") which reminded me that I was recently shown a barn-find...a Brough car with a (stock) Nash flathead engine.

I don't know much about them--zilch actually--but there it was. They seem to look a bit like a similar car called a Railton, which also combined a classic British body style with a Nash flathead engine.

fintail

I've heard of a Brough Superior...a very famous and expensive old bike, if I am to believe my dad. He always told stories when I was a kid, he was into British bikes when I was young.

Never seen a Brough car, I've heard of a Railton.

Mr_Shiftright

me neither but the photos were quite convincing that such a car exists.

fintail

I saw an older Morgan and an odd BMW...it was a pre 88 7 series, simply badged "L7"

Mr_Shiftright

That's just a 735i with a slightly more luxurious interior. Basically same car.

I saw a Ford "Gran Turino" station wagon. I don't remember when those were around. This looked like a 70s car. In good shape, too, and about the size of a small World War II escort carrier.

fintail

Was the L7 a normal NA market offering? I guess I wasn't so into BMW back then. I remember when I was younger, the people down the street had a deluxe 5 series "Alpina" of the 1982-1988 design and it had some odd alphanumeric designation...I want to call it a B7.

It's time again:

Interesting Pierce with nice history and patina

Kind of on the subject of earlier hatchback/Nash discussions

You'd have to be insane

Brand new Subaru 360

Better than average 4CV

Bubbletop 61 Bonneville to match the one from last week

I browsed the Bonneville page...found this to be interesting, a mint Smokey and the Bandit style Bonneville

Someone has money to spend...

The Shopper name should be resurrected for all SUVs, as thats all they are used for. Too bad this is so decayed

I know it's the wrong year, make, and model, but this reminds me of Christine, before it got fixed up

"Sportsgrain" - what a great idea!

I've actually seen this car...about 4 years someone offered to give it to me just to have it moved out of their yard. (I think it is the same car, how many DB334 blue 220(b)s can there be in Bellingham?). I passed, no place to store it and didn't need it. Price is way high, needs to be lowered by a grand at least...too much rust

This is sad...pretty far gone but not as bad as many. Some details point it to not actually be a 1964 car...probably a 63. Take a grand off the price and let an enthusiast have it

And to end the fintails on a positive note...this is a gorgeous car. Unusual color, great condition, nice

andre1969

the Gran Torino was offered from '72-76, and was replaced by the more modern looking LTD-II for 1977, in a lame attempt by Ford to make buyers think it was offering a newly downsized full-sizer. The station wagon is somewhat unique in that it was actually a touch LONGER than the full-sized overblown '73-78 LTD wagon!

andre1969

was actually regarded for awhile to be a sexist name! Back then, DeSoto called all its 2-seat wagons "Shopper" and the 3-seat models were "Explorer". Well, the Explorer ads would usually feature men going off on hunting or fishing trips, or bringing home yard supplies and such.

The Shopper ads would usually feature women doing what they do best...shopping!

As much as I love the Forward Look era, and especially 1957, I think the Firesweep has got to be the worst expression of it. Those single headlights and DeSoto grille just don't mate up that well to the Dodge fenders. It was an early attempt at downsizing, and expanding DeSoto's market downstream, but because the grille fit so poorly, jutting out further than it does on the "real" DeSotos, the end effect was a car that was only 2 inches shorter than the big DeSotos. It was about 250-300 lb or so lighter, though.

andre1969

that '80 Bonneville, too. Shame it only has a V-6, which I think that year was the Buick 231. Odd though, that it has the base engine, yet the original owner sprang for the gauge package.

fintail

I don't mind it either. I think that platform was badge-engineered pretty well for Pontiac. In my 81 Consumer Guide they test one, and it has these lacy spoked wheels on it, that seem to compliment the eggcrate tailights very well.

In a way it reminds me of the checkerboard wheels offered on mid 80s Monte Carlos...they look very 80s and look good on some versions of the car. I knew someone when I was in school who had a pretty immaculate c.85 Monte, and it had the checkerboard wheels. They suited the car, I think.

ghulet

...why would anyone want to preserve a Subaru 360, what a wretched little car. I admire their patience, though.

That '80 Bonneville is pretty nice, I like the upholstery especially. If I can find them, I'll have to post pictures of some of the interior two-toning GM did around '80-81 (especially Pontiac and Oldsmobile), some of them are pretty far-out. Yes, shame about the V6, I can only imagine how entertaining ~110hp must be in a nearly two-ton car! Especially odd given that the car is pretty loaded otherwise. Did the big GM's have four-speed (or at least OD) automatics by '80, or still the tried-and-true three-speed TH?

andre1969

but I think the 4-speed THM200R-4, or whatever it's called, didn't come out until 1981. On the plus side, however, I think the 3-speed that went behind the 231 V-6 was usually the sturdier THM-350C, and not the lightweight THM-200C that tended to go behind the Chevy 229 V-6, 305 V-8, and probably some other engines that were way too big for it.

Although I guess the 350 would've sapped more hp than the 200 tranny, so while more durable, it would've made for an even slower car! I had an '82 Cutlass Supreme with the 231/THM350C. My 1985 Consumer Guide has a Regal set up like this, and they estimated 0-60 in about 13 seconds, but mine wasn't that fast!

I think of the GM big cars of that era, I like the Pontiac interiors the best. I think they always had the coolest dashboards, and since the Bonneville was trying to reach into Buick/Olds territory, but didn't have a C-body to do it, they ended up putting some really nice interiors in the Bonneville.

fintail

Interesting Euro 126 I picked off a MB mailing list. The seller is well known to that group of old MB people and should be reputable. Interesting spec car

Mr_Shiftright

He'd better have his DOT and EPA papers or I wouldn't touch this car. Also I don't know where he gets the idea that it is "collectible" or even more desirable than a US model.

Euro spec is usually the kiss of death in America, although there are a few exceptions. Your insurance company may also hassle you and your dealer/repair shop may refuse to work on it. Also, if they catch the VIN #, your DMV may REALLY drive you crazy.

Risky business this one.

ghulet

Much more so than any other car, I've seen plenty of gray market '80s Benzes on the road (especially 126s). Probably lots of red tape and other BS to have done so, but still, they're out there. Your point regarding difficulty/inability to get repairs is well made, though. I don't imagine getting parts is nearly as easy as the seller makes it sound, either. I mean, yeah, they're 'available' by ordering from your local MB dealer, IF they're willing to do so (and to repair it), but I can't imagine the drama, wait and expense in doing so, especially if you're not on a first-name basis with the service advisor. Maybe OK for a small-town dealer, but can't imagine a dealer in Chicago could be bothered. Not the daily driver for the faint of heart, for sure. Something different, anyway, if not technically 'collectible'.

kyfdx

Most of the gray-market Benzes were imported in the early-mid '80s.. It was much easier then.. and once you have a local title, then no problems after that (not counting California..no idea how things are there).

Getting a car through the federalization process now is a nightmare... or so I'm told.

bhill2

I would think that the 200 series fintail with the automatic of the time would be a bit of a slug; kind of like having a diesel without the economy. Am I wrong?

fintail

As was mentioned, a lot of 126s were sent over grey market during the 80s, you can always tell them by their smaller Euro bumpers mated to retarded DOT lights (thanks again, those useless DOT morons protecting us from good design). I wouldn't worry about the DOT/EPA stuff so much as odd parts that were never shipped here. I remember seeing lots of grey market MBs in the classifieds in Autoweek back in the 80s.

However, it is 2004, and you can get anything online. The owner is a backyard MB tinkerer, so that might be why he seems to think maintaining it would be easy.

A 4cyl 200 fintail would be a slug with manual or auto, I think. The 6cyl models are very competent, though.

Mr_Shiftright

'fraid not. DMV can challenge the car at any time, local title or not, because it is very easy to obtain a title on an illegal car (can you say Alabama?) Not saying this would happen, but it can, and does now and then, especially if the make/model is unusual, like say an MB 420SL--that will set off alarms at DMV.

fintail

I'd hope those overpaid uberslackers would have something better to do than go after a worn 23 year old Mercedes sedan, but I guess you never know...they obviously have little keeping them under control.

Really though, I haven't heard of such old cars being targeted, so it's likely not a worry.

DMV people are clueless, they had my fintail titled as a 200SE for years before I finally convinced them that they were wrong.

andre1969

is titled as a 2-door sedan, even though it's a convertible. I've even tried to fix it, making the corrections on the registration renewal when I send it in, but no luck.

fintail

I had to get mine fixed in person. I had to tell a couple people that there's no such thing as a 200SE, and they finally believed me.

Mr_Shiftright

It IS a danger, no REALLY.

Don't ever ever buy a Euro car without EPA/DOT papers. You could get royally screwed. I can give you case histories. It does happen. Especially if you cross state lines to re-register.

Remember, you often suffer the worst setbacks from government machinery when you think you are safe.

andre1969

sometimes the gov't will catch up to you. After I bought my '89 Gran Fury, I never did get an emissions notice for it. I figured that it may have been exempted, since it was an ex-police car. Now in Maryland you have to take a car in every two years for emissions testing, and every car I've bought that wasn't exempt, they'd always slam me within a few months of me putting it in my name. Well, I bought that Gran Fury in August of '98, and never did get a notice. By all rights I should've gotten one by the end of the year. And even if the car HAD been smog-checked just before I bought it, I bought it out-of-state, so I think they still would've gotten me right away, anyway.

Well, I finally did get a notice for that car...FOUR YEARS after I bought it!

jrosasmc

Wow- I haven't posted in a long time but I'm impressed with what I've been reading so far.

Anyway, I spotted a car that's pretty rare, but not uncommon to find these days: a '92 Alfa Romeo Spider. This red beauty was in really min condition for its age and everything appeared to be correct. It was pretty warm in Vermont yesterday so the guy had it out. Not a desirable car to drive, I don't think.

Mr_Shiftright

Oh, it's okay to drive. This last version of the Spider started way back in 1980 or so, or really 1970 or so, if you want to include the different engine sizes and injection systems. Problem with the "last Alfa Spiders" that were imported is that they are very long in the tooth technically speaking and heavy for their engines. Only maybe 115 HP. But pleasant cars to drive, as all Alfas are by definition, and if you have the last models, without the silly whale tail thingie and the newer body cladding, you can still get a strong price for one, maybe 12,000 or so.

andys120

Hell, any convertible sportscar is "desireable to drive" on a warm fall day in Vermont.

bumpy

up the road had a 66(?) Catalina sedan parked next to an early-70s Ventura in a horrible paint scheme of avocado green and a tannish-cream top. The Ventura's only saving grace is the 350 under the hood, so it can at least run fast enough to not be out in public for too long.

andre1969

where ya located at? I have a thing for big 60's Pontiacs! Before our project moved to another building, I used to see a burgundy pre-1975 Ventura out in the parking lot all the time. I just know it was pre-'75, because it was a coupe, and still had the roll-down rear windows. It had a tattered black vinyl top, and the paint was really more primer, peppered with rust, than burgundy! It had a 350, as well.

I guess the 350 was pretty common in early 70's Venturas? I know the Nova also had a 307 available, but I guess the Ventura didn't have an engine in between the 6 and the V-8?

ghulet

The standard V8 in Ventura IIs was actually the Chevy 307, except in California, where it got the two-barrel 350, which was also optional. So unless it actually says '350' on the air cleaner, it's just as likely a 307. A friend of mine in high school had a '71 Malibu with a 307, it was actually pretty quick. It also had a really nice sound to it.

In the past few days, I've seen two first-generation Civics, one of which was a red 1500 'S', basically the predecesor to the 'Si'. I also saw a pretty nice Eagle 4x4 wagon yesterday. Nothing too old lately, unfortunately.

jrosasmc

Ghulet- How'd that 1st-generation Civic look to you? Here in the Northeast practically all of them have rusted away by now.

stickguy

the local Honda dealer has a gen-1 Civic they keep in the showroom. It's white, and doesn't look restored, just real clean. It's also a Hondamatic (hard to imagine how one of them survived).